12 April 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Syria says it will stop fighting by UN deadline

Ronaldo matches his own goal record in Madrid win

NO: 15416

150 FILS

7 40 PAGES

www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADI ALAWAAL 21, 1433 AH

19

Assembly amends penal code to cut detention Dependant visas exceptionally open for Syrians

Max 31º Min 21º High Tide 04:26 & 15:18 Low Tide 09:11& 22:17

By B Izzak and A Saleh

Massive quakes trigger tsunami alert BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: A huge earthquake and strong aftershocks struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island yesterday, triggering an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami alert that sent terrified people fleeing from the coast. The 8.6-magnitude quake hit 431 km off the city of Banda Aceh at 0838 GMT, and was followed by another undersea quake measured at 8.2, the US Geological Survey said. Panicky residents poured into the streets of Banda Aceh, which was near the epicentre of a 9.1-magnitude quake in 2004 that unleashed an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 220,000 people including 170,000 in Aceh province.

Yesterday’s quake was felt as far afield as Thailand, where skyscrapers in the capital Bangkok swayed.

India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Reunion Island, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar all issued alerts or evacuation orders which were later lifted. Small tsunamis hit Indonesia and Thailand, with waves of up to 80 cm in Aceh, but there were no reports of damage or casualties. US seismologists then cancelled the tsunami warning, saying the quakes had generated only small waves and were nowhere near the scale of the disasters that struck Asia in 2004 and Japan last year.

Earlier in Banda Aceh, there were chaotic scenes as people grabbed their families and raced through crowded streets, with motorbikes and cars jostling for space. “There are people trying to evacuate, some are praying and children at a school were panicking as teachers tried to get them out,” an AFP correspondent in Banda Aceh said. “There are traffic jams everywhere as people are trying to get away from the coast - many are on motorcycles,” he said, adding that Continued on Page 13

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: Evacuated Acehnese residents are seen in an open ground in front of the historic Baiturrahman grand mosque in the capital after a powerful earthquake hit the western coast of Sumatra in Aceh province yesterday. (Inset) Acehnese attend to patients evacuated out of hospital buildings after the earthquake. — AFP

KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday passed key amendments to the penal code to considerably cut detention periods of suspects by police and the public prosecution amid sharp criticism of police behaviour towards detainees. The new law, passed in the first reading by 38 MPs with all nine ministers present abstaining, stipulates to cut to just 24 hours the maximum duration police can detain suspects before referring them to the public prosecution. MP Ali Al-Rashed was the only one to oppose the law. It also cuts the duration the public prosecution can detain suspects under interrogation to just seven days from the current 21 days, and the duration can be extended for up to 35 days only. To become effective, the law must be passed in the second reading after two weeks and then approved by the government and signed by HH the Amir.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry has decided to allow Syrians residing in Kuwait to apply for dependant visas for their children on condition that their wives have valid residencies, said informed sources. They added that the decision was made on humanitarian reasons taking into consideration the current situation in Syria and the sufferings the people are undergoing, which calls for offering all possible help.

During the Assembly session, several MPs strongly criticized alleged abuse by the police of detainees including beating and torturing them, citing the example of Kuwaiti citizen Mohammad Al-Maimouni AlMutairi, who died about two years ago in a police station under excessive and inhumane torture. Lawmakers insisted that police do not need to detain suspects for more than 24 hours because they are supposed to bring them to the public prosecution which is entitled under the law to interrogate them.

During the debate, opposition MP Musallam AlBarrak was involved in abusive exchanges with newlyelected Shiite MP Abdulhameed Dashti over Continued on Page 13

Pigeon riddle flies in face of science

TOKYO: Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa (left) is greeted by Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as they meet at Noda’s official residence yesterday. — AP

Violence grows with Bahrain mob attacks

PARIS: Scientists have sent robot scouts into deep space and unravelled the genome, yet yesterday were forced to admit they were still baffled by how homing pigeons navigate. Experts at Vienna’s Institute of Molecular Pathology said they had overturned claims that the birds’ feat is due to iron-rich nerve cells in the beak that are sensitive to Earth’s magnetic field. “It was really disappointing,” molecular biologist David Keays told AFP after years of endeavour. “The mystery of how animals detect magnetic fields has just got more mysterious.”

Keays’ team used 3-D scanners to search for the cells and sliced pigeon beaks into 250,000 wafer-thin slivers for analysis. They found that the particles credited with the pigeon’s homing skills were actually white blood cells which protected the birds from infection and had no connection to the brain. “They are not excitable cells and cannot produce electric signals which could be registered by neurons [brain cells] and therefore influence the pigeon’s Continued on Page 13

Clashes mar lead-up to Grand Prix MANAMA: Mobs with iron rods and sticks ransacked a supermarket belonging to a major Shiite-owned business group yesterday, a company official said, as part of a spike in violence in the Gulf nation in retaliation for a bomb attack on police. The attack appeared linked to a wave of reprisals and intimidation by suspected Sunni groups angered by the 14-month-old uprising by Bahrain’s Shiite majority seeking to weaken the powers of the kingdom’s Sunni monarchy.

The growing unrest, which has included vigilante-style attacks in some Shiite areas, also could escalate worries by Formula One teams about whether to participate in the April 22 Bahrain Grand Prix. The race was called off last year amid security fears and Bahrain’s leaders are pushing hard to bring back the event as a sign of stability in the island nation.

Amir Jawad, a board member for the Jawad Business Group, said the mob smashed windows and caused other damage to the supermarket in what he called a “systematic” series of attacks. The crowds also roamed outside the headquarters of the company, which owns supermarkets, cafes and fast-food outlets. Jawad said company security guards detained at least two suspected attack-

ers. There were no immediate reports of injuries. “The vigilantes used iron, steel and wood sticks,” he said.

Jawad sites have faced sporadic vandalism since the uprising began in Feb 2011 in the strategic Gulf nation, which is home to the US Navy ’s 5th Fleet.

Bahrain’s Shiites account for about 70 percent of the population, but they claim they face widespread discrimination and are kept from top government or military posts. Nearly 50 people have died in the Arab Spring’s longest-running street battles. Apparent Sunni mobs have stepped up reprisals following a blast Monday that injured seven policemen. On Tuesday, Bahrain said four suspects had been arrested in connection with the blast.

In some Shiite areas, apparent Sunni hardliners carrying knives and sticks staged hit-and-run attacks late Tuesday and set up roadblocks, said witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of receiving pressures from authorities. “I saw hundreds of men carrying knives, sticks and other sharp objects,” on the outskirts of several Shiite villages, said one witness who identified himself only as Hussein.

Continued on Page 13

QESHM, Iran: International envoy Kofi Annan (left) gestures during his meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on this Iranian island yesterday. — AP

Ahmadinejad visits disputed Gulf isle Annan seeks Iran help on Syria

NEW YORK: Albert Sima’s homing pigeons are seen in the rooftop coop he built above his pet supply store in the Queens borough. — AFP

TEHRAN: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has visited a strategic Arabian Gulf island also claimed by the United Arab Emirates, in the first trip by a head of state since Tehran retook possession of the island 41 years ago.

Ahmadinejad praised Iran’s rich culture during the visit yesterday to Abu Musa but did not mention the dispute with the UAE, according to the official IRNA news agency. Iran took control of tiny Abu Musa and the nearby Greater and Lesser Tunb islands in 1971 after British forces left the region.

The three islands dominate the approach to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Tehran says the islands have been part of states on the Iranian mainland from antiquity until the early 20th century. The UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called the visit a “setback” to efforts at finding at peaceful solution to the dispute. “This visit will not change the legal status of these islands which are part and parcel of the UAE national soil,” he said.

Meanwhile, special envoy Kofi Annan

said yesterday in Tehran that Iran could help solve the crisis in Syria, where activists reported fresh violence near the capital Damascus a day before an international ceasefire is supposed to take effect. Iran is one of Syria’s strongest allies, and former UN chief Annan went there to bolster support for his faltering plan to stop the country’s slide toward civil war. “Iran, given its special relations with Syria, can be part of the solution,” Annan said during a news conference with Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. “The geopolitical location of Syria is such that any miscalculation and error can have unimaginable consequences.”

The conflict in Syria is among the most explosive of the Arab Spring, in part because of the country’s allegiances to powerful forces including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Shiite powerhouse Iran.

The uprising that began more than a year ago seeks the ouster of authoritarian President Bashar Al-Assad. Iran has opposed any foreign intervention in the crisis and Salehi insisted that “change in Syria” should come under the leadership of Assad.

Continued on Page 13

2

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attending the opening ceremony of the Kuwait International Prize for the Memorization and Recitation of the Holy Quran at the International Islamic Charitable Organization yesterday.

Amir inaugurates Quran contest

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah patronized the opening ceremony of the Kuwait International Prize for the Memorization and Recitation of the Holy Quran yesterday, at the International Islamic Charitable Organization. The event, which was organized by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, was attended by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Sheikhs, ministers, Islamic scholars, envoys and senior officials at the Premier’s Diwan. Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Jamal Ahmad Al-Shihab and the Ministry’s Undersecretary Dr Adel Abdullah Al-Falah both gave out speeches on the occasion. A documentary on the achievements of

Kuwait International Prize was shown during the ceremony. His Highness the Prime Minister was awarded during the event.

Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Jamal Shehab said here that the remarkable increase in the number of contestants of Kuwait’s International Holy Quran Recitation and Memorization confirms its entrenched position among the prestigious international competitions.

Shehab said in a s speech he delivered on the occasion of launching the activities of the award held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and in the presence of representative of the patron of the award His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister, that “We are confi-

dent that the parental caring extended by His Highness for this award has contributed to the success of the award and the promotion of its march towards achieving its goals”.

He expressed pride of the increasing number of participants in this award which he described as “blessed”, noting to the various segments of participants who came from all over the world.

For his part, Chairman of the Higher Committee for the award, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Dr. Adel Al-Falah said this award has become a monument for the service of the holy book of God Almighty. He added that the keenness of His Highness the Amir on the coverage of the award had the best fruits in the increasing number of participants. — KUNA

Fencing Champion thanks Al Ahli Bank KUWAIT: The world’s champion of fencing for the disabled Tareq Al Qallaf has expressed his gratitude to Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait for sponsoring him during the fencing for disabled professionals’ championship in the United States, where he won three gold medals and the Best Player Award. He said, “I am grateful to ABK for supporting such an important phase of my career. I hope I can continue to participate in these major championships and bring glory to our country.” Support to Tareq Al Qallaf was under ABK’s PR banner “Our Society, Our Responsibility”.

This is the slogan under which ABK conducts its corporate social responsibility initiatives, whether related to humanitarian, environmental, cultural or sport subjects.

Sahar Al Therban, Public Relations Manager at ABK commented, “We extend heartfelt congratulations to Tareq Al Qallaf, for winning the US title of “World Champion in fencing” for the fifth time in a row. We at ABK

feel proud of sponsoring Al Qallaf and supporting him in the world championships, thereby also bringing pride to our nation, enriching our Kuwaiti medals tally, with him

winning three gold medals in addition to the ‘Best Player Award’. ABK is keen to carry out such initiatives to encourage athletes to accomplish even better.”

Zakat Hosue opens Fahad Al-Zaben Mosque in Egypt CAIRO: Kuwait ambassador in Egypt Dr Rasheed Al-Hamad and the governor of Giza Dr Ali Abdulrahman opened the mosque of late Fahad Yousef Al-Zaben in Kafr Turki in the Giza Governorate yesterday.

This is part of Kuwait-based Alms House, or Beit Al-Zakat, projects in Egypt, represented by the Kuwaiti Office for Charity Projects in Cairo. The

project aims at strengthening ties between the two countries, Deputy Manager of Social Services at Zakat House Khalid Al-Hussaini said.

He praised the role of Kuwaiti Office for Charity Projects in Cairo in implementing the projects of Zakat House that totaled 430.

Al-Hussaini is visiting Egypt to take part in the opening of a number of

Sandstorm exposes airport landing error KUWAIT: A sandstorm which hit Kuwait Tuesday resulted in an error in the instrument landing system (ILS) at the Kuwait International Airport, which forced seven flights to be diverted to Dammam in Saudi Arabia and to Bahrain, says a report quoting a source with knowledge of the case.

“Aviation traffic for arriving planes stopped completely for almost two hours during the sandstorms, which caused the ILS to go out of order”, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) insider who spoke on the condition

of anonymity. The system helps planes land in poor weather conditions. On Tuesday, the sandstorm rendered visibility to 500 meters, a range the source said would still enable planes to land safely if the ILS was working properly.

“The fact that seven planes had to change route is further proof that the system was out of order”, he said. The DGCA Operations Manager, Essam Al-Zamel, confirmed that aviation traffic for arriving planes stopped between 7:25 AM and 9:35 AM on Tuesday, but departing planes flew normally. —Al-Qabas

charity projects, besides following up the implementation of other projects and quality of services.

During his visit, Al-Hussaini met a number of officials including Sheikh Dr Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque, Awqaf Minister Mohamed Abdul Fadeel El-Qusi, besides Ambassador AlHamad. — KUNA

Sheikh Hamad gets honorary trophy KUWAIT: The Chairman of International Center of Neurolinguistic Programming Dr Antar Sulaiman awarded Sheikh Hamad Al-Ali Al-Sabah an honorary trophy for his excellent leadership and effective political management during his previous tenure as Kuwaiti Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Information Minister.

Dr Sulaiman said, during the trophy-giving ceremony late Tuesday, that the scientific committee at the center, which consists of prominent Arab academics, noticed the remarkable and successful achievements done by Sheikh Hamad during his tenure.—KUNA

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LOCAL

News

IAA-Kuwait Chapter elects Kanafani as new president

in brief

AUK cancels concert KUWAIT: The American University of Kuwait cancelled the concert it planned on its campus today, after the Ministry of Higher Education bowed to the threats of MP Mohammad Hayef and asked it to do so. Informed sources said the cancellation decision came 24 hours after Hayef threatened Nayef Al-Hajraf, Minister of Education and Higher Education.

Hayef said such activities will lead the educational process to deviate from its goals and political crises.

KPC merger of assets KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Board approved the merger of assets in Denmark with those of Al-Sharaka Company in Sweden, as both belong to Kuwait International Petroleum Company (KIPCO), oil sources said. The sources said the merger of the two companies aims to increase production, reduce expenses and raise profits. The move will enable the “International Oil Company” to face the challenges of future competition. Hussein Ismail, chairman of the board and managing director of KID, said the cost of designing and constructing the refinery in Vietnam will be $5.2 billion. He said the government in Vietnam is eager to complete the project, and paid $200 million to prepare the site in support.

Insiders deny port reports KUWAIT: Foreign Ministry insiders denied suggestions that Kuwait asked the United Nations to settle an alleged dispute with Iraq over construction of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port.

“The Mubarak Al-Kabeer port issue was among many subjects settled during the recent visit of Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maleki, to Kuwait,” a source said on condition of anonymity, reiterating Kuwait’s stance over the case as “a matter of state sovereignty”. Iraqi MP Aliya Nassif, of the recently formed Free Iraqiya Party, is quoted in recent news reports as criticizing “statements from Kuwaiti officials in which they call for UN mediation regarding Mubarak Al-Kabeer port”. The sources said a report prepared by an Iraqi technical team, that visited the project’s site last year, “confirmed that the port leaves no negative effects on the navigation of Iraqi waters or mobility of trade towards Iraqi ports.”

Study on traffic congestion KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works is preparing a study, in coordination with the Traffic Department at the Interior Ministry to chalk out a comprehensive plan on the traffic issue and its solutions in residential areas under construction or to be built later. The Ministry of Public Works has noticed that there are traffic problems resulting from the construction expansion in the country, and is supposed to solve a part of the traffic problem in the country, which resulted due to the lack of efficient strategies between population density and the number of residential units and roads.

Host of activities in store

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The International Advertising Association (IAA) Kuwait Chapter overwhelmingly voted for Waleed Kanafani, General Manager-Media Edge, as their new president, at a general election held at the SwissBel Hotel in Kuwait City on Tuesday night.

Several members and various media organizations witnessed the voting process. The election started with the selection of new seven-member board, followed by the election of president, vice president, secretary general and treasurer. It was Michelle Barakat who was elected treasurer but she yielded her position to Ronie, to give new members a chance. Iqbal Hadad was elected vice president while Zaina Mukadam assumed new General Secretary. Eli Farah, Murzban Darwalla, Marwan Farah, Adnan Saad and Michelle Brakat served as their board members. The new board will stay for two years following their elections.

IAA is a marketing communications organization founded in 1938 in the United Kingdom. The IAA is an international organization with a global network including 4,000 members and 56 Chapters within 76 countries. “I am now the president of International Advertising Association in Kuwait. I used to be the treasurer in the previous board, now, I am the president. This is not just a title; I consider this a responsibility. As president, I would like to dedicate my time, effort to this organization for the next two years,” he said.

Kanafani said he is proud to be elected president.

“I want to thank the members who elected me to this position. It is a huge responsibility but I am ready for the great challenge,” he said. He added that the newly elected board members have been working in harmony with officers and members. “Same people in the board have been present since several years. So we know already how to talk and how we are going to discuss issues. We have a mutual understanding between us. We are going to continue whatever we started two years back. As a new leader, we are going to add and implement more and new plans,” he asserted. He promised to maintain the best that is already there, but will introduce more attractive efforts.

Kuwait denies reports about drills with US forces KUWAIT: The Ministry of Defense denied yesterday press reports about air drills involving forces of the GCC states and the United States.

The department of moral guidance and public relations of the chairmanship of staff of Kuwait Army denied in a statement, reports the Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah urgently contacted the Iranian ambassador to Kuwait Ruhollah Qahramani.

The Ministry of Defense denied that the ambassador warned that the Iranian air and naval forces would attack Gulf states that take part in such military exer-

cises. The official statement also denied that the commander of the Kuwaiti Army discussed such Iranian threats with the GCC Secretary General assistant for military affairs.

In fact, the chief of staff had received the Iranian ambassador who offered congratulations and invited him to visit Iran. He had also received Maj Gen Khalifa Al-Kaabi, GCC Assistant Secretary General for Military Affairs, who also offered good wishes and discussed coordination for the upcoming consultative meeting of the chiefs of staff of the GCC states. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A worker died and another suffered injuries yesterday when a truckload of cement accidentally crashed into the sea at Shuaiba Port, Kuwait Fire Service Directorate said. The department, upon notification of the accident, hurriedly dispatched boats and divers to the spot, where they pulled ashore a dead worker and another worker with injuries.

‘Banned’ artist off MBC talk show KUWAIT: Ahmad Al-Assaf, MBC regional director, confirmed that an invitation for a Kuwaiti artist to appear in one of its most popular talk shows was cancelled after learning that her recently local exhibition was shut down by Kuwait authorities over morality issues.

Artist Shurooq Amin was due to participate in an episode of ‘Kalaam Nawaaem’ (ladies’ talk) but received notice from the pan-Arab network that her invitation was canceled. This led to speculations that Kuwaiti authorities requested her interview be called off.

“I made the decision personally after viewing Shurooq’s paintings, deemed inappropriate by Kuwaiti authorities who as a result shut down her gallery”, AlAssaf explained. “[MBC] can’t host a person [whose art] was banned in her home country”.

Amin challenged Al-Assaf ’s statements, saying her invitation came after MBC officials viewed her paintings on her official website.

“I was shocked when [MBC] called back to inform me that the invitation was canceled,” Amin said. She said she was told in the same phone conversation that Al-Assaf received a phone call from Kuwait’s Ministry of Information asking them not to let her appear on their talk show.

Government officials ordered Amin’s gallery to close last month after reportedly receiving complaints that some of the works in her ‘It’s a Man’s World’ exhibition were ‘indecent’. Earlier this month, the artist told Reuters she was determined to “keep producing art that challenges perceptions of society in the state”. —Al-Qabas

“We can make the industry better, more advanced and professional. Our role is to serve the sector for advertising industry and to work hard in harmony between agencies and media. Of course, we have

since the market is small and is not perceived to be very active, we cannot function as well as they do.

The country itself is quite conservative, we have to accept the fact. We are in this country, we should

KUWAIT: The newly elected board: Waleed Kanafani (president), Iqbal Al-Haddad (vice president), Zeina Mokaddam (general secretary), Rony Atallah (treasurer), Adnan Saad (board member), Marwan Farah (board member), Michel Barakat (board member). — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh lots of projects on hold, and we are going to activate all of those projects once again,” he added. He said projects in the coming two years include social gatherings with training, invite professional speakers, and instructors within the industry to conduct lecture/conferences and education programs. “We hope for the full support of everyone, and be ready for any comments, suggestions, so as to work hard to make everything follow in the right direction,” he added.

IAA is a worldwide association, and it is present in almost every country in the world. But according to Kanafani, its function and activities differ from one country to another. “In the United State and in Europe, their role is very important. Here in Kuwait

respect their customs and norms here. We can use our talents in a way that does not violate the norms of this country. It is indeed a big challenge to work here,” he admitted. When asked if the IAA will sponsor the famous ‘Ad eaters’ show in Kuwait again, he replied, “Ad eaters is just one event we usually organize. Maybe it will not be organized by us this time, but definitely we are going to sponsor it,” he said. There are about 50 IAA members in Kuwait and one of the new leadership objectives is to increase their membership in the next two years. “This is a huge organization. We shall conduct weekly meetings, discuss all future plans and campaign. As president, I cannot decide alone and we need to consider the majority’s voice,” he concluded.

4

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LOCAL Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

Just ignore them

Independent rehab centers

By Mubarak Al-Maosharji

W

Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net any readers have commented about the need to set up rehabilitation centers in Kuwait. I’m a Kuwaiti who fully understand Kuwaiti culture, political and social background better than any foreign expatriate who has been residing here for a number of years. This article is my personal opinion about this issue and how it can help society members facing difficulties.

The recent article I wrote on the issue examined the need to establish independent rehab centers to which any individual can be admitted either by family members or otherwise, akin to the ones we see and read about in western countries. Such facilities can help anyone who suffers from substance abuse or extremism.

It should not be made a part of the Central Jail, even if it boasts of five or ten star facilities! That is not the point of setting up an independent rehab centers for people who have not committed a crime. People should be imprisoned only when they commit a crime, not before that!

For example, those that support Al-Qaeda need help to be purged of extreme beliefs. How can they be jailed for their beliefs? For example, there is a Kuwaiti man called Mubarak Al- Badali who makes fiery statements on TV and other media. His speech about jihad and misogynistic views definitely raise eyebrows, but he has not committed a crime against society! I think he needs professional help from specialists. Maybe a rehab center can support him and free his mind from such thoughts and ideas. Someone who reads my article may misinterpret what I am trying to convey. My comments on Guantanamo detainees was merely an example of two men whose families, friends and some MPs who press for their release based on the fact that they were imprisoned without any evidence. If these detainees are imprisoned once again, it will continue to be a legal issue forever, with public opinion being poured in from all quarters.

These rehab centers should be independent and left to doctors’ discretion, the choice of family members. The Ministry of Interior should decide if such extremists should be convicted or face trial. Such centers should also be open to admitting any one who needs psychiatric help. For example, if a family finds that their son has been viewing extremists videos online and has significantly altered the way he thinks and his attitudes, he definitely requires help. Sadly, only private independent rehab centers can help . He should not be imprisoned by a court order because the child had not committed a crime. Loving parents who want to save their son will voluntarily want to admit him into such a rehab.

What about those suffering from substance abuse? I know that the hospital can help but it needs more than that. Independent institutions are needed and not prisons! I think Kuwait needs to set up independent rehab centers that are socially beneficial. This is my personal opinion on this matter. Some may disagree, but I respect everyone’s thoughts.

M

kuwait digest

Creative in giving excuses

By Thaar Al-Rashidi Ps have different ways to get rid of citizens who approach them to complete a file. Their excuses vary from plausible and logical excuses to downright plain lies. Sometimes they practice political championship through those excuses, like telling the owner of the file, ‘Forgive me brother, I wanted to pass your file but you know that all of the Government is against me because I am Opposition. Therefore, the Government fights me and stops any file I try to pass to spoil my reputation among good people like you so that I fail in the next elections.’

Of course, many of the current and former MPs used such sentence when apologizing to the owners of files in a nice way. He spreads the news that he is against the Government, and stresses that he is Opposition. Thus he gains publicity free of charge. Although the whole story is a file to get one employee transferred from this place to that or to get a promotion.

Some MPs and their secretaries are creative in giving excuses, or even invent them. Not all the files that citizen bring to MPs are legal. Even some MPs, may God forgive them, have files that “sends one to hell” and have never heard of the law or seen it. Even, and I say even, if the law was applied to everyone there would be no citizen carrying a legal or illegal file to an MP. But it is Government policy, “The Authority”, that implants in our brain the possibility of penetrating and even breaking the law as needed and covered by the regal gold trimmed black over-gown of His Excellency the MP. So, we are convinced in our country that “those who make the law are the same people who break it.”

Now that the culture of breaking the law has become valid, we must deal with it as a reality because it has become part of the culture in this society. Even the way of life and the public slogan is “waste above the law.” Here I don’t say that we must admit it and accept it, but we must admit that there is such an epidemic disease and act according to its presence.

Note: an MP was asked to complete a file for a citizen.

After he took his file, he told him thank God your file is finalized. Now all you have to do is to call the operator and ask for the minister’s office and your file will be complete.

The citizen kept calling the ministry for more than 10 days, but no one answered him. Not even a tea-boy or cleaner.

This trick by MPs is the latest to distract those who approach them to finalize files, hanging citizens who are pushed by their Government and their circumstances to approach such MPs. —Al-Anbaa

M

hen I first began my job as a school’s assistant principal, I soon discovered that some students scrawled insults against me on bathroom walls. I turned furious at the time and vowed to investigate that, and wouldn’t stop unless I found the culprits and had them punished.

The school’s principal soon learnt about the case, and came to office with a smile on his face after seeing me enraged. “You are giving the perpetrator exactly what he wants: a jubilant feeling of making you angry, earning him a reputation among students as the ‘hero’ who insulted the school’s assistant principal and got away with it,” the principal told me. Given his long experience in dealing with teenagers, he advised me to do nothing about the case because the toughest penalty the culprit can get is a three-day suspension which the student would find as an excuse to miss school, therefore being more of a reward than a punishment.

I followed his advice and kept ignoring the issue.

Soon enough, I learned that the insults were wiped out by a marker of the same color used to write the insults . It is likely that the perpetrator chose to delete

kuwait digest

Seven year prison term is harsh

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij he offenses that Mohammad Al-Mulaifi committed status in society. I find it ironic that Islamist MP Osama Alagainst Shiite citizens and the Shiite faith, resulted in Munawer said in a statement after the verdict was him being slapped with over a seven-year jail term. It announced that the seven-year jail sentence was harsh. It’s is the newest episode of a fierce campaign carried out ironic because Al-Munawer is one of lawmakers who wants against religious beliefs and followers. He was not convict- to introduce capital punishment as the penalty for insulted for insulting Shiite citizens, but for expressing a personal ing God and the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH.) Al-Munawer ideology against the Shiite faith, which happens to be believes that seven years in jail is a harsh sentence for a slanderer, yet death penalty unfriendly. Al-Mulaifi’s isn’t! persistence in underAt least, he should know mining the Shiite faith I find it ironic that Islamist MP Osama that an insult isn’t going to served as reason for Al-Munawer said in a statement after have the slightest bit of an which the court found effect on the divine status him guilty. the verdict was announced that the sevof Almighty God. However, Yet, I believe that en-year jail sentence was harsh. It’s ironcitizens can feel the reperthe verdict is harsh, ic because Al-Munawer is one of lawcussions of having their loyespecially since it is alty towards their country the first time that Almakers who wants to introduce capital questioned.

Mualifi was actually punishment as the penalty for insulting Sadly, Article 19 of the convicted (and it press law prevents me - or could also be the first God and the Prophet Mohammad anyone for that matter of its kind in Kuwait’s (PBUH). Al-Munawer believes that seven from freely and boldly dishistory). Regardless of years in jail is a harsh sentence for a cussing the proposal of Alhow offensive it can Munawer and his friends to get, speech is an slanderer, yet death penalty isn’t! impose tougher penalties ‘expression of words’ for blasphemy, because in the end which cananything said in such a disnot cause physical harm. It’s true that Al-Mulaifi went as far as to accuse Shiite cussion could be misinterpreted as a violation of the said citizens of being loyal to another country, but his accusa- law. That is why I always believe that freedom of expression tions remain an expression of his beliefs which aren’t nec- doesn’t exist in Kuwait; not when one religious group has essarily going to harm Shiite citizens or undermine their strengthened its own beliefs against criticism. —Al-Qabas

T

Some people in Kuwait post ‘insulting’ tweets similar to those that were written against me on the bathroom wall. Like the student, the offenders on Twitter may be seeking popularity by spreading frivolous messages. It appears that so far they have succeeded in their plan after becoming ‘leaders of opinion’ when they were arrested and placed where they belong. his wrongdoing after realizing that his ‘quest for popularity’ didn’t work out.

I remember this story as I read that a few people in Kuwait post ‘insulting’ tweets similar to those that were written against me on the bathroom wall. Like the student, the offenders on Twitter may be seeking popularity by spreading frivolous messages. It appears that so far they have succeeded in their plan after becoming ‘leaders of opinion’ when they were arrested and placed where they belong.

Their actions have divided the nation into supporters for their ‘freedom of opinion expression,’ and people who demand that they be punished. In my opinion, I believe that the best way to handle offenders on Twitter is to ignore them. Let them post whatever insults they want. They’ll eventually stop when they find out that people are too smart to respond to their remarks. In the meantime, the Ministry of Interior can use the time spent on following online offenders into tackling actual crimes like drug smuggling and human trafficking. —Al-Rai

in my view

Not covered by warranty

kuwait digest

To whomsoever it may concern

By Abdelaziz Aluwaisheg ot covered by warranty. This is the phrase consumers country. As part of the deal, the car was “guaranteed” for five dread the most, as some merchants have earned a rep- years, with “free maintenance” to boot during that period. A utation for ingenuity in wiggling out of warranty obli- good deal, he thought!

However, from day one the car started exhibiting some gations. As a long-time writer on economic issues, I regularly receive complaints from readers about shady practices by problems, but the salesman, who was his sole contact, kept “sole” agents, dealers and distributors, when it comes to hon- saying that they were minor imperfections that could be fixed oring warranties. Some readers complain about shoddy at the first maintenance visit to the dealer’s workshop.

At 1,000 km, as usual with new cars, the consumer tried to repairs by “authorized” dealers, unexplained delays and exorbitant prices. In fact, it can be said that lack of clarity over war- get his car into maintenance, but was told that it was not necranties is the bane of many consumers, especially those of lim- essary. He then tried at 5,000 km, but was again told that it was not time. The car was so well made he was told that it did ited means.

This negative reputation is not always well-deserved, as not need to be maintained so regularly. He was suspicious, many merchants in fact live up to warranty obligations. But because it crossed his mind that the dealer simply wanted to that still leaves many who would do everything possible to save money, because he had offered “free maintenance” as get out of returning defective merchandise or repairing it for part of the deal, and as such did not have a financial incentive to maintain the car or free. fix its faults.

What is most frustrating Quite often, there are no easy ways to Finally, at 10,000 for consumers is that they km, the driver took the believe that there is no place contact the manufacturer directly, no car to the dealer’s to go when faced with this familiar public agency to turn to, and no workshop. By that ominous phrase (“not covtime, what were ered by warranty”), especialeffective independent consumer protec“minor” imperfections ly when repairs have to be tion group to consult.

There are usually turned to be quite done immediately, and as tell-tale signs that could foretell if a severe, the most potensuch accept reluctantly tially serious of which whatever they are told, pay merchant is not keen on honoring his or had to do with the car’s the money and leave. the manufacturer’s warranty. If the warsteering wheel. Despite Quite often, there are no that, he was asked to easy ways to contact the ranty is vague or has too many exempwait for several weeks manufacturer directly, no tions, that is one sign. If it is written in before anyone could familiar public agency to legalese in fine print, that is another. look at the car, let alone turn to, and no effective admit it for a checkup, independent consumer proregular maintenance tection group to consult.

There are usually tell-tale signs that could foretell if a merchant and taking care of those problems.

Finally, after days in the workshop, the car was released. is not keen on honoring his or the manufacturer’s warranty. If the warranty is vague or has too many exemptions, that is one The free maintenance turned out not to be so free. He was sign. If it is written in legalese in fine print, that is another. The asked to pay for spare parts that were defective from day one. most important sign if there are no clear contact points or pro- “Not covered by warranty,” they were told. More seriously, the dealer could not fix the problem of the steering wheel. On cedures for filing complaints or settling disputes.

You also should expect warranty problems with cheap that, the consumer is on his own.

In situations such as this one, which are quite common, is it merchandise made by obscure manufacturers, and sold by really true that consumers are all alone, as many feel? Why not merchants with little history.

However, some big-name brands and big-time dealers try to contact the head of the company in question? If that have developed equally big names in bad service. For exam- does not work, why not contact the manufacturer? If the disple, have you ever wondered why cars that have an outstand- pute is not resolved, why do consumers not resort to public ing reputation and sell well outside Kuwait are not doing so agencies whose responsibility it is to defend them as the well in Kuwait? I have and the answer I got was consistent: “It weaker party in disputes with big business? What about primay be a good car, but its agent is unreliable.” One story I vate consumer protection organizations? What about private came upon has confirmed consumers’ complaints about even lawyers, who could take on good causes for a contingency the biggest names in manufacturing and dealership. A few fee? In fact, all these tools or similar ones are available in all months ago, one consumer bought a top-of-the-line countries, but consumers need to familiarize themselves with European car for about $120,000 from its sole dealer in the them and try to enlist them to resolve their warranty disputes.

N

By Rashid Al-Radaan o sane individual will accept erratic driving.

Sadly, in Kuwait you can see motorcycles zipping past along some large streets or the Gulf road.

Young men drive convertible cars in top speed, as if the country has no laws or traffic police. Then tragedy strikes when a crash takes place, the street will be cordoned off as people gather to witness the melee.

The situation takes a turn for the worse without any intervention by traffic patrol. They form a team called ‘rapid action team,’ with the task of ending traffic jams

N

The situation takes a turn for the worse without any intervention by traffic patrol. They form a team called ‘rapid action team,’ with the task of ending traffic jams caused by accidents. Such a team is not a new invention because in most Gulf countries, we find various teams from traffic, fire and ambulance departments.

They intervene quickly to save lives and solve traffic congestion. caused by accidents. Such a team is not a new invention because in most Gulf countries, we find various teams from traffic, fire and ambulance departments.

They intervene quickly to save lives and solve traffic congestion.

Divorce rate in Kuwait is one of the highest in the world as statistics show. The problem does not lie in divorce itself. Young children need a father and mother, both parents. Statistics indicate that most ‘deviated’ youth belong to shattered families, where the father is in one place and the mother is somewhere else. The children are not cared for and there is no one to supervise them. So the forbidden paths are open to them, committing crimes in the process even if that means jail. They are the victims of families who did not raise them well. They did not receive love and warmth there, so their hearts have hardened. Divorce is a familial, social catastrophe. So one should think a lot before seeking one. — A-Watan

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LOCAL

Dog fighting, stray poisoning, pet abandonment continues Animal cruelty runs rampant in Kuwait

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: The AWARE Center held a Diwaniya on Tuesday to raise awareness on the widespread problem of animal cruelty in Kuwait. Kuwaiti animal-rescuer, Nadia Al-Kandari, and local photojournalist Claudia Farkas Al-Rashoud discussed an array of issues including dog fighting, the poor treatment of animals at the Friday market, the poisoning of strays, the illegal importation of wild animals and the abandonment of pets.

Poison continues to be littered across parks in attempts to cut the number of strays, and pets and strays alike have suffered painful deaths after ingesting it.

Al-Rashoud noted one of the responses people give regarding animal rights, “Many people say: why focus so much attention on animals when there are humans in need? There are two reasons I give them. Firstly, we have a religious obligation to help animals and, secondly, who says that we can’t do both?” Religion, AlRashoud said, encourages compassion towards animals, not cruelty based on the idea that animals are unclean.

A key factor discussed in the Diwaniya was the prevalence of the idea that animals are dirty, and even evil. Al-Rashoud noted that percep-

tions of animals being unclean or impure may be a factor in the prevalence of animal cruelty, however she added that, from a religious standpoint, compassion towards animals is encouraged: “The Quran includes a story of a man who went to heaven for giving water to a stray dog. It also refers to the story of a woman who was punished for not helping a cat.” She added, “Compassion towards animals is rewarded and encouraged. Islam emphasizes the importance of animal welfare.”

Al-Rashoud noted that awareness and education are key in bringing about change, “The first step is education. Children should learn from a young age about animals and how to treat them.” She added, “Kuwait is a young country, attitudes are changing but we must continue to raise awareness.” Dog fighting is a serious problem in Kuwait, she said. She added that some parents even take their children to watch the fights for entertainment, “It’s extremely cruel and it’s wrong for children to be exposed to something so violent and bloody.” She added, “There are animal cruelty laws, but they’re very hard to find. What’s more, there’s no information available on how to prosecute, and what would be necessary to do so. Even one successful pros-

‘Energy Within Your Hands’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) held a symposium titled ‘Energy Within Your Hands’ presented by Maha Nammour. Nammour said health can’t be available without energy. “ When energy decreases, a person becomes nervous and upset. In the West they describe health as a life without disease, while in the Arab world health means happiness. To build ourselves we have to get to know ourselves. We should go deeper to heal the real layers inside you,” she said. Everybody feels lonely sometimes.

“Sometimes we feel sad, depressed or lonely, and this is the feeling of a lack of emotions and that we are neglected or ignored.

Thus we should ask who neglected us? We are neglected by ourselves. So we should start by giving enough time to ourselves, to recharge our energy,” stressed Nammour.

Every one of us is looking for something different. “Some are seeking a job, money or children, but only those who love themselves have reached their goals. And this is the beginning of building ourselves. It is a complete cycle: negative, positive, and neutral. By this we are feeding the empty space,” she added.

“We should learn how to strengthen our inner energies. We eat and work, but we should not forget God’s light coming from the sky. If we don’t understand these two sides, the person may harm himself and others as well,” she said. There are two kinds of energy. “There is the herniated energy from our parents, and the energy gained from earth including the sun, food and others. All people are living, but not all of them are happy. Breathing is important to get energy, and there are many ways of breathing. So we should concentrate on breathing to be sincere, in order to change the negative energy into positive,” highlighted Nammour.

She also explained how a person

receives energy and light from up in the sky. “You should sit with a straight back, feet on the ground and straight head looking forwards. In this way, we make a balance between the head, body and feet so we recharge ourselves with energy. This

KUWAIT: Maha Nammour addressing the meeting. energy is our nutrition, and we create an aura that is surrounding our body. This aura reflects our real feelings and inner energy, and if we are lying or giving fake compliments this aura will show it,” she stated.

There are four glands responsible for our health symbolized in the crystal palace.

“What was presented in this lecture activates the energy in the main four glands: the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, the pineal gland, and the thalamus. When these glands are full of energy it becomes positive and gives solutions,” she pointed out.

Nammour concluded by saying that our problem is the lack of love. “Nobody gives us love. We only give love to ourselves. We should learn to understand, and this is our treatment. And when we feel good from inside, we reflect this feeling to others. I found the solution that ended my worries through this energy,” she concluded.

ecution would be a strong deterrent.”

Making a change requires pressure, AlRashoud said, “Kuwaitis wanting to make a difference can talk to their MPs. It may be taken as a joke at first, but persistence is key and it’s their right to voice their concerns.”

Kuwait has two organizations defending animal rights, KS Path and PAWS. However, AlRashoud noted that they need further support to continue their work, “KS Path and PAWS rely on donations and fundraising as they receive no Government funding at all.”

There are solutions that will work for Kuwait, she added, noting that the real issue holding the improvement of animal rights back is the lack of support. Kuwait’s two shelters are currently under considerable strain as pet owners, having tired of their new pet, abandon the animal.

“Don’t leave unwanted animals on the street.

House pets can’t survive on the street,” said AlKandari. She added, “We are responsible for the welfare of animals. We are the ones who domesticated them and made them unable to survive in the wild.” Al-Rashoud added, “Don’t get a pet unless you’re willing to make a commitment.

Pets must also be spayed or neutered. There are already way too many unwanted animals in Kuwait.”

GCC Supreme and Cassation Courts conference kicks off ABU DHABI: The first conference of GCC Heads of Supreme and Cassation Courts kicked off here yesterday.

The summit will last for two days. The conference will discuss the idea of establishing a permanent liaison office of the GCC Supreme and Cassation Courts and the holding of an annual conference of heads of those courts. The inaugural session was chaired by President of the UAE Federal Supreme Court Judge Dr Abdul Wahab Abdul. The Kuwaiti delegation is led by Attorney at the Court of Cassation and member of the Supreme Judicial Council advisor AbdulHadi Abdul Razak Al-Attar and Ahmad Fahd Al-Wuhaib.

Abdul in his speech said that the conference would be a beginning of similar conferences to be held annually in the capitals of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the starting point to build institutional relationships between Supreme and Cassation Courts the GCC countries to promote and strengthen judicial cooperation between GCC courts and the development of GCC judicial and legal thought. He called for the establishment of a liaison center or office to link these courts directly and work to overcome difficulties and obstacles to communication. — KUNA

‘Unprofessional’ TV diagnoses KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is reportedly taking efforts to stop ‘a newly emerged phenomenon’ in which unqualified physicians are hosted in live TV shows to give diagnoses and sometimes treatment methods to callers. “Many of the doctors appearing at private T V stations are unqualified to give proper diagnoses and prescriptions to the conditions the callers describe”, said an MOH insider with knowledge of the case.

News

in brief

Pulmonary rehabilitation KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is preparing for the opening ceremony of the new pulmonary rehabilitation center in Al-Sabah specialized medical area. The minister inaugurated the center yesterday at noon. The center is considered to be a shift to quality health services in regards to supplies, the building and work protocols according to the latest standards and international specifications. The capacity of the center is 130 beds divided between four wards, with one unit for intensive care containing 14 beds. Four of them are for high pressure patients, which is considered one of the most difficult among lung diseases. This is in addition to six outpatient clinics, a sonar unit, a laboratory unit and a radiology unit equipped with the most modern technology.

New residential project KUWAIT: The Municipality has agreed to reserve the area located west of Jleeb Al-Shuwaikh near the Seventh Ring Road to construct the new ‘Abdullah Al-Mubarak ‘ residential project. The Minister of Housing Affairs Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri will make an official announcement next week.

According to a ministry, the allocation process still requires that the Municipal Council’s permission be sought before it gets underway. The projected area will contain between 3,000 and 5,000 residential units. Meanwhile, Al-Muwaizri reportedly told senior housing ministry officials that the Civil Service Council to send Ali Al-Fawzan, General Director of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, into retirement. The minister will name a replacement for Al-Fawzan who will hold the position on an interim basis until retirement procedures are finalized.

Monitor to raise efficiency KUWAIT: The Government, under the instructions of HH the Premier Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, sought the help of “monitor” from one of the international consultation houses that is experienced in economy, the field of planning and measuring the developmental performance. The monitor will raise the efficiency of development management in the country, determine the reasons for the failure of the development plan and solve obstacles that hinder completion of some projects in the country.

Ambulance damaged in accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: An ambulance was damaged in an accident that took place in Abu Al-Hassaniya yesterday. It was on its way to rescue a 39-year-old Egyptian who sustained a head injury in a car collision, said security sources. Sources explained that the ambulance had reached the scene and had halted on the right-side emergency lane to tend to the injured man. Suddenly, a bus rammed into the ambulance, requiring another ambulance’s assistance to admit both the injured man and the bus driver to Adan hospital.

Fire incidents A vehicle that was parked outside a public warehouse in Sulaibikhat caught fire yesterday. Initial reports suggest that the vehicle swerved and hit a fire hose reel, setting the engine on fire. The driver sustained severe burn injuries and was rushed to hospital for treatment after Sulaibikhat firemen tackled the flames. The sixth floor apartment of a Mangaf building caught fire, said a security source, noting that Fahaheel firemen rushed to the scene in response to an emergency call and evacuated the building.

Four children who were trapped in a room of the burning apartment were rescued. No casualties were reported.

Men injured in accidents A 36-year-old citizen fractured his feet after his car collided into another along the Gulf Road, said security sources.

Two senior Saudi citizens (aged 65 and 80 respectively) were injured after losing control over their vehicle. It flipped several times near Al-Salmy border outlet. Both men were rushed to Jahra hospital for treatment.

VIVA Elite service launched KUWAIT: In line with its long term strategy to continuously provide its loyal and high value customers with unique services at all times, Kuwait Telecommunications Company VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, announced yesterday the launch of its Elite program providing customers with a personal assistant services.

The new VIVA Elite service will give priority to Elite customers at all customer service centres and the VIVA Concierge will be free of charge for postpaid selected customer, who will be eligible to enjoy and benefit from this unique service provided.

The VIVA Concierge Services will provide the highest level of quality and personal assistance to VIVA’s selected customers. In addition, VIVA Concierge service will enable customers to access a large list of VIP Airport lounges around the world, making VIVA the region’s first telecom company that provides this service to its select customers.

This new service will be offered in a form of a membership card whereby every eligible customer will be entitled to get the VIVA Concierge Card to enjoy and benefit the variety of services being offered. The selected customers will be contacted by the assigned Personal Assistants through the VIVA Concierge contact centre to introduce the

card and its benefits to the customers. The benefits include: Phone Secretarial Service, Travel arrangements, online shopping, Courier Services, Car Registration, and many more services. VIVA’s CEO, Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Badran said: “We are always keen on to offer the latest and best services to our customers to ensure a high level of customer service satisfaction. VIVA is more than just a telecom company, but also a company that listens and cares for its customers, and we recognize our loyal customers by offering them tailored services suiting their needs.

VIVA will continue its commitment to provide its clients with fast and reliable services that exceeds customers’ expectations.”

Kuwait Concierge is one of the leading Concierge companies and Contact Centre outsourcing services and is designed to provide assistance in managing the Customers’ daily tasks on a personal level.

These services aim to improve their lifestyle by giving them back the time to focus on the things they would prefer to do. With this new service, VIVA reiterates its commitment to continuously provide unique services designed to exceed the customers’ expectations, as the main objective of the company is to satisfy the customers in every possible way by adding real value to the customers experience while enjoying unrivalled communication.

CSC keen on meeting demands of state employees KUWAIT: Mohammad Al-Roumi, Civil Ser vice Commission Undersecretar y, asserted here yesterday the quest to achieve the demands of state employees and meet their needs, according to the vision of the state, approved policies and available resources and mechanisms.

Al-Roumi said at the Sixth Forum of departments of Administrative Development and Training in government

institutions that the strategic objective of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) is to improve and enhance the executive system, including restructuring of entities and ongoing staff training. He stressed the importance of the role played by administrative development departments and training in government institutions, anticipating that such a role will grow both in the short or long term. — KUNA

6

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwaiti girl steals mother’s jewelry, maid punished Fathers fight over sons’ dispute KUWAIT: Investigations into a robbery case reported recently by a female citizen led detectives to discover that the thief was the complainant’s daughter. The Kuwaiti woman had accused her Asian housemaid of stealing the KD1700 worth of jewelry. The maid was kept in custody at a police station in the Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate pending investigations during which she categorically denied the accusations. Eventually, detectives were able to find the stolen gold at a jewelry shop whose keeper said he bought it a couple of days before. He provided a copy of the seller’s ID through which police discovered that the thief is actually the daughter of the Kuwaiti woman who reported the theft. When informed about the investigations results, the woman reportedly asked for the case to be closed. The housemaid was then released from jail.

where the Asian domestic worker was found in coma inside his employer’s house. Paramedics took him to Adan Hospital where his condition later stabilized. An investigation was opened to reveal the man’s motives.

Fatal crash A Kuwaiti male driver was killed while his companion was seriously injured in a traffic accident reported recently in Shuwaikh. The victim crashed into a concrete barricade and died instantly from fatal injuries. Paramedics pronounced the Kuwaiti man dead on the scene, while his companion was rushed to the Sabah Hospital where he was admitted inside the intensive care unit.

Smuggler held An Arab man was arrested at the Kuwait International Airport on Tuesday with possession of drugs he tried to smuggle into Kuwait.

The man was subjected to extra search after his behavior raised suspicions. He was placed under arrest after a substantial quantity of hashish was found concealed in his clothes, and was taken to the proper authorities to face charges.

Suicide attempt A man in a critical condition was hospitalized after consuming pesticides in a bid to end his life. The incident was reported in Haddiya

Rapist at large Search is currently ongoing for a male suspect accused of sexually assaulting a woman he kidnapped in Jahra before she escaped.

Car stolen A driver risked his life to prevent a thief from stealing his employer’s car, but ended up sustaining injuries when his attempt failed.

The middle-aged Indian man was reportedly loading luggage in the trunk of his employer’s car, when a thief jumped inside after noticing that the engine was on. The victim jumped into the trunk and held tight as the thief drove away. He eventually had to jump to safety before the thief reached Al-Blajat street.

A case was filed at Rumaithiya police station after the driver informed his employer about the incident.

Police and paramedics rushed to the location where people reported a woman jumping from a moving vehicle. The Ethiopian woman was rushed to Jahra Hospital where she later told officers that she escaped from an unidentified man who raped her and stole her wallet after forcing her inside the car. An eyewitness was able to pick up the license plate number of the suspect’s car through which police hope to put him under arrest.

Tragic fishing trip A Kuwaiti man died during a fishing cruise after he suffered a heart attack on top of his boat. Coastguards headed to the boat’s location following an emergency call made after the man fell unconscious. He was accompanied by his brother and a number of friends during the cruise. His body was taken in an ambulance from Fahaheel dock to the nearest hospital.

Fight in school Two men exchanged punches and then pressed charges against each other in a dispute sparked by troubles between their kids at a Sabah Al-Salem elementary school. The incident started when one man hit his son’s classmate after school when his son told him that he was beaten by the other boy. The other man soon arrived and found his son crying, after which he engaged in a scuffle with the man who assaulted his son. The two brought medical reports showing bruises sustained in the fight before heading to the area’s police station.

Numerous investment opportunities in Georgia

Gulf Bank employees get SRO Certification KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday that 12 of its employees have successfully completed the Bank’s Senior Relationship Officer (SRO) Certification Program, which provides them with advanced skills in banking, financial management and leadership.

The course has been specially tailored by the Bank’s in-house Learning and Development department to develop employees’ practical, hands-on knowledge of the banking industry.

Zeyad Alresheed, Senior Manager, Human Resources said “We are very pleased when members of the Gulf Bank team complete our specialized training courses. These courses are demanding but are designed to equip our employees with world class skills.

For example, the Senior Relationship Officer Certification is a long-term initiative which is designed to assist employees in providing customers with superior service and advice”.

“Gulf Bank is committed towards delivering the very best services to its customers and it recognizes that it can only achieve this through continuous investment in its employees and ensuring that they have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed. We are proud of our employee-focused internal strategy, and we will continue to support and assist our employees in addressing future market trends, resolving crises, and responding effectively to present and future customer needs,” the manager added The Senior Relationship Officer (SRO) Certification is acquired through a weeklong series of technical training courses that focus on developing employee managerial skills and is considered a stepping stone towards managerial roles.

Gulf Bank will continue to invest in the development of its employees in its pursuit to have the best retained staff in the Kuwaiti banking sector.

KUWAIT: Zain announced it will be sponsoring a children’s play presented by the Wesal Media voluntary team in cooperation with the Backstage Group.

The play, directed by Ahmad Al-Ali and supervised by Mohammad Rashid, aims to spread awareness among youth about the proper use of technology.

“Zain’s sponsorship is part of our policy to provide support to young people’s activities through which their skills can be showcased and improved,” the telecommunication service provider said.

KUWAIT: The Republic of Georgia provides lucrative investment opportunities for Kuwaiti investors, said Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (KCCI) Member of the Board Wafa Al-Qatami here yesterday.

She said on the sideline of a meeting with a delegation from the Georgian National Investments Agency that a number of Kuwaiti business personnel have already had some business ventures in Georgia, hoping that more investors would pursue such steps in the future.

Al-Qatami indicated that the Georgian delegation had provided some lucrative deals to promote Kuwaiti investment in their country.

On her par t, Georgian National Investment Agency Director Ketevan Bochorishvili said that economic growth in Georgian had increased by five to seven percent in recent years, revealing that her country was ranked 16th on a global scale within the best business environment domain and 29th globally within the economic freedom scale.

Tourism, she said, was amongst the developed sectors in Georgian economy, revealing that there were over 200 cultural sites in the country recognized by UNESCO. Georgia also provides full warranty and protection for private businesses whether locally or from abroad, said the official.

Kuwait imports to Georgia reached $209 million while Georgian exports to Kuwait were at $28 million. Georgia’s key export products are petroleum and natural gas. —KUNA

Kuwait, Iran discuss food security in joint meeting KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti-Iranian joint committee discussed, in its 11th session, launching shared projects concerning food security, fisheries, livestock, poultry and agriculture.

On the fringes of the meeting which was held yesterday at the Ministry of Commerce, Undersecretary of Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry Abdullaziz Al-Khaldi told the press that the Kuwaiti side welcomed investing in these projects which would be handed over to private sectors and concerned government bodies to be studied. These projects would contribute greatly in providing food security in the state of Kuwait, he added. The Kuwaiti side stressed, during the meeting, the importance of enhancing food security and safety measures onboard of the Iranian ships coming to the country.

The meeting also focused on facilitat-

ing all obstacles between Kuwait International fair and its Iranian counterpart by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to hold more ground fairs on both countries.

The Iranian side, meanwhile, said that there is more room for bilateral industrial cooperation, especially in livestock, fisheries in addition to joint industrial and commercial exhibitions.

Iranian Deputy Minister of Commerce Hameed Safdil said, in the meeting, that the MoU will include a clause that would unify measures and standard of commercial exchange between Kuwait and Iran to facilitate and speed up the customs process. Safdil expressed his country’s readiness to host the next joint meeting and hoped that the trade volume between the two countries would increase over the current USD 200 million. —KUNA

The flyer of the festival.

Nasser Al-Foudari

Kuwait keen on signing agreements with Santa Fe BUENOS AIRES: Kuwait is keen on signing agreements with Argentina on preventing dual taxation and protection of investments, Kuwaiti Ambassador in Buenos Aires Saud Abdulaziz Al-Roumi said yesterday. Al-Roumi said Kuwaiti businessmen were interested in investment guarantees offered by Argentina.

Al-Roumi made the remarks during a visit to Rosario, the largest city of the northeast province of Santa Fe, leading a delegation of Arab Ambassadors to get acquainted with the economic and investment opportunities in Santa Fe, as well as the marketing of the province’s products in Arab countries.

Al-Roumi, dean of Arab diplomats, also talked about Santa Fe’s upcoming visit to Kuwait, part of a tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia next month.

He said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in general and Kuwait in particular were keen on signing agreements on prevention of dual taxation and protection of investments with Argentina.

He said the Arab Embassies in Buenos Aires were ready to provide Argentinian businesspeople with information related to economic and trade domains in their countries.

Meanwhile, minister of economy in Santa Fe gave a briefing about the province’s economic capabilities He said businessmen of Santa Fe were ready to provide all necessary information about economic, agricultural, touristic and commercial sectors in the province. —KUNA

Violations at MOH stores KUWAIT: Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Al Obaidi, criticized many violations during his visit to the central medical stores.

Another violation discovered by Audit Bureau was some documents hidden in the medical stores which concern a huge violation which caused the loss of thou-

KUWAIT: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Social Affairs, Dr Yousuf Al-Othaimeen, inaugurated recently an exhibition of products of Gulf Cooperation Council countries held as part of the first Gulf Cooperative Forum taking place currently in Kuwait.

sands of dinars.

The violation concerned the import of antibiotics for hospitals and medical centers. The Audit Bureau asked for investigation concerning the financial violation and a report of the results.

But the ministry medical stores depart-

ment did not conduct the necessary investigation or report back to the Audit Bureau yet. Such negligence is in itself considered another financial violation.

The Audit Bureau emphasized the importance of providing them with the results of the investigation. —Al-Anbaa

Spring festival at Egaila Beach KUWAIT: Al-Egaila Beach will host a spring festival on April 20, 2012, featuring various activities and competitions for visitors of all ages, announced a senior Touristic Enterprise Company (TEC) official yesterday. “The beach’s management is preparing a special program for a ‘spring colors’ festival featuring competi-

tions to select the best flower bouquet, fruit basket, children’s clothes and balloons based on a variety of colors used,” explained Nasser Al-Foudari, Egaila Beach Supervisor. The festival will take place throughout the beach’s opening hours between 8 am to 11 pm, and will feature musical and cultural displays.

GASERC chief warns against politicization of education KUWAIT: Director of the Gulf Arab States Educational Research Center (GASERC) Dr Marzouq Al-Ghoneim called yesterday evening for non-politicization of the educational institutions in the Arab countries.

Dr. Al-Ghoneim urged pumping more investments into the educational reforms in order to ensure higher quality services and speed up the human development.

He was addressing the closing session of the 19th cultural educational season of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Educational Research Center (GCC-ERC) which was held here over the last two days.

“Education plays a key role in making nations and individuals better able to address the local and global challenges brought about by globalization and the changes in the 21st century,” Dr. AlGhoneim pointed out.

He reviewed the impacts of the glob-

al economic, political and cultural changes on education as well as the impacts of the recent global financial crisis. Meanwhile, Director of the Arab Planning Institute (API) Dr. Bader Othman Malallah delivered a lecture on the impacts of economic and political changes on education in the Arab world and the regional educational reform policies. He cited recent reports by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as saying that the unemployment rate among the youth in the Arab countries hit 26. 2 percent.

“The employers in the region often complain about the inefficiency of employees which highlights the need to improve education and link curriculums to the needs of the labor market,” Malallah added.

Kuwaiti Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf opened the cultural educational season yesterday. —KUNA

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Arroyo pleads ‘not guilty’

UK ‘can extradite’ five terror suspects to US Page 10

Page 12

Syrians, under bombardment, mock ‘ceasefire’ Annan says Syria promises truce BEIRUT: Syrian troops pummeled opposition neighborhoods in the city of Homs with heavy mortars yesterday after peace envoy Kofi Annan said Damascus had again promised to respect a ceasefire due to take effect in little more than 12 hours.

“Annan, this is your ceasefire,” ran the sarcastic voiceover on an activist video that showed a shopping mall engulfed in flames after it was hit in bombardment of the Juret al-Shayah quarter. Sniper fire cracked out incessantly in the background.

At least 12 people were killed yesterday, activists said. Western powers have scorned President Bashar Al-Assad’s truce pledges to the United Nations-Arab League mediator, but so far lack an effective policy to curb the bloodshed, given their own aversion to military intervention and the resistance of Russia and China to any UN Security Council action. “Far from fulfilling their commitment, the regime has cynically exploited the window of diplomatic negotiations to crack down even harder on its own people,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said during a visit to Indonesia. He said Annan had reported that Assad’s troops were “conducting roving military operations in population centres supported by artillery fire”. An estimated 1,000 people had been killed in the past week, Cameron said.

With all hostilities with rebels supposed to end at dawn today, activist videos posted on YouTube showed bombs crashing into the Khalidiya district of Homs. Spouts of pulverised debris burst high into the air with each impact and plumes of dust and smoke drifted over the rooftops. The videos could not be verified and the Syrian government bars most independent media from the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a British-based activist information organisation, said three people were killed Homs and shelling that went on for an hour killed a man, woman and child in Qusair near the border with Lebanon and three were killed outside Damascus. “Mortar fire started at 7 this morning. I can hear one explosion every five minutes,” said activist Waleed al-Fares in Homs, where bombardment killed at least 26 people on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday to seek a policy change from one of Assad’s few foreign friends. “We will have another go at trying to persuade the Russians that the situation is deteriorating and the likelihood of regional conflict and civil war is increasing,” she said. China expressed “deep worries” about the violence in Syria and called for all sides to respect a ceasefire. Foreign Ministr y spokesman Liu Weimin also described Annan’s work as “an important and rare opportunity” to end the crisis.

Annan’s plan, endorsed by the Security Council, is for now the only game in town and the former UN secretary general said it must be given a chance to work. “If

everyone respects it, I think by 6 in the morning (0300 GMT) today we shall see improved conditions on the ground,” he said in Tehran, where he was asking Syria’s staunchest regional ally to support his efforts. But the Syrian military has stayed on the offensive, pursuing assaults on several anti-Assad strongholds, instead of pulling back, as Annan’s plan required them to do on Tuesday. The SOHR said two people were killed in army raids in Deir alZor in the Euphrates river valley far to the east. Artillery shelled the Jebel Akrad area in the coastal province of Latakia.

“Helicopters flew overhead and the army prevented the evacuation of people.

There are repor ts of houses being destroyed by shelling while families are still in them,” said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the SOHR. In southern Deraa, birthplace of the 13-month-old revolt against four decades of Assad family rule, activists said many busloads of troops backed by armoured vehicles had flooded the city and were making house-to-house raids. Activist Omar al-Hariri said he had never seen so many troops: “The army is exploiting the ceasefire to arrest more dissidents than ever and security forces are burning houses.” Anti-Assad rebels have said they will stop fighting if the Syrian military pulls back and ceases fire as promised.

Annan, at a news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, urged Iran to help resolve the violence and warned of “unimaginable consequences” if it worsened fur ther. “I have received (Syrian) government assurances they will respect the ceasefire,” he said, adding: “I believe Iran can be part of the solution.”

Salehi said Syrians should be able to have free elections contested by political parties, but reiterated Iran’s opposition to any outside interference in Syria’s affairs and made clear the Islamic Republic wanted Assad to stay in charge.

“The opportunity must be given to the Syrian government to make changes, under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad,” he said. Iran has unstintingly backed Syria, the only Arab nation to support Iran in its 1980-88 war with Iraq and the conduit for Iranian arms to Lebanon’s Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah movement. Syria, where Assad’s Shiite-rooted Alawite minority dominates a Sunni Muslim majority, has become an arena for a sectarian-tinged regional contest between Shi’ite Iran and Sunni Arab rivals aligned with the West and led by Saudi Arabia.

For now, no end to Syria’s agony is in sight. Assad’s forces have killed more than 9,000 people in the past year, according to a UN estimate. Damascus says rebels have killed more than 2,600 soldiers and security personnel. “This is a decisive moment,” Cameron said, adding - in remarks clearly pointed at Moscow and Beijing - that the Security Council now had “a clear responsibility” to throw its weight behind Annan’s plan and insist it is implemented. — Reuters

News

in brief

Jordan minister resigns AMMAN: Jordan said yesterday that Justice Minister Salim Zubi has resigned for health reasons, but local media reported he quit in protest over a new electoral law. State news agency Petra said Zubi stepped down leading to a minor cabinet reshuffle as King Abdullah II replaced him with legal affairs minister, Ibrahim Jazi, who also retained his own portfolio. Media reports, however, suggested that Zubi quit Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh’s cabinet on April 2 due to “dissatisfaction with the elections law.” The reports did not elaborate further. The electoral law has been adopted by the government on Saturday and is currently awaiting parliamentary approval. Khasawneh, who formed his government in October, told reporters on Monday that Zubi had submitted his resignation but it was “still under consideration.”

Spanish man kidnapped MADRID: Spain said yesterday that one of its nationals, reportedly a doctor, had gone missing in southern Nigeria and was feared kidnapped. The disappearance of the man “has all the characteristics of a kidnapping for economic reasons,” said Foreign Minister Jose Manuel GarciaMargallo. Spanish media reported that the missing man is a 58-year-old doctor who works for a clinic belonging to a foundation financially supported by Catholic institution Opus Dei in southwestern Nigeria, a predominantly Christian area.

“The organization he works for has asked

for total discretion,” the foreign minister added as he arrived in parliament. “It is in the south of the country, not in the north, so there are no political implications of any type.” An insurgency by Islamist group Boko Haram, which is concentrated mainly in northern Nigeria, has left more than 1,000 people dead since mid-2009. Police and soldiers are the main victims of the group, but it has also targeted Christians.

Boy, 5, takes packets of heroin to school BRIDGEPORT: A 5-year-old boy found dozens of bags of heroin inside a jacket he had taken to school and showed them to his kindergarten classmates, the school superintendent said Tuesday. Bridgeport Superintendent Paul Vallas said he believes the boy took his stepfather’s jacket to school on Monday without k nowing the drugs were inside it.

“Children bring to school what they find at home,” he said. Police have told the Connecticut Post the boy took 50 packets of heroin out when it came time for a show-and-tell presentation, but Vallas said the boy only waved the heroin around at his cubicle. Police did not respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday. The boy’s stepfather, 35-yearold Santos Roman, went to the school and recovered the jacket, but police had already seized the drugs, officials said. He was arrested when he returned to the school after apparently discovering the heroin was missing, Vallas said.

KILIS: Syrian refugees go about their daily lives at the Oncupinar refugee camp in Kilis near Syria border yesterday. Syria pounded protest hubs, despite mounting pressure from world powers, as peace envoy Kofi Annan said there is still a chance to salvage his plan to halt hostilities within hours. —AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

With US gone, Iran is new enemy for Iraq insurgents BAGHDAD: Sunni insurgents who battled American soldiers in Iraq until their long-time enemy withdrew last year have turned their wrath on a new target: Shiite Iran. The fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9, 2003, the dissolution of the Iraqi army and ruling Baath party and the rise to power of Shiites after 80 years of Sunni domination, buoyed Iraqi and Arabi jihadists.

Four months after most US troops left Iraq, the jihadists had to find a new reason to sustain their continued presence-enter Iran and the Shiite-led Iraqi regime. “Armed groups always need to find an enemy in order to justify their existence,” said Hamid Fadel, a professor of political science at Baghdad University. In the run-up to the 9th

anniversary of the fall of Saddam’s regime and the start of US occupation, militant groups issued a plethora of statements attacking Iran and Shiites.

The Islamic Group in Iraq, a coalition of 17 insurgent groups formed in 2010, said in a statement that “we will fight Iran with the same force that we fought their brothers, the Americans.”

The United States was “forced” to leave Iraq “to a worse occupier, the greedy Persian coward,” said the statement posted on jihadist websites. “It has become clear beyond any doubt that Iran occupies Iraq through its traitor agents,” it added. The statement played on the centuries-old hostility between Arabs and Persians, as well as the outrage of Sunnis in Iraq who lost

their power to the majority Shiites after the 2003 US-led invasion.

That anger is reinforced by the fact that some of Iraq’s current leaders lived in exile in Iran during the 19801988 war between the two countries.

Another group of jihadists, the Banner of Right and Jihad, vowed to continue “fighting the enemy” and urged God to grant it victory over “America and its (followers) the Safavids,” in a derogatory reference to Shiites. For its part, the Murabitun Jihad Brigades asked for God’s blessing in securing “a final victory over the (followers) of the occupation and its agents represented in the government” of Iraq.

And the Islamic Army in Iraq said the US left “behind them an uglier,

more brutal and ignorant occupation, where the graves are full of the innocent bodies of Sunnis.” The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Al-Qaeda’s front organization, said that it had carried out 195 attacks against “the Safavid army and police” between December 28 and February 24. Fadel said the new strategy of Sunni insurgents has a “regional dimension.” “The majority of the groups that portray Iran as the enemy are probably in contact with countries in the region that are in conflict with Iranian politics, or with the Baath party, which rejects the political process,” Fadel said. Izzat Ibrahim alDuri, Saddam’s vice president and the highest-ranking member of his regime still on the run, poured oil on the fire in

a video posted online last week, Duri charged that that Iran plans on “taking over Iraq and then destroying the nation.”

Meanwhile, Shiite armed groups who also battled the US “occupiers” now face no opponent and have decided to enter politics. Asaib Ahl AlHaq, or the League of the Righteous, which has been accused of killing US troops, announced in December that it would join the Iraqi political process.

And Jawad Al-Hasnawi, an MP from the Sadr movement whose Mahdi Army armed fought pitched battles against American and Iraqi forces said “the number one enemy of the Sadrist movement now... is corruption, unemployment and dictatorship.” — AFP

In the post-Mubarak Egypt, it’s one ‘giant conversation’ Politics number one topic of conversation

DJERBA: Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, center, poses with a national flag and members of the Jewish community as he visits the synagogue on Djerba island, Tunisia yesterday, to mark the 10th anniversary of an Al-Qaeda truck bomb at the synagogue that killed 21 people. —AP

Tunisia marks 10 years since bloody synagogue bombing TUNIS: Tunisia’s president will be joined yesterday by the countr y ’s grand rabbi in marking the 10th anniversary of an Al-Qaeda truck bomb at a synagogue on the island of Djerba that killed 21 people. President Moncef Marzouki will fly to the island accompanied by Tunisia’s grand rabbi, Haim Bitan, to lay a wreath and observe a moment of silence to remember the victims of the truck bombing, that included 14 German and two French tourists. The ambassadors of France and Germany will be in attendance, along with the families of the victims.

It comes at a time when Tunisia’s small, 1,500-strong, Jewish community is facing pressure from ultraconservative Muslim groups, after an uprising last year overthrew Tunisia’s decadesold secular dictatorship. At a demonstration of Salafi activists on March 25 calling for the implementation of Islamic law, a Muslim religious leader chanted slogans to “prepare for the fight against the Jews,” prompting the leader of the Jewish community, Roger Bismuth, to file a suit against him. “This trip is a message of solidarity and respect for the Jewish community of Tunisia whose members are considered full citizens,” Adnan Mancer, the spokesman for the president said.

He said Marzouki, a prominent human rights campaigner against the old dictatorship, is “saying he is a president for all Tunisians, Muslims, Christians and Jews.” The Israeli government, which called for the country’s remaining Jews to emigrate last December, welcomed Marzouki’s move as a positive sign. “It can signal a renewal of the pact between the new democratic government and the Jewish community,” said an official with the Foreign Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

The official did note, however, that Tunisian Jews enjoyed official protection under the dictatorship, something that hasn’t been renewed by the current Islamist government, and hoped

that a member of the ruling Islamist party would attend the ceremony. The moderate Islamist Ennahda dominated October’s elections and leads a coalition with two secular parties, including Marzouki’s. Ennahda condemned the anti-Semitic chants by Salafists at the time. Perez Trabelsi, the head of the Jewish community on the island of Djerba, where most of Tunisia’s Jews live, said the president’s move “encourages the rapprochement between Tunisia’s Muslims and Jews.”

For his part, Bismuth described the move as a “positive symbolic gesture by the president” and should stimulate tourism which he said was hard hit by publicity over the anti-Semitic slogans.

Rene Trabelsi, a Jew of Tunisian origin residing in Paris, told the AP by telephone that many Tunisian Jews living in France had planned to visit Djerba for the Passover holiday, but had cancelled their trips after hearing the media reports. “They were traumatized by these dangerous statements which came after the drama of Toulouse,” he said, referring to the shootings of four Jews, including three children, in France by an Al- Qaeda sympathizer.

He said Marzouki’s move could restart Jewish tourism, especially for next month’s pilgrimage to Djerba.

Jews are believed to have lived in Djerba for the past 2,500 years and the community in Tunisia itself numbered 100,000 in 1960s. Most left following the 1967 war between Israel and Arab countries.

The Djerba synagogue is a pilgrimage site for North African Jews a month after the holiday of Passover and will fall on May 9 and 10 this year.

According to Rafram Chaddad, an Israeli of Tunisian origin, Jews have long felt comfortable in Tunisia.

He said many Jews of Tunisian origins who moved to France in the past 20 years own homes in Tunis and visit in the summer and Israeli tour operators used to send groups of Tunisianborn Israelis to the country before the revolution. — AP

HEBRON: A French peace activist is arrested by Israeli soldiers close to the area of the Ibrahimi Mosque or the Patriarch Tomb a religious site to both Muslims and Jews in the divided old city of Hebron in West Bank yesterday. —AFP

LUXOR: Scrambling down the tunnel of a 3,000-year-old tomb decorated with exquisite reliefs and hieroglyphics, watchman Abdel Rahman Sherif accosted a group of Cairo youths to berate them. “Why did you do it?

You threw Hosni Mubarak in prison, you demeaned him! What for?” Sherif shouted at the group, for being part of a demographic whose dissatisfaction sparked the uprising against the man dubbed Egypt’s modern-day pharaoh. But while the turmoil may have hurt Sherif’s livelihood by scaring off tourists, it also allowed him a political rant that would have been unheard of just 14 months ago.

While hopes for an end to poverty and corruption remain unfulfilled and Egyptians still sometimes fear a return to the old days, a seemingly irrepressible spirit of political debate is everywhere, from movie theaters and salons to supermarket queues, office kitchens and parking garages. As the countdown to the country’s first real presidential elections in history begins, no one can stop talking about the race, who to vote for and how it will impact their future. It takes very little to set off a political conversation. In Sherif’s case, it was the sight of the young people: once he was done railing about how ousting Mubarak was a mistake, he moved straight on to who should replace him.

Sherif says he is no longer willing to be silenced by the authorities or be afraid of what others will think. It is time for Egypt to have a “giant conversation”, he says. “Of course I’m going to vote and of course I will talk about it to just about anyone. This is my very life, my future,” said the 46-year-old, dressed in his traditional galabiya robe.

tell his friends about the latest political development on Twitter, others in the audience, far from asking them to pipe down, joined the conversation. One suggested they gather in the cinema’s lounge, saying: “I need more details. Let’s take this outside.” The entire row stepped out to talk.

A number of former officials, liberals and Islamists are running in the election due to be held in May and June, including Amr Moussa, the former Egyptian foreign minister and Arab League chief who enjoys wide name recogni-

DEBATE ON THE STREETS AND IN PARLIAMENT The number of talk shows has ramped up dramatically since the revolution, pushing the drama series that Egypt is famous for across the Arab world out of prime-time slots. Even programs once exclusively dedicated to fashion or sports commentary frequently kick off with discussions of politics. When a moviegoer in a Cairo theatre interrupted the film to

tion. Other candidates include Mubarak’s chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman and Khairat Al-Shater, the representative of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which was the big winner in parliamentary elections earlier this year.

In a downtown Cairo parking garage, a group of security guards huddled around a radio to listen to a parliamentary session, a sight almost unimaginable in Mubarak’s era

when the assembly was packed with members of his ruling party and seen as a rubber stamp. “Every day I wake up and there is something new. It’s like watching a drama series, or maybe an Indian movie,” said one guard, who only gave his name as Aziz. His colleague Ramadan Ahmed laughed and protested: “No, Indian movies are funny. This is a Japanese film without subtitles. “ There is no way I’m voting for the Brotherhood again,” Ahmed went on. “It took us 30 years to discover the end of Mubarak’s

CAIRO: An Egyptian man ties him self to a cross on a light pole while protesting the presidential elections nomination of the ousted president’s spy chief Omar Suleiman at Tahrir square, Cairo, Egypt yesterday. —AP one-party rule, but it took us three months to find out that the Brotherhood wants to do the same.”

Many Egyptians, faced with a real choice for the first time, are eager to hear what others around them think and what the media is suggesting in order to help them decide. Ahmed’s spontaneous group discussion was typical. Three strangers walking past joined in. — Reuters

What missiles Are threatening Europe?

The issue of creating missile defense boundaries in Europe is largely political in nature. The United States is developing the system more for ensuring national security - officially from Iran, but in reality from China and possibly Russia. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand its persistence in establishing a global missile defense system in Europe and seas adjacent to it, the Middle East, and Northeast and East Asia. Russia, of course, is not now the United States’ main enemy, but it sits at the fourth spot on its list, after Iran, North Korea and China. This worries the Russian expert community, something the West rarely understands.

To confirm that, let’s perform a brief analysis of the missile threats to Europe other than Russia and China.

The Middle Eastern countries most successful at mastering missile technologies are Israel and Iran, which have developed mediumrange ballistic missiles. In the late 1980s, China sold missiles like the CSS-2 (Dongfeng-3A) to Saudi Arabia, but it is highly doubtful that they are operational today.

Israel’s Jericho-3, an advanced three-stage missile, has an intercontinental range (up to 6500 km) and a nuclear warhead. It could pose a real missile threat to all of Europe.

However, that is impossible in principle so long as the majority of the population is Jewish. The country’s ethnic composition is not expected to change before 2020 (Sunni Arabs currently comprise only 10% of its population).

The Iran’s inventory includes the Shehab-3, Shahab-3M and Qadr-1 ballistic missiles. Their maximum range with a 750 kg warhead does not exceed 1600 km. Iran’s advanced two-stage Sajjil-2 missile can deliver a 1-tonne warhead to range of up to 2200 km. The range can be increased to 3000 miles by reducing the warhead to 500 kg,

which means a nuclear warhead could not be used. That is clearly insufficient to threaten all of Europe, especially given the advanced missiles’ likely location in the center of the Iran (the distance between the Iranian city of Yazd and Prague, which is located in the heart of Europe, is 3853 km).

Iran is not capable of developing a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the midterm. The potential for developing liquid-propellant missiles has largely been exhausted. Of course, that does not preclude the Iranians from developing multi-stage liquid propellant rockets for military purposes, but it is more likely that most of their resources will be focused on improving a different kind of ballistic missile - solid-fuel missiles (the technologies for developing liquid propellant rockets are mainly applicable to space). Therefore, Iran can pose a potential missile threat to nearby European countries. All that is needed to contain it is a missile defense base in Romania and the existing radars in Turkey and Israel.

The de facto nuclear state of India has the largest missile capability in South and Southeast Asia. It includes the solid-fuel mediumrange Agni-1 and Agni-2 missiles, which can deliver 1-tonne warheads to ranges of 1000 and 2500 km, respectively. A new missile, the Agni-3, which will have a range of up to 5000 km, is under development. India’s missile development plans also include the Surya ICBM, which will have a range of 800012,000 km. However, there is no potential for a conflict developing between India and Europe.

The de facto nuclear state of Pakistan has also been able to develop a significant missile capability, including the liquid propellant medium-range Haft-5 and Haft6. Its advanced ballistic missiles

have a range of up to 2500 km, which is clearly insufficient to reach even the borders of Europe.

Northeast Asian countries have developed a rocket capability that allows them to produce mediumrange missiles. For example, North Korea’s two-stage liquid propellant Taepodong-2 missile is estimated have a range of 3500 km with a 1tonne warhead and 8000 km with a 500-kg warhead. In the latter case, it would not be nuclear capable.

Due to insufficient funding and the backwardness of North Korea’s industrial base under international sanctions based on UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, North Korea’s capabilities to finish developing the Taepodong are severely limited. In particular, these resolutions require that the missile program be halted and the moratorium on launching ballistic missile be restored. That denies North Korea the ability to flight test missiles under development. Thus, it is highly unlikely that North Korea could develop an ICBM by 2020.

Considering that the distance from Pyongyang to Bucharest - the capital of the nearest European country - is 7752 km, it is obvious that there will be no North Korean missile threat to Europe throughout the entire period we are considering.

Therefore, the projected ballistic missiles of Northeast Asian countries do not represent a real threat to Europe. Hypothetically, only America’s closest ally - Japan -has the capability to develop an ICBM, should it make the political decision to do so.Currently, there are shortrange ballistic missiles (which have ranges of no more than 1000 km) in the inventories of Algeria, Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Yemen, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic

of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria , Turkey, Taiwan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

Of these countries, the only one that can pose a potential missile threat to Europe is a member of NATO - Turkey, due to its geographical proximity, difficult relations with Greece, Islamization of the country and rising regional ambitions. This, the decision by Turkey’s leadership to develop medium-range ballistic missiles, although not yet backed by real scientific and technical potential, should catch Brussels’ attention.

Belarus and Ukraine have the Tochka (Tochku-U) missile systems in their inventory. These missiles have a range of up to 120 km. they can pose only a hypothetical missile threat to neighboring European countries. The missile defenses deployed in Europe are sufficient to parry that threat in view of their short range and low flight altitude, as well as their conventional (nonnuclear) warhead.

Thus, our brief analysis provides convincing evidence that there is no missile threat to Europe before 2020 if Russia and China are not considered a threat. The US SM-3 interceptor missiles deployed in Romania are quite sufficient to contain Iran’s missile ambitions. The establishment of a similar base in Poland and a significant increase in the speed of interceptor missiles, let alone giving them a strategic status, i.e., the capability to intercept ICBM warheads, will suggest that the United States desires to alter the existing balance of forces in the field of strategic offensive arms. Such activities will impede the development of Russian-American relations and push Moscow to take adequate measures of a military-technical nature. Vladimir Yevseyev is the Director of the Center for Social and Political Studies. New Eastern Outlook (journal-neo.com)

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Canadians favor higher taxes to fight inequality MONTREAL: A majority of Canadians are willing to pay higher taxes to reduce social inequality, with an overwhelming majority supportive of raising taxes on the wealthy, a new poll has found. South of the border, the issue of taxes has bitterly divided Americans and emerged as a central issue in the 2012 presidential election, but the Broadbent Institute poll found that in Canada, even top earners favor higher taxes. Some 64 percent of 2,000

respondents said they were willing to pay “slightly higher” taxes in order to protect state-run health, pension and post-secondary education programs, with 23 percent saying they were “very willing.”

An overwhelming majority of 83 percent, including top earners, support increasing income taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, according to the survey released late Tuesday. Even members of the Conservative Party broadly support paying slightly

higher taxes to protect social programs, with 58 percent in favor. Canada’s inheritance tax was scrapped in the 1980s, but the poll found that 69 percent of the public back the introduction of a 35 percent inheritance tax on any estate valued above $5 million.

In the United States, President Barack Obama has made the so-called “Buffett rule”-a proposal for a minimum tax of 30 percent on those earning $1

million a year-a key plank of his 2012 reelection bid. The rule is named for famed investor Warren Buffett, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, who has said the US tax code unfairly favors millionaires and billionaires, who make most of their income from investments. Obama’s Republican rivals have said any tax hike would endanger the economic recovery and that proposals to tax the wealthy amount to “class warfare.” — AFP

Mexico president visits Cuba, seeks better ties Calderon makes first official trip to Cuba MENDENHALL: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the spring reception for the Republican Committee of Chester County Tuesday in Mendenhall, Pa. — AP

Romney stepping closer to White House dream WASHINGTON: Republican multi-millionaire Mitt Romney has long set his sights on the White House, and Tuesday moved a step closer towards a dream first born when he followed his father on the campaign trail. The photogenic, immaculately-coiffed Romney’s presidential run is powered by deep pockets and focuses on his background as a successful businessman who created jobs and, he argues, “knows how the economy works.” After trading life as a venture capitalist for a political career in 1994, Romney, 65, tried and failed to wrest a Massachusetts senate seat from Ted Kennedy.

But his rescue of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake helped catapult him into the governor’s chair in Massachusetts. He only served one term however, from 2003 to 2007, having already set his sights even higher-on the White House. After failing to win the Republican nomination in the 2008 race, when he was defeated by veteran Senator John McCain, Romney brought his brimming war chest and his organizational savvy into the 2012 race. He out-spent and outmaneuvered the other candidates, and on Tuesday his chief rival Rick Santorum bowed before the inevitable and dropped out of the race, effectively handing Romney the Republican crown.

But now he faces a much bigger fight, as he readies to take on Democratic President Barack Obama in the November election-set to be a tougher battle than the nominating race in which Romney from the start was the man to beat. Romney has only once briefly overtaken Obama in polls taking the pulse of a general election, and the respected website Real Clear Politics said Tuesday that in an average of all surveys Obama stood 5.3 percentage points ahead. Part of Romney’s problem has been his difficulty in connecting with ordinary voters, many of whom are struggling in tough economic times and remain wary of his Mormon faith.

He has also racked up notorious quips, including about how he likes “to fire people” and how his wife “drives a couple of Cadillacs”-all at a time when many US workers are struggling to find jobs. Romney boasts a brimming war-chest, a glut of high-profile endorsements and an organizational network that are the envy of his rivals, but he lacks one commodity that could yet be telling: solid conservative credentials. The wealthiest candidate, with an estimated fortune of up to $250 million, he has struggled to overcome doubts dating back to when he ran as a moderate Republican to win the governorship of liberal-leaning Massachusetts, a northeastern state. During his 2003 to 2007 tenure, Romney built a reputation as a moderate dealmaker inspiring an iron-clad, albeit Democrat-dominated, alliance that gave birth to the largest universal health care program at the state level in the United States. He has subsequently distanced himself from his crowning gubernatorial achievement as the program served as a model for the nationwide plan created by Obama in 2010, despised by most Republicans. This fits seamlessly into the narrative, already being perpetuated by White House attack ads, that Romney is the king of flip-floppers, someone who will do or say anything just to get elected.

That impression was not helped in late March when a key aide made a reference to the Etch A Sketch toy, saying the Romney campaign effort could be shook up to “restart all over again” to win over moderates in the general election.

Romney’s triumph has ultimately come down to math: winning in key states to pick up the most delegates, reinforcing a claim to be the candidate most able to defeat Obama in November. But with his opponents having won many traditionally conservative states such as Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota, critics say Romney has failed to connect with key parts of the Republican base.

Romney has more or less been campaigning for the presidency since standing down as Massachusetts governor in early 2007. This has been a blessing and a curse so far in the 2012 campaign: he has the experience of a failed nomination run in 2008 to build on, but his superior funding has attracted claims that he is buying his way to the White House. Born Willard Mitt Romney, a photograph of him as a young man posing with colleagues at his venture capitalist firm Bain Capital with dollars bulging from their pockets has done him no favors. He is the son of a former governor of Michigan, George Romney, who made his own failed bid for the White House in 1968. Married for some four decades to his wife, Ann, the couple have five grown-up sons. — AFP

HAVANA: Mexican President Felipe Calderon left for Cuba yesterday for a quick trip to patch up bruised relations with the communist island and discuss possible business ventures, including oil deals. With just seven months remaining in his six-year term, it will be Calderon’s first trip to Cuba after he angrily canceled a planned 2009 visit when the Cuban government suspended flights between the countries at the height of the swine flu scare.

He is scheduled to meet Cuban President Raul Castro and, according to press reports, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, the leader of Cuba’s Roman Catholic Church. It is not known if he will see former Cuban ruler Fidel Castro, who retired in 2008 but still meets with visiting leaders. Calderon will leave today morning on his way to Haiti and then attend the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia. Cuba and Mexico enjoyed friendly relations until the administration of Vicente Fox, who in 2000 broke the centerleft Institutional Revolutionary Party’s 71year grip on power in Mexico by winning

the presidency.

In 2002, his government angered Fidel Castro by supporting a United Nations resolution condemning Cuba’s human rights record. That same year Fox, like Calderon a member of the conservative National Action Party, had a falling out with Fidel Castro. The Cuban leader recorded Fox telling him in a phone call he was invited to have lunch at a Mexico-hosted summit, but had to leave before then US President George W Bush arrived. The taped conversation was made public, which provoked a firestorm of criticism of Fox in Mexico, where Castro is widely respected for having stood up to the United States for half a century.

THUMBING NOSE AT US The two countries briefly closed their embassies in 2004, but maintained official diplomatic relations. For Mexico, sustaining Cuban ties is a measure of independence from the United States, which has been at odds with Cuba since the 1959 revolution that brought the Castro brothers to power.

Cuba’s nose-thumbing at American pressure resonates with Mexicans, said Arturo LevyLopez, a Cuba expert at the University of Denver.

“Cuba is a symbolic issue. The Cuban revolution as a historic event, and opposition to American hegemony in Latin America possesses important political capital in Mexico,” he said. Calderon wants to shore up relations with Cuba before Mexico’s presidential election in July to help out the PAN candidate, who is trailing in the polls, Levy-Lopez said. Under Mexican law, he cannot seek another term in office. “By traveling to Cuba, Calderon, who is a man of his party, affirms the credibility of the PAN against accusations of subordination to the US government,” said Levy-Lopez.

Calderon’s office said in a statement the visit would serve to strengthen “fraternity” between the two countries and create a “new agenda” to take advantage of the business opportunities opened up by economic changes made by Cuba’s government.

According to Mexican news reports, these

could include work on oil projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Daily newspaper La Jornada said Mexico may be considering leasing exploration blocks in Cuba’s part of the gulf, which abuts that of Mexico and the United States. A consortium led by Spanish oil company Repsol YPF is drilling the first of a possible series of wells in Cuba’s offshore, which the island says may hold 20 billion barrels of oil.

Mexican officials downplayed the possibility of any dramatic oil agreements coming from the visit, but said there might be an accord on “technical cooperation.” Calderon, whose country has been wracked by drug violence during his administration, is not believed to plan any meetings with government opponents in Cuba. Nor is he likely to talk publicly about human rights. Mexican media said the government might restructure Cuba’s $413 million debt or strike a deal to lower it in exchange for more Mexican investment in Cuba. Trade between the two countries totaled about $450 million in 2010, Mexican sources said. — Reuters

Haiti Senate approves Lamothe as new PM

YAUCA DEL ROSARIO: Peru’s President Ollanta Humala, center left wearing a white shirt, waves as he stands with nine rescued miners, wearing sunglasses, after they were freed from the Cabeza de Negro gold-and-copper mine in Yauca del Rosario, Peru yesterday.

The miners had been trapped inside since April 5. —AP

Peru president faces claim at Americas rights commission LIMA: A lawsuit Peruvian President Ollanta Humala successfully fought in courts before being elected has been filed to the main human rights body in the Americas - potentially reopening a case that cost him politically in the past. Documents reviewed by Reuters show that lawyers for a relative of two people who disappeared in 1992, when Humala was an army officer battling Maoist guerrillas, have sent a claim against the Peruvian state to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The 21-page complaint, which mentions Humala nine times, was filed confidentially in early 2010, a year before Humala shed his outsider image and reinvented himself as a business-friendly leftist to win the presidency on his second try. Reuters was shown the claim by someone close to the case after relations between the government and the commission soured in December over a separate case stemming from Peru’s 1980-2000 civil war, which killed or disappeared 69,000 people.

The petition says Peru’s judiciary botched the original suit involving Humala by dismissing it in 2009 for lack of evidence. The case hinged on whether Humala, who at the time of the disappearances ran the army’s Madre Mia counterinsurgency base in a remote jungle, ordered or permitted soldiers to kidnap a man and a woman, Benigno Sullca Castro and Natividad Avila Rivera, from a jungle town rife with Shining Path rebels. The two were presumed to be collaborators. They were never seen again. Though the complaint was lodged nearly two years ago, news of the filing is sure to roil the political waters and further fracture the government’s relationship with the rights panel, which Humala’s administration has accused of interfering in local affairs.

It will also exacerbate a political dilemma Humala has faced since he took office in July: In a bid to govern as a centrist, he has alienated leftists in his party who say he has drifted too far to the right. During his campaign, he promised groups on the left he would defend human rights but has since strengthened ties to a military that leans right. The Madre Mia suit was shelved by the Peruvian court in part because three people who initially testified against Humala later changed their stories,

and it couldn’t be proven that he was on duty when the kidnappings occurred.

Humala, 49, said during last year’s campaign that he had nothing to do with the disappearances. The head of the president’s legal affairs office referred all questions about the case to the justice minister, Juan Jimenez.

Jimenez said the case was correctly handled by respected judges in local courts and that it shouldn’t be heard again by the commission, which is part of the 35-member Organization of American States (OAS). “What is most probable is that the case won’t even proceed,” Jimenez told Reuters. “Ollanta Humala was exonerated.”

The commission declined to comment when asked if it had received the filing of the Madre Mia case, citing privacy rules. The complaint was signed by Ronald Gamarra when he was the director of a Peruvian nongovernmental organization called the National Coordinator of Human Rights. Gamarra is a prominent lawyer who helped prosecute former President Alberto Fujimori, now in jail.

Three sources associated with the complaint, who are not supposed to talk about it, said the complaint was sent to the commission, which normally takes years to decide if it will look into a case. Humala’s term ends in 2016.

REACHING FOR ‘A BALANCE’ Parts of the armed forces, as well as Peru’s second-largest political bloc, the far-right party of Fujimori, have for years urged Peru to abandon the Inter-American rights system.

They resent the commission for reviewing atrocities stemming from Fujimori’s crackdown on insurgents. They credit tough tactics for winning the war and saving the country from communist ruin. Rights groups, which are often branded as unpatriotic by the country’s far right, have filed more than 300 complaints against Peru with the commission, making Peru one of the top defendants among states in the Americas. The commission has admitted a fraction of the cases for review. “There are very rigid sectors in this country, and what they want is to leave the (rights) system. What we are trying to do is find a balance,” Jimenez said.—Reuters In Peru’s dogmatic political culture, the far

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti’s Senate has approved the nomination of Laurent Lamothe to become the new prime minister of the impoverished earthquake-ravaged nation, a parliamentary source said.

Lamothe, who was tapped for the position

by President Michel Martelly after the resignation of Gary Conille in February, must still win the approval of the Chamber of Deputies.

The Senate vote was held late Tuesday after a long debate and was announced by Senate President Simon Dieuseul Desras.

Lamothe’s candidacy was approved 19-3, with one abstention. In Haiti, the prime minister is appointed by the president and mainly serves as cabinet chief. Lamothe’s appointment and the formation of a new government, however, could still take

months, as Martelly does not have a majority in parliament. Lamothe received a political sciences degree from Barry University in Miami and also earned an MBA at St Thomas University in Florida. Known as a keen sportsman, he played tennis for Haiti in the Davis Cup. He became foreign minister in Martelly’s government in October last year.

Martelly’s administration is trying to ramp up stalled reconstruction efforts following the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake that flattened large parts of Port-auPrince and damaged much of the south of the country. The magnitude 7.0 quake killed 250,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. According to UN figures, the quake killed, injured or displaced one in six of the Caribbean nation’s entire population of almost 10 million. —AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

UK ‘can extradite’ five terror suspects to US PARIS: Europe’s human rights court has ruled that Britain can send a radical Muslim cleric and four other suspects to the United States to face terrorism charges in a case that has been closely watched as an indicator of whether tough US prisons could influence extradition policy. The court said Britain would not violate EU human rights rules by extraditing the suspects, who could face life sentences in a maximum-security prison. The long-running legal battle centered on Mustafa Kamal Mustafa, also known as Abu Hamza Al-Masri, considered Britain’s most recognizable extremist, thanks in part to his fiery rhetoric and hook for a hand. He has long been a figure of tabloid newspaper scorn.

Al-Masri and the other men had argued that in the US they could face prison conditions and jail terms that would expose them to “torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” in breach of the European human rights code. The European Court of

Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, rejected those claims, saying in its ruling Tuesday that “detention conditions and length of sentences of five alleged terrorists would not amount to ill-treatment if they were extradited to the USA.” However, the court said the five “should not be extradited” until its judgment becomes final - a move that could take months - or until a possible appeals process ends.

It also put off ruling on the case of a sixth suspect, Haroon Rashid Aswat. The court said it needs further information about his schizophrenia and the conditions of his detention at a British hospital. The suspects are accused of crimes such as setting up a terrorist camp in the United States and raising funds for terrorists. The decision capped off years of legal wrangling, during which the British government has sharply criticized the European court over repeated delays.

One of the men awaiting extradition has been held in a British jail for eight years

without charge.

It also comes at a sensitive time because British extradition policy recently suffered a major setback when the European court ruled that the UK could not deport another radical cleric, Abu Qatada, to Jordan. British lawmakers have urged the government to reform extradition laws, pushing for changes to the UK-US extradition treaty on the ground that justice would often be better served by a trial at home. Still, an independent review found last year that the treaty was both balanced and fair.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron he is “very pleased” with the court’s decision. “It is quite right that we have proper legal processes, although sometimes one can get frustrated with how long they take,” he said.

The US is also pleased with the judgment, according to a statement posted on the US Embassy in London’s website.

“We look forward to the court’s decision becoming final and to the extradition of

these defendants to stand trial in the United States,” the statement from the Department of Justice said. British Home Secretary Theresa May said the UK will work to see that the suspects are handed over to US authorities as quickly as possible. Based on charges filed in the US, the suspects could get lifelong jail terms without parole in maximum security conditions, such as cells with concrete furniture, timed showers, tiny windows and no outside communications.

The various challenges against extradition rested on the suspects’ likely detention in the ADX Florence “Supermax” prison in Colorado, where they would be held in solitary confinement. In their ruling Tuesday, the judges found that conditions at ADX would not amount to ill-treatment. Al-Masri, 53, who is blind in one eye and wears a hook for a hand, is known for his fiery anti-Western and anti-Semitic outbursts.

He claims he has lost his Egyptian nationality, but Britain considers him an

Egyptian citizen. The court listed him as a British national. Al-Masri has also been linked to the taking of 16 hostages in Yemen in 1998 and to preaching jihad holy war - in Afghanistan. He is accused of setting up a terrorist training camp in rural Oregon.

In separate cases, Syed Talha Ahsan has been charged with conspiring to support terrorists via the Internet, and 36-year-old Babar Ahmad is accused of running websites to raise money, appeal for fighters and provide equipment - like gas masks and night vision goggles - for terrorists. Ahmad’s father, Ashfaq, said he and his family were “very disappointed” by the court’s decision, calling it “a serious abuse of process.” Ahmad hasn’t faced charges in Britain, but has been held without trial for eight years in a UK prison. In an interview that took place after the BBC won a legal battle to speak with Ahmad, he insisted he did not condone terrorism and urged authorities to put him on trial in the UK.—AP

Putin seeks unity Putin calls NATO ‘relic of the Cold War’

OSLO: Media representatives sit during a press conference in Oslo City Court yesterday in Oslo. The 33-year-old right-wing extremist, Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in twin attacks last July has said he does not want his lawyers to try to get him a light sentence,.—AFP

Breivik’s unusual defense: ‘to prove accountability’ OSLO: How to defend a mass-murderer whose guilt is not in question? Anders Behring Breivik’s defense will take the unusual approach of trying to prove he is criminally responsible and should be sent to prison. The 33-year-old right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in twin attacks last July has said he does not want his lawyers to try to get him a light sentence, but rather wants them to focus on arguing that he is of sound mind. Their strategy received a boost this week when a second psychiatric examination concluded Tuesday that Breivik was not psychotic at the time of the massacre, contrary to the findings in an initial probe late last year.

“Breivik is very clear on this point: he believes his message would be delegitimized, as he says, if he is declared criminally insane,” one of his lawyers, Vibeke Hein Baera said. The confessed killer had told the first two psychiatric experts who examined him that the carnage had been “just a formality” aimed at drawing attention to his “manifesto”-a more than 1,500-page Islamophobic rant published shortly before the attacks. By concluding that he suffered from “paranoid schizophrenia” the two experts not only sparked a heated debate in Norway but also dealt a blow to the killer’s ambition to spread his ideas as a serious ideology and not the rantings of a crazy person. In a letter to Norwegian media last week, Breivik acknowledged that the first expert conclusion was “the ultimate humiliation,” and insisted that being sent to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison would be “a fate worse than death.” His desire to be found sane has put the defense in the unusual position of pushing a line that leads directly to prison, while the prosecution has said it may ask for Breivik to be declared criminally insane

and to be sent to a closed mental ward.

“We have in part changed our strategy after he himself did an about-face on what he wanted,” chief defense lawyer Geir Lippestad said, pointing out that he and his colleagues had given up searching for extenuating circumstances. If the defense had argued criminal insanity, he said, it would have pointed to the fact that Norway might have given Breivik too much room to maneuver.

“How was this possible? Why did he not receive help (for his hypothetical illness)?

Why was he not detected?” were among the questions Lippestad said he could have asked if the line of defense had been different. “But since he today wants to be declared criminally responsible, this line of argumentation is void. It is no longer valid, since it would possibly contribute to him being found criminally insane,” he explained. In addition to medical experts, the defense plans to call a number of both right-wing and Islamic extremists as witnesses to show that Breivik’s world view, which was dismissed by the first psychiatric experts as “delirious”, is shared by others.

“When you read the report from the first psychiatric experts, they explain their diagnosis by the fact that Breivik lives in a reality that no one else recognizes, an unreal world,” Lippestad pointed out. “For us, it is therefore important to see if others, even if they make up a tiny minority, share this reality and also think that the Christian and Muslim worlds are at war,” he added. Faced with two psychiatric reports with diametrically opposed conclusions, it will in the end be up to the five Oslo district court judges to determine the thorny question of Breivik’s sanity and his criminal responsibility when they hand down their verdict, probably around mid-July.—AFP

Sudan halts talks with South after ‘most serious’ attack KHARTOUM: Sudan’s parliament yesterday called a halt to negotiations with South Sudan, official radio reported, as the foreign ministry accused Juba of the worst violation of its territor y since independence.

“Parliament decided to stop negotiations and withdraw the delegation immediately from Addis Ababa,” Radio Omdurman reported after a second day of renewed clashes between the two nations in an oil-rich region along the disputed border.

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Rahma Mohammed Osman told reporters troops from the South had pushed 70 kilometres (43 miles) into Sudan and were in the Heglig oil region. “I think this is the most serious after South Sudan’s secession and it affects our main oil production area,” he said. “We are calling for the international community to put pressure on South Sudan to withdraw its troops from Heglig without any conditions,” Osman added. Khartoum says it has complained to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to the African Union, which has been leading negotiations between the two nations on security, economic and border issues.

Sudan does not allow journalists to freely report from the border region, making independent verification difficult. Legislators announced a “mobilization and alert” of the

population, the radio report said, although President Omar al-Bashir had already issued a decree forming a high-level committee for mobilization on March 26. That same day a series of border clashes began, sparking international fears of a return to all-out war.

The committee was tasked with preparing training camps for the paramilitary People’s Defence Force, official media said at the time. South Sudan’s parliamentary speaker yesterday urged lawmakers there to mobilise people to defend the fledgling nation in case of all-out attack by Khartoum.

Border tensions have escalated since the South became independent last July after an overwhelming “yes” vote following Africa’s longest civil war.

A diplomat in Addis Ababa told AFP Sudanese negotiators would not go to the Ethiopian capital “because it is not a good environment or atmosphere for negotiating.” Negotiators from Juba and Khartoum failed to sign an agreement on security after the latest AU-mediated negotiations concluded last week in Addis Ababa. Lead mediator Thabo Mbeki denied that negotiations had reached an impasse. South Sudan’s head negotiator Pagan Amum accused the Khartoum delegation of walking out of the talks, saying “war mongering” prevented them from signing the agreement. —AFP

MOSCOW: President-elect Vladimir Putin called on all political forces to unite yesterday to help Russia develop peacefully after elections that caused tension and triggered “political battles” that divided the country. In his last annual address to parliament as prime minister, Putin hailed the achievements of his four years in government, saying it had brought stability, increased living standards, reduced inflation and staunched a demographic crisis.

The 59-year-old leader, who will be inaugurated for a six-year presidential term on May 7, also reached out to his opponents after allegations of electoral fraud and frustration with his political domination of Russia sparked the biggest demonstrations since he rose to power 12 years ago. “ The country has gone through a tense period of parliamentary and presidential elections. And today the echoes of the heightened emotions and political battles can still be heard,” Putin told the Duma, reading his speech from a podium as deputies sat listening quietly. “But the logic of a mature democracy is that elections end and afterwards ... joint work always begins,” he said, suggesting opponents should put the political struggle behind them.

Calling for unity, he added: “We have one Russia, and its modern, advanced development must be the goal that unites all the country’s political forces that want to work to build it.” The speech, expected to last 1-1/2 hours, was likely to be scoured for clues on the makeup of his next government and offer the once and future Kremlin chief a platform to set out an agenda for economic growth when he returns as president. The former KGB spy was also expected to face tough questions from opposition lawmakers emboldened by the protests and looking for signs that he might open up a political system that has long stifled dissent.

Police guarding the Duma detained leftist opposition leader Sergei Udaltsov, one of the leaders of the protests that began after a parliamentary election in December, as he tried to join some 30 anti-Putin demonstrators before the address. About five other demon-

strators were also detained. The focus of the annual report was on the economy, although Putin could also offer glimpses of his foreign policy priorities after a campaign colored by his harsh criticism of the West.

RELIC OF THE COLD WAR Putin called NATO a “relic of the Cold War era.” He said he does not understand why NATO still exists decades after the end of the Cold War, but said Russia still needs to cooperate with it. Putin also defended the Kremlin’s decision to provide airbase facilities for the alliance’s operations in Afghanistan, but said it will not be a military base. Relations between Russia, the United States and NATO have soured over US-led NATO missile defense plan that Washington says is aimed at deflecting a potential Iranian threat. Moscow fears it will eventually become power ful enough to undermine Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

HAVE MORE CHILDREN Putin called on Russians to have more children as he seeks to battle the country’s acute demographic crisis during his third term in the Kremlin. He also said rampant smoking, drug and alcohol abuse claimed 500,000 lives a year. “For Russia every person counts today,” Putin said. “A strong, happy family with several kids is what the state, society, religious, educational and cultural organizations should unite their efforts around.

“We should realize that we will come face to face with a serious challenge the demographic echo of the 1990s when Russia experienced its severest drop in birth rates. We need new decisive steps when it comes to saving and caring for people.” During his presidential campaign earlier this year, Putin vowed to reverse Russia’s demographic crisis exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles, blatant disregard for safety protocols and traffic accidents and boost its population to 154 million.

The country’s latest census showed that the country’s population had shrunk by 2.2 million people since 2002 and now stands at 142.9 million. Putin claimed he had already made progress as prime minister, saying that

MOSCOW: Russia’s Prime Minister and President-elect Vladimir Putin speaks in the State Duma lower house of parliament, in Moscow yesterday. Deputies from a Russian opposition party on staged yesterday a highly unusual walkout of parliament during an appearance by Vladimir Putin in protest at the “rudeness” of one of his answers. —AFP the number of second-time mothers has grown by 45 percent over the past five years, and the number of women choosing to have three or more children increased by 62 percent over the same period. “It was quite unexpected for me,” he said. “More and more Russian families decide to have two or even three children,” Putin added. Over the past four years life expectancy has gone up in the country and now tops 70 years, he said, stressing that Russia should put an end to wide-spread smoking and alcohol abuse. — Agencies

Greece launches countdown for early elections; PM quits ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos formally step down yesterday to pave the way for early elections after wrapping up a landmark debt swap and eurozone bailout to save the crisishit economy. Papademos will tender his resignation to President Carolos Papoulias who will then dissolve parliament and call for elections within 30 days, a government source said. May 6 is widely seen as the most likely date for the election but the outcome of the vote is uncertain with anger run-

ning deep among Greeks over tough austerity measures that were needed to secure the rescue package.

Papademos, who was vicepresident of the European Central Bank until 2010, will chair a final cabinet meeting at 1200 GMT before seeing Papoulias at 1400 GMT, his office said. “The prime minister will submit his mandate and a presidential decree will be issued to dissolve parliament,” the government source said.

Papademos took over in

November as head of a coalition backed by the conservative New Democracy party and the socialist Pasok party to complete a debtsaving bond swap with private creditors and ratify a eurozone bailout worth 130 billion euros ($171 billion).

Elections were originally scheduled for 2013. Parliament on Tuesday approved a labor bill restructuring social security funds, the final piece of legislation that Papademos’s government had pledged to pass before the ballot

ATHENS: Greek caretaker Prime Minister Lucas Papademos (C) chairs a cabinet meeting at the Greek Parlaiment in Athens yesterday.—AFP

at the behest of Greece’s creditors, the EU and IMF. “All the conditions are present for elections on May 6,” New Democracy head Antonis Samaras, whose party currently enjoys a narrow lead in opinion polls, told the private Mega television station on Monday.

Mega released a poll giving New Democracy a four-point lead over Pasok, which is narrowing the gap under its new leader, former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos. The survey by pollsters GPO suggests that with a mere 18.2 percent of the vote, New Democracy may be unable to form a majority government.

Amid mounting anger over two years of painful austerity, nearly one in five respondents did not give a party preference and over three percent said they would support a neo-Nazi party, giving them enough votes to enter parliament.

But Samaras insisted on Monday he would not form a government with Pasok if his party failed to garner enough votes, even if this meant new elections.

Greece in June will attempt to chop another 11.5 billion euros ($15 billion) off spending by 2014 to meet conditions laid down under a previous EU-IMF debt rescue. Most of the 1,200 people questioned in Monday’s poll said they wanted a coalition government and 56 percent took a dim view of Papademos’s legacy.—AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Baby girl’s death shows preference for sons in India NEW DELHI: A three-month-old baby girl who police say was battered by her father who wanted a son died yesterday, highlighting the plight of millions of India’s “unwanted girls”. Neha Afreen died from cardiac arrest at a state-run hospital in India’s tech hub of Bangalore after battling for life for three days.

“We tried our best to revive Afreen but could not succeed and she succumbed to her injuries,” hospital executive Gangadhar Belawadi told AFP. Afreen was brought to the hospital with head injuries, abrasions and bite marks all over her body, causing national outrage that led to the arrest of her father on Monday. “My husband was enraged with me for delivering a girl,” Afreen’s mother Reshma Banu told reporters. “He hated her. He wanted me to get rid of the child or abandon her as he wanted a son.”

boy handed to them by mistake.

The parents insisted the baby was not their child and only accepted her after 11 days when the results of a DNA test were shown to them. Yesterday, micro-blogging website Twitter exploded with hundreds of messages of anger and dismay over Afreen’s death. “Baby Afreen. Baby Falak. And God knows how many more that didn’t make the headlines. Or through life. Sad and shameful,” tweeted Bollywood director Meghna Gulzar.

Married women in patriarchal India face huge pressure to produce sons who are seen as breadwinners and carers for their parents. Girls are often viewed as a burden in traditional families as they require hefty dowries to be married off. Successive governments have launched an array of schemes to change the social bias against girls.—AFP

Afreen’s case is the latest in a string of incidents across India where baby girls have been abandoned, tortured or even killed because they were unwanted. “The cruelty against girls is crossing all limits,” Ranjana Kumari, director of the non-profit Centre for Social Research, told AFP. “We need to do a lot more to sensitise the society towards the worth of girls and severely punish people guilty of such crimes.”

In March, an abandoned two-year-old girl died at a New Delhi hospital after suffering horrific injuries, including broken arms and a smashed skull. The girl, named baby Falak or “Sky” by the media, was hailed as a miracle child after showing signs of improvement following five gruelling operations but she then died of a massive heart attack. Last week, a newborn baby girl in the western city of Jodhpur was abandoned as her parents fought for the custody of a baby

BANGALORE: Reshma Bano wails as she holds the body of her three-month-old daughter Neha Afreen outside a hospital morgue in Bangalore, India yesterday. — AP

Afghanistan’s elite raiders vow to counter insurgents US-Afghan pact on controversial night raids signed

KATHMANDU: Supporters of a dissenting faction of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chant slogans while blocking a road to protest against the handover of Maoist cantonments and weapons to the Nepalese Army in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday. —AP

Nepal army takes control of Maoist fighters camps KATHMANDU: Nepal’s army has taken over camps where Maoist fighters have been stationed since the end of the civil war, an official said yesterday, in a major step towards completing a troubled peace process. The move follows a breakthrough deal signed in November last year by the Maoists and the three other major political parties, paving the way for the reintegration of 19,000 combatants, five years after the conflict ended.

More than 7,000 former fighters who have chosen retirement payoffs of 500,000 to 800,000 rupees ($6,300-$10,200) have already left the cantonments and have begun life as civilians. The parties had agreed to integrate 6,500 fighters into the Nepalese Army but the peace plan has faltered, with almost 10,000 choosing to join the soldiers they fought in a bloody, ten-year war. The remaining former fighters will have to accept retirement payoffs

because the army has said it will not take more than agreed in the peace deal.

Balananda Sharma, a coordinator of the government committee overseeing the reintegration process, said 1,400 Nepal Army soldiers have been deployed in 15 former Maoist camps. “The soldiers were warmly welcomed in all (the Maoist) camps. The former fighters have taken it as a normal process,” he said. But the army takeover, which took place late Tuesday, was two days earlier than expected, he said. Sharma said the takeover was speeded up due to a deteriorating security situation in the Maoist camps in which “the former fighters’ chain of command was broken.” “The government ordered the Nepalese Army to take control of weapons containers, cantonments and the physical infrastructure,” Sharma said. He said security was now under control in the former Maoist camps.— AFP

KABUL: It’s a special-forces entry like no other and guaranteed to spoil the element of surprise, but Afghanistan’s new elite soldiers insist they will be no less effective in countering insurgents than controversial night raids by US forces. Under cover of darkness, Afghan soldiers will surround the homes of suspected insurgent targets and then shout a demand that those inside separate into men and women before storming the door, safeguarding conservative cultural sensitivities.

“We announce eight to 10 times that we are Afghan security forces and won’t harm you. We ask them to take women and children to one side of the home and males to the other,” said Colonel Jalaluddin Yaftali, the commander of Afghan Special Forces. “We operate very carefully and find our target,” Yaftali said in an interview.

Surprise night raids in pursuit of militants have long fanned anti-Western sentiment in Afghanistan, with many locals seeing them as violations of privacy, especially of women, in conservative southern areas where Taleban support is strongest.

On Sunday, Afghanistan and the United States reached an agreement that only Afghan forces would be able to search residential homes or compounds, while Afghan police and soldiers would have to protect women and children, as well as culturally sensitive places. The agreement, reached after months of at-times tense negotiations, also gives Kabul the power to veto operations and removed a major obstacle to a wider pact to secure a US presence after withdrawal of most foreign combat troops in 2014.

The hope is that the strategy will lower civilian casualties in night raids and reverse some of the calamitous damage they have caused to President Hamid Karzai’s popularity as foreign combat troops hand over to Afghan security forces. Under the deal, Afghan police and soldiers are supposed to seek an Afghan judicial warrant

before conducting raids. Afghan authorities will also have control over prisoners taken and will decide whether to allow US interrogators access to detainees. US defense officials insist that not much is changing in special forces operations, which occur mostly at night, and say they have been almost 100-percent Afghan-led since last year.

CONCERNS Some security analysts, and privately even some members of the Afghan military spoken to

by Reuters, worry that the constraints now attached may make raids less effective, and see fewer carried out. Western commanders have seen the raids as one of the most effective antiinsurgent tactics and the danger is that shouted warnings could give targets time to escape in Afghanistan’s warren-like, mud-walled villages and home compounds.

A US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the new arrangement might, hypothetically, slow the pace of efforts against the Taleban and its allies in the crucial period when foreign forces begin to withdraw. “In theory could this severely hamper operations in Afghanistan? Potentially,” the official said. However, he added: “In practice, do we think it will do so? No, because both sides understand the importance of these operations.”

US officials insist they do not expect the warrant requirement to slow quick-strike raids. They also note that, in theory, the Afghan constitution allows for warrantless search/detention in some situations if warrants are requested within 48 hours of a raid taking place.

Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby said that since the shift to an Afghan lead in specialforces raids in December, more than 350 raids had been carried out and insurgent targets were located in more than three-quarters of those. He

Malaysia enthrones new king in lavish ceremony KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s new king called for equality for all in the multi-ethnic Asian nation as he was enthroned yesterday in a lavish ceremony steeped in centuries-old royal traditions.

Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, 84, who was king previously in the 1970s, became the first person to hold the position twice under Malaysia’s unique rotating monarchy. The Oxford-educated king is a lover of jazz, football,

polo and golf. The king, known as Yang diPertuan Agong or “He Who Is Made Lord”, formally took office in a televised ceremony in the yellow carpet throne room of the new hilltop palace in the capital Kuala Lumpur. Prime Minister Najib Razak proclaimed Sultan Abdul Halim the 14th king, before an audience of other Malaysian sultans, government ministers and foreign dignitaries.

KUALA LUMPUR: Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, Haminah Hamidun In this photo released by Ministry of Information, Malaysian King Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, left, holds the Keris beside Queen Haminah Hamidun during his coronation ceremony to be Malaysia’s 14th king at National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday. —AP

The monarch, dressed in black and yellow royal regalia, made of wool and embroidered with gold threads, was presented with a Koran and then with the royal long dagger-a symbol of power and authority-which the king drew and kissed. He then took an oath of office to rule Malaysia in a fair manner, uphold the Islamic faith and ensure a just government. In his speech, Sultan Abdul Halim praised Najib’s leadership and reminded the government to ensure prosperity for all Malaysians. “All Malaysians have equal rights ....It is my wish to see all Malaysians gain from the country’s development,” he said.

Despite his merely ceremonial role, Malaysia’s king commands great respect from the public, especially majority Malays. The country’s sultans trace a lineage back to Malay sultanates of the 15th century. Portraits of the king and queen adorn government buildings throughout the country. The king is also the symbolic head of Islam in the nation, as well as the nominal chief of the military. Abdul Majid Puteh, 85, who knew the king when he was 12 years old while they were studying together, described him as a “friendly” person, adding that he once saw the king washing his own clothes.

In December after being installed as the new king, Sultan Abdul Halim called for unity amid rising racial tension in the multi-ethnic country as the country heads for possible snap elections.

The sultan, who stunned many in 2007 by walking two kilometers to a football stadium after his official car got stuck in traffic, had urged Malaysians never to repeat deadly 1969 race riots that still haunt the country.—AFP

Siachen standoff taking heavy environmental toll ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India’s military standoff in the frozen high mountains of Kashmir is not only costing soldiers’ lives, experts say-it is also wreaking havoc on the environment. A huge avalanche on Saturday devastated Pakistan’s Gayari army camp on the fringes of the Siachen Glacier, where Pakistani and Indian soldiers brave bitter conditions to eyeball each other in a long-running territorial dispute.

Environmental experts say the heavy military presence is speeding up the melting of the glacier, one of the world’s largest outside the polar regions, and leaching poisonous materials into the Indus river system.

Faisal Nadeem Gorchani of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Islamabad said the glacier had shrunk by 10 kilometers in the last 35 years. “More than half of the glacier reduction comes from the military presence,” he said. Pakistani hydrologist and Siachen specialist Arshad Abbasi gave an

even more alarming assessment of the glacier’s decline, and said that non-militarized areas had not suffered so badly. “More than 30 percent of the glacier has melted since 1984, while most of the Karakoram glaciers on the Pakistani side expanded,” he said. Troop movements, training exercises and building infrastructure all accelerate melting, Gorchani said. Waste from the military camps is also a major problem, harming the local environment and threatening to pollute the water systems that millions of people across the subcontinent depend upon. “Indian army officials have described the Siachen as ‘the world’s biggest and highest garbage dump’,” US expert Neal Kemkar said in an article for the Stanford Environmental Law Journal. The report quoted estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature saying that on the Indian side alone, more than 900 kilos of human waste was dropped into crevasses every day.

Kemkar said that 40 percent of the military waste was plastics and metal, and as there are no natural biodegrading agents present, “metals and plastics simply merge with the glacier as permanent pollutants, leaching toxins like cobalt, cadmium, and chromium into the ice.” “This waste eventually reaches the Indus River, affecting drinking and irrigation water that millions of people downstream from the Siachen, both Indian and Pakistani, depend upon,” the report said.

Kemkar also warned the conflict had affected wildlife, with the habitat of animals such as the endangered snow leopard, the brown bear and the ibex-a type of wild goat-all threatened. There is virtually no chance of any of the 138 people buried by Saturday’s avalanche being found alive, so they will likely be added to the list of those claimed by Siachen, dubbed “the world’s highest battleground”, with outposts more than 6,000 meters high. —AFP

said the agreement would apply only to US Special Forces units and not other foreign contingents with special forces, including the British and Australians.

Yaftali said he did not think the new law would create problems for operations. “Whatever we do is according to the Afghan constitution,” he said. “In most of the cases in Afghanistan, we get to our target without any fighting or fatalities, because our operation is fast and accurate.”

“During our night raids we have killed many socalled shadow governors for the Taleban, selfnominated Taleban police chiefs and shadow district governors, as well as their commanders and fighters,” he said.

He said his unit, planned to number about 3,000, but still only half that size, was as wellequipped as NATO forces, with American M4 rifles and night-vision gear. It had also recruited female soldiers to search women-only compounds, he said. “Right now our personnel operate independently and around the country. Our operations are in cooperation with a US technical team,” Yaftali said.

A new Operational Coordination Group, or OCG, to be set up by the Afghan government will oversee special forces operations, with the US providing intelligence, helicopter and air support, as well as medical evacuation, security and support.

There will also be a bilateral oversight committee chaired by Afghan Defense Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak and NATO’s top commander in the country, US Marine General John Allen. US officers spoken to by Reuters in southern Kandahar province welcomed the change, saying it would help free up American troops and deepen cooperation with Afghan forces. “I think it’s a natural progression,” said Colonel Todd Wood, commander of the 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, which has been in charge of three districts for the past year. — Reuters

Attacks kill 2 NATO troops, local Afghan official KABUL: Two bomb explosions and an insurgent attack killed two NATO service members and a local Afghan government official yesterday in different parts of Afghanistan, authorities said. The deaths come one day after Taleban suicide bombers killed at least 19 people across the country as they stepped up their fight against Afghan forces slowly taking the lead from US and international troops.

NATO said both coalition service members were killed in the south - one in a roadside bombing and the other during an insurgent attack. The coalition did not provide their nationalities nor disclose other details.

So far this year, 103 members of the US -led coalition have been killed in Afghanistan.

Sarhadi Zewak, a spokesman for Laghman province in the east, said the head of Dawlat

Shahi district was also killed yesterday when his motorcycle hit a roadside bomb.

He was on his way to his office along with a school headmaster who was injured in the explosion, Zewak said. Separately, the office of the governor of the southern Helmand province said three local Afghan policemen were killed in Musa Qala district on Tuesday when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up near their vehicle.

The deaths bring the death toll from Tuesdayís wave of bombings to 19. The three were responding to an earlier bombing that killed four policemen at the district police headquarters building. Three suicide attackers wearing vests laden with explosives parked their car outside the police building and walked toward the entrance, said Daud Ahmadi, a provincial spokesman. —AP

Red Cross makes first visit to Turkmenistan prisons UN, rights bodies say torture rife in jails ALMATY: Turkmenistan has allowed a Red Cross delegation to visit one of its prisons for the first time since the reclusive Central Asian nation’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said yesterday. The Red Cross delegates, including a doctor, made a round of one of the penitentiaries of Turkmenistan’s interior ministry last week, the Geneva-based ICRC said in a Russian-language statement posted on its website. It added that the delegation had also visited the construction site of a future prison. It did not identify the penitentiaries or provide other details. “These visits are a stage in Turkmenistan’s many-sided cooperation with the ICRC,” the Red Cross said, adding its delegates had also met Turkmen interior and foreign ministry officials “to discuss terms of new steps in this direction”.

Turkmen officials could not reached for comment. The United Nations Committee against Torture has expressed concern about allegations of widespread torture and illtreatment and of enforced disappearances in custody in Turkmenistan. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its recent annual report that Turkmenistan remains one of the world’s most repressive countries. “The country remains closed to independent scrutiny, media and religious freedoms are

subject to draconian restrictions, and human rights defenders face constant threat of government reprisal,” it said.

Official data on the number of prisoners in the nation of 5.5 million are not available.

Each year thousands of prison inmates are amnestied on big national holidays. President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, known as Arkadag, or The Patron, enjoys sweeping powers and a rising personality cult in his desert nation, which according to data from BP sits on the world’s fourth-largest reserves of natural gas. He came to power in December 2006 after his autocratic predecessor Saparmurat Niyazov suddenly died of a heart attack.

Berdymukhamedov put in place some of the economic reforms stalled under Niyazov and, keen to export the nation’s gas riches via alternative routes, has moved to warm ties with the West. “Turkmenistan continued to expand relations with foreign governments and international organizations, but with no meaningful outcomes for human rights,” HRW said. After winning 97 percent of the vote in a February presidential election in which he had no real rivals, Berdymukhamedov said he would allow the launch of two new political parties in his one-party state. Analysts say the new parties are unlikely to pose any challenge to his absolute rule. — Reuters

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un strengthens grip on power PYONGYANG: Defiant North Korea fueled up a rocket yesterday in preparation for what now appears to be an imminent liftoff while the country’s young leader strengthened his grip on power with a new title making him the nation’s top political official. Kim Jong Un was named first secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party, a new post, while his late father, longtime leader Kim Jong Il, was given the posthumous title of “eternal general secretary” at a special Workers’ Party conference. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported those details from the secretive one-day political gathering in Pyongyang.

Kim Jong Un’s formal ascension, nearly four months after the death of his father, comes during a week of events leading up to celebrations

Sunday marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, late President Kim Il Sung. The centennial is a major milestone in the nation Kim Il Sung founded in 1948, and the streets were awash with new posters, banners and the national flag. Outside the city’s war museum and the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium, women in traditional Korean dress gathered in clusters, practicing for this week’s events.

North Korea has thrown open its doors to dozens of journalists from around the world to report on the events this week designed not only to honor Kim Il Sung but also to demonstrate unity as Kim Jong Un takes power. One of the marquee events is a controversial satellite launch poised to take place as early as today. Space officials call the launch of the Unha-3

rocket, mounted with an Earth observation satellite, a “gift” to Kim Il Sung.

They said yesterday that the final step of injecting fuel into the three-stage rocket was under way in the coastal hamlet of Tongchang-ri. “ The launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite is the pride of our nation and of our people,” Rim Kwang Myong, a 23-year-old mathematics major at Kim Il Sung University said. A live feed at the General Command Center in the outskirts of Pyongyang showed the rocket on the launch pad covered with a tarp to protect the satellite from the wind.

Paek Chang Ho, chief of the command center, said the rocket is ready for liftoff as soon as engineers are given the green light. North Korea has informed international aviation, mar-

itime and telecommunications authorities that the launch would take place between today and Monday.

“We are injecting fuel as we speak,” Paek told reporters from a viewing platform in front of a large screen showing the live feed. Sixteen scientists in white lab coats worked at computers below him. Because liquid rocket fuel is highly volatile and corrosive, its injection into the rocket is usually one of the final steps in the pre-launch process, experts say. But the weather, and particularly the wind, could force delays.

The United States, Japan, Britain and others say the launch would constitute a provocation and would violate UN Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from developing its nuclear and missile programs.

Experts say the Unha-3 carrier is similar to the type of rocket that could be used to fire a missile mounted with a nuclear warhead to strike the US or other targets. Paek denied yesterday that the launch was anything but a peaceful civilian bid to send a satellite into space.

He said the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite is designed to send back images and data that will be used for weather forecasts and agricultural surveys. “Some parties insist our peaceful space program is a missile test,” he told foreign reporters given an exclusive tour of the nation’s main satellite command center.

“We don’t really care what the outside world thinks. This launch is critical to developing our space program and improving our economy.” — AP

Manila summons China’s envoy over sea standoff Philippine warship in standoff with Chinese vessels

QUEZON CITY: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Juan Miguel Arroyo In this photo released by the Philippine National Police, former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, left, and son Juan Miguel Arroyo stand inside a special antigraft court called Sandiganbayan for her arraignment yesterday in Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines. —AP

Arroyo pleads ‘not guilty’ MANILA: Former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo and her husband pleaded not guilty yesterday to corruption charges involving a government Internet deal with a Chinese telecom firm while she was in power. Arroyo, 65, calmly made the plea at a special anti-graft court in Manila after being taken from a military hospital where she has been detained for more than four months while awaiting trial on a separate charge of election fraud. “She said it in a normal tone. She was not scared or angry,” the clerk of the court, Joffre Zapata said.

The former leader smiled to photographers as she entered the building, still wearing a neck brace to support her spine that she says is weakened from a rare disease.

She was accompanied by her husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, and a third coaccused, political ally Benjamin Abalos, both of whom also pleaded not guilty.

The charges stem from allegations that

Arroyo’s husband and Abalos arranged for China’s ZTE Corp. to win a 329-million-dollar contract to set up a government Internet broadband network in exchange for huge kickbacks.

The deal collapsed in 2007 due to the allegations, with then-president Arroyo stepping in to cancel it following a wave of bad publicity. ZTE previously denied any acts of corruption in securing the contract. If found guilty, Arroyo could be jailed for 15 years, Zapata said. She is already facing life in jail on the vote fraud charge, which stems from allegations she rigged the 2007 senatorial elections to ensure an ally could win.

Arroyo’s successor, President Benigno Aquino, has vowed to bring her to justice for many corrupt acts he alleges she committed during her near-decade in power. However the Philippines’ justice system is extremely slow and it could be many years before a verdict is delivered on the first two charges. — AFP

Beijing purges Bo Xilai, probes wife for murder

MANILA: The Philippines and China traded diplomatic protests yesterday over a standoff in a jointly claimed area in the South China Sea, but Manila ruled out the use of force in its enforcement of local maritime laws. The Philippines and China are contesting sovereignty over a small group of rocky formations known as the Scarborough Shoal. The shoal, known in the Philippines as the Panatag Shoal but which the Chinese call Huangyan Island, is about 124 nautical miles off the main Philippine island of Luzon, near a former US navy base in Subic Bay. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said he summoned China’s ambassador to Manila, Ma Keqing, for talks yesterday morning but there was an impasse because China also insisted on its sovereignty over the area. They agreed to hold another meeting. “I think the possibility of use of force is out of the question,” del Rosario told reporters, saying the president “is very clear that he wants a diplomatic solution to be in place”. Del Rosario said China also summoned Manila’s ambassador to Beijing and a similar protest was filed over the harassment of Chinese fishermen in the South China Sea. On Sunday, a Philippines Navy surveillance plane spotted eight Chinese fishing boats in the shoal and Manila’s largest warship, a US Hamilton-class cutter, was sent to check on the Chinese presence. Two Chinese surveillance ships arrived soon after the crew from the warship inspected the fishing boats on Tuesday. The surveillance vessels sailed between the warship and the fishing boats to prevent the arrest of any fishermen. The dispute is one of myriad of conflicting claims over islands, reefs and shoals in the South China Sea that pit China against the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Some of the claims have drawn the United States to press China over sovereignty. Tension has risen in the past two years over worries China is becoming more assertive in its claims to the seas, believed to be rich in oil and gas and straddling shipping lanes between East Asia and Europe and the Middle East. The stakes have risen further since the United States last year began refocusing its military attention on Asia, strengthening ties with the

Philippines and Australia. China said it was talking with the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to seek a solution to the Scarborough dispute so that “ChinaPhilippines friendly relations and peace, stability in the South China Sea are well preserved”.

A statement issued by the Chinese embassy

corruption, it’s a major leadership battle over who is going to lead the country.” Before his downfall, Bo had been tipped to become a member of the party’s Standing Committee-the apex of political power in China-when seven of its nine members step down in the autumn. His revival of “red” cultureincluding sending officials to work in the countryside and pushing workers to sing revolutionary songs-drew accolades from the traditionalist left of the party.

But the 62-year-old’s high-profile campaign and brutal onslaught on allegedly corrupt businessmen and officials, coupled with his “princeling” status as the son of a hero of China’s revolution, alienated many in the party. Last month, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao warned against a repeat of the Cultural Revolution, a decade of savage chaos launched by revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, in comments seen as a swipe at Bo’s Maoist revival campaign. “One party, two factions will remain. The princelings will still survive, they will continue to be a very, very important force. But Bo Xilai will be gone forever,” said Cheng Li, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

“For other leaders, no matter what faction they belong to, when they see all these charges, no one will support Bo Xilai.” The former commerce minister’s troubles started in February when Wang Lijun, his former police chief, fled to a US consulate and reportedly asked for asylum, although few other details were made available. The mystery deepened when news emerged late last month that London had asked China to reinvestigate the death of Heywood in Chongqing in November, amid rumors it might have been linked to Bo’s family. —AFP

WAR GAMES On Tuesday, Chinese state media said a

MANILA: Philippine Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Alexander Pama shows photos of two Chinese surveillance ships, allegedly similar to the two ships which approached and positioned themselves between a Philippine warship and Chinese fishing vessels, during a news conference with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, left, yesterday at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Philippines. —AP said 12 fishing boats had taken shelter from harsh weather in a lagoon. It said the Philippine “gunboat” blocked the lagoon entrance, preventing the Chinese surveillance vessels from “fulfilling the duties of safeguarding Chinese maritime rights and interests”.

It said the embassy immediately contacted the DFA and “reiterated China’s sovereignty over Huangyan Island, (and) urged the Philippine side to stop immediately their illegal activities and leave this area”. In an earlier move to ease tensions, a Philippine military commander said a coast guard ship was on its way to the area to assist the warship, saying the navy should not be involved in the enforcement of maritime laws. “We have

Chinese cruise ship, the Scent of Princess Coconut, had completed a trial voyage to the Paracel Islands, a cluster of close to 40 islets, outcrops and reefs that both Vietnam and China claim.

The proposal to open the Paracels, known as the Xisha islands in Chinese, to tourism and the Scarborough stand-off indicate a worsening of friction. In March 2011, Chinese navy ships threatened to ram a Philippine research vessel, prompting Manila to scramble planes and ships to a dispute in the Reed Bank area.

That incident prompted Manila to seek closer ties with Washington and the two sides will stage war games around the Reed Bank this month. — Reuters

Newly elected Suu Kyi meets Myanmar prez

Bo Xilai: China’s fallen political star BEIJING: China’s biggest political crisis in decades took a dramatic turn with the removal of one of the Communist Party’s biggest stars from his post and his wife’s arrest on suspicion of murder.

Bo Xilai, the charismatic former party leader of Chongqing city, had been tipped for the very highest echelons of power in China until he was sacked from the post last month before being suspended from the Politburo on Tuesday.

The announcement that he had been removed from the powerful 25member Politburo was followed by the shock revelation that his wife was being investigated over the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Gu Kailai and Zhang Xiaojun, a medical orderly at Bo’s home, fell out with Heywood over “economic interests”, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

Both are now under investigation for murder, while Bo Xilai is suspected of being involved in “serious discipline violations”, Xinhua said. In China, that usually refers to corruption.

Analysts say the rare, public scandal has exposed deep rifts within the ruling party ahead of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition due to take place later this year. The People’s Daily newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party yesterday said Bo had “seriously violated the party discipline, causing damage to the cause and the image of the party and state”.

The Xinhua dispatches came late on Tuesday just before midnight, confirming China’s biggest public party upheaval since a purge before the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

“It’s a dramatic event. We normally don’t get this kind of drama out of the Chinese leadership,” said Patrick Chovanec, professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. “It’s not just about

authority to confiscate them and bring the ships here. We’ve done that in the past,” Lieutenant General Anthony Alcantara told reporters.

SEOUL: Korean National Election Commission officials empty a box containing ballots cast in the parliamentary election as they prepare to count them, in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. —AP

S Koreans vote under North’s rocket threat SEOUL: South Koreans voted yesterday in elections that pitted the ruling conservatives and their “Queen of Elections” against a liberal Twitter generation of younger voters in a closely fought race that could end in a hung parliament. Exit polls by network televisions showed the ruling conservatives and leftist opposition nearly tied for the race to control the 300-seat assembly, which could possibly give the liberals a chance to form a coalition with minority parties. Voters have by and large ignored an impending rocket launch by North Korea scheduled for this week, and the major issues at stake are rising prices, allegations of sleaze in government and growing discontent over the power of big business, all of which could go against the ruling Saenuri Party.

The election has served as a curtain-

raiser for the more important presidential vote in December. Public opinion polls that showed the two sides in dead heat ignored under-40 voters, many analysts say, arguing that the liberal opposition could emerge a surprise winner. By the time polls closed at 0900 GMT, turnout was 54 percent, compared with 46.1 percent in the last parliamentary election four years ago which was one of the lowest voting rates ever, the National Election Commission said.

Exit polls by KBS television gave both the ruling Saenuri Party and the opposition Democratic United Party up to 147 seats each, and other networks predicted similar outcomes. “We should expect to see parliament power having shifted to the opposition,” said Hong Sung-gul of Kookmin University. — Reuters

NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday held talks with President Thein Sein for the first time since her landmark election to parliament earlier this month. “I am satisfied,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told AFP when asked about the meeting with the former general, which took place at his official residence in the capital Naypyidaw.

But she declined to reveal what was discussed during the one and a half hours of one-to-one talks and made no further comments. After the meeting Suu Kyi had lunch with Thein Sein and his wife. It was the veteran dissident’s second meeting with the former junta prime minister since he took office last year, marking the end of nearly half a century of outright military rule.Suu Kyi has rejected suggestions that she could take a cabinet position in his military-backed government after her by-election victory.

But she has not ruled out taking on an advisory role, particularly on the subject of the ethnic minority conflicts that have gripped parts of the country since independence in 1948. The pair held talks in August 2011 as the once-reclusive country embarked on a surprising series of reforms, including welcoming Suu Kyi’s party into the political mainstream and freeing scores of political prisoners.

That meeting paved the way for the opposition leader to rejoin the official political arena and stand for election for public office for the first time. Suu Kyi has said she believes Thein Sein genuinely wants to pursue democratic reforms although it is unclear whether he has the total support of the military. The 66-year-old, who spent 15 of the past 22 years locked up by the junta, will take her seat in the lower house of parliament for the first time on April 23 after a decisive victory in April 1 by-elections. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party secured 43 of the 44 seats it contested, becoming the main opposition force in a national parliament that remains dominated by the military and its political allies. The vote was largely praised as a step towards democracy by the international community, and Western nations are beginning to lift sanctions on Myanmar as a reward for the reforms. — AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

NEWS

Pakistani scavengers salvage flotsam for recycling from a small boat in a polluted fishing harbor in Karachi yesterday. — AP

Numbers game: US’ struggle to make math fun BOSTON: Pity poor math. In the American drive to boost science and math education, it’s science that has all the kid-friendly sizzle: Robots and roller coasters, foaming chemical reactions, marshmallow air cannons. Math has... well, numbers. “America has a cultural problem with math. It’s the subject, more than any other, that we as a country love to hate,” said Glen Whitney, a passionate mathematician who worked for years developing algorithms for hedge funds.

“We don’t see it as dynamic. It’s rote and boring and done by dead Greek guys a thousand years ago.”

A brave group of educators and entrepreneurs think they can change that. With games and competitions, museums and traveling road shows - and a strategic sprinkling of celebrities they aim to make math engaging, exciting and even fun. The inaugural Lure of the Labyrinth tournament, designed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, challenges kids to navigate an online monster lair

by solving math and logic puzzles. Top scorers in the competition, which kicked off this month, can win tablet computers.

DimensionU, an online game company, this week launched another national tournament, DU the Math, to encourage kids to play its free math games. Top players can win a personal music lesson from teen pop star Greyson Chance, a day with the hit band Mindless Behavior or a star-studded rock concert in their hometown - all prizes deliberately chosen, company spokesman Tom Schuyler said, “to make math cool”. Perhaps the most ambitious effort to give math some sparkle comes from Whitney, the hedge-fund mathematician. He has raised $22 million to build a Museum of Mathematics, due to open this fall in New York City.

And yes, he has heard all the jokes. “Would you rather go to the Museum of Math or the Museum of Broccoli?” Whitney asked. “That’s the stereotype we’re trying to combat.” To that end,

he is sending a traveling exhibit around the country; it is now at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton, Ohio. It includes such marvels as the square-wheeled tricycle, which can be pedaled along a specially designed, geometrically compatible track. Whitney says he wants visitors to come away with a sense of awe at the power and beauty of mathematics. “Math makes the impossible, possible,” he said.

The new efforts are born of the realization that American students are falling behind in math, even though math skills are more important than ever in careers ranging from manufacturing to healthcare to finance. American elementary and middle school students score above the international average - though far below math powerhouses such as Singapore and Japan - on standardized math tests given worldwide. By age 15, however, US students plunge in ranking, scoring below countries such as Slovenia, Hungary and Iceland. (By contrast, they remain at or above the international aver-

Violence grows with Bahrain mob attacks Continuecd from Page 1 “They were stopping cars and asking passengers where they lived in order to determine what sect they belonged to,” he told AFP by telephone.

Al-Wefaq, the Gulf kingdom’s largest Shiite opposition group, said the attackers were in civilian clothes and “beat up” the residents of Shiite villages. A statement by the group accused security forces of failing to stop the attacks. “The security forces did not carry out their duty. They did not disperse the (assailants) or prevent them from attacking citizens,” the statement said, adding that the authorities must “deal with these militias.”

But Bahrain’s interior ministry said police “prevented” a group of unidentified assailants from entering the Shiite village of Al-Nuweidrat on the outskirts of the capital. In a statement, the ministry said assailants “attacked 24-hour shops and destroyed two cars,” after holding an “illegal gathering,” without mentioning the reported attacks by Sunnis on Shiite neighbourhoods.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the police bombing, described by the interior minister as a “dangerous development”. In a statement on state news agency BNA, Lieutenant-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa said the attack was “part of a campaign of violence and sabotage,” adding the government would show “zero tolerance against terrorists.”

Tensions are high in Bahrain over the health of prominent Shiite activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is

on hunger strike and who has been condemned to life in jail for plotting to overthrow the Sunni monarchy during last year’s Shiite-led anti-government protests.

Shiite youth groups have been organising protests almost every evening in solidarity with Khawaja. On Tuesday, Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt said Khawaja, who is a dual Danish-Bahraini citizen, is in “very critical” condition.

Anger is also mounting over a decision by motorsport chiefs to go ahead with the Grand Prix as scheduled on April 22, although F1 teams were still expecting the race to be cancelled, according to some repor ts. The youth group of the “Revolution of February 14” has called for “three days of rage” in Bahrain from April 20 to 22, and also launched a campaign on Twitter to cancel the race. On Tuesday, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted this week that he was unable to force teams, reluctant to race in Bahrain over security concerns, to participate in the event.

A government statement released yesterday assured visitors the race would be held in “safe and stable conditions,” adding the bouts of unrest are “infrequent” and happen “in distant villages”. Last year’s Grand Prix event was initially postponed and later cancelled following the Februar y and March protests inspired by Arab uprisings. John Yates, a former assistant commissioner in the London Metropolitan Police Service who is an adviser to Bahrain’s interior ministry on policing, has said there “is nothing that in any way warrants for the race to be postponed”. — Agencies

Ahmadinejad visits disputed Gulf isle Continued from Page 1 Syria’s regime defied the Tuesday deadline to pull out troops from cities and towns that was set in the deal brokered by Annan and launched fresh attacks on rebellious areas. But Annan insists there is still time to salvage the truce by 6 am today, the deadline for government and rebel fighters to cease all hostilities.

“We’ve been in touch with them (Syrian rebels) and have had positive answers from them. ... I think by 6 in the morning on the 12th, Thursday, we should see a much improved situation on the ground,” Annan said. “It is possible to do it and it should be in the interests of the people of Syria,” he added.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, who met

Annan on Tuesday, said the international envoy “appeared worried to me”. Atalay told Turkey’s TV 24 channel that the Syrian regime is not fulfilling its promise and while withdrawing its forces from one area, it is deploying them in an another. He added that if Annan’s plan does not succeed in ending the violence in Syria, “the world will rethink. This time, the UN Security Council will have no excuses. It will be more difficult to use their veto right.” He was referring to Russian and Chinese vetoes of two past Security Council resolutions condemning Assad’s regime for the crackdown on protesters. There was more violence yesterday, putting the chances of a truce even deeper in doubt. Syrian troops took control of large parts of villages and towns near the border with Turkey. — Agencies

Assembly amends penal code to cut detention Continued from Page 1 Barrak’s praise of the storming of the National Assembly building in November. Dashti described the storming as a “black Wednesday” and Barrak lashed back at him, accusing Dashti of being the servant of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and an agent of former Kuwaiti prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah.

Barrak also warned Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled Al-Sabah he will grill him if he does not answer his questions over the controversial money transfers case within the next two weeks. Barrak had first sent the questions in September last year to former foreign minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah who resigned in October over the issue because he was not aware of the transfers which were allegedly made through the foreign ministry. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled replaced Sheikh Mohammad in the foreign ministry a couple of weeks later. Barrak’s threat came after the foreign minister requested that the answers’ period be delayed for two

weeks.

The Assembly also began debating the third year of the four-year development plan but decided to postpone the debate for two weeks. The government told the Assembly this year’s plan envisages more than 1,200 projects worth KD 5.7 billion. The Assembly also decided to postpone until tomorrow the debate of a controversial bill that stipulates the death penalty for those who insult Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his wives and his companions.

Meanwhile, MP Hussein Al-Qallaf said yesterday he plans to file to grill Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah for a second time after he obtained evidence that a local television channel was implicated in money laundering operations. The first grilling by Qallaf against the minister ended on Tuesday without any no-confidence motion after the minister strongly refuted Qallaf’s allegations. Qallaf, however said that the minister should be more prepared this time because he will arrange for a no-confidence motion.

age in science and reading.)

The US made a push to bolster math education during the frenzy of the space race in the late 1950s and 1960s. But even in that postSputnik era, math was seen as an elite subject, not necessary for the masses. As late as the mid1980s, most states required just a year or two of math in high school, according to a scholarly review of math education trends by Alan Schoenfeld, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley. Even today, many high schools don’t offer advanced math. In New York City, for instance, just 10 percent of the high schools with the highest black and Latino enrollments offer Algebra II, according to a report by the US Department of Education.

Educators acknowledge part of the problem is the traditional approach to teaching math.

Despite periodic stabs at reform, teachers say math classes are often far too heavy on computation drills and formulas, leaving little time for creative problem solving. “It’s as if you took a lit-

tle kid who really liked music and wanted piano lessons and said, ‘We’re going to have you practice scales and chords for the next 15 years, and then and only then will we teach you music,’” said Kathy Morris, an education professor at Sonoma State University in California. “It’s a soul crusher.”

Morris recently received a $300,000 federal grant to develop better training for math teachers. She says she wants them to get their students thinking of math as the ice cream, not the broccoli, of the school day. Similar initiatives are underway in other states and nearly everyone has adopted new “common core” curricular standards that emphasize reasoning and puzzle-solving, not just computation. To prepare for that shift, major corporations and philanthropies - including Google, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York - have pledged $24 million to recruit and train 100,000 new math and science teachers in the next decade. — Reuters

Grass slams Israeli move to bar him nuclear power of unchecked extent, the Israeli BERLIN: Author Gunter Grass has criticised government sees itself as high-handed and in a German newspaper Israel’s decision to until now is not open to exhortation. Only bar him over his recent poem, comparing it Myanmar arouses some small hope,” he said. to moves by the former communist East On Sunday, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Germany and Myanmar. “I have been prohibYishai declared Grass persona non grata in ited entry to a country three times,” the 84Israel over the poem published last week year-old Nobel laureate wrote, according to which branded Israel the Middle East’s a pre -released copy of Thursday ’s biggest threat to peace. Grass has sparked Sueddeutsche Zeitung referring to the excondemnation at home and abroad for the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and a poem “ What must be said”, in which he 1986 attempt to travel to Myanmar. “In both voiced fears that a nuclear-armed Israel cases the usual practice in dictatorships was would mount a “first strike” against Iran and carried out,” he wrote in the short text entiwipe out its people, plunging the world into tled “Then as today - my response to latest a new war. decisions” in the same newspaper which Grass, author of the renowned anti-war published his controversial poem.

Gunter Grass novel “The Tin Drum”, had pressed his coun“Now it is the interior minister of a democracy, of the state of Israel, who is punishing me with try for decades to face up to its Nazi past. But he shocked a refusal of entry and whose grounds for the imposed com- his admirers in 2006 when he admitted, six decades after pulsory measure - according to the tone - recalls the verdict World War II, that he had been a member of Hitler’s notoof Minister Mielke,” he said. He was referring to Erich Mielke rious Waffen SS as a 17-year-old - a late revelation that who was head of the Stasi secret police in East Germany. undermined his until then substantial moral authority in Grass continued that the GDR no longer existed. “But as a Germany. — AFP

Pigeon riddle flies in face of science Continued from Page 1 behaviour,” the researchers said. Nor are these cells exclusive to the beak.

Keays described the process as “extremely frustrating” but insisted the findings should not be seen as a setback. “It puts us on the right path to finding magnetic cells,” said Keays. “It is very clear that birds and a large number of other species detect the Earth’s magnetic field, so they must have a population of cells somewhere that allow them to do this ... Hopefully now we can find the real ones.” Other theories suggest the birds also get a navigational fix from sunlight or from landmarks. As for the other scientists: “I don’t think they are going to like me very much,” Keays admitted.

When he first presented the findings at a conference a year ago, “we certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons, some peo-

ple loved it ... and other people were incredulous”. The paper appears in the British science journal Nature. Researchers who published the original claim in 2000 could not be reached for comment. Keays said magnetoreceptors were so hard to find because they were so small, probably about 20 to 40 nanometres (20 to 40 billionths of a metre), and “could be anywhere in the pigeon”. “Trying to find a magnetoreceptor is not like trying to find a needle in a haystack, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack of needles.”

Finding it would not only solve a stubborn puzzle but may also have a medical use, he added. “If we can learn how nature detects magnetic fields we can use that information to create artificial magnetoreceptors that might have some applications in the treatment of disease”, particularly of the brain. “I suspect I will spend the rest of my life trying to work it out and it won’t be long enough,” the 36-year-old geneticist sighed. — AFP

Massive quakes trigger tsunami alert Continued from Page 1 telephone connections and electricity were patchy.

Television images showed hundreds gathering at a large mosque in Banda Aceh, many weeping and searching for family members. Women and girls draped head-to-toe in white were praying on mats laid out on the ground.

In Sri Lanka the disaster management centre asked residents on the coast to move inland to avoid being hit by any large waves. In the capital Colombo, nervous crowds gathered on the streets after the strong quake. “There was a first jolt for five seconds, then a pause and then a really big one. It was really frightening, the whole room was shaking,” said 42-year-old tourist Maria Teresa Pizarro from the Philippines. “You could hear the wood in the furniture cracking, the curtains were moving and the ceiling fan was rattling. I just picked up the children and ran downstairs,” she said from the city’s seafront Galle Face hotel.

Thailand issued an evacuation order for its Andaman coast, a popular tourist destination, and flights to the tourist island of Phuket were diverted to other airports as passengers and staff were evacuated to higher ground. A small tsunami measuring just 10 cm reached the coast before Thailand, like other countries, lifted its warning. “At this point people can be relieved,” said Somsak Khaosuwan, the director of Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Centre.

Australian Bonnie Muddle, vacationing in the Thai resort island of Phuket, said people were evacuated from popular tourist areas including Krabi and Phang Nga bay. “All the local villagers are up on the hill,” she told AFP. “Some boats

have just left the dock and are anchoring out (which is) supposedly safer.”

India issued a red high-level tsunami warning for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Indian Ocean, and lower alerts for several other eastern coastal states.

Tremors were felt in the Indian eastern city of Kolkata, where cracks appeared in some tall buildings. A large number of people rushed out of offices in the city’s central Park street area as windows and doors rattled. In the Maldives, where luxury resorts cater to well-heeled holiday makers, hotels moved tourists away from beaches, with some even issuing guests with life jackets as a precaution. In Bangladesh, where two tremors were felt, authorities said there appeared to be no threat of a tsunami. Australia also said there was no threat of a tsunami there.

The catastrophic tsunami of Dec 26, 2004, was generated by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake that struck in the ocean about 200 km away from yesterday’s initial quake. An expert with the British Geological Survey said the tsunamis were small because the quakes’ movement was horizontal, not vertical, and caused no drop in the sea floor, which is what triggers tsunamis. “Although an earthquake of this magnitude has the potential to cause a large tsunami... we haven’t seen any drop of the sea floor, which is what generates the wave,” seismologist Susanne Sargeant told AFP. Last year, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, killing some 19,000 people.

The latest Indonesian quakes occurred in a notoriously seismic area, where the Indian tectonic plate descends into the Earth beneath the Eurasian plate. — Agencies

14

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

Bo downfall a test for China political system

By Robert Saiget he purge of Bo Xilai and arrest of his wife for suspected murder have rocked China, and how leaders deal with the case may prove to be a crucial test for the country’s political system, analysts say.

The state Xinhua news agency said Tuesday that Bo once tipped to access the top echelons of power - had been suspended from the powerful Politburo and his wife Gu Kailai was being investigated over the death of Briton Neil Heywood. News of Bo’s demise came just one month after the former commerce minister was sacked as Communist Party chief of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, and has exposed major rifts within the party ahead of a key leadership change.

“It’s a dramatic event. We normally don’t get this kind of drama out of the Chinese leadership,” said Patrick Chovanec, professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. “It’s not just about corruption, it’s a major leadership battle over who is going to lead the country.” Bo, the son of revolutionary hero Bo Yibo, was part of the party’s exclusive, 25-member Politburo and was a member of the so-called “princeling” faction that analysts say rivals President Hu Jintao’s “Youth League” group.

Observers say Bo’s fall from grace is a victory for Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao, who favour economic and social reforms in China, but it has also shattered the appearance of unity the party cultivates. Daniel Lynch, an expert in Chinese political elites at the University of Southern California, said the ultimate outcome would depend on how the leadership dealt with the Bo and Gu cases. “If it turns out... that Bo and Gu are genuinely guilty of heinous crimes, the Party can strengthen the political system by suggesting their dismissal from office and possible prosecution prove that no one in China, however powerful, is above the law,” he said. “If, on the other hand, the case seems weak, or many people aren’t convinced and decide that Bo and Gu are being targeted unfairly in a factional political struggle, then the political system will be damaged.”

Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a politics professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University, said the Bo affair raised questions about the future of China’s political system and the way it is organised. “Clearly, the level of impunity enjoyed by high officials, especially if they belong to princeling families, is not acceptable and sustainable anymore,” he said. He added that the murder element to the case may also have precipitated events. “The British had officially asked that the case of the British businessman be reopened, this forced the leadership to look at the case more closely,” he said.

Bo had once been tipped to become a member of the party’s Standing Committee - the apex of political power in China - when seven of its nine members step down in the autumn in a once-in-a-decade leadership transition. But his ambitions began to take a hit when his former police chief Wang Lijun fled to a US consulate in February, reportedly seeking asylum while handing over evidence of Bo’s alleged wrong doings.

Several weeks later, Bo was sacked as Chongqing head - a move that sparked wild online speculation about the current state of the party and rumours of military coups despite China’s strict censorship controls. “The reason the dismissal and probe were announced so quickly is probably because in today’s China, they couldn’t possibly keep such things a secret for the many months” until the leadership transition, said Lynch. “Rumours would swirl, and the rumours themselves could fuel a sense of instability.”

Chovanec said that the last major political scandal in China in 2006, during which Shanghai’s party chief and Politburo member Chen Liangyu was detained for corruption, played out very differently. “That was a big shake-up but it was a fairly contained process. There was an announcement - this is what happened - and that was it,” he said. “But you didn’t have this swirl of rumours about coups, who might be next... And you didn’t have public participation.” Regardless, the announcement almost certainly closes the door on the political career of Bo - known for his suave and open demeanour which was seen as refreshing in a country where leaders are often rigid in public. — AFP

T

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

US civilian courts await extradited militants

By Mark Hosenball

hen the Obama administration declared it wanted to put suspects involved in the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on trial in a New York federal courtroom, cries of outrage erupted in the US Congress. Both Democrats and Republicans worried this would put New York City in the crosshairs for new Al-Qaeda attacks. Congress eventually passed a law forbidding the administration from trying alleged Sept 11 conspirators, or any other militants detained at the US military facility at Guantanamo, Cuba, in US civilian courts.

But when it comes to the cases of five alleged top militants whose extradition from Britain to the United States a European human rights court approved on Tuesday, the White House will have no choice.

British and US officials said the Obama administration had given ironclad assurances to Prime Minister David Cameron’s government that the five militants would be tried in the US federal court system, and they would not face a potential sentence of capital punishment. Three of the five to whom the European cour t ruling on Tuesday applied - Abu Hamza, Khalid al Fawwaz and Adel Bary - have all been under indictment for years in the US Southern District of New York.

Law enforcement officials said that prosecutors, whose courtrooms are only

W

blocks from the site of the World Trade Center towers downed in 2011, are prepared to try the cases if the suspects finally are extradited from Britain. The officials noted that several notorious militants, including Ramzi Yousef, alleged mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, were prosecuted and convicted in the same courts and are now ser ving lengthy US prison terms. Some are being held in ultrasecure “Supermax” prisons where the European cour t said US authorities might be entitled to jail the five extradition subjects if they are convicted.

But for political, as well as other reasons, civilian trials for alleged militants lately have been the exception rather than the rule in high-profile counter-terrorism cases. Tuesday’s European court action appears unlikely to permanently change that - or alter President Barack Obama’s preferred approach in fighting militants, which centers on clandestine operations and lethal drone strikes.

Indeed, just last week, the Pentagon announced that the accused Sept 11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and a handful suspected co-conspirators will be tried before a US military tribunal at Guantanamo, and could face the death penalty.

The extradition cases demonstrate how what President George W Bush once called the “global war on terrorism” has evolved in the years since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. In fact, the cases

of all the men whose extraditions the European court approved have their roots in events that took place before the Sept 11 attacks. Two of them, Fawwaz, a Saudi citizen, and Bary, an Egyptian, face charges in connection with 1998 bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, a case which also included the first US criminal charges against Osama bin Laden. At the time of the embassy attacks, Fawwaz was alleged by investigators to be acting as one of bin Laden’s principal Western spokesmen.

The charges against the best known of the five - a former London-based preacher known as Abu Hamza - also date back before 2001. The Justice Depar tment alleges that he was involved in a conspirac y to take hostages in connection with a 1998 attack in Yemen in which four hostages died, and also claims Abu Hamza was involved in a scheme to set up a training camp for militants in Bly, Oregon, in 1999 and 2000. Once evidence began to accumulate after the Sept 11 attacks, some of it in the form of Abu Hamza’s public behavior - he was connected to Zacarias Moussaoui, a French militant linked to some of the Sept 11 suspects, and Richard Reid, a British militant who tried to attack a US-bound airliner with a bomb hidden in his shoe.

Under US pressure, Abu Hamza, who has a hook for one of his hands which he said was blown off in Afghanistan,

was eventually driven out of his pulpit at the Finsbury Park mosque in North London. US authorities did not file charges against him until 2004. The two other suspects whose extradition was given a green light both face trial in federal court in Connecticut for offenses that also pre-dated the Sept 11 attacks.

Babar Ahmad and Syed Ahsan are accused by US authorities of operating pro-Al-Qaeda websites from 1997 to 2004, and also of being in contact with a sympathetic US serviceman.

All five suspects were detained in Britain for years without trial. The case of Ahmad, detained for seven years, became a cause celebre for human rights activists and some British members of parliament. From the point of view of US counter-terrorism officials the cases surrounding the five are too dated to be relevant to their current efforts. Still, the Obama administration would undoubtedly like to use any US trials of the extradited subjects to showcase the openness and equities of the US legal system. The cutting edge of the Obama administration’s counter-terrorism policies, however, is not the criminal justice system, but the use of clandestine operations, and par ticularly expanding drone warfare campaigns, against militants in suspected sanctuaries in Pakistan and Yemen. Even smooth extraditions and US trials of the suspects held in London are unlikely to alter that policy. — Reuters

Santorum exit crystallizes Romney vs Obama

By Michael Mathes ick Santorum’s exit from the White House race Tuesday marked a symbolic starter shot for the general election campaign, allowing all-but-certain Republican nominee Mitt Romney to turn his full attention to President Barack Obama. Several analysts and experts told AFP it was game on in what is shaping up as a monumental battle between a challenger with the best ground game in the Republican field and the deep-pocketed, well-organized machinery of a fiery incumbent seeking another four years in the White House.

There are still nominating contests in 19 states including delegate-rich New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and California, and two other candidates stubbornly refuse to go away. But experts agree that the Republican race has run its course, with a Romney nomination a foregone conclusion.

“Romney can focus on uniting the Republican Party and running against Obama now,” said Alan Abramowitz, professor of political science at Emory University.

Steffen Schmidt of Iowa State University agrees that Santorum’s departure “clears the field for Mitt Romney. At this point nothing else matters”. While he no longer needs to campaign for the Republican nomination, Romney cannot rest on his laurels. “He does need to stay active, if only to keep President Obama from completely dominating the political news,” said professor John Pitney of Claremont McKenna College. “In 1996, Bob Dole stopped campaigning after he secured the nomination, and President (Bill) Clinton was able to increase his advantage in the polls. Romney does not want to face such a problem.”

That means work ing to convince core Republicans like evangelical Christians Santorum’s traditional base, many of whom are

R

skeptical of Romney - as well more moderate Republicans and independent voters that Romney is their man. Schmidt said the various party factions will coalesce come November. “Their target is defeating Obama, and all the crankiness will more or less vanish.”

Meanwhile Romney must forge ahead with drilling into the president’s policies, which Romney argues have failed to speed up the recovery from the worst recession in decades. He did that straight away Tuesday. Shor tly after Santorum’s capitulation, Romney took to the stump, and while he applauded his Republican rival for making “an important contribution to the political process,” he swiftly pivoted to Obama. The president’s “policies have by and large been devastating to small business,” Romney told supporters in Wilmington, Delaware.

The White House, which has essentially treated Romney as the de facto Republican nominee for several months, appeared ready for the head-to -head matchup. “It’s no surprise that Mitt Romney finally was able to grind down his opponents under an avalanche of negative ads,” Obama reelection campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement. “But neither he nor his special interest allies will be able to buy the presidency with their negative attacks. The more the American people see of Mitt Romney, the less they like him and the less they trust him.”

Santorum bowed out before the key primar y in his home state of Pennsylvania, pledging to do what he can to help defeat the Democratic incumbent in November. The party leadership, which has lined up

behind Romney, sounded relieved, with Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus saying it was “commendable” for Santorum to drop out. Barring any nasty fight on the floor of the Republican National Convention in August, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and congressman Ron Paul of Texas, who each trail well behind Romney and Santorum, are out of the picture. “All of the media talk now will be about the general election, and Santorum, Gingrich and Paul will be completely invisible,” said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow on governance studies at the Brookings Institution.

He said Romney’s nominations victory now means “he doesn’t have to spend millions of dollars” in negative campaign ads, which studies show had driven up Romney’s own negative numbers. Nor does Romney have to “worr y about any embarrassing finishes” in the primaries, including a string of May races in states seen as more favorable to Santorum, such as Kentucky, North Carolina and Texas. “It makes it easier to turn to the general election campaign,” Mann added. And that, many exper ts agree, will be about the economy and jobs, two issues in which polls show Romney in a competitive matchup with Obama.— AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

sp orts Yuvraj in no hurry to return NEW DELHI: Yuvraj Singh, the outstanding player in India’s World Cup triumph at home last year, is certain he will return to the international side after battling cancer but will wait until he has fully recovered both physically and mentally.

The 30-year old was told last year that he had a golf ball-sized non-malignant tumour. The diagnosis was changed in February to a cancerous condition called “mediastinal seminoma”. After receiving treatment in the United States in mid-March, Yuvraj spent a few days in London recuperating from the side-effects of chemotherapy before returning to India on Monday.

“I don’t know what I will come back and be able to do. Getting back on the field will be a big achievement for me,” Yuvraj, whl is currently bald following chemotherapy, told reporters at his academy near New Delhi on Wednesday.

“My body needs to recuperate, and to deal with all that pressure and to play for India again will be a very big achievement for me. “As a sportsman you can only say, I’m going to work hard... One thing I always think about is that I want to put the cap with the India logo back on my head.—Reuters

Liverpool recall Gulacsi LONDON: Liverpool will recall youngster Peter Gulacsi from a loan spell at Hull City to help them cope with a goalkeeping shortage ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Everton.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish will have to field third-choice Brad Jones in the all-Merseyside clash at Wembley Stadium because both of his senior keepers are suspended.

But he dismissed talk of a crisis following the 3-2 win at Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday. “We don’t have a problem going in with any players, no problem whatsoever,” he told reporters.

Kulacsi, a 21-year-old Hungarian who joined Liverpool five years ago but has never made a first team

Foot surgery sidelines Ruiz

appearance, has spent time on loan at Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull.

“Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is set to be recalled from his loan spell with the Tigers by parent club Liverpool,” Hull said on their official Twitter feed on Wednesday.

Liverpool’s first choice keeper Spaniard Pepe Reina is suspended after being sent off at Newcastle United in a Premier League game on April 1. Back-up Alexander Doni, who made his long-awaited debut against Aston Villa on Saturday, is banned after the Brazilian was shown a red card at Blackburn. Jones, who came on after 26 minutes following Doni’s departure, is a 30-year-old Australian international.—Reuters

LONDON: Fulham’s Costa Rica striker Brian Ruiz will miss the rest of the season following surgery to repair a broken metatarsal bone, the Premier League club announced yesterday.

“A small operational procedure has taken place to repair the damage, and the Sports Science team advise a 10-week recovery period, prior to any form of training,” said a statement on the club’s website (www.fulhamfc.com).

Ruiz suffered the injury during the 3-0 away win over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday that left Fulham ninth in the 20-team standings with 43 points from 33 games.

Meanwhile, Russia striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, who joined Fulham on a six-month loan from VfB Stuttgart in January, has started talks about a permanent move to the west London club.

Pogrebnyak, who scored five goals in his first three games including a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, has missed the last two matches due to an ankle injury. —Reuters

Tigers rally past Rays DETROIT: Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera doubled and scored in a snowy eighth-inning rally that lifted the Tigers a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Cabrera was driven home by Prince Fielder’s tiebreaking single amidst the snow flurries. Jhonny Peralta added a sacrifice fly later in the inning, and Gerald Laird’s RBI single gave the Tigers a three-run lead.

Reliever Phil Coke (1-0) pitched the eighth to take the win for the Tigers, who are the American League’s last unbeaten team.

Rangers 1, Mariners 0 In Arlington, Texas, Neftali Feliz pitched seven crisp innings in his first major league start, leading Texas past Seattle. Feliz (1-0) was pitching for the first time since the former closer failed to hold a two-run lead in Game 6 of the World Series. Mike Adams pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Joe Nathan did the same in the ninth for his second save. David Murphy drove in the only run with an RBI single in the second inning. Mariners starter Blake Beavan (0-1) gave up six hits in 6-1/3 innings.

BALTIMORE: New York Yankees relief pitcher David Robertson follows through on a pitch in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles. — AP

Beltran, Freese power Cardinals past Reds CINCINNATI: St. Louis’ Carlos Beltran and David Freese homered again on Tuesday, leading the Cardinals to a 31 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Beltran, earmarked as the man to provide the power after the departure of Albert Pujols, hit his third homer of the new season off Mike Leake (0-1). Freese, last year’s World Series MVP, added a two-run shot - also his third.

St. Louis came into the game leading the majors with nine homers. It has five in its first two games at Great American Ball Park.

Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse (2-0) provided a another stingy performance, allowing one run in six innings. The team’s rotation has been sensational so far, with a combined ERA of 1.86.

Nationals 6, Mets 2 In New York, Ross Detwiler pitched five scoreless innings as Washington inflicted New York’s first loss.

Detwiler (1-0) struck out six and walked one.

Ian Desmond homered off Mets starter Dillon Gee (01) leading off the game, and Jayson Werth had four of the Nationals’ 13 hits and drove in a run.

New York said during the game that third baseman David Wright has a broken right little finger but will not need surgery and will return when pain free.

Yankees 5, Orioles 4 In Baltimore, Raul Ibanez doubled in the tiebreaking run in the 12th inning to lift New York over Baltimore.

Robinson Cano led off the 12th with a double off Pedro Strop (0-1). With two outs, Ibanez hit a liner that bounced into the stands. Former Oriole Clay Rapada (1-0) got two outs in the 11th for the Yankees, and Mariano Rivera worked a perfect 12th for his first save this year and the 604th of his career.

New York overcame a three-run deficit and a wild performance by starter Freddy Garcia, who threw five wild pitches, one short of the major league record.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter hit his 25th career leadoff homer, breaking a tie with Rickey Henderson for most in franchise history.

Royals 3, Athletics 0 In Oakland, Danny Duffy pitched six scoreless innings to lead Kansas City past Oakland in a rain-shortened game.

Duffy (1-0) struck out eight in his first game of the season. Mike Moustakas hit an RBI double in the fourth and Mitch Maier added a solo homer in the seventh for the Royals. The start of the game was delayed 43 minutes by rain, and steady drizzle continued throughout. A second delay was called after Eric Hosmer struck out in the top of the eighth during a downpour. The bat slipped out of his hands and landed just above the steps in the Royals dugout. The game officially called at 11:07 p.m. local time.

Oakland starter Graham Godfrey (0-1) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 3 In Toronto, Kyle Drabek pitched into the sixth inning to steer Toronto past Boston. Drabek (1-0) yielded one run in 5 1-3 innings, retiring nine straight in one stretch. Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays. Boston dropped to 1-4, another slow start for a team that opened last season with six straight losses. Starter Daniel Bard allowed five runs in five-plus innings. — AP

DETROIT: Tampa Bay Rays runner Matt Joyce is tagged out at first by Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder (28) after teammate Jeff Keppinger hit into a double play during the second inning of a baseball game. — AP

MLB results/standings Detroit 5, Tampa Bay 2; La Dodgers 2, Pittsburgh 1; NY Yankees 5, Baltimore 4 (12 innings); Toronto 7, Boston 3; Washington 6, NY Mets 2; St Louis 3, Cincinnati 1; Texas 1, Seattle 0; Milwaukee 7, Chicago Cubs 4; Atlanta 6, Houston 4; Arizona 4, San Diego 2 (11 innings); Kansas City 3, Oakland 0.

American League Eastern Division W L Tampa Bay 3 1 Toronto 3 2 Baltimore 3 2 NY Yankees 2 3 Boston 1 4 Central Division Detroit 4 0 Kansas City 3 2 Chicago White Sox 2 2 Cleveland 1 3 Minnesota 0 4 Western Division Texas 4 1 Seattle 3 3 LA Angels 2 2 Oakland 2 4

PCT .750 .600 .600 .400 .200

GB .5 .5 1.5 2.5

1.000 .600 .500 .250 0

1.5 2 3 4

.800 .500 .500 .333

1.5 1.5 2.5

NY Mets Washington Miami Philadelphia Atlanta St. Louis Milwaukee Houston Pittsburgh Cincinnati Chicago Cubs Arizona LA Dodgers San Francisco Colorado San Diego

National League Eastern Division 4 1 3 2 2 3 1 3 1 4 Central Division 5 1 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 1 4 Western Division 4 0 4 1 1 3 1 3 1 4

.800 .600 .400 .250 .200

1 2 2.5 3

.833 .600 .600 .500 .400 .200

1.5 1.5 2 2.5 3.5

1.000 .800 .250 .250 .200

.5 3 3 3.5

Dodgers 2, Pirates 1 In Los Angeles, Andre Ethier hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the eighth inning, sending Los Angeles to victory over Pittsburgh in its home opener.

Exactly 50 years after Dodger Stadium opened, Ethier hit a solo shot on his 30th birthday, off Jason Grilli (0-1).

Los Angeles reliever Kenley Jansen (1-0) pitched the eighth and Javy Guerra the ninth for his third save. The game ended when Andrew McCutchen grounded into a game-ending double play.

Brewers 7, Cubs 4 In Chicago, Alex Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in Milwaukee’s five-run first inning, setting up the Brewers’ win over Chicago. The Brewers sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning against Paul Maholm (0-1).

Milwaukee starter Chris Narveson (1-0) pitched five innings to improve to 7-1 with a 3.52 ERA in 14 career games against Chicago. He allowed two earned runs.

D’backs 4, Padres 2 In San Diego, Chris Young hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning as Arizona edged San Diego and remained undefeated. After Micah Owings (0-1) hit leadoff batter Gerardo Parra, Young sent the next pitch into the stands.

Diamondbacks starter Craig Breslow (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning to earn the victory against his former team, lifting Arizona its first 4-0 start. The Dbacks are the only unbeaten team in the National League.

JJ Putz gave up a leadoff single but then retired the next three batters in the bottom of the 12th for his third save in three chances.

Braves 6, Astros 4 In Houston, Chipper Jones came off the disabled list and began his final season in the majors with a single and a two-run homer to help Atlanta top Houston for its first win.

The nearly 40-year-old Jones singled in his first at-bat and hit a left-handed homer - the 455th of his career - in the third inning to put the Braves up 3-1.

Rookie Tyler Pastornicky added a solo shot for the Braves. Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson (1-1) yielded two runs with eight strikeouts in five innings for the win.

Astros starter Kyle Weiland (0-1) allowed eight hits in five innings. — AP

Nike store hosts Nike Run+ Club event

With the wonderful backdrop of the Tallest Tower in the World, Australian FMX star, Josh sheehan performed a mind-blowing show of some of the highest and most exciting stunts in front of Burj Khalifa, hours before the kick-off of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour inaugural Round in Dubai.

KUWAIT: Nike Store, located in 360 Mall, hosted a Nike+ Run Club event. During this event, the Nike Store was the meeting point for all existing and new-coming runners to register and be part of the weekly running club.

The Nike+ Run Club offers a unique and enjoyable experience by gathering people for weekly runs and walks helping potential and current fanatics get more from their run. The Nike+ Run Club is currently established in various places around the world including: The United States of America, Sydney Australia, Europe, Dubai, and was officially launched in Kuwait on November 15th,

2011 in The Nike Store at Souk Sharq.

The Nike+ Run Club is managed by Yousef Al Qanai who is the Founder and CEO of Aymstrong, a team of Fitness Experts, who help you train and get motivated by providing advice, and training tips along the way.

The Nike Store, with its continuous sponsoring and support functions of athletic events and activities, supports Aymstrong in such events to maintain its strong links with the athletic community through its sponsored athlete program and participation in numerous events.

The Nike+ Run Club is a great method to gather passionate runners.

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

sp orts

Rudisha plans only three races before Olympics

Jeet Toshi

Women exercise right to fight in Singapore SINGAPORE: Jeet Toshi’s eyes glaze over as the blood flow to her brain begins to slow. She claws at the arm clamped around her throat but Nicole Chua’s choke is sapping her strength, and the rising panic in Toshi’s chest tells her she will black out in seconds.

Brutality is blind to gender in mixed martial arts (MMA). While abhorred by its critics as a celebration of violence, MMA’s explosive growth shows no signs of tapering off. It does not shy away from its violent image but rather embraces it as the ultimate sporting evolution of hand-to-hand combat.

Male fighters enjoy the lion’s share of exposure and reward, and while women’s MMA does have a following, it struggles due to a shallow talent pool and poor financial backing.

Discrimination has also been difficult to overcome, and while the bias may be based on outdated notions of gender roles in society, some people just are not ready to see women fight. Not so in Singapore, it seems.

Some 8,000 fans watched Chua become the city-state’s first female professional MMA fighter with her debut as part of ONE Fighting Championship’s recent “War of the Lions” event.

What Chua and Toshi lacked in polished talent and experience they made up for in heart, battering each other with kicks, knees and punches before Chua took the fight to the ground.

Slithering across Toshi’s body, Chua slams sharp elbows into the Indian’s forehead, then rains down a hail of punches forcing Toshi to turn onto her stomach to escape. Chua sinks in a rear naked choke and squeezes for dear life. Toshi taps.

Despite the risk of personal injury involved in MMA, neither fighter made much money.

Neither fighter seemed to care.

Toshi walked away with $600.

Her manager, Prashant Kumar, told Reuters that was three times the sum Toshi had earned for her debut with India’s Full Contact Championship in February.

“This is a passion, not a job,” Toshi said in an interview. “I’m not doing it to make a living. If I wasn’t fighting I really don’t know what I’d be doing.”

Legs dangling from a poolside chair that threatened to swallow her whole, the seventimes Indian kickboxing champion said MMA had given her the chance to inspire her countrywomen.

“I want to be an example for girls in India who don’t really participate in combat sports. I want to set an example so that we can spread awareness of the sport.”

Kumar was immensely proud of Toshi irrespective of the loss, and said he had a stable of willing women fighters in India ready to step into the cage.

“This was her first time out of the country and we were running around trying to get her a passport just before we came,” he said. “She’s such a young girl but she was so composed despite the fact she was fighting a Singaporean in Singapore.”

Chua’s story catapulted her into the media spotlight in Singapore, a bustling island hub more renowned for its safe streets and conservative values than a burgeoning MMA scene.

A full-time accountant, Chua convinced her company to let her train for the fight on condition she made up lost hours after the gym.

Sitting cross-legged on the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu mats at Evolve MMA Academy where she

trained before dawn each day, Chua recalled the reaction when she asked for permission to fit work around her training schedule.

“My manager got a shock but he gave in eventually,” the muay Thai specialist said with a wry smile. The pixie-like Chua said she too was not in MMA for the money. With several years of muay Thai fighting under her belt, she wanted to test her limits in the sport.

Part of the test was coming to grips with the vicious techniques of MMA. Her training routine with no-gi Brazilian Jiu-jitsu world champion Takeo Tani saw her practice kicking a grounded opponent’s head like a soccer ball.

“I hope I don’t have to do that,” she said with a nervous laugh, “but in a fight if I don’t hit her she will hit me. Inside the cage its competition, you win or you lose.”

Tani said Chua’s personality changed as soon as she stepped into the cage for sparring. “I have to look at her like a man. You can see in her eye she is not a normal girl,” he added. “She’s a fighter.”

Chua’s manager and Evolve founder Chatri Sityodtong said women’s MMA was still in its infancy in Asia and that the financial incentive had to be there before women could make a career out of fighting.

“I don’t think women can train and fight full-time right now because the financial rewards aren’t there yet,” he said. “(But) MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world and it is only a matter of time for the financial rewards to skyrocket as it gains in popularity all over Asia.”

Earning a living is just as tough for women getting started in the sport in the United States.

Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey, who became the new face of women’s MMA after her stunning Strikeforce title win over Miesha Tate last month, said there had been little financial incentive for her when she made her pro debut last year.

“I made $800 out of it,” she told Reuters in a telephone interview. “But it was a hell of a lot more than I made for my first three amateur fights because I got nothing. I was just happy I was getting anything from doing MMA after doing it without making a penny.”

Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE Fighting Championship, declined to put an exact figure on how much Chua and Toshi were paid for their fight, but said ONE FC stacked up favourably compared to other MMA promotions.

“Absolutely. And it’s not just about pay, fighters want to fight on ONE FC because we are an organisation that treats them very, very well,” he told Reuters.

“The contracts include not only guaranteed fees but a win bonus, flights, accommodation for them and however many cornermen they want to bring in.”

Cui said Chua was a fantastic story and could encourage more women to take up the sport.

While not everyone is sold on the concept of women fighting, Cui said anyone who stepped into the cage deserved the utmost respect.

“This is a sport of professionals that have dedicated their lives to it, put in decades of training in multiple martial arts whether it’s muay Thai, taekwondo, BJJ, karate or sanda.

“So the message that has to come across is that whether it is a male fighting or a female fighting, they are professionals and the very best of the best.” — Reuters

LONDON: Kenya’s 800 metres world record holder David Rudisha plans to run no more than three races before the London Olympics, starting with the opening Diamond League meeting in Doha next month.

Rudisha is favorite to add the Olympic title to his world crown won in Daegu last year, However, he told reporters yesterday his style of running from the front made it difficult to sustain his form.

“It’s hard to maintain and always to win races especially with my way of running,” the 23-year-old said in a conference call from his training base in Iten, Kenya.

“I know it’s going to be tough and that’s why I want to race in Doha and see how it goes and from there I can discuss and see if I want to try another one.

“But probably I don’t think I can do more than three (races) before the Olympics,” added Rudisha, who started as a 400 metres runner before switching to the two-lap race and has not discounted running the relay in London.

“I think I can do that,” he said when asked about taking part in the 4x400 metres. The London Olympics, which open on July 27, will the first games for

Rudisha after he missed out on Beijing four years ago when he suffered an injury before the Kenyan trials.

His father Daniel won silver at the 1968 Mexico City Games as part of Kenya’s 4x400 metres relay team and Rudisha is keen to add to the family’s Olympic medal haul.

“This is an important year - being the world record holder and world champion those are good titles but I’m missing the big one which is Olympic,” he said.

“People are expecting a lot from me because of my reputation at 800 metres and I know there’s a lot of pressure from everywhere, from home, my friends in Kenya...everybody says I’m the favorite.

“I’ve always had that dream, that one day I want to do it and I want to be there and hear the national anthem when I’m on the podium,” added Rudisha. “I’m just giving that a priority...I don’t want to put something else ahead of that.

“My father being an Olympian in 1968...I want to bring home maybe a gold medal so we can have two medals from the Olympics.”

Rudisha also felt he could improve on his world record of 1:41.01 set in Rieti

August 2010, although he dismissed talk of going under 1:40.

“I think maybe to do sub-1:41 is possible but to do sub-1:40? I still don’t know

how it can be (done) or who can do that.

But from my point of view, I still think there’s room for improvement to do under 1:41,” he said. —Reuters

LONDON: This Aug. 5, 2011 file photo shows Kenya’s David Rudisha reacting after winning the 800m race during a Diamond League athletics competition at Crystal Palace stadium in London. — AP

Olympics could overwhelm Heathrow LONDON: British lawmakers have questioned Heathrow Airport’s ability to cope with an influx of passengers during the London Olympics this summer, warning that long lines at immigration could force planes to sit on runways or even circle Europe’s busiest airport. The concerns were expressed in a letter to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt from the chairman of House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee, John Whittingdale. It was published yesterday.

Whittingdale wrote that lawmakers had met with Heathrow operator BAA on its preparations for Olympic games and “did not leave the briefing confident” that Heathrow was ready to cope with huge numbers of arrivals around the Olympics in a “timely fashion.” The games run from July 27 to Aug. 12.

“We understand that significant preparations have been made to accommodate unusual sporting equipment, special lanes for the Olympic family, welcoming arrangements for competitors and additional Olympic ambassadors,” Whittingdale wrote. “However, far less

thought seems to have been given to the issue of how to deal with long queues at immigration.”

Whittingdale said those lines could push terminals over capacity, forcing planes to circle in the air, sit on runways or block gates if they can’t unload their passengers.

Last year, even without the crush of the Olympics, Britain’s former border chief relaxed some passport checks during the busy summer tourist season just to handle the demand. Long immigrations waits could deter tourists from returning to Britain, Whittingdale added.

Heathrow typically handles an average of 190,000 passengers arriving and departing each day, with 69.4 million total in 2011. BAA noted that Whittingdale’s concerns related to immigration - which is the U.K. Border Agency’s responsibility - and criticized the agency. “Immigration waiting times during peak periods at Heathrow are frequently unacceptable and we have called on Border Force to address the problem as

a matter of urgency,” BAA said. “There isn’t a trade-off between strong border security and a good passenger experience - Border Force should be delivering both.”

The U.K. Border Agency responded to the letter by saying it is “well prepared” for the Olympics and has additional staff available for busy periods. “We will not compromise on border security,” it said.

The day after the closing ceremony - Monday, Aug. 13 - is set to be the airport’s busiest ever, BAA estimates, more than its previous record of 233,561 passengers on July 31, 2011. Heathrow is forecasting it will handle 35 percent more baggage for departing flights on Aug. 13 than on a normal day, which sees about 150,000 items.

Heathrow is creating a special terminal for Olympic athletes, coaches and sponsor to fly out of Britain after the end of the games. Airport officials say 10,000 athletes and support staff will go through the “Special Games Terminal” in the three days after the closing ceremony to process the exodus. — AP

Judo champ Riner aims for gold at London Olympics LONDON: Even with five world titles to his name, French judo star Teddy Riner is still chasing the medal that matters most.

His chance will come again at the London Olympics, where the 2.08 meter (6foot-8), 140 kilogram (310 pound) heavyweight hopes to turn his bronze from 2008 into gold in 2012.

“It is the only medal I want,” said Riner, who has also won two European titles and is ranked No. 1 in the world. “I’ve been preparing for this for four years.”

Riner is only 22 years old, but he has already been called a legend in the Japanese martial art. And ahead of the Olympics, he’s just trying to stay at the top of his game.

“I’m just working on little details now, like being a bit faster and perfecting my grips,” Riner said in an interview in London with The Associated Press. “It’s too late to start anything completely new.”

Judo - the art of throwing your opponent on their back - depends heavily on getting the right grip. Flipping an opponent can happen within seconds of securing the correct grip and automatically wins the match by ippon, judo’s equivalent of a knockout.

And Riner, many say, is the man to beat this year. “Teddy is absolutely the best judoka who’s currently active,” said Fergus Dullaghan, the 2012 Commonwealth Judo silver medalist. “He moves like a cat.”

Heavyweight judo fighters are not usually known for their agility, but Riner’s explosive speed often allows him to secure a dominant grip on his opponents’ jackets.

Teddy Riner

Riner credits much of his success to his psychological approach. “I never drop my eyes,” he said. “That’s the first victory you have on the mat and if you want to win, you can’t drop your eyes.”

Dropping weight could be a problem, however. Although Riner is a heavyweight, he went on a diet last year to improve his speed. He may need to lose more to be in top shape for the Olympics.

“I had to change my training and then cut out soda, fast food and crepes with Nutella,” said Riner, who was born in Guadeloupe but now is a student in Paris.

“It was terrible.”

Riner must also overcome the stigma of an incident at the 2010 world championships in Tokyo.

After losing to Japanese fighter Daiki Kamikaw, Riner was in tears on the mat and refused to bow or shake Kamikawa’s hand a major violation of judo etiquette.

“I was robbed,” said Riner, who was criticized by International Federation of Judo President Marius Vizer for not showing his opponent adequate respect and setting a bad example for the martial art.

But with only about three months to go before the London Olympics, Riner said he does indeed respect his competition. That attitude may come from lessons he learned as a child.

Years ago, facing his older but physically smaller brother Moise when they were boys, Riner would get thrown almost immediately. That didn’t last long. “It would be impossible to beat him at judo today,” Moise Riner said. “Maybe Playstation.” — AP

Cameron Meyer

Australia’s Meyer takes long road out of London MELBOURNE: Track cycling world champion Cameron Meyer has pulled himself out of the selection frame for the London Olympics in favor of developing his road career, the Australian said yesterday.

Meyer, who won a gold and a bronze in the non-Olympics points and madison races at the world championships that finished on Sunday, said balancing his road ambitions with Australia’s Olympic programme had become too demanding.

The 24-year-old won a team pursuit world title in 2010, and was one of a number of endurance riders under consideration for Olympic selection, but was not picked in the quartet that won silver at the Melbourne world championships.

“It was a very hard decision to make but ultimately my passion for the team pursuit isn’t 100 per-

cent,” said Meyer, who rides for Australia’s first professional road team GreenEdge, in a statement.

“Physically and mentally it’s quite hard to switch and the last couple of years I’ve had my focus on the points race and the madison.

“I haven’t been part of the team (team pursuit) for 18 months and I don’t know if I am up to competing at the level they are now, riding world record times.”

Australia’s team pursuit is likely to be anchored by the 2011 world championship combination of Glenn O’Shea, Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn, who were runners-up to Britain in Melbourne.

Endurance riders Alexander Edmondson and Mitchell Mulhern are also in Australia’s shadow squad for the Games.

— Reuters

17

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

SPORTS

‘Dreamed about it, Never made the putt’ AUGUSTA: His dad was hoping for a baseball player. The baby boy who popped out was football-sized instead, so chubby and pink that Gerry Watson needed all of 10 seconds to nickname his newborn son “Bubba.”

Instead of crashing into running backs, he grew up to overpower one of the most iconic golf courses in the game.

The newest Masters champion isn’t much for subtlety. Bubba Watson has never taken a lesson or watched his quirky southpaw swing on video, and he can barely putt.

Watson arrived ranked 152nd out of 185 players on the PGA Tour and not surprising, he finished tied for 37th in that department here, needing 10 more strokes on Augusta National’s slick, contoured greens than Louis Oosthuizen, the guy he beat in a playoff.

But nobody anywhere hits it farther. Or so relishes the adventures that begin every time he hunts down one of those wayward drives in the trees - which is often.

Watson hadn’t even reached his tee shot deep in the woods on the right of the second playoff hole when he began charting a course toward the 10th green. He saw the

crowd already outlining a tunnel back to the fairway, and a TV tower in the distance he figured would be directly between his ball and the flag. He was right.

“We had 135 front, which is the only number I was looking at. I think we had like 164 (yards to the) hole, give or take, in that area, maybe a little less,” Watson recalled in the interview room afterward. “And I hit 52 degree, my gap wedge, hooked it about 40 yards, hit about 15 feet off the ground until it got under the tree and then started rising.”

He looked out at the blank stares on the faces of the reporters in front of him. “Pretty easy,” Watson said a moment later to laughter.

“Even though the tower was in my way, I didn’t want to ask if I get relief or anything, because it just set up for a perfect draw,” he added, “Well, a hook.” Like the back nine that preceded the two-putt par that won it, just about everything else was a blur.

“I know I made bogey on 12 and then I birdied four holes in a row. Nervous on every shot, every putt. Went into a playoff. I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I

saw in my head and somehow I’m here talking to you,” he said, “with a green jacket on.”

Watson began sobbing even as he pulled his ball out of the cup, then hugged his caddie, Ted Scott, before falling into mother Molly’s arms. The father Watson was named after died two years ago. His own newborn son, Caleb, adopted barely two weeks ago, and wife Angie were back home. He couldn’t wait to get there, save for one thing.

“I don’t want to change a diaper.

Hopefully this will give me a week or two,” Watson said, then quickly added, “Maybe not, though.”

What he vowed to never change was his go-for-broke playing style, which his pals among them former Milton (Florida) High School teammates and current PGA pros Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum - have dubbed “Bubba golf.” That’s shorthand for hitting his azalea-pink driver as hard as he can, finding the ball, and then hitting it under, over or around all the obstacles that get in his way. He hits more greens in regulation than you’d think, mostly because the 6-foot-3 Watson needs a club or two less

than his rivals to get where he’s going.

“Truthfully,” he explained, “it’s like Seve (Ballesteros) played. He hit shots that were unbelievable.

“And if you watch Phil Mickelson, he goes for broke. That’s why he wins so many times. That’s why he’s not afraid. So for me, that’s what I do. I just play golf. I attack. I always attack. I don’t like to go to the center of the greens. I want to hit the incredible shot. Who doesn’t?”

He had a front-row seat for one of the most amazing shots the Masters has ever seen, a 253-yard 4-iron by Oosthuizen, his playing partner throughout the day, that landed on the front of the par-5 second hole and rolled 80 feet before curling into the cup for a double-eagle. It was all Watson could do to keep himself from racing across the green to give the South African a highfive.

“Then I saw the leaderboard on the next hole,” he said, “and I thought, that doubleeagle, he’s leading now.”

Being Bubba, it didn’t change a thing Watson did. He kept bombing away, firing

at the pins from every crazy angle, just like he did in a losing playoff effort against Martin Kaymer in the 2010 PGA Championship.

“I mean, I can hit it straight. It’s just it’s easier to see curves, get the ball working towards the hole,” Watson said.

“I remember this good player, maybe great player, y’all, Jack Nicklaus. He said he wanted to aim at the center of the green and get the ball drifting towards the hole when he played Augusta. That’s what he did here. That’s the way I like to play all the golf courses, not just Augusta. ...

“So I can do it. It’s just not something I really want to do. It’s easier in the trees,” Watson said, “like I did on the last playoff hole.”

It’s such an improbable recipe for success, that even though Watson finished up his college golf career at Georgia some 100 miles down the road, he couldn’t quite picture himself wearing the green jacket that fit snugly on his shoulders. “I dreamed about it,” he said. “I just never made the putt.” —AP

Oosthuizen follows McIlroy’s footsteps to Malaysia Open

BRIDGETOWN: West Indies’ Kemar Roach (right) plays a shot past Australia’s wicket keeper Matthew Wade during the second innings on the final day of their first cricket Test match. —AP

Australia turn tables on Windies in first Test BARBADOS: Australia turned around the first test against the West Indies in Barbados on Tuesday through a great rearguard action from their tailenders and some penetrating bowling. At the close of the fourth day, West Indies led by just 114 runs with five wickets remaining in the rain-interrupted match.

West Indies began the penultimate dayt sensing a real chance of victory but, with their top order failing, they were 71 for five and run the risk of defeat after being on top for three days. Australia recovered from 250 for seven to declare on 406 for nine, a surprise move from skipper Michael Clarke, given his team were behind, but one which proved amply justified as the Caribbean side quickly crumbled.

The morning session began brightly for the hosts with early delight for the Kensington Oval crowd when Mike Hussey went for 48, having added just one to his overnight total, with an inside edge off Kemar Roach superbly taken by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh. Peter Siddle was then dismissed for a duck, making a mess of a short delivery from Fidel Edwards and spooning a catch to the diving Kirk Edwards at gully.

His dismissal left Australia on 250 for seven and the home side must have been expecting to get through the last three wickets quickly.

It was not to be though as the lower order showed plenty of application with Matthew Wade making 28 before he went caught by Darren Bravo off Fidel Edwards.

Ben Hilfenshaus contributed a useful 24 before he was bowed by Roach but the key innings came from Ryan Harris who made his best test score by reaching 68 not out, his maiden test half-century.

With number 11 Nathan Lyon, whose previous best test score was 14, making an unbeaten 40 at the other end, the last pair put on 77 runs and pushed Australia into a

position where Clarke was able to make a declaration.

“We just wanted to get as close to the target as possible and didn’t want to chase too many,” said Harris. “We set ourselves a goal at the start of the day to get 150 out of the tail and we did it,” he added. The Australian skipper clearly felt that time rather than more runs was the priority and his move appeared to catch a tired and demoralised West Indies team by surprise.

West Indies lost three wickets for just four runs in a brief session before tea as Hilfenhaus bowled Adrian Barath (2) and had Kraigg Brathwaite (0) caught behind in the third over.

Hilfenhaus then trapped Kirk Edwards (1) leg before and West Indies went in for tea with three men down.

Yet again, the pressure was on Shivnarine Chanderpaul, a century maker in the first innings, to deliver a big innings but this time he went cheaply - caught by Wade moving to his left off Harris.

Darren Bravo and Narsingh Deonarine got their heads down and looked to see out the session but with less than five overs of play remaining, Bravo attempted to drive Siddle, found the edge and Wade comfortably took the catch.

In the space of 2-1/2 sessions, Australia moved from a team who would have been happy to survive for a draw to one which now has a real chance of victory.

“To declare and put them in straight away probably didn’t give them time to get their head around batting and it showed with three or four quick wickets. It was a good declaration- we want to win a test match, that’s what we are trying to do,” said Harris.

West Indies fans were left wondering how many more ways their team can find to throw away winning positions in tests. —Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Louis Oosthuizen follows in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy this week as he looks to recover quickly from US Masters disappointment in the tropical heat of the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The South African was just centimetres (inches) away from his second major victory in Sunday’s dramatic play-off, before Bubba Watson pulled out a tournament-winning wonder-shot from trees on the second playoff hole.

Just three days later and Oosthuizen, winner of the 2010 British Open, has travelled 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometres) to steamy Kuala Lumpur, where he joins four other major champions for the $2.5 million Malaysian Open.

It’s a challenge met with gusto last year

by McIlroy, who atoned for throwing away a four-shot lead on the final day of the 2011 Masters by heading the field for two rounds in Malaysia, before eventually finishing third.

And the Northern Irishman proved it was possible to bounce back from a major nearmiss when, just two months later, he won the US Open with a record low score.

Oosthuizen, shattered by his journey and disappointment, admitted he was still coming to grips with the Masters defeat-but said he was now more determined than ever to win the green jacket.

“You’ll always be disappointed, especially losing in any major. If it was a normal tournament you’d probably be over it much quicker,” Oosthuizen told AFP in an interview.

“But being a major and being the Masters, it’s something you dream about as a kid getting the green jacket. But to me it gives me more drive to go out there and win it. It definitely just makes me want the jacket more.”

Oosthuizen was joined on the long trip from Augusta by compatriot Charl Schwartzel, who won the 2011 Masters. He said he had not discussed the weekend in much detail with his old friend.

“Sometimes you don’t have to say anything,” Schwartzel said. “You know what he’s going through but he’s the type of guy that seems to get over things a little bit quicker and sometimes you don’t have to say anything. They know you’ve just got to be a friend.”

Martin Kaymer, the 2010 US PGA Championship winner, is also braving the globe-crossing journey, with Michael Campbell and Todd Hamilton completing the list of major-winners.

“Obviously coming from the Masters, the course looks a bit easier,” Kaymer said. “You can be very aggressive.” However, defending champion Matteo Manassero warned it was “nearly impossible” for any player to cope

with the journey, the jetlag and Malaysia’s draining humidity, immediately after the rigours of the Masters.

“If you come in a week like this being

“But I think I couldn’t have competed this week after being at the Masters because it would have been so difficult to just carry on for four days in this weather.”

Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, hits out of a bunker in this file photo tired, it’s nearly impossible. It’s very difficult,” said the 18-year-old Italian, who claimed his second European Tour win by one shot last year and did not play at Augusta.

“Rory did it last year after what happened to him last year in the Masters, and it was amazing he was able to compete-you’ve got to be very, very fit.

There will be no late start for Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, who tee off at 8:00 am (0000 GMT) Thursday alongside three-time Asian order of merit winner Thongchai Jaidee. Kaymer has the luxury of a 12:50 pm start. “Tomorrow morning for both of us is going to be a tough round,” Oosthuizen said. —AFP

Scoreboard Scoreboard at the close of play on the fourth day of the first test between West Indies and Australia at Kensington Oval in Barbados yesterday: West Indies first innings A.Barath c Siddle b Harris 22 K.Brathwaite c Wade b Siddle 57 K.Edwards c and b Warner 61 D.Bravo c Hussey b Watson 51 S.Chanderpaul not out 103 N.Deonarine c Wade b Harris 21 C.Baugh run out 22 D.Sammy c Cowan b Hilfenhaus 41 K.Roach c Clarke b Lyon 16 F.Edwards c Hussey b Warner 10 D.Bishoo not out 18 Extras (b-12, lb-9, w-4, nb-2) 27 Total (for 9 wickets, 153 overs) 449 declared Fall of wickets: 1-38 2-142 3-167 4-240 5-285 6316 7-369 8-402 9-421.

Bowling: R. Harris 29-8-83-2, B.Hilfenhaus 33-1267-1 (nb-1), P.Siddle 31-10-83-1 (nb-1, w-2), N.Lyon 31-11-94-1, M.Clarke 2-0-4-0, S.Watson 15-5-46-1, D.Warner 10-0-45-2, M.Hussey 2-0-6-0.

Australia first innings E.Cowan c Baugh b Sammy 14 D.Warner c Bravo b Sammy 42 S.Watson c Baugh b Roach 39 R.Ponting tun out 4 M.Clarke c Deonarine b Bishoo 73 M.Hussey c Baugh b Roach 48

M.Wade c Bravo b F.Edwards 28 P.Siddle c K.Edwards b F.Edwards 0 R.Harris not out 68 B.Hilfenhaus b Roach 24 N.Lyon not out 40 Extras (lb-6, w-5, nb-5) 26 Total (9 wickets dec, 145 o) 406 Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-65, 3-84, 4-133, 5-215, 6249, 7-250, 8-285, 9-329 Bowling: F.Edwards 31-4-92-2 (nb-3, w-1); K.Roach 29-8-72-3; D.Bishoo 45-10-125-1 (nb-1); D.Sammy 21-6-65-2; N.Deonarine 19-5-36-0.

West Indies second innings A.Barath b Hilfenhaus 2 K.Brathwaite c Wade b Hilfenhaus 0 K.Edwards lbw Hilfenhaus 1 D.Bravo c Wade b Siddle 32 S.Chanderpaul c Wade Harris 12 N.Deonarine not out 20 C.Baugh not out 2 Extras (lb-1, nb-1) 2 Total (5 wickets, 38 overs) 71 To bat: D.Sammy, D.Bishoo, F.Edwards, K.Roach Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-3, 3-4, 4-17, 5-67 Bowling: B.Hilfenhaus 10-4-17-3; S.Watson 6-116-0; R.Harris 3-1-14-1 (nb-1); P.Siddle 9-2-11-1; N.Lyon 9-4-10-0; M.Clarke 1-0-2-0.

KT Chairman lauds FIA efforts KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait International Automobile Club (KT) Emad Bukhamseen praised the role played by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) through its effective contribution in providing such an appropriate environment for motor racing in the Gulf area.

Bukhamseen told Kuwait News Agency

that the Gulf region has the ideal elements for motor sport, particularly Rally events, what makes the region qualified to hold such task.

This development, is a result of concerted efforts exerted by both governmental and private sectors to achieve those aspirations held by the young Kuwaitis, he added.

He also lauded the joint cooperation

between KT and Kuwait Quarter Mile Club, stressing the fact that true development is result of such cooperations.

Bukhamseen also parised the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah of the Kuwait International Rally 2012, welcoming Kuwait’s invitees and wishing them a pleasant stay. —KUNA

18

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

sp orts

Canucks, Rangers look to rule NHL playoffs NEW YORK: The Vancouver Canucks carry the NHL’s best record into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second year in a row. The New York Rangers are on top of the Eastern Conference for the first time since they won it all in 1994. But the team many are picking to carr y the Cup this year is the Pittsburgh Penguins‚ the No. 4 seed in the East that is supremely dangerous with healthy stars Sidney Crosby and league scoring champion Evgeni Malkin roaming the ice.

Judging by how the Philadelphia Flyers and the Rangers have been sniping with their divisional foe, they clearly have taken notice of the powerful Penguins.

Just in the final week of the season, the Penguins have gotten into scraps with their two biggest rivals that have ended with hefty fines for the opposing coaches.

Philadelphia’s Peter Laviolette was hit with a $10,000 fine for his actions on the bench that nearly led to a fight with his Pittsburgh counterparts, and then for calling Penguins coach Dan Bylsma “gutless.”

John Tortorella of the Rangers was docked $20,000 for remarks he made after New York’s loss on Thursday in which forward Derek Stepan was injured by a knee-to-knee hit from Penguins for ward Brooks Orpik.

Tortorella’s costly rant featured shots directed toward Crosby and Malkin.

“I wonder what would happen if we

did it to their two whining stars over there,” he said. “They whine about this stuff all of the time, and look what happens? It’s ridiculous. But they’ll whine about something else over there, won’t they?” The playoffs begin late yesterday with three games.

Not often is a sport’s biggest star also its biggest target, but Crosby has become that. Even commentator Mike Milbury, a former NHL player, coach and general manager, didn’t hold back in ripping Sid the Kid. Back for this year’s playoffs after a concussion kept him out of last year’s postseason and 60 games this season, Crosby is dealing with criticism and griping that Michael Jordan never experienced in his NBA heyday.

“The level of passion, emotion and gamesmanship can never be overestimated,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “People who follow the game closely understand it’s just noise.

“My guess is Sidney Crosby is still the most popular player, and has legions of fans of all ages in multiple countries. The fact that somebody may take a pot shot is a price of greatness.”

The Penguins are counting on that greatness being on full display when they take on the Flyers beginning Wednesday night in the most anticipated first-round matchup and beyond. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in points in the overall NHL standings,

Pollard helps Mumbai defeat Rajasthan Royals MUMBAI: West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard hammered a 33-ball 64 and then bagged 4-44 as Mumbai Indians scored a 27-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League yesterday.

Pollard’s mid-innings blitz, during which he smashed four sixes and six fours, helped Mumbai pile up a huge total of 197-6 after being put in to bat at the Wankhede Stadium.

But the home team got a scare as Owais Shah smashed a 42-ball 76 with five sixes and five fours, before a twowicket burst by Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga wrested the initiative back and Rajasthan was bowled out for 170 in 19.4 overs. Pollard was in devastating form and produced his trademark shots over the mid-wicket and long-on boundaries.

He once blasted 23 runs off an over from off-spinner Johan Botha, including two consecutive sixes.

He also took 15 off an over from leftarm spinner Ankeet Chavan before holing out to the deep in the last ball of the same over, the 17th of the innings.

Pollard added 96 for the fourth wicket with Ambati Rayudu (47), who struck three sixes and one four off 32 balls.

Apart from Pollard and Rayudu, opener Richard Levi (29 off 22), Rohit Sharma (21 off 13) and Harbhajan Singh (18 off 6) were the others to chip in with useful cameos.

For Rajasthan, opener Ajinkya Rahane (40 off 31) started a spirited fightback that turned into a threat when Shah joined him. The pair added 82 for the third wicket before Pollard had Rahane caught at long-on off a slower delivery.

Shah continued with his lusty blows, whacking a majority of his shots towards the square -leg boundary but was bowled by Malinga in trying to force the pace. Malinga also dismissed Botha soon after as Rajasthan slipped to 136-5 in the 15th over.

Pollard, unable to intimidate Shah earlier on despite an exchange of words, then came on to grab three wickets in

the space of four deliveries when he dismissed Ashok Menaria, Chavan and Amit Singh in the 18th over of the innings.

Munaf Patel, who had taken two early wickets including that of Dravid, also finished with a four-wicket haul as Rajasthan failed to play out the 20 overs.

VANCOUVER: Canucks’ Henrik Sedin of Sweden laughs during hockey practice. —AP Presidents’ Trophy for first overall in the league, and ending up in a firstround best-of-seven meeting with the Ottawa Senators, who won three of four from them (1-2-1). “ They ’re a very talented team,” Rangers forward Brad Richards said. “I know we played them twice early in the season. The regular-season schedule ... lots of teams can beat anybody on any certain night. “We plan on mak-

ing it different for them when we start today.”

The New Jersey Devils are back in the playoffs after a one-year absence following 13 consecutive appearances, and will face the Southeast Divisionwinning Florida Panthers, who are in after a league-worst 10 straight seasons on the outside.

Despite having an eight-point edge over the Panthers, the sixth-seeded Devils will cede home-ice advantage to Florida, which is seeded third because of its first division title. New Jersey had the misfortune of finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division despite posting 102 points (48-28-6).

Almost forgotten are the Boston Bruins, the defending Stanley Cup champions who managed to stay under the radar this season and coast to a 10-point win over Ottawa in the Northeast Division.

The Bruins have been overshadowed by the resurgent Rangers, who went from the No. 8 seed a year ago to the top this time, and the high-powered Penguins. But Boston is still a major threat.

With six 20-goal scorers in addition to star defenseman Zdeno Chara and leading goalie Tim Thomas, last year’s playoff MVP, a repeat by the Bruins is hardly out of the question. They will start with the usually power ful Washington Capitals, who needed a late surge just to get in as the No. 7 seed. “We’ve learned enough from the

experience from last year,” said Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins’ second-leading scorer. “It was a battle. It was a grind for two months. I think we’re ready to start that all over again. It starts from square one.

“It’s all about the first game and the first series, thinking about that, nothing else. I think it’s pretty much the same as last year.”

Perhaps having low expectations will help the Capitals, who were swept in the second round of last year’s playoffs by upstart Tampa Bay after coming in as the No. 1 seed in the East.

Vancouver nearly made the most of its top seeding last spring, falling just short of its first title with a Game 7 loss to Boston in the finals.

The Canucks were every bit of a force in their run to another first-place finish in the West with an NHL-high 111 points. They grabbed a second straight Presidents’ Trophy on the final night of the season by beating Edmonton after the Rangers had lost to Washington. Now they want to take that last step and bring the Cup to western Canada.

“We know we’re going to be judged kind of how we do in the playoffs,” Canucks forward Ryan Kesler said.

“Now the real season begins. It’s going to be a good test, this first round, for us.” The Canucks will take on Los Angeles, which got through a logjam in the Pacific Division to claim the final spot out West.—AP

Celtics push back Heat MIAMI: The Boston Celtics made their first eight shots of the fourth quarter to set up a 115-107 win over the Miami Heat in the NBA on Tuesday.

Paul Pierce scored 27 points and Kevin Garnett added 24 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics, who shot a season-high 61 percent.

LeBron James finished with 36 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Miami, who fell three games behind Chicago in the race for the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Bulls 98, Knicks 86 In Chicago, the hosts overcame the absence of Derrick Rose and comfortably beat New York. Richard Hamilton scored 20 points and Luol Deng added 19 for Chicago.

Hamilton had 18 points in the third quarter to help Chicago stay ahead after building a 12-point halftime lead.

Rose was out due to a sprained right ankle, having only just returned from 12 games out with a groin strain. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points.

MUMBAI: Ambati Rayudu of Mumbai Indians plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match against Rajasthan Royals. —AP Harbhajan Singh-led Mumbai now has three wins and a loss from four games while Rahul Dravid’s Rajasthan Royals has two wins from three outings.

Scores: Mumbai Indians 197-6 (Kieron Pollard 64, Ambati Rayudu 47, Richard Levi 29, Amit Singh 2-29, Brad Hogg 2-31) def.

Rajasthan Royals 170 all out in 19.4 overs (Owais Shah 76, Ajinkya Rahane 40, Munaf Patel 4-28, Kieron Pollard 4-44, Lasith Malinga 2-13). —AP Preview

Bahrain casts shadow over China GP SHANGHAI: Formula One looks set to come under fresh pressure to shelve Bahrain’s grand prix this week in China, where preparations have been rocked by ongoing protests and a hunger strike in the desert state.

As teams and officials gather at Shanghai International Circuit, the focus is on events thousands of miles (kilometres) away in Bahrain, where activists have called for “three days of anger” during the April 20-22 race.

Last year’s Bahrain race was postponed and eventually called off after violent anti-government demonstrations and a deadly crackdown, and team officials have again voiced disquiet, according to British media.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted he could not force teams to take part-but he said only officials in Bahrain could decide whether the race would go ahead.

“We’ve no way we can force people to go there,” Ecclestone said. “We can’t say, ‘You’ve got to go’-although they would be in breach of their agreement with us if they didn’t go, but it doesn’t help. “Commercially, they have to go, but whether they decide to or not is

but they are locked in a 4 vs. 5 matchup just to get out of the first round in the East.

The top-seeded Rangers lost their final two games of the regular season, missing an opportunity to claim the

up to them. I’ve had no one say anything other than, ‘We’re going to be racing in Bahrain’.”

Teams are certain to face questions about Bahrain in Shanghai. This week, seven police were wounded in a blast and Denmark’s prime minister said jailed activist Abdel Hadi al-Khawaja was in a “very critical” condition after two months on hunger-strike.

A youth group allied to Bahrain’s Shiite opposition called for protests during the race and also launched a campaign on Twitter to stop it from going ahead. “I feel very uncomfortable about going to Bahrain,” an unnamed principal was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“If I’m brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lock-down there. And I think that would be unacceptable, both for Formula One and for Bahrain.” The Times, without quoting sources, reported that teams had made contingency plans by issuing staff with two return tickets from China: one via Bahrain, and one directly back to Europe. — AFP

76ers 107, Nets 88 In Newark, New Jersey, Spencer Hawes came off the bench for the first time and a scored a season-high 19 points to lead slumping Philadelphia over New Jersey.

The win snapped a four-game losing skide for Philadelphia, giving it a half-game lead over the Knicks for the No. 7 seed in the East. Lou Williams added 20 points for the 76ers.

Kris Humphries had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention, for the fifth straight season.

Mavericks 110, Kings 100 In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki and Rodrigue Beaubouis each had 15 points to lead six Dallas players in double figures, beating Sacramento.

The Mavericks are seventh in the Western Conference standings - half a game behind sixth-place Houston and half a game ahead of Denver.

DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and 18 rebounds for Sacramento, which has lost five in a row.

Wizards 93, Magic 85 In Washington, Kevin Seraphin took advantage of Dwight Howard’s absence from Orlando’s lineup, getting career highs of 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead Washington.

Jordan Crawford scored 21 points for the Wizards. Jameer Nelson scored 19 points for the Magic, who shot 36.6 percent from the field and were missing Howard again with back spasms.

Cavaliers 103, Bobcats 90 In Cleveland, Lester Hudson scored 25 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to secure Cleveland’s win over league-worst Charlotte.

Anthony Parker, who missed the two previous games with a bruised sternum, scored 19 points for the Cavaliers. Gerald Henderson’s 21 points led Charlotte, which has lost 13 in a row and has won only 3 of 29 on the road. —AP

CHICAGO: New York Nicks’ Iman Shumpert (left) collides with Chicago Bulls’ CJ Watson (right) late in the second half of a NBA basketball game. —AP

NBA results/standings Cleveland 103, Charlotte 90; Boston 115, Miami 107; Washington 93, Orlando 85; Philadelphia 107, New Jersey 88; Dallas 110, Sacramento 100; Chicago 98, NY Knicks 86.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Boston 33 24 .579 Philadelphia 30 27 .526 NY Knicks 29 28 .509 New Jersey 21 38 .356 Toronto 20 38 .345 Central Division Chicago 44 14 .759 35 22 .614 Indiana Milwaukee 28 29 .491 Detroit 21 36 .368 Cleveland 19 36 .345 Southeast Division Miami 40 16 .714 34 23 .596 Atlanta Orlando 34 24 .586 Washington 14 44 .241 Charlotte 7 49 .125

GB 3 4 13 13.5 8.5 15.5 22.5 23.5 6.5 7 27 33

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 42 15 .737 Denver 31 26 .544 Utah 30 28 .517 Portland 27 31 .466 Minnesota 25 33 .431 Pacific Division LA Lakers 36 22 .621 LA Clippers 34 23 .596 Phoenix 30 27 .526 Golden State 22 34 .393 Sacramento 19 39 .328 Southwest Division San Antonio 40 15 .727 Memphis 33 23 .589 Houston 32 25 .561 Dallas 32 26 .552 New Orleans 15 42 .263

11 12.5 15.5 17.5 1.5 5.5 13 17 7.5 9 9.5 26

19

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

SPORTS

Ronaldo’s hat-trick keeps Real in control

ITALY: Juventus’ forward Alessandro Del Piero (right) celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A football match against Lazio.—AFP

Del Piero sends Juve on top ROME: Alessandro Del Piero rolled back the years with a peach of a goal to hand Juventus a 2-1 win over Lazio yesterday and keep the Turin giants top of Serie A. The pressure was on following AC Milan’s laboured 1-0 win at Chievo the night before but Juve responded with a crucial, late victory to go one point clear at the summit.

Simone Pepe had given the hosts a first half lead before Stefano Mauri equalised with Lazio’s only meaningful attack of the game.

But veteran Del Piero proved the hero with a trademark free-kick. The first half was about as one-sided as 45 minutes of football can be but Lazio somehow sneaked into the break on level terms.

The visitors’ goalkeeper Federico Marchetti was the star of the show making a string of vital saves. Fabio Quagliarella should have opened the scoring early but he failed to turn home Giorgio Chiellini’s cross from six yards.

Marchetti was then deceived by a bounce but Quagliarella’s shot hit him in the face and rebounded to safety. Juve were in total control and Arturo Vidal played Pepe in behind the backline but Marchetti saved low to his right.

The pressure told on the half hour mark as Andrea Pirlo’s delightful chip sent Pepe clear and with his back to goal he controlled the ball on his chest and then sent an acrobatic overhead bicycle kick past the goalkeeper.

Vidal tried his luck from 60 yards, spotting Marchetti off his line, but the goalkeeper scrambled back to tip the ball over.

Modibo Diakite then dived in to block what seemed a certain goal for Mirko

Vucinic before Marchetti stuck out his left hand to stop Quagliarella’s deviated shot.

But then right on the stroke of halftime, Lazio took a quick free-kick and Mauri headed Lionel Scaloni’s pinpoint cross into the top corner.

Juventus were straight back on the attack after the break but although Vucinic beat Marchetti, his shot fizzed past the post.

Chiellini had a glorious chance when set up by Stephan Lichsteiner but the big defender didn’t have quick enough feet to turn the ball goalwards.

But eight minutes from time Del Piero wrong-footed Marchetti, who seemed unsighted, with a free-kick from 25 yards out to send the home fans into ecstasy.

In other games Inter Milan boosted their European qualification hopes with a 2-1 win over Siena to maintain coach Andrea Stramaccioni’s unbeaten start as boss.

Diego Milito scored a brace to move up to third in the Serie A scoring charts following Gaetano D’Agostino’s opener.

Inter are now behind Napoli in the final Europa League spot only on headto-head record after Walter Mazzarri’s men fell 3-1 at home to Atalanta.

Roma beat Udinese 3-1 thanks to late goals from Francesco Totti and Marquinho to boost their Champions League hopes. They now trail thirdplaced Lazio by four points in that race with Udinese a point ahead of them.

Lecce continued their unlikely bid to escape the drop as they scored twice in the final two minutes to win 2-1 at Catania, although they are still two points from safety despite being unbeaten in their last five.—AFP

Italian Serie A results/standings Catania 1 (Bergessio 52) Lecce 2 (Corvia 88, Di Michele 90); Fiorentina 0 Palermo 0; Genoa 1 (Rossi 41) Cesena 1 (Mutu 76); Inter Milan 2 (Milito 42, 81-pen) Siena 1 (D’Agostino 6); Juventus 2 (Pepe 30, Del Piero 82) Lazio 1 (Mauri 45); Napoli 1 (Lavezzi 13) Atalanta 3 (Bonaventura 10, Bellini 57, Carmona 68); Parma 2 (Giovinco 27, Jonathan 40) Novara 0; Roma 3 (Osvaldo 8, Totti 86, Marquinho 90) Udinese 1 (Fernandes 43) Italian Serie A table yesterday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Juventus AC Milan Lazio Udinese Roma Napoli Inter Milan Catania Chievo Atalanta Palermo

32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32

18 20 16 14 15 12 14 10 11 11 11

14 7 6 9 5 12 6 13 9 13 7

0 5 10 9 12 8 12 9 12 8 14

53 62 48 44 52 56 47 42 30 37 44

18 26 40 32 42 41 45 43 40 34 49

68 67 54 51 50 48 48 43 42 40 40

Siena Cagliari Parma Bologna Fiorentina Genoa Lecce Novara Cesena

32 31 32 31 32 32 32 32 32

10 9 9 9 9 9 8 5 4

9 11 11 10 10 9 10 10 9

13 11 12 12 13 14 14 17 19

37 33 41 32 32 43 37 27 19

34 38 50 38 38 58 48 54 48

39 38 38 37 37 36 34 25 21

Note: Atalanta deducted six points at start of season for match-fixing

Belhanda double sends Montpellier clear of PSG PARIS: A double by Algerian playmaker Younes Belhanda inspired Montpellier to an historic 3-1 win over ailing giants Marseille and sent the winners three points clear of PSG at the top of Ligue 1 yesterday.

Belhanda’s brace — a penalty and a stunning second-half scissorkick — along with one from leading scorer Olivier Giroud, taking his total to 19 in the league, propelled them to their first ever win at the Stade Velodrome.

On an excellent night for the unfashionable French club they also improved their goal difference advantage over PSG as well as extending Marseille’s run without a win to 12. Montpellier coach Rene Girard refused to talk about the title but admitted that his side had taken a huge step towards a maiden Champions League campaign next season.

“The result puts us in the box seat to take one of the top three places (Champions League spots),” he said. “This is a match that I had categorised as a bonus game, it was important to take something from it. “Now we have a three point lead over Paris, four points with the goal difference and a 10 point advantage over Lille.”

Marseille coach Didier Deschamps had resorted to desperate measures and opted to hand a rare start to striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, with whom he had a public falling out earlier in the season, as his leading marksman Loic Remy was out with a thigh injury. However, this was not to prove to be a success and when Deschamps removed

Gignac from the fray after an hour, the former Toulouse and French international refused pointedly to shake the coach’s hand. Marseille fans - who brandished banners with sarcastic comments aimed at the players such as ‘10 defeats and counting we are on our way to making history’ - had said they hoped to give Montpellier a helping hand in their battle with PSG. Marseille and PSG fans detest each other’s club in equal measure. However, not even they could have imagined the manner in which central defender Dijimi Traore would help that cause as his blatant handball when he could just as easily headed the ball away handed Montpellier a penalty in the sixth minute.

Although Marseille skipper and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda went the right way, he was unable to stop Belhanda’s penalty giving the visitors the lead.

Marseille did briefly get back into the match when they levelled in the 34th minute as Stephane Mbia headed home.

However, the visitors restored their one goal lead with a nicely worked goal four minutes into the second-half.

Giroud ended the move with a half volley from Souleymane Camara’s excellent cross from the right in a move that started deep inside the visitors half when Benoit Cheyrou was dispossessed.

However, Montpellier saved their best goal for last as Belhanda took the ball on his chest and lashed the ball home from the edge of the area.—AFP

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo matched his own Spanish League record of 40 goals in a season by netting a hat-trick that included two spectacular long-range strikes as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 yesterday to restore its four-point lead over Barcelona atop the standings.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 25th minute by bending a stunning free kick from 40 meters (yards) out of reach of Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois before Radamel Falcao equalized with his 21st goal of the season a half hour later.

But Ronaldo used another dipping shot this time from outside the left edge of the area - in the 68th for his second, then added a late penalty to take his season tally to 52 goals in all competitions.

Jose Callejon also scored late for Madrid, which hasn’t lost a city derby since 1999 and is only three goals away from matching its 22year-old league record of 107 in a season.

Most importantly, Madrid regained its fourpoint lead over three-time defending champion Barcelona, with the pair set to meet in 10 days after one more league round.

Ronaldo’s 16th career hat trick marked a tremendous night at the Vicente Calderon for the 27-year-old Portugal forward, who became the first player to score 40 league goals in consecutive seasons in Europe’s top leagues.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi trails Ronaldo’s league tally by one, but has netted 61 goals overall this season and became the first player to score 20 away goals in a Spanish league campaign.

Atletico started brightly as it looked for its first victory in 23 games against its crosstown rival, and Iker Casillas had to deny Falcao early on before Ronaldo’s long-range free kick went over Atletico’s defensive wall before sharply swerving down and away to leave Courtois flat-footed and looking on in astonishment.

Ronaldo kept Courtois’ busy throughout, while Casillas was also being tested. The Spain keeper was beaten by Falcao’s header, which left the Colombia striker third in the league scoring charts behind Ronaldo and Messi.

Knowing another draw would give Barcelona renewed hope ahead of their April 20 matchup, Madrid pressed relentlessly and eventually wore down Atletico’s resistance.

Courtois denied Ronaldo again before the former world player of the year fired a wicked shot over the outstretched Courtois that dipped under the far corner for his second goal.

Diego Godin muscled substitute Gonzalo

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (right) vies with Atletico Madrid’s midfielder Juanfran (left) during the Spanish League football match. —AFP Higuain to the ground to set up the 83rdminute penalty which Courtois couldn’t keep out despite diving the right way.

Callejon added the last goal as Madrid picked up a much needed victory ahead of Saturday’s game against Sporting Gijon, while Barcelona plays at Levante.

Earlier, Europa League favorites Athletic Bilbao scored twice in the final 10 minutes to draw 2-2 at 10-man Granada, Valencia beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 to provisionally move ahead of Malaga into third, and Sporting Gijon rallied for a 3-2 victory over Levante to move off the bottom of the standings.—AP

Spanish League results/standings Grenade 2 (Romero 2, Geijo 73) Athletic Bilbao 2 (Llorente 81, Susaeta 88); Valencia 4 (Jonas 41, 77-pen, Jordi Alba 70, Pablo Hernandez 88) Rayo Vallecano 1 (Diego Costa 72); Sporting Gijon 3 (Trejo 22, Lora 74, Sangoy 84) Levante 2 (Valdo 16, Kone 63); Atletico Madrid 1 (Falcao 55) Real Madrid 4 (Cristiano Ronaldo 25, 68, 83-pen, Callejon 88).

Spanish League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Real Madrid Barcelona Valencia Malaga Levante Osasuna Bilbao Sevilla Atletico Espanyol

32 32 32 31 32 32 32 31 32 32

26 24 14 15 14 11 10 11 11 11

4 6 10 5 6 13 12 9 9 9

2104 2 94 8 50 11 47 12 46 8 37 10 47 11 36 12 43 12 39

28 23 38 43 44 52 44 33 41 43

82 78 52 50 48 46 42 42 42 42

Getafe Rayo Betis Sociedad Mallorca Grenade Villarreal Gijon Zaragoza Racing

32 32 32 32 31 32 31 32 31 31

11 12 11 10 9 10 7 7 7 4

9 4 6 8 10 6 11 7 7 13

12 16 15 14 12 16 13 18 17 14

33 49 39 39 32 30 31 32 28 23

43 57 45 48 40 48 45 60 56 48

42 40 39 38 37 36 32 28 28 25

Dortmund set to defend title after beating Bayern BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund look set to defend their German league crown after their 1-0 win over title-rivals Bayern Munich yesterday put them six points clear at the top with four games left. Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scored his 20th goal of the season in the second-half to give Dortmund three more priceless points and open a considerable gap over second-placed Bayern.

Dortmund took their chance when wing Kevin Grosskreutz’s shot took a significant deflection off Lewandowski on 77 minutes.

But there was drama four minutes from time when Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller felled Dutch winger Arjen Robben in the penalty area.

The Netherlands star picked himself up to take the penalty, but he fired too close to the Borussia captain who saved the strike and was immediately mobbed by his team mates.

Both sides hit the cross bar with time almost up as Robben squandered a golden chance by shooting over with the goal at his mercy.

Lewandowski also hit the woodwork after he chipped over Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer just before the final whistle.

“That was thrilling at the end, the last few minutes were unbelievable,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, whose team are at bitter neighbours Schalke on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

“Hats off to my team, you can’t play much better than that. “I think the victory was highly deserved, I am very happy. “Now the next step is against our friends in Gelsenkirchen.”

It was Dortmund’s 24 consecutive game without defeat — their last Bundesliga loss coming last September against Hanover — and Dortmund’s fourth straight win over the Bavarians, who will meet them again in the German Cup final on May 12.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes must now rebuild his players morale quickly as they face Real Madrid next Tuesday in the Champions League semi-final, first-leg, and before that host Mainz on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

“This was a first-class performance from both teams,” said Heynckes. “The first half belonged to Dortmund, they played very aggressively and were full vigor.

“After the break, the tables were turned and we took command. “We conceded a very strange goal and then we had a huge chance to equalise with the penalty, but you can’t single out anyone for blame. “Things like that happen in football.”

Third-placed Schalke suffered a shock 4-1 defeat at mid-table Nuremberg which leaves them six points behind Bayern.

Hamburg’s woeful form continues as they were thrashed 4-0 at Hoffenheim to leave them with just two wins from their last ten games and only two points above the relegation places.

With just four games left, Kaiserslautern

GERMANY: Dortmund’s Polish striker Robert Lewandowski (right) and Munich’s defender Holger Badstuber vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen and they could be relegated if they lose at Nuremberg on Saturday as they currently lie 10 points from safety at the foot of the table.

Hanover enjoyed a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg to go seventh and back amongst the Europa League places for next season.

On Tuesday Borussia Moenchengladbach’s hold on the fourth and final Champions League spot had weakened as they were held 2-2 by 10man Werder Bremen.

Moenchengladbach - who have turned things round remarkably from avoiding relegation last season through a play-off - still hold a seven-point lead over VFB Stuttgart with four games remaining.

However, as their form has tailed off, Stuttgart’s has got better and better and Tuesday’s 3-1 win over struggling Augsburg was their eighth game without defeat, a run which has seen them record six wins and two draws and score 22 goals.—AFP

German League results/standings Nuremberg 4 (Balitsch 25, Simons 37-pen, Didavi 45, 87) Schalke 04 1 (Holtby 85); Hoffenheim 4 (Vestergaard 17, Salihovic 25-pen, Johnson 51, Schipplock 59) Hamburg 0; Hanover 2 (Diouf 44, Ya Konan 77) VfL Wolfsburg 0; Borussia Dortmund 1 (Lewandowski 77) Bayern Munich 0; Bayer Leverkusen 3 (Kiessling 1, Rolfes 57, Reinartz 69) Kaiserslautern 1(Derstroff 42).

German League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Dortmund Bayern Munich Schalke 04 Borussia Stuttgart Leverkusen Hanover 96 Werder Hoffenheim

30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

21 20 18 15 13 12 11 11 10

6 3 3 8 7 8 11 9 10

3 7 9 7 10 10 8 10 10

67 69 65 43 55 43 39 44 38

22 20 39 22 40 40 42 46 40

69 63 57 53 46 44 44 42 40

Wolfsburg Mainz 05 Nuremberg Freiburg Hamburg Augsburg Cologne Hertha K’lautern

30 12 30 9 30 10 30 9 30 7 30 6 30 8 30 6 30 3

4 9 5 8 10 12 5 9 11

14 12 15 13 13 12 17 15 16

41 47 31 41 33 32 36 31 19

54 48 42 56 55 47 63 54 44

40 36 35 35 31 30 29 27 20

Del Piero sends Juve on top

Beltran, Freese power Cardinals past Reds

19

15

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Pollard helps Mumbai defeat Rajasthan Royals

Page 18

LONDON: Wigan’s Shaun Maloney (right) clears the ball from Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP

Title race back on as Wigan stun United Wigan 1

Man United 0

WIGAN: Shaun Maloney’s goal earned Wigan a 1-0 victory over Manchester United that helped cut the champions’ lead over Manchester City to five points yesterday.

The Latics had a first-half effort by Victor Moses ruled out, with replays showing Gary Caldwell was harshly penalised for a challenge on David de Gea, but Maloney scored the only goal just after half-time.

It was United’s first Premier League defeat since the 3-0 loss at Newcastle at the start of January, ending a run that saw them drop just two points in 12 matches.

United have five matches remaining, including a trip to Eastlands to face Manchester City at the end of the month, as they look to close out their 20th title.

Wigan, who have lost just twice in 10 matches, had never managed to get a single point against United in 13 previous league meetings but this victory took them a significant step towards avoiding relegation.

They may have felt that they had wrongly had a

goal ruled out but Wigan would have been full value for a half-time lead.

The Latics dominated possession from the start and United were thankful to Michael Carrick for getting back to clear when Maloney’s cross looked to have picked out Franco Di Santo in a dangerous position.

A short corner from Maloney saw the ball worked to James McCarthy and the Republic of Ireland international’s powerful drive was tipped over the bar by David de Gea. The Spanish goalkeeper did well to force his way through a crowd to punch away the Maloney corner that followed before Jean Beausejour’s follow-up flew well wide of goal.

United were struggling to get a foothold in the game but finally threatened when Carrick threaded a pass through for Ryan Giggs and the veteran midfielder’s low effort was deflected wide by Gary Caldwell.

A corner from Giggs was headed wide by a combination for Phil Jones and Wayne Rooney but the visitors were growing increasingly frustrated, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson remonstrating with Rooney for losing the ball in a challenge with McCarthy.

Moses showed some quality to skip past Jonny Evans only to have his shot blocked wide by Rio Ferdinand.

From the Maloney corner that followed, the unmarked Moses thumped a header past De Gea but as the home fans celebrated, referee Phil Dowd blew

for a free-kick for Caldwell’s challenge on the United goalkeeper.

The home team were furious at the call but were grateful to see a curling shot from Rooney fly wide just before the interval.

Ferguson took off Ashley Young, bringing on Tom Cleverley at half-time, but four minutes after the break, Wigan took the lead in some style.

Maloney took another short corner to Beausejour and after receiving the return pass, he drifted past Antonio Valencia and curled a shot into the top corner. Rooney bent a shot over from just outside the area as United looked for an immediate response.

But a frustrated Ferguson pulled the England striker off for Nani midway through the second half as he attempted to inject some life into his team’s flat performance.

United were angered when Dowd waved away appeals for a penalty after a Phil Jones cross appeared to flick up on to the hand of Maynor Figueroa.

With Jones limping heavily, the visitors, who had already made their three substitutions, were still looking unlikely to pull level and Nani wasted another opportunity when he shot well over from 25 yards.

Moses could have sealed it when he burst past Ferdinand, only to have his shot turned away by De Gea. The striker also had a shot deflected wide after Ferdinand had pulled off a fine block from Mohamed Diame before Al Habsi denied Danny Welbeck at the other end.—AFP

City trounce West Brom Man City 4

West Brom 0 MANCHESTER: Two goals from Sergio Aguero were the highlight of a dominant 4-0 win by Manchester City over West Bromwich Albion as Roberto Mancini’s team slashed Manchester United’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.

Carlos Tevez, starting a City game for first time since September 21, also scored his first goal of the campaign while David Silva added a fourth as the title challengers capitalised on United’s surprising defeat at struggling Wigan.

The trauma of the previous six games, which had seen City collect just eight points and lose crucial ground to United in the title race, created a subdued atmosphere around Eastlands before kick-off although matters improved as the home side took an early lead.

And by the end of the contest, those City supporters were firmly believing that, with five games remaining including a Manchester derby at home, their team is firmly back in title contenion. The first goal came from Aguero, his 18th league goal of a productive campaign, who collected a pass from Samir Nasri just inside the West Brom half of the field.

The Argentinian forward surged, unimpeded, all the way to the edge of the penalty area

where, with defenders backing off, he planted an accurate right-foot shot into the bottom corner of the goal.

It was the sort of start City needed after recent dramas surrounding the club in general, and Mario Balotelli in particular, and, in the absence of the controversial Italian, Tevez was starting to look a threat.

After 12 minutes, he exchanged passes with Aguero before unleashing an 18-yard shot that sailed over the cross-bar as City maintained their dominance. It took until the half-hour mark for West Brom to concern City with Simon Cox penetrating behind the home defence only for his cross to elude team mate Shane Long, an attack quickly followed by a hopeful Keith Andrews shot which Joe Hart saved with the minimum of effort. It was a brief respite.

Tevez soon played in Richards who rounded keeper Foster but saw his shot cleared off the line by Craig Dawson and Silva opened the second half with a determined right-wing run and far-post cross which was met by Nasri whose first-time volley passed a few feet wide of the left-hand upright.

Nasri also threatened from distance and, as news filtered through from Wigan that leaders United were losing, Aguero doubled his team’s lead as the title race took what may yet prove to be a pivotal twist.

West Brom were again guilty of poor defending, wasting at least two chances to clear a City attack on the edge of their area before Nasri took control and poked through an expert pass which Aguero deposited past the dive of Foster.—AFP

EPL results/standings Manchester City 4 (Aguero 6, 54, Tevez 61, Silva 64) West Brom 0; Wigan 1 (Maloney 50) Manchester United 0; Wolves 0 Arsenal 3 (van Persie 9-pen, Walcott 11, Benayoun 69); QPR 3 (Barton 45, Mackie 55, Buzsaky 67) Swansea 0 English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Man City Arsenal Tottenham Newcastle Chelsea Everton Liverpool Fulham

33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33

25 4 4 23 5 5 20 4 9 17 8 8 17 8 8 16 9 8 13 8 12 12 10 11 11 10 12

78 79 66 57 50 56 38 40 43

28 26 41 38 42 38 34 36 43

79 74 64 59 59 57 47 46 43

11 10 12 11 9 13 11 9 13 11 6 16 10 9 14 7 14 11 8 7 18 9 2 21 7 7 19 5 7 21

46 42 32 39 35 35 38 36 45 34

52 41 45 47 44 44 56 65 70 73

43 42 42 39 39 35 31 29 28 22

Arsenal in control as Wolves crumble Wolves 0

Arsenal 3

LONDON: Manchester City’s English defender Micah Richards (top) jumps for the ball above West Bromwich Albion’s Nicky Shorey during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

Norwich 33 Sunderland 33 Stoke 33 West Brom 33 Swansea 3 Aston Villa 32 QPR 33 Wigan 32 Blackburn 33 Wíhampton 33

LONDON: Arsenal strengthened their grip on third place in the Premier League as they pushed 10-man Wolves a step closer towards relegation with a 3-0 victory at Molineux.

Robin van Persie notched his 27th league goal of the season with a ninth-minute penalty after Sebastien Bassong had been red carded for a professional foul on Theo Walcott, who added a second just two minutes later before Yossi Benayoun rounded off the win in the second half. It was a ninth win from their last 10 in the league for Arsene Wenger’s side, who strengthened their hopes of qualifying outright for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

With just five games of the season remaining, they now enjoy a five-point cushion between themselves and fourth-placed Tottenham, who are beginning to look locked in a three-way battle with Newcastle and Chelsea for the final spot in Europe’s elite competition.

Meanwhile, bottom side Wolves’ prospects of remaining in the English top flight with the Gunners diminished yet further still after they succumbed to a seventh successive defeat.

It left manager Terry Connor still searching for his first victory, having claimed just a solitary point from his eight matches in charge.

Given their recent record, confidence was bound to be fragile among the Wolves players, yet not even they could have anticipated making such a disastrous start.

Just eight minutes had passed when Bassong clumsily bundled over Walcott as he bore down on goal following a wonderful one-

two with Van Persie. Deeming the on-loan Tottenham player as the last man, referee Neil Swarbrick viewed the offence worthy of a red card and Van Persie compounded Wolves’ misery from the penalty spot with an audacious dink over Wayne Hennessey.

Connor responded immediately by withdrawing midfielder David Davis for another defender, Christophe Berra, yet the move was met with boos by the Wolves crowd.

Their frustration swiftly intensified as by the 11th minute the Gunners had doubled their lead after Walcott took advantage of another one-two, once again with Van Persie, before steering his shot inside the near post from close range. Arsenal seemed content to sit on their lead and play possession football and the remainder of the half descended into a scrappy affair. Wolves threatened briefly midway through the first half when a Christophe Berra header deflected narrowly past the post, however Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was not extended in the opening 45 minutes.

Swarbrick’s half-time whistle was greeted by jeers from the home supporters still incensed by his decision to dismiss Bassong, however replays indicated the referee made the correct decision. Wenger’s side started the second half strongly and Van Persie was presented with a fine opportunity to notch his second from Mikel Arteta’s cutback only to fire wide.

Despite the lack of action in his goalmouth, Szczesny proved his worth with a stunning reflex save to keep out what looked a certain goal from Kevin Doyle’s 60th-minute diving header at the back post. Any prospect of an unlikely comeback from Connor’s team was ended nine minutes later, though, when Alex Song, situated on the left side of the Wolves box, picked out Benayoun on the edge of the area and he stroked a precise shot inside the left post to add the gloss to a straightforward and convincing victory for the visitors.—AFP

Qatar boosts offer for Dexia’s Turkish unit Page 22

Asia to maintain growth despite global crisis: ADB Page 23

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Indonesia’s Garuda to buy 11 Airbus aircraft

KSE mixed; Heavyweights remain under pressure Page 24

Page 25

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi man counts money in his currency exchange bureau in Baghdad yesterday as the price of goods went up across the country due to the new inflated exchange rate of the US dollar. — AFP

Start-up firms bloom in wake of Arab Spring Govts, aid donors focus more on smaller firms DUBAI: Jordanian entrepreneur Majied Qasem waited three years before arranging outside funding for his start-up company, d1g.com, an Arabic social media and content-sharing platform. He finally succeeded in September 2011, eight months after Arab Spring uprisings erupted in the region.

The company now has over 35 million page views per month, with growth in traffic stimulated by online debates about a wide range of political and social issues, says Qasem, 40.

Like many entrepreneurs in the Arab world, he believes the region’s political and economic upheaval has helped rather than hurt his business, by creating fresh demand for his products, persuading investors to seek new opportunities, and making governments more sympathetic to the needs of start-ups. “Investors historically targeted well-established companies that had very low risk and provided high returns. But now, after the Arab Spring, investors are pouring the same amounts of money into multiple smaller companies, betting a few of them will see a remarkable success story,” said Qasem.

“We’re seeing unprecedented amounts of money paid by investors, governments and development funds to seed start-ups and small firms.”

The economic damage caused by the Arab Spring has not yet faded. Egypt and Tunisia are coping with waves of industrial unrest as they seek to rebuild their tourism industries and lure back foreign investors. Libya is recovering from a civil war, while sectarian unrest still weighs on Bahrain’s economy. In countries such as Jordan, governments have boosted welfare spending to try to buy social peace, undermining their finances.

But a positive result of the turmoil is that in some ways, conditions for entrepreneurs are improving, officials and businessmen say. Previously, start-up firms were sometimes discouraged by authori-

ties as threats to small groups of privileged businessmen cooperating with authoritarian regimes. Now they are more often welcomed as tools to create jobs.

Arif Naqvi, group chief executive of Abraaj Capital, the Middle East’s largest private equity firm with over $6 billion under management, said one of the most dramatic changes in the region’s economic thinking since the Arab Spring was the realization that smaller firms, not big state-linked ones, would be the engine for growth because they could create more jobs.

“I’m a great believer that the Arab Spring has more in common with the Occupy Wall Street movement, the street riots in London, and the food riots in Mumbai than it had with political change,” said Naqvi. “Mohamed Bouazizi wasn’t sending a political message when he set himself on fire. He wanted to work, to live and to survive,” Naqvi added, referring to the Tunisian vegetable seller whose suicide in December 2010 triggered the upheaval in the region.

Difficulty in obtaining loans from riskaverse Arab banks, which often focus on serving large clients, has long been a major obstacle to setting up businesses in the region. Foreign aid donors such as the European Union, the United States and multilateral lending bodies have stepped up efforts to fill this gap since last year.

Mouayed Makhlouf, regional director for the International Finance Corp, a unit of the World Bank, said the IFC had invested $2.2 billion in the Middle East and North Africa since January 2011, becoming a significant source of capital for private firms.

“Back in 2005 we were doing in the range of $300 million in MENA. We’re now allocating more than $2 billion a year,” mainly investments in small and mediumsized enterprises, he said, adding that the IFC saw investment oppor tunities in

Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia and Morocco.

While endorsing the idea of developing smaller firms, cash-strapped governments in oil-importing Arab countries have mostly lacked the resources to give them more access to funding. Distracted by political change, parliaments in those countries have been slow to make legal changes that would help start-ups, such as reforming tax and labor laws.

But governments in wealthy Gulf states, seeing unemployment as a potential source of social unrest, are paying more attention to funding smaller firms.

Last year, the state -affiliated Saudi Industrial Development Fund began guaranteeing as much as 80 percent of commercial bank loans to small firms, up from 50 percent previously.

Increased government support is in turn encouraging more private investors within the Middle East to consider funding start-ups, businessmen say.

Abraaj, through its $650 million Riyada Enterprise Development Fund, has invested in 13 SMEs since 2009. It says the fund screened over 400 companies for possible investment in 2011, roughly four times the number in 2010.

“Large pools of money are being set up to invest in the right venture. More than before, investors believe in the economic, social and financial value of seeding startups,” said Fadi Ghandour, founder and chief executive of Dubai-listed logistics company Aramex.

Ghandour, along with Abraaj’s Naqvi, founded a fund in 2010 which acts as an “angel investor” in Middle Eastern startups. It has so far made investments in over 40 companies, more than half of the deals closing in 2011.

Some entrepreneurs think the Arab Spring is creating business opportunities for them by refocusing the attention of governments on mass living standards and social welfare.

Two such entrepreneurs founded Agricel in Dubai earlier this year. The company is promoting a soil-less, water-saving farming technology which it says can be used in arid terrain including deserts as well as urban areas.

Kunal G Wadhwani, co -founder of Agricel, says the firm will offer the technology to Arab governments which, thanks to the political upheaval, have become more sensitive to the dangers of high food prices, water scarcity and mass poverty.

“Against the background of young populations and popular uprisings, and given the challenges of food security and water scarcity in the medium term, the region will benefit from our ability to aid new governments face these problems,” he said.

Agricel’s founders say they initially funded the firm themselves with support from family and friends, but recently obtained funding from a bank in Dubai.

Wadhwani is a veteran entrepeneur who was involved in setting up a regional business information service a decade ago; his colleague Yalman Khan is a former investment banker.

Other firms think they will benefit because the government will get out of their way. Tunisia’s revolution has removed the grip of businessmen close to former ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from the economy, says Ridha Charfeddine, founder of Unimed, a group of pharmaceutical laboratories in the country.

“Generally speaking, now that the rules of the game are clear, everybody is equal and has their chance,” he said, adding that deals and tenders involving the government had become more transparent.

Partly as a result, he said, Unimed’s revenues grew at a double-digit rate last year. The company obtained a fresh investment from Abraaj Capital and investment firm Proparco in April 2011 to support its expansion. — Reuters

US March import prices up WASHINGTON: US import prices rose in March by the most in nearly a year on sharply higher petroleum costs, but prices outside food and energy climbed more modestly. Overall import prices rose 1.3 percent, the Labor Department said yesterday.

That was the biggest gain since April 2011.

Higher gasoline prices are weighing on the US economy which is already struggling with high unemployment and a moribund housing sector following the 2007-2009 recession.

A separate report showed applications for US home mortgages fell last week despite a drop in the average interest rate for 30-year mortgages. Economists polled

by Reuters had expected import prices to rise 0.8 percent last month. February’s data was revised to show a 0.1 percent decline instead of the previously reported 0.4 percent increase.

Imported petroleum prices increased 4.3 percent, the biggest gain since April 2011.

Markets showed little reaction to the data.

US stock futures were higher, pointing to a firmer open after five days of losses.

Treasury debt prices were lower.

Higher prices for energy have fueled inflation in recent months but a still-weak jobs market has made it harder for businesses to pass those costs on to consumers.

The National Federation of Independent

Business said on Tuesday that rising prices also are weighing on sentiment among small businesses owners. Last month, 9 percent of firms surveyed by the NFIB said inflation was their top business problem. A report last week showing slower job growth in March has fueled speculation the US Federal Reserve could ease monetary policy further. Most major Wall Street firms expect the Fed to launch a third round of bond buying, a Reuters poll found on Monday.

The Labor Department report showed that, stripping out petroleum, import prices increased 0.3 percent last month after falling 0.1 percent in February.

Data today is expected to show tame

price pressures at a wholesale level, with producer prices seen rising 0.2 percent in March when stripping out food and energy.

But yesterday’s report underscores the size of the price shock that is stinging Americans when they refuel their cars.

Elsewhere, imported capital goods prices edged 0.2 percent higher after being flat in February. Imported motor vehicle prices climbed 0.3 percent after being unchanged in February.

The Labor Department report also showed export prices rose 0.8 percent last month, above analysts’ expectations for a 0.4 percent gain. Export prices increased 0.4 percent in February. — Reuters

Euro-zone debt crisis erupts into French race PARIS: The euro-zone financial crisis forced itself onto the agenda of the French presidential battle on Wednesday, as renewed concerns about Spanish and Italian debt sent jitters through markets.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, standing for re-election in next week’s poll, accused his Socialist opponent Francois Hollande of endangering France’s own finances, and claimed markets would panic if the left wins.

“If we start hiring state employees, start spending ... we will immediately trigger a massive crisis of confidence,” said Sarkozy, on whose watch last year France lost its triple-A perfect credit rating.

Both the right-wing incumbent and his left-wing challenger have vowed to reduce France’s deficit to zero if they win the two-round April 22 and May 6 poll, with Sarkozy aiming to do so by 2016 and Hollande by 2017. But Hollande wants to hire thousands of teachers and to soften the impact of austerity measures, which Sarkozy argues will break confidence in France on bond markets where governments borrow to fund budget deficits.

Hollande has also threatened to re-open talks on the fiscal pact which EU members signed last month and which committed them to tough debt-reduction measures in a bid to restore confidence in the singlecurrency bloc. “France must borrow 42 billion euros ($55.0 billion) every year to pay the interest on its debt.

Today we are raising this money, we borrow this money at less than three percent, which is a historically low rate,” Sarkozy said.

“If we do not follow the line of reducing our deficit and debt, the interest rates will quickly rise,” he told France Info radio.

Budget Minister Valerie Pecresse told a parliamentary budget committee on Wednesday that France would meet its deficit reduction commitment.

Hollande’s spokesman Bruno Le Roux accused the right of working against France’s interests by stirring further fears on the markets.

He said the government “deepened the debt by 612 billion euros, led the ratings agencies to downgrade us and failed to end the euro crisis at 16 last chance summits, at each of which the president insisted the crisis was over.” Segolene Royal, Hollande’s former partner and his party’s defeated 2007 candidate dismissed Sarkozy’s warnings as “typical end of campaign alarmism.”

The Paris stock market closed down 3.08 percent on Tuesday amid fears that Italy and Spain-the third and fourth-biggest economies in the eurozone-could struggle to finance their debts despite stark austerity plans. The markets recovered cautiously yesterday after a reassuring statement from the European Central Bank, but all eyes were still on Rome and Madrid. Italy’s borrowing costs surged higher on Wednesday in an auction of eight billion euros worth of short-term bonds, and any knock-on effect on French bond yields could undermine the candidates’ economic plans.— AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

BUSINESS

Qatar boosts offer for Dexia’s Turkish unit

Nakheel plans creditor sukuk issue by end-April DUBAI: The second tranche of a sukuk from Dubai’s Nakheel will be 240 million dirhams ($65 million) in size, less than a quarter of the expected value, after the property developer persuaded trade creditors to accept a huge discount on their original claims.

Nakheel will issue further tranches, a spokeswoman said, with some claims from trade creditors yet to be resolved. She declined to reveal the value of these claims.

The sukuk is part of a $16 billion debt restructuring by Nakheel, which overstretched itself building palm-shaped islands and other ambitious projects. The sukuk’s first portion - a five-year bond worth 3.8 billion dirhams ($1.03 billion) paying a 10 percent profit rate - was issued in August last year.

At the time, Nakheel’s chairman said the sukuk would be worth 4.8 billion dirhams in total, leaving 1 billion dirhams to be issued in later tranches. “The second tranche, I think, will be launched by the end of this

month. We are trying to get it out by the end of this month hopefully. It will be all the same terms,” Nakheel Chairman Ali Rashid Lootah told reporters. “There still some negotiations going on. What we have negotiated so far are claims worth 2.7 billion dirhams and we will be paying the contractors 400 million dirhams out of 2.7 billion dirhams.

“The cash is 40 percent of the 400 million (dirhams), which we have already paid them, the 60 percent will be the sukuk.”

Lootah said the sukuk would be listed on the Nasdaq Dubai bourse “as soon as is practical”, adding the second tranche would carry the same terms and duration as the first. He was speaking at the launch of a luxury residential development on Palm Jumeirah. Of 104 units to be built, 30 have been bought since going on sale a week ago in what Lootah said showed renewed confidence in Dubai’s property sector.

Dubai house prices have fallen more than 60 percent from a 2008 peak. — Reuters

Denizbank shares surge on bid DUBAI: Qatar National Bank has made a higher bid for Denizbank, the Turkish unit of stricken Belgian lender Dexia, after earlier talks stalled over price, four sources familiar with the matter said.

“The bid has been reactivated, and is on the table,” said one source. “The new offer is closer to what Dexia is expecting,” he added, saying that QNB’s original offer had been dismissed as too low.

No immediate comment was available from QNB and their advisors Citigroup declined to comment.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter is not public.

Denizbank shares rose as much as 5.7 percent on the news. Denizbank is worth $5.9 billion in the current market after a 49-percent run up since news of

the sale emerged, and Dexia is understood to be looking for up to $4 billion for the bank.

A second source said that QNB had originally bid 1.1-1.2 times Deniz’s book value and the Belgian government had wanted 1.5 times book. It was not clear what the revised QNB bid was.

Dexia, crippled by the euro zone crisis, has been trying to sell the Turkish bank for over six months.

Two other bidders, HSBC and Sberbank pulled out, leaving QNB as the sole suitor. People familiar with the matter told Reuters last month that Dexia had considered the Qatari offer too low, and was not willing to sell the healthy Turkish business - which gives access to a fast-growing market - in a fire-sale. Dexia mandated US investment bank Banc of America in

October to advise on the sale. UBS is advising the Belgian government. With a market value of around $25.8 billion, QNB is the largest lender in the tiny, natural gas-rich Gulf Arab state. QNB, 50 percent owned by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, has been seeking a larger regional role as part of an aggressive expansion strategy.

It currently has operations in Jordan, Switzerland, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Dexia was rescued by Belgium and France because of its heavy exposure to Greece and after it could no longer secure short-term credit to finance long-term lending activities. It bought a 75 percent stake in Denizbank for $2.4 billion in 2006 and later raised its ownership to above 99 percent. — Reuters

Total could stop N Sea gas leak by end April

Jordan’s anti-business backlash scares investors AMMAN: At a meeting in the royal palace last month, Jordan’s King Abdullah did not disguise his exasperation with his officials as he listened to a chorus of complaints from foreign investors.

Among the frustrated investors was Abu Dhabi property developer Al-Maabar, whose plan to build a resort in the granite mountains around the Red Sea port city of Aqaba has come under attack from conservative politicians and tribal leaders. Critics allege the $500 million acquisition of land for the project involved corruption and represented a plunder of national wealth at cut-rate prices. Angry executives of the company, part-owned by Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, went as far as telling the monarch at a private meeting in February that they were prepared to give up the project, according to industry executives familiar with the affair.

“The Marsa Zayed project is to set up an economic and touristic landmark in Aqaba, and the rumors about corruption in the agreement are affecting the company. The agreement with Jordan is clear and transparent,” managing director Yousef Al-Nowais told reporters in February.

The tense atmosphere in the royal palace was a far cry from the optimism among businessmen which prevailed just a few years ago. At the start of the last decade, Jordan began introducing a string of liberal economic policies which made the country a showcase of International Monetary Fund-guided reforms. Foreign investors were courted in order to create jobs and obtain hard currency.

Substantial stakes in state enterprises were sold to investors including Brunei’s sovereign wealth fund, France Telecom, cement maker Lafarge and Canada’s Potash Corp of Saskatchewan.

But last year’s “Arab Spring” uprisings elsewhere in the Middle East emboldened opponents of the reforms, and their opposition has developed into a broad backlash against economic policies designed to aid the private sector. Members of parliament, union activists and tribal leaders have made demands ranging from the renegotiation of privatization deals, in order to recover billions of dollars in royalties that were allegedly lost, to the repurchase of majority stakes in some companies by the state.

The backlash has been particularly strong among Jordan’s East Bank tribes, whose members enjoyed preferential access to jobs at state-owned firms before the privatizations, and cannot count on this benefit with the companies under new management.

Some state bureaucrats have also opposed the reforms because they remove a major

source of the bureaucracy’s influence.

“Our goal is to regain control of our national wealth. Phosphates are Jordan’s petroleum, and privatization to a certain party has given it a complete monopoly,” said Ahmad Shaqran, an MP from Jordan’s impoverished south. He headed a parliamentary committee that recommended the abrogation of the sale of 37 percent of Jordan Phosphate Mines to Brunei in 2006, and demanded that ministers involved in the sale be referred to the prosecutor-general on corruption charges.

Jordan’s economic reformers can point to successes of their policies. Gross domestic product expanded by over 7 percent annually in the five years through 2008, before the global financial crisis hit; that was roughly 3 percentage points faster than growth rates in the previous five years.

Former officials say the privatization program brought over 1.7 billion dinars ($2.4 billion) to state coffers, easing the country’s external debt problem while putting some of the privatized firms on a sounder financial footing. But the government is finding it hard to make such arguments. Jordanian administrations have traditionally shown little appetite for confronting the country’s tribes, which form the backbone of public support for the government and provide much of the manpower for the powerful security services.

Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh, who was appointed to the post by King Abdullah last October in response to public protests against corruption and pressure for democratic reforms, has echoed some of the criticism of the privatization program.

“We will review deals with the possibility of buying back some of the assets,” Khasawneh told angry deputies at one of several parliamentary sessions on privatization since late last year.

The government, facing daily picketing by workers at state enterprises and demands for pay hikes, has already put the brakes on further privatization deals that it thinks could inflame the opposition.

Industry executives say a decade-old plan to sell off state-owned Jordan Post, which had drawn bidding interest in the region, has now been scrapped. The government has also retreated from asking foreign firms to build and operate a new port. Jordan’s privatization agency, which spearheaded some of the country’s largest sales, is nearly defunct, employees say. Its website, which previously described plans to lease a range of state assets to investors including utilities and grain silos, now says there are “no new tenders at the present time”. — Reuters

KOLKATA: A private security official guards the main entrance of a jewelry showroom in Kolkata yesterday. Jewelers in India ended their three-week strike April 7 after assurances that the government would consider scrapping a budget proposal to levy excise duty on unbranded jewelry. — AFP

Oman to issue debt, economy ‘excellent’

Japan’s Cosmo Oil buys Saudi crude from Okinawa storage

ABU DHABI: Oman’s economy is robust and expected to grow by 5 percent this year, the Gulf Arab country ’s central bank head Hamood Sangour Al-Zadjali said yesterday, adding that the country may issue sovereign debt of 200 million rials ($518 million), “The local economy is in an excellent condition. We expect growth of 5 percent this year. Inflation is under control, somewhere between 3.5 to 4 percent,” the sultanate’s top banker told Reuters on the sidelines of a banking conference. “We have plans to issue 200 million rials in sovereign bonds this year.

It’s in the budget. We’re waiting for the right time.”

Oman, whose debt to GDP is forecast by the IMF to be the lowest in the Gulf at 3.2 percent this year, has only issued small amounts of development bonds in the past. Oman had a budget surplus of 1.08 billion rials in 2011.

The planned merger of HSBC Holdings’ operations in Oman with local lender Oman International Bank, which the central bank approved two weeks ago, was expected to close in two to three months, Zadjali said.

Separately, he added that Oman’s first fullyfledged Islamic bank will be operational in the second half of this year due to a delay in the banking law. — Reuters

TOKYO: Japanese refiner Cosmo Oil has bought 200,000 kilolitres (1.26 million barrels) of Saudi Arabian crude from storage in Japan to fill its spot requirements, industry sources familiar with the matter said yesterday.

The May-loading crude will be shipped from Saudi Aramco’s leased storage in the southwestern Japanese island of Okinawa, the sources said, adding that this marks the first time that a Japanese refiner has bought a spot Saudi crude cargo from Okinawa.

The purchase does not have any relation to the tightening global sanctions against Iran and Cosmo can buy more spot Saudi crude from Okinawa if it makes economic sense in comparison with other spot cargoes, the sources said. The US and European Union have tightened measures aimed at reducing Iran’s oil trade, stemming the flow of petrodollars to Tehran to force the Islamic Republic to halt a nuclear program the West suspects is intended to produce weapons.

Cosmo Oil has already lowered its Iran crude imports to a little below 30,000 barrels per day (bpd) since January from about 40,000 bpd last year, and is in talks to renew its contract with the Islamic Republic from April.

Saudi Aramco, the world’s top oil producer, started shipping crude to Okinawa in February 2011 as part of an agreement with state-run Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp (JOGMEC) to store about 3.8 million barrels of crude there for three years.

While Aramco was mainly seeking to enhance the kingdom’s access to northeast Asian markets, the storage in Okinawa also provides a platform to increase exports to top oil consumer the United States. — Reuters

PARIS/LONDON: A leak at Total’s North Sea Elgin gas platform could be stopped by the end of April, if ever ything goes as planned, UK managing director Philippe Guys said in a newspaper interview.

Guys told Scottish daily The Press and Journal that the French oil major planned to carry out a successful “dynamic kill” on the leaking G4 well before May. “We are working hard and if all goes as planned we envisage by the end of this month we should be having control of the well,” he was quoted as saying.

Total has said the leak is costing it $2.5 million a day so far, and its stock has dropped by almost 7 percent since it was reported, knocking billions of euros off the company’s value.

Total was not immediately available to comment on the Guys interview yesterday.In a statement late last night, Total had said it would take weeks of preparatory work, including several helicopter flights to transport equipment onto the rig, before a procedure to kill the well could begin.

Specialist equipment was flown into Aberdeen in Scotland over the weekend from Houston-based crisis management company Wild Well Control which is advising Total on how to plug the leak.

Total plans to pump mud into the well to stop the gas leak after a reconnaissance team found that conditions were safe enough to allow the operation. Guys was speaking after another specialist team on Tuesday flew to the platform to carr y out inspections, cleaning work, and to record the pressure of the gas spewing out of the platform. An initial environmental impact analysis of the leak suggests that damage to marine life is minimal.

A taste-test of fish samples collected from close to the leaking Elgin platform detected no trace of hydrocarbon contamination, Marine Scotland said yesterday.

Full chemical analysis results of water and sediment samples taken from the edge of a two-mile exclusion zone around Elgin are expected by the end of the week, the agency said. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2730000 .4390000 .3620000 .3010000 .2750000 .2840000 .0040000 .0020000 .0753770 .7343730 .3830000 .0720000 .7199210 .0040000 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2776500 .4408940 .3635270 .3025990 .2768200 .0488720 .0407760 .2857020 .0357580 .2203750 .0034360 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0756230 .7367650 .0000000 .0740600 .7214500 .0000000

.2810000 .4490000 .3690000 .3100000 .2840000 .2940000 .0070000 .0035000 .0761340 .7417540 .4000000 .0770000 .7271560 .0072000 .0500000 .2797500 .4442290 .3662770 .3048880 .2789130 .0492420 .0410840 .2878630 .0360280 .2220410 .0034620 .0054630 .0021670 .0030960 .0034340 .0761950 .7423380 .3956860 .0746200 .7269070 .0065870

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 278.800 3.075

Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

5.430 2.160 3.409 6.555 75.995 74.580 742.000 46.154 449.500 3.190 1.550 370.700 285.500 3.510

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 278.450 368.100 445.400 280.000 3.455 5.420 46.130 2.165 3.407 6.515 3.073 740.650 75.850 74.350

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka

SELL DRAFT 291.24 282.30 308.69 368.26 445.41 3.52 3.404

5.700 2.600 4.000 3.250 76.50 741.00 47.20 395.50 725.00 77.25 74.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

5.416 2.178 3.393 3.080 75.87 741.73 46.14 396.71 724.71 76.89 74.46

SELL CASH 292.00 282.50 307.50 369.00 447.00 3.70 3.650

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 278.900 281.160 444.435 367.515 305.395 738.565 75.910 76.555 74.335 392.590 46.189 2.224 5.460 3.095 3.411 6.521 684.130 4.385 9.070 5.875 3.505 92.285

Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Bahrain Exchange Company

GOLD 10 Tola

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka

SELL CASH 290.300 741.730 3.670

SELL DRAFT 288.800 741.730 3.406

281.800 547.800 45.500 50.000 167.800 47.370 368.700 36.620 5.750 0.032 0.159 0.237 3.550 395.250 0.189 92.960 45.300 4.290 231.600 1.807 49.300 724.450 3.170 6.840 77.150 74.470 222.850 39.130 2.657 447.700 41.900 307.500 4.200 9.380 198.263 76.040 279.300 1.340

Sterling Pound US Dollar

1,735.480 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 445.700 278.900

280.100

222.900 46.200 367.200 36.470 5.420 0.031

395.210 0.188 92.960 3.400 230.100

724.270 3.082 6.525 76.720 74.470 222.850 39.130 2.158 445.700 306.000 4.200 9.210 75.940 278.900

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

business

Algeria’s frosty business climate may thaw ALGIERS: After a three-year campaign against one of its biggest foreign investors chilled Algeria’s business climate, the country is sending out tentative signals that it may be ready for a thaw.

A period of aggressive economic nationalism, symbolized by the state’s drive to take control of the Djezzy mobile phone business owned by Amsterdam-headquartered Vimpelcom, has failed to create the jobs demanded by the population. Now the Djezzy saga seems to be limping towards a resolution, and this could coincide with a broader rethink of how the government of energy-rich Algeria treats private investment.

“It is obvious that foreign investment is key to creating jobs, which will alleviate social pressure,” said Bachir Msitfa, an Algerian economist. “This is why I am expecting changes in the economy in 2012...Algeria will go back to a market economy very soon.”

The roller-coaster fortunes of Djezzy have matched the peaks and troughs of Algeria’s attitude to free enterprise. Egyptian firm Orascom Telecom won the right to set up Djezzy in Algeria back in 2001, during a wave of economic liberalization forced on the country by heavy debts and low prices for its chief exports, oil and natural gas.

By 2008, Algeria was flush with cash from high energy prices, and its socialist-leaning rulers saw the global financial crisis as proof that market economies were flawed. They adopted a package of new laws

restricting private investment.

In quick succession, Djezzy was hit with millions of dollars in back tax bills, a mob ransacked its offices, it was put under investigation over its currency transactions, and the Algerian government announced it would nationalize the firm.

Now, the pendulum may be swinging back the other way. Algerian officials are in talks with Djezzy’s new owner, Vimpelcom, on a deal that would see the government buy 51 percent of Djezzy and leave Vimpelcom as operator. The negotiations have been complicated by an Algerian court decision last month to impose a $1.3 billion fine on Djezzy over its currency deals. Finance minister Karim Djoudi said the ownership talks might take several more months; he declined to disclose any valuation for the firm, which some analysts think may be worth several billion dollars.

Nevertheless, analysts who follow the affair say the overall direction appears positive. Any deal with Vimpelcom could end an episode that has tainted Algeria in the eyes of international investors and allow it to start rebuilding its reputation.

“It is encouraging that the Algerian government...and the owners of Djezzy appear to be talking to each other,” said Simon Kitchen, strategist at Egyptian-based investment bank EFG-Hermes.

“There was a period when there was name calling and not much was happening.”

The negotiations, he said, could be evidence of a broader thaw in attitudes to the private sector. “There may be a recognition that it is not enough to have a lot of money coming in from oil.”

Few people expect that Algeria’s ruling elite will have a complete change of heart and embrace capitalism unreservedly.

Orascom Telecom’s former chairman, Naguib Sawiris, is one investor unlikely to be tempted back.

He is withering in his assessment of Algeria’s treatment of Djezzy.

“We have then seen provocations, our HQ has been set on fire, the government has demanded back taxes, and it stopped our import operations,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera television in January.

“In one word, there is no difference between the Algerian regime and (former Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi, and all the regimes that have failed in Yemen and Syria,” he said.

Algerian officials deny that they have victimised Djezzy, alleging that it consistently violated the rules of doing business, leaving the government no choice but to take action within the law against the company. Few would dispute, however, that the ruling elite remains fiercely nationalistic, suspicious of capitalism, and prickly about what it views as economic imperialism.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 75, counts Cuba’s Fidel Castro as a personal friend. When

Bouteflika received a visiting minister from an east European state in Algiers in the last few months, he asked if the country regretted dropping its socialist command economy, according to someone at the meeting.

Issad Rebrab, owner of Cevital, one of Algeria’s biggest homegrown private firms, does not hide his frustration at the business climate. “The government wants to control everything,” Rebrab, whose interests range from sugar production to supermarkets, said earlier this year.

“We are the only country or one of few countries in the world where you have to ask permission to create jobs and wealth, and there is no guarantee you will get it.”

In the World Bank’s 2012 “Doing Business” index, which ranks business climates, Algeria was in 148th place out of 183 countries. Last year, neighboring Morocco received about twice as much foreign direct investment as Algeria, even though the Moroccan economy is smaller.

Yet if Algeria’s rulers have little enthusiasm for capitalism, they are also pragmatists who understand the need to create jobs - especially in light of “Arab Spring” uprisings elsewhere in the region.

Unemployment stands at about 10 percent overall, and about 21 percent among young graduates, the same group whose anger helped propel last year’s revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. — Reuters

Asia to maintain growth despite global crisis: ADB Region shifting towards long-run growth path

PARIS: A general view shows the new connecting building (hub) between terminals 2A and 2C at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris inaugurated yesterday in Roissy by Aéroports de Paris (ADP). — AFP

Qatar Islamic Bank Q1 net profit jumps 21% DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), the Gulf state’s second-largest lender by market value, posted a 20.9 percent jump in first-quarter net profit, beating analysts’ forecasts, on increased fee income and growth in core business activities. The bank made a net profit of 388 million riyals ($106.6 million), it said in a statement yesterday, exceeding the 321 million riyals it recorded a year earlier and above analysts’ average forecast of 351.5 million riyals.

Fee income grew 68.8 percent to 99.6 million riyals, the statement said, while operating income increased 19.9 percent to 777 million riyals. Total assets grew 18.4 percent to 59 billion riyals. The bank’s investment portfolio grew 2.8 percent to 16.6 billion riyals, the statement added.

Banks in Qatar are expected to benefit as the country is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and is set to spend more on infrastructure as it prepares to host football’s 2022 World Cup. Earlier this month, Qatar National Bank

(QNB), the first major regional lender to report earnings and considered a bellwether for the sector’s performance, posted an 17.4 percent jump in fourth-quarter profit.In December, QIB announced it would acquire the sharia-compliant corporate portfolio of International Bank of Qatar, without giving a value for the acquisition.

The move came after Qatar’s central bank directive that conventional banks stop offering sharia-compliant banking services amid worries of overlaps between the two.

“Our primary objective remains to enhance QIB’s position as the domestic leader in Islamic finance,” QIB Chairman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al Thani said in the earnings statement. QIB pulled out of a deal to buy a majority stake in Indonesian Islamic lender PT Bank Muamalat, banking sources said in July. QIB shares traded at 77 riyals before the results were announced, down 8.2 percent year-to-date.

The Qatar index has fallen 0.1 percent in that time. — Reuters

Olympus shareholders told to reject board picks TOKYO: An influential investment advisory firm has told Olympus shareholders to reject the Japanese company’s nominees for key board positions, citing their connections with creditors or their competence. The firm’s management, attempting to rebuild its reputation following a $1.7 billion cover-up scandal, has recommended former executives of its main banks as chairman and director.

But, in a report to shareholders, ISS Proxy Advisory Services said: “The appointment of former executives of main banks raises concerns that bank interests will be prioritized over shareholder interests.” Olympus is due to propose the nominations and its corrected financial statements at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on April 20.

It has nominated Yasuyuki Kimoto, a former senior managing director of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, and Hideaki Fujizuka, a former executive officer of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, as chairman and director. The ISS report, dated April 6, said: “Although neither currently holds a formal position at the respective banks, their loyalty to their long-time employers is not in doubt.” The advisory firm also said that president nominee Hiroyuki Sasa, a 30year veteran in Olympus’s medical equipment division, is “not a business manager with a proven track record of turning around companies.”

Sasa could not be recommended at a time “when the firm is faced with enormous tasks ranging from restructuring and financial stabilization to restoration of investor trust,” the report said.

Olympus rejected the criticism, saying its board would be “independent” and that there were “biases” in the ISS report. The advisory firm had no “concrete basis for (its) doubts,” Olympus said. “We are...confident that appropriate management decisions can be expected with a view to the maximization of Olympus’s corporate value and the common

interest of shareholders,” it said in a statement.

Kimoto and Fujizuka would be “internal” directors held to account if they engaged in activities that did not benefit Olympus, it said. Sasa, Olympus said, was an experienced executive with a background in the firm’s core medical business.

However, the company-approved slate of board nominees has already been criticized by foreign shareholders who said creditor banks have exerted “undue influence” on the lineup.

In an open letter to Olympus in late March, nine institutional investors, who collectively hold up to a 30 percent stake, said an independent chairman should be selected to head a board that would represent broad interests.

Olympus suffered losses stemming from bad investments made since the 1990s, which were brought starkly into focus by ousted president Michael Woodford.

The Briton went public after being sacked in October when he raised concerns over the losses, which were moved off the company’s balance sheet. Olympus eventually admitted wrongdoing after commissioning a probe by a panel of outside lawyers and several implicated executives were forced out, denting confidence in Japan’s corporate governance.

Last month, Japanese police arrested or charged numerous people over allegations they falsified Olympus’s balance sheet, including former president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, former senior executives Hideo Yamada and Hisashi Mori, as well as three financial advisers. The same charge was also laid against Olympus as a corporate entity. Despite support from foreign stakeholders, Woodford abandoned his campaign to get his job back, citing a lack of enthusiasm among Japanese institutional shareholders, who are traditionally unwilling to rock the corporate boat. The scandal was an embarrassment for the company, but Olympus has maintained that its sales have not suffered as a result. —AFP

HONG KONG: Emerging Asian economies will experience flat growth this year before recovering in 2013, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a regional report released yesterday.

The Asian Development Outlook report for 2012 said the region was shifting toward a “more sustainable long-run growth path” based on strong domestic demand instead of exports, which have been hit by wobbly Western demand.

But the study also warned that the region’s rising wealth was fuelling inequality and income disparities, with the underprivileged at risk of being sucked into a “vicious circle” of poverty and neglect.

The vast region’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth will “cool somewhat” to 6.9 percent in 2012, down from 7.2 percent last year, before edging higher again to 7.3 percent in 2013. “Despite the weak global environment, developing Asia’s growth momentum continues,” it said. “Strong domestic demand provided necessary support in 2011, and this will need to continue in light of the soft export demand expected from the major industrial economies of the United States (US), euro-zone, and Japan.” Even with a slowdown this year, developing Asian economies would easily outshine Europe, the United States and Japan where output is forecast to grow only 1.1 percent this year and 1.7 percent in 2013, the report said.

“Continued uncertainties in the euro-zone and a further slump in global trade pose the biggest threats to the growth outlook,” ADB Chief Economist Changyong Rhee said in a statement.

“At the same time, Asian economies are gradually diversifying into new markets, private consumption is trending up and the region has limited direct financial exposure to the euro-zonewhich should help sustain its momentum.” The stronger trend in domestic consumption-in a group of countries known for high savings ratescould be seen in the region’s current account surplus, which fell to 2.6 percent of GDP from four percent in 2010. The report covers most economies in Asia except Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The countries account for more than 80 percent of Asia’s population. Inflation was a concern for the region last year until the euro-zone debt crisis and the patchy recovery in the United States sapped demand for exports, forcing policy-makers to worry more about growth. The ADB said prices had eased but remained a “potential threat”, especially given the volatility of food and fuel costs.

China, the world’s second biggest economy, would see growth moderate to 8.5 percent this year and 8.7 percent in 2013, compared with 9.2 percent in 2011. The region’s other emerging giant, India, would post 7.5 percent growth in

2012. Southeast Asia’s GDP would expand 5.2 percent this year from just 4.6 percent in 2011, thanks largely to Thailand’s recovery from last year’s devastating floods.

The report said Asia had “lifted people out of poverty at an unprecedented rate” over the past few decades, but its recent growth had been characterized by widening income disparities between the super-rich and the rest. If the spoils of growth had been more evenly shared and inequality rates had remained stable, another 240 million peopleor 6.5 percent of developing Asia’s populationwould have moved out of poverty between 1990 to 2010.

Rhee said rising inequality is a concern for Asiacited as a successful example of high growth with low inequality in the 1970s-as many African and Latin American countries have witnessed a decline in such divide. “What we are worrying about is that if this trend continues Asia may lose one of our strong points,” he told reporters in Hong Kong.

“Rising inequality can weaken the basis of growth by undermining social cohesion-you can think of the Arab Spring-and worsen the quality of governance,” he warned.

The ADB recommended measures including greater spending on health and education, cutting fuel subsidies and broadening the sources of tax revenues to address rising inequality. — AFP

Tokyo bourse to help open Myanmar’s first exchange TOKYO: Tokyo’s stock exchange said yesterday it would help Myanmar open its first bourse by 2015, the latest example of business eyeing the isolated nation after a string of recent reforms.

Japan’s main stock exchange and brokerage Daiwa Securities’ research arm have struck a deal with Myanmar’s central bank to jointly open the exchange after years of dialogue, the Tokyo bourse said in a statement. “By establishing Myanmar’s first stock exchange... we think we will be able to contribute to developing capital markets in the country,” it said.

Before the announcement, a Tokyo exchange spokeswoman said: “We expect that Myanmar will develop a stock market as political reforms are going on.” Japanese and Western companies are increasingly eyeing business opportunities in the country, formerly known as Burma, after its transition to a nominally civilian government following decades of military rule.

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s election to parliament has been praised as a step towards democracy, and Western nations are beginning to lift wide-ranging sanctions on Myanmar as a reward for reforms that have included the release of hundreds of political prisoners.

Also yesterday, Japan’s All Nippon Airways said it would restart direct flights to Myanmar later this year, after a 12-year hiatus. In 1996, Daiwa and the central bank set up the Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre, which allows over-thecounter sales of shares in two firms, a Myanmar timber company and bank, said a spokesman for Daiwa Research Institute. But the bourse would be Myanmar’s first official stock exchange. —AFP

PARIS: France’s Economy and Finance minister Francois Baroin leaves the Elysee palace after the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday in Paris. — AFP

THE HAGUE: The parliamentary inquiry which studied the rescue of Dutch banks during the credit crisis in 2008 and 2009 look on during the presentation of its final report in the Hague yesterday.—AFP

China inflation edges up as Beijing shifts focus BEIJING: China’s inflation edged up in March as Beijing shifted from containing price rises to shoring up flagging growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Consumer prices rose 3.6 percent over a year earlier, up from February’s 3.2 percent but below the government’s 4 percent target for the year, data showed on Monday.

The increase was driven by a hike in stateset fuel prices and a 7.5 percent rise in politically sensitive food costs, up from the previous month’s 6.2 percent but well below last year’s double-digit rates.

“It suggests inflation momentum is under control, or subdued, and there is nothing for them to do,” said Tim Condon, Asia economist for ING Financial Markets.

“They must be pretty content with these numbers.”

Beijing shifted focus from cooling prices to shoring up economic growth in December after inflation eased from a high of 6.5 percent in July. Beijing has promised to ease lending curbs to help companies that have been battered by a slump in global demand.

Analysts expect economic growth that has declined steadily over the past year to fall to a new low of about 8 percent for the three months ending in March, down from 8.9 percent in the final quarter of 2011.

Official data are due to be reported this week. Forecasters had expected a temporary acceleration in inflation in March but it should moderate in coming months and come in under the official target for the full year. China’s economic data often are clouded by the Lunar New Year holiday, which falls in either January or February and prompts many companies to close for a week or more. Trade and price data can be thrown off as factories rush to fill orders before the closure and then go on a buying binge to restock raw materials following the break.

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have warned China and other developing countries to prepare for a possible global slowdown this year.

Chinese leaders tightened lending and investment curbs repeatedly in 2009 and 2010 to cool inflation and guide growth to a more sustainable level. They reversed course after a sharp fall in export demand.

The government has yet to announce major changes, but financial analysts say regulators are quietly easing access to credit. Analysts expect Beijing to lower interest rates or make more money available for lending by lowering the minimum level of reserves banks are required to hold. — AP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

BUSINESS

KSE mixed; Heavyweights remain under pressure GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait’s equities ended yesterday’s session on a mixed note with losses in the share prices of select heavyweights sending market capitalization-weighted indices southward.

Kuwait’s Capital Markets Authority set new procedures for companies planning to acquire more than 30 percent of a listed stock, including requiring an independent opinion.

The stock exchange and its regulator must be informed of the offer after an initial agreement between two companies, according to the circular. It must be approved by the competition protection authority, the markets authority and shareholders, it said. The offer must also be announced on the Kuwait stock exchange’s website and published in at least two local newspapers, the circular said.

The market benchmark KSE Price Index increased by 0.25 percent, and closed at 6,164.3 points. The Global General Index shed 0.51 of a point (or 0.29 percent) to close at 176.41 points.

Large Caps staged a session of poor performance, as highlighted by a 0.46 percent drop posted by the market’s blue-chips’ barometer, Global Large Cap. Index.

Yesterday’s performance was accompanied by diminishing trading activity. Volume of shares traded on the exchange dropped by 51.43 percent, at 179.64mn shares. Real Estate groups accounted for 55.04mn shares (30.64 percent) of the market’s total volume. Gulf Finance House (GFH) was the most actively traded stock, with 19.12mn shares changing hands. GFH was down by 1.72 percent. The bank announced that one of its flagship projects, Royal Ranches Marrakech, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a consortium of banks led by Banque Marocaine de Commerce Exteriur (BMCE) to receive the second tranche of an existing facility to resume development works.

Equipment Holding Company was the prominent gainer. The scrip added 10 percent to close at KD0.110. On the other hand, Strategia Investment Company was the biggest loser today as it plunged by 6.25 percent to close at KD0.075.

Sector-wise Sector wise, four out of eight Global sectoral

indices ended the day in the red with Global Investment Index being the top decliner. The index posted a 1.26 percent daily loss backed by Strategia Investment Company which was down 6.25 percent and KIPCO Asset Management (KAMCO) which was down 3.57 percent.

Global Banking Index was the second biggest decliner today, down 0.53 percent. Two banks in the sector posted gains yesterday, however, it was the largest banks in the KSE, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), that brought down the index. The scrip ended the day down 1.89 percent to end at KD1.040.

Global Real Estate Index was the top gainer today, up 0.82 percent backed by Injazzat Real Estate Development Company which was the biggest gainer in the sector. The company posted a 5.48 percent gain today to end at KD0.077.

Corporate news Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) said it will launch a new trading system on May 13, 2012 backed by The Nasdaq OMX Group Inc NDAQ.O, to help trading of financial instruments such as derivatives and Islamic bonds. Advanced Technology Company announced that it has signed a five year

KD4,499,783 contract with Khalid Ali Al-Kharafi and Brothers Contracting Company and the Chinese Executing Company in order to design, supply, install, operate and maintain the equipment and laboratory equipment for the College of Engineering and Petroleum - Kuwait University.

Dollar stable vs dinar KUWAIT: Exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar stabilized, standing at KD 0.278, where the euro increased to KD 0.364, compared to Tuesday’s figures, said the daily bulletin of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) yesterday. Exchange rate of the Sterling pound stabilized at KD 0.441, and the Japanese yen remained unchanged, at KD 0.003. Meanwhile, the Swiss franc increased to KD 0.303. — KUNA

Oil near $120, edges up from two-month low LONDON: Oil edged higher to around $120 a barrel yesterday, after falling to its lowest level in almost two months, supported by increased investor appetite for riskier assets that also led to gains in equities and the euro.

Brent crude posted its biggest one-day drop this year on Tuesday as part of a sell-off in commodities and equities. European shares rallied yesterday, other commodities such as copper steadied and the dollar fell. North Sea Brent was up 15 cents at $120.03 a barrel by 1104 GMT, after falling as low as $119.05, the lowest since Feb. 17.

Its 2.27 percent slide on Tuesday was the biggest one-day percentage loss since Dec. 14.

U.S. crude was up 61 cents to $101.63.

“Yesterday’s sell-off was prompted by an increased risk aversion,” said Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank. “This recovery is part of a general rebound after yesterday’s sharp drop.” European stocks moved higher, encouraging investors to buy riskier assets, including the euro. But rising US crude inventories and concern about the strength of global demand kept oil’s rebound in check.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday cut its 2012 world oil demand growth forecast and later yesterday releases its weekly U.S. supply report, which analysts expect will show a further increase in crude stocks. Global benchmark Brent has risen 11 percent this year, supported by supply outages and the threat of disruption from Iran, although in recent sessions concern about ris-

ing inventories and demand has come to the foreground. Tuesday’s session was the first time Brent has traded below $120 since Feb. 21. A further close below that mark could bring lower levels still into focus, a technical analyst said. “If $120 cannot be regained then it will start to aim at $116.40, then $115.50 for the next big lines of support,” said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix. “For today, however, we will focus on the support at $119 and $118.” Later on Wednesday, the EIA is scheduled to release its weekly US supply report. Analysts expect US crude stockpiles to rise, building on the biggest two-week increase in more than a decade. Oil industry group the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday reported crude stocks rose 6.6 million barrels, more than three times the forecast increase of 2.1 million barrels. On global demand, the EIA on Tuesday cut its 2012 world oil demand growth forecast by 170,000 bpd to 890,000 bpd. Monthly reports from two other closely watched forecasters, the International Energy Agency and OPEC, are due today.

Iran has agreed to renew discussions with the permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - plus Germany last month, more than a year after previous talks failed. Oil analysts said the agreement on holding further talks could indicate progress and weigh on prices. The next round would be in Baghdad following this week’s negotiations in Istanbul. — Reuters

Annual meeting of Arab bourses begins in Oman MUSCAT: Union of Arab Stock Exchanges annual meeting, organized by Muscat Securities Market (MSM), kicked off here yesterday, with the presence of members of the union and representatives of Arab Stock exchanges. Director General of the Muscat Securities Market Ahmed Saleh Al-Marhoon in press remarks said that this periodical meeting is a great opportunity for the 17 Union members to discuss views that would contribute in enhancing and developing their work. The Union of Arab Stock Exchanges achieved a number of targets including the application of

standards of governance and disclosure practiced in the international stock markets, he said. The Arab stock markets are facing a number of challenges like the situation of the capital sector, Al-Marhoon affirmed.

He hailed the developed level achieved by the Arab stock markets during the last ten years, putting them in competence with the international bourses, and they are working hard to obtain membership in the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), like MSM which is on the right path to gain WFE full membership. — KUNA

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

BUSINESS

Qatar Airways to boost Kuwait-Doha services Airline honors travel agents in Kuwait awards night KUWAIT: Qatar Airways has brought together local travel agencies and business partners to recognize those companies who have contributed the highest level of value and support to the airline over the last year. More than 100 travel industry representatives as well as members of the media attended the airline’s festive, “Travel Agent Award Night 2011-12” held at the Sheraton Hotel Kuwait.

In appreciation of outstanding business performance in the local Kuwait market, Qatar Airways honored the top 9 travel agents based on their achievements during the last financial year at the glittering gala dinner event.

Qatar Airways Country Manager Mohammed Al Jumairi thanked the guests and praised them for the ongoing business partnerships that have been established in Kuwait.

“Qatar Airways values the role that the travel trade industry plays in reaching our customers and encouraging them to fly with us and experience our awardwinning five star service,” said Al Jumairi.

With support from Travel Agencies, Qatar Airways is continuing to grow worldwide on an unprecedented level achieving continual expansion year on year,” he added.

The awards were presented by the Country Manager, Sales Manager Mayssam Dabbous and Corporate Sales Manager Fiona Garbiel. Al Shamel Travels won the Gold trophy followed by Jumbo Travels winning the Silver trophy. Boodai Aviation bagged Bronze trophy while TVS Travels won the trophy for Outstanding Growth.

The Kuwait - Doha route has been a solid per-

Al-Shamel Travels receives the honor.

Jumbo Travels receives the honor.

former in the airline’s regional network, seeing services expanded to seven-times daily at the beginning of the month and the 8th frequency starting in just two months time, on June 1.

As part of its 2012 expansion program, Qatar Airways launched flights to Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Kigali (Rwanda). The carrier has a further 11 new routes to be inducted during the year,

namely Perth, Zagreb, Gassim, Helsinki, Belgrade, Erbil, Baghdad, Yangon, Mombasa, Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.

Qatar Airways has orders worth over $50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. The rapid expansion of Qatar Airways prompted the State of Qatar to embark on one of its biggest projects - the

construction of a brand new international airport in Doha, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 award last summer, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the sixth year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best First Class Airline Lounge.

Indonesia’s Garuda to buy 11 Airbus aircraft Cameron in Jakarta to seek investment

TOKYO: Tokyo Stock Exchange employees work at the computer terminal in Tokyo yesterday. Asian shares slumped further yesterday following an overnight sell-off on Wall Street that gave the US markets their worst loss so far this year. — AP

ECB can tackle symptoms but not cure crisis FRANKFURT: As fresh concerns over Spain and Italy rattled the markets yesterday, the European Central Bank insisted it can only treat the symptoms of the euro-zone debt crisis, but not cure it.

“The ECB has addressed the immediate symptoms but monetary policy cannot cure the underlying causes,” said ECB executive board member Benoit Coeure. After three months of relative calm, the sovereign debt crisis returned with a vengeance this week, with stock markets plunging and borrowing costs for Spain and Italy jumping as doubts grow over their ability to control their finances.

In Italy, borrowing costs-which have been on the decline in recent months-doubled in a closely-watched auction of short-term debt Wednesday while Spanish 10-year bonds were flirting with rates around 6.0 percent, a level many consider unsustainable for the long term.

Talking to a conference in Paris, ECB board member Coeure insisted that the rise in Spanish bond yields did not reflect Spain’s economic fundamentals. And seeing that the political will was there in Madrid, he saw no reason why the situation in Spain would not normalize, he argued.

Both Germany and France similarly felt that market fears over Spain’s finances was “excessive,” insisting that Madrid was pursuing the proper reforms. The ECB’s Coeure said that taking the euro-zone as a whole, “the situation in the financial markets has reached a turning point but recent market developments have highlighted that it remains fragile.”

Given the signs of fresh tension, there have been calls for the ECB to come to the rescue.

The central bank has acted as firefighter from the very beginning of the crisis, taking a series of what it calls “non-standard” measures to prevent a collapse of the single currency. On top of conventional monetary policy moves such as cutting interest rates to historic lows, it has also bought up the bonds of debt-stricken countries. And most recently, it pumped more than 1.0 trillion euros into the banking system via two so-called long-term refinancing operations (LTROs) in a bid to avert a dangerous credit squeeze.

Coeure refused to comment when asked whether the ECB would make use of its bond-

buying program to help bring down Spanish bond yields but he noted that while the Securities Markets Program had not been used recently, it was still in place. Generally speaking, the ECB’s measures “have helped to break (a vicious) cycle and to bring confidence back into the euro area financial system,” Coeure said.

The bank has no plans to wind down its anti-crisis measures for now but insists it is up to governments to tackle the root causes and get their finances in order.

Coeure took that point of view again yesterday. “All the relevant players must act responsibly by taking the necessary steps,” he said.

Banks needed to meet capital adequacy objectives, improve their funding profile and start lending again. Governments “must build on the steps already taken to restore sound fiscal positions and long-term growth,” the ECB official insisted.

Analysts said the fresh tensions on the financial markets mirrored a realization that ECB action was not the panacea for the longrunning debt crisis. “There was an excess of euphoria in the third quarter and we’re currently in the process of paying dearly for it.

Too much was expected from the ECB’s operations,” said Deutsche Bank chief economist Gilles Moec.

There was no sign that the markets were panicking, as happened last summer, given that a number of important measures had been put in place.

Nevertheless, “it’s difficult to see how investor optimism can return on a lasting basis,” Moec said.

Christian Parisot of Aurel BGC said the markets “are realizing that salvation can no longer be expected from central bank action and they are now focusing again on growth.”

Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, said that “after three months that were calmer than expected, the euro crisis is back.”

He was hopeful, however, that “the new wave will be less bad than the one that struck last autumn. After all, markets have now seen that the ECB can halt a market panic if it really wants to do so. “Unfortunately, we still have to brace ourselves for considerable volatility in the meantime,” Schmieding warned. — AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda was to sign a deal for 11 Airbus passenger jets yesterday during a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron aimed at boosting trade and investment.

The purchase of the A330 jets, worth about $2.5 billion and powered by UK supplied RollsRoyce engines, reflects the growing consumer demand that is attracting political leaders and financiers to court Southeast Asia’s largest economy. “ This deal between Airbus and Garuda Indonesia Airlines is great news for the UK aerospace industry,” Cameron told reporters after arriving in Jakarta on a 24-hour visit. Cameron’s coalition government is trying to boost British manufacturing to reduce reliance on financial services and to limit exposure to the crisis-hit euro zone by doing more business with fastgrowing emerging markets.

Cameron, accompanied by about 35 executives on an Asian tour, has said he sees enormous potential in Indonesia, and the British delegation is expected to focus on possible deals in energy, construction, retail, pharmaceutical, defense and financial services sectors.

The new Airbus jets will increase by twothirds the number of long-haul A330s already delivered to Garuda or on order from the airline.

Its main domestic rival Lion Air in February signed a record $22 billion deal for planes from Boeing Co. That deal was first announced during a visit to Jakarta by US President Barack Obama.

Leaders from China and France also visited last year together with large delegations of executives sniffing for investment opportunities, especially to overhaul Indonesia’s dilapidated infrastructure.

Indonesia is seeing a rapidly expanding avia-

JAKARTA: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (second right) walks with CEO of Garuda Indonesia Emirsyah Satar (left) as he inspects one of the airline’s passenger jets at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta yesterday. — AP tion sector as a growing middle class, and business executives, opt to travel by air across an archipelago of 17,000 islands. Many islands lack good roads or railways, while ship connections are sporadic and slow, and deadly transport accidents are common.

Many airlines use ageing propeller planes to navigate remote and mountainous eastern provinces such as Papua, where a Garuda plane

Spanish markets take breather after losses MADRID: Spanish financial markets were on alert for further disruption yesterday, as the country’s borrowing costs edged lower after soaring this week on fears the country might need a bailout. The yield - the interest rate a country pays to borrow on the international debt markets and an indication of risk - for Spain’s 10-year bonds in the secondary market dropped back to 5.87 percent, still close to Tuesday’s four-month high of 5.93 percent and the levels that pushed Ireland, Portugal and Greece to seek a bailout.

Concern is growing over Spain’s ability to cut its national debt and lift its stagnating economy out of recession at a time when unemployment is nearly 23 percent.

Investors are also focusing on the lack of budgetary discipline in the country’s debtburdened regional governments and whether Spain’s saving banks, crippled by bad property loans, will need further injections of capital to save them from collapsing.

The country’s new right-leaning Popular Party government has introduced a series of labor and economic reforms aimed at convincing investors and the European Union that Spain can slash its public deficit from 8.5 percent of its economic output to the EU-set maximum of 3 percent next year and will not follow the path of Greece, Ireland and Portugal in seeking a bailout.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Spain’s situation was “difficult and complicated.” “The government’s economic policies are tough and costly and will not produce results in the short term but they are what we have to do in these moments,” said Rajoy. He said that Spain had overspent by ?90 billion ($118 billion) last year. “We have to ask (creditors) for this and if they don’t give it to us it puts us in a difficult position,” he said.

The Ibex 35 stock index in Madrid was up 1.4 percent after shedding 3 percent Tuesday. Adding to the country’s woes are international investors’ increasing reluctance to own risky investments, such as government bonds from Spain and other debtladen countries such as Italy - whose yield on its 10-year bond was 5.50 percent yesterday, down from 5.7 percent on Tuesday.

The economies of Italy and Spain are the third and fourth largest in the 17-country euro-zone after Germany and France and there is mounting concern that the single-currency union would not be able to afford to bail out Madrid or Rome if they asked for assistance. Analysts say investors need to see the reforms in ac tion and whether Spain’s regional governments reigning in spending and applying cutbacks.—AP

BAA March traffic boosted by emerging market growth LONDON: Traffic at airports operated by BAA rose by 4 percent in March, compared with the same month in 2011, helped by Easter being earlier this year and strong growth on routes to emerging markets. BAA, which is Britain’s main airport operator and majority owned by Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial, yester-

day said 8.6 million passengers travelled through its airports last month. The company said 5.7 million passengers passed through London Heathrow - Europe’s busiest airport last month, 6.9 percent up on last March. “That increase means Heathrow saw more than 70 million passengers over a twelve month period

for the first time,” BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews said in a statement. “Traffic from Heathrow to the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries saw growth compared with March last year, with an increase of 62.3 percent in traffic to and from Brazil.”

BAA said Heathrow’s performance was par-

ticularly notable for the 4.2 percentage point increase in load factor - how full planes leaving the airport are - to 73.4 percent compared to March last year. The increase was also helped

by Easter being earlier this year, with a substantial proportion of pre-Easter traffic falling in March rather than in April last year. — Reuters

skidded off the runway on Wednesday. Garuda was removed from a European Union blacklist on Indonesian carriers in 2009.

Garuda’s CEO Emirsyah Satar said he planned to use the new Airbus planes to expand in AsiaPacific, including to China, South Korea and Australia. Southeast Asian carriers have ordered $47 billion worth of aircraft for the coming decade. — Reuters

Bernanke: Fed working on regulatory failures WASHINGTON: Chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday that the Federal Reserve is working to address the regulatory failures that were exposed by the 2008 financial crisis. But he cautioned that as the financial system evolves, new risks will emerge. The Fed has overhauled its regulatory efforts to focus much more on the stability of the entire financial system, Bernanke said. It seeks to avoid mistakes of the past crisis, such as big non-bank institutions escaping the supervision.

But the Fed chief said it was not enough for regulators to just address problems exposed by the crisis. The financial system is constantly evolving and unanticipated future risks to stability will develop, he said. Bernanke’s comments came in a speech Monday night in Stone Mountain, Ga. at a conference sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The financial crisis, which hit with force in the fall of 2008 after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, underscored the need for regulators to do a better job in policing the financial system, he said.

“About three and a half years have passed since the darkest days of the financial crisis, but our economy is still far from having fully recovered from its effects,” Bernanke said in his remarks.

In terms of closer supervision, Bernanke noted that the central bank last month released the results of stringent stress tests in which all but four of 19 major US financial institutions got passing grades. The Fed declared the institutions strong enough to survive an economic downturn worse than the Great Recession. In another example of stepped up supervision, Bernanke said that the Fed has been actively monitoring US banks’ direct and indirect exposures to the European debt crisis.

It is also tracking the way US banks are managing their exposure to the crisis.

But Bernanke said regulators are still grappling with what approach to take in some areas, such as regulation of money-market funds. He said that more regulation of this industry may be needed, citing a proposal being pushed by Mary Schapiro, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. —AP

26

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

business

KUWAIT: Trichet (center) with (from left) former Minister of Foreign Trichet and NBK Group CEO Ibrahim Dabdoub Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah, Chairman and Director General of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development Abdulatif AlHamad, Director General of the Public Institution for Social Security Fahad Al-Rajaan and NBK Group CEO Ibrahim Dabdoub.

Trichet with the Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh and VIP guests

Future GCC currency needs strong governance: Trichet Former ECB chief addresses NBK symposium KUWAIT: Former European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet suggested that a future GCC unified currency will require strong governance and a solid framework for budget and fiscal policies. Mr Trichet was speaking at an annual International Symposium organized by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently.

The former central banker, who is also a former Governor of Banque de France and served two terms as ECB president, also offered lessons on the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis and the global economy since 2007.

In his presentation, Trichet explained how the US had been the epicenter for the first two episodes of the global financial crisis but that this shifted to Euorpe and the euro-zone in particular with the start of the sovereign debt difficulties in Greece and elsewhere. In his welcoming remarks, Ibrahim S Dabdoub, NBK Group CEO noted that, “In the last year or so, the central focus of the world of banking and finance has been on Europe and the euro zone. What happens to the world’s second largest economy and its unified currency has momentous importance, both for the short and long term.’

“This is why NBK invited Trichet to speak. With more than 30 years of European financial and policy leadership, Trichet is an authority on the euro zone and the global economic system. We thank him for coming to speak with us and shedding light on these very critical issues,” Dabdoub

Trichet speaking at NBK symposium. added. Trichet also noted that advanced economies in the world are experiencing what he labeled a ‘structural adaptation’ to the new global economy.

He explained that the global economic crisis which begun in 2007 has undergone major three episodes: the financial turbulence of late 2007 to 2008; the intensification of the crisis multiplied by the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the rapidity of the transmission of financial shocks

AUB announces results of Al-Hassad weekly draw KUWAIT: Al- Hassad Islamic is the only scheme to offer high value weekly and monthly prizes that are significantly higher than the total outlay of other prize schemes.

AUB has announced the results of the weekly draws of its Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme. The lucky customers winning the grand weekly prize worth KD 25,000 each at the draws held on April 4, 2012: Reda Fawzy Bebawy Shenouda, Dawood Rajab AlBulushi, Shadi Dager.

The following Al-Hassad Islamic customers won cash prizes of KD 1000 each: Musaed Salem Ahmad Al Barjas, Heba Mohd Musa, Eid Mahmoud Ibrahim Al Burdini, Dana Ahmed Jaseam Al Sanafy, Abdulredha Jassim Shaaban Al Hussain, Ali Abdulaziz, Hamad Hadeed Al Ibrahim, Ebtisam Saleh Al Nasheet, Saber Mohd Salem, Naseer Ahmed, Yousef Ali Hasan Al Mutawa, Abdulaziz Abdullah Saad Al Ajmi, Hanna Ibrahim Babauy, Bouthayna Lutfi Ouda, Ibrahim Muhammad Ismail Al Kandari, Ali Majbel Mohd Idwahiss, Mohamed Seddik Khedr, Zainab Abdulaziz Isa Al Daqqaq, Ameena Hasan Ahmed Hasan, Ali Husain Ahmed Naser Isa, Elham Mohsin, Hasan Ali Yaqoob Fakhro, Sana Mohammed Ahmed, Khulood Ali Salman Mohammed, Isa Jassim Ali Nasser.

With the new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011 scheme, customers have a lot more to look forward to. With 28 Weekly Prizes totaling KD 100,000 each week and “Salary for Life” Prizes every month, the chances to win bigger prizes more often couldn’t get any better.

The most attractive feature of the new scheme is the chance to win bigger prizes, more frequently with 3 grand prizes of KD 25,000 each, week on week plus 25 other weekly prizes of KD 1,000. Chances to win big prizes on

a weekly basis, offer instant rewards to both existing as well as new Investors in Investment Saving Account (AlHassad Islamic). With the introduction of a “Salary for Life” Prize of KD 250,000 every month, the grand prize is also now more frequent and customers do not need to wait for a quarter or more to qualify for the grand prize. The “Salary for Life” has been a core feature for the Al- Hassad Islamic scheme with prizes paid out to date exceeding KD 10 Million. The monthly “Salary for Life” prize has enabled winners to afford better homes, ensure better education for their children and enjoy an improved quality of life, with the assurance that the rewards will continue to come month after month for 250 months. Al-Hassad Islamic is the only scheme to offer high value weekly and monthly prizes that are significantly higher than the total outlay of other prize schemes in Kuwait. In addition to the attractive prize pool, customers with high balances can opt for other unique features such as Investment savings plan, cheque facility linked to their investment savings account and state of the art e-banking and 24 x 7 Contact Center support.

The new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011 is geared to meeting the needs of salaried individuals. Customers can benefit from not only the biggest and most attractive prize pool but can also enjoy state of the art banking benefits and access to AUB’s unique products’ range for Islamic Finances ,credit cards and investment products. All Al-Hassad draws are conducted under the scrutiny of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and independent auditing firm, Ernst& Young.

For more information on the AlHassad Islamic investment savings account, its prize structure and eligibility criteria, customers may visit any AUB Kuwait.

and most recently, the euro-zone’s sovereign risk problems.

“In a handful of days the whole world changed,” Trichet said, commenting on the rapidity of the spread of financial shock felt around the globe following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers bank in the US and the intensification of the credit crunch.

The former ECB head warned that the key to the euro-zone’s future would be a matter of gov-

ernance. “The euro-zone is not particularly vulnerable. The euro retains a remarkable level of confidence and credibility...The euro is solid because it keeps its value” But ‘benign neglect’ of individual governments to adhere to and enforce strict fiscal policies and to imbalances in the competitiveness of various euro-zone countries fueled the current sovereign risk crisis. Previously, Trichet also served as Chairman of the Group of Ten (G10) Governors and was elected President of the “Global economy meeting” of Central Bank governors and President of the Group of Governors and heads of supervision (GHOS) in Basel. He currently serves as Chairman for the powerful Washington-based Group of Thirty (G30) economic advisors.

Every year NBK invites world renowned speakers, leaders in business, economics, energy and politics, to shed light on important events as part of its International Symposium series. Past speakers include former US Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, former US Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, Mohamed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO, the world’s largest bond investment house, Professor Martin Feldstein, President Emeritus of NBER and Professor of Economics, Harvard University and William Rhodes, Senior Advisor and former Vice Chairman, Citigroup.

KIPCO expects 21st year of profitability in 2012 ‘Market share in financial services, media sectors likely to grow’ KUWAIT: At its annual Investors Forum, KIPCO the Kuwait Projects Company - said it expected to maintain its strong financial position and deliver its twenty-first consecutive year of profitability in 2012.

The announcement was made at the company’s annual Shafafiyah (transparency) Investors Forum where KIPCO presented a review of 2011 and guidance for 2012 to an audience of shareholders, financial analysts and institutional investors.

The Investors Forum followed the company’s General Assembly meeting where KIPCO shareholders approved a proposed dividend of 20 per cent (20 fils KIPCO’s Vice per share) and a stock diviChairman, Faisal dend of 5 per cent.

Al-Ayyar As part of its review of the last 12 months, KIPCO said 2011 was its twentieth consecutive year of profitability and the tenth consecutive year of paying dividends. The company added that over the last ten years it had achieved a cumulative profit of KD 796 million ($2.9 billion), distributed KD 331 million ($1.2 billion) in shareholder dividends and delivered a cumulative annual shareholder return of 30 per cent.

At the Forum, KIPCO also outlined its plans for 2012. The company said that over the next 12 months it intends to deleverage some of its operating companies with debt repayments totaling KD 174 million ($625 million). KIPCO also plans cost reductions at subsidiary level during the year. KIPCO also outlined its expectations for its core operating companies for 2012. The company expects Burgan Bank Group to increase its operating profits and market share during the year. KIPCO said that OSN - the region’s leading satellite TV broadcaster - would enhance its Arabic content and increase its market share through growth in its subscriber base. KIPCO also expects its regional insurance group - Gulf Insurance Company - to increase its market share

and continue its development of products and distribution channels. The company also said both Burgan and Gulf Insurance will be evaluating further acquisitions during the year to extend their regional networks.

Speaking at the Forum, KIPCO’s Vice Chairman, Faisal Al-Ayyar, said: “2011 was another landmark year in our history because it was our twentieth consecutive year of profitability and our tenth consecutive year of dividend distribution. Over the last ten and twenty years, we have consistently delivered double-digit returns for our shareholders. This very impressive track record underlines our ability to create shareholder value, even in hard times.”

“In stark contrast to many other companies in Kuwait, we have not only weathered the financial crisis, but have emerged from it stronger. By managing our funding, maintaining financial dis-

cipline and strengthening the financial structure of our operating companies, we have built solid foundations for future growth. We have met and exceeded the expectations of our shareholders in the past and we intend to continue to do so in the years to come.”

Commenting on the outlook for 2012, AlAyyar said: “Overall, we are optimistic for 2012 because we expect our market share in financial services and media to grow. We also plan to consolidate our market leadership, maintain our healthy cash position and deliver our twenty-first consecutive year of profitability. Our focus for the coming year will be to pay down debt, cut costs at subsidiary level and improve the performance of our operating companies. We are taking these measures in 2012, so that in future years, our shareholders will continue to see the level of results they have come to expect from us.”

Myanmar economy set to boom: ADB BANGKOK: With planeloads of foreign investors rushing in daily, Myanmar’s economy is poised for substantial growth that could surge beyond expectations if sanctions are lifted and the government steps up reforms, the Asian Development Bank said yesterday.

But the challenges will be “tremendous” and much needs to be done to overhaul the economy of a nation that sank to become one of the poorest in Asia after suffering almost half a century of military rule, said Craig Steffensen, the bank’s director for Myanmar and Thailand. “ We’re still at the beginning of the beginning,” Steffensen told reporters in Bangkok. “We’re trying to unwind a knotted ball of yarn if you will, and it’s going to take

a long time to untangle.”

But planes and hotels in the once-pariah nation “are full of business people looking for opportunities,” Steffensen said. “And I really think that Myanmar has the capability for private sector growth that we haven’t seen anywhere else for a long time.”

ADB figures indicate the economy has already been significantly bolstered by a 26 percent jump in tourist arrivals and a 15 percent rise in gas exports that alone are worth $3 billion in annual revenue.

The bank said it forecasts GDP growth in the country, also known as Burma, will rise from 5.5 percent in 2011 to 6 percent in 2012, and at least 6.3 percent the following year.

Steffensen said those estimates may

prove conservative and could rise “substantially” if sanctions are eased and the government continues on its path of reform.

“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see these figures higher next year and moving forward,” he said. Hordes of investors from Japan, South Korea, India, China and Thailand have already begun hurrying in to boost investment in a largely undeveloped nation that has long been considered one of the last frontiers in Asia, a rush Steffensen called “a veritable free for all.”

Longtime ally China has been one of Myanmar’s biggest international backers for years, pouring billions of dollars into the extraction of gems, timber, oil and gas. US and European Union sanctions, however, are holding back Western entrepreneurs.

And they are preventing the Asian Development Bank and other global financial institutions from providing crucial loans, grants and expertise that could help major projects like a planned deep sea port in the Myanmar coastal town of Dawei get off the ground. Since Myanmar’s military junta ceded power a year ago, the nominally civilian government has surprised the world with a series of sweeping political reforms, including releasing prominent political prisoners, signing truce deals with rebel movements, and opening a dialogue with prisoner-turned-parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi, who will enter the nation’s national assembly as a lawmaker for the first time on April 23. The European Union is expected to review its policy on

Myanmar April 23 and could ease sanctions. Washington’s complex sanctions regime, some of it in place since Myanmar’s opposition won 1990 elections that were annulled by the junta, may take more time to change.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said last week Washington would allow select Myanmar officials to visit and ease restrictions on the export of financial services. But she also said sanctions against people and institutions in Myanmar that try to thwar t democratic progress would remain.

Steffensen praised Myanmar for floating its exchange rate earlier this month, a move he said was hugely important for reforming the economy. —AP

27

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Big data takes center stage at EMC telecommunications summit DUBAI: The ninth EMC Telecommunications Summit for Turkey, Emerging Africa and Middle East opened in Dubai yesterday where Pat Gelsinger, President and Chief Operating Officer, EMC Information Infrastructure Products, delivered the keynote.

The Summit, attended by the region’s telecom CIOs and IT decision makers, has been taking place in the region every year since 2003, providing CIOs from the leading regional telecom operators with strategic insights to realize more agile, data-savvy and secure businesses.

IDC’s 2011 Digital Universe Study, Extracting Value from Chaos, which was sponsored by EMC, predicted the world would create a staggering 1.8 zettabytes (1.8 trillion gigabytes) of digital information last year. It also stated that, over the next decade, the amount

of information managed by enterprise datacenters will grow by a factor of 50, and the number of files the datacenter will have to deal with will grow by a factor of 75, at least. Meanwhile, the number of IT professionals in the world will grow by less than 1.5 times.

Data is growing faster than Moore’s Law1, and at the Summit today EMC issued a call to action, urging CIOs to make the leap from operating internal IT as a cost center to transforming it into a savvy internal service provider. A different architectural approach is required to keep up with - and subsequently exploit - exploding datasets and this is resulting in a defined focus on game-changing IT Transformation technologies, Big Data analytics and security. The EMC Telecom Summit explores the best approaches to transform IT into a business enabler that offers new IT services while dealing

with the increasing challenges of managing various unstructured data.

At the event, EMC demonstrated the competitive value hidden in Big Data and showcased the trusted solutions telecommunications companies are turning to in order to protect their environments from advanced threats and to have a single point of visibility and control (across physical, virtual, and cloud assets).

According to EMC, increased automation in progressively broader and more dispersed IT environments is key to managing exploding datasets; this is what EMC is building into its storage assets, its compute and virtualization assets, as well as across its analytics framework, with a focus on swift and easy capacity expansion that does not generate onerous administrative requirements or impact on performance.

Pat Gelsinger and Mohammed Amin at the ninth EMC Telecommunications Summit.

Nokia’s US ambitions hit by smartphone bug Lumia 900 software problem could cut data connections

BARCELONA: A man displays a Sony SmartWatch connected to a Sony mobile phone during a presentation. — AFP

Global cyber arms race engulfing Web WASHINGTON: A global cyber arms race is engulfing the Internet and the best way to counter the rapidly escalating threat is combining the efforts of US agencies, private firms and international allies, cyber security officials said yesterday. Cyber experts from across the US government, speaking at a conference at Georgetown University, said organized crime, espionage and security activity on the Internet pose a rising threat to US intellectual property, military superiority and critical infrastructure.

“What we’re looking at is a global cyber arms race,” said Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of intelligence at US Cyber Command, which was set up 18 months ago to protect Pentagon computer networks and conduct offensive cyber operations if the president orders them.

“It’s not proceeding at a leisurely or even a linear fashion but in fact is accelerating. I wouldn’t claim that it’s following Moore’s law, but the curve looks kind of similar,” he said, referring to a computer industry rule of thumb that computer processing power doubles every couple of years. Howard Schmidt, cyber security coordinator at the White House, said more than $8 trillion worth of transactions were carried over wired and wireless networks each year. “This is not just a national security issue,” he told the conference. “It’s a national security, public safety as well as economic.”

Officials said the most effective way to counter the threat is to adopt an approach that promotes collaboration among government agencies and reaches out to private industry as well as international partners.

“To really operate effectively in cyberspace ... it’s really a team sport,” said Steven Schleien, the principal director for cyber policy at the Pentagon. That’s why

the Defense Department has been working with private companies and allies like NATO, Japan and South Korea to discuss information sharing and coordinated responses to incidents on the Internet, he said.

NATO wants to bring all of the civilian and military networks in the organization under the wing of the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability by the end of 2012, which would allow a coordinated response to cyber attacks.

The United States has begun discussions on cyber security with Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, and is working closely with the Britain and Australia on a “full spectrum” of cooperation in cyberspace, Schleien said.

The United States does not view arms control treaties as a means of dealing with the problem but would like to see the international community agree on norms of behavior for cyberspace, he said. “This is not an area where arms control works. I don’t know what we would monitor. I don’t know how we would verify anything in terms of cyber weapons or cyber tools,” Schleien said.

Discussions on norms of behavior would begin to address the issue of how to fight proxies who carry out Internet attacks on behalf of governments, and “hactivists,” who attack computer networks for their own political ends.

“How do you deal with hactivists from your soil?” Schleien asked. “Are you responsible as a sovereign nation for what comes out of your country?”

The issues are sensitive and complex.

A US nonprofit group, for example, concluded Russian civilians acting with advance notice of Russian military intentions carried out cyber attacks in the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict. Some websites used to organize those attacks were hosted in the United States. — Reuters

US Army lab to develop energy-saving technology TRAVERSE CITY: A new Army laboratory will develop technology such as fuel cells and hybrid systems for combat vehicles as the Pentagon steps up its push for cleaner and more reliable energy, federal officials said yesterday.

The complex near Detroit was opening as the Obama administration prepared to announce a series of initiatives to create a greener US military, which officials said is intended not to just benefit the environment but also to improve fighting capabilities.

Among the initiatives is a competition to spur discoveries and a goal of generating enough renewable energy on military bases by 2025 to equal the output of three nuclear plants, according to administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment ahead of the announcement. The Pentagon previously has said it intends to meet one-quarter of its energy needs from renewable sources by then.

Officials were scheduled to discuss the projects during an opening ceremony at the Army’s Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory in the Detroit suburb of Warren. The facility includes eight separate labs where research and testing will be conducted on electrical systems, heating and cooling components, fuel cells, hybrid electric powertrains and advanced batteries.

The labs will enable researchers to create a variety of environmental conditions for testing, including temperatures ranging from 60 degrees below zero to 160 degrees and winds up to 60 mph. The military uses 90 percent of the energy consumed by the federal government, which accounts for about 2 percent of all U.S. energy consumption. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels will make the military more efficient and save lives, officials said, noting that many casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan involve convoys hauling fuel to battle areas. — AP

HELSINKI: Nokia has found a software bug in its Lumia 900 smartphone, its answer to Apple’s iPhone, and is effectively giving the model away until it is fixed, blunting its bid to turn around its fortunes in the United States.

Nokia’s first 4G phone, which it markets with the strapline “an amazingly fast way to connect”, can occasionally lose its data connection as a result of the bug, Nokia said.

Though still the world’s biggest volume maker of cellphones, Nokia lost the top spot in the lucrative smartphone market last year to Apple and Google, in part due to its weak performance in the United States, where its smartphones have slipped to less than a 1 percent market share.

The Lumia 900, which uses Microsoft’s Windows Phone software, is currently only available in the United States and is key to its comeback there. “It’s like they stalled their engine when everybody is looking at them at the start of their race,” said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi.

It is the third Nokia phone to run the Windows operating system since it ditched its own Symbian system last year, and only went on sale in the United States through AT&T on April 8. It is due for a wider global launch this quarter. The model won several awards at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas when it was launched in January.

Nokia said a software update to fix the problem, which was “a memory management issue” related to phone software, not to hardware, the network or the Windows operating system, would be available around April 16.

It is offering anyone who has bought a Lumia 900 phone, or who buys one by April 21, a $100 credit to their AT&T bill. The operator sells the phone for $99.99 with a two-year contract.

“I must say I have not encountered anything, but I have been impressed by their forthright, aggressive, and undoubtedly cost-

ly response,” said Boston-based analyst John Jackson from CCS Insight, who uses the Lumia 900.

Though one analyst who asked not to be named said it would only cost Nokia at most $10 million on likely sales in that period, it will be a big disappointment to a company struggling to revive its brand. Its share of the global smartphone market tumbled to 12 percent in the fourth quarter of last year from 30 percent a year earlier.

“To have a memory issue causing disruption to what was otherwise, apparently, a fairly good launch, with prime time ads and reasonable reviews, is the last thing they needed - particularly in the U.S.,” said Tim Shepherd, analyst at Canalys.

Nokia’s share price has dropped more than

50 percent since it unveiled the swap to Microsoft in February 2011 as sales of the Windows phones have yet to compensate for the decline in sales of its older models. Its shares were down 0.5 percent on Wednesday at 3.806 euros at 0948 GMT, while Europe’s top shares were up about 0.6 percent.

Nokia created the smartphone industry in the late 1990s with its Communicator models and was the undisputed leader until Apple’s iPhone entered the ring in 2007 and Google’s Android system was released in late 2008.

In late 2010 it replaced its chief executive with Stephen Elop, who headed Microsoft’s business division, and later switched to the Microsoft Phone system to arrest the decline. — Reuters

The new Lumia 900 smartphone.

Microsoft deal with AOL part of patent scramble NEW YORK: AOL’s $1 billion deal to sell and license patents to Microsoft is another in a series of “Antiques Roadshow” moments in the technology world. Faded companies have been rummaging through their assets recently, and some of them have found musty old patents that turn out to be worth a great deal.

Patents have become a hot commodity in recent years. They give the holder the exclusive right to use certain technologies or business processes in the US Companies such as Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google and others are collecting large patent libraries and increasingly using them in lawsuits - to defend their businesses or to attack rivals.

A valuable patent is less like a forgotten Rembrandt and more like a rusty-but-serviceable gun.

“Patents have become legal weapons. They’re not representing ideas anymore,” says James Bessen, a lecturer at Boston University and the director of a nonprofit that studies patent issues.

Two big deals in the past year have pushed patents into the spotlight. In July, a consortium that included Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. pledged to pay $4.5 billion for a collection of patents from Nortel Networks, a bankrupt Canadian maker of telecommunications equipment.

By contrast, Nortel’s once-prominent wireless networks business fetched just $1.13 billion in 2009.

The consortium outbid Google Inc. for the Nortel patents. But Google struck back in August,

when it sealed a deal to buy cellphone company Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for $12.5 billion. Motorola is well past its prime as a cellphone maker, but as a technology front-runner for decades, its engineers had accumulated 17,500 patents for the company. The deal with Google has yet to close.

Google wants Motorola’s patents as a defense against lawsuits related to its Android operating software for phones and tablets. Motorola, Samsung Electronics Co. and other phone makers have been riding Apple’s coattails with devices that are similar to Apple’s iPhone and iPad. Apple is fighting back, using patent law in an attempt to delay competitors.

Google supplies Motorola and Samsung with phone software, so it doesn’t want to see Apple succeed with its lawsuits. It’s buying Motorola so it can use its patents to sue Apple, a threat that could force Apple to the negotiating table or avoid suing Google’s partners altogether.

Because of their complexity, high-tech products are particularly susceptible to patent litigation.

Hundreds of thousands of patents could apply to a smartphone, for instance. A competitor sitting on any one of those patents could ask a court to stop sales of the product. Things rarely get that far, however. Instead, the defendant usually ends up paying the patent owner ongoing royalties.

These royalties can add up: Analyst Pierre Ferragu at Sanford

Bernstein estimates that Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp. pays about 10 percent of its revenue to license patents from other companies.

Christopher Marlett, the CEO of MDB Capital, an investment bank that focuses on intellectual properties including patents, says he believes the AOL deal was driven by the rivalry between Google and Microsoft. AOL has Internet-related patents, including some that cover mapping, given that it owns MapQuest, one of the pioneers in that area. Google and Microsoft have their own mapping services. Much as Google, Microsoft and Apple are doing, Facebook is also buying patents from technology veterans to use in tomorrow’s battles.

As a young, successful company with few patents of its own, it needs protection. In March, IBM Corp. sold Facebook 750 patents.

The companies did not offer details on what the patents cover or the amount of money exchanged. Which other companies are sitting on potentially valuable patent portfolios?

Eastman Kodak Co. started shopping around its digital-imaging patents last summer, but didn’t manage to make a sale in time to avoid a bankruptcy filing. It’s now set to sell the patents under the bankruptcy proceedings.

Though best known for filmbased photography, Kodak created some of the first digital cameras. At a time when cameras now go into every phone, Kodak’s patents could be worth

$2 billion to $3 billion, according to various estimates. Last fall, investors valued the entire company at just over $1 billion, including its debts.

Patents may also represent a big part of the value of Research In Motion Ltd., the struggling maker of the BlackBerry. The company has seen a steep slide in sales, which has pulled its market capitalization down to $6.8 billion. Its patents could be worth $2 billion to $4 billion, analysts say. Yahoo Inc., like AOL an Internet pioneer, has valuable patents and an ailing business as well. But its straits are not as dire as Kodak’s and RIM’s. Still, Yahoo chose to wield its patents in March, suing Facebook for infringement on 10 patents. As is customary, Facebook retaliated with its own patent suit against Yahoo, shortly after acquiring the patents from IBM. The recent trend doesn’t mean that patents are on an unstoppable rise in value. Ferragu, the Sanford Bernstein analyst, believes that the smartphone fight is heading for a truce, where a “gentleman’s club” of companies figure out the relative strengths of their patent portfolios and work out royalty rates in accordance.

But patents are likely to keep driving deals. “Patents are a very important asset class that have been ignored way too long,” says Alexander Poltorak, CEO of patent-management firm General Patent Corp. “Patents are the currency of the knowledge-based economy.” — AP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Fungus threat escalates for food, wildlife: Scientists PARIS: Species of fungus, driven by trade, travel and climate change, pose a mounting threat to food supplies and biodiversity, scientists said yesterday.

Widely unknown to the general public, seven fungal epidemics are under way, striking bees, bats, frogs, soft corals and sea turtles as well as rice and wheat, they said.

Human health and livelihoods are at stake, for fungus costs $60 billion a year in losses to corn, wheat and rice alone, according to their assessment, published by the science journal Nature.

“In both animals and plants, an unprecedented number of fungal and fungal-like species have recently caused some of the most severe die-offs and extinctions ever witnessed in wild

species, and are jeopardising food security,” it warned. The paper said a lethal skin fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, discovered in 1997, has infected 500 species of frogs and toads in 54 countries, on all continents where amphibians are found.

Some areas of Central America have lost more than 40 percent of their amphibian species. Bats in North America and Canada are being decimated by “white nose syndrome,” a pathogen called Geomyces destructans, which causes a white fungal patch to grow on their muzzles. The fungus is believed to have a natural home in cave soil. Species of the Microsporidia family of fungus are being blamed in part for for so-called colony collapse disorder

among honeybees. In tropical climates, the fungus Fusarium solani is causing eggs laid by the loggerhead turtle to fail to hatch, while a soft coral, the sea fan, is in decline, its immune system depressed by a soil fungus.

A pathogen called Magnaporthe oryzae, causing a disease called rice blast, has led to losses of 10-35 percent in the rice har vest in 85 countries.

Another fast-emerging concern for farmers is wheat rust, caused by Puccinia graminis. A strain called Ug99 can cause 100-percent crop loss, helped by farmers’ over-dependence on a single wheat type.

Fungal destruction of these crops, and also of corn, potatoes and soybeans, currently amounts to 125 million tonnes

a year, according to the study. Tackling this problem would be enough to feed one in 12 of the world’s population.

Fungus is spread by tough, virulent and long-living spores that can be borne by wind or water. But human intervention, through trade, transport and global warming, is accelerating its spread, the study said.

For instance, the amphibian fungus B. dendrobatidis has gained a foothold in some ecoystems by the introduction of the North American bullfrog, which is resistant to the disease. In the mid-19th century, a fungus called Phytophthora infestans triggered a catastrophic disease in potatoes known as late blight, causing millions of deaths from famine and an exodus to America.

The fungus originated in the Andes but hitched a ride in tubers to Mexico, and from there to the United States and finally to Ireland, according one theory.

“Crop losses due to fungal attack challenge food security and threaten biodiversity, yet we are woefully inadequate at controlling their emergence and proliferation,” said Sarah Gurr, a professor of molecular plant pathology at Oxford University.

Addressing fungal epidemics starts at the bottom, with better understanding of how the pathogen interacts with hosts and the environment. In terms of action, “effective prevention and timely control” are best, as these stop an early outbreak in its tracks, according to the study. — AFP

Autism research may be about to bear fruit Focus on genetics bolstered by improvements in gene mapping

NEW DELHI: In this file photograph taken on January 3, 2012 an Indian street vendor poses with a packet of cigarettes, adorned with an image said to resemble that of Chelsea and England footballer John Terry, on a stall in New Delhi. An Indian health warning on cigarette packets that uses an apparent picture of England footballer John Terry with a set of blackened lungs is to be withdrawn, officials said yesterday. — AFP

India to drop ‘Terry’ pic from cigarette warnings NEW DELHI: An Indian health warning on cigarette packets that uses an apparent picture of England footballer John Terry with a set of blackened lungs is to be withdrawn, officials said yesterday. Terry’s London-based lawyers have threatened to sue over the blurry photograph featuring the head and shoulders of a man closely resembling the former England captain and current skipper of Premier League side Chelsea.

“Some people raised objections to the picture. We have asked the directorate of advertisement and visual publicity to provide new pictures, which they have done,” a health ministry official told AFP. The ministry has continued to deny the picture was of Terry, but it is distinctly similar to an image of him available on the Internet.

“Though the controversy is a part of the reason for withdrawing it, the present tobacco control dispensation is also not very happy with the quality of this image as a warning,” one official told the Indian Express newspaper.

“The picture could be of any man. It is only the fertile imagination of some who see Terry in it. However, the controversy has been an unseemly one and so we are looking at a fresh set of warnings.” The image of a shirtless man appeared on many brands of cigarettes

in India and became a talking point among football fans and tourists from England who took to Twitter to say they instantly recognised Terry. Each packet, which normally costs about 100 rupees ($2) in India, shows the man’s blackened lungs emphasised by a red circle above a slogan in English reading “Smoking Kills”. Terry’s management agency told AFP on Wednesday that his lawyers may still pursue legal action after the picture first appeared on cigarette packets in December.

“We are taking legal steps, and have instructed solicitors. It remains the case that we will follow their advice,” Keith Cousins, of the British-based Elite Management agency, which represents Terry, said.

“We can make no further comment due to the legal situation, but John Terry is familiar with everything (to do with the case).”

Cousins also stressed that his client, who has hit the headlines in the past over drinking binges, was a non-smoker.

Terry, 31, is currently sidelined by cracked ribs suffered in the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final against Benfica on March 27. He is also facing criminal charges in Britain over allegations of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. He was stripped of the national captaincy over the charges.—AFP

GENEVA: Margaret Chan, left, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Anthony Lake, center, United Nations Children’s Fund Executive Director (UNICEF) and Portuguese Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), attend a news conference on the Sahel at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday. — AP

Child’s cancer may not boost parents’ divorce risk COPENHAGEN: Parents of children with cancer may be under emotional strain, but they are no more likely than other couples to split up, according to a study from Denmark. Researchers whose findings were published in Pediatrics found that among more than 47,000 Danish couples with children, the parents of children with cancer were no more likely than other parents to divorce or separate over the years.

“There has been a fear that such a traumatic event as having a child diagnosed with cancer could lead to divorce,” said Christoffer Johansen of the Danish Cancer Research Center in Copenhagen, who worked on the study.

“Overall, we did not see that. What we see is, you are simply able to cope,” he told Reuters Health. Of course, some parents of children with cancer do divorce, but the findings suggested the number was no higher than average. The study was based on public registry data for the parents of 2,450 children who were diagnosed with cancer between 1980 and 1997, and the parents of 44,853 cancer-free kids. Each child

with cancer was matched with about 18 children of the same sex and age.

Over 20 years, Johansen’s team found, parents of children with cancer were no more likely to divorce - or, in the case of unmarried parents living together, to split up. That was with factors such as the parents’ employment status and household income taken into account. Whether or not the child survived the cancer also had no significant influence on the results.

“The number of divorces was no higher than would be expected for the general population. I think this is quite reassuring,” Johansen said, though he said that the findings did not, of course, mean no couples faced relationship problems after their child was diagnosed with cancer.

He noted that there are cultural differences from country to country, including views on marriage and divorce, and women’s role in the family but that, in principle, his team’s findings could be generalized to other countries.— Reuters

ATLANTA: More than $1 billion has been spent over the past decade researching autism. In some ways, the search for its causes looks like a long-running fishing expedition, with a focus on everything from genetics to the age of the father, the weight of the mother, and how close a child lives to a freeway.

That perception may soon change. Some in the field say they are seeing the beginning of a wave of scientific reports that should strengthen some theories, jettison others and perhaps even herald new drugs. “I do think over the next three to five years we’ll be able to paint a much clearer picture of how genes and environmental factors combine” to cause autism, said Geraldine Dawson, a psychologist who is chief science officer for the advocacy group Autism Speaks.

The effort has been infused with new urgency by a recent federal report that found autism disorders are far more common than was previously understood, affecting 1 in 88 US children. Better diagnosis is largely responsible for the new estimate, but health officials said there may actually be more cases of autism, too.

If autism’s causes remain a mystery, “you’re not going to be able to stop this increase,” said Irva HertzPicciotto, a researcher at the University of California, Davis who is leading a closely watched study into what sparks autism disorders.

In the past week, a spate of studies released during National Autism Awareness Month has offered tantalizing new information about potential causes. Research published in the journal Nature widened the understanding of the genetic roots of some cases and confirmed the elevated risks for children with older fathers. Another study, released online Monday in Pediatrics, suggested maternal obesity may play a role.

To be sure, finding the causes of autism - an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that delay children socially or intellectually - remains daunting. The causes are believed to be complicated, and not necessarily the same for each child. Some liken autism to cancer - a small word for a wide range of illnesses.

In many cases, autism can be blamed on both genetic problems that load the gun and other factors that pull the trigger.

It has been a growing public concern for two decades, as studies have found it to be more and more prevalent. The US government dramatically increased funding for autism research in the last decade, and now budgets about $170 million a year through the National Institutes of Health.

That’s only about a quarter of what NIH will spend on breast cancer research and $50 million less than what it will spend on asthma.

But more than a half-dozen founda-

tions and autism advocacy groups have been adding to the pot, putting annual research spending in recent years at more than $300 million. About a third of that has been devoted to finding autism’s causes.

The lion’s share of money for finding a cause has been spent on genetics, which so far experts believe can account for roughly 20 percent of cases. The earliest suc-

neurons connect and conduct signals through the nervous system.

It’s a bit like the way tree-hopping ants might cross the twig ends of one tree branch to another. In Fragile X syndrome, scientists have noted the branches are thinner and the twigs too numerous. The experimental drug thins the twigs and strengthens the branches, allowing a more solid and centralized bridge.

CALIFORNIA: In this undated photo provided by the UC Davis Health System, Irva Hertz-Picciotto is shown. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, is leading a study into what sparks autism disorders.

More than $1 billion has been spent over the past decade searching for autism’s causes. — AP cess was in the early 1990s and involved the discover y of the genetic underpinnings of Fragile X syndrome, a rare condition that accounts for just 2 to 4 percent of autism cases but is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability in boys.

The focus on genetics has been bolstered by dramatic improvements in gene mapping as well as the bioengineering of mice with autism symptoms. Dozens of risk genes have been identified, and a half-dozen drug companies are said to be working on developing new treatments.

“We’ve made some very significant progress on the genetics end of this search,” said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Scientists have used autistic mice to test new drugs.

Among the most promising is a small, white, strawberry-flavored pill that is so experimental it doesn’t have a name. Developed by a Massachusetts company called Seaside Therapeutics Inc., the drug is aimed at a problem area in the brains of autistic children, where

The same problem hasn’t been as visible in other types of autism, but many believe the phenomenon is somewhat similar. The drug was deemed successful in mice and is now being tested in children and adults. In small, early studies, the drug made a striking difference in small groups of Fragile X children, causing hermit-like youngsters to start hanging out in the kitchen to chat with their mothers, said Dr. Paul Wang, Seaside’s vice president of clinical development. Now it is being tried in a preliminar y study of about 150 children with a range of other autism disorders, including Asperger’s. The results are expected to be presented at a scientific conference in the next year.

“It’s going to be an exciting time, we hope,” when those results come in, said Dawson, from Autism Speaks. But even genetics enthusiasts acknowledge that genes are only part of the answer. Studies of identical twins have shown that autism can occur in one and not the other, meaning something outside a child’s DNA is triggering the disorder in many cases. Some cases

may be entirely due to other causes, Dawson said.

That broad “other ” categor y means “environmental” influences not necessarily chemicals, but a grab bag of outside factors that include things like the age of the father at conception and illnesses and medications the mother had while pregnant.

For years, the best-known environmental theory involved childhood vaccines, prompted by a flawed 1998 British study that has been thoroughly discredited.

Dozens of later studies have found no link between vaccines and autism.

But there are other possible candidates. In all cases, these are “association” studies - they don’t prove cause and effect. They merely find connections between certain factors and autism. And sometimes these conclusions can be skewed by other things researchers failed to account for. Some study results expected within a year: Hertz-Picciotto’s study of 1,600 children in Northern California is comparing autistic children, youngsters with other developmental disabilities, and those who have no such diagnoses. Some results have been released already, including the recent finding that suggests a link between autism and a mother’s obesity. An earlier part of the study found that children born to mothers living less than two blocks from a freeway were twice as likely to have autism - presumably because of auto exhaust and air pollution, the researchers speculated.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study involves 2,700 families nationwide. The researchers are interviewing parents and poring over medical records to look for common threads among autistic families, as well as doing genetics tests and checking hair samples for mercury.

Much of the focus is on illnesses, medications, nutritional deficiencies or other problems during pregnancy.

A study by Pennsylvania researchers involves 1,700 families in various regions of the country.

Scientists are doing brain-imaging to look for changes over time in the brains of infants who have an older autistic sibling.

A large Scandinavian study is examining patient registries in six countries for prenatal risk factors.

As study findings are reported, researchers are hoping to see repetition - confirmation, that is that certain factors are playing significant roles.

Even so, scientists are still casting nets. Said Coleen Boyle, a CDC official overseeing research into children’s developmental disabilities: “We’re at the infancy of just understanding how these factors relate to autism.” —AP

Dementia cases to triple by 2050 GENEVA: World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday that nearly 35.6 million people live with dementia, world wide. This number is expected to double by 2030 (65.7 million) and to triple by 2050 (115. 4 million).

Dementia affects people in all countries, with more than half (58 percent) living in low- and middle-income countries. By 2050, this is likely to rise to more than 70 percent, said the study.

Treating and caring for people with dementia currently costs the world more than USD 604 billion per year. This includes the cost of providing health and social care as well the reduction or loss of income of people with dementia and their caregivers. Only eight countries worldwide currently have national programmes in place to address dementia. A new report “Dementia: a public health priority ”, published by the World Health Organization ( WHO) and Alzheimer’s Disease International, recommends that programmes focus on improving early diagnosis; raising public awareness about the disease and reducing stigma; and

providing better care and more support to caregivers. Lack of diagnosis is a major problem. Even in high-income countries, only one- fifth to onehalf of cases of dementia are routinely recognized.

When a diagnosis is made, it often comes at a relatively late stage of the disease.

“We need to increase our capacity to detect dementia early and to provide the necessary health and social care. Much can be done to decrease the burden of dementia,” says Dr Oleg Chestnov, Assistant Director-General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO introdusing the Study.

“Health-care workers are often not adequately trained to recognize dementia. “, he added. The report points to a general lack of information and understanding about dementia. This fuels stigma, which in turn contributes to the social isolation of both the person with dementia and their caregivers, and can lead to delays in seeking diagnosis, health assistance and social support.

“Public awareness about dementia, its symp-

toms, the importance of getting a diagnosis, and the help available for those with the condition is very limited. It is now vital to tackle the poor levels of public awareness and understanding, and to drastically reduce the stigma associated with dementia,” says Marc Wortmann, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Strengthening care is also key. In every region of the world, most caregiving is provided by informal caregivers - spouses, adult children, other family members and friends. The report notes that people who care for a person with dementia are themselves particularly prone to mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, and are often in poor physical health themselves. Many caregivers also suffer economically as they may be forced to stop working, cut back on work, or take a less demanding job to care for a family member with dementia.

The report recommends involving existing caregivers in designing programmes to provide better support for people with dementia and those looking after them.— KUNA

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

H E A LT H

Improving OHS is everybody’s business KUWAIT: The success of a company lies in a healthy and motivated human resource. Maintaining safe and healthy workplaces is therefore as much in a companys’ self-interest as is business strategy or energy efficiency. Efficient management of occupational health and safety is not only crucial from an ethical and Corporate Social Responsibility point of view but also from a financial perspective, as well as to meet the applicable regulatory guidelines.

Understanding the importance of health and safety of workers, many companies emphasize that the health of workers is an essential prerequisite for productivity of business. A planned approach to hazard identification leads to a need to manage the hazard effectively.

Otherwise, what is the point of identifying any risk if it is then ignored?

Under the esteemed patronage of Ministry of Health Kuwait, The 3rd Annual OHS Forum 2012, a prestigious occupational health and safety conference and workshop program, will be held between 7 - 9 May at The Palms Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait. The forum is designed to explore the most significant challenges, developments and policies pertaining to occupational safety and making the workplace a healthy and illness free environment.

Supported by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, UK and The GCC Health Ministers Council, the forum is accredited by the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization, Ministry of Health, Kuwait where attending delegates can earn 15 CME/CPD credits.

Speaking about the event, Dr. AbdelLatif Elmor, Advisor for Occupational Health and Safety with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said, “This forum is the biggest in Kuwait, that addresses the various occupational health issues faced by Oil and Gas and other industries, in a comprehensive manner. I strongly recommend all Occupational Health and Safety professionals as well as senior management from petroleum companies to meet the distinguished experts and speakers from across the world coming together at this conference.” Dr. Elmor is presenting a paper on “Health Promotion & the Occupational Health System” at the conference.

Dr. Sameer Al Haddad, Head of Occupational Health Group at Ministry of Health, Bahrain will speak on the subject of “Ergonomic Risk Factors and Ergonomic Risk Controls” at the conference, about which he stated, “This forum promotes the science and practice of addressing health hazards in the workplace as well as looking to the challenges, and seeking new strategies to create safer and healthier work environments.” During the three day summit, Occupational Health and Safety Experts from the leading conglomerates in Construction, Petrochemicals, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Power, Utilities and Aviation companies will share their insights and experiences on succesful practices being deployed. Presentations dealing with a variety of issues such as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), cultural diversity, attitudes, ergonomics and workplace environment considerations, are among those to be delivered.

Court weighs graphic health warnings on cigarettes WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court weighed the constitutionality of requiring large graphic photos on cigarette packs to show that smoking can disfigure and even kill people, with two of the three judges questioning how far the government could go.

Some of the nation’s largest tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynolds, sued to block the mandate. They argued that the government’s proposed warnings go beyond factual information into anti-smoking advocacy. The Obama administration responded that the photos of dead and diseased smokers are factual.

In Februar y, US District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the requirement ran afoul of the First Amendment’s free speech protections and blocked the requirement. The government appealed.

The nine graphic warnings proposed by the Food and Drug Administration include color images of a man exhaling cigarette smoke through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, and a plume of cigarette smoke enveloping an infant receiving a mother’s kiss. Some other images are accompanied by language that says smoking causes cancer and can harm fetuses.

The warnings were to cover the entire top half of cigarette packs, front and back, and include the phone number for a stop-smoking hotline, 1-800-QUITNOW. At Tuesday ’s hearing, Judge A. Raymond Randolph, an appointee of Republican President George H.W. Bush, asked if the government could go so far as to require cars to carry a warning that “speed kills,” with a graphic illustration. Justice Department attorney Mark B. Stern replied that he didn’t think there would be any problem with that.

Another Republican appointee, Judge Janice Rogers Brown, asked if the government could mandate a ciga-

rette warning that said, “Stop! If you buy this product, you are a moron,” or “Smokers are idiots.”

“No, I don’t think saying smokers are idiots is accurate,” Stern replied. He said such a warning would be “problematic.”

Brown also questioned if the government was on a path to put warnings on other legal products. “ Where does this stop?” asked Brown, who like District Judge Leon was appointed by Republican George W. Bush. Lawyers for the tobacco companies made a similar argument in their brief. They superimposed the FDA tobacco image of a cadaver onto a McDonald’s bag with the warning that fatty foods may cause heart disease, and the FDA’s image of a premature baby in an incubator on a bottle of alcohol with a warning that drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects. They also showed a Hershey’s chocolate bar with half the wrapper covered by a picture of a mouth of rotting teeth and a warning that candy causes tooth decay.

Stern said those comparisons trivialized an important issue. “Addiction really means addiction,” he said, and it was not like eating candy. The third judge on the panel, Judith W. Rogers, an appointee of Democrat Bill Clinton, didn’t ask any questions of the Obama administration, but she grilled Noel J. Francisco, a lawyer for tobacco companies. Rogers asked Francisco if he was challenging the accuracy of the FDA’s text warnings, such as smoking causing cancer and heart disease. The lawyer said he was not, but that the government was going beyond mere facts by including a phone number to quit.

“The government is trying to send a powerful message: Quit smoking now,” he said. When the message tells people to live a certain way, it crosses the line from facts to advocacy, he argued.

But Randolph said he had a hard time finding that line, adding that the

judges were in “new territory.”

In his ruling, Leon wrote that the graphic images “were neither designed to protect the consumer from confusion or deception, nor to increase consumer awareness of smoking risks; rather, they were crafted to evoke a strong emotional response calculated to provoke the viewer to quit or never start smoking.”

“While the line between the constitutionally permissible dissemination of factual information and the impermissible expropriation of a company’s advertising space for government advocacy can be frustratingly blurry, here the line seems quite clear,” Leon wrote.

The case is separate from a lawsuit

by several of the same tobacco companies over the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which cleared the way for the more graphic warning labels and other marketing restrictions. The law also allowed the FDA to limit nicotine and banned tobacco companies from sponsoring athletic or social events or giving away free samples or branded merchandise.

Last month, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati ruled that the law was constitutional. Tobacco companies increasingly rely on their packaging to build brand loyalty and grab consumers - one of the few advertising levers left to them after the government curbed their presence in magazines, billboards and TV. — Reuters

Post-menopause cancer risk linked to seaweed TOKYO: A Japanese study Wednesday said regular seaweed consumption among postmenopausal women heightened their risk of developing thyroid cancer, linking it to iodine in the macrobiotic food. A 14-year national survey of nearly 53,000 Japanese women, aged between 40 and 69, found that the group reported 134 thyroid cancer cases, including 113 cases of papillary carcinoma, a common type of the illness.

Those who ate seaweed daily were 1.7 times more likely to develop cancer than those who ate it no more than twice a week, the study said. The risk more than doubled among post-menopausal women who were about 3.8 times more likely to develop the cancer than those who limited their consumption of seaweed, a popular food in Japan,

the study said.

“Seaweed consumption was clearly associated with an increased risk of papillary carcinoma,” said the study led by the National Cancer Center and National Institute for Environmental Studies.

It was not clear why postmenopausal women had an increased risk of developing cancer but there may be a link with the iodine in seaweed, according to the research published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

Japanese women were particularly at risk given their regular-and sometimes excessive-consumption of seaweed, which accounted on average for about 80.0 percent of their iodine intake. The survey did not say how much seaweed participants consumed during the study between 1993 and 2007. — AFP

30

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Captivating graduation ceremony at LOA

Greetings

T

C

ongratulations to Habib Mamdouh Yusary for graduating fron UKG with good marks. His parents, relatives and well wishers wish him a bright future.

he best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched - they must be felt with the heart.

On the convivial, cool, beautiful, evenings, 14th and 15th of March 2012, for the galaxy of the proud parents of the UKG students of Indian learners own academy, the mesmerizing sight of their precious ones, the proud little graduands marching into the arena in their proud convocation gowns to receive their graduation certificates was the most beautiful scene in the world. It was undoubtedly the attractive appoggiatura of the events which took place on 14th and 15th March, 2012.

The events were made auspicious by the recital of Quran verse, prayer and the national anthems of Kuwait and India.

The lighting of the lamp of knowledge, which was adorably done by the chief guests - Dr. Ashok Sharma, a seasoned dermatologist from Furwania hospital who is the member of the management of the school as its correspondent to CBSE and reverent Fr Lionel the Principal of Indian English Academy School in Kuwait respectively; was an emphatic conveyance of the domination of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The ceremony was made more appealing by the welcome address of the principal Mrs. Asha Sharma, who congratulated the graduating students whole heartedly. She did not forget appreciating the tremendous support not only from the teaching faculty but also from the parents as well.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Ashok assured the parents of the good quality education which is the hallmark of the school and hoped that the school will grow speedily in each field and make its name. Fr. Lionel focused on the encouragement to be given to the children, so that they grow without inhibition. He urged that teachers and parents must work as facilitators.

“A child is like a red red rose that’s newly sprung in June.

A child is like a melody, that’s sweetly played in tune.”

Ab inito Learners’ newly sprung roses

put up a wondrous and winsome show comprising of a rainbow of cultural activities that revealed the latent and luminous lustre they could showcase under the guidance of their diligent teachers who did a wonderful job. Little but confident anchors of the programme performed with ease, self discipline and aristocracy.

The young students were successful in casting a magic spell on the audience with their imposing and incantatory performance which was beyond expectation.

It was a befitting tribute to their second home; their own alma meter.

It was a visible personification of the fact that a quality education is about Ad Vitam Paramus - ‘preparing for life’.

Approach to learning is one which focus-

es not only on academic excellence but also in helping students develop their character, creativity, values, personal leadership and the spirit of enterprise necessary for them to achieve their full potential as global citizens and leaders of the future.

More flavour was added to the extravaganza by the little ones while they cheered their way through “swagatham dance”, “top of the world”, “waka waka dance”, “heal the world”, “papa kehta hai”, “hum hai hero”, “wind the bobbin up”, “catch a falling star”, “a beautiful day”, “ghode jaise chaal”, “I’m a Barbie girl”, “if I were an animal”, “follow me”, “boom boom clap”, “we were all in this together” and “animal dance”.

In their smart and bright outfits the little ones enjoyed tapping their feet and dancing with beautiful steps to the rhythmic and enchanting music. A scintillating and lively performance was put up on the stage which turned out to be a delicious feast for the eyes of the spectators. The cheer group left no stone unturned in applauding the amateur artists and speakers.

The event came to conclusion with vote of thanks by the little but wonderful orators. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. It was the end of a great beginning. The tiny tots were able to prove that like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.

Our pasta is your pasta

T

his Season, Ruby Tuesday targets the Pasta lovers with all its Pasta Classics. With the return of all your favorites and the signature dishes, Ruby Tuesday brings the ultimate temptations to all its guests.

From Parmesan Chicken Pasta, Chicken & Mushroom Alfredo, Chicken & Broccoli Pasta to Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta and Parmesan Shrimp Pasta, showcasing fresh ingredients with richness and classic flavors it’s guaranteed to heighten your senses and cater your palates.

Our new Mediterranean Shrimp pasta is a crowd pleaser; prepared with Broiled Shrimp which are served over tender linguine pasta in a basil pesto cream sauce topped with fresh Mediterranean tomato bruschetta is sure to melt your heart away.

The Parmesan Chicken Pasta has been a local favorite; topped with breaded chicken breast served over al dente penne tossed in Parmesan cream sauce, then finished with marinara and melted Swiss.

Ruby Tuesday offers a unique, casual experience on its brand promise “Fresh taste Fresh Place” melding authentic and imaginative American food, exciting and innovative drinks and a one of a kind service experience to provide the best experience from the everyday turning any day into a Tuesday!!

Kala-Kuwait, Balakalamela-2012

K

ALA-Kuwait is pleased to announce the registration for the Balakalamela-2012, the art & literary completions for Indian school children, to be held on two consecutive Fridays 27 April 2012 & 4 May 2012 at Carmel School, Khaitan, to provide maximum opportunity for the students to participate. Based on the repeated requests from the community, KALA have included instrument music also in addition to the existing list of items. Competitions on dance and performing arts are scheduled to 27 April 2012 while Literary & instrument music competitions will be held on 4 May. The registration is free and forms are already distributed to Indian schools in Kuwait as well as available in our website www.kalaonweb.com The filled form may be sent to kalabalakalamela@gmail.com or fax to 24317875. The completions shall be for the 3 categories Sub-Junior, Junior & Seniors and are open to students from Class-I to XII. The prize distribution will be on June 1, the KALA mega event for the year ‘Thathwamasi’ at Central School Auditorium Abbassiya. For further information/ clarification contact 66180229, 66863957, 97817100, 67765810

Bangladesh trade fair

K

uwait Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry a joint venture organization (KBCCI) held a discussion meeting with the business community, different political, non political, social and cultural leading personal, print of electronic media’s activist’s on the topic of Bangladesh trade fair 2012 which is going to be held in Kuwait from May 2426. This is the first time such a program has been launched in Kuwait. Habibur Rahman Habib the president of KBCCI presided over the meeting while Shahnawaz Nazrul the director of KBCCI, Al-Haz Jubayer Ahmed, Vice president of BEBA, Lutfor Rahman Mukai Ali, the secretary general of BEBA, M.Jaforuzzaman Lal acting president of Bangladesh Awami League Kuwait Branch, Mohd Ismail secretary general of Jatio Party Kuwait, Eng.Abdur Rob, member of the advisory council of KAL Moyez Uddin Muaz, Emadul Haq Khan, Abdul Khaleque Chawdhury,

Rabiul Alam Rabi were present on the stage as guest of honor. The event started with the recitation of Holy Quran by Sharif Mohd.Mizanur Rahman. Followed by a minute silent for those brave freedom fighter who sacrificed their lives in the country independence war occurred in the year 1971. Before the discussion meeting started, a documentary projected on the screen about the acquaintance function of present KBCCI executive committee (formed by election) which took place last September 2011 in Dhaka. In the presence of Faruk Khan MP HNBL. Commerce minister of the government of the people’s republic of Bangladesh as chief guest along with A.K Azad the president of FBCCI, Mohd Yonus MP, as guest of honor.

Also a complimentary meeting between KBCCI president Habibur Rahman Habib and HNBL. Ambassador of Kuwait in Bangladesh Ali Ahmed Al-Dafiri, who already played a vital role sparing his valu-

able time, providing advices, and by his full support and co-operations to arranging the “The Bangladesh Trade Fair 2012 in Kuwait”. A large number of people participated in the discussion session with good suggestion, choices. Necessary steps will be taken which are related to the trade fairs and express their full cooperation to succeed the trade fair. The principal speech on trade fair were delivered by the president of Kuwait Bangladesh Chamber Of Commerce and Industry Habibur Rahman Habib. He said Bangladesh has achieved independence but until now we have not met with our economic expectation. When we look to our neighboring countries economic gains we feel backward. The present government of Bangladesh has taken various initiatives to expand the business and encouraging nationally and internationally targeting to establish the economic prosperity. With that facilities different sector working to

invest in the country and increase the export-import activities relation between Kuwait and Bangladesh very old and historic. Kuwait is the country who is been helping us in our rural development, and socio infrastructure. Also in natural disaster Kuwait always took the pioneer role to show their brotherhood with Bangladesh.

Since Bangladesh is now producing all the good’s such as garment’s, leather’s, medicines, food products and ceramic which are already being exported to Europe and Western countries.

Habib in his speech specially thanked the Ambassador of Bangladesh in Kuwait, Sayed Shahed Reza for his continues support and cooperation to success the trade fair. The meeting was conducted by Asrak Ali Ferdous the spokesmen of Kuwait Bangladesh chamber of commerce and industries. At last the president thanks to all the participants for joining the discussion and offering to the dinner.

EDA family picnic

E

rnakulam District Association will conduct a grand EDA family picnic with its hundreds of family members and friends on April 13, Friday, from 9 am to 4.30 pm in Ahamadi Garden. The Central Committee has unanimously elected Johnson as the event convener, to coordinate the picnic with all the area unit conveners, secretaries, and Vanitha Vedi members. It has been decided to conduct a lot of games, interesting various competitions etc for the ladies and children with distribution of valuable prizes for the winners.

For adults there will be special games and competitions like Tug-of war, Shot-put, etc. There will be also games like bingo, lucky-dip etc for fun and to win prizes. EDA welcome all its members and well wishers to join the picnic to enjoy an unforgettable weekend.

Please note that there will be free Transport available to the picnic from different areas of Kuwait. For details contact 97959801, 66080256.

Movenpick Hotel Kuwait Free Trade Zone holds mock fire & evacuation drill

M

ovenpick Hotel Kuwait - Free Trade Zone initiated a mock fire extinguishing and evacuation drill for Hotel staff and guests as fire alarms sounded. The drill aims at verifying the actual technical preparedness of the Hotel should such emergency occur.

It also allows evaluating emergency plans and considering improvements to be more effective during emergencies.

The Hotel’s security team initiated the fire extinguishing process and relieved an injured successfully. Hotel staff and guests assembled in the designated Assembly Point which is outside the building.

This training has been launched in line with the Hotel directions and approved policies to ensure adopting the highest safety procedures for its facil-

ities, staff and guests to preserve lives and properties. The Hotel management supervised this drill as it usually does every year. They briefed all staff and guests about the importance of security and safety instructions should any emergency may occur. The whole building was evacuated in 2.5 minutes according to the management comprehensive plan developed prior to the evacuation.

Emergency exits as well as staff and guests gathering areas were determined beforehand.

It is worth mentioning that Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international chain is always keen on developing evacuation scenarios and plans from its facilities and buildings for staff and guests as part of predetermined programs in case of fire to ensure security and safety.

31

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

Co-curricular activities at PASA

T

he Pakistan Academy School Ahmadi (PASA) organized a function to honor those students who participated in the co-curricular activities during the session 2011-12 and secured tremendous record.

The function was presided over by Prof Syed Zakir Ali, the principal while

Aliya Saad Munir Al Mohennah chaired as the chief guest. Abdullah Hamad recited verses from the Holy Quran while Hiba Saleem was stage secretary and Mrs Sobia Shahid organized the overall program.

The principal in his speech welcomed everybody to the function and

elaborated the importance of co-curricular activities. Students participated in International Mathematics Competition organized by “Unicef,” Kuwait Science Fair, Sports Arts, Holy Quran, Arabic language and many more co-curricular activities. Games apart from the regular course of stud-

ies are indispensable to acquire sound mind and body.

Co-curricular activities lead to a happy and successful life. One finds thrill everywhere and it is full of the zeal of life. Participants were awarded with merit certificate, meddles and trophies in the end.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. The Embassy resumes its duties on Tuesday 10 April 2012. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.uae.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus requests Cypriot citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy has moved. This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Cypriot citizens in cases of emergencies. Registration information can be emailed to cyprusembassykwt@gmail.com or faxed to 22253227 or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine). nnnnnnn

New office bearers of NSS

N

air Service Society (NSS Kuwait) conducted area wise annual general body meetings during the month of March 2012, in which annual report and audited annual accounts for the 2011-12 were passed and Pradhi Nidhi Sabha and executive members were elected.

These executive members in their meeting held on 6th April 2012 at Riggae unanimously elected the following Office Bearers for the year 2012 - 2013.

President: M R Raveendran Nair, General Secretary: Prasad Padmanabhan and Treasurer: Dilip Nair.

Vice President: K P Manikantan; Joint Secretaries: Vijayakumar, Prathapa Chandran and Manoj Kumar M K; Joint Treasures: Sasi Kumar Kartha, Yatheesh Kumar and Gunaprasad G Nair; advisory members: Damodaran Nair, Vijayan Pillai, Sajith C Nair and Mohan

Thayalmadom; General Program Convener: Aneesh Nair. Joint program Conveners: Vijayan Pillai, K G B Nair, Ajith Kumar and Pradeep Chandran; System Coordinator: Deepesh Kumar, Welfare Co-coordinator: Madhav Chandran, Welfare Committee members: G Radhakrishnan Nair and Krishna Hari.

Area Coordinators: Venugopal V R (Abuhalifa/Mehboula), Saji Kumar (Mangaf/ Fahaheel/Ahmadi), Madhav Chandran (Riggai/Farwaniya), Guna Prasad G Nair (Abbasiya/Hasawi) & Vinod Rajan (Salmiya/Sharq).

R C Suresh will continue as patron of Nair Service Society (NSS Kuwait).

President M R Raveendran Nair in his presidential address welcomed newly elected executive members, General Secretary Prasad Padmanabhan gave felicitation speech and Treasurer Dilip Nair conveyed vote of thanks.

KKMCC family meet

A

s a part of “Munnettam 2012”, a Family Meet was organized by KKMCC Abbassiya area committee. It was inaugurated by Central Committee President Sharafudheen Kanneth. Haris Valliyoth presided the function. Felicitation was done by Sayid Naser Mashhoorthangal.

The highlight of the function was alecture on ‘Family life in Islam’ by KC

Najeeb and ‘ Muslim consolidation through Muslim league’ by Abdul Razack Kalpatta. Basheer Batha, Azeez Thikkodi, Habeebulla Muttichool, Saleem Kottayil, Koya Farooq and Abdul Latheef PK also attended the function.

Welcome speech was given by Gen. Secretary MK Abdul Razack. The function ended with vote of thanks by Sadiq Rabinasha.

Kempinski a preferred brand within the region and beyond for Kuwaiti travellers

K

empinski Hotels announced that Kuwait makes up its largest outbound market after Saudi Arabia from the Middle East, with affinity to the brand among Kuwaiti travellers extending far beyond the region’s borders.

The hospitality group announced impressive regional results for the first quarter from its expanding portfolio of hotels and managed residences in the Middle East. During the first quarter of 2012 properties in Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain exceeded forecasted occupancy levels, especially on weekends, reflecting the growth of intra-regional travel.

Commenting on Kempinski’s success in the region, Avsar Koc, Regional Director of Sales Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels, said: “Landmark properties such as Emirates Palace, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, and the newly opened Kempinski Hotel & Residences on Palm Jumeirah have been sold out most weekends since late 2011, and the majority of guests are coming from the GCC - mainly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This speaks to the quality of our products and services as the hospitality market today offers many more choices than before.”

“Kempinski has maintained its position as the world’s leading European luxury hotel brand for more than a century.

Operating in the Middle East since 1998, Kempinski properties strategically located across the region now bring in 38 per cent of our company’s total revenues.

With five new properties planned for the GCC alone, we are confident we will continue to see strong results from this region.” The announcement was made during the Kuwait leg of Kempinski’s

annual Middle East Road Show.

Seventeen international properties, including those enjoying high visitor traffic from Kuwaiti guests such as the Hotel Vier Jaherszeiten Kempinski Munich, Kempinski Hotel Bahia in Marbella, the Stafford Hotel in London, and the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, presented special travel packages for the upcoming summer travel season. These included packages and services tailored to the needs of the Middle East guest such as large familyfriendly room configurations, complimentary Kids Club activities, high-end spa packages and special halal menus.

Globally, the Kempinski Group operates 72 hotels, with the Middle East region as one of the prime revenue driv-

EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, AlSalaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal will be moving from its current location to a new place in Jabriya, Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective from Sunday, 15th April, 2012. Till the new telephone connections are installed, the Embassy may be contacted by email: info@nepembku.org nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk nnnnnnn

ers for the European luxury brand. Koc added “The Middle East remains one of the key feeder markets for our landmark hotels across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as within the region. Our annual Middle East road show is a proven success. By bringing Kempinski representatives from around the world to showcase properties such as Le Mirador Kempinski Lake Geneva, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, Kempinski Seychelles Resort, and Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, we are able to directly engage our customers.” The road show moved to Kuwait after stops in Jeddah, Riyadh, Khobar, Bahrain and Doha and will conclude in Abu Dhabi.

EMBASSY OF ROMANIA The Embassy of Romania to the State of Kuwait would like to inform that the Consular Section of the Embassy will be close for construction works beginning with 18 April 2012, till 10 May 2012. During this period of time the Consular Section will not issue any type of visas for Romania and will not issue any Romanian passports or travel documents. The Consular Section will only be able to assist with notary deeds. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the 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. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” (+ 965) 972-79-206.

Write to us

Dawa and mahfil ceremony

M

anikgonj Emigrant Co-operative Society, Kuwait recently organized dawa mahfil for mother of Cashier Abul Hassan & Habibur Rahman on March 30. The program began with recitation of verses from the holy Quran

by Arif Hossan, A.K. Azad Nur President of Manikgonj Emigrant Co-operative Society. A.S.M. Nazrul Islam Country Manager Bangladesh Airlines, was the chief guest while special guest were Mawlana Mamon Rashed editor month-

ly magazine Al Huda Islam Presentation Committee Kuwait, president of Jalalabad Welfare Association A1-haj Jubayer Ahmed, Jalal Ahmed Chonno Mulla, senior vice president Enamul Hoqe Khan, vice president Salauddin,

General Secretary Badal Khan, Abu Bakar, advisor Babul Hossan, Abu Dawod, Abdur Rashid, Monir Hossain, Shohel Rana, Ajibur Rahman. The dawa was conducted by Mawlana Abul Hassan.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Classifieds THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR JZR ETH GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY RBG KAC DHX FAH JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC ADB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY IRA QTR IRA FDB ETD BAB GFA MEA JZR MSR KNE MSC JZR KAC MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR KAC SYR QTR RBG KAC JZR JZR ETD RKM UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR TAR JZR KAC ABY KNE KAC ALK KAC JZR KAC BAB KAC FDB MSR KHT MSC KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA JZR UAE ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX JZR AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH KLM THY

Arrival Flights on Thursday 12/4/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 3553 ALEXANDRIA 154 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 1354 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 605 ISFAHAN 132 DOHA 617 AHWAZ 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 470 JEDDAH 9621 ASSIUT 201 DAMASCUS 616 DOHA 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 341 DAMASCUS 134 DOHA 3557 SOHAG 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 328 TUNIS 777 JEDDAH 176 GENEVA 127 SHARJAH 474 JEDDAH 502 BEIRUT 227 COLOMBO 542 CAIRO 125 BAHRAIN 786 JEDDAH 438 BEIRUT 104 LONDON 63 DUBAI 624 SOHAG 7605 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI 9623 SOHAG 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 562 AMMAN 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 135 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 981 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 411 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL

Time 00:15 00:20 00:30 00:50 01:45 02:20 02:25 02:30 02:55 03:10 03:20 03:25 03:55 04:10 04:35 04:40 04:55 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:40 07:15 07:30 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:15 08:20 08:25 08:30 08:35 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:30 09:35 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:25 11:35 11:45 12:30 13:30 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:20 16:35 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:40

Airlines AIC UAL DLH THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR RBG QTR JZR JZR GFA THY KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC KAC IRA UAE QTR KAC KAC FDB ETD IRA BAB JZR GFA KAC KAC MEA ADB KAC JZR MSR KNE MSC KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC OMA KAC KNE JZR KAC RJA JZR SVA SYR QTR KAC KAC RBG ETD JZR JZR QTR RKM UAE GFA JZR TAR ABY SVA UAL KNE JZR ALK FDB BAB MSR MSC JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC KHT KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA DHX KAC ABY ETD UAE FAH QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX BBC QTR AXB GFA KAC KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Thursday 12/4/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA, INDIA 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 3558 SOHAG 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 606 MASHHAD 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 101 LONDON 615 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 616 AHWAZ 437 BEIRUT 356 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 1354 KANDAHAR 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 471 JEDDAH 9622 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 124 BAHRAIN 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 505 JEDDAH 342 DEIREZZOR 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 613 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 328 TUNIS 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 982 BAHRAIN 475 JEDDAH 266 BEIRUT 228 DUBAI 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 607 LUXOR 9624 ASSIUT 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 RIVANDRUM 343 CHENNAI 7603 KANDAHAR 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 675 DUBAI 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Time 00:05 00:25 00:30 02:15 02:45 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:05 04:20 04:50 05:20 05:40 06:55 07:00 07:05 07:10 08:10 08:25 08:25 09:00 09:05 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:15 10:15 10:25 10:30 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:15 12:25 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:20 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:30 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:35 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 22:10 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:50 23:50

ACCOMMODATION A flat in Farwaniya air conditioned 2 bedrooms + 1 drawing room with 2 bathrooms, only Pakistani or Indian family. Rent KD 180.

Contact: 55321944. (C 3949) Sharing room available for one/two working ladies to share with other Philipina, near Airport road, Khaitan.

Just one minute to all routes & bus stop. Contact: 60077068. (C 3950) 12-4-2012 A room available for a single working class lady in a furnished 2-bedroom flat in Salmiya -close to Hadi hospital. Please call 66801355 Furnished room in apartment (for Pakistani or Indian decent bachelor) in Salmiya near City Center.

Rent KD 65. Tel: 99959140.

(C 3946) 11-4-2012 For decent bachelor (non smoking) or working ladies location: Amman street, opposite to Al Rashid hospital. Building no. 44 2nd floor, room no. 10. Contact: 66232356, 50223132.

(C 3945) 10-4-2012 Sharing accommodation available for one bachelor in Abbassiya, double bedroom flat, available on 1st May, Rent KD 40/- only.

Contact: 99162583.

(C 3938) 8-4-2012

FOR SALE Eitcher half lorry model 2001 for sale. Contact: 50631577. (C 3937) 10-4-2012

MATRIMONIAL Looking for young Pakistani Muslim girls age 23-28 for two Pakistani Muslim Hanafi, well established, drawing 500-1000 Kuwaiti Dinars. Marriage can be arranged within the shortest possible time.

Please contact Email: mkamalazhar@gmail.com (C 3948) 12-4-2012 Looking for young Pakistani Muslim girls age 23-28 for two Pakistani Muslim Hanafi, well established, drawing 500-1000 Kuwaiti Dinars. Marriage can be arranged within the shortest possible time.

Please contact Email: mkamalazhar@gmail.com (C 3948) 12-4-2012 Australian man 50 years old Lebanese born just arrived in Kuwait, seeking alliance from a Kuwaiti lady single divorce widow ok, must be God fearing lady.

Contact dadogeorge@hotmail.com (C 3947) 11-4-2012 Marthomite parents in Kuwait, invite proposals for their daughter (27/160/Fair),

B/B in Kuwait, Masters from UK, currently working in Bangalore as senior executive, from well qualified and employed MARTHOMA /CSI/ORTHODOX boys (preferably working in (USA/UK/AUSTRALIA/CANADA/KUWAIT/DUBAI). Email: thomaskw8@yahoo.com (C 3943) Pakistani parents Sunni Muslim in Kuwait invite proposals for their son (31/179/Fair) currently working in Kuwait. Email: wwxxyyzz123@live.com (C 3944) 10-4-2012

CHANGE OF NAME Suresh Kumar Ramachandran holder of Indian passport No. G4510525 has converted to Islam with name of MOHAMMED SUREKH; and shall be known here forth.

(C 3939) 8-4-2012

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Clinics

SITUATION WANTED Rabiya

24732263

Rawdha

22517733

Adailiya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Khaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

A family is looking to hire a cook for Arabian and Indian dishes. Contact: 99006777.

(C 3942) 9-4-2012

Al-Qadisiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

ICDL / ECDL trainer needed for home tuition. Must speak English. Contact: 97862486 (C 3941) 8-4-2012

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

With my determination of hard work & an experience of more than 10 years in the Fashion Warehouse, I am looking for a job as Warehouse Manager/ Assistant Warehouse Manager. Contact: 99796229 (C 3940) 8-4-2012

SITUATION VACANT

TUITION

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Math teacher for secondary stage, language schools, bilingual schools and intermediate stage: Algebra, Gmath, Geometry, Statistics for arts and science branches. Tel: 66974020.

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

English language teacher specialized in starting elementary and intermediate, 10th and 11th experienced in starting functions, grammar, set book, vocabulary, notes and model exams available. Tel: 65791555.

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardiya

24884079

Arabic language teacher, masters in methods of teaching for secondary and intermediate students. Tel: 50644685.

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Saleh gone, but Yemen women’s struggle goes on

By Tom Finn

W

hen Sara Ahmed joined a protest in November to demand the resignation of Yemen’s president, she and the other women marched at the very front of the crowd. But no sooner had they set off through the capital than they were shepherded towards the back. “On that day I realized we had two fights,” said Ahmed, a 24-year-old sociology student and women’s rights advocate, who took part in some of the first protests in Yemen last year that helped oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh from office. “A battle against the regime, but also another struggle - a fight within the fight against those elements inside the revolution who oppose us and our rights as women.”

One of the poorest countries in the world and the worst for gender equality, according to a UN metric based on literacy and other factors, Yemeni women defied deep-rooted traditions by even participating in the campaign against Saleh, then became pivotal players in it. Now with Saleh deposed and a political transition underway, female activists fear the country is moving forward without them, and that men who were keen to have them on the streets crying freedom do not now want them in parliament, universities or the workplace.

“Society embraced us at first,” said Faizah Al-Shami, a poet and activist. “We were there to bulk up the numbers... Now that Saleh has left they expect us to do the same: leave the streets, renounce our freedoms and return home.” For women like Shami, 14 months of devoted dissent have proved that overthrowing an autocrat may be easier than overturning the supremacy of men in a poor and turbulent country where women are a majority at the margins.

From the earliest rumblings of discontent last January, it was clear that women would be playing a novel role in this

stage of Yemen’s history. After starting the uprising on the fringes - delivering blankets, cooking food and caring for some protesters wounded by security forces - women moved to the frontline. From the English-speaking, educated elite of doctors, lawyers and university professors to the huge numbers of unemployed female graduates and housewives, women flocked en masse to join the revolt. They led public rallies, slept in protest camps, went on hunger strikes and covered the unrest as bloggers and journalists. They were also among the hundreds of protesters killed last year during the government’s bloody crackdown.

Faizah Sulaimani, an accounting-graduate-turnedprotest-leader, recounted lying to her family about taking part in protests before they spotted her on TV. “My mother stopped talking to me, my father yelled at me. At that moment I decided to go public, to break all the limits, just to send a message that we are here as Yemeni women. For me it was the first time to think and act as an individual, as a woman. We had ideas, thoughts we had to share, a vision for a new Yemen that we had to express,” she said.

That vision even had a face: Tawakkul Karman, the headscarved mother of three who became a figure of symbolic importance and who last year won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first Arab woman to be accorded such an honour. Her arrest at one of the first pro-democracy protests in January last year sparked outrage and helped link scattered demonstrations outside a Sanaa University campus into full-fledged revolt.

“Women are no longer victims, they have become leaders, they are at the forefront of the demonstrations,” Karman said in November shortly after she won her Nobel, shared with two Liberians to highlight the importance of women’s rights toward securing peace. She urged women in Arab countries to “win their rights in a society dominated by the supremacy of men”.

But there have been few signs of political gains. Though three of the 35 ministers selected for the national unity government established in the wake of Saleh’s resignation in December are female, that is up from two in the previous government, and the parties that make it up remain maledominated cliques. Aiming to break up those networks before multi-party elections due in 2014, some women activists in Yemen are pushing for a law that would guarantee them 30 percent of all elected offices and political appointments.

“The quota injects women into decision-making positions - enhancing their status will help shake some of the rigid social attitudes that have left them on the margins,” said activist Rana Jarhum. Some question the efficacy of such methods. “Iran has the largest female quota in their parliament, does that make them treat women any better? It’s just a scam autocratic nations use to improve their image,” said a senior member of Saleh’s General People’s Congress party.

Others say women themselves must take the lead. “Unity among women is not there, this is the problem: they are not working strategically for their demands,” said Human Rights Minister Hooria Mashhour, commenting on a brawl in which rival women’s factions hurled shoes at each other during a ministry-sponsored conference last month. “When each one of them is tied to her party or cultural background it is very difficult to reach a consensus. Frankly speaking, we failed to create a unified women’s movement in Yemen,” she said.

In the absence of such a movement, religious conservatives appear to have filled the leadership vacuum on women’s role.In Change Square - the tented epicentre of Yemen’s uprising - the physical barrier separating male and female protesters-was once marked by a rope. Now it is a towering wooden partition with a metal door. The gender segregation, some protesters claim, reflects the steady rise of

Islah, Yemen’s politically empowered Islamist party, in the protest movement and its aftermath.

Islah - which is Arabic for “reform” - has been criticised for publicly opposing women’s candidacy and contesting, on religious grounds, laws protecting women’s rights. The party, which entered a power-sharing agreement with Saleh’s powerful GPC ruling party in December, manages to attract the most women and other protesters to their demonstrations, however. “We adhere to our faith and sharia of Islam while pursuing the objectives of the revolution; there is no conflict between the two,” said 34-year-old Sumayya Al-Rayfani, a prominent Islah protest organiser. “We too want to correct our parochial culture. Our role as women in a future Yemen will be strengthened and supported by our Islamic principles.

We will share a role in all aspects of life, side by side with men.” Moreover Karman, the Nobel prize-winner, is a member of Islah, maintaining that the party offers women better opportunities than any of the others. Critics say she is window-dressing for Islah’s secret repressive social agenda. But the party has its own issues with her; ultra-conservative members are unhappy that she voiced support for a bill to raise the minimum marriage age to 18 from 15 in a country where young girls often marry in their early teens, especially in rural areas.

Activists say Yemeni politics will be not be kind to a fledgling women’s rights movement any time soon. “Time and again, women’s rights proved to be a political tool used by both the opposition and the ruling party with no real promotion of women’s agenda,” said Atiaf Al-Wazir, a Yemeni-American blogger. “We know too well how women have been used in past revolutions all over the world. We even have a recent example from Egypt. Unless we unite and have a strong platform, nothing is going to change for women.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Buggin’ With Ruud 02:35 Planet Earth 03:30 Wildest Africa 04:25 Lions Of Crocodile River 05:20 Going Ape 05:45 Wildlife SOS 06:10 Cell Dogs 07:00 Orangutan Island 07:25 Breed All About It 07:50 Breed All About It 08:15 The Really Wild Show 08:40 Project Puppy 09:10 Bad Dog 10:05 Lions Of Crocodile River 11:00 Animal ER 11:55 Animal Cops Phoenix 12:50 Last Chance Highway 13:45 SSPCA: On The Wildside 14:10 Wildlife SOS 14:40 Lions Of Crocodile River 15:30 Animal Battlegrounds 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Baby Planet 17:25 Dogs 101: Specials 18:20 Cats Of Claw Hill 18:45 Cats Of Claw Hill 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Going Ape 20:10 Orangutan Island 20:35 Animal Battlegrounds 21:05 A Kingdom For The Dzanga Gorillas 22:00 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 22:55 The Snake Buster 23:20 The Snake Buster 23:50 K9 Cops

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:40 02:25 03:10 03:35 04:05 04:55 05:40 06:05 06:30 06:55 07:20 08:05 08:55 09:20 10:05 11:00 11:50 12:35 13:30 13:55 14:20 15:05 15:50 16:35 17:30 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:20 19:45 20:35 21:30 21:55 22:20 23:05

The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Indian Food Made Easy Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 Living In The Sun Bargain Hunt Delicious Iceland The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Antiques Roadshow Living In The Sun Delicious Iceland Cash In The Attic USA Indian Food Made Easy The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger The Restaurant UK Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant Fantasy Homes By The Sea House Swap Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Indian Food Made Easy A Taste Of My Life The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Indian Food Made Easy James Martin’s Champagne 10 Years Younger The Restaurant UK Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45

BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today

05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

00:00 Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 The Situation Room 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Business Traveller 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 Backstory 12:30 Mainsail 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Mainsail 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky...

00:15 Macintyre: World’s Toughest Towns 01:10 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Dirty Jobs 02:30 Overhaulin’ 03:25 Ultimate Survival 04:20 Mythbusters 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Gold Rush

08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20 23:45

Swamp Loggers How Stuff’s Made Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Heartland Thunder Heartland Thunder Heartland Thunder Heartland Thunder Heartland Thunder Overhaulin’ Wheeler Dealers Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Border Security Auction Kings Cake Boss Sons Of Guns Behind Bars Mobster Confessions Destroyed In Seconds

00:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 01:25 The Tech Show 01:50 Weird Or What?

02:40 Cool Stuff & How It Works 03:05 Cool Stuff & How It Works 03:35 Weird Connections 04:00 Weird Connections 04:25 The Kustomizer 05:20 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 06:10 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 07:00 The Gadget Show 07:25 The Gadget Show 07:50 Kings Of Construction 08:40 Weird Or What?

09:35 Cool Stuff & How It Works 10:00 Cool Stuff & How It Works 10:25 Weird Connections 10:50 Weird Connections 11:20 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 12:15 The Kustomizer 13:05 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 13:55 The Gadget Show 14:20 The Gadget Show 14:50 Weird Connections 15:15 Weird Connections 15:40 The Tech Show 16:05 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 17:00 Kings Of Construction 17:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 18:40 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 19:30 Sci-Trek 20:20 The Gadget Show 20:45 The Gadget Show 21:10 Powering The Future 22:00 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 22:50 Sci-Trek 23:40 Kings Of Construction

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:26 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:25 09:35

ALIVE ON OSN ACTION HD

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Fish Hooks Recess Fish Hooks So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive

09:45 10:00 10:25 10:45 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:01 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20 23:45

Mouk Recess So Random Have A Laugh Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Jake & Blake Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb So Random Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place A.N.T. Farm Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Recess So Random Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Have A Laugh Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Timon And Pumbaa 08:00 Phineas And Ferb 08:25 Phineas And Ferb 08:50 Kick Buttowski 09:15 Zeke & Luther 09:40 I’m In The Band 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Kid vs Kat 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Pair Of Kings 11:45 Rekkit Rabbit 12:10 American Dragon 12:35 Phineas And Ferb 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:25 Phineas And Ferb 13:45 I’m In The Band 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Rekkit Rabbit 15:25 Pokemon: Black And White 15:50 Timon And Pumbaa 16:15 Rated A For Awesome 16:40 Pair Of Kings 17:05 Zeke & Luther 17:30 Phineas And Ferb 19:20 Phineas And Ferb 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Pair Of Kings 20:25 Kick Buttowski 20:50 Zeke & Luther 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 Phineas And Ferb 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 20 Best & Worst Celebrity Plastic...

03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 13:35 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Scouted 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:15 Gotta Grudge 00:40 Blood, Sweat And Gears 01:30 World Combat League 02:20 Gotta Grudge 02:45 Gotta Grudge 03:10 Enfusion 04:00 Man’s Work 04:25 Man’s Work 04:50 Blood, Sweat And Gears 05:40 World Combat League 06:30 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 07:00 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 07:30 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 08:00 The Alli Show 08:25 Summer Dew Tour 2011 09:15 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships...

10:05 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships...

10:55 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 11:45 Formula Drift 2011 12:10 Formula Drift 2011 12:35 Gotta Grudge 13:00 Gotta Grudge 13:25 Blood, Sweat And Gears 14:15 World Combat League 15:05 Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers 15:55 Formula Drift 2011 16:20 Formula Drift 2011 16:45 The Alli Show 17:10 Summer Dew Tour 2011

18:00 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships...

18:50 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships...

19:40 Blood, Sweat And Gears 20:30 Gotta Grudge 20:55 Gotta Grudge 21:20 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Ride 21:45 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Ride 22:10 World Combat League 23:00 Enfusion 23:50 Gotta Grudge

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Kid In A Candy Store 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Kid In A Candy Store 02:10 Kid In A Candy Store 02:35 Good Eats - Special 03:00 Good Eats - Special 03:25 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 03:50 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 04:15 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 04:40 Good Eats 05:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 05:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:50 Food Network Challenge 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 World Cafe Asia 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Good Eats 09:05 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 10:20 Lidia’s Italy 10:45 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Food Network Challenge 12:50 Aarti Party 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:20 Meat & Potatoes 15:45 Iron Chef America 16:35 Cooking For Real 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Aarti Party 18:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 18:40 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Cooking For Real 21:35 Cooking For Real 22:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 22:25 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 22:50 Aarti Party 23:15 Aarti Party 23:40 Meat & Potatoes

00:30 Ghost Lab 01:20 Crime Scene Psychics 01:40 Crime Scene Psychics 02:05 LA: City Of Demons 02:55 Cops And Coyotes 03:45 Dr. G: Medical Examiner 04:30 Ghost Lab 05:20 Crime Scene Psychics 05:45 Crime Scene Psychics 06:10 Disappeared 07:00 FBI Files 07:50 Murder Shift 08:40 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 09:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

10:20 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Street Patrol 12:25 Street Patrol 12:50 Murder Shift 13:40 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 14:30 Real Emergency Calls 14:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

15:20 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 16:10 Disappeared 17:00 FBI Files 17:50 Murder Shift 18:40 Real Emergency Calls 19:05 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 19:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

20:20 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 Nightmare Next Door 22:50 Nightmare Next Door 23:40 Dr. G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Meet The Amish 01:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 01:30 Word of Mouth 02:00 Warrior Road Trip 03:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 04:00 Adventure Wanted 05:00 A World Apart 06:00 Meet The Amish 07:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 07:30 Word of Mouth 08:00 Warrior Road Trip 09:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 10:00 Adventure Wanted 11:00 A World Apart 12:00 Meet The Amish 13:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 13:30 Bondi Rescue: Bali 14:00 One Man & His Campervan 14:30 Sahara Sprinters 15:00 Exploring The Vine 15:30 The Music Nomad 16:00 On Surfari 16:30 On Surfari 17:00 Dive Detectives 18:00 Departures 19:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 19:30 Bondi Rescue: Bali 20:00 One Man & His Campervan 20:30 Sahara Sprinters 21:00 Exploring The Vine 21:30 The Music Nomad 22:00 On Surfari 22:30 On Surfari 23:00 Dive Detectives

HOME ON OSN CINEMA

01:10 Eureka 03:15 Dead Of Winter 04:55 The Last Of The Finest 06:40 Joshua Tree-18 08:25 Tennessee Nights 10:10 Crossplot-PG 11:45 Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM 12:00 Hornet’s Nest-PG 13:50 Strictly Business-PG 15:10 Death Rides A Horse-PG 17:05 Electra Glide In Blue-PG 18:55 In His Life: The John Lennon Story-PG 20:25 Sketch Artist II: Hands That See-18 22:00 My American Cousin-PG 23:30 Hardware-18

00:15 Kick-Ass-18 02:15 Spider-Man-PG 04:15 Spiderman 2-PG15 06:30 Alive-PG15 08:45 Dad Savage-PG15 10:30 The Bannen Way-PG15 12:15 Men In Black II-PG 14:00 Dad Savage-PG15 16:00 A Lonely Place For DyingPG15 18:00 Men In Black II-PG 20:00 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 22:00 All Star Superman-PG15

01:15 03:15 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

A Little Help-18 Home-PG15 My Dog Tulip-PG15 Justice For Natalee HollowayAlabama Moon-PG15 My Dog Tulip-PG15 Home-PG15 The Tender Hook-PG15 Alabama Moon-PG15 District 9-PG15 Hall Pass-18 Jackass 3-R

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Angry Boys 02:00 Louie 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Melissa And Joey 03:30 10 Items Or Less 04:00 The Simpsons 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 Weird Science 06:30 How I Met Your Mother 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 Melissa And Joey 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 Raising Hope 10:00 Modern Family 10:30 How I Met Your Mother 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Weird Science 12:30 The Simpsons 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 How I Met Your Mother 14:00 10 Items Or Less 14:30 Modern Family 15:00 Raising Hope 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Melissa And Joey 18:30 10 Items Or Less 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 Modern Family 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Big C 22:30 Louie 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

Grimm The Glades Law & Order: Criminal Intent Once Upon A Time Combat Hospital Live Good Morning America C.S.I. Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Once Upon A Time Live Good Morning America C.S.I. The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Look-A-Like Psych American Idol Necessary Roughness True Blood

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

Bones Law & Order: Criminal Intent Grimm The Glades Once Upon A Time Burn Notice Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street The Nine Lives Of Chloe King Law & Order: Criminal Intent The Glades Once Upon A Time Emmerdale Parks And Recreation The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Nine Lives Of Chloe King Bones Emmerdale Parks And Recreation The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Nine Lives Of Chloe King Psych American Idol Necessary Roughness Mildred Pierce

01:15 Spider-Man-PG 03:15 Spiderman 2-PG15 05:30 Kick-Ass-18 07:30 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 09:15 Taxi-PG15 11:00 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 13:00 Little Big Soldier-PG15 15:00 Taxi-PG15 17:00 Four Brothers-18 19:00 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 21:00 All Star Superman-PG15 23:00 The Last Airbender-PG

00:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG 02:00 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry-PG15 04:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG 06:00 Paper Man-PG15 08:00 Coming & Going-PG15 10:00 Nine Months-PG15 12:00 A Film With Me In It-PG15 14:00 The Big Green-PG 16:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG 18:00 Nothing Like The HolidaysPG15 20:00 Barry Munday-18 22:00 How To Be A Player-18

01:00 Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation-18 03:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 05:00 Light It Up-PG15 07:00 The Moveon.Org Story-PG15 09:00 The Rookie-PG15 11:30 Tresor-PG15 13:30 The Young Black StallionPG15 14:45 Inside Job-PG15 17:00 Paws-PG 19:00 Grace Of My Heart-PG15 21:00 One Hour Photo-18 23:00 Moulin Rouge!-PG15

01:00 Beautiful Boy-18 03:00 Bond Of Silence-PG15 05:00 The Tempest-PG15 07:00 Megamind-FAM 09:00 The Karate Kid-PG 11:15 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 13:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 15:00 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 16:30 The Karate Kid-PG 19:00 The King’s Speech-PG15 21:00 Hall Pass-18 23:00 Black Swan-18

00:00 01:00 01:30 03:30 05:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Trans World Sport UFC 145 Prime Time Super Rugby Super League Super Rugby Highlights Futbol Mundial Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights Live European PGA Tour Super League Super Rugby Volvo Ocean Race Trans World Sport WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live Premier League Darts

00:00 00:30 01:00 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:30 18:00 19:30 20:30 21:30 22:30 23:30

European Tour Weekly Mobil 1 The Grid Premier League Darts Futbol Mundial European Tour Weekly NRL Full Time Super Rugby Highlights Total Rugby AFL Winners NRL Full Time Futbol Mundial SPL Highlights City Center Races City Center Races Triathlon Trans World Sport Golfing World Live Squash PSA Super Series Live Squash PSA Super Series City Center Races Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights Golfing World Asian Tour Highlights Asian Tour Golf

01:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 02:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 02:30 European Tour Weekly 03:00 Ironman 05:30 Ironman 06:00 Ping Pong World Championship 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Asian Tour Golf Show 08:30 Asian Tour Highlights 09:30 AFL Premiership 12:00 Asian Tour Golf Show 12:30 Golfing World 13:00 Super Rugby Highlights 14:00 Futbol Mundial 14:30 European Tour Weekly 15:00 European PGA Tour 20:00 Golfing World 21:00 Squash 22:30 Squash

00:00 01:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

V8 Supercars Highlights Prizefighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE Smackdown Prizefighter WWE Experience WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights UAE National Race Day Series UAE National Race Day Series Mobil 1 The Grid WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed

35

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 645

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Out with the old, in with the new! If others challenge you, remind them of your successes and how, at this time, you are prepared to move forward with new and exciting professional challenges. You have a new sense of self, a more assertive personal style, a more dynamic approach to life that are the hallmarks of the cycle that begins now. Reserve is more and more a thing of the past. This is a good time to lead the way on a project, for your originality is extraordinarily sharp. It’s time for action; your destiny is in your hands, rather than set apart. Regular effort to strengthen your many talents leads to satisfaction. Cushion your work schedule with plenty of breaks. This afternoon is a great time to engage in some group physical activity.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This morning gives you an opportunity to sit down and take stock of things. If there are any problems on the horizon, you have a breather, at least for today. Your energy is high and your creative mind is productive, ready to be applied to whatever work you encounter. You may be pleased to give a full accounting of your labors, particularly to superiors or those interested in buying your wares. You are in tune to the needs of others, including friends and family. Sympathy and understanding for loved ones is heightened. Don’t be surprised if everyone comes to you for help! Your understanding of the needs of others is in perfect balance with your own needs. People are your best friends—surround yourself with your best friends this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A lyric poem with complex stanza forms.

4. An agency of the United Nations responsible for programs to aid education and the health of children and mothers in developing countries.

10. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

13. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

14. A port city and resort in Andalusia in southern Spain on the Mediterranean.

15. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

16. A unit of dry measure used in Egypt.

18. In a murderous frenzy as if possessed by a demon.

19. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

20. A drawing intended to explain how something works.

22. An analytic or interpretive literary composition.

24. A river that rises in western New Mexico and flows westward through southern Arizona to become a tributary of the Colorado River.

26. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

29. United States evangelical preacher famous as a mass evangelist (born in 1918).

33. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.

35. A gonadotropic hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary.

36. An informal term for a father.

37. Any of the languages spoken by the Lapp people and generally assumed to be Uralic languages.

39. A state in northwestern North America.

41. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

42. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.

43. Towards the side away from the wind.

45. Polish filmmaker (born in 1929).

48. Established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules.

49. The Japanese art of folding paper into shapes representing objects (e.g., flowers or birds).

52. Greek mythology.

56. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

57. Empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk.

60. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

61. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

63. (used of animals especially a horse) Of a moderate reddishbrown color n 1.

64. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight.

65. God of wealth and love.

66. Used of a single unit or thing.

DOWN 1. Toward the mouth or oral region.

2. An Iranian language spoken in Afghanistan.

3. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

4. A mountainous region in central Italy.

5. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

6. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

7. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

8. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.

9. A Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk who is regarded as a holy man.

10. South African term for `boss'.

11. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

12. A feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the misfortunes of others.

17. Dishware consisting of a small cup for serving a boiled egg.

21. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

23. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

25. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

27. Type genus of the Anatidae.

28. A strip of land projecting into a body of water.

30. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

31. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

32. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

34. Water frozen in the solid state.

38. (anatomy) Of or relating to the ilium.

40. A festival featuring African-American culture.

44. A Hebrew prophet in the Old Testament who opposed the worship of idols.

45. Before noon.

46. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

47. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

50. A narrow elongated opening or fissure between two symmetrical parts.

51. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 53. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

54. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

55. Make amends for.

58. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

59. An angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions.

60. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.

62. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Energy and self-assurance are with you today. Mentally and physically, you are in tiptop shape. It is a superb day for conducting business and making decisions. Others may think you are lucky today, but actually it is your sharp foresight that is avoiding pitfalls. You know what you want and you can make situations come around to your way of working. Go with it! You should experience all the benefits of this most powerful planet. This is the perfect time to sit down alone and get many things accomplished. You may also show an interest in cultural or literary affairs regarding the spending of money. Your interest is heightened toward moneymaking possibilities—more through rational, intellectual process than with physical actions.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Your work shows a great deal of progress. You may find ways to create more money than usual—this could mean a raise. This is also a good time to work out of your home or take in a boarder. Those around you should find you most spontaneous. This is a time when you must be cautious in personal decisions about finances. You should expend care as to the type of activities you become involved with and great zest in moneymaking efforts. Mostly, though, you should avoid the desire to obtain material status symbols at this time. Harmony with friends and loved ones is the order of the afternoon. This is a good time to socialize, entertain and enjoy those personal relationships that bring you joy. This is a good time to improve your love life.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Group meetings, social affairs, luncheons and lectures are all beneficial to your advancement in the business world. Gathering information will help you make decisions for later. A period of great mental activity and energy has begun. You have a lot on your mind and feel a strong need to communicate and gather ideas. Focus; pay attention! If emotional fences need mending, today is a good day for the task because you are in a truly mellow mood. You may find yourself involved with guiding a group or leading a team. This is a good time to try and foster a sense of togetherness and team play among young people. This could involve your child or a friend’s child or students in a team game. It may be time to consider lessons for your child.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion. You develop a knack for organizing things and people, as a sense of ambition and practicality takes hold. Work, achievement and ambition mean a lot to you and others would be wise to follow your example. There are no pranksters here—this is a true hearts-and-flowers-day, filled with joyous and harmonious feelings. A new friendship or romance started today has a bright and long-lasting future. If emotional fences need mending, this is a good day for the task—all around you seem to be in a truly mellow mood. There will be flashes of intuitive insights to guide you at times; listen.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Relationships with superiors are positive and upbeat. Anything you need to make your work easier and more productive is yours for the asking—within reason. Perhaps there is a bit of challenge or blockage from some outside source. This could mean deliveries are slow or product damage has occurred.

You may feel frustrated. Patience—these frustrations will pass. Creative thinking takes precedence over emotions. Somehow you can perceive a kinship between various aspects of the universe that seemed unrelated. Sensitivity to beauty through the arts is certainly heightened this afternoon. It is a good day for clearheaded business dealing or scientific research. Also, this is a perfect time to send flowers or a card to someone special.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The accent today is on communication. Trading points of view with others should come easily. However, a phone conversation could become frustrating. If you find yourself becoming involved in a heated conversation, you might agree to look into the situation—whatever that might be and agree to comment your viewpoint later. This technique will actually be most successful. This can be a very productive time in your life. Also, this is a good day to assess your goals and how they are progressing. Travel is favored, especially if it is for your own rest and relaxation. Find a good bookstore on the way home from work today and splurge.

Look for a blank book to record your poetry. Cheerful, romantic energies are available this evening.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Past frustrations may have you short tempered today. This is a good test to see how well you can control your mind and your thoughts. Stay in the NOW thinking and stop fussing over some mishap of the past. It is your judgment that will keep you from joy—whether you are judging yourself or others. You have a lucky streak today. A winner’s circle is waiting for you. The number four is your lucky number today. It could also mean that at this time, you have the magic touch. Whatever your activity is this afternoon, there will be successful results. Any problems in a love relationship have an opportunity to heal this evening. All sorts of positive things happen when two people sit down to negotiate in positive ways.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Your mind is wide open and insisting to be fed! This is a great day to study and learn new things, as well as to assess your own position. Others’ points of view will be crystal clear, as will be yours to them. This is a good day to begin a business trip or to conduct business. Your mind is sharp and alert. You will want to help out or partake in working partnerships or group activities today. There is much activity and involvement with group issues. Mental incentive from others is helpful and it’s a good idea to make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. A current project should be quite successful.

Your increased personal magnetism makes it also a good time for initiating contacts with members of the opposite sex.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Out with the old, in with the new! If others challenge you, be prepared with an accounting of the tasks you have achieved. You seem to be extremely hardworking and ambitious on the professional level at this time—as you are most days. This is not a good time to invest, unless the venture is well planned and researched. Fortunately you are emotionally mature, practical and realistic and can sense the trends of the economic barometer. You have a forwardlooking attitude and others could learn from your discipline and the way you work. Try to see where you can best improve your communications with family and friends— the results can be quite pleasurable. It is time to get to know someone better—perhaps a loved one.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You may think that your work is taking you nowhere. There are ways in which you could show off your talents—do a little investigation. Progress could be slow—patience. Take a step back and look at your accomplishments and the improvements in your talents and skills. You may want to make a list of your improvements in order to update your resume. Nourish your sense of humor today and learn some new jokes. After you have mastered them, see how many people you can make smile—laughter is good. There is a fair chance that you will win something by entering a contest. This could be a contest where you enter your own creative work of art, a funny jingle or poem and perhaps an insightful drawing, etc.

Record your child’s voice for later listening, fun.

36

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Proyas to direct film of Robert Heinlein novella lex Proyas will direct “The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag,” a film adaption of a Robert Heinlein novella that Proyas has written for the big screen. Red Granite Pictures will fully fund the film and willalso handle foreign sales. Red Granite’s Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland will produce with Mythology Entertainment’s Bradley Fischer, Phoenix Pictures’ Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messier and Proyas’ Mystery Clock Cinema. Proyas, director of “I, Robot” and “Dark City,” has seen his last two projects - “Dracula Year Zero” and “Paradise Lost” - stall due to budgetary constraints, but this one has a financial imprimatur for now.

“Hoag,” based on a novella by Heinlein, a science fiction author, is the story of Jonathan Hoag, a man who has lost his memory and is convinced he has committed various crimes. He persuades a husband-wife detective duo to follow him to try and verify his sordid dealings. Sounds a bit like “Memento” no? Heinlein’s stories have also served as the basis for films such as “Starship Troopers” and “The Puppet Masters.” The news release trumpets this as the first of many collaborations between Red Granite and Mythology.

A

Hancock has book deal for a memoir

Spears to judge US ‘X Factor’

ritney Spears is close to signing a deal to appear on the US ‘X Factor’. The ‘Toxic’ singer is said to be in the “final stretch” of negotiations with reality TV mogul Simon Cowell to become a judge on the singing show. Deadline.com added the final pay deal with see Britney earn “probably closer to $15 million” for the series, after it was previously reported she turned down a $10 million offer. The star’s pay will exceed the $12 million which Jennifer Lopez makes from starring in rival series ‘American Idol’. Simon is looking for two judges to replace Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, who were axed after the first series of ‘The X Factor’ after ratings didn’t meet expectations. He and music executive LA Reid will stay on the panel. One of the sticking points in negotiations between Britney and Simon was reportedly the number of series she would have to commit to.

A source told HollywoodLife.com: “Money is

B

fter decades of making history, Herbie Hancock is ready to tell it. The award-winning, groundbreaking jazz performer and composer has a deal with Viking for a memoir expected in 2014. “Quincy Jones is a dear friend of mine and he keeps saying to me, ‘You’ve got to do a book,’” Hancock said Tuesday during a telephone interview from Shanghai, where he is currently on tour. “I’ve had a life that has taken many interesting paths. I’ve learned a lot from mentors who were instrumental in shaping me and I want to share what I’ve learned.” Hancock, who turns 72 this week, has won 14 Grammys and for decades has been mixing jazz with blues, soul, funk and electronic music. He won an Academy Award in 1986 for the score to “‘Round Midnight.” He is known for his pioneering work with Miles Davis, for such standards as “Cantaloupe Island” and “Chameleon” and for the hit instrumental “Rockit,” the video of which helped make him the rare jazz performer to catch on with MTV fans. Hancock is currently a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO. He has not only played with such jazz greats as Davis, Coleman Hawkins and Donald Byrd, but with such pop performers as Joni Mitchell, Sting and Stevie Wonder.

A

not an issue for the show. As of now, they are looking to pay her $12-15 million for the first season, with a drastic price hike for a second year based on ratings performance.

“Simon Cowell wants at least a two-year commitment and Britney wants an out clause if she doesn’t want to continue after one year of service.” Simon has been particularly complimentary about the star in recent weeks, praising Britney - who has sons Sean Preston, six, and Jayden James, five, with ex-husband Kevin Federline - for her “resilience” in juggling her music and family life. He said: “I’m fascinated by her.

The fact that she’s one of the most talked about - not just pop stars - but people in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power. “This girl has got resilience. I would think that if she’s managed to sustain a family, a career, which is tough, [‘X Factor’ would be] a walk in the park.”

Down Under teens mob One Direction housands of hysterical teenage girls mobbed a central Sydney television studio yesterday for a glimpse of British-Irish boy band One Direction, with some sleeping on the streets overnight to be first in. The five-member outfit, whose talents were discovered on British

T

Seal

television program “The X Factor”, have drawn wild crowds since touching down in Sydney for their first Australian tour. Devoted fans have followed their every movement, tailing their black security vans across Sydney for press engagements in the hope of catching a glimpse of their

files

idols, aged between 18 and 21. Hundreds of fans braved an overnight cold snap to camp in the city’s central Martin Place plaza for front-row positions outside the windows of the Seven television network where the band was due to appear. The crowd swelled to thousands through the morning, with girls sprinting from buses and train stations across town. Security fences were erected to keep fans at a safe distance and a row of police officers stood with linked arms to hold the screaming mass at bay. “I feel so sick, I was like a metre (yard) from them,” Felicity Powell, 16, told the Daily Telegraph.

Another fan was prepared to take a stun gun for her idols, declaring: “I’ll do anything to see them, I’d even get tasered for this. I don’t care, I just have to see them.” Bemused office workers stopped to watch the colorful teenaged crowd, clad in a mix of pyjamas and homemade fan Tshirts. Some waved signs proclaiming “Australia Loves 1D” and asking the band to marry them.

Several girls were so overcome with excitement when the group arrived on set that they fainted and needed to be lifted out of the crowd for first-aid treatment, according to media reports.

“This is mental, it’s absolutely incredible and we can’t believe it,” band member Liam Payne said of the crowds outside the studio. One Direction comprise four young Britons and an Irishman.

Their first album made its debut at number one on the US charts last month-a feat never before achieved by a British band. It had earlier charted at number two in Britain.

Klum divorce counter-claim

ritish singer Seal filed his legal response to German supermodel wife Heidi Klum’s divorce petition Tuesday, including claims which could set the couple against each other, TMZ reported. The pair announced their split in January, and Klum filed for divorce in Los Angeles last week, citing “irreconcilable differences,” referring to a post-nuptial deal and seeking primary physical custody of their four children. But Seal’s legal submission, published by the celebrity news website, makes no mention of a post-nuptial agreement, claims there are joint assets and seeks joint physical custody of their four children. Klum, believed to be worth $70 million according to TMZ, said in her filing to the Los Angeles Superior Court that the date of separation was January 19, 2012. Seal, estimated to be worth $15 million, gives no date of separation in his court documents. The couple vowed to be “civil” for the sake of the children when they announced their split in January, with Seal saying it was “difficult” but made easier because of their continued feelings for each other. In her divorce papers, Klum asks for joint legal custody of their four children-two boys and two girls, aged 7, 6, 5 and 2 — but says she wants primary physical custody, with Seal getting visitation rights. The papers were made in Klum’s married name Heidi Samuel-Seal is listed by his name Henry Samuel-and the German model is asking to restore her maiden name, Klum, which she has always used professionally. The couple married in 2005 and have three children together. Seal, best known for hits such as “Kiss from a Rose” and “Crazy,” also adopted Klum’s daughter from a previous relationship with ex-Formula One boss Flavio Briatore. They announced their split in a statement issued via Klum’s German publicist, saying: “While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.” Seal echoed that in a television interview. Asked about a risk that their separation could turn nasty, he said: “We’re just not those kind of people, we never really have been.” Klum, 38, and Seal, 49, were famous for renewing their vows every year on their wedding anniversary. But the model raised eyebrows when she attended the Golden Globes awards ceremony in January without her husband. —Agencies

B

Eason Chan set for London show ong Kong singer Eason Chan spent much of his formative years studying in the United Kingdom, and says he’s looking forward to returning this month to perform as one of Asia’s biggest pop stars. The “Duo Eason Chan” tour makes a stop in London on April 23, with Chan set to become the first Chinese artist to perform at the O2 arena, joining a rank of elite musicians to perform at the iconic venue. Chan said that when he first heard about the O2 show, he was nervous. “It’s a world of uncertainties, you know?” the 37year-old star told The Associated Press in a recent interview. But his nerves were calmed pretty quickly, with the initial 10,000 tickets selling out in 20 minutes, prompting organizer to allot 6,000 more.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chan spent several years going to school in the UK. In 1995, he returned to Hong Kong and entered a singing competition. Seventeen years and 30-plus solo albums later, he is

H

one of the best-selling Mandarin and Cantonese pop artists. Now, he gets to return to the UK as part of his current tour, which kicked off in Hong Kong in March 2010. “I’m really looking forward to the whole trip,” he said. Chan’s current tour takes has him performing 57 concerts in 35 cities and nine countries. For an artist who has collected countless awards and honors over his 17 years in the business, he says what drives most now is the thrill of performing and connecting with the fans. “I love touring and I’m really grateful that I have enough songs to tour, not just in China. I can actually go around the world with all these Chinese songs,” he said. For the O2 concert, Chan will perform a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese songs, as well as English songs. As for the English songs, Chan said he might select some covers, perhaps from U2, Cold Play or the Beatles.

After London, Chan will return to China, where he will wind up his tour in mid-July.

37

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Cockfighting in Iraq: A different kind of battle raq is no stranger to battles, but this is not one fought with rifles and rockets: when the bell sounds, trainers release cocks Daqduqa and Sammam into the ring. The crowd, scattered across the makeshift stands in a dank Baghdad house, erupts into cheers, baying for blood. Welcome to cockfighting in Iraq. The matches, illegal in Iraq but still widespread, consistently see dozens of men attend, some of whom come to gamble, though many come just for the entertainment.

“I have been coming here for five years, at least once a month,” said Ahmed Jabbar, alluding to the fact that even through the capital’s brutal violence in 2007 and 2008, he was a regular.

“I never put down money, I just watch-this is my favorite sport, more than football or anything on television,” said the 43-year-old plumber. In the small house with a metal roof in west Baghdad, organizers hold cockfights most days from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, though matches are held in the morning on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer. There are no matches from June through October, though, because of Baghdad’s boiling temperatures. The “arena”, comprised of a circular ring around three meters (10 feet) in diameter, is covered in red carpet and surrounded by tiered seating.

A large poster hanging on one of the walls outlines the rules: each fight consists of eight rounds of 13 minutes, with two-minute breaks between rounds, totaling nearly two hours. A rooster is considered to have lost if it concedes three consecutive rounds, with a win being tallied if one cock holds the other’s neck to the ground for a full minute. Each bird’s owner can forfeit a match by pulling his cockerel out if he fears for its life. And with the competitive juices flowing, the stakes can be high. In a country where the World Bank puts annual income per capita at $2,340, and unemployment at 17.5 percent, a rooster can cost as much as $8,000 and hundreds of dollars change hands in daily betting, even though gambling is considered un-Islamic.

I

Iraqi citizens watch a battle between two cocks in the fighting arena in a cafe in Baghdad on March 3, 2012. Betting on the cockfights also takes place around the arena before the event starts. —AFP photos ‘Cockfighting brings people together’ The most-prized birds are described as Harati, meaning they are of Turkish or Indian origin, and feature muscular legs and necks, with their owners and breeders dedicated to their training and diet, feeding them meat, eggs and vegetable peelings. “Cockfighting brings people together across all regions and social classes,” 42-year-old Safa Abu Hassan said. “Whether they are officers, businessmen, civil servants, there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm here that is comparable to any sporting event,” he added, noting that though he has been watching cockfights for more than 20 years, he only rarely puts down a wager.

He recalled one cockfight in 1993, “the most enthusiastic I have ever seen, between two roosters belonging to senior government officials in Baghdad.” “The total bets added up to around $1,500.” On this particular day, Daqduqa and Sammam competed tirelessly in the ring, jumping in the air and creating a flurry of feathers as the crowd roared relentlessly in the background before the bell rang for the scheduled two-minute break. Their

Iraqi citizens watch a battle between two cocks in the fighting arena.

watched the fight while his rival was perched on the opposite side of the ring, hitting his thigh whenever Daqduqa suffered a major blow.

Eventually, Daqduqa collapsed for a third consecutive round and Sammam was declared the winner. The crowd burst into applause, and those who had lost money on the match joked: “Maybe that rooster took Viagra?”

Through it all, little notice is given to animal rights or concerns over cruelty towards the birds. “The greatest rooster I had was one called Qardash, who won seven matches in a row in 2009,” said Mahmud, a breeder for more than 20 years who currently owns 17 rosters. “But the cocks do eventually die, and of course this saddens me,” he added. “But ultimately, this is a sport.”

“In every sport, there is a winner, and there is a loser.” —AFP

A coach holds a rooster after a cockfight in a cafe. breeders took them back, poured water on the roosters’ wounds, gave them a drink, and massaged their legs.

A bookie solicited bets from newly-

arrived spectators, with wagers ranging from $3 to $100. Ali Salim, Sammam’s owner, sat in a corner, chain-smoking cigarettes as he

Miss Universe pageant allowing transgender women rule change that would allow transgender women to participate in the Miss Universe beauty pageant next year is a step forward for equality, advocates said Tuesday after pageant officials announced the policy shift. Pageant officials said they

A

to the organization’s website. The Miss Universe pageant began in 1952 as a local “bathing beauty” contest, headed by California-based Catalina Swimwear, the site says. Trials for next year’s Miss Universe pageant begin this summer. “Everybody should be

File photo shows Jenna Talackova, who advanced to the finals of the Miss Canada competition, part of the Miss Universe contest, shows her passport that lists her gender as female, during a news conference in Los Angeles. —AP are working on the language of the official rule policy change but expected final word to come soon. The rules will have to be approved by Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe Organization, and NBC. Trump and NBC co-own the contest. The announcement of the policy change comes five days after the organization reversed its stand and said that Jenna Talackova could compete in the Miss Universe pageant this year. Talackova, a Vancouver resident, underwent a sex change four years ago after being born a male. The advocacy group GLAAD called on the Miss Universe Organization to review her case, as well as open the competition to transgender women. “ We want to give credit where credit is due, and the decision to include transgender women in our beauty competitions is a result of our ongoing discussions with GLAAD,” said Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization. “We have a long history of supporting equality for all women, and this was something we took very seriously.” The Miss Universe Organization produces the pageant, as well as the Miss USA and the Miss Teen competitions, according

allowed to participate in every aspect of society,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “Absolutely it’s good news, it’s another pernicious structural discrimination barrier taken down.”

Susan Stryker, director of the

Institute for LGBT Studies at the University of Arizona, said she hoped to see similar progress in areas that would impact more people - like employment discrimination issues and anti-transgender violence. “The next question is, can’t we move beyond beauty pageants and make changes in areas that have more relevance,” she asked. She pointed out that while trans people should be able to take part fully in society, there are issues with beauty pageants overall, questions of “whether beauty pageants are the best way to advance the cause of girls, of women.” But she said trans women participating in the pageants could make a difference, and help shatter stereotypes and educate the public. She pointed to Chaz Bono, a transgender man, and the impact of his appearance on “Dancing with the Stars.”

“To that extent, it’s just a great thing to have a positive media representation even if it is inconsequential,” she said. Contest officials worked closely with GLAAD to change the policy, and the advocacy group on Tuesday praised the decision and the work by Talackova to remain a contestant. “ The Miss Universe Organization today follows institutions that have taken a stand against discrimination of transgender women including the Olympics, NCAA, the Girl Scouts of America and The CW’s America’s Next Top Model,” said GLAAD’s senior director of programs Herndon Graddick.

“At a time when transgender people are still routinely denied equal opportunities in housing, employment and medical care, today’s decision is in line with the growing levels of public support for transgender people across the country.” Talackova’s sex change initially led organizers in Canada to disqualify her from the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May, citing a rule that she must be “naturally born” a woman. Talackova pleaded with the pageant’s leaders to drop the rule. “I am a woman,” Talackova said last week. “I was devastated, and I felt that excluding me for the reason that they gave was unjust. I have never asked for any special consideration. I only wanted to compete.” —AP

(From left) Kuwaiti Producer and film maker Walid Al-Awadi, actor Saad Al-Faraj and Kuwaiti actor Khaled Ameen pose during the photocall of “Tora Bora” movie in the opening ceremony of the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai on April 10, 2012. —AFP

Arab nudes defy taboos in Paris show he naked body in Arab art is the theme of a new Paris exhibit meant to broaden views of Arab culture, spotlighting the many artists willing to break taboos and depict nudity in all its forms. “The Body Uncovered” at Paris’ Arab World Institute aims to “challenge the stereotypes usually associated with the Arab world that reduce it to the single image of religious fanaticism,” said the institute’s chairman Renaud Muselier.

“It is intended instead to echo the reality of an Arab art scene that despite the conservative climate, exists, dares to overcome taboos and manages to find a place in the global contemporary art scene,” he explains in the show catalogue.

Until July 15 the institute bordering the River Seine will display 200 works by 70 modern and contemporary Arab artists, many of them women, which address eroticism, the sensuality of dance, violence, the exploitation of women and homosexuality through sculpture, collage, painting, photography and video. The collection is so dense and varied that it came as a surprise to the exhibit curators. “We didn’t expect to find an iconography so rich and diverse-we were surprised that so many Arab artists address this question,” the show’s co-curator Philippe Cardinal told AFP. “When there are

T

social taboos, the role of artists is to unravel them at the seams: they are the first to rebel against censorship.”

Many of the artists, though born in Arab countries or of Arab descent, now work out of the United States or Europe, like Huguette Caland, a Lebanese transplant to California whose oil painting was chosen for the show brochure. A monochromatic close-up of a female back, the 1973 “Self Portrait 1” appears from afar to be just a rectangle of peach color, but upon closer inspection it is clear the lower edge of the canvas shows the swell of buttock cheeks.

Caland, whose father was the first president of Lebanon, also contributed to the exhibit two 1992 ink drawings entitled “Homage to Pubic Hair I and II” showing multicolored women with lots of dark pubic hair, as well as a 2010 naked female mannequin with a tattooed body and veiled head. A canvas by the Egyptian-born New York resident Ghada Amer features colorful string embroidered into what appear to be haphazard shapes, but which were in fact inspired by images out of pornographic magazines-intended as a comment on the subject of female submission.

Homosexuality, forbidden in Arab countries, is also quietly addressed, including through Lebanese-American

George Awde’s photographs of young shirtless men in Beirut, expressing tenderness with arms wrapped around one another. Violence inflicted on the body is another theme of the exhibit, as shown in Iraqi-born Scandinavian exile Adel Abidin’s video of a game of ping pong in which a bruised, naked woman lies across the table serving as the net, her body shuddering each time she is hit by a ball. The woman is “a metaphor for the Iraqi people caught in the midst of war,” said Hoda Makram-Ebied, the Egyptian co-curator of the exhibit, who is in charge of contemporary collections at the institute.

Another video, the 2009 “Comradeship” by Egyptian artist Mahmoud Khaled, shows a bodybuilder in tight-fitting bathing pants flexing his muscles at the beach, a man rubbing oil onto another bodybuilder’s muscles and another facing a mirror to videotape himself pulling up his shirt to reveal muscle. The video includes the text-in both Arabic and English: “I have taken courage to challenge myself and you have taken time to allow this to affect you. The payoff is well worth it.”—AFP

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Monica takes a chance with ‘New Life’

In this file photo of an artist rendering released by a drawing of the proposed Industry Light & Magic campus, is shown. — AP

Monica, ‘New Life’ (RCA Records)

A

fter the success of her last album, 2010’s”Still Standing,” Grammy-winner Monica returns with a soulful yet less-than-impressive collection of R&B tracks. The album’s first single, “It All Belongs To Me,” has deservedly attracted the most attention of all the songs on the album. Possibly the most talked about musical reunion of the year, it features Monica and Brandy with another powerful duet, 14 years since their 1998 classic “The Boy Is Mine.”

This one is an anthem for the ladies, all about giving the boot to a no-good man. But there aren’t a lot of songs as electric as that one. “Daddy’s Good Girl” has a strong beat but lyrically seems out of place, with lines like “Shopping sprees might make me smile for now but what about later?” “Big Mistake” is emotional and full of passion, but while it briefly grabs the listener’s attention, it doesn’t hold it. The same can be said for “Take A Chance” featuring Wale. Expectations are high, but a little more oomph is needed. Among the highlights of “Still Standing” is “The Man Who Has Everything,” a risky song where Monica experiments with a reggae beat, and pulls it off. Showing off her vocal range on “Without You,” Monica reminds us why she’s still relevant, and she takes it further on the sad and sophisticated “Until It’s Gone.” The raw pain in her voice hits home to give you goosebumps all over.

Vocally, Monica has never disappointed: Her voice is powerful and pure. But the album sounds uneven and underwhelming, perhaps due to the large number of producers, including past collaborators Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Missy Elliott, along with new blood like Salaam Remi and Rico Love. With all that talent behind Monica, it’s surprising this album has such a shortage of standout hits.

Check this track out: The killer ballad “Until It’s Gone” is proof Monica hasn’t lost that golden voice.— AP

Lucasfilm abandons studio plan at NorCal site G

eorge Lucas’ film production company on Tuesday abandoned plans to build a sprawling studio in a rustic valley north of San Francisco, saying it has no desire to be seen as “an evil empire.”

Lucasfilm Ltd, the force behind the Star Wars movies, surprised Marin County by announcing that it has pulled the plug on the controversial Grady Ranch project, citing bitter opposition from neighbors and delays in the approval process. The company said it would construct new facilities elsewhere and hoped to sell the historic farmland to a developer interested in building low-income housing in an area about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

“We love working and living in Marin, but the residents of Lucas Valley have fought this project for 25 years, and enough is enough,” the company said in a statement. “We have several opportunities to build the production stages in communities that see us as a creative asset, not as an evil

empire.” The Grady Ranch project would have marked a major expansion of Lucasfilm in Lucas Valley, which has been home to its Skywalker Ranch for three decades. The valley is named for a 19th century rancher with no relation to the Star Wars creator. The plan called for a 269,000square-foot (24,990-sq. meter) digital media studio that would include a 51-foot (15.54meter)-tall, mission-style compound with two 85-foot (26-meter) towers, two indoor sound stages as well as an outdoor stage of nearly 7,000 square feet (3,870 Celsius).

There would be screening rooms, guest housing, a general store, employee cafeteria and wine cave for private tastings and storage. The company and its backers said the new production studio would generate hundreds of high-paying jobs and tax revenue. Lucasfilm hoped to break ground by next year. But the project generated strong opposition from homeowners and environmentalists who said it would increase traffic, noise and environmental damage on the

pristine countryside, despite company promises to preserve open space and reduce impacts on the community. The Marin County planning commission unanimously approved the studio project in February, but opponents appealed that decision to the county Board of Supervisors last month, leading to further delays. “ The level of bitterness and anger expressed by the homeowners in Lucas Valley has convinced us that, even if we were to spend more time and acquire the necessary approvals, we would not be able to maintain a constructive relationship with our neighbors,” Lucasfilm said in the statement.

Liz Dale, president of the Lucas Valley Estates Homeowners Association, said she was surprised by the decision. “We are glad we don’t have to worry about the potential impacts we were worried about,” Dale said.

“We don’t want to describe it as good news or bad news, but I can understand why another location would be better for this

type of facility.” Dale said any proposed housing development on the property would have to be “suited to the zoning, the people who live here and the people who come here.” Local business leaders who championed the project said they were devastated by the announcement. “It sends a very disturbing message to any company thinking about growing or starting in Marin,” said Cynthia Murray, president of the North Bay Leadership Council. “It’s a model project. If this project can’t get approved, I don’t know what project can get approved.”

Lucasfilm spokeswoman Lynne Hale said two cities have reached out to the company offering “substantial incentives” to build the new studio, but she could not discuss specific locations. The firm is already in talks with developers about selling Grady Ranch, she said. “It makes me sad that we cannot build the studio in Marin,” Hale said. “Other communities understand the economic and educational benefits of having a company such as Lucasfilm in their cities.”—Reuters

‘Think Like a Man’ Various artists, ‘Think Like a Man: Music From & Inspired By The Film’ (Epic Records)

Review

R&B artists highlight

M

uch like the upcoming movie, the soundtrack to “Think Like A Man” is tale of how the opposite sexes view love, courting and relationships. The album is a set of R&B and hip-hop-influenced tracks by veteran artists and industry newcomers. The lead single, which shares the movie’s title, is a danceable mash up of the sassy Jennifer Hudson, debonair Ne-Yo and gritty rapper Rick Ross. John Legend is unusually cocky, but still smooth, on the midtempo “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” featuring rapper Ludacris. Legend boasts that his talents will leave both his lover craving for a cigarette and with a broken bed. Despite the presence of those established hitmakers, new artists perform the most notable songs on the soundtrack. “Won’t Make A Fool Out of You” by “X Factor” alum Marcus Canty sounds like an old-school, 1990s slow jam with soulful vocals over bluesy keys and heavy bass. Canty sings he’s “not a perfect man, but baby give me the chance and my heart will be all yours.” Ne-Yo’s protÈgÈ ReVaughn sings of her bad luck with unfaithful men in “Same Ol BS.” Her song includes a portion of the 1970s hit “I Miss You,” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, evoking the classic’s same distressed, pained emotion. Brandon Hines- who’s been eye candy in music videos for Estelle and Dondria- seduces his love with his “high grade, top shelf kind of love” and promises to bring the action in the sultry jam “Fire.”

The soundtrack features upbeat club bangers “Shake That Jelly” by Billy Wes and “Motion Picture” by Atlanta rapper Future.

Kelly Rowland and Keri Hilson also make appearances on the album. The soundtrack also includes a couple of classics: “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross and “That’s The Way of The World”

by Earth, Wind and Fire. Check out this track: The remake of Michael Jackson’s “Baby Be Mine” by Danish duo Quadron is a dreamy love ode with syrupy, sweet vocals in their slowed-down, poetic interpretation. —AP

Ukraine blocks film on soccer match against Nazis

I

t’s a game that every Ukrainian knows about: The “Death Match” of 1942, when top Kiev soccer players trounced a team of Nazi occupiers and reportedly paid for it with their lives. But Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday froze the release of a movie depicting that Soviet defiance of Nazi Germany because of concerns it

could ignite explosive emotions just weeks before Ukraine co-hosts the 2012 European Championship.

Officials fear that “The Match,” which extolls the heroism of Ukrainian soccer players but portrays many Kiev residents as Nazi collaborators would teach Ukrainian audiences the wrong image of their country and history.

In this photo provided by Central Partnership and Inter-Film shows an episode from the movie “Match”. —AP

Some experts also fear that it may stoke hostility toward German players and fans as Ukraine hosts several games played by Germany’s national team.The movie tells the story of the Aug. 9, 1942, match, which pitted a Wehrmacht team against players from Kiev’s top club Dynamo and other athletes. The Ukrainian team won 5-3 despite reported warnings from the SS that they must lose to their occupiers. Most team members were soon arrested. “Some things are worth dying for,” the actor playing team captain Nikolai Ranevich says in the film, his eyes filling with tears, as he convinces his team to beat the Nazis in a show of resistance and patriotism.

A Soviet journalist dubbed the game the “Death Match” and Soviet authorities long cultivated the legend that the entire team was executed by the Nazis soon afterward. A monument to those players now stands outside the Dynamo stadium.

Historians now say that while defeating the Nazi team was undoubtedly courageous, there is no evidence to suggest all the players were executed

in revenge. Nine of the players were arrested about a week after the match. One soon died in custody and three others were shot in a Kiev concentration camp some six months later, according to Volodymyr Prystaiko, a former Soviet security officer who wrote a book on the match.

German investigators concluded in 2005 there was no evidence linking the death of the three players to the match. The film’s distributor wanted “The Match” to premiere in Ukraine on May 3 and the state cinema agency was to announce its decision on whether to approve the movie last week. But agency spokeswoman Larisa Titarenko said Tuesday the regulator will take another 25 working days to analyze the movie. Yaroslav Pidhora-Gvyazdovskiy, a member of the expert commission reviewing “The Match,” says he recommended banning the movie because it promotes ethnic strife. Most of the characters who collaborate with the Nazis speak Ukrainian while the admirable characters in it speak Russian and fearlessly oppose the invaders, he said. —AP

‘Slipstream’ for world-weary I

n 1989, Bonnie Raitt had a huge hit and subsequent Grammy sweep with the album “Nick of Time,” which movingly spoke to the ways that love can creep up and save a person in middle age. Nearly a quarter-century later, on the terrific “Slipstream,” Raitt seems to have a different, somewhat more bemused perspective on love and aging, as if to address what happens when all those good things that arrived just in the nick of time disappear just as fatefully. In the album-opening “Used to Rule the World” (written by Randall Bramlett), a bevy of has-beens consider their diminished place in the state of things and wonder where their status went. If it sounds tragic in theory, the Steely Dan-like funk rhythms and Raitt’s playful slide guitar make it clear there’s something at least a little funny about human outrage at the natural order of diminishing returns. It may not rule the Grammys, but once again, Raitt has come up with an anthem for a generation.

If “Used to Rule the World” is a sort of answer song to “Nick of Time,” so is “Not Cause I Wanted To,” an answer song to her classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” This time, in a ballad written by NRBQ’s Al Anderson and Bonnie Bishop, she’s singing from the point of view of the one who couldn’t be made to love, with a “guilty heart and a troubled mind” and a sense that even the other person’s “forgiveness ain’t enough to wash my conscience clean.” Bonnie Raitt, cad? It kind of works. There are lighter moments throughout-Raitt is not about to give up being America’s slippery-guitar-necked good-time gal, nor should she - but it’s the more rueful stuff that sticks. She covers two Bob Dylan songs, and they’re both

from 1997’s “Time Out of Mind,” his most depressing album (the one we all thought at the time might be some kind of grim valedictory statement). Of course Raitt’s honeyed tones can’t help but loosen the noose in these songs just a little, but she’s got good taste in her lovelorn Bob. Having her cover “Time Out of Mind” from start to finish wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually.

The Dylan covers are among four acoustic-based tracks produced by Joe Henry, remnants of early sessions that Raitt did for the album before deciding on a change of direction. She figured the Joe Henry stuff was just too downbeat to come back with after a seven-year layoff, so she plans to release an entire album of those sessions later, after the public has become re-accustomed to her face with this mixed-moods comeback.

She was wise to do that, because as good as she is at breaking your heart, you’d be really heartbroken to get a new Raitt album free of slide guitar and levity.

Don Was is no longer behind the boards, and there are no John Hiatt songs, but you’ll definitely hear a revival of the irresistibly lurching “Thing Called Love” sound in greasy new numbers like “Down to You,” “Ain’t Gonna Let You Go,” and the superior “Split Decision.”

“Slipstream” really does represent a split decision, between the quiet, singer/songwriter-ly anguish of the Joe Henry-produced tracks and the Greek Theater-ready rockers penned by Al Anderson and other bluesy compatriots.

Happily, this combination of musical approaches doesn’t feel schizoid. In Raitt’s hands, it’s all chicken soup for the middle-aged-rocker soul, if not a balm in Gilead. — Reuters

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

Keith Urban, right, is congratulated by Vince Gill, left, after it was announced that Urban has been selected to become a member of the Grand Old Opry during the All for the Hall concert on Tuesday. —AP photos

&

M O V I E S

Keith Urban, left, hugs Country Music Hall of Fame member Don Williams as Williams takes the stage to perform.

Keith Urban is applauded by Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge.

Surprise! Keith Urban gets a shocker at benefit K

eith Urban was slyly dropping hints about the surprises he had in store at the All For The Hall benefit concert this week, but little did he know the night’s biggest surprise was aimed at him. Vince Gill and members of Rascal Flatts, The Oak Ridge Boys and Diamond Rio surprised Urban Tuesday night with the announcement he will officially join The Grand Ole Opry later this month, a revelation that clearly took the Australian country star by surprise. “I’m shocked, I’ve got to say,” Urban told the soldout crowd at Bridgestone Arena. “It’s a huge honor and how beautiful to have this happen tonight of all nights.”

As for Urban’s surprises, he brought Merle Haggard and childhood hero Don Williams on stage, fittingly trotting out a couple of inductees for the fundraiser to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. “This is one of the biggest thrills of my life, getting to play a little guitar with this guy coming out,” Gill said before brining Haggard on stage. Haggard played four songs, including crowd

favorite “Workin’ Man’s Blues.” Williams, a childhood idol of Urban’s, performed two songs, including “Tulsa Time.” “I heard more records in my house growing up by this guy than anybody,” Urban told the crowd before bringing Williams on stage. With the exception of the night’s surprise guests, the theme of Urban and Gill’s third installment of the benefit was duos, vocal groups and bands.

Urban and Gill served as co-musical directors and house band leaders, sitting in on almost every song and merging their bands for the night. “Thanks so much to Keith and Vince,” Miranda Lambert said. “That’s hot!”Other groups joining Lambert’s Pistol Annies on the night’s set list included Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Thompson Square and Little Big Town. Alabama was the only group not to use the supercharged backing band. Turns out they didn’t need them on their somber hits “Lady Down on Love” and “Feels So Right.”“Man, there is nothing like the sound of those voices,” Gill said after Alabama wrapped up.

“Good Lord!” Still, little compared with the moment when Gill called all the Opry members in the house back on stage following Rascal Flatts’ performance. That trio, also recently invited to join the Opry, brought out a black duffel bag with a surprise inside for Urban. He opened it to find an Opry microphone stand.

Urban appeared to tear up before recovering and addressing the crowd. He also dedicated his invitation to his wife, the actress Nicole Kidman, and his daughters. “I’ve been here 20 years this year,” Urban said. “1989 was the first year I came over from Australia to take my demo to the record labels. I got a lot of strange looks. ... This night here is in a whole other stratosphere.” — AP

Gary LeVox, left, and Joe Don Doorney of Rascal Flatts perform.

Review

‘Cabin’ is frightfully clever

In this film image released by Lionsgate, Fran Kranz is shown in a scene from “The Cabin in the Woods.” —AP

S

top reading this review right now. Go see “The Cabin in the Woods,” then come back and we can have a conversation about it. Just trust me on this. The less you know going into it, the better. We can say this much: The hype is justified. And that’s saying something when we’re talking about geek god Joss Whedon, who produced and co-wrote the script with director Drew Goddard, a veteran of such revered TV shows as “Lost” and Whedon’s own “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Goddard makes his directing debut with this long-awaited film (he also previously wrote “Cloverfield”) but he keeps all the moving parts humming along with thrilling fluidity and ease.

So yes, “The Cabin in the Woods” is as good as you’ve heard, or at least as good as you’ve hoped it would be, because it walks a very difficult line and manages to find the right tone pretty much the entire time. Anyone can try to be subversive. Anyone can spoof and parody and wink at the camera in making fun of a specific genre, especially one like horror in which the conventions are so deeply ingrained and staying a couple steps ahead of the characters is part of the fun. But the trick is to avoid going over-

board and to play it somewhat straight.

The “Scream” movies in the 1990s were super-meta and cutesy and knowing, with characters who were all-too aware of the rules of a horror movie and their roles within that structure. “The Cabin in the Woods” affectionately toys with the familiarity of certain types and plot points but it also dares to take a step back and examine why we need to return to these sorts of films, why we love to laugh and jump, why we hunger for carnage and thirst for blood.

This probably makes “Cabin” sound like some sort of analytical, eggheady thesis, and while it is extremely clever and intelligent, it also could not be more fun. It pays homage to the kinds of frights horror fans know and love while managing to provide surprises and twists, layers upon layers, over and over again. It’s humorously selfaware without being smugly sarcastic; again, a tough balance to strike. Let’s quickly touch upon plot and then get out: Five friends go away for the weekend to a remote cabin by a lake. There’s party-girl Jules (Anna Hutchison), her jock boyfriend Curt (Chris Hemsworth, who made this film before “Thor” made him a star), the bookish-but-sexy

Holden (Jesse Williams), wisecracking stoner Marty (Fran Kranz, who gets the best lines of the group) and the wholesome Dana (Kristen Connolly). Because they are good-looking college archetypes, they must drink beer, smoke weed, undress and cavort; it heightens their vulnerability. Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before.

From the character descriptions alone, you can probably determine who’s going to get it and in what order.But wait, there’s also a parallel story line involving Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as midlevel managers at some sort of sterile research lab who kill time one-upping each other with deadpan gallows humor. As Goddard and Whedon jump back and forth, the pieces snap into place; then just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, they throw something else at you.

“Cabin” may not win over any new converts to the horror genre, but it’ll certainly make the faithful feel fervent all over again. “The Cabin in the Woods,” a Lionsgate release, is rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use and some sexuality/nudity. Running time: 95 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.— AP

Red Hot Chili Peppers top Lollapalooza lineup T he Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys and English indie darlings Florence and the Machine will headline this year’s three-day Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, Jane’s Addiction lead singer and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell announced yesterday. “Every year it’s kind of a nail biter putting a lineup together,” Farrell said in an interview. “ There were moments when I looked at it and I was beside myself. I didn’t know what to do.”

But with the final list also including acts such as Black Sabbath, Jack White and Sigur Ros, “that lineup is just going to be so exciting and it’s so diverse. I think it works so well,” Farrell said. The festival in Chicago’s sprawling Grant Park begins Aug 3. The schedule of more than 120 bands features Lollapalooza’s signature mix of mainstream headliners and indie bands. The global factor is strong with acts from across Europe, Chile, Australia and Malaysia. It also reflects American music hubs like Austin, Nashville and Portland, spanning genres from rock to

pop, hip hop and rap to electronic dance. Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, The Afghan Whigs, The Shins and former “American Idol” contestant Haley Reinhart are on the bill. The full lineup is available on Lollapalooza’s website.

In recent years headliners have included Lady Gaga, Green Day, Eminem and Coldplay. Putting together the perfect lineup has a special set of challenges, Farrell said.

“You are trying to balance a lot of things,” he said.

“Balance economics, there’s budget how much we can afford for talent. You’re trying to balance that with who’s available.”Farrell said he sees his role as curatorial, “purely as a music selector.” This year he sees a special place for electronic dance music, with acts Justice and Avicii headlining the main stage.

“To me that’s honoring dance music,” Farrell said.

Lollapalooza competes for music fans’ festival dollars with other events throughout the summer and early fall.

This year ’s Lollapalooza lineup goes up against Radiohead, Phish and The Beach Boys at the Bonnaroo

In this CD cover image released by Epic Records, the soundtrack, for “Think Like a Man,” is shown. — AP Music and Arts Festival from June 7- 10 in Manchester, Tenn. The Red Hot Chili Peppers also are playing Bonnaroo this year. This month’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., features Radiohead, Feist and Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. The Austin City Limits Music Festival hasn’t released its October lineup.

This is Lollapalooza’s eighth year in Chicago. Last year’s festival sold out at 90,000 visitors a day, or 270,000 over the three-day event. Discounted souvenir and early bird three-day passes priced at $75 and $200 have sold out. Regular priced $230 passes are available. — AP

Alabama Shakes

measure up to the hype

A

labama Shakes, “Boys & Girls” (ATO) Alabama Shakes have gotten a lot of hype over the last year, driven mostly by its live show and YouTube presence. Sweeping the United States and Europe on a mostly sold-out tour and teasing new fans with the much-played lead single “Hold On,” the quartet has a lot of advance praise to live up to with debut album “Boys & Girls.” Thankfully, the Athens, Ala, rock band delivers. It helps that the album kicks off with “Hold On,” which features the same bluesy Southern drawl that helped make Kings of Leon a multi-platinum success. Except in this case, the powerful vocals come from Brittany Howard, the band’s frontwoman.

On “Hang Loose” the band couples the optimistic lyrics “We’re all right/We’re gonna be all right” with a riff that has a bluegrass feel. And “Goin’ to the Party” is stripped down to a simple guitar tune. Paired with Howard’s voice, it conjures up images of a party on a hot summer day.

“Heartbreaker’” turns the tone of the album to a soulful lament. Showing she can use her voice to convey any emotion, Howard angrily moans, “How was I supposed to know you was a heartbreaker?” Luckily for the listener the mood lifts once again for the album’s conclusion with the crashing percussion on “I Ain’t The Same” and the rocky guitar on “On your Way.” Check this track out: “Hold On” is still the standout track. Howard shows her range, from whispering to screeching, in three minutes of musical genius. —AP

Cohen ‘trusted’

ex manager, before fallout

L

eonard Cohen told Tuesday how he “trusted” his ex manager and former lover before they fell out spectacularly, as colorful and expletive-laden messages from her were revealed in court. The singer-songwriter, testifying at the trial of Kelley Lynch on charges of harassment, said the pair were intimate on and off for a time during their 17-year professional relationship, which ended when he fired her in 2004. “I File photo shows singerhired her to be my business songwriter Leonard Cohen manager in 1988 or 1989, to arriving at the Recording take care of all the business ... I Academy’s Special Merit trusted her,” the 77-year-old Awards Ceremony in Los star said on the third day of a Angeles. — AFP trial at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. “There was an intimate relationship, yes. It involved a sexual relationship, yes,” he said, adding: “I don’t remember the time when it ended. Like many relationships it just dissolved.

Cohen fired Kelley Lynch in 2004, accusing her stealing some $5 million from him while he lived in a monastery near Los Angeles. He sued her in 2005, and a judge ordered her to pay him $9.5 million-although the veteran singer, whose hits include “Suzanne” and “Halleluhah”-came out of retirement in part to rebuild his finances. She has been on trial in Los Angeles Superior Court since last week on charges of harassing Cohen and others with phone calls and emails, and on Monday the singer testified against her. Voice-mails and emails that prosecutors say are from Lynch, 55, have been played in court for the last two days. Cohen testified that they mentioned the Aryan Nations and accused Cohen of using drugs.“Leonard Norman Cohen should be taken before a firing squad and shot,” she was quoted as saying in one email, read out by the singer himself at the request of the judge. —AFP

Cockfighting in Iraq: A different kind of battle

37

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012

Hindistani hails home to the Middle East

By Islam Al-Shara

O

n a fabulously warm evening in majestic Mumbai the cast and crew of the award winning hit comedy musical Hindistani, an original OSN production, are getting ready for their Light, Camera, Action cue. Following a hugely successful first season, Hindistani is returning with a brand new second season this year.

Even after visiting numerous film and TV sets in Hollywood nothing prepares you for Bollywood, India’s vast movie-making centre that produces more than 300 movies a year, a vast number more than Hollywood. Mumbai feels like possibly the busiest

place on earth with thousands of people arriving daily from every corner of India; the fields of Punjab, the plains of Gujarat and the deserts of Rajasthan, all with the dream of making it big in Bollywood. Just as in Hollywood, very few succeed!

In a city that lives and breathes the wonderful world of all singing and dancing movies and now boasts it own “Walk of the Stars” modeled on Hollywood’s famous ‘Walk of Fame’, located at the Bandra Bandstand promenade, you can’t help but feel OSN are in safe hands with their original Arabic flagship series that premieres on OSN Yahala! HD, at the beginning of Ramadan later this year.

The sing-along series follows a young Saudi textile trader

Saeedan (Asad Zahrahi) who is deeply in love with a beautiful girl called Hind (Malayeen). Saeedan escapes his mundane lifestyle into the realms of fantasy through his dreams that take him to the city of lights, Mumbai, India, where most of the action in the series takes place. Gold glistening and sequins sparking the energetic cast are set to sizzle on screen as they begin filming the opening catchy musical number with Arabic lyrics set against Indian music. The all-star Saudi cast is joined by a beautiful troupe of Indian dancers. The successful Iraqi director, Ows Al Sharqy, is at the helm of this huge opening scene combining Arabic culture with the sways of bollywood dancing and elaborately dressed actresses in colorful Indian attire. Logistically you’d

think it would be a nightmare with an Arabic Director and an Indian Chorographer neither being able to speak each other’s dialect but the energy is electric and this is an Arabic romance and drama that oozes Bollywood’s glitz and glamour.

As the sun rises, it’s been an experience with a visual feast of songs and dances, comedy, drama, unrequited love, angry parents, family ties and sacrifice all mixed up in an extravaganza of melodrama. The cameras stop rolling and director Ows Al Sharqy considers the first episode a wrap. An exhausted but still smiling cast break in time for the arrival of delicious samosas, chai (tea) and a well deserved rest before doing it all again. Hindistani: Season 2 coming to OSN this Ramadan on OSN Yahala! HD.

China’s animation champion out to get US goat A

s US animation titans such as DreamWorks set up business in China, a local studio is hoping the fortunes of a plucky goat will take the battle for box office supremacy straight to its big rivals. Imagi-a company that almost went bankrupt after the dismal failure of its take on the Japanese TV series “Astro Boy” in 2009 — is home to the champion of China’s animation industry: Pleasant

Soh Szu Wei posing next to a soft toy of his company’s star attraction ‘Pleasant Goat’.

Goat and Big Big Wolf. Based on the antics of a goat called Pleasant and his valiant bid to thwart a scheming wolf, the franchise has produced four films in the past four years taking a combined domestic box office haul of 548 million yuan ($87 million). In terms of animated films screening in China, that amount has only been bettered by DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda franchise, whose two films have commanded takings of 744 million yuan since the original’s release in 2008.

“We welcome competition, we are looking forward to it,” said Soh Szu Wei, executive director of Hong Kong-based Imagi International Holdings Limited that owns the Pleasant Goat franchise, which has also been spun-off into a television series.“We have broken away from the locals. We are now competing with the internationals.”

The Chinese box office expanded by around 30 percent last year, meaning it accounted for an estimated RMB13 billion in takings, third in the world behind Japan and the first-placed United States and closing fast. That potential has encouraged DreamWorks to set up its very own Chinese operations. In February, the company announced it was forming a Shanghai-based partnership with China Media Capital, Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance Investment.

Enter the Dragon The venture will “engage in the development and production of high-quality

original Chinese animated and live action content,” according to a DreamWorks statement. DreamWorks Animation’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, described it as “a first-of-its-kind enterprise to locally conceive, produce and distribute high-quality creative content and family entertainment experiences-not only for the people of China but also for related export market”. It hopes to get its Shanghai studio up and running by the final quarter this year, with the first productions slated for release in 2016. The Hollywood giant could not have chosen a better setting for its operations in China, said Hong Kong-based film historian Jacob Wong.

“China has a glorious history of animation, especially the Shanghai film studios in the 1960s, but it has been a while since they have had a major success,” said Wong, who programmed the Animation Unlimited segment of this year’s Hong Kong International Film festival. “In those days, the shorts they made were reminiscent of classic Chinese water-ink paintings and they really were beautiful. These days, Chinese studios are doing the animation process and post-production for a lot of people, they are mostly concentrating on the technical side of things.”

While few studios are making feature films, “films such as ‘Legend of a Rabbit’ may be a sign of things to come,” he added. Released last year and bearing a striking similarity to “Kung Fu Panda”, “Legend of a Rabbit” was a flop at the

domestic box office, returning only an estimated $1.5 million of its rumored $12 million budget.

‘Matter of time’ But in terms of animation technique the film showed that Chinese studios were closing the gap on the high-quality on-screen imagery audiences have come to expect from the likes of DreamWorks

and its US rival Pixar.”It is probably too early to predict how things might move along. Animation is a long, tedious and expensive process,” explained Wong.

“DreamWorks’ move is interesting because they are entering Shanghai, which has this glorious history of animation. It will be interesting to see what effect this has on the work coming out of Chinese studios.” —AFP

Photo released by Imagi International Holdings Ltd shows Soh Szu Wei, Imagi International Holdings Ltd’s executive director, posing with soft toys of his company’s star attractions ‘Pleasant Goat’ and ‘Big Big Wolf’ in Hong Kong. —AFP