16 Mar 2012

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Kuwait National & Liberation Days

www.kuwaittimes.net

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NO: 15389- Friday, March 16, 2012

Amir attends Kuwaiti folkloric festival

SEE PAGE 9

KAC flights grounded tomorrow SEE PAGE 9

Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Conspiracy Theories

Veiled dictators KUWAIT: A woman is pictured trying her hand at weaving at the Al-Sadu House during a workshop. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

T

he latest suggestion from the group of Honourable Gentlemen in Parliament is the funniest news in an ironic way. What do you think their latest suggestion has been for the last couple of days? To build a nuclear reactor? To find where the money of Kuwait is going? To eliminate corruption? To introduce new modern curriculum in the Education Ministry so that Kuwait can advance? To build new parks and green areas for the people to walk in the country and reduce the rising obesity levels? To build fountains everywhere? No. Do not get carried away.

This Parliament is concentrating only on women. The latest proposal was to issue a law to force all women in Kuwait to wear a hijab. According to the so-called decent attire draft law, all women in Kuwait should be forced to wear a hijab (head scarf).

First of all, I would like to draw your attention. I am a muhajaba (a woman wearing a head scarf). I put a hijab on three weeks ago. I did it out of my own will. It was my choice. Not my husband’s, father’s or grandfather’s choice. Who are you to force me to wear a hijab? You are not my guardian. You are not my father. I said this in a previous article too. Who told you that hijab is a sign of decency?

Excuse me, mister. Take a walk along Gulf Road and see what many of the muhajaba do and you will understand what I mean. Look at the muhajabas who wear the sexiest, tightest clothes that underline every single curve on their body. But they still don a head scarf! Look at the tons of make-up most of our muhajabas put on as if they are clubbing or going to a disco. When I put a hijab on, it took me years to debate this. I thought to myself: “I look more decent in my ordinary clothes.” If the idea of the gentleman is to prevent women from attracting the attention of men, I think that hijab would not set the society right. This is an individual choice and it should remain so.

Even when religion came, Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) did not force it on people. He always gave a choice to people. He never forced anything on people.

He always called for democracy and justice.

According to Ayah 159 from Surrat Al-Imran, (Imran Family) “And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”

When the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) did not force anything on people, who are you to do so? I think you should take the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) as an example. Islam came as a religion to democratize the world. It was never a religion of dictatorship. It stands for equality of all men and women. So, wake up new dictators of the Parliament! You use the Parliament to show your power and dictate terms to the nation. Find something more interesting to do because women in Kuwait are aware of what they can wear. They know religion and are aware of what is right and wrong.

Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Local Spotlight

Don’t be too sensitive

Satire Wire

10 years, one verdict

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Sawsan Kazak muna@kuwaittimes.net

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

M

any people don’t want to be hypersensitive, but can they help it? I think there are many aspects in life, towards which, one needs to be sensitive in order to feel, enjoy and share them.

I wish I hadn’t been so sensitive but unfortunately, it looks like we are born with such traits. You will not be liked by many people, but surely you will be respected. Being sensitive means getting into trouble with even your closest family members and friends.

This is because you will be hurt when someone makes a comment or joke about something that is interpreted as being harmful and annoying!

I received an e-mail a couple of weeks ago from a man who got into trouble with the residents of his building thanks to his hypersensitivity. He claimed that he could hear his next door neighbour’s maid crying all the time, and that she was being abused by her master and imagined her being beaten and harassed. He decided to call the janitor and the police.

He spoke with the residents of the entire building on the issue. Finally, an investigation revealed that the maid was addicted to watching old Indian movies every evening and would break into tears on watching melodramatic scenes! Indian movies last for three hours or so, and that was the time this man heard her sobbing, and assumed she was in great pain.

He became the butt of all jokes, but says that he felt comforted to know that she was doing well! It was his sensitivity that made him take the trouble of reporting the incident. He cared about people. I think it is a blessing to be surrounded by empathetic people who are willing to take risks, even if they end up being questioned by police.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you see or hear something inappropriate please verify it before rushing to call the police. If you call the police for no reason, you could land up in jail!

Happy weekend!

KUWAIT: Air traffic at Kuwait International Airport is normal despite dusty weather conditions, announced the Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) here yesterday. The DGCA’s Head of Operations Essam Al-Zamel told KUNA that air traffic was smooth despite the weather, noting that the field of vision (for aircraft) was at 500 meters. Flights are allowed to operate within 250 meters visibility for incoming carriers and 150 meters for departing ones. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

T

homas Lubanga, a Congolese warlord, was convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday for using child soldiers. The court, located in The Hague, delivered its first-ever verdict during its 10 years of operation. Apparently, the verdict was ‘hailed as a legal landmark in the fight against impunity for the world’s most serious crimes’ and believed to be a ‘deterrent to armies around the world not to conscript children.’

So let me get this straight; armies, and more specifically warlords, around the world will look at Congo’s Lubanga case and say: “Oh we better not recruit children for our army because we might be indicted by the International Criminal Court years from now, spend a decade in the country awaiting judgment, and years after we have accomplished what we wanted, terrorized and killed hundreds of thousands of people, we might get a guilty sentence”. I’m all for being thorough, but 10 years and one guilty verdict seems to be a little too thorough.

It appears that being thorough is not the only problem the Netherlands-based court is facing as it was scrutinized last week for being unable to arrest any war crimes suspects or even intervene in the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Joseph Kony, who rose to international notoriety last week

when a video featuring him went viral, was indicted for war crimes seven years ago by this court. The court has yet to arrest or make any progress on the Kony case. But I’m sure Kony is scared after what happened to Lubanga. I’m sure he’s thinking to himself: ‘I better stop what I am doing right now so that 10 years from now, I don’t get a guilty verdict.’

The minute Kony got a glimpse of his impending future, he released his army and turned his headquarters into a soup kitchen.

The court’s inability to be productive could be due to the fact that it has no police force of its own, and can only investigate in the 120 countries that have recognized its jurisdiction. Powerful countries like Russia, China, Syria and the US are not even members. This demonstrates a lack of importance placed on legal ramifications war criminals should face or the retribution the victims and their families deserve.

For an international court to be successful, it needs international support and funding. Without proper backing, this court will continue to take decades to deliver one verdict and not prevent any future crimes; as it is intended to do. I am all for the idea of worldwide justice, but if not implemented correctly, it would seem like a waste of time.

In my view

A ‘To do’ list for Kuwait

By Jamie Etheridge local@kuwaittimes.net

T

hey say that the older you get, the wiser you become. I wish I knew who came up with this idea. I would find him and punch him in the face! Okay, probably I wouldn’t resort to violence, but I’d definitely give him a piece of my mind, at least what’s left of it these days.

It seems that getting older has made me stupid - or at least more easily confused. I find myself standing at traffic lights and in restaurants, wondering should I go or stay? What did I order? My mom has gleefully pointed out that forgetting small things is part of the process, especially when your life becomes so complex and busy with work, family and friends etc.

Making ‘To do’ lists has become my key to survival. I write down everything: Take the kids to school.

Check. Email my sister. Check. Shop for groceries. Check. Get a manicure.

Check. I have a ‘To do’ list at work each day, and I even make them for my husband. The problem arises, of course, when I forget where I’ve put the list or when I don’t finish it and

then forget to transfer the left over items to a list for the next day.

I’ve started making a list of things to put on my ‘To do’ list and keep spare notepads in the bedroom, the car, the bathroom and next to the baby’s crib. This way, I hope, I will catch most of the ideas before they slip through my increasingly sievelike brain.

The great thing about ‘To do’ lists is that you can use them not only to remember what needs to get done, but also to prioritize the order in which you do them. For instance, I might list nine errands on any given day but will try to put ‘Feed the kids’ or ‘Pick up vitamins’ near the top of the list. That way, if I run out of time, I’ve fed my children rather than bought flowers or renewed my newspaper subscription.

Prioritizing is key A year from now, it will hardly matter if I missed a manicure or forgot to water the plants but failing to take my baby to the doctor or forgetting to go to the airport could cost huge in lost health, time and money.

That’s why I’ve been thinking, maybe, the people of Kuwait could put together a ‘To do’ list for Parliament. Every day on Twitter, someone lists out the problems they see: Education system out of date, hospitals ill-equipped, doctors and nurses overworked, roads that need repaving or rebuilding, a bureaucracy bloated, labyrinthine and unworkable, an economy that needs privatizing, fresh graduates that need jobs etc.

A national ‘To do’ list would be a great way to lay out all the things that Kuwait should, would or could do and then prioritize the list based on the urgency and desire of the people. I’m willing to bet that a law dictating ‘decent’ clothing and other personal choices would fall pretty far down on the list, if it made it at all.

A modernized school system that taught the youth of the country the skills and knowledge necessary for them to compete effectively in the global economy would definitely get my vote and I’m sure many others would agree.

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Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

By Nawara Fattahova

F

or those who do not like ironing clothes and find it annoying, there will soon be a solution easy ironing done by a robot without much effort. Within two years, there will be a new ironing model in the market, which was invented by a young Kuwait inventor, Mohammed Al-Rifai.

Al-Rifai presented his invention on the popular reality TV show ‘Stars of Science’ and was ranked the third top inventor in the Arab world. Realizing this invention was not easy for him, and he had to work hard to come up with this automatic ironing robot.

But ‘Kwili’ will simplify the ironing work of many people.

Mohammed Al-Rifai is a student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Kuwait University. He had to skip a semester to participate in the program, which was four months long. He was inspired to invent the brand name of his robot, ‘Kwili’, from the Arabic word ikwi (ironing). “And it’s also easy to pronounce in English - Kwili also stands for (Kuwait I Love It),” inventor Mohammed Al-Rifai told Kuwait Times.

Kwili is now available in the first prototype, which will be improved before being manufactured. “The machine is the first automatic ironing machine that deals with all kinds of fabrics including cotton, silk, satin and others. It can also iron all kinds of outfits including shirts, pants, traditional robes and overcoats and other garments. Furthermore it copes with all sizes of outfits, from XS-XXL. To improve it, we may enlarge it to make it suitable even for XXXL. Of course it can iron children’s clothing, as the hanger is flexible,” he explained.

As part of developing Kwili, an additional hanger may be added to the machine. “The clothes may not be ironed if not tied. And this hanger ensures flatting the outfit to be ironed properly. It takes only a few seconds to hang it, and the robot works alone without any assistance. Also, as a part of the development, I will improve it to take more than one piece at one time to save time,” he added.

The ironing marvel is pictured.

Mohammed Al-Rifai presents his robotic invention.

The user of the robot only needs to press a button to choose the kind of fabric to be ironed and the machine works independently. “There is an additional option in this machine, as the user may add an ironing program or customize the ironing process, which is special for certain outfits such as delicate evening dresses. The robot will then save this setting and remember it, so the next time the user only needs to enter the past ironing operation without further steps,” stressed Al-Rifai.

Al-Rifai did not forget safety measures in his invention. “First of all the machine will not start without unless it has clothes inside it. It only irons within the border of the piece fitted in, so no steam will emit from outside the border of the piece. Also, after the piece is removed and the machine is still hot, the metal rod moves high out of reach as a safety measure. In the future, I will change the square base with a curved shape for the safety of children,” he noted.

The idea of participating in ‘Stars of Science’ came from Al-Rifai’s friends and family members, especially those who were studying at the university. “There was a poster on the wall inviting talented people to participate. As they all know my love for invention and my ambition to invent something useful, they encouraged me to register and I did. I was accepted as one of 30 participants who were chosen from 7,000 applicants for the program,” he said.

Kwili took him four months of continuous work to realize his project, the entire duration of the program.

“I had the theory on paper, and realized it during the program. I made five machines in the beginning before I made the model that I have now. It was very hard and I made mistakes and corrected them.

During the program, there were experts from each field to help the participants and save their time. The program consisted of different phases starting from the Proof of Concept, Engineering Phase, Design Phase, and finally the Business Phase,” explained AlRifai.

Al-Rifai registered a GCC patent for Kwili in Qatar and is now in the process of registering it internationally in Kuwait. “I did not correspond with international factories or brands that will definitely offer to buy

the invention, as I want it to be a Kuwaiti product even if I manufacture it abroad. It is not easy to market it locally, so I received support from public institutions such as the Scientific Club and Sabah Al-Ahmad Centre,” he stated.

The price of Kwili’s first prototype is about KD 350.

To make it affordable in the market, after modifications and improvements, the price will be around KD 150. Al-Rifai is also working on two other inventions that should be realized during this year.

He also participated with a group of students at Kuwait University to establish the ‘Robotics and Automation Society’ there. “This society is cooperating with other universities, and is supporting creative students. In 2011, we held a robotics competition to spread the robotics culture in the Kuwaiti community. We aim to develop Kuwait into an industrial country,” concluded Al-Rifai.

Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

By Lisa Conrad

“P

eople should buy what they can afford, and nothing else,” said 22year-old Kuwaiti student, Sanaa, adding that purchasing imported products is a choice. According to Sanaa, there are plenty of alternatives for those who feel imported goods are out of their price range, “You’re paying for what you want, not what you need.

You can easily go to Souk Mubarakiya and get very cheap clothing, but if you want something specific from abroad, then of course you should expect to pay for it. If you can afford to be selective, you can afford to pay the prices.”

Kuwait’s malls are filled with imports and, despite efforts to promote local products, imported goods continue to reign supreme.

American and European brands are particularly popular, and although they are often considerably more expensive than regional products, they continue to enjoy immense popularity. According to Sanaa, import-buyers are paying for the convenience of being able to buy international products locally; “It’s about convenience; isn’t it easier and cheaper just to buy imports here than to travel to the States or England? Even ordering it from abroad and waiting for it to pass through customs and paying the delivery charges costs money and takes time.” Kuwait’s diverse population doesn’t share the same shopping habits, however, and some are considerably more concerned with import pricing than others.

English expatriate, Lauren, insisted that the import prices hit the expatriates the hardest.

“Everything in Kuwait, including spending and buying, depends on your nationality. For

example, Kuwaitis get various stipends and allowances that drastically cut their spending on certain things, so they have more disposable income to spend on imported items.”

Lauren further added, “In general, Kuwaitis also travel more than the expatriates here, so there is more opportunity to shop abroad and avoid paying premiums for imports here.”

Those within the industry, however, disagree. Talal, an employee at a company here in Kuwait which imports various goods, said that such thinking is too simplistic, “I don’t understand why people are shocked that imports cost more than local goods: importing something is a service in itself, so you’re buying both the product and the service.” He added, “You can buy a sheesha in Kuwait for KD 3, but in London you’d easily pay KD 15 30 for the same quality product. Why? Because it’s an import which has been packaged, transported and imported from abroad to satisfy the demands of a certain market.

You are not just paying for the product anymore.”

He understood, however, why consumers are sometimes shocked at the prices of imported goods, “Kuwait is very Westernized, so I think it’s only natural that some shoppers are shocked when certain products appear to be overpriced or more expensive than in their countries of origin.” He added, “But consumers must remember that this isn’t a Kuwait-specific issue: products that are not, or cannot be, made locally always have elevated prices, everywhere in the world. The success of many imports here is based on exclusivity combined with demand.”

As Talal defended the pricing of imported products, Kuwaiti banker, Mohamad, said that skilled-labour expatriates shouldn’t lament the price of imports, “Skilled expatriates make serious, tax-free money here, or why else would they have come?” English expatriate, Lauren, noted the financial support provided to Kuwaitis and argued that it gave them stronger spending power to purchase imports. Mohamad, however, underscored the additional expenses that many Kuwaitis

Kuwaitis travel more than the expatriates here, so there is more opportunity to shop abroad and avoid paying premiums for imports here.

KUWAIT: A shop-owner is pictured looking wistfully.

— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

encounter, “Expatriates don’t have the same pressure as Kuwaitis to keep up the same level of appearances, which is extremely expensive to maintain. If an expatriate is dressed casually they won’t be judged, whereas a Kuwaiti will.

So while we get certain breaks, we also have higher expenses.”

He added, “Some imports are expensive, yes, but many other expenses are very cheap here. Food is cheaper here than much of the West, gas is almost free and many get their accommodation, insurance and travel costs covered by their companies.” He further insisted that the prices in Kuwait must be judged on balance and with regard to salary packages before being regarded as unfair. “Regardless of how much imports cost here, I don’t think expatriates have the right to complain.

They’re making more than they’d make in their home countries and living a more

relaxed life in general, and given the number of other comparatively inexpensive costs, complaining about the price of imports is not justified.”

While the price of many imports continues to spark debates, Sanaa reiterated that shoppers choose their purchases depending on their own personal preferences, for which they are solely responsible. “It’s not a matter of Kuwaiti versus expatriate. Both choose what to buy, and neither is being misled or forced into buying anything. If the price is high, other products that have the same function can be bought at a lesser price. It’s business, after all.”

Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

The proud Kuwaiti team.

Wadha Al-Bader displays the Kuwaiti flag. — Photos by Ben Garcia

Kuwaiti triathletes sweat it out to keep our flag flying high in Abu Dhabi

By Ben Garcia

F

or Faisal Al-Muhanna, 36, combining three sporting events means two things: confidence building and a sense of fulfilment. Al-Muhanna was part of the Kuwaiti team with more than 40 contestants, to compete in the international triathlon meet held in Abu Dhabi recently.

In love with the sport, Al-Muhanna and other participants from Kuwait lament the lack of government interest for taking major initiatives. “The bad aspect in Kuwait is that it [government] does not support us. If we are absent from work because of the tournament, the government will not pay us. How can you encourage athletes to compete for your country? Besides, if you are really interested, you pay all your expenses; that’s what we did this year.” said Faisal Al-Muhanna, one of the triathletes who participated in the recent competition.

Anwar Al-Jawhar

Ziad Al-Mutawa

“We are competing for the country. At the end of the day, if we win, our names will not be used in the banner headline of newspapers. We carry the Kuwaiti flag, yet the government doesn’t support us. We don’t receive any financial aid from them, not even moral support,” he added. “We love to be a part of this sport, but the government should support us. It plays a very important role when international competitions are held. I took a break just to be able to train. When some of us are absent, our salaries are deducted; but now I am here to compete for my country, but receive no support,” he lamented.

Faisal Al-Muhanna wants government recognition for the multi-sport activity. Al-Muhanna, began two years ago. He joined last year’s triathlon event and embarked on a journey to a competition held in France. “It’s really amazing for an athlete to combine the three sports together. It has an amazing impact on one’s self and confidence,” he added. Prior to the event, Al-Muhanna told Kuwait Times that all he ever wanted was to break his previous record. “We have to admit that there are tougher competitors out there.

Being here today is quite an achievement. I will do my best but I am not expecting anything. My only goal is to break my previous year’s record,” he said.

According to Muhanna, doing it for the second time is more relaxing. “My only concern is to be able to break my own record. I am not concerned with winning anymore. I prepared for this, and am very excited and hope I can make it again,” he added. Muhanna loves swimming and running. “My strength lies in swimming. I just love water, so I think I will do better at swimming. I also love diving. Running is my weakness. I am a bit on the heavier side but I love this sport very much. Whenever I have time, I spend it running, biking and swimming.”

The Three Club prepares Al-Muhanna and his company for the ‘big’ day. They underwent training and months of preparation. “We’ve got good training, advice at the Club. We are lucky to have good coaches too.”

Like Al-Muhanna, Anwar Al-Jawhar is also excited about joining the triathlon for the second time. “I began participating two years ago. I used to cycle just to keep my body fit. Then I decided to train and join a half marathon, only to have fun with my friends. We did that, and then eventually one of my friends suggested that we add swimming to our sports. I didn’t know that a sport named triathlon already existed! I am hooked and addicted to it,” he shared. He has spent most of his time training. “I only had a few opportunities to pamper myself by getting a massage or relaxing. Otherwise, I am enjoying it [triathlon] as a treat!”

Just three years into its establishment, the AbuDhabi Triathlon has gained immense popularity. In fact, over 62 countries participated in this year’s event.

Kuwait has the biggest team representing GCC countries. Wadha Al-Bader, a female independent triathlete whom Friday Times has featured previously, was one of the athletes who represented Kuwait in Abu Dhabi.

A Kuwaiti private club ‘The Three Club’ trained about 15 triathletes from Kuwait. Among them were AlMuhanna, Ziad Al-Mutawa, 29, Anwar Jawhar, 26, and Saleh Al-Duwaisan, 28. All of them expressed regret at the government’s failure to support their chosen activities, which they asserted could bring honour to the country. Kuwaitis competed along with 2,000 athletes including 50 elite or professional triathletes.

Wadha has been part of the athletes who participated since the event’s inception in 2010 at Abu Dhabi. She also won several awards from other countries.

Gaining popularity According to Al-Jawhar, triathlon’s popularity has been soaring over the past three years. “Kuwaiti participation, has almost doubled when compared to the previous year. My point is, the sport is becoming popular and we need Kuwaiti support for this,” he added.

Triathlon, an adventure sport which involves a unique combination of swimming, cycling, and running, has many advantages. The race offers a selection of distances to accommodate athletes of all abilities.

The 223-kilometre long course boasts a three kilometre swim, a 200 kilometre cycle, and a 20-kilometre closing run-the same distance. Newcomers’ prefer to tackle the short course at half length, with a 1.5-kilometre swim, a 100-kilometre cycle and a 10-kilometre run. In the sprint course, a 750-meter swim, a 50-kilometre biking session and a five-kilometre run are involved. Both short and sprint distance also offer the option of relay entry, encouraging like-minded friends, families and colleagues to take up the AbuDhabi International triathlon challenge. The prestigious event, which took place at the beginning of the month, saw a 27 percent rise.

Local FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Kuwait Embassy hosts gala dinner in Washington

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is pictured with the organizers of the Kuwaiti folkloric festival held yesterday. — KUNA

Amir attends folkloric festival KUWAIT: His Highness Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah attended the Kuwaiti folkloric festival held yesterday, along with HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Upon arrival, HH the Amir was received by Sheikh Dhari Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Chairman of the festival’s higher organizing committee and Sheikh Sabah Fahad Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, ViceChairman and committee members. HH the Amir, in an

opening statement said, “This annual gathering is living proof of unity and brotherhood enjoyed by people of the Gulf.” A documentary film was then shown, followed by a recitation of folkloric poems. HH the Amir, before departing the event, was gifted with a memento. HH the Amir was accompanied by Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs and Mohammad Dheifallah Sharrar Advisor at Amiri Diwan. — KUNA

KAC union on indefinite strike Strike to cause $1m loss every 4 hours

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways will halt its flights from 8 pm tomorrow until further notice due to a decision taken by KAC workers’ union to strike at Kuwait International Airport. KAC apologized to its customers in a statement saying it will not be able to serve them and this is beyond its control. The statement said KAC will resume operations according to their flight schedule as soon as the strike ends.

Abdullah Al-Hajri, Chairman of the Union of Workers of Kuwait Airways Corporation and the following companies apologized to the passengers of Kuwait Airways for the inconvenience they will face tomorrow, as the workers will go on strike starting from 8:00 pm.

The decision to hold the strike was taken during the union’s general assembly held last Tuesday. “We were forced to go on this strike as a result of the negligence of the government in not fulfilling its promises or realizing the deal signed with the union regarding allowance increase of KAC’s workers. This is a violation of local and international laws. All our demands are legal and not a grant,” Al-Hajri told the Friday Times yesterday.

According to Al-Hajri, holding the strike is the legal right of the workers and not a political conflict or economic instability. “The labour unions defend the rights of its members and will fight for their legal demands. The government’s negligence led the unions to protest through a strike insisting their demands. Holding a strike is legal based on Article No 117 of the Kuwaiti Constitution as well as Article No 11 of Treaty no 3/1977 of the Arab Labour Organization, which allows the union members to hold strikes, if they weren’t able to reach a resolution legally,” he said.

This strike will completely paralyze all the flights and operations of KAC. “The strike will cause financial losses of about $1 million for every four hours of the strike.

Stopping the operations of KAC will make people seek other companies, which is also a great loss for KAC,” he concluded.

A well informed source in the KAC’s management told the Friday Times that the customers who purchased their tickets on the KAC flights will be compensated by replacing them with other carriers. The KAC statement announced the following alternatives for passengers: All reservations regarding medical treatment abroad will be evaluated, and may be rescheduled, or transferred to other countries. The statement said that passengers with tickets who did not fly yet will be refunded or should postpone travelling until operations resume. The third option proposed is for passengers who already flew out on return tickets to reschedule their flights or transfer their tickets to other carriers. The statement said that passengers can call 171 or visit a sales officer at accredited travel agencies for further information.

WASHINGTON: Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States Sheikh Salem AlSabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah, with the cooperation of the Kuwait-America Foundation and participation of CIA Director General David Petraeus held a gala dinner entitled ‘Saving the Future.’

The gala dinner raised $2.1 million to support women’s banking and economic empowerment in the Middle East. Guest of Honour, Director Petraeus praised and pointed out the generosity of Kuwait throughout the past two decades, and the support it offered to Americans in uniform.

He affirmed that among the many reasons for him to attend this event was to “relate my gratitude for Kuwait’s kind support over the years.” He added, “No country could have been a better host to our forces.” He said, “We are here to help celebrate a very worthy cause, and also help celebrate a special relationship, bond, and friendship between Kuwait and the US.” He also expressed “deep appreciation for Kuwait’s Ambassador and his wife, and the Kuwait-America Foundation for the so many worthy causes “throughout the last eight years. Petraeus praised the deep relationship with Kuwait on a political and military level, saying Kuwait has “stood shoulder to shoulder with the US for many decades.”

He shed light on the time he was in Kuwait in 1991, not long after the liberation of Kuwait and he has seen how Kuwait has suffered under the Saddam Hussein occupation. He said he returned to Kuwait several times since then and often visited the national memorial museum which has many powerful exhibits, “with a large portion dedicated to the fallen American coalition soldiers.” The US official also focused on the different causes the foundation has taken on over the years, saying that among the Foundation’s causes particularly close to his heart, is supporting American wounded warriors. He considered this year’s cause a ‘remarkable effort’ to help women by expanding micro financing opportunities “to bring greater stability and economic growth to the Middle Eastern nations that are facing political and socio-economic upheaval.”

Patraeus added that the foundation’s efforts are “in short hugely significant initiatives,” saying he is appreciative of all it has done “in making a true difference on many levels in countries that have long suffered from underdevelopment.” He said, “it really is an honour to be here and a pleasure to be here and say thanks to Kuwait.” He affirmed that Kuwait’s “generosity is truly beyond comparison. There has been not only shared objectives and goals, but shared sacrifice and that unites us I think, forever.”

Sheikh Salem said that he and his wife are delighted to host the eighth annual gala of the Kuwait Embassy to support Women’s World Banking (WWB). He said that the WWB will offer women loans for small projects in four Arab countries, which are Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan, hoping that through this gala, seeds of hope are planted that will benefit generations to come. Sheikh Salem affirmed that the embassy is very proud to have been able to raise more than $13 million over the past eight years for humanitarian causes such as educating girls, protecting the environment, and supporting wounded warriors.—KUNA

WASHINGTON: Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States, Sheikh Salem AlSabah, and his wife, Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah, are pictured with Humanitarian Award recipient actress and Goodwill Ambassador for UN WOMEN Nicole Kidman and her musician husband, Keith Urban. — KUNA

Al-Shamali to submit resignation?

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Deputy Premier and Finance Minister, Mustafa AlShamali, may submit his resignation, according to rumours yesterday. Al-Shamali is not in agreement with government decisions to make financial increases. They contradict his recommendations, which were based on accurate economic studies.

Sources said he is unable to deal with MPs who are targeting him personally, as they are taking advantage of their Parliamentary majority. MP Musallam Al-Barrak said the Finance Minister is speechless in the face of violations in departments belonging to him, and wants to militarize the country. He said apart from the measly increase approved by the Civil Service Commission, his grilling will take place soon.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Brutal nomination fight lays ahead for Republicans

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Pakistan: Swiss couple held by Taleban is free

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China replaces leader hit by messy scandal

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DAMASCUS: Syrians hold national flags as they rally in support of President Bashar al-Assad on the first anniversary of the anti-regime revolt in Damascus yesterday.—AFP

Mutilated corpses dumped outside city of Idlib New ‘massacre’ as Syria crisis enters 2nd year DAMASCUS: Twenty-three mutilated corpses were found yesterday near a Syrian protest city seized by regime forces, monitors said, as the regime’s bloody crackdown entered its second year to a rising world outcry. Human rights monitors said the victims had been blindfolded and handcuffed before being shot dead and their bodies dumped outside the northwestern city of Idlib, in an apparent repeat of a similar “massacre” in the flashpoint city of Homs last weekend.

As the Syrian regime and the opposition continued to trade blame for the earlier killings, both sides organized mass demonstrations to mark the first anniversary of the eruption of anti-government protests in the city of Daraa, south of the capital, which was again the scene of deadly violence on Wednesday. “Twentythree bodies with marks of extreme torture were found near Mazraat Wadi Khaled, west of the city of Idlib,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in a statement.

It also said at least five others were killed in raids by security forces across the province of Idlib yesterday and that violent clashes broke out overnight as rebels attacked army posts in the eastern region of Deir Ezzor. On

Wednesday, 37 people were killed in violence across Syria, 20 of them in Daraa, the Britainbased watchdog said. Human Rights Watch yesterday demanded an end to the “scorched earth methods” being deployed by President Bashar Al-Assad and that China and Russia stop blocking UN efforts to take tough action.

“City after city, town after town, Syria’s security forces are using their scorched earth methods while the (UN) Security Council’s hands remain tied by Russia and China,” HRW’s Sarah Leah Whitson. “One year on, the Security Council should finally stand together and send a clear message to Assad that these attacks should end,” said the New York-based group’s Middle East director. Moscow and Beijing have since October blocked two Security Council draft resolutions on the crisis in Syria on the grounds that they were unbalanced and aimed at regime change.

HRW said that “accounts from witnesses reveal significant destruction and a large number of deaths and injuries of civilians in Syria’s bombardment of the city of Idlib.” Syrian activists have compiled a list of 114 civilians killed since security forces launched their assault on Idlib, the watchdog said. The city fell

to government forces on Tuesday night, two weeks after the regime stormed the Baba Amr district of Homs in central Syria, following a month-long blitz that activists said left hundreds dead.

Following that offensive, residents of nearby neighborhoods reported finding the mutilated bodies of women and children. Activists posted video footage they said proved regime forces were to blame. The government blamed “armed terrorist gangs.” The Damascus government yesterday renewed its demands for foreign governments to leave Syrians to resolve the crisis by themselves and loyalists held mass demonstrations in the capital and other large cities. State television showed tens of thousands of people waving Syrian flags and Assad’s portrait in cities including Damascus, the second-largest city Aleppo and Latakia, a stronghold of Assad’s minority Alawite community on the Mediterranean coast. “After a whole year of pressure on Syria, we want to make the world hear our voice: Leave Syria in peace,” a woman on the street told the state broadcaster. The authorities, which have blamed the revolt on foreign-backed “terrorist gangs,” announced a “global march for Syria” to counter anti-regime

demonstrations being organized by the opposition across the world.

“For the lives lost in the battle for Syria,” was the slogan beamed across the television screen.

Last week, the Syrian Observatory gave a breakdown of around 8,500 deaths in the past 12 months: apart from 6,200 civilians, it said the toll included more than 1,800 members of Assad’s security forces and more than 400 rebels. In neighboring Turkey, hundreds of Syrian activists in a “Freedom Convoy” left from the near city of Gaziantep for the border with Syria to mark the one-year anniversary.

“Our goal is to put pressure in our way on the Syrian government to stop its massacres and its embargo on its own people,” Moayad Skaif, one of the organisers, told AFP. France, Syria’s former colonial ruler, acknowledged yesterday that the situation in the country was far too complex to be resolved by a Libya-style armed uprising with outside support. “The Syrian people is deeply divided and if we give arms to a particular faction of the opposition we could trigger a civil war between Christians, Alawites, Sunnis and Shiites,” Foreign Minister Alain Juppe warned. “It could become an even bigger catastrophe than we have now.”—AFP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Top Hamas official visits Tehran TEHRAN: A senior Hamas figure in Gaza, Mahmud Zahar, is visiting Tehran for meetings with top Iranian officials, media reported yesterday.

Zahar’s trip was taking place shortly after Gaza militants and Israel agreed a fragile truce that ended four days of deadly cross-border violence.

Zahar, who serves as Hamas’s foreign minister, met his Iranian counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi, who voiced his country’s support for the Palestinians.

Salehi condemned Israeli air strikes on

Gaza as “savage attacks by the Zionist regime against the innocent Palestinian population,” the official IRNA news agency reported.

“Support for the Palestinian population is part of our principles and religious beliefs and we are certain that the Palestinian people will triumph,” he said. Zahar, in return, thanked Iran for its “limitless support.” On Wednesday, Zahar met the head of Iran’s supreme national security council, Saeed Jalili, and the leader of Iran’s

Indian kidnapped in Philippines ‘feared’ killed Wife, relatives deny reports KUWAIT: Philippines authorities were verifying unconfirmed reports that Biju Kolara Veettil, a Kuwait-based Indian national, who was kidnapped by militants in Philippines, was executed by the Abu Sayyaf militant group in the southern province of Sulu, according to reports yesterday.

A Philippine-based news portal quoting Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra of the Sulu provincial police chief, reported that Biju Kolara Veetil, 36, was reported to have been killed by his captors for still unknown reason .

The authorities are citing reports that Biju was murdered even though his Filipina wife paid a ransom to the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in the southern province of Sulu, an Australian news paper reported.

Australian adventurer Warren Rodwell is still kept as hostage by the Abu Sayyaf group, the daily reports.

However there has been no confirmation about his fate since kidnappers sent a video to his wife a few days before Christmas in which he pleaded with his family to raise a $2 million ransom, said the Kuwaitbased web portal indiansinkuwait.com quoting reports.

Biju, working in Kuwait as Operations Manager in Kuwait Bronze Al-Tawooz Company for the past nine years, was kidnapped while he was visiting his Filipina wife’s relatives in a southern Philippine island by a group who claimed themselves as members of Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist separatist group based in The Philippines about nine months back.

He married a Philippine native, Eleena, who was also working in Kuwait, eight years ago. Biju, a native of Moodady near Koyilandy Taluk in Kozhikode District, Kerala, India is the son of Narayanan K, a retired Indian Army officer.

Biju’s relatives when contacted informed that they did not have any confirmation about the news. His relatives contacted Biju’s wife and she denied the reports that she paid ransom to the abductors. She charged that some vested interest are spreading this false information to close the case officially.

“But I just want to clarify that this is still subject to confirmation and we have no proof that he is alive or dead,” Sr Supt. Antonio Freyra, Sulu provincial police chief told reporters in Philippines.

parliament, Ali Larijani, the official IRNA news agency reported. Zahar’s visit followed one by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last month, who shared the podium with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on February 11 to commemorate the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Israel and the United States consider Hamas to be an armed proxy of Iran able to strike Israel with Iranian-supplied rockets should the Islamic republic be threatened militarily. On

Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded Gaza an “advance post for Iran,” which he explicitly accused of arming, financing and training militants in the Palestinian enclave. But Ahmed Yussef, a counsellor to the Hamas foreign ministry, earlier this month told AFP that “Iran does not need Hamas to respond to Israel in the event of an attack, because it has enormous military capabilities at its disposal, which allow it to act without us.”— AFP

Yemenis: Ousted leader undermining Qaeda fight SANAA: It was a stunning attack by Al-Qaeda in a country that is one of the world’s hottest fronts against the terror group. Militants rampaged through an army camp in southern Yemen before dawn, catching soldiers asleep and killing more than 180. Amid the turmoil, the defense minister ordered helicopters to evacuate the wounded. The air force commander, Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, refused, according to a senior official at the main air force base in Sanaa. Notably, al-Ahmar is a half brother of ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. Many in the military and government say the refusal last week is one example of how Saleh is working behind the scenes to obstruct the new US -backed government as it tries to bring reform and step up the fight against Al-Qaeda militants in this impoverished Arab nation. Saleh was the fourth ruler to fall in the Arab Spring wave of revolts in the Mideast, stepping down in the face of protests after more than three decades in power. But while he’s no longer president, he has effectively emerged as a parallel ruler: His loyalists and relatives still pervade state bodies and military, and officials who back the new government say he uses those levers to persistently undermine them. The goal, they fear, is to pave the way for Saleh to return to power by showing the new government is incapable of dealing with the country’s multiple problems.

Saleh has set up an office in the giant, extravagant Sanaa mosque that he built during his rule and that bears his name, just around the corner from the presidential palace.

There he meets with his loyalists and powerful tribal leaders who back him.

The result is constant friction between Saleh’s supporters and the new president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The Americans hope Hadi can reinvigorate the fight against AlQaeda, which many Yemenis say Saleh’s military waged only halfheartedly. Al-Qaeda’s branch here is seen by Washington as the most dangerous arm of the terror group after repeated attempts to carry out bombings on American soil. It only grew stronger during the past year’s turmoil, when militants seized control of several towns in the south, including Zinjibar, a provincial capital.

US officials say the Pentagon plans to assist Hadi with

SANAA: In this Saturday, Dec 24, 2011 file photo, Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaks to reporters during a press conference the Presidential Palace in Sanaa, Yemen. —AP about $75 million for military training and equipment. After talks in Sanaa last month, President Barack Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, said Hadi was “committed to destroying Al-Qaeda.” But Brennan acknowledged Hadi could face resistance in reforming an army that is seen as hobbled by corruption and divided loyalties. He said some in the military “have tried to take advantage of their positions for personal gain.”—AP

Kurd leader slams Baghdad officials as ‘failures’ ARBIL: The leader of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan said yesterday that central government officials who did not acknowledge the region’s oil contracts were vindictive “failures”. “The officials in the central government who refuse to admit these contracts are failures who could not give to Iraq what we give to our people in Kurdistan,” Massud Barzani said in a speech in Kurdish regional capital Arbil.

“They want us to be like them.” He continued: “The problem is not whether these contracts violate the constitution or not, but that they (central government offi-

cials) do not want the region to develop.”

Barzani did not explicitly name any of the officials he was referring to. The central government in Baghdad and Kurdistan regional authorities have been locked in a prolonged dispute over oil contracts with foreign energy firms. The Kurdistan region has signed around 40 contracts with international companies on a production-sharing basis without seeking the express approval of the central government’s oil ministry. The federal oil ministry, meanwhile, has awarded energy contracts to international companies on the basis of a

per-barrel service fee. It has also refused to sign deals with any firm that has agreed a contract with Kurdistan. That refusal was put in the spotlight in October, when Kurdistan inked a deal with ExxonMobil to explore six areas of the region. The US firm had previously signed a contract with Baghdad to ramp up production at the West Qurna-1 field, Iraq’s second-biggest.

Iraq has said the oil giant must choose between the two contracts. Baghdad has also yet to approve an oil and gas law that would regulate the sector, with proposals languishing for several years.— AFP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Israeli aircraft hit Gaza in response to rockets JERUSALEM: Israeli aircraft and Gaza rocket squads traded strikes across the border yesterday as the Israeli prime minister blamed Iran for the violence from the Palestinian territory.

Benjamin Netanyahu, going a step further in his warnings to Iran, hinted that Israel didn’t need Washington’s blessing to go ahead and attack Iran’s suspect nuclear program. Yesterday’s cross-border violence tested a shaky truce Israel and Gaza militants reached earlier this week to halt a four-day flare in fighting. Since then, sporadic rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes have persisted.

Israeli aircraft struck two militant

sites in Gaza before dawn yesterday in response to rocket fire a day earlier.

Gaza gunmen retaliated by launching two rockets at Israel by midday, police said.

No injuries were reported on either side. In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, Netanyahu accused Iran of arming, financing and training Gaza militants, and giving them their marching orders. “Gaza is Iran,” Netanyahu declared. Israel considers Iran to be its most fearsome enemy, in large part because it is convinced Tehran is developing atomic weapons technology, despite its claims its nuclear pro-

gram is peaceful.

In the US last week, where he met with President Barack Obama, Netanyahu was markedly more vocal about Israel’s willingness to attack Iran’s program, alone if necessary, though he said no decision had been made on whether to strike. On Wednesday, he ratcheted up the tough talk, suggesting Israel would be ready to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities even if the US objected.

“Israel has never left its fate to others, not even the best of its friends,” he said, citing Israel’s 1981 attack on an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor, which

at the time was condemned by the US. Also yesterday, an Israeli soldier was stabbed on Jerusalem’s light rail, and police apprehended a Palestinian suspect at a Jerusalem crossing into the West Bank, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. He had no further details on the suspect or a possible motive for the attack on the train, which went into service in August.

A hospital official said the soldier was in serious condition with stab wounds near her heart. Train service was halted while a preliminary investigation at the scene of the attack was carried out, Rosenfeld—AP

Egypt charges 75 people in deadly soccer riot officers charged in connection with tragedy

SUSA: In this picture taken on Feb 16, 2012, Iranian Jewish and Muslim women pray at the tomb of biblical prophet Daniel, in the city of Susa, some 450 miles ( 750 kilometers) southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran. —AP

Worries over Iranian Jews if Israel attacks JERUSALEM: All but lost amid the heated talk about a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s suspect nuclear program are the thousands of Jews who live in the Islamic Republic and could be caught in the middle. Although Iran has a history of treating its Jewish minority fairly well, some Iranian Jews who have emigrated to Israel worry that an Israeli attack could expose family and friends still in Iran to retaliation.

Iran’s government is “unstable and unpredictable. If there is a war, you can’t tell what the response to the community will be,” said Kamal Penhasi, who runs Israel’s only Persian newspaper, Shahyad, and its companion website. The level of worry among Jews in Iran themselves is harder to measure. At a tomb in southern Iran said to be the grave of the biblical prophet Daniel - a popular pilgrimage site for Iranian Jews those visiting on a recent day were reluctant to talk about politics or the rising tensions between Iran and Israel, preferring to talk about their visit.

“I prayed for peace in the world. I asked for health and blessing for all people, I prayed for all,” said Erieh Dina, after she recited prayers in Hebrew next to her husband in front of the grave. The rising crisis illustrates the uneasy situation of Iran’s Jews, the largest community in the Middle East outside of Israel and Turkey. They are believed to number around 25,000, after two major waves of emigration following Israel’s founding in 1948 and the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Before the revolution they numbered around 100,000.

Many in the community, centered in Tehran and the southern city of Shiraz, are affluent merchants. Publicly, they are supportive of a system that offers them protected minority status - though not equal access to certain government and military jobs - and assures them a seat in the Iranian parliament. “No matter who dares to attack our country, we will stand against the threats like other Iranian people,” the current Jewish lawmaker in the Iranian parliament, Siamak Merehsedq, told The Associated Press in Tehran. “The Iranian Jewish community will stand by their compatriots under any circumstance, forever.”— AP

CAIRO : Egypt’s top prosecutor yesterday charged 75 people in connection with a deadly soccer riot last month in the Mediterranean city of Port Said in which authorities said fans were thrown to their death off the stadium walls and others killed by explosives as they tried to flee. Scores of fans face murder charges and nine police officers were accused of complicity in murder, in the Feb 1 riot that left at least 74 people dead. It was the world’s worst soccer-related disaster in 15 years.

The riot began minutes after the final whistle in a league game between Cairo club al-Ahly and AlMasry of Port Said. The home side won 3-1 but its fans set upon the rival supporters in a killing frenzy that witnesses said lasted 30 minutes. Many witnesses claimed that policemen at the venue did nothing to stop the bloodshed. The riot shocked soccer crazy Egypt, deepening the sense of uncertainty felt by many as their nation continues to be roiled by unrest a year after the ouster of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. That senior police officers were charged in connection with the tragedy would lend credence to persistent claims that the nation’s much hated police were deliberately turning a blind eye to the wave of violent crime gripping Egypt over the past year. Police have yet to fully retake the streets after they melted away in yetnot-fully-explained circumstances on the fourth day of the 18-day popular uprising that toppled Mubarak. An end to police brutality was among the main root causes of the uprising and many rights activists believe the police’s apparent reluctance to restore security is payback for their humiliating defeat in the face of millions of unarmed protesters.

A statement issued by the office of the nation’s prosecutor general said nine police officers, including six major generals and a colonel, participated in the Port Said riot by way of “assistance” to al-Masry fans. They said

CAIRO: Thousands of hardcore Egyptian supporters of Al-Ahly football club chant slogans during a march in central Cairo yesterday to demand justice for the dozens of comrades killed in stadium violence last month. —AFP

the officers, along with several alMasry officials, knew in advance that the home fans planned to attack alAhly supporters. They, said the statement, allowed al-Masry fans to exceed by 3,000 the maximum number authorized to attend the game and did not search any of them for weapons before they were allowed inside the ground. Many of the charged fans were criminals known to the local police, it said.

It said the police at the match’s venue did nothing to stop al-Masry fans from attacking their rivals. “Those from the police among the defendants failed to take any measure ... to maintain security, protect lives and property,” it said, in what is probably the strongest official condemnation since Mubarak’s ouster of the police’s attitude toward the rise of crime in Egypt.

The nine police officers included Maj. Gen. Issam Samak, who was Port Said’s chief of security at the time of the riot. Samak has already been suspended. The statement said the charges were based on video footage of the riot and the confessions of suspects. It said the killing of the protesters was planned in advance and that

the culprits prepared for the massacre with knifes, rocks and explosives. Fans from the two teams have a history of animosity, but no one had expected that the heated rivalry could turn murderous.

It described how al-Masry fans threw al-Ahly supports to their death from the terraces and how they detonated explosives in their midst as they became trapped in a corridor leading to an exit gate. Among those charged is the chief electrical engineer of the Port Said stadium, a fact that alludes to numerous witness accounts that power inexplicably went out at the venue minutes after the final whistle.

The darkness, according to witnesses, helped the assailants to attack with impunity.

The Port Said riot led to the cancellation of the soccer league and sparked days of clashes in Cairo between police and protesters accusing the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, of doing nothing to protect al-Ahly fans. The Egyptian soccer federation has yet to punish alMasry for the riot. It is widely expected to relegate the team to a lower league and ban any official games from being played on its grounds.— AP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

James Murdoch: ‘I could have asked more questions’ LONDON: News Corp. executive James Murdoch has acknowledged that he could have done more to get to grips with the phone hacking scandal that has rocked Britain and threatened his place as the likely heir to his father’s global media empire.

Murdoch’s admission came Wednesday in a seven-page letter written to British parliamentarians investigating the scandal. In it, the 39-year-old repeated his insistence that he didn’t know the extent of the illegal behavior at his now-defunct News of the World tabloid newspaper, saying that the details had been hidden from him by members of his staff.

“It would have been better if I had asked more questions,” Murdoch told the House of Commons’ media committee.

“However the truth is that incomplete answers and what now appear to be false assurances were given to the questions that I asked.” Murdoch has already appeared twice before lawmakers, who grilled him in detail about what he knew

about the phone hacking scandal and alleged attempts to conceal evidence of illegal activity.

Murdoch was the one who signed off on a substantial settlement to one of the first known victims of the practice. The company’s former in-house lawyer has said the payoff was aimed at keeping a lid on the scandal, but Murdoch says he had no knowledge of wider wrongdoing and was merely following expert advice. Critics say that Murdoch was either in on the cover up or too incompetent to realize what he was agreeing to, with lawmaker Tom Watson famously accusing Murdoch of being “the first mafia boss in history who doesn’t know he’s at the head of a criminal enterprise.”

In his letter, Murdoch mounted his most detailed defense yet, accusing his former lieutenants of working behind his back, acting without his authorization, and giving inconsistent testimony to Parliament. In contrast, he said, “My evi-

dence has always been consistent.” It’s not certain whether lawmakers will accept that last claim. Murdoch initially denied knowing anything about a critical piece of evidence which suggested, as far back as 2008, that illegal behavior went much further than was being publicly acknowledged. Contradicted by former members of staff, Murdoch later changed his story, saying that while he was told about the damning evidence, its importance wasn’t explained to him. News International’s attempts to conceal the scope of the scandal fell apart after the Guardian and The New York Times revealed that phone hacking was endemic at the News of the World, an expose which has led to the paper’s closure and the arrests of dozens of journalists and other officials.

The British newspaper arm of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. has made cash settlements to 58 victims, including celebrities, politicians and the families of crime victims. James Murdoch himself has

resigned from News International, although he retains a senior position in News Corp. and said in his letter that those who saw his resignation as a tacit admission of guilt were wrong. “I have not misled Parliament,” he said. “I did not know about, nor did I try to hide, wrongdoing.”

In a separate development, police said that a 51-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of intimidating a witness. Scotland Yard said the man taken into custody had been previously arrested on April 5, 2011. Police did not identify the man, but The Associated Press had identified a man arrested that day as former News of the World reporter Neville Thurlbeck, who was 50 at the time. Police later said he had been released and would return to face more questions next month, following further investigation.

Thurlbeck later posted messages to his Twitter account to criticize police for getting his age wrong - he said he is 50, not 51 as police had said. —AP

Parents visit crash site after Alps mystery coach tragedy

Officials investigate driver’s plough into tunnel wall

MINSK: Zhanna Litvina, the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, center, and Mikhas Yanchuk, a journalist of Belsat channel, right, show their passport with a stamp that bans them leaving the country during a news conference in Minsk, Belarus yesterday.—AP

Belarus bars government critics from going abroad MINSK: Belarus’ authoritarian government has stepped up its crackdown on dissent by barring the regime’s critics from foreign trips, some of those affected said yesterday. Zhanna Litvina, the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, a media freedom watchdog, said authorities banned her from leaving for Warsaw yesterday. “I felt like a North Korean citizen in the center of Europe,” she said.

Several other critics of Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko say they have been denied permission to go on foreign trips during the past week, learning about it once they were already at the airport. Officials have refused to comment on reports the government has compiled a list of journalists, opposition activists and human rights defenders forbidden to leave the 10-million nation wedged between Russia and Poland.

“The government’s action is illegal,” said Valentin Stefanovich, the head of Vyasna rights center. “It amounts to a list of hostages.” The ban would contradict a Belarusian law that only allows authorities to deny exit for debtors, draft dodgers and criminal suspects.

Lukashenko, who Western rights group have called Europe’s last dictator, has been in office since 1994. He has relentlessly cracked down on opposition groups and independent media. Belarusian rights activists say that 12 opposition activists, including two former presidential candidates, are in prison on political charges. Last month, the European Union introduced new sanctions against Belarus over repression of the political opposition and recalled its envoys from the Belarusian capital.— AP

SIERRE: Grieving parents laid flowers yesterday at the site of a bus crash in the Swiss Alps which killed 22 children as investigators tried to work out why the driver ploughed into a tunnel wall. After visiting the morgue to identify the bodies of the 28 victims, including six adults, relatives were driven from their hotel to the Sierre tunnel where teams were poring over debris in a bid to resolve the mystery behind the tragedy.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the relatives could be seen clutching bouquets and messages as they boarded their coach. A young girl was among the party although it was not immediately clear whether she was a sister of one of the victims or a crash survivor. “The visits are going on at the moment. They have been organised for the whole day on the request of the families,” a police spokesman told AFP. The tunnel remains closed to the public and the media were kept at a distance.

After police said they did not believe the driver of the coach had been speeding, Swiss authorities acknowledged there would be a rethink about safety designs in the tunnel which stretches some 2.5 kilometres. Forty-six children and four teachers from two Belgian schools were returning home from a skiing holiday late Tuesday when their coach slammed into a concrete wall in the motorway tunnel in southern Switzerland.

Twenty-one of the dead were from Belgium while the other seven fatalities were from the Netherlands. Two C-130 Hercules transport planes belonging to the Belgian army were on standby to bring back the bodies of the dead, Defence Minister Pieter De Crem announced late Wednesday on his return from a visit to the crash site. As the parents arrived at the morgue, a police spokesman confirmed to AFP that some of the bodies would be repatriated to Belgium later in the day.

“The families are there to identify the bodies and to give information to help in the formal identification of those who cannot be identified” visually, the spokesman

HAVERLEE: A note that reads: “courage to the mums and dads, brothers and sisters, friends, from Eline and Nele”, is placed next to candles and flowers, in front of the Sint Lambertus school in Heverlee, Belgium yesterday.—AP told AFP. The body of the driver however was expected to remain as “health analyses have to be carried out” to check if he was suffering from an illness that could have caused the accident. It is believed that the coach clipped a kerb and then slammed into the wall of a rectangular emergency stop area.

The Zurich daily Tages-Anzeiger said “the collision has occurred because of that wall”, noting that the design was common throughout the country. The 100 kilometre (60-mile) per hour speed limit was also questioned by the press. “Will the speed limit be lowered for heavy vehicles or will the design of the emergency stop areas be modified?” asked the Geneva-based Le Temps.

A spokesman for the federal roads service did not rule out that the accident would lead to a rethink about the rightangle shape of the emergency stop areas in tunnels. “For the moment, the emergency stop areas have this shape as called for by regulations,” said Antonello

Laveglia.”It’s clear that with what has happened, it’s not excluded that something will be re-discussed or changed,” he said.

“The accident is an occasion to think further on this topic.” The coach had only just reached the motorway after a short descent along winding roads from the mountain ski resort, close to the Italian border. Marianne Van Malderen, a Belgian motorist who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, described children pinned under their seats or thrown towards the front of the coach.

“We did what we could to get out those who were unhurt,” but “it wasn’t possible to climb into the coach because its windows were so high up”, she said.

While Switzerland pondered how the tragedy had occurred, the overwhelming emotion in Belgium was grief. “Belgium Weeps for its Children,” read the headline in the French-language newspaper la Derniere Heure as people called into morning radio shows to express their sorrow over the accident.—AFP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Mozambique denies cutting Zimbabwe power over debts HARARE: Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa dam yesterday denied cutting power to Zimbabwe, which had claimed the state-owned company had pulled the plug over unpaid bills totaling around $75 million. “Hydro Cahora Bassa switched off supplies to Zimbabwe on Thursday or Friday last week over the money owed which is around $75 million or $76 million,” Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma told AFP. “We are now switching off defaulters as part of efforts to raise the money,” he said. But the Cahora Bassa dam, which supplies nearly a fifth of the power it produces to Zimbabwe, said this was not the case. “We would like to inform you that we have not cut electricity to Zimbabwe.

That information is misinformed,” Rosaque Guale, a board member of the state-owned Cahora Bassa Hydropower Company told AFP. Several suburbs of the capital Harare have gone for days without electricity, while other places suffer up to 10 hours of power cuts, as the utility Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) comes under pressure to save power. Zimbabwe needs 2,200 megawatts of electricity at peak but generates just 1,300 megawatts and imports the remainder, including 100 to 185 megawatts from Hydro Cahora Bassa. The dam produces 2,075 megawatts of energy a year. South Africa buys 65 percent, while Zimbabwe gets a 19-percent share. Last month, Mangoma warned a parliamentary committee that Zimbabwe risked being cut off if it failed to settle its debt with Hydro. He said ZESA had accumulated almost a billion dollars in unpaid electricity imports, unserviced loans and outstanding contributions to a joint power project with neighbouring Zambia. The firm also plans to introduce pre-paid meters to improve its revenue collection. Last year ZESA announced it would hand out more than 5.5 million power-saving fluorescent light bulbs to households across the country to curb consumption. — AFP

Nigeria starts mediated talks with Boko Haram Discussion of possible ceasefire ABUJA: Nigeria’s government has in the last week held its first indirect peace talks with Islamist sect Boko Haram, meeting mediators to discuss a possible ceasefire, political and diplomatic sources told Reuters yesterday. Two people close to Boko Haram have been carrying messages back and forth between the sect’s self-proclaimed leader Abubakar Shekau and government officials, the sources, who asked not to be named, said.

It was not clear whether any mediators met with President Goodluck Jonathan himself. A presidency spokesman said he could not immediately comment. Boko Haram has said it wants to impose sharia, or Islamic, law across a country split equally between Christians and Muslims. The group has killed hundreds this year in bomb and gun attacks, mostly in the majority Muslim north of Africa’s top oil producer. “BH (Boko Haram) has mentioned a conditional ceasefire but it wants all its members released from prison. The government sees this as unacceptable but is willing to release foot soldiers,” a traditional leader and civil rights activist involved in the talks told Reuters, asking not to be named.

“It is the first time a ceasefire has been mentioned, so it is a massive posi-

tive, but given the lack of trust a resolution is still a way off,” he added.

Jonathan’s national security adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi, told Reuters in January that Nigeria was considering making contact with moderate members of the shadowy Boko Haram via “back channels”. A source at the presidency confirmed that efforts are being made to reach out to the sect’s negotiators, but that direct talks had not yet begun. A well-respected Islamic cleric has been contacted to reach out to them, he said.

Shekau has appeared in two video tapes posted on YouTube in January claiming leadership of the sect and making bellicose threats against security forces. Since then, however, Nigeria’s military has made some key arrests and senior members of the sect have been killed, while the sophistication and scale of its attacks have fallen since a wave of deadly strikes from November to January. Two security sources said one of the people involved in the negotiations was a close ally of Mohammed Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram who died in police custody in 2009, triggering a widespread violent uprising by the sect. They were both members of a group called the Spring Council of Sharia. Shekau has not said the group

was interested in dialogue in his videos and neither has the group’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa, who holds sporadic telephone interviews with local media in the sect’s heartland of Maiduguri. But they have not ruled them out completely either. Jonathan told Reuters in January that the government was open to dialogue but said sect members were hidden and therefore direct talks were unlikely. He noted that talks to resolve the conflict in the oil producing Niger Delta, that ended with an amnesty in 2009, were different in that officials knew who the militants’ leaders were and how to contact them. Jonathan had previously drawn fire for treating Boko Haram as a purely security matter, rather than as a problem requiring a political solution that would address northern grievances. The military’s efforts to stem the sect’s insurgency have had mixed results in the past, with human rights groups saying heavy-handed tactics have worsened resentment of authorities. But more recently there have been arrests of senior figures and some have died in clashes with security forces, security sources say. They include Abu Qaqa, Nigeria’s secret service have said, although a man claiming to be him phoned journalists to say it was another senior figure. —Reuters

Somalia, Kenya, Nigeria bombings deadlier in 2011 NAIROBI: Bomb attacks in Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia rose in 2011 as Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror groups used more sophisticated devices to kill more people with each explosion, the Pentagon’s anti-IED unit said. Nigeria saw a nearly fourfold jump in the number of improvised explosive device incidents last year, while Kenya saw an 86 percent increase, according to the unit. Underscoring the threat, both nations saw deadly blasts last weekend: A car bomb attack on a church during Mass in Nigeria and grenades thrown at Kenyans as they waited at a crowded bus stop.

Militants last year began using a deadlier type of bomb known as a shaped charge for the first time in both Somalia and Nigeria, John Myrick, a US military bomb expert told The Associated Press. Advanced bomb-makers use shaped charges to increase the force of a bomb so that it can penetrate armor.

Such deadly explosives were used repeatedly by militants at the height of the Iraq war, and to a lesser extent in Afghanistan. The migration of the deadlier bombs to Africa is evidence that more sophisticated Al-Qaeda-linked groups are advising and training African militants. While Somalia saw only a small increase in attacks, the newer technology lead to greater casualties and deeper impact on Africa Union forces, Myrick said. On Wednesday, a suicide bomb attack aimed at the main government compound in Mogadishu killed at least three people, said the spokesman for the African Union force known as AMISOM. Bombs in Somalia “are definitely more sophisticated and they’re definitely more effective against AMISOM armored vehicles, which represents an advance in the capabilities of the insurgents,” said Myrick, the chief of the global missions task force for the Pentagon’s Joint IED

Defeat Organization. Myrick said that the more effective bombs and attacks “indicate an increase in logistical support from some of the more sophisticated groups on the continent, and also an increase in training.”

unit expects Nigeria to see a slight increase in bomb incidents this year, before attack numbers plateau because militants will have reached their capacity to produce them, Myrick said.

The Joint IED Defeat Organization says mili-

MOGADISHU: In this Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 file photo, Somalis carry a wounded man at the scene of a suicide explosion which killed more than 100 people in Mogadishu, Somalia. —AP Specifically, the anti-IED unit says Al-Qaeda’s North African branch is increasing support to Nigerian militants, and another affiliate, AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is supporting Somali militant groups. Nigeria saw 196 bomb incidents in 2011, compared with 52 incidents in 2010, US military numbers show. An incident is when a bomb detonates or is discovered before detonation. The Pentagon’s anti-IED

tants are increasingly targeting events that will produce mass casualties. A Christmas Day blast that struck St. Theresa Catholic Church near Nigeria’s capital killed 44 people. Nigeria Police Commissioner Ambrose Aisabor, who oversees the Nigeria Police Force’s anti-bomb squad, blamed the increase on a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the Hausa

language of Nigeria’s north.

“Since the past two years, the activities of Boko Haram have been on the increase,” he told AP. “A lot of IEDs are being detonated in the northeastern part of the country.” Officers with the anti-bomb squad recently returned from a US training session on explosives organized by the US Embassy and the FBI. The FBI already has an agent working with Nigerian authorities on improvised explosives and how to conduct investigations after a bombing, US Ambassador Terence P. McCulley has told AP. Still, the police force remains mired by ineffective training inside the country, poor equipment and a corrupt system that drives officers to seek bribes on a regular basis. The poor training was apparent Feb. 14, when a bomb squad officer approached a suspicious plastic bag in the city of Kaduna, where other explosives had detonated that day. Video by the state-run Nigerian Television Authority showed the officer, wearing no protective gear, look inside the bag. The explosives detonated, killing him instantly.

State-run TV aired the video throughout the day, intensifying fears of a public already overwhelmed by Boko Haram violence. Across Africa, the US military said the number of IED incidents rose from 547 in 2010 to 626 last year, a 14 percent increase. Algeria saw the number of bomb incidents drop from 251 to 137.

Somalia saw a slight rise - from 182 to 191 while incidents in neighboring Kenya jumped from 14 to 26. Many of Kenya’s bomb attacks were near the Somali border and appeared to have been planted by Somali militants AlShabab. Kenya also suffered several grenade attacks in its capital. Al-Shabab denied it was behind last weekend’s grenade blasts, which killed nine people.—AP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Mexico army says it seizes record cache of opiates MEXICO CITY: The Mexican army said Wednesday that it has made a record seizure of opiates, about 3.6 metric tons of a dark liquid that contains heroin.

Experts said the liquid may be opium paste being processed into heroin. A Mexican Defense Department press statement called it “the most important seizure of this drug in the history of the army and air force.”

Authorities did not say how much heroin it would produce, but in general a kilogram of opium paste can yield about one-tenth as much of the drug.

The largest previous seizure of opiates was 245 kilograms (540 pounds) of opium paste found in Guerrero in January

2011. The Defense Department had said that seizure would have yielded over 600,000 doses of heroin.

The latest seizure was made when soldiers found dozens of large plastic containers with over 3,600 liters of the dark liquid on Feb. 1 during a raid on a drug lab in Coyuca de Catalan, a mountain town in the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, near the border with Michoacan, the department said Wednesday.

The department did not explain why the seizure was not made public for over a month, but noted that in order to accurately identify the liquid, it had referred the substance to civilian prose-

cutors for tests. The rugged mountains of Guerrero state, along with a few other Pacific coast states, have long been known as areas where opium poppies are grown. But Mexican drug traffickers did not often process opium past into heroin in the past; most of the heroin trafficked through Mexico came from Colombia.

However, in recent year experts have warned that opium production and processing in Mexico may be growing. “The availability of heroin in the United States ... is increasing as a result of increased production in Mexico,” the US Justice Department said in its 2011 National Drug Threat Assessment. “The

level of illicit poppy cultivation in Mexico was second only to that in Afghanistan in 2009, potentially producing an estimated 50 metric tons of heroin.” On one of the major smuggling routes to the US border, in Tamaulipas state, suspected drug cartel gunmen fought running battles, authorities said.

The Tamaulipas Public Safety department said gunmen first tossed a grenade into a car dealership in the state capital of Ciudad Victoria, blowing out the windows and killing one employee. Another grenade was tossed into the police academy, wounding two people, and subsequent gun battles in the city killed three other people.—AP

Brutal nomination fight lays ahead for Republicans Fight might weaken candidate who wins nomination

VIRGINIA: Celeste Peterson, mother of shooting victim Erin Perterson, right, cries after a verdict on Wednesday in Christiansburg, Va. Jurors deliberated for 3 1/2 hours before siding with the parents of two students who were killed on April 16, 2007, in the most deadly mass shooting in modern US history. —AP

Virginia Tech verdict likely not the last legal word VIRGINIA: After a jury concluded Wednesday that Virginia Tech officials were negligent in their actions leading up to the deadliest mass shooting in US history, the state is giving strong signals of appealing the case. The verdict in the wrongful death lawsuit is the latest of three decisions that have faulted the university for its actions on April 16, 2007, when it hesitated at letting students know of a gunman on campus who ultimately fatally shot 32 people before killing himself.

Jurors sided with the parents of two students slain in the massacre - Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson - that officials should have known the campus was at risk without a gunman in custody. The parents said the botched response led to the deaths of their daughters. Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski said after the verdict that the school would review the case with the attorney general’s office before deciding on any further options.

“We are disappointed with today’s decision and stand by our long-held position that the administration and law enforcement at Virginia Tech did their absolute best with the information available on April 16, 2007,” Owczarski said in a statement. Likewise, the attorney general’s office said it was discussing “our options” with the Virginia Tech administration on an appeal. Officials stuck with their argument that President Charles Steger and other university officials relied on the best information they had that morning involving the rampage by student gunman Seung Hui Cho. “The un-contradicted evidence presented at trial established that it was the unanimous decision of three law enforcement agencies that the mass shooting was simply not foreseeable,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement after the verdict.

“Only with hindsight can one conclude that Cho’s unprecedented acts were foreseeable.”

The parents said their persistence is what their daughters would have wanted. They were the only eligible families to reject their share of an $11 million dollar settlement in 2008, instead taking the state to court in a wrongful death lawsuit.—AP

WASHINGTON: Republican front-runner Mitt Romney has repeatedly failed to win over the party’s conservative base and now faces a brutal and extended political battle with Rick Santorum, a fight that could weaken whichever candidate who wins the nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in November. When the Republicans began their campaigns for the nomination months ago, Obama was seen as a vulnerable incumbent, weighed down by an economy that was struggling to recover from the deepest downturn the United States had suffered since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

But since late last summer, as one Republican hopeful after another gained and then lost the support of the party’s conservative base, the economy also began showing signs of a sustained recovery. That in turn strengthened Obama’s standing and led Republicans to stray from the economic message into deeply divisive social issues like contraception.

That detour energized conservative Republicans behind Santorum’s ultraconservative message and again focused their distrust of Romney over his past moderate stands on key social issues such as abortion and gay rights.

Throughout it all Romney also was heavily weighed down by having presided as governor of Massachusetts over a reform of the state’s health care system, an overhaul that subsequently served as the model for the plan Obama pushed through Congress during his first year in office.

To find favor with Republicans who revile the health care legislation, Romney now says he would work to repeal the Obama plan as have Santorum and third-running Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives who has now fallen far behind in the contest. He vows to stay in the race, a determination that denies Santorum his desire to finally be in a one-on-one race with Romney.

With the nominating race now ever more chaotic, Romney still holds an insurmountable lead in delegates to the

SAN JUAN: Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, speaks to an audience at a town hall meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico Wednesday. —AP Republican national nominating convention in August in Tampa, Florida. But he is in danger of being unable to amass the 1,144 delegates needed to assure him of the nomination before the convention opens, and that could lead to a politically bloody battle in Tampa that would further weaken whichever candidate emerges as the standard-bearer against Obama.

After Romney turned in third-place finishes last Tuesday in primaries Alabama and Mississippi, Romney was forced further on the defensive.

Santorum’s big wins in both Southern states damaged not only Romney but also undid Gingrich’s plans to stage a campaign rebirth with wins in the Deep South. Now with no primary is too minor, Santorum has stormed into Puerto Rico ahead of the Saturday vote there, and Romney put nearly $1 million into television advertising in Illinois, which will be the next big-state showdown on Tuesday.

“If we keep winning races, eventually people are going to figure out that Gov. Romney is not going to be the nominee,” said Santorum, eager to build on his unexpected victories in Alabama

and Mississippi. Romney, meanwhile, dismissed Santorum as a “lightweight” on the economy, signaling he was trying to redirect the Republican message back to the central message against Obama’s re-election. In the midst of the Republican efforts, Vice President Joe Biden was making his first major foray into the 2012 campaign yesterday in politically crucial Ohio, defending Obama’s bailout of the auto industry in a speech to an auto workers union.

Biden is also expected to offer a robust critique of Romney’s opposition to the policy, which the White House says saved 1.4 million US jobs.

Romney on Wednesday also rebutted suggestions that he can’t appeal to core conservatives, after a wave of evangelical Christian voters flocked behind Santorum’s candidacy in Alabama and Mississippi. “You don’t win a million more votes than anyone else in this race by just appealing to high-income Americans,” the multimillionaire told Fox News. “Some who are very conservative may not be in my camp, but they will be when I become the nominee, when I face Barack Obama.”— AP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Illegal gold miners riot in Peru’s Amazon Riot police fired tear gas

CARACAS: Opponents of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez hold posters that read in Spanish: “Life,” right, and “United for peace,” second right, as they gathered to form a human chain calling for peace and reconciliation ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday.—AP

Chavez’s party suspends Venezuelan state governor CARACAS: A state governor was suspended from President Hugo Chavez’s governing party on Wednesday after making critical remarks about the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly. Leaders of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela suspended Monagas state Gov. Jose Gregorio Briceno after he accused National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello of trying to seize control of the governor’s office in his eastern state.

Briceno made the comments two days earlier on the antiChavez television channel Globovision. Vice President Elias Jaua said Briceno had committed a “serious offense against the revolution” led by Chavez. The vice president said leaders of the party have repeatedly warned Briceno during the past three years about “the public remarks he’s made against members and government officials.”

Jaua said that in addition to being suspended, the governor will be summoned to appear before the party’s leaders and faces possible expulsion. Chavez chimed in with a message on his Twitter account after Jaua’s announcement, saying: “I fully support the decision... I think Gov. Briceno has arrived where he had to arrive.”

The decision to suspend the governor comes amid accounts by some analysts and government opponents that infighting appears to have erupted among some of Chavez’s allies seeking control of the party after the president’s cancer reappeared last month. Chavez had a second tumor removed from his pelvic region in a Feb 26 surgery in Cuba, and has said he is recovering smoothly and plans to return home this week. Political analyst Ricardo Rios said he thinks Briceno’s suspension is intended as a warning to others. “They’re very divided internally,” Rios said. “Briceno represents the tip of the iceberg of a big internal argument.” Jaua denied that there are any such divisions within the party. Briceno had been a prominent party leader in eastern Venezuela. Jaua said the governor had tried to disrupt the unity of Chavez’s movement and had violated “the ethical rules of behavior of a member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.”

Briceno responded by telling reporters on Wednesday: “Those who attack me at the national level, you all know whether they’re an example of decency, of honesty.” “I’m not going to allude to anyone. I’m not going to fall for provocations,” Briceno said at a news conference in the eastern town of Maturin. Cabello, a former army officer and longtime Chavez ally, took over as National Assembly president in January. He is also a vice president of Chavez’s party.

Briceno told Globovision that as soon as Cabello took office, “he searched for everybody who was an enemy... to put them in the (party) to leave me this pack of hounds in the state.” Briceno also criticized Yelitza Santaella, a vice president of the party for the eastern region, saying she “represents some political and economic interests.” He divulged only partial details of his complaints, saying he hoped that Chavez would, upon his return from Cuba, “put the house in order.”

Friction between Briceno and other party leaders also became more visible in February following an oil spill caused by a ruptured pipeline that polluted a river in the governor’s state. —AP

LIMA: Thousands of illegal gold miners battled police for control of a regional capital in the Amazon basin on Wednesday and at least three people were killed by gunfire. Outnumbered riot police fired tear gas against miners who wielded clubs and rocks and tried to seize strategic facilities in Puerto Maldonado. The miners are fighting government efforts to regulate smallscale gold extraction, which is ravaging the rain forest, contaminating it with tons of mercury.

Interior Ministry spokesman Victor Calderon said it was unclear whether police fired directly on rioters in Puerto Maldonado, a boomtown at the confluence of two jungle rivers in a region popular with ecotourists. After talks failed with a government delegation, at least 12,500 miners had attempted to seize public buildings, markets and the airport in the city, said Madre de Dios regional President Jose Luis Aguirre.

“The situation is untenable. You can hear gunshots throughout the entire city,” he told The Associated Press by phone, calling the situation “out of control.” Three people were killed by gunfire, said regional health director Dr. Jorge Asencios, and 38 were treated at Santa Rosa regional hospital for injuries, including a police officer hit in the head by a rock.

Asencios said 10 of the wounded would be airlifted to Lima, the capital, for treatment. Interior Minister Daniel Lozada said in a TV interview that some miners “were armed, even with explosives ... and obviously police had to act to maintain order.” He said police made 62 arrests and that nine officers were among the injured. By afternoon, 500 police reinforcements had arrived to bolster a badly outnumbered contingent of 700 officers.

Police said they prevented rioters from seizing the bus station and airport of the largely dirt-street capital of about 37,000 residents. But to the west, miners took control of a key bridge, blocking the transoceanic highway that links the highland city of Cuzco and Peru’s coast to Brazil. “Everyone is frightened. The few government offices that are functioning are working with doors shut,” said Oscar Guadalupe, an

MALDONADO: A miner is roughed up by riot police officers during clashes in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, Wednesday. Thousands of illegal gold miners battled police for control of a regional capital in the Amazon basin on Wednesday and at least three people were killed by gunfire. —AP activist who works with victims of child prostitution in the largely lawless region. Protesters piled rocks and garbage on street corners and residents stayed home behind locked doors. Streets normally buzzing with motorcycle taxis were empty. A gold rush has swelled Madre de Dios state with about 40,000 small-scale miners who are scarring virgin rain forest as they extract gold particles from river beds and alluvial plains. Mercury is used to bind the gold together in nuggets. The gold fever has been fueled by a tripling in the price of the precious metal over the past decade. It has attracted poor farmers from the Andean highlands as well as unscrupulous investors and gunslingers, and Madre de Dios now produces about a fifth of Peru’s overall annual gold yield.

The mining is almost entirely illegal and government attempts to regulate it have been mostly futile, not just in Madre de Dios but in other regions where informal mining is also rampant.

Informal miners also held protests Wednesday in at least two other regions, Piura in Peru’s northwest and Puno in the southern highlands border-

ing Bolivia. A government commission led by the environment minister was in Puerto Maldonado on Monday to discuss legalizing the mining activity. But most informal mining leaders walked out after their request to increase their delegation’s size was turned down, said Humberto Cordero, a local environment ministry official.

One mining leader, Miguel Herrera, accused the government of aiming not to legalize but to destroy small-scale mining. “Mining gives work to lots of people,” he said. “Many families depend on mining and would be without sustenance without it.” Four recent government decrees have sought to regulate mining to protect the environment and capture tax revenues, said Cordero, who denied the government is trying to end all informal mining.

“In no way is there a desire to end mining activity as such as some mining leaders are misinforming,” he said.

The government’s intent is to end mining in prohibited areas such as buffer zones bordering nature reserves and to allow miners with legally recognized claims to formalize them, Cordero added.— AP

Ambassador wanted for alleged paramilitary ties BOGOTA: Colombia’s ambassador to Peru resigned Wednesday after prosecutors ordered his arrest for alleged criminal association with far-right militias.

Jorge Visbal is wanted for criminal conspiracy for activities from 1998-2004, when he was president of Colombia’s National Ranchers Federation, the chief prosecutor’s office said in a communique. Visbal, 59, assumed the ambassadorship in February 2011, named by President Juan Manuel Santos, who did not immediately comment.

Visbal’s lawyer, Abelardo de la Espriella, said his client would return to Bogota on Friday to face the charges. A demobilized former far-right militiaman testified two years ago that Visbal met with paramilitary warlord Rodrigo Tovar years earlier to solicit support of the illegal groups for the 2006 re-election of then-President Alvaro Uribe, prosecutors say. Colombia’s so-called paramilitaries were created in the 1980s by drug traffickers and wealthy ranchers to counter leftist rebel kidnapping and

extortion but evolved into drug-trafficking criminal gangs that killed suspected rebel sympathizers and stole land.

De la Espriella said Visbal doesn’t deny having contact with paramilitary leaders but says none of the meetings were “illegal or clandestine” but rather authorized by the Uribe’s conservative government as it entered into a peace pact with the armed groups. Since 2006, more than 60 congressmen have been imprisoned for entering into alliances with paramilitaries.— AP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Tamil lawmakers want UN pressure on Lanka COLOMBO: Ethnic Tamil lawmakers in Sri Lanka urged the UN Human Rights Council yesterday to press the government to investigate alleged wartime abuses and share power with the ethnic minority to prevent the country from sliding back into violence. Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009 when government troops crushed separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. Both sides have been accused of committing war crimes during the final stages of the conflict.

The United States is planning to bring a resolution before the UN rights council, currently meeting in Geneva, urging Sri Lanka’s government to investigate those allegations and seek reconciliation. The ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government has arranged protests across the country against the resolution, which it calls interference in Sri Lanka’s affairs.

Yesterday, more than 10,000 people marched in the capital to denounce the proposed resolution. Smaller groups met with UN, British, Norwegian and German officials at embassies to urge them not to support it.

However, a group of ethnic Tamil lawmakers said they support the resolution. Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance, said the government has not shown a genuine interest in sharing power, a longstanding demand of ethnic minority Tamils, despite promises made to the UN and other nations.

Sampanthan accused the military of continuing to run ethnic Tamil-majority areas since the end of the war, and of bringing ethnic Sinhalese settlers into the former war zones to alter the demographics. “As the opportunities for postwar peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka gradually slip away, the members of the UNHRC must act urgently to prevent an ominous slide towards a recurrence of the tragedies of the past,” Sampanthan said in a statement yesterday.

A UN panel has concluded that tens of thousands of civilians may have been killed in the final months of the civil war and that there are credible allegations against both government soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels of serious human rights abuses, some of which could amount to war crimes. The government’s own reconciliation commission ruled that the military did not target civilians deliberately but recommended that isolated cases of civilian killings be investigated.

Cabinet Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told the UN rights council last month that the government already has taken steps for reconciliation and any external pressure would only impede the process. He called for Sri Lanka to be given time and space to continue with its program. But Sampanthan said the government has shown a “chronic unwillingness” to honor its own commitments. “Sri Lanka’s failure to make good on its own assurances requires that the council act now,” he said. — AP

KABUL: A US soldier, left, watches members of the Afghan Public Protection Force arrive at the transition ceremony of private security forces to Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday.—AP

Afghans angry over removal of accused US soldier Soldier charged with killing 16 civilians KABUL: Afghan lawmakers expressed anger yesterday that the US flew an American soldier accused of killing 16 civilians to Kuwait, saying Kabul shouldn’t sign a strategic partnership agreement with Washington unless the suspect faces justice in Afghanistan. Negotiations over the agreement, which would govern the presence of US forces in Afghanistan after most combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014, were tense even before the shooting deaths of the civilians, including nine children, in southern Kandahar province on Sunday.

The killings came in the wake of violent protests last month triggered by American soldiers who burned Qurans and other Islamic texts. Over 30 people were killed in those demonstrations, and Afghan forces turned their guns on their supposed allies, killing six US soldiers. The public response to the shooting spree has been much more muted, partly because senior Afghan officials have used their influence to persuade citizens not to hold demonstrations.

The US flew the suspect out of the country on Wednesday evening, said US officials. The US military said the transfer did not preclude the possibility of trying the case in Afghanistan.

But that didn’t appease Afghans upset at the move. “It was the

demand of the families of the martyrs of this incident, the people of Kandahar and the people of Afghanistan to try him publicly in Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hamidzai, a Kandahar lawmaker who is part of a parliamentary commission investigating the shootings.

The US informed Afghan leaders that the soldier was going to be moved and “they understood,” said US Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparotti, deputy commander of American forces in Afghanistan. Moving the suspect will allow the US to provide pretrial confinement, access to legal representation and the ability to ensure fair and proper judicial proceedings, he said.

Afghan government officials have not responded to request for comment on the transfer. The Pentagon has said the US does not have appropriate detention facilities in Afghanistan.

In Kuwait, US Army spokesman Lt. Col. David Patterson said yesterday that the detention unit there, known as a Theater Field Confinement Facility, holds pre-trial detainees and post-trial confinees for a limited amount of time. He would not confirm any further details about the case. The Kuwait detention facilities have been used for other US troops.—AP

Pakistan: Swiss couple held by Taleban is free

RAWALPINDI: Swiss couple Olivier David Och (L) and Daniela Widmer (R) wave upon their arrival at the Qasim base in Rawalpindi yesterday.—AFP

ISLAMABAD: A Swiss couple held captive by the Taleban in Pakistan since July turned up at an army post close to the Afghan border yesterday and was flown to safety by the Pakistani military, an army spokesman said. The Swiss man and woman, who were seized in July in the southwest of the country, were last seen in a militant video in October, saying their captors were threatening to kill them.

Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the couple showed up at an army post in Miran Shah in North Waziristan, an Al-Qaeda and Taleban stronghold. He said the couple was then flown to Peshawar, the main city in northwestern Pakistan, on an army helicopter.

“They say they escaped from the custody of militants,” he said.

Two local Pakistani Taleban commanders said the couple had been freed, but only after an undisclosed ransom had been paid and some Taleban prisoners were released

from Pakistani custody. They refused to give their names. The Swiss Embassy was not immediately able to confirm the development. Militants and criminal gangs often kidnap wealthy Pakistanis and less commonly foreigners. Large ransoms are often paid to secure their release but such payments are rarely confirmed. There are at least five other foreigners currently being held in Pakistan. On Jan 5, armed men kidnapped a British man working for the Red Cross in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, the violence-wracked province where the Swiss couple were also taken captive.

Last August, a 70-year-old American humanitarian aid worker was kidnapped from his house in the Punjabi city of Lahore.

Al-Qaeda claimed to be holding the man, Warren Weinstein, and said in a video he would be released if the United States stopped airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. — AP

International FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Iranian in Malaysia denies Thai terror accusations KUALA LUMPUR: An Iranian man held in Malaysia and accused of involvement in an alleged plot to attack Israeli targets in Bangkok resisted extradition yesterday, claiming he had been in Thailand only for a vacation. A handcuffed Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, 31, appeared briefly in a Kuala Lumpur court, saying through an interpreter that he had nothing to do with the accusations and wanted to know why he was there.

Sedaghatzadeh was arrested at a Malaysian airport soon after an apparently accidental explosion rocked a residential Bangkok neighborhood Feb. 14, followed by two more explosions on nearby streets.

Thai police say bombs were found in the house where the blast occurred, and that Sedaghatzadeh and two Iranian men now in Thai custody were seen leaving the building.

Thai officials have said Israeli diplomats may have been the target of the alleged plot. Israel has blamed Iran for the explosions, which wounded five

including one of the alleged bombers, as well as two incidents the day before: a bombing in India that wounded an Israeli diplomat’s wife and driver, and an attempted bombing in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Iran has denied involvement.

On Wednesday, a New Delhi court issued a warrant seeking the arrest of three Iranians accused of being involved in the blast there. The men were identified as Housan Afshar, Syed Ali Mehdi Sadr and Mohammed Reza Abolghasemi, according to a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The police official said the government would approach Interpol for help in locating and extraditing the men, whose whereabouts are not known.

Sedaghatzadeh’s Malaysian lawyer, Nashir Hussin, said his client insists he went to Thailand for a holiday at the beach town of Pattaya, before coming to Malaysia to buy automobile parts for his business in Tehran.

“He met a lot of Iranians there, took pictures, said hello and goodbye,” Nashir told reporters. “He does not know any of them, he can’t remember anyone.

He is incriminated by the pictures.” Prosecutors in their application said the Iranian was wanted by Thailand on suspicion of “taking part in making and possessing an explosive device” as well as causing an explosion that led to human injuries and property damage. He faces life in prison if convicted in Thailand.

The court scheduled a hearing for April 16 after government lawyers said they were waiting for photos and security camera footage from Thailand.

Sedaghatzadeh’s parents attended yesterday’s hearing but refused to speak to reporters. Nashir said his client’s parents were “very shocked” with his arrest.

Thai authorities want Sedaghatzadeh to be handed over immediately, but Malaysia has said the process must go through the courts under extradition laws.— AP

China replaces leader hit by messy scandal Removal upward trajectory of political celebrity

MANILA: Victims of tobacco-related diseases holding their pictures, march towards the Philippine International Convention Center where ProTobEx, a large international tobacco fair is held, in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila yesterday.—AP

Protesters picket key tobacco show in Philippines MANILA: Hundreds of anti-smoking advocates yesterday picketed a large international tobacco fair in the Philippines, a country that has drawn more attention from the industry as Western nations pile on restrictions and taxes. A pack of cigarettes costs only about 50 cents here, and nearly one out of every three Filipinos 15 years or older smokes, according to a survey cited by the World Health Organization. The government supports legislation aimed at discouraging smoking with a new tax, but it is also trying to ramp up foreign investment to fight rampant poverty and unemployment.

Organizers of the tobacco exhibits, among the largest in the world, said city authorities waived an indoor smoking ban for delegates. Philippine President Benigno Aquino III sent a welcome message with hopes the meeting would benefit the country’s economy. One of the protest leaders, Roberto del Rosario, said the government should not have allowed the trade fair to go on.

“This business kills people,” said del Rosario, president of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance-Philippines.

WHO also criticized the gathering that opened in Manila yesterday, saying it provides a platform for the industry to promote “a deadly product in the Philippines and throughout Asia.” Media were barred from the trade exhibits; organizers said the shows were “strictly industry-only private meetings.”

They said the Philippines was chosen as a venue “after months of in-depth research locations ... for a number of compelling reasons.” It provides opportunities for tobacco and cigarette producers to meet suppliers of raw materials such as leaf, paper, filters and manufacturing equipment. —AP

BEIJING: China’s Communist Party sidelined a powerful, charismatic politician yesterday following a messy scandal that saw a trusted aide flee to a US consulate and that threatened to cast a shadow over a looming leadership transition. Bo Xilai’s removal as party chief of the huge inland city of Chongqing appears to end the upward trajectory of a political celebrity who months ago seemed headed for the uppermost ranks of power.

Tall and telegenic, Bo exuded confidence and courted the media, rare traits among the bland, low-key Chinese leadership.

His signature policies in Chongqing - an anti-mafia crusade and promotion of communist culture - drew a national following but made him a polarizing figure among his peers.

In terse statements carried by state media, the leadership said that Bo Xilai was being replaced in Chongqing by a vice premier.

The reports did not explicitly address the scandal nor say if Bo would be ousted from his seat on the decision-making Politburo.

Bo’s sidelining creates a mixed picture for the transfer of power later this year when President Hu Jintao and other leaders retire to make way for younger leaders, always a time of divisive infighting. Party power-brokers no longer need to accommodate the ambitious Bo, though the eventual lineup of the Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power, remains unsettled.

“A very big personality, someone who had a very strong personality, is no longer going to be engaged in trying to make sure he gets a seat on the Politburo,” said David Zweig, a China watcher at Hong Kong University of Science And Technology.

That “probably will make politics more relaxed over the next six months.” In a sign of the delicate factional balancing in China’s leadership, Bo was replaced in Chongqing by Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, a North Korean-trained economist who has run two economically vibrant provinces. Both men share a common political patron. The change comes just weeks after longtime Bo confidante and Chongqing vice mayor Wang Lijun - currently under an unspecified investigation - fled overnight to the US Consulate in Chengdu, possibly to seek political asylum, before leaving the building. Wang, as police chief, headed the gangland crackdown that made both men national figures, and his flight to a foreign consulate represented a potential breach of sensitive internal information, violating party discipline and tainting Bo. The scandal has consumed the attention of China’s politically minded classes as did the latest twist. China’s popular Twitter-like service, Sina Corp.’s Weibo, had blocked searches for Bo’s name for much of the past two weeks. After yesterday’s announcement, the blocks were seemingly gone, and the news triggered tens of thousands of postings.

Still, amid the rumors of political intrigue, no public explanation has been offered about what set off the scandal or what transgressions led to Bo’s removal. Premier Wen Jiabao offered the bluntest criticism of Bo and the affair on Wednesday telling reporters that Chongqing leaders “must seriously reflect on the Wang Lijun incident and learn lessons from this incident.”

“The public is still in the dark as to what really happened and what has been found in the investigation,” said Liu Shanying, expert on public administration from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “What should Mr. Bo reflect on? His hiring decision? If it was only a firing decision, the consequences wouldn’t have been like this. But what else did Premier Wen imply? The public is still puzzled.”

In announcing Bo’s replacement, the leadership’s top official in charge of personnel told Chongqing party members that it was done “after discreet consideration and based on current circumstances and the overall situation.” Wang’s whereabouts since his consulate visit aren’t known. A separate Xinhua News Agency report said yesterday that he has been removed from his last remaining post as Chongqing vice mayor.

Bo’s removal came just after the close of the annual session of the legislature and underscores how party leaders dealt with Bo’s troubles behind the scenes while trying to project an image of unity for the public. Bo sparked new rumors by missing a key meeting of the body last week, but sprung back last Friday with a public appearance at which he admitted to mistakes but defended his record in Chongqing.

If Bo is stripped of his Politburo seat, it would be the first time a member of the collective leadership has been removed since 2006 when Shanghai’s party secretary, Chen Liangyu, was purged and later sentenced for corruption. Chen’s removal was seen as a well-orchestrated move by President Hu Jintao to consolidate his power and remove a rival midway through his 10-year term.

Unusual for party infighting, Bo’s undoing unfolded in public.

Wang’s trip to the US Consulate was first rumored on the Internet and, after the US State Department confirmed the visit, the government was forced to follow suit.—AP

BEIJING: This photo taken on Wednesday shows Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai during the closing ceremony of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. —AFP

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

India holds rates; political crisis ahead of budget

Apple’s new iPad goes on sale in Australia

PAGE 21

PAGE 20

TRIPOLI: Libyan brokers work during the official reopening of the Libyan stock market in the capital Tripoli yesterday. Libya’s stock market opened for the first time since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi with trading in 10 companies valued at $3.1 billion (2.4 billion euros), its general manager said. — AFP

Libya bourse resumes trading Country gets back to business after crippling war TRIPOLI: Libya’s Stock Exchange resumed trading yesterday after more than 12 months out of action, as the country gets back to business after last year’s conflict ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Officials on the trading floor rang a bell then shouted “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is great!” to announce the start of trading on a bourse which, its backers say, could take off now that it is unshackled from Gaddafi-era restrictions. “People are scared to come to Libya because they fear all the guns. Today can show them that Libya is going back to normal,” said a visiting businessman from Dubai, who did not want to be identified.

After the 90 minutes allotted for trading each day, the market stood at 1,437.69 points, flat on the level at which it closed in February last year.

The only stock showing any sign of movement on the huge electronic trading screen was Tijara bank, whose shares rose slightly. However, the volume — 452 shares traded-was not big enough to register any impact on the stock market index.

“There are few buyers and sellers. People are afraid of falling prices,” said Ahmed Mejburi, a broker for Economic Group Libya who sat at his desk on the trading floor watching the screen.

“The market has been closed for one year. It’ll start weak and, step by step, get back.” Ten com-

panies resumed trade yesterday out of a total of 13 listed which includes the stock exchange.

Officials have said the reduction was because some of the firms had not yet met the exchange’s regulatory requirements.The bourse stopped

trading soon after a rebellion broke out against Gaddafi’s 42-year rule. Its re-launch is likely to attract interest from foreign investors seeking opportunities in the new Libya, which is home to Africa’s biggest proven oil reserves.

No SWIFT services for Iran firms blacklisted by EU BRUSSELS: European Union nations yesterday agreed to ban financial transfers such as SWIFT to hundreds of Iranian firms and individuals blacklisted by the bloc due to Tehran’s contested nuclear drive. The EU currently has slapped an assets freeze on 116 people and 442 firms and utilities, including the Iranian central bank, as part of global efforts to force Tehran to abandon a nuclear program feared to have military aims-a claim rejected by Tehran.

A statement yesterday said the EU “agreed that no specialized financial messaging shall be provided to those persons and entities subject to an asset freeze.” An EU official who asked not to be identified said the decision, which was adopted after receiving written approval from

the 27 nations, would mainly affect payments through SWIFT, the world’s biggest inter-bank transfer network.

The decision will become official when it is published in the EU’s Official Journal today. The EU official said talks meanwhile were continuing to draft a regulation setting out details on an EU decision in February to slap an embargo on Iranian oil. “It will take a few more weeks” to finalize the regulation, the source said. After lengthy and fraught talks on an embargo which will impact debt-straddled European nations such as Greece, EU ministers in February agreed a ban on oil imports with a gradual phase-out of existing contracts between now and July 1. —AFP

The companies listed on the exchange have a combined market capitalization of about 3.9 billion Libyan dinars ($3 billion), general manager Ahmed Karoud said last month in an interview.

The biggest companies include Jumhiriya Bank, Sahara Bank and Wahda Bank. A bourse official said that, to avoid volatility on the opening day, trading would be briefly suspended if shares rose or fell by more than 1.5 percent.

Under Gaddafi, the bourse attracted fitful foreign interest. Investors were keen for a slice of the lucrative Libyan market but they were often put off by red tape, currency restrictions, and arbitrary rulings from Gaddafi and his inner circle. The head of the bourse said he planned to make the bourse a more attractive place for foreigners to invest. Speaking to Reuters last month, Karoud also said five public share offerings as well as two funds would be listed this year. “The first IPO will be at the end of May,” he told Reuters yesterday, adding pre-war plans to list Libya’s two mobile operators, Libyana and Al-Madar, would go ahead next year. “A lot of foreign companies have called about Libya’s stock market,” he added, saying interest had come from the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Asked about yesterday’s slow start, Karoud said: “People are afraid, for now they want to see what happens. We hope the market will go up.” — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Apple’s new iPad goes on sale in Australia SYDNEY: Apple Inc’s new iPad went on sale in Australia early yesterday, greeted by throngs of fans hungry to get hold of the US consumer giant’s latest, 4G-ready tablet computer.

While numbers were down on launches of earlier iPads, the still-solid turnout reflects demand for Apple products, even though analysts say the new version is a collection of incremental improvements rather than a major technological innovation.

The initial rush for the first iPad 3s sold globally was not at one of Apple’s gleaming glass and polished wooden stores in Sydney but across the road at Australian phone company Telstra.

Telstra opened two stores just after midnight local time to begin selling the iPad, stealing an eight hour march on Apple. David Tarasenko, a 34-year-old construction manager, who was the first to pick up the iPad, said he couldn’t wait ever since Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook revealed the third iteration of the tablet. “When Tim Cook announced it, it sounded like such a magical tool. I just got hyped into it, I guess,” he said.

The third-generation iPad from Apple-which sports a high-definition “retina” display and comes with a better camera — starts at $499. It is capable of operating on high-speed 4G “LTE,” or Long-Term Evolution network, although it is not compatible with Telstra’s 4G network in Australia.

BAGHDAD: Two Iraqi men stand talking to a vendor at a market in downtown Baghdad. — AFP “The (lack of 4G access) is not a game-breaker. They’ve upgraded the 3G technology, which I’ve tried and it’s pretty snappy,” said Cameron Ing, a data storage administrator.

The iPad 3 is going on sale today in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Singapore, France and United Kingdom. Among those in the queue outside Sydney’s flagship Apple Store was Stephen Parkes, who was paid A$950 ($990) to wait in line for four days by the founder of an odd jobs

website. “I get a high waiting in the line and picking up one of the first products being retailed,” said Ryan Han, a student at the University of New South Wales, who had also queued for hours.

“I did that for iPad 1, 2 and will do it for 4 as well,” said Han, who was hoping to buy two iPads, for himself and a friend. Such is the demand for new Apple products that middlemen often pay “mules” to buy the latest versions and transport them to markets scheduled for later releases.

A middle-aged Asian man outside the Apple store, flanked by two blue suitcases, said he was hoping to buy several new iPads, ideally more than 10. He declined to reveal his name, nationality or who he was buying the tablets for. Apple’s market capitalization now exceeds $500 billion and Wall Street thinks it can expand further should fan-demand persist. Early signs hint at a strong 2012 for the device, which competes with Samsung Electronic’s Galaxy, among others.

Despite soggy weather, small crowds had already gathered outside the downtown San Francisco Apple store ahead of the launch in the United States. Apple began accepting orders for the device on March 7, but wait times for shipping the device are now two to three weeks in the United States. Wall Street expects a strong start for the iPad 3, and some analysts even expect sales of the current model to overtake the iPad 2. Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 but dropped its price by $100 to start at $399.

Apple may sell 65.6 million iPads, estimated Canaccord Genuity analysts who also raised their target price on Apple stock to $710 from $665. So far, the company has sold 55 million iPads since it launched the device in 2010.

Tablet sales are expected to increase to 326 million buy 2015 with Apple largely dominating the market, according to research firm Gartner. — Reuters

UAE currency houses halt Iran rial business Tehran’s ability to get currency reduced

FLORANGE: Workers of the ArcelorMittal plant of the company’s steel production site in Florange are sprayed by gendarmes as they demonstrate yesterday in Paris, on their way to the campaign headquarters of France’s ruling party UMP candidate for the 2012 presidential election. — AFP

Dubai consumer prices fall steeply on property glut DUBAI: A glut of property supply in Dubai contributed to the steepest fall in consumer prices since records began four years ago, as a housing bubble that burst in 2009 continued to be felt in the wider economy, data showed yesterday.

Consumer prices in the United Arab Emirates’ member fell 1.7 percent on an annual basis in February, as an inflow of new residential units pushed rents down.

“There might be some areas in Dubai where prices are picking up, but there is still an excess in supply in the market,” said Liz Martins, senior economist at HSBC in Dubai.

Dubai’s aggressive building drive has

resulted in oversupply, with thousands of new residential and commercial units still set to enter the Dubai real estate market, with prices plunging by up to two-thirds from their 2008 peak. Bullish growth came to a halt in 2009 when Dubai, home to the world’s tallest tower Burj Khalifa, announced a $25 billion debt restructuring of conglomerate Dubai World. Weakness in the property sector and slow bank lending held inflation below 1 percent for most of last year and Dubai entered deflationary territory in January when consumer prices fell 0.7 percent compared to the previous year. —Reuters

DUBAI: Major money exchange houses in the United Arab Emirates have stopped handling Iranian rials over the last several weeks, executives at the houses said, further reducing Iran’s ability to trade and obtain hard currency.

Since late last year, Iran has largely been frozen out of the global banking system by US sanctions aimed at its disputed nuclear program.

Washington has used anti-money laundering legislation to make it risky for banks around the world to do business with Iran, including trade financing.

In December, the US government pressured Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank into stopping the channelling of billions of dollars from Iranian oil sales through its accounts. Iranian businessmen continued to conduct some trade with Dubai and other places, however, by transferring funds through money exchange houses that operate separately from the banking system, traders said. Now many of those houses have stopped doing rial business as well.

Mohamed Al-Ansari, chairman and managing director of Al Ansari Exchange, one of the UAE’s top two exchange houses, said the weakness of the rial, which saw its black market rate roughly halve against the US dollar in the year to January, had made it too risky to handle the currency.

“Most exchange companies have stopped dealing in Iranian rial mainly because of its devaluation in the last few months, as well as the regulations imposed by the US regulatory authorities on the financial sector,” he told

Reuters. “As such, nobody would like to risk trading in the Iranian rial currency, as it would affect their business.”

Dubai, 150 kilometers (100 miles) across the Gulf, has been a major trading hub for Iran. Reexport trade between Iran and the UAE-goods sent to the UAE for on-shipment to Iran, and Iranian goods sent to the UAE for on-shipment to other countries-totaled 31.9 billion dirhams ($8.7 billion) in the first nine months of 2011, latest UAE customs data show.

Al Fardan Exchange, the UAE’s third largest exchange house, also said the depreciation of the rial had made the currency too risky. “For us, from a risk point of view with regard to the fluctuations taking place and the depreciation-this also applies to the Syrian pound-you don’t have a definite understanding about when the freefall might take place,” Osama al-Rahma, general manager at Al Fardan Exchange, told Reuters.

“We had to stop exchanging even small amounts because if I buy it at this rate and tomorrow it went down, then I’m in a loss position.” Rahma said that in addition to hurting Dubai’s remaining trade with Iran, the halt in rial exchanges would inconvenience tourists travelling to the country. However, some Iranian trade with Dubai is expected to continue, using channels such as hawala-a legal but largely unregulated money transfer network that is based on personal relationships and operates in the Middle East and South Asia - and even transfers of physical cash between Dubai and Iran across the Gulf on ferries. — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

US producer prices up, jobless claims drop WASHINGTON: US producer prices recorded their biggest gain in five months in February as the cost of energy spiked, a government report showed yesterday, but underlying inflation pressures were contained.

The Labor Department said its seasonally adjusted producer price index increased 0.4 percent last month, quickening from January’s 0.1 percent gain. Economists polled by Reuters had expected prices at farms, factories and refineries to rise 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile, new claims for US unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, official data showed yesterday, adding to recent signs that the ailing job market is recovering.

The Labor Department said 351,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending March 10, a decline of 14,000 from the prior week’s upwardly revised number. Last week’s claims number was smaller than most analysts expected: The average estimate was for a decline to 355,000.

The improvement underscored a slowing trend in initial jobless claims, an indicator of the pace of layoffs. The fourweek moving average, which helps reduce week-to-week volatility, was unchanged from the previous week’s revised average of 355,750. The weekly claims number came on the heels of last Friday’s labor market data for February that showed solid job growth as businesses stepped up hiring.

The economy created 227,000 new jobs in February, topping the 200,000 mark for the third straight month, while the unemployment rate held steady at 8.3 percent, the Labor Department reported.

Wholesale prices excluding volatile food and energy costs rose 0.2 percent, moderating from January’s 0.4 percent increase. While that was in line with economists’ expectations, it was the third consecutive month of increases in core PPI. The Federal Reserve said on Tuesday the recent steep run-up in oil and gasoline prices would push inflation up only temporarily. Overall producer prices were lifted by a 1.3 percent increase in energy prices after a 0.5 percent drop in January. Food prices dipped 0.1 percent after falling 0.3 percent the prior month.

In the 12 months to February, producer prices increased 3.3 percent, the smallest increase since August 2010, after advancing 4.1 percent in January.

Gasoline prices rose 4.3 percent, the largest gain in five months, after gaining 2.0 percent in February.Outside food and energy, producer prices were pushed up by pharmaceuticals, which accounted for a third of the increase in core PPI. A rise in prices for civilian aircraft also contributed.

Passenger car prices edged up 0.1 percent after falling 0.8 percent the prior month. Light motor trucks prices fell 0.4 percent after a 0.9 percent rise the prior month.

In the 12 months to February, core producer prices increased 3.0 percent after rising by the same margin the previous month. — Reuters

India holds rates; political crisis ahead of budget Stocks down, bond yields up after RBI policy action NEW DELHI: India’s monetary policymakers left interest rates on hold and warned of resurgent inflation risks, putting the onus on the government to trim its fiscal deficit even as a fresh political crisis ahead of today’s budget undermined its ability to do so.

The Reserve Bank of India has said progress on deficit reduction is key to cutting interest rates, but the backlash against an already weakened government’s move to increase railway fares for the first time in eight years shows how hard a time it will have in bringing populist spending under control.

“Given the coalition government’s position, I would be quite skeptical of any meaningful reforms coming out of the budget,” said Ashish Vaidya, executive director and head of interest rates at UBS in Mumbai. “The RBI is fighting a lone battle, and ideally, it would be extremely positive if the government were to respond with policy initiatives.”

Bond yields and swap rates rose and stocks fell after the central bank kept its policy repo rate on hold at 8.50 percent. A rate cut that many had expected at the central bank’s April 17 review - which would be the first since the aftermath of the global financial crisis - is now seen as less likely.

The Trinamool Congress Party, a key ally of the Congress party’s fractious ruling coalition, called for the resignation of Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, who is from the same party, and a rollback in the fare increase announced on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Congress coalition was already weakened after a drubbing in recent state polls and more than a year of corruption scandals and policy paralysis that has deterred investment and curbed growth momentum.

“None of this augurs well for the upcoming general budget,” the Times of India said in an editorial on Thursday after Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee, who is chief minister in the state of West Bengal and was previously railway minister, spearheaded opposition to the fare increase.

“There’ll be misgivings about Mamata

NEW DELHI: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (center) talks to the media after presenting the 2011-2012 Economic Survey report outside Parliament House in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP playing to the gallery by bashing any reform the finance minister proposes in the budget. So, he might think it better to play safe than sorry,” the newspaper said.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the federal budget to parliament on Friday and is under pressure from investors to lay out a realistic plan to reduce a fiscal deficit that is on track to bulge past 6 percent of GDP in the current fiscal year, from a target of 4.6 percent. He is expected to set a deficit target in the range of 4.8-5.3 percent of GDP for the year from April, helped by improved economic growth, tax increases, slowing growth in subsidy expenditure and an increase in the sale of state assets.

Growth in Asia’s third largest economy slowed to 6.1 percent in the three months to December, the weakest in almost three years, and is on track to fall just short of 7 percent in the fiscal year that ends this month. Heavy government borrowing and spending is blamed for pushing up interest rates, crowding out corporate borrowing and fuelling inflation.

A finance ministry report yesterday said growth could accelerate to 7.6 percent in

the upcoming fiscal year. J. Moses Harding, head of the asset liabilities committee at IndusInd Bank, said resistance within India’s ruling coalition to Wednesday’s railway fare increase may have prompted RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao to adopt a cautious stance.

“The ability of the FM (the finance minister) to manage the fiscal deficit within acceptable levels is in doubt,” he said.

“The RBI has affirmed the need to cut rates, but no clear indication on its timing and magnitude. The fear is that of delay beyond April.”

The Reserve Bank of India’s tougherthan-expected stance on inflation disappointed investors clamoring for a cut in borrowing costs.

“Upside risks to inflation have increased from the recent surge in oil prices, fiscal slippage and rupee depreciation,” it said in its mid-quarter policy statement, adding that future actions will be towards lowering rates but refraining from giving a timeframe.

Brokerage Nomura lowered its forecast for rate cuts in 2012 to 75 basis points from 100 bps. — Reuters

Oil dips below $125 as supply fears abate

HYEDERABAD: A crew member watches an inflight program inside the cabin of the newly inducted Boeing 787-8 series Dreamliner during a photo call at the India Aviation 2012 show at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad yesterday. — AFP

LONDON: Brent crude oil slipped below $125 yesterday as the outlook for global oil supply strengthened, offsetting greater demand from the United States where the Federal Reserve predicted an improved economic recovery.

Consuming nations won a new pledge from OPEC leader Saudi Arabia this week that it would boost oil supplies to help control prices and protect the global economy from any loss of Iranian crude due to potential sanctions. Oil has climbed to $127 a barrel this year, just $20 short of its all-time high, as tighter Western sanctions on Iran threaten to choke off the country’s exports. But Saudi Oil Minister Ali alNaimi said on Wednesday the world’s largest oil exporter stood ready to fill any supply gap “perceived or real” in crude oil supply. That pledge has been enough to assure many investors that

there is little risk of a significant shortage of oil.

“Since Saudi Arabia pledged they can match any supply (gap), we would need further escalation of Iran crisis to get another push higher on oil prices,” said Carsten Fritsch, commodity analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. ICE Brent crude futures for April fell 18 cents to $124.79 per barrel by 1024 GMT. The April contract will expire at the end of yesterday’s session.

US crude fell 1 cent to $105.42 a barrel, after settling down $1.28 at $105.43 on Wednesday.

US government data on Wednesday showed crude stocks at a key delivery point in the Midwest of the United States, Cushing, Oklahoma, had risen 2.5 million barrels to a nine-month high. Cushing posted its biggest eight-week build since early 2009, and stood at its highest since June 2011. — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Tunisia sets up Islamic finance working group DUBAI: The Tunisian government has set up a working group that will study how to develop Islamic finance in the country, a finance ministry official said. The group, which includes representatives from the central bank, stock exchange and private sector institutions including Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group, will look at the country’s legal framework, said Karima Rezk, a director at the ministry. Before last year’s uprisings, authoritarian governments in Tunisia and other North African countries restricted or refused to promote Islamic finance for ideological reasons. A moderate Islamist party dominates the government which took power through last October’s elections.

Islamic finance, which operates according to religious principles such as a ban on paying interest, is seen as “an important initiative that is accepted by all major political parties”, Rezk told Reuters in a telephone interview this week. She added that the government did not intend to inhibit conventional banking in the country, but merely wanted to “make the market more dynamic and add choice to consumers”.

The working group aims to meet weekly and come up with proposals for action within a few months, Rezk said. It is under the purview of the finance ministry’s director-general Chaker Soltani, whose responsibilities include debt management

and financial cooperation. The group has been studying the Islamic banking experience of countries where the industry is well-developed, including Malaysia and Bahrain, as well as Jordan and Oman, which are more recent entrants into the industry.

“We need more details,” Rezk said, on both the structures of Islamic financial products and how to regulate them.

Soltani told Reuters earlier that the Tunisian government hoped eventually to issue sukuk (Islamic bonds), but did not expect to make an issue this year since the legal framework to support it was not yet in place. “Before issuing Islamic bonds, or sukuk, we must put a law in place,” he said. — Reuters

China FDI fall puts policy in spotlight

EU inflows down one-third from year earlier

TOKYO: World Trade Organization (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy (left) is greeted by Yukio Edano, Japanese Minister for Economy and Trade Industry prior to their talks at Edano’s office in Tokyo yesterday. Lamy is now here on a three-day visit to Tokyo to exchange views with Japanese officials. —AFP

Palestinian crisis to deepen without more aid: WB RAMALLAH: The aid-dependent Palestinian economy faces a deepening crisis unless foreign support grows and Israel eases restrictions on its trade, the World Bank said yesterday.

The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is relying on foreign aid to cover a 2012 budget deficit projected to reach $1.1 billion, but most donor countries have not fulfilled their pledges. The World Bank said in a report released ahead of a meeting on Palestinian aid in Brussels next week that the Palestinian Authority has received just over half of the funds it needs. Mariam Sherman, the World Bank’s director for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, called on donor countries to meet their pledges to help stabilize the Palestinian economy in the short term.

The report said a slowdown in growth in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinians have limited self-autonomy, “can be attributed to falling donor support combined with the uncertainty caused by the Palestinian Authority’s fiscal crisis, as well as lack of significant new easing of Israeli restrictions”.

To help fill the gap, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad last month approved a hike in income tax rates to increase revenues , but the World Bank said the economy was still likely to worsen in 2012.

Fayyad, appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007, is credited with revitalizing the West Bank economy. But the World Bank forecast GDP growth in the territory would drop to 5 percent in 2012 from 5.8 percent last year. Per capita GDP in the Palestinian Territories, with a combined population of just over 4 million, is $1,500 a year. “There is a lot of energy and resourcefulness in the Palestinian private sector which is the longer-term path out of crisis mode towards sustainable economic growth,” Sherman said. The report pointed to growth potential in private sector areas including construction, agriculture, housing and tourism. Instead, economic expansion in recent years has been driven mainly by donor aid, the report said, “which remains stifled by Israeli restrictions on access to natural resources and markets”.—Reuters

BEIJING: China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in February shrank from a year earlier, a fourth straight fall, with anemic inflows from debt-riddled Europe an additional sign that the People’s Bank of China may act to ensure steady money supply growth.

The Commerce Ministry said yesterday that the country drew $7.7 billion in FDI in February, down 0.9 percent on the same month in 2011, while January and February combined saw FDI flows fall 0.56 percent from a year earlier to $17.7 billion.

Given that China’s trade balance plunged to be $31.5 billion in the red in Februarythe largest deficit in at least a decade-analysts said there was a growing likelihood that to keep money supply steady, the central bank would cut the ratio of deposits it makes banks keep as reserves (RRR).

“Falling FDI and the big trade deficit in February put pressure on capital flows.

Capital inflows will be sluggish and there may even be net outflows. From this perspective, it supports the case for more RRR cuts,” said Zhang Xinfa, economist at Galaxy Securities in Beijing.

The inflow of foreign capital is a basic component of money supply in the financial system. A fall in its level implies a need to expand domestic credit creation by easing monetary policy in order to keep money supply growth steady. The central bank has cut RRR from a record high of 21.5 percent in two 50 basis point steps-the first in November and a second in February-to keep credit flowing.

China targets 14 percent growth in money supply this year. The market consensus is for cuts of 150 bps more in RRR through the course of this year. Galaxy Securities expects three or four cuts of 50 bps each. But any move by the central bank probably will be tempered by belief the trade position will change. Analysts think trade surpluses will return-an assumption echoed by Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang.

“Our judgment is that the trade deficit in February is unlikely to persist. Overall, we will still see a trade surplus this year, but it will gradually shrink and account for a smaller percentage of GDP,” Shen told reporters at the monthly media briefing where the February FDI data was released.

The FDI data follows a raft of other reports which showed lower inflation and

slower increases bank lending, retail sales and industrial output, which analysts say point to a gradual economic slowdown, not a hard landing.

China’s trade surplus has been shrinking in part as imports have been ramped up to help drive a rebalancing of the economy away from dependence on external demand towards the country’s gigantic domestic market. China’s overall current account surplus, as a percentage of eco-

nomic output, has fallen steadily in recent years. It dropped to 2.7 percent of GDP in 2011 from 5.1 percent in 2010.

Exports were a net drag on GDP growth in 2011, a fact that may placate some criticsparticularly those in the United States and the European Union-who say China unfairly supports exporters, a charge Beijing rejects.

FDI from the US rose a marginal 0.87 percent in the first two months of 2012 from a year ago, to $525 million. — Reuters

BEIJING: A Chinese woman poses for photos near a sculpture depicting the Chinese yuan note at an art district in Beijing yesterday. The head of China’s central bank said yesterday it has room to ease lending curbs to support economic growth but any changes would be gradual. — AP

Lebanon awards 150,000tn gasoil import tender LONDON: Lebanon has awarded an import tender for 150,000 tons of gasoil for delivery between April and June at premiums near a two-year high, traders said yesterday. The tender was awarded to Athens-based trading house BB Energy at a premium of $29.25 a ton over Mediterranean quotes, traders said. Gasoil supply in the region is tightening, with several countries including Israel, Egypt and Jordan making elevated purchases of the product this year.

The increased demand is partly a result of a series of attacks on pipelines along a crucial network that runs

through Egypt’s restive Sinai region, cutting off gas supplies to Israel and Jordan. This is forcing governments to make big purchases of gasoil, which can be used instead of gas to generate power, and premiums are rocketing.

Earlier this year, Lebanon bought a similar volume from BB Energy at a much lower premium of $18 a ton to Mediterranean quotes.Lebanon imports gasoil for electricity power generation and as a transport fuel. The country suffers from severe power outages, and decades of energy problems have drained billions of dollars in electricity subsidies. — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

GSK sells Europe OTC brands to Omega LONDON: GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to sell a collection of over-the-counter healthcare brands in Europe to Omega Pharma for 470 million euros ($612 million), while delaying the divestment of weight-loss pill Alli.

Net cash proceeds from the sale to Omega are expected to be approximately 310 million pounds ($486 million), which will be returned to shareholders during 2012, the company said yesterday.

Reuters had earlier reported that Omega of Belgium was among those seeking to buy the European products, which include Lactacyd, Abtei, Solpadeine, Zantac, Nytol and Beconase, and had combined sales of 185 million pounds in 2011. As part of the agreement, Omega will acquire the Herrenberg manufacturing site in Germany, which employs 110 people.

GSK sold a range non-prescription products in North America to Prestige Brands Holdings for 426 million pounds in December, after failing in its initial plan to find a single global buyer.

GSK first announced in February 2011 that it planned to dispose of non-core brands sold primarily in North America and Europe and representing about 10 percent of its consumer health portfolio, in order to focus on priority brands and emerging markets.

Alli, an over-the-counter (OTC) weight-loss drug that has been the subject of health concerns, was the biggest single product in the portfolio. Although GSK still plans to sell Alli, it said the process had been delayed pending the resolution of a temporary third party supply interruption.

It also remains in discussions about divesting brands in markets outside of Europe and North America with combined sales of around 60 million pounds.

Omega, which delisted its shares last month, said it would gain critical mass in Germany, Britain, Poland and Italy by buying the GSK brands. The company is a standalone OTC medicines company, ranking just outside the top 10 in that market and competing with the OTC arms of pharma giants such as Johnson & Johnson and GSK, as well as those of consumer product groups like Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser. — Reuters

S African Goldman banker always stuck to principles JOHANNESBURG: Greg Smith was a principled and competitive student, the kind of person whose strong sense of right and wrong probably pushed him to resign from Goldman Sachs in a scathing letter to an international newspaper, his former teacher and coach said.

A quiet, unassuming child, the South African first attended the private Jewish King David’s High School in suburban Johannesburg before winning a scholarship to Stanford University in the United States. Smith then joined Goldman Sachs, a workplace he once loved but described in his resignation letter in the New York Times on Wednesday as having developed an environment “as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it”.

“He was a remarkable young man, exceptionally intelligent with an integrity that is probably unequalled,” Elliot Wolf, the school’s retired headmaster, told Reuters in an interview.

“An absolutely remarkable man with high principles. He was an asset to the school in every possible way.” Wolf, who is now retired after 34 years at the school including 28 as headmaster, said he remembered Smith well from teaching him Latin and that he was loved by all because he was polite, unassuming and decent.

The Goldman Sachs banker sat a total of eight exams in his final year of secondary school in 1996, winning a distinction in every subject, Wolf said. According to school records, Smith’s subjects included maths, advanced maths, Hebrew, English, Afrikaans and accounting. “He was a wonderful young man with the highest principles. That was already part of his character when he was very, very young,” Wolf said. He said he was amazed Smith would take such a stand, suggesting others would probably bend their ethics to suit a company that was rewarding them handsomely. Smith, who worked in equity derivatives, said it had made him ill at Goldman to hear his colleagues joke about cheating clients. “Over the last 12 months I have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as ‘muppets’,” Smith said. —Reuters

US-Korea trade pact takes effect amid row Pact cuts tariffs on US manufactured, farm goods WASHINGTON: A long-delayed USSouth Korea free trade agreement (FTA) that has stirred controversy in both countries took effect yesterday, although the opposition in Seoul has vowed to renegotiate it if it wins elections this year. The deal between the world’s top economy and Asia’s fourth largest will boost trade by billions of dollars and create tens of thousands of jobs, the two sides say, making it one the biggest deals of its kind.

“The US-Korea agreement is a landmark deal with an important ally,” US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement hailing the accord as the most significant US free trade pact in 20 years. “Starting today, Korea’s doors are wide open for Made-In-America exports that will support well-paying jobs here at home,” Kirk said. The deal has provoked outbursts of violence in South Korea’s parliament and street protests, mostly by farmers, including a small demonstration in the capital yesterday.

The leader of the main opposition party, Han Myung-sook, this week backed down from a vow to repeal the deal altogether, saying she only wanted parts of it renegotiated. Experts doubt major changes to the deal will be enacted. US President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak spoke by telephone and praised the pact as symbolic of a strengthening of their alliance, the presidential Blue House in Seoul said in a statement.

“The South Korea-US FTA is a highstandard treaty that will become a good model of global free trade,” Lee was quoted as telling Obama.

The pact, which was signed in 2007 and finally approved by both countries

SEOUL: South Korean conservative activists roll a large balloon showing the US flags over their heads during a rally to support South Korea-US free trade agreement in Seoul yesterday. — AP in late 2011, immediately eliminates 80 percent of South Korea’s duties on US manufactured goods and nearly twothirds of its duties on US farm products.

In Seoul, shoppers felt the immediate impact, with bottles of Californian wine and citrus fruit flying off the supermarket shelves at up to a 20 percent off less than before.

South Korea is the United States’ seventh-largest trading partner and has an economy valued at $1 trillion dollars.

The pact’s tariff cuts are expected to boost US exports to Korea by $10 billion to $11 billion, helping to support 70,000 jobs. The agreement mostly negotiated by the administration of former US President George W Bush and former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun also opens up more of South Korea’s

large services market to US companies and has new protections for exporters, investors, and intellectual property rights holders.

Lee’s decision shortly after taking office in 2008 to reopen South Korea’s market to US beef triggered massive protests that caused the new president’s popularity to plummet. Within the United States, opposition from Obama’s fellow Democrats prompted Obama to renegotiate the deal in late 2010 to get a better deal for US automakers.

Ford Motor Co and union groups complained the original pact failed to tear down longstanding “non-tariff” barriers to South Korea’s auto market. Once finally submitted to Congress, the pact sailed swiftly through both the House of Representatives and Senate. — Reuters

Tesco CEO shows who’s boss as UK head departs

LONDON: Tesco’s former head of British operations Richard Brasher at Downing Street in London. Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco said yesterday that the head of its domestic operations Richard Brasher has quit after just one year in the job, following poor Christmas results and a profits warning. — AFP

LONDON: Tesco, the world’s thirdbiggest retailer, said the head of its UK business was to quit the firm, raising questions over its strategy in its biggest market two months after a profit warning sent shock waves through the grocery sector.

The firm said on Wednesday UK CEO Richard Brasher, a Tesco veteran of 26 years, would step down from the board with immediate effect and leave the company in July. He was promoted by group CEO Philip Clarke to head the UK in March 2011. His departure follows Clarke’s decision to take a much closer involvement in the UK business, whose market share last month fell to levels not seen since 2005, according to industry data. Clarke, who will assume responsibility as CEO of the UK business in addition to his existing duties, said Brasher’s exit “categorically does not signal another warning.” “There is no warning, if we felt that was necessary we’d be saying so and we don’t think it’s necessary,” he told Reuters.

Clarke also insisted he had not had a row with Brasher, who was responsible

for Tesco’s “Big Price Drop” campaign launched last autumn.

“I respect the decision that he’s reached and I’ve nothing but the highest admiration for him,” he said. “The UK’s been facing challenges that are long standing. This is a consequence of my wish to take a more active role in the day to day management and nothing else, and Richard recognizing you can’t have two captains in a team.” Brasher pulled out of an engagement to speak at the annual Retail Week conference yesterday morning. Clarke said in the long term it was in the best interests of the group to have a dedicated UK team with its own boss. “But right now I want a closer involvement and therefore I’m taking this decision.”

Shares in Tesco were down 1.3 percent at 320.6 pence at 0929 GMT, valuing the business at 25.42 billion pounds ($39.87 billion).

“The departure of Richard Brasher is a sad, but perhaps inevitable, consequence of the recent profit warning,” said Panmure Gordon analyst Philip Dorgan. —Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

ECB in wait-and-see mode, says Nowotny Official douses hopes of further measures

FRANKFURT: Lufthansa planes at Frankfurt’s Rhein-Main airport. Lufthansa AG says yesterday it expects lower profits this year as high fuel prices and economic uncertainties weigh on earnings. The company said its operating profit is expected to slide from euro 820 million ($1.1 billion) in 2011 to a “mid three-figure million euro range” this year. —AP

Lufthansa sees underlying earnings down in 2012 FRANKFURT: German airline Lufthansa said yesterday that underlying earnings would likely decline this year, depending on developments in fuel costs and the overall business environment. It also announced a capital injection at its loss-making unit Austrian Airlines on condition the carrier undertake further “drastic” restructuring measures. “The Lufthansa group is anticipating an operating profit in the mid three-figure million euro range for the current financial year,” said chief executive Christoph Franz. That would place operating profit in the region of 500 million euros ($650 million). By comparison, operating profit in 2011 amounted to 820 million euros, a drop of 19.6 percent on the year. All divisions would be profitable at an underlying level, “with operating profits forecast across the board,” Franz said.

“However, further developments in the business environment-and fuel prices in particular-will determine precisely how high group operating profit will be at year-end,” he added. As reported last week, Lufthansa’s profits fell sharply last year as a result of high fuel costs, a domestic air traffic tax and losses from the sale of its British Midland unit.

At the bottom-line, Lufthansa booked net loss of 13 million euros in 2011, compared with a profit of 1.1 billion euros a year earlier, while full-year revenues were up 8.3 percent at 28.7 billion euros. Franz said the airline was already implementing measures to boost underlying earnings by “at least 1.5 billion euros over the next three years.” Nevertheless, “we anticipate that the financial year 2012 will again be plagued by uncertainty. The economic conditions remain difficult and volatility is still high, but we are prepared for all weathers,” Franz said. —AFP

VIENNA: The European Central Bank is not planning any more measures to help the battered economy, having already played its part in fighting the euro zone crisis, Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny said yesterday.

He added, however, that it is still too early to remove central bank support.

This contrasted with separate comments from fellow ECB policymaker Erkki Liikanen, who stressed the need for a timely exit from extraordinary measures. Late last year, the ECB cut its interest rates to equal a previous record low of 1.0 percent and has since fed banks more than 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) in ultra-long 3-year funds and has loosened its collateral rules.

All this has pumped money into the euro zone economy as it struggled against both an economic downturn and a debilitating debt crisis.

“Just now we have to see how the various measures affect the economy,” Nowotny told Reuters Insider TV in an interview. “This will take some time; in the meantime, I do not see any need for further action,” he said.

He added: “We have done what a central bank can do ... of course there are other players who have to do their part.”

Nowotny also said now was not the time to worry about removing central bank support, adding that the chance of a well-timed exit had been thought before any measures had been implemented.

“When you start an action, you also have to think how to end it. Whatever we do, we also have to take into account how long we do it, what is the exit strategy,” he said. “It is not a matter of concern right now.” Liikanen, who is the Bank of Finland governor, said that before one could declare the debt crisis finished, the ECB needs to quit its extraordinary measures and have the

ATHENS: A homeless person begs in Syntagma square, backdropped by the Greek parliament, in central Athens, yesterday. — AP economy stand on its own.

“Central bank measures can be used to calm the financial markets, but a permanent solution to the debt crisis will require both successful fiscal and structural policies and a controlled and timely exit from the temporary central bank measures,” Liikanen said.

He did not give any time frame for the exit beyond stating it would have to be done when the time was ripe.

When Nowotny was asked about potential strife between the German Bundesbank and the ECB regarding support measures, Nowotny said “This is not true ... Of course you have discussions.”

The Bundesbank and its head Jens Weidmann have expressed concerns about looser lending rules which it uses to accept guarantees in exchange for loans. The German central bank used most of its last year’s profits to boost its

risk buffers. Asked about the possibility of further interest rate cuts, Nowotny, who also heads the Austrian central bank, said they were not being discussed right now.

He also said there were no indications of inflation risks at the moment.

Liikanen, on the other hand, repeated the ECB line that inflation was expected to stay above 2 percent this year, before falling to be in line with the central bank’s target of just below 2 percent.

Nowotny also said there were clear signs of stabilization in the financial markets after the ECB’s cash. Liikanen also offered the central bank a pat on the back, saying the injection had had “decisive impact”. The ECB itself said in its March monthly bulletin published yesterday that it might take several months before the impact of 3-year money is felt and credit rebounds. — Reuters

Home Retail urges help for consumers LONDON: Home Retail, Britain’s biggest household goods retailer, urged the government to take steps in its budget next week to boost the incomes of lower and middle earners as it forecast a fifth consecutive year of falling profits.

The owner of catalogue-based Argos stores and the Homebase do-ityourself chain said on Thursday there were reasons to be more optimistic about the retail outlook for the coming year, with inflation falling and events such as the Olympic Games in London and the Queen’s diamond jubilee likely to boost spending. However, it said it was planning cautiously after a big drop in sales at both Argos and Homebase in the 8 weeks to Feb. 25.

“What we totally agree with is the increase in the personal allowance,” chief executive Terry Duddy told reporters, referring to proposals by

Britain’s coalition government to raise the threshold at which people start paying income tax. “We think that’s an important factor and would lead to an easing for the circumstances that people have got where they’ve just seen disposable income falling.”

Britain’s retailers are mostly struggling as disposable incomes have been squeezed by rising prices, muted wages growth and austerity measures, and shoppers fret about rising unemployment, a shaky housing market and the euro debt crisis.

Argos has been particularly hard hit because its mainly low-income customers have suffered most and because it also faces stiff competition from grocers, specialists and the internet. Sales at Argos stores open over a year dropped 8.5 percent in the eight weeks to Feb. 25, broadly in line with a drop of 8.9 percent over the 52 weeks

ending on the same date.

Duddy said shoppers were particularly cutting back spending on electrical goods like televisions and video games, with sales of the latter down 35 percent in the eight-week period. Likefor-like sales at Homebase, Britain’s No.2 home improvements retailer behind Kingfisher’s B&Q, slumped 6.5 percent in the quarter, worse than the full-year decline of 2 percent as sales of furniture, kitchens and bathrooms suffered. The firm said it was on track to meet analysts’ expectations for a fullyear underlying profit of around 100 million pounds, which would be down sharply from 254 million the year before. Finance Director Richard Ashton said it was reasonable to expect another, albeit more modest, decline in the current financial year, noting that analysts’ average forecast was for an underlying profit of around 80 million

pounds. “There are people who’ve said they could get to some cautious optimism in the second half,” Duddy said, referring to falling inflation and events like the Olympics and jubilee.

“We wouldn’t disagree with them, but from our point of view we’d be better with a cautious plan rather than banking to upsides that may or may not occur,” he added.

Espirito Santo analysts said it was good news Home Retail had avoided another profit warning, but saw little scope of a quick recovery.

“Trading remains tough and there is a long way to go before we begin to see margins recover at Argos, in our view,” they wrote in a research note.

Home Retail shares, which have lost nearly half of their value over the last year, were down 0.7 percent to 114.2 pence by 0850 GMT, lagging a flat European retail sector. — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Will the bull market last?

Analysts take a wild guess as stocks continue rally

D

on’t trust the stock market.

The rally won’t last. Stocks are on a short-lived sugar high.

The gains, engineered by government bailouts and super-low interest rates courtesy of the Federal Reserve, are artificial.

That’s what the skeptics on Wall Street have been saying since Day One of the current bull market, which was born on March 9, 2009, the day stocks finally stopped falling after the biggest and scariest plunge this generation of investors has ever seen.

Well, the skeptics have been wrong — so far.

The baby bull nobody believed in, the one that has earned little respect despite posting a 103 percent gain,

trade group.

The steep fall and subsequent rebound of the stock market caught many investors by surprise. After tumbling nearly 57 percent from its October 2007 all-time high of 1,565 to a low of 676 in March 2009, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has doubled in value in the past three years, climbing as high as 1,374 on March 1. The massive move erased all but 12 percent of the losses suffered in the last market downturn, the worst since the 1930s. In the same period, the Dow Jones industrial average fell from a peak of 14,164 to a low of 6,547 before barreling back above 13,000 last week for the first time since May 2008.

Today, investors will welcome any

Headwinds notwithstanding, by historical standards this 36-month-old bull is entering the later stages of its life span. The average duration of bull markets dating back to 1932 is roughly four years, according to InvesTech Research. That means this bull still has a shot at reaching its fourth birthday without suffering a bear market — or 20 percent decline — that would mark the end of its run. the one that grew up in the shadow of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, turns 3 on Friday.

But despite a resume that includes accomplishments such as being the first bull market to gain 100 percent in its first three years and the seventh-best percentage gainer of all time, this one enters its fourth year with still-skeptical investors asking the same question: Can it last?

“There are a lot of nervous investors who are still not buying into this rally,” says Andrew Fitzpatrick, director of investments at Hinsdale Associates. A clear sign of the anxiety is reflected in the flow of funds into mutual funds and exchange traded funds. In this bull market as of January 2012, investors have stashed roughly $261 billion in stock funds and $708 billion in moreconservative bond funds, according to the Investment Company Institute, the mutual fund industry’s

signs of stability. More and more, the financial well-being of Americans is tied to how their personal retirement accounts perform in an increasingly volatile market that is driven by the perceived health of the economy and the confidence level on Main Street.

In the past 20 years, the number of US households investing in stock and bond markets via mutual funds has more than doubled from 23.2 million to 52.3 million, according to the ICI. More than 90 million people — nearly a third of the US population — invest in mutual funds.

So Americans have become more invested, literally and figuratively, with the ups and downs of the markets. Indeed, just as fears of a double-dip recession in the US have been fading recently amid a steady, incoming batch of better economic data, and a worst-case outcome to Europe’s debt crisis seems to have been taken off the table, fresh wor-

ries have emerged to give investors pause.

There is a sense that it will take some kind of shock to end the rally.

Potential bull killers: GAS PRICE SHOCK Investors fear that sticker shock at the pump could create stock market and economic turmoil if tensions over Iran’s nuclear intentions and capabilities lead to a military confrontation and supply disruption.

Iran is believed to be covertly trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and Israel might be considering a preemptive military strike.

“A major curve ball can come from Iran,” said financial planner Jacob Gold, author of “Financial

economy, said Byron Wien, vice chairman of Blackstone Advisory Partners.

Perhaps more worrisome is the warning from Robert Rodriguez, CEO of money-management firm First Pacific Advisors: “If we don’t start on a fiscal restructuring in this country by the end of next year, it is quite likely that between 2014 and 2016 we could experience something as big as Europe is going through today.”

INFLATION AND RATE FEARS A big plus for the financial markets has been the low interest rate environment fostered by the Fed and its chairman, Ben Bernanke. The steady low rate has nudged

growth outlook to 7.5 percent, from 8 percent, where it has been since 2005. Slower growth there could hurt companies and countries that export commodities such as steel, concrete and oil to China.

For now, the threat of Greece defaulting on its debt — and the potential for a banking crisis and financial contagion spreading throughout the euro-zone and beyond — has eased, thanks to a recent deal struck between Greece and central bankers, finance ministers and creditors in Europe. The European Central Bank’s move to provide 1 percent loans to banks in Europe has acted as a key backstop in stemming the crisis.

Headwinds notwithstanding, by

NEW YORK: New York City police officer Marco Varela patrols near the Wall Street Bull in the financial district of New York City. —MCT Intelligence: Getting Back to Basics After an Economic Meltdown.”

Any showdown with Iran would likely be bearish.

“If someone tries to take out Iran’s nuclear capabilities, it would throw the world into turmoil,” said David Fondrie, senior portfolio manager at Heartland Funds.

Rising gas prices create a considerable drag on the economy, because the extra expense acts like a tax on consumers and siphons cash from other discretionary purchases.

Election uncertainty is another wild card. Is there more political gridlock ahead? Can lawmakers finally agree on a plan to reduce the nation’s swelling deficit and get the nation’s fiscal house in order? Will there be another 11th-hour standoff this fall over raising the federal debt limit? Will lawmakers extend the Bush tax cuts, which expire at the end of 2012? If the tax cuts are not extended, expect a drag on the

investors into riskier assets, such as stocks, in search of bigger returns.

But the downside of the easy-money policy is a possible sharp rise in inflation. And inflation is an enemy of financial assets, said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management. If the inflation rate, which is hovering around 2 percent, goes well above the current level, the market reaction might not be pretty.

“If inflation gets out of control there will be a violent reaction in the bond market and at the Fed,” Paulsen warned. If the Fed starts to raise rates and bond investors sell and yields rise to compensate for higher inflation, the economy could slow, he said. That would make it harder and more expensive for the US to finance its deficit, and stocks would likely suffer.

If China’s growth engine slows, the ripple effect could be felt globally. China this week lowered its

historical standards this 36-monthold bull is entering the later stages of its life span. The average duration of bull markets dating back to 1932 is roughly four years, according to InvesTech Research. That means this bull still has a shot at reaching its fourth birthday without suffering a bear market — or 20 percent decline — that would mark the end of its run.

Ironically, the celebration of the bull’s third birthday coincides with a stock market that is showing signs of rally fatigue. The upward rise in stock prices has hit a wall. Since hitting key milestones, such as 13,000 for the Dow, the market has stalled. —MCT

Opinion

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Kamel’s lonely quest for Egypt’s top job The country’s only woman candidate for president can’t get the media’s attention

By Joseph Mayton

R

ushing from one telephone call to another, Bothaina Kamel casually tosses her hair, as she answers questions from incoming callers. She radiates a winning combination of softness and power that in many countries give her nothing less than a knockout punch for politics. But here in Egypt, the quick moving and energetic Kamel is facing an uphill battle since she announced her intention to run for Egypt’s top job last year. “I want to help bring change to Egypt. That is it.

And I can do it,” she says, taking a moment to sip a hot drink from a glass at her headquarters in central Cairo. She told The Media Line she doesn’t have time for pomp and circumstance. “Leave that to the men. I’m here to make a better country,” she says, grabbing another incoming call, getting updates from a march only a few blocks away. “It’s time to go,” she says and quickly shakes hands and jolts out of the room. Off to the barricades.

Kamel is no stranger to the frontlines of protests, having been there in November for the clashes on Mohamed Mahmoud Street in central Cairo, then again less than a month later when the military junta attacked a sit-in at the cabinet building. In February, Kamel was present, showing solidarity and support for whom she calls “my fellow Egyptian fighters” when clashes erupted near the Ministry of Interior. She has been detained, beaten and arrested by the country’s military. She has featured in international media and has earned the support she has through attending protests, speaking to people in villages and working for grassroots change in Egypt, unlike any of the other candidates who have nominated themselves.

The nomination expected to create a field of about 10 or so serious contenders for the office when voters go to the polls at the end of May. Even though the revolution that led to elections brought an end to Hosni Mubarak’s rule, the front-running candidates in fact are holdovers from the old regime. Amr Moussa was head of the Arab League and foreign minister under Mubarak. Mansour Hassan was a minister under Anwar Sadat, Mubarak’s predecessor, and Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force commander who appointed by prime minister in the final days of Mubarak’s rule. Others are Islamists like Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a prominent Salafist.

Still, with less than three months until Egyptians take to the polls to elect a new president, most average Egyptians have never even heard of her. “Bothaina who?” they ask.

When told she is the woman who hosted a call-in talk show a number of years back to assist women with personal issues, sometimes a light bulb goes off in recognition. “But she’s running for president?” asks Mariam, a 47year-old mother of four and housewife in the Garden City neighborhood of Cairo. For her,

Kamel is not a politician, but a talk show host.

Nothing more. Apparently, the local press tends to agree with Mariam. In the past few months, not a single Arabic newspaper has mentioned Kamel as a candidate for the presidency. When her name comes up in their stories, she is called an “activist”. Kamel insists that she isn’t bothered by this. “My supporters are growing and I believe in my mission.

Maybe I won’t win this time, but it is important for women to be out there,” she added in a later phone conversation.

A television host and activist for most of her adult life, Kamel was born in 1962 and graduated from Cairo University in 1983, where she was active in the student union.

Although she has long been part of the media establishment - anchoring a radio program

Egypt’s first female presidential hopeful Bothaina Kamel is seen after she registered her name for the upcoming presidential elections in Cairo on March 11, 2012. - AP

called “Midnight Confessions”, working as a presenter for the Egyptian state television and hosting the hit show “Please Understand Me” on the Saudi-owned satellite TV channel Orbit - she has long been indentified as a prodemocracy advocate and for repeated conflicts with the authorities. But being a woman is not enough to get elected. Leading women’s rights advocates in the country, including Nawal Saadawi, have been apprehensive about throwing their support behind a female candidate simply because she is a woman. “I must know her program before I can support her,” Saadawi told The Media Line.

This month, however, ahead of the official nomination period, which began on March 10 and runs through April 8, Kamel issued a briefing on her campaign’s platform. It was a daring move because it was something her male counterparts have refrained from doing, preferring to refer to justice, freedom and democracy than actually talking about their platforms. She talks about a minimum wage, rule of law, separation of religion and state, and a civil society based on a constitution. At a recent public talk, she spoke candidly about the role of her candidacy as a means of boosting female participation in Egypt’s future. nevertheless, she concedes that her country’s transition to democracy will be difficult.

Kamel says that while she opposed Mubarak’s regime, she never imagined that the revolution would occur as it did but warns that it has yet to achieve all its goals. “The revolution did stop, however, the planned succession of power,” she says, referring to the military’s takeover of power last February, which removed the threat of Mubarak’s son taking over. Still, the media rarely cover her events, and when they do they are often condescending to her as a female candidate, often referring to her dress and appearance instead of the substance of her remarks.

An assistant editor at a leading Arabic daily, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of his comments, told The Media Line that this is the policy within the old guard of newspapers. “Women have traditionally - and are still today -considered to be wives and mothers first. So when there is any coverage of women in the political sphere, there are ways of reporting it so they don’t get the credibility they deserve,” the editor explains. For this to change, “the local and independent media must step in to fill these gaps. The people at the top in most Arabic newspapers are older men and they don’t like to be stepped on, especially by influential and powerful women.” That’s where Kamel’s candidacy will be instrumental in changing attitudes, she believes. “We can only do as much as we are capable of doing and if it helps to change a few peoples’ ideas about women and government then that’s great. I will keep fighting for what is right no matter what.”

Even if the media fail to give her the ink she deserves. - Media Line

A

y

e niv rsar n

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Years

www.kuwaittimes.net

Actress Genesis Rodriguez arrives at the premiere of the feature film "Casa De Mi Padre" in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. — AP

Technology FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Get the party started DJ software turns your computer into a mixing console

I

f you’ve got a notebook and a couple of speakers, then the party can start. That’s because modern software has replaced expensive hardware and allowed amateurs to become their own DJs, provided they have a digitized music collection that is organized properly. Long gone are the days when DJs had to lug around crates of equipments and albums. Theoretically, all you need today is a notebook computer and a well-stocked hard drive to get the party started.

It’s all possible thanks to DJ software.

Although used by professionals, it’s easy for beginners to figure out too. “They can learn it in a few minutes,” says Lutz Scheffler, a DJ and spokesman for the German Professional Association of Disc Jockeys (BVD). The programs do more than just play music, says Scheffler. “This is creative processing software that can replace one or several high quality CD players.”

Songs can be played at higher or lower pitches, with effects like reverb and echo blending and pitching, in effect slowing down or speeding up the music. That helps create a seamless transition between two pieces. Many programs use a function called beatmaking to recognize the speed of songs and find ways to match them to one another.

Traktor Pro from Native Instruments is a program in widespread use. The graphic interface looks like two record players, underneath which is a folder structure from which the user can choose the next song.

The program costs 199 euros (265 dollars) and a time-limited demo version is available for trials.

A lot of DJs are also fans of programs from the New Zealand company Serato, says Scheffler. “But those are really for professionals.” VirtualDJ from Atomix is much more welcoming to beginners. It has a similar interface to Traktor Pro and is available for the Mac. The same applies to Ultramixer from Digital Audio Solutions, which also comes in a Linux version. VirtualDJ and Ultramixer can both be used for free, so long as they are not used professionally.

One open source alternative for Windows, iOS and Linux is Mixxx. Other free versions include Jackson and DigiJay. Beginners should take the time to try out all these freeware programs, says Hartmut Gieselmann. “But you often have to cope

with programming errors,” said the expert, who works with the German computer magazine c’t. If a person plans to use the programs for an extended period, he recommends moving to the commercial versions.

“Beatmatching delivers significantly better results,” he said.

Whether free or not, all of these programs can be operated like any other, with a mouse and the keyboard. But, when working as a professional, many DJs also add a Midi controller. This significantly speeds up the selection of songs and effects, because the controllers can be set to the user’s individual needs.

“But Midi controllers usually only work with commercial programs,” says

Gieselmann. Good models cost at least 200 euros (278 dollars). Beginners are advised not to jump straight in with the professional hardware. If you’re just starting to figure out DJ software, you’ll probably be starting out at private parties. Here, there are usually no legal perils. But that’s not necessarily the case at public gatherings. Be sure to know local rules about playing copyrighted music at such events.

A lot of DJ programs can generate edited songs or mixes as MP3s. But if you record pieces like that onto a CD or release it as a download, you could be violating the rights of the original artist.

“Then you have to ask the copyright holder for permission,” says Gaby Schilcher from gema, the German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights. The holder is usually the appropriate record label and it might not always want to cooperate. Rules apply not only to whole songs, but also to snippets and individual components of a piece.

And a final tip: If you’re going to work as a DJ, you have to get your music organized, otherwise you’ll be looking in vain for the next track as the party threatens to die, warns Scheffler. “It’s important that not just the file names are right, but also that you keep track of the ID3 tags.”

Those tell, for example, the song title, the performer, the album and the genre, among other details. The tags can be edited via Windows Media Player, Winamp or iTunes.

The freeware program MP3Tag focuses exclusively on such tags, pulling a lot of data out of Internet databases and saving the DJ a lot of typing. — dpa

Pe t s FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Turtle helps troubled children come out of their shell

Dr. Mitch Spero’s therapy partner is up to his old tricks. — MCT photos

D

r. Mitch Spero’s therapy partner is up to his old tricks this afternoon. He crawls across the room on his belly to bulldoze through a toy block wall built by a young client. Then he rolls over. And plays dead. Unusual behavior - especially for a turtle. Florida, the three-toed box turtle who lives next to the printer in Spero’s Plantation, Fla., office, has a talent for canine-like tricks that has landed him on national television, talk shows and YouTube.

Television star and animal lover Ellen DeGeneres featured his “greatest tricks” video on her talk show. David Letterman, known for his “stupid pet tricks” segment, called him for an audition. And he’s been profiled for the Japanese version of “Animal Planet.” Florida’s latest career move? Spero, a child and family therapist, hopes to star Florida in a book series aimed at helping children overcome loss and trauma.

Anxious or shy youngsters who might be afraid of a dog giggle, when they get to hold a turtle that, following Spero’s hand commands, will wave at them or give them a high-five. If Florida can come out of his shell, Spero tells them, or bravely push his way through obstacles like toy block walls, well, so can they.

“Even though a turtle doesn’t necessarily understand feelings, I can use him to help children learn about theirs,” said Spero, who started college wanting to be a veterinarian. He’s finished and self-published the first book, “Florida the Turtle Who Thinks He’s A Dog Finds his Feelings” ($9.43, plus tax and ship-

Florida, the pet turtle that does tricks like a dog has helped shy and fearful children overcome their anxiety.

ping) and is selling it at FloridaTheTurtle.com.

Future volumes may find Florida dealing with divorce or a family death.

Florida’s calling card so far, however, has been his repertoire of atypical tortoise moves.

Plucked from an obscure South Florida pet store in 1983, Florida soon proved he was uncommonly attentive and friendly. Grabbing at lettuce in Spero’s hand, he reared back on his haunches, sat up like a terrier, and the rest was history.

Florida even has flown coach class to film the “Today” show in New York City, and had to spend the night in a dresser drawer when the hotel couldn’t turn up a terrarium as originally promised. He spent most of his on-camera appearance the next day trying to escape from host Matt Lauer. “It was December, Florida was cold and he’s not a morning person,” Spero said.

Animal-assisted therapy is nothing new.

Pet Partners, formerly called the Delta Society, has been registering four-legged therapists for about 20 years. The certification assures hospitals and nursing homes that volunteer pet therapy teams have been trained, and that the animals are clean and will behave appropriately, said spokesman Bill Kueser.

The Washington state organization has registered about 11,000 four-legged or feathered therapists; besides dogs, there are hamsters, chinchillas and birds. But no reptiles, including turtles. Kueser says that’s because the organization can’t figure out how to properly evaluate their work, and worries about disease

transmission.

But Kueser isn’t surprised that playing with Florida helps Spero’s young patients relax and open up. One of Pet Partners’ board members is a therapist in practice with a lizard. To be fair, if any reptile has good people skills, it probably would be the box turtle. Dale R. Jackson, a senior research zoologist at Florida State University, said they generally are friendly and very food motivated.

Spero’s early lettuce feedings likely got Florida in the habit of eagerly following his hands, Jackson said, and his unusually high, round shell causes him to “roll over” when he stretches too high. “I’m not sure if I would call them tricks,” Jackson said. “But if the turtle is helping out children, that’s great.”

A trained turtle is a great icebreaker, Spero said, when his new young patients think an office visit means getting a shot or something else scary. Florida also serves as a role model.

Annika Wible, a 9-year-old from Plantation who has been seeing Spero since her parents divorced, remembers thinking about Florida stretching his neck far out of his shell after she had been hurt in gymnastics and wanted to quit.

“I thought, well, there is a turtle out there and he can do all these things,” she said. “I think Florida inspires kids.” — MCT

FOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Pretzels

Everyday cooking:

E

very once in a while I develop a small but powerful addictions to one kind of food and it becomes my ‘bestest dish ever’. It’s an item I can eat morning, noon and night, until I find a new ‘bestest dish ever’. For now, my new addiction is pretzels. I’m not talking about those dry, salty ones packed in bags like chips. I am talking about those soft, gooey, bread-like pretzels that have a slightly crunchy exterior, and soft and soothing interi-

or. The kind that are topped with cheese, stuffed with hotdogs or gently rolled in cinnamon sugar. With the right dip, pretzels make a great snack, meal or even start to a day. Okay I think I have sold you enough on the greatness that is pretzels. The following recipes lets you make some of your own awesomeness at home.

Send your suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Honey mustard dipping sauce 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Spicy melted cheese dip 1/2 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground sausage 2 pounds processed cheese, cubed 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with chile peppers

P

lace ground beef and ground pork sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt processed cheese food. Stir in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers while processed cheese food is melting. Drain ground beef and ground sausage. Mix into the processed cheese food mixture. Transfer to a medium dish and serve warm.

M

ix the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight.

FOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Soft cheddar pretzels * l 1/2 cups all-purpose flour * 2 teaspoons baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1 teaspoon sugar * 2 tablespoons margarine * 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese * 2/3 cup milk * 1 egg, beaten * l 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

C

ombine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese and milk, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened. Turn dough

Homemade soft pretzels out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 12 times. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into eight 1-inch strips.

Twist each into a pretzel shape; brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets and bake at 400∞ for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pretzels for a few minutes on wire racks; serve pretzels warm.

Cinnamon sugar pretzels

1 1/2 cup warm water 1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast 2 tablespoons brown sugar 4 cups regular flour 1 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 cups water (for boiling the pretzel) 2 tablespoons baking soda Cinnamon sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, melted

I

Pretzel Dogs

n a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water Add sugar, and stir to dissolve.

Add flour and salt and knead dough until smooth and elastic. Let rise for 40-60 minutes at least.

Shaping the dough: Divide the dough into 6-7 parts and then roll it out. Make sure to keep both the ends thinner than the rest of it since both the ends are going to be tied together an will become thicker eventually.

Also, make sure that you roll them out thin, not more than 1/2 an inch in diameter, because they will swell up twice - once after the water bath and then when it’s baking.

Next, boil the two water and add the baking soda. Drop the pretzels in the water bath and let it stay in for about 5 seconds. Make sure the stove is still on. After the pretzel is removed from the water bath, make sure to dry the excess liquid on it on a kitchen towel before placing on the baking sheet/silpat/baking stone. Below is a comparison of how the pretzel looks before and after a water bath.

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet and brush with a lightly eaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven at 220ºC/450ºF oven for ten minutes or until golden. Let cool on a wire rack.

Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle the sugar cinnamon all over it.

1 can room temperature non-alcoholic beer 1 tablespoon white sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 4 1/2 cups bread flour 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon water 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda 1/4 cup kosher salt, divided - or to taste 18 hot dogs

H

eat the beer in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches 110 degrees F (45 degrees C). Combine the warm beer, sugar, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Place the bread flour and butter in a bread machine. Add the yeast mixture, then select the dough cycle. Preheat an oven to 450

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 package active dry yeast 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted Vegetable oil, for pan 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water salt

C

ombine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic

degrees F (230 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with vegetable oil. Beat the egg yolk in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water; set aside. Stir baking soda into 10 cups water in a large pot until dissolved, and bring to a boil. Turn the dough out onto a lightlyoiled surface, and roll into a 10x20-inch rectangle.

Cut the dough into 18 1-inch wide strips, then wrap each strip tightly around a hot dog in a spiral, pinching the edges to seal, and leaving the ends open. About half an inch of hot dog should peek out of each end of the dough wrapper. Drop 2 or 3 dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling water for 30 seconds.

Arrange the boiled hot dogs on the prepared baking sheets. Brush each pretzel dog with the egg yolk mixture, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup salt. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.

Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.

Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE 99 Baghdad lies in ruins, destroyed by the marauding armies of Hulagu Khan. The brave librarians of the great Dar Al-Hikma rush to save the glory of the ancient world’s accumulated wisdom, little knowing that centuries later their efforts will bear strange

www.the99.org

fruit. While the Noor Stones were created to save the library, their power has transcended that task and in our own time has provided extraordinary abilities to an international group of

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2012, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

young people, the world’s newest superheroes known as… The 99.

C h i l d re n FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Spot the difference

figure it Look at the clues below and fill all the numbers you can into the grid. Then start again and use your answers to help solve the other clues.

Across 2. Ninety-one doubled 4. Half of sixty-eight 5. 7 across plus 14 down 7. Sixty-six divided by three 8. 3421 reversed 10. Fifty-two divided by four 12. Number of hours in a day 13. Half of 3536 15. Three times seven 16. Five times thirteen 17. Forty-eight doubled 18. Eight times sixty-four Down 1. Fifty-four divided by three 2. Number of days in a fortnight 3. Half of 5842 4. 17 across divided by three 6. Four times 15 across 7. 9 down minus ninety 9. 123 reversed 11. Five times 1131 14. Half of 152 15. 10 across doubled 17. Four times twenty-three 19. Seventy-five divided by five

connect the dots

alfa-cross The first letter of each answer appears next to its clue in alphabetical order. All the first letters have been entered into the grid. Can you complete the puzzle?

B. Nocturnal mammal (3) B. Insect (3) B. Below (7) C. Gossip (4) G. Large ape (7) I. Small island (4) I. Mediterranean country (5) K. Type of falcon (7) L. Spear (5) L. Go away (5) L. Midday meal (5) O. Possess (3) P. Part of the hand (4) P. Large fruit often seen at Halloween (7) T. Sort (4) U. Large vase (3)

C h i l d re n FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

alfa-search

number-search

Can you find the hidden words? Each word ends with the letters TH. The words may be horizontal or vertical.

BATH, BREATH, BROTH, CLOTH, DEPTH, EARTH, FROTH, LENGTH, MONTH, MOTH,

MOUTH, NORTH, PATH, SMOOTH, SOUTH, TEETH

Can you find the hidden numbers? They may be horizontal or vertical.

00484, 08345, 23234, 24544, 24847, 32992, 43920, 44708, 49847, 56567, 62264, 66823, 70363, 89265, 94839, 98447

word fit

sudoku

Can you fit all the words correctly into the grid? Two letters have already been entered.

3 letter words

solution

EMU GET NET SEE SUN TEA

TOE YOU 4 letter words BAKE FLEW PATH SHIP 5 letter words

APPLE EAGLE FINAL HAPPY LEAVE NIGHT PAGES SHEEP

Books FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

I

n the opening chapter of his new novel, Dan Rhodes describes a young student in Paris throwing a stone into the air which unfortunately lands on the face of a baby called Herbert (pronounced “Air-bear” in France). This leads to the convergence of many far-fetched stories.

This Is Life appears to mark a very deliberate change in the style and form of Rhodes’s fiction. For one thing, it is almost as long as the sum of all his previous novels: Timoleon Vieta Come Home, Gold, Little Hands Clapping and The Little White Car, which he wrote under the name Danuta de Rhodes (the acknowledgments page in this novel gives special thanks “to the true author of this work, the petite, beautiful and forever young Danuta de Rhodes - cruelly felled in her prime”). In one sense this change of tone and focus is similar to that between Michel Faber’s short, original and disturbing semi-science fiction novel Under the Skin and the well-crafted, obvious bestseller The Crimson Petal and the White.

Does this suggest that Rhodes is also about to move into the bestseller lists?

There is some evidence to suggest this may be in his mind. In one scene Sylvie, a girl with many jobs, sells an admirer a copy of her favourite novel Timoleon, chien fidele (a translation of Rhodes’s tragic version of Lassie Come Home). “I love the ending,” Sylvie says. “It’s not easy to read, but it says something that needs to be said. I don’t think I could ever really be friends with anyone who didn’t get this book.” And her admirer replies: “I love the ending too.

I’m buying it to depress a friend of mine who’s been a bit too happy lately.” Both of them agree on the author’s brilliance and “how underappreciated he was”.

Perhaps some readers shuddered when being led into The Anchor, the bleak and oppressive Welsh pub in Rhodes’s novel Gold, where a few dull and doleful customers steadily drink their pints of Brains before surrendering to the evening pub quiz at which Septic Barry’s local team, “The Children of Previous Relationships”, has never won a match (except when the other team failed to turn up). It is even possible, I suppose, that some may have balked at entering the museum where Little Hands Clapping is set. This is a German museum that inspires suicide among its visitors; the caretaker swallows live spiders by night, before superintending the removal of the refrigerated corpses of these suicidal visitors to the local butcher. As for the ending of Rhodes’s Lassie novel, the “sentimental journey” which his fictional fans recommend so highly, it is appallingly sad; some sensitive critics have even called it cruel.

Over the last decade Rhodes’s fiction has grown darker and more nightmarish, but This Is Life is his farewell to tragedy. It is a happy book about love, from the author of the lacerating short story collection Don’t Tell Me the Truth about Love (the epigraph came from Iago’s speech inviting us to “Drown cats and blind puppies”). Is he now telling us the truth about love? Or has he become sentimental? It is remarkable indeed for characters in a Dan Rhodes novel to get to the point where “everything was as wonderful as they had known it would be”. So love is triumphant; and justice, too, predominates. Even baby “Air-bear”, when fortuitously reunited with his mother, loses his italics and regains the romantic dignity of his real name, Olivier.

Inevitably there are some dark notes. The boy who holds his breath for longer than a cormorant can stay under water subsides into an unending coma, and the sympathetic translator, who loves someone who does not love him, goes for solace into a monastery (he does find some comfort, not in the religion of the place, but from the fruit and vegetables he tends).

So what has happened to Rhodes? It is as if Samuel Beckett had suddenly come up with a glorious, high-spirited comedy. The desperate, idiosyncratic characters of his earlier macabre novels are not abandoned, but they are clothed now in a more traditional habit of storytelling that reveals how their

craziness arises from understandable and even sometimes admirable origins. The author is generous and forgiving to them. When the art student accidentally shoots the baby she is looking after, Rhodes allows the bullet merely to graze the baby’s arm. I tremble to think what might have happened to this baby in his previous fiction.

The darkness in Dan Rhodes’s novels has given way to something lighter The comedy is invigorated by some sharp political and artistic irony involving President Sarkozy, Carla Bruni and even (at a distance) Lady Gaga. But grief and darkness are always near. They are most ominously present in the title of the novel, which refers to a theatre presentation of daily routine and bodily functions called Life; this remorselessly shows the characters how much, each day, we leave behind with our faeces and urine and sweat. The “something that needs to be said” in Rhodes’s previous novels is that sentimentality is a false medicine bringing little contentment, encouraging disappointment and provoking our vengeance. This novel cleverly avoids such dangerous medicine. It is a reminder of how strange ordinary life is and it challenges us to “adjust to the darkness”. — Guardian

Books FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Turing’s Cathedral A

t first sight - and it’s a long first sight, lasting a good 200 of the book’s 340 brilliant and frustrating pages of text - Turing’s Cathedral appears to be a project for which George Dyson has failed to find a form.

Ostensibly the story of the building of one of the earliest computers at Princeton in the late 1940s and early 50s, it keeps digressing wildly.

The Institute for Advanced Study’s MANIAC gets under construction over and over, in chapter after chapter, only for Dyson to veer off again into the biographical backstories of the constructors, and a myriad of alternative intellectual hinterlands, from hydrogen bomb design to game theory to weather prediction, by way of the cafÈ society of interwar Budapest. It’s not that these aren’t relevant. They are; but they aren’t introduced in the cumulative, surreptitiously spoon-feeding way in which good popsci writing usually coaxes a linear narrative out of complex material.

An unusual, wonderful, even visionary account of the early years of computers

If this is a cathedral, it doesn’t have anything as geometrical as a nave. It’s a mass of separate structures joined by spiders’ webs of coloured string. But it isn’t a failure. It isn’t one thing at all.

It’s three successes: three separate and different and differently impressive books Dyson might have written, all bizarrely shredded and mixed into a heap whose sorting is left as an exercise for the reader. Some of it is a painstaking oral history of MANIAC, built on an archivist’s certainty that everything is worth rescuing from entropy that can possibly be known about the dawn of the digital computer. Truly everything, from interviews with as many of the surviving engineers as possible in the 1990s, to the institute’s cafeteria manager’s unexpected history testing Bleriot monoplanes in 1912, and the director’s complaint in 1946 that the engineers were putting too much sugar in their tea. This part of the book is a monument (or rather a bitstream of a monument).

Some of it is an intellectual biography of MANIAC’s chief architect John Von Neumann and the circle around him, determined to do justice to the polymathic range of his genius, and therefore dipping into everything he contributed to, from bomb design to game theory to robotics. Alan Turing, after whom the book is misnamed - it should really be called “Johnny’s Web” - only comes into the picture seriously on page 242. He is merely the collaborator of Von Neumann who happened to stand along the particular out-raying string of his interest that happened to lead to the intellectual foundations of the digital age. But since Dyson himself is passionately interested in those, in comes the third separate thing the book is, a speculative,

even visionary account of the philosophy of programming.

This last, marvellous element dominates the end of the book; and having reached it, and begun to be able to make sense in retrospect of the digressive tangle that came before, you ask yourself whether its design might possibly have been consciously, artfully non-linear. A kind of literary equivalent to the whole-genome shotgun method, maybe, with the shredding of multiple projects handing over to us the job of sequencing and unification. But it feels less willed than that, more the interference pattern of three different ambitions, none of which the author was ready to relinquish. And it does, no denying, take persistence. Is it worth persisting?

Absolutely. Let me give you, appropriately enough, three reasons why.

One: no other book about the beginnings of the digital age brings to life anything like so vividly or appreciatively the immense engineering difficulty of creating electronic logic for the first time; of creating originally, and without a template, the pattern of organisation which has since become absolutely routine, and been etched on silicon at ever smaller micron-distances in chip foundries. The very word “foundry” insists that logic is a commodity, a material, the steel of the information age. But it didn’t start like that. It started as an elaborate, just-possible accomplishment, requiring both conceptual brilliance and ingenious hands-on tinkering. It had to be built from scratch at the macro level, as an assemblage of valves and hand-wired circuits and cathode-ray tubes, fed by power at many different voltages, and protected from hazards ranging from roofing-tar to thunderstorms to the magnetic fields of passing trams. When Dyson describes the MANIAC being designed into its casing “like the folding of a cerebral cortex”, you know he means specifically that, like a brain. He has read the error logs in which the baffled pioneers tried to work out which of a hundred causes produced each failure, from a simple error in coding logic to the finicky failure of adjacent phosphor spots to stay distinctly charged. “I know when I’m licked.” “This now is the 3rd different output.”

“To hell with it!”

Two: no other book has engaged so intelligently and disconcertingly with the digital age’s relationship to nuclear weapons research, not just as a moral quandary to do with funding, but as an indispensable developmental influence, producing the conceptual tools that would unlock the intellectual power of the computer.

The “Monte Carlo” method (Von Neumann and Stanislaw Ulam) was born as a means to track the probability of a thermonuclear reaction staying supercritical in a hydrogen bomb. If there had been no branching paths of scattering, splitting, absorbing or escaping neutrons to be modelled, there might well have been no algorithms to simulate the probabilistic paths of evolution, finance, climate. Conversely, if there had been no Monte Carlo algorithm running at electronic speed on Maniac itself, there would have been no American H-bomb in 1952, vaporising 80m tons of Enewetak Atoll in a red cloud boiling half the sky.

Three: no other book - this is where we get visionary - makes the connections this one does between the lessons of the computer’s origin and the possible paths of its future. Dyson takes his cue from Turing and Von Neumann’s ability to see all the way to the limits of the digital

architecture they were themselves proposing and struggling to substantiate for the first time.

In the late 1940s they were already thinking about the essential rigidity and (from one point of view) logical inefficiency of machines which, unlike living information processors, can only do one thing at a time, leaving the whole elaborate structure of the rest idle. As Dyson puts it: “There is a thin veneer of instructions, and then there is a dark empty 99.9%.” Yet the “Von Neumann architecture” of a memory passing individual bits to a processor, each with its own unique memory address, is not the only possible one, and not the only one considered by Von Neumann, for that matter. Dyson believes that the birth of other architectures atop the reliable substrate of the digital-as-we-know-it is now imminent. Some of his suggestions may be, let’s say, in advance of the evidence, like the idea that Google represents a first sketch of what Turing called “an oracle machine”, supplementing its own deterministic states with the nondeterministic input of human queries. But then so were many of Turing’s and Von Neumann’s ideas a little previous, to say the least.

Most of us should persist in reading this for the scrambled richness of its history. But I suspect that one of its afterlives is going to be as a source of koans for coders, troublingly simple questions to be copied out, and sellotaped to workstations, and stared at until - eureka! something new happens in a human mind, and shortly thereafter in one of its electric surrogates.—Guardian

Beauty FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

How to dress to make yourself

Whether you’ve got a hot date or big interview, read on for some great tips on how to look slimmer.

1 Buy clothes that fit you. Whether you are a size 2 or a size 22, if you wear the wrong size clothes, you’ll end up looking bigger than you are.

Wearing clothes that are too tight leads to bulges and lumps, just as choosing clothes which are too large adds to your size and makes you look bigger. Don’t be ashamed of yourself.

2 Choose items which skim over areas you want to disguise. For instance, if you want to make your tummy look flatter, move away from skin tight vests, and choose a flattering tunic. Instead of choosing a mini skirt, hide chunky thighs under a floaty skirt. However if you go baggy, this will also make you look larger than before.

3 Use caution when buying pants. Choose pants with a smooth front: no pleats! Pleated pants poof out below the waistband, drawing attention to your stomach. Also, when buying pants, pay attention to the rise. Too high a rise can create the illusion of a tummy even if you have a 6pack, and too low a rise can lead to belly fat hanging over the top of your jeans - not pretty.

4 Make sure you are wearing the right underwear.

This is important. Thongs and g-strings are all well and good if you have no fat on your body, but if you want to give the illusion of a skinny figure, go for supportive styles which help to pull in the tummy. A well fitting bra can also help to create a smoother slimmer figure. Take the time to go get a free bra fitting at an underwear store, or just spend a good hour at the local clothing store trying on different bras, and keep an open mind about your size.

5 Highlight your good bits. If you have a beautiful slender neck, but a bit of weight on your waistline, draw attention to your neck with an eye catching necklace, or other accessories. If you have toned arms, wear a sleeveless top to make the most of your assets.

6 Work on your posture. Stand up straight, pull your stomach in, and your shoulders back. You can practice posture by balancing a book on your head and walking - the book shouldn’t fall off! Standing up straight automatically tucks your tummy in, and doing so makes you look more confident as well. Whenever you get the

chance, look in the mirror and make sure you are not hunched over. Slumping will cause you to look shorter and less balanced; it can also cause clothing to shift and appear to be ill-fitting. Also, bad posture can make you look like you have back fat when you sit down and can make your stomach spill over the top of your pants. This is possibly the most important tip, as bad posture can add pounds visually.

7 Wear more black! Black virtually slims out everyone, and reduces the appearance of belly fat, muffin tops, and love handles. Black can easily be dressed up with a nice colored belt, jewelery or the perfect shoes. Always wear dark colors!!!

8 Avoid horizontal stripes! This one’s pretty obvious - stripes that go horizontally across a shirt or a pair of pants will undoubtedly make your form look broader than it really is.

9 Use flattering accesories! Big and beautiful accesories take attention away from...well basically from everything so accesories well. For example, if you have a nice waist but still have a kinda big tummy, use a wide black belt (or any other dark color). The things you want to look smaller, use dark colors, the thing you’d like to be bigger, use light colors.

10 Feel confident about what you wear. (www.wikihow.com)

Beauty FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

How to do a

smokey eye in few simple steps

Many people think that smokey eyes are extremely difficult to achieve and is almost impossible to do in fifteen minutes. That is not the case.

There are a number of products in the market the claim to be designed specifically for smokey eyes.

A

smokey eye is a great makeup secret for many years and is still very popular nowadays. They help to create an alluring and mysterious appearance and are easy to do when you know what you’re doing. Many people think that smokey eyes are extremely difficult to achieve and is almost impossible to do in fifteen minutes.

That is not the case. There are a number of products in the market the claim to be designed specifically for smokey eyes. Don’t be fooled as all you need is a colored eye shade that suits your mood for the day.

There are many techniques on how to do a smokey eye. And a wide range of products to choose from to create the perfect look.

There are a number of methods to use to create this look, though some can be quite time consuming. Most methods have been modifies to give busy women the opportunity to create a smokey eye without wasting a whole lot of time. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to get the smokey look.

Make sure you take the time to exfoliate and moisturize your skin. This step is vital as it helps to keep the eyelids free of oil and helps to keep the make up in place with a longer period of time.

Make sure you apply a layer of a primer eye shadow in order to create a clean slate and ensure that the colored eye

shadow stays where it’s supposed to.

Apply a black or brown eye liner to the upper lash line. It does not have to be absolutely perfect as it will be smudged later on.

Choose a black, brown, or grey eye shadow and smudge the eyeliner with a small smudging brush.

Highlight the brow bone and make sure dust off any residual eye shadow.

This step is by far the most important.

Blend the darker colour into the highlighter shade. Keep blending until you are happy with the result.

Apply a line of dark eye shadow along the lower eyelid and lashes in order to tie the whole look together.

Use a black kohl liner to add a line at the bottom lash. Ensure that the line is applied half to one third of the way along the bottom lash.

Don’t forget to add two layers of good quality mascara to round up the look and you’re ready to go.

Smokey eyes are easy to achieve with a little practice. One should use a good concealer and foundation to give the skin and even and flawless appearance. Seal foundation with pressed or loose powder to ensure that it stays intact for a long period of time.

One should remember to keep the rest of the face neutral. Use shades of nudes, peaches and apricot as blush and lip colour to further highlight the eyes. Apricot is an exceptional shade to use with dark eyes. When used on lips in a glossy state, this shade is fantastic as it will freshen up the face, and it helps the eyes stand out in a dramatic and mysterious way.

A fantastic alternative to the mundane black, brown and grey colours would be bright jewel tones like violet, jade green and electric blue.

One can even use gold and bronze to create a beautiful. These colors help to pep up the usual classic look and make it younger and more upbeat. These colours help to highlight the colours of your eye and makes for quite a statement. (www.how-to-do-smokey-eyes.com)

Health FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses like colds, most sore throats and bronchitis, and some ear infections. Unneeded antibiotics may lead to future antibiotic-resistant infections. Symptom relief might be the best treatment option.

Antibiotics aren’t always the answer Dangers of antibiotic resistance Colds and many other upper respiratory infections, as well as some ear infections, are caused by viruses, not bacteria. If antibiotics are used too often for things they can’t treat-like colds or other viral infections-they can stop working effectively against bacteria when you or your child really needs them. Antibiotic resistancewhen antibiotics can no longer cure bacterial infections-has been a concern for years and is considered one of the world’s most critical public health threats.

CDC efforts have resulted in fewer children receiving unnecessary antibiotics in recent years, but inappropriate use remains a problem. Widespread overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics continues to fuel an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So the next time you or your child really needs an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, it may not work.

Antibiotic resistance is also an economic burden on the entire healthcare system.

Resistant infections cost more to treat and can prolong healthcare use.

If you or your child has a virus like a cold or sore throat Get smart about when antibiotics are appropriate-to fight bacterial infections.

Taking them for viral infections, such as a cold, most sore throats, acute bronchitis and many sinus or ear infections: � Will not cure the infection; � Will not keep other people from getting sick; � Will not help you or your child feel better; and � May cause unnecessary and harmful side effects.

What not to do Do not demand antibiotics when a doctor says they are not needed. � Do not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold or most sore throats. � Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. The antibiotic may not be appropriate for your or your child’s illness.

Taking the wrong medicine may delay correct treatment and allow bacteria to multiply. �

If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic for bacterial infection: � Do not skip doses. � Do not save any of the antibiotics for the next time you or your child gets sick.

What to do Just because your doctor doesn’t give you an antibiotic doesn’t mean you aren’t sick.

Talk with your doctor about the best treatment for your or your child’s illness. To feel better when you or your child has an upper respiratory infection: � Ask your doctor or community pharmacist about over-the-counter treatment options that may help you or your child feel better; � Increase fluid intake; � Get plenty of rest; � Use a cool-mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion; and � Soothe a throat with ice chips, sore throat spray, or lozenges (do not give lozenges to young children). (www.cdc.gov)

Did you know?

Antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most pressing public health threats.

Antibiotics are the most important tool we have to combat life-threatening bacterial disease, but using antibiotics can also result in side effects.

Antibiotic use leads to new drugresistant germs and increased risks to patients.

Patients, healthcare providers, hospital administrators and policy makers must work together to employ safe and effective strategies for improving antibiotic use-ultimately saving lives.

Health FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Sodium: How to tame your salt habit now Y ou’ve been trying to eat less sodium just a pinch of table salt on your baked potato and a dash on your scrambled eggs. But a pinch here and a dash there can quickly add up to unhealthy levels of sodium. Consider that just one teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams (mg) of sodium. And it’s not just table salt you have to worry about. Many processed and prepared foods already contain lots of sodium - and it’s these foods that contribute the most sodium to your diet.

If you’re like many people, you’re getting far more sodium than is recommended, and that could lead to serious health problems. See how sodium sneaks into your diet and ways you can shake the habit.

Sodium: Essential in small amounts Your body needs some sodium to function properly because it: � Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body � Helps transmit nerve impulses � Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles Your kidneys naturally balance the amount of sodium stored in your body for optimal health. When your sodium levels are low, your kidneys essentially hold on to the sodium. When sodium levels are high, your kidneys excrete the excess in urine.

But if for some reason your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, which increases pressure in your arteries. Such diseases as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can make it hard for your kidneys to keep sodium levels balanced.

Some people’s bodies are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. If you’re sodium sensitive, you retain sodium more easily, leading to fluid retention and increased blood pressure. If this becomes chronic, it can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and congestive heart failure.

Sodium: How much do you need?

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day - or 1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you’re sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren’t sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor.

Sodium: Main dietary sources The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day - much more than recommended. To help keep your sodium consumption in check, you need to know where the sodium comes from. Here are the main sources of sodium in a typical diet: Processed and prepared foods. The vast majority of sodium in the typical American diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. These foods are typically high in salt, which is a combination of sodi-

um and chloride, and in additives that contain sodium. Processed foods include bread, prepared dinners like pasta, meat and egg dishes, pizza, cold cuts and bacon, cheese, soups, and fast foods. Natural sources. Some foods naturally contain sodium. These include all vegetables and dairy products such as milk, meat and shellfish.

While they don’t have an abundance of sodium, eating these foods does add to your overall sodium intake. For example, 1 cup (237 milliliters) of low-fat milk has about 107 mg of sodium. In the kitchen and at the table. Many recipes call for salt, and many people also salt their food at the table. Condiments may also contain sodium. One tablespoon (15 milliliters) of soy sauce, for example, has about 1,000 mg of sodium.

Sodium: Be a savvy shopper Taste alone may not tell you which foods are high in sodium. For example, you may not think a bagel tastes salty, but a typical 4-inch (10-centimeter) oat-bran bagel has about 532 mg of sodium, and even a slice of whole-wheat bread contains 132 mg of sodium.

So how can you tell which foods are high in sodium? Read food labels. The Nutrition Facts label found on most packaged and processed foods lists the amount of sodium in each serving. It also lists whether the ingredients include salt or

Each serving contains 140 mg of sodium or less.Reduced or less sodium. The product contains at least 25 percent less sodium than the regular version. You should check the label to see how much sodium is in a serving. Lite or light in sodium. The sodium content has been reduced by at least 50 percent from the regular version. You should check the label to see how much sodium is in a serving. Unsalted or no salt added. No salt is added during processing of a food that normally contains salt.

However, some foods with these labels may still be high in sodium because some of the ingredients may be high in sodium.

But watch out - foods labeled “reduced sodium” or “light in sodium” may still contain a lot of salt. For example, regular canned chicken noodle soup contains about 1,100 mg of sodium per cup, so a product with 25 percent less sodium still has a whopping 820 mg of sodium per cup.

The same holds true for “lite” or “light in sodium” varieties.

Try to avoid products with more than 200 mg of sodium per serving. And check the Nutrition Facts label closely for the serving size - and consider how many servings you actually eat.

Sodium: More tips to cut back Virtually all Americans can benefit from reducing the sodium in their diet. Here are more ways you can cut back on sodium:

ble. You can leave out the salt in many recipes, including casseroles, stews and other main dishes that you cook. Baked goods are generally an exception since leaving out the salt could affect the quality and taste. Use cookbooks that focus on lowering risks of high blood pressure and heart disease to help guide you to sparing the salt without spoiling taste or quality.

Limit use of sodium-laden condiments. Soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces, dips, ketchup, mustard and relish all contain sodium. Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods. Use fresh or dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruit, and fruit juices to jazz up your meals. And remember that sea salt has about the same amount of sodium as table salt. Use salt substitutes wisely. Some salt substitutes or light salts contain a mixture of table salt and other compounds. To achieve that familiar salty taste, you may use too much of the substitute - and get too much sodium. Also, many salt substitutes contain potassium chloride. Although potassium can lessen some of the problems from excess sodium, too much potassium can be harmful if you have kidney problems or if you’re taking medications for congestive heart failure or high blood pressure that cause potassium retention.Sodium: Cut back gradually Your taste for salt is acquired, so you can learn to enjoy less. Decrease your use of salt gradually and your taste buds will adjust.

Find out how much sodium you really need, what highsodium foods to avoid, and ways to prepare and serve foods without adding salt or sodium.

sodium-containing compounds, such as: � Monosodium glutamate (MSG) � Baking soda � Baking powder � Disodium phosphate � Sodium alginate � Sodium nitrate or nitrite � Know your labels Many food packages include sodiumrelated terms. Here’s what they mean: Sodium-free or salt-free. Each serving in this product contains less than 5 mg of sodium.Very low sodium. Each serving contains 35 mg of sodium or less. Low sodium.

Eat more fresh foods. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium.

Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than are luncheon meat, bacon, hot dogs, sausage and ham. Buy fresh and frozen poultry or meat that hasn’t been injected with a sodium-containing solution. Look on the label or ask your butcher. Buy plain whole-grain rice and pasta instead of ones that have added seasonings. Make your own soups from scratch.Opt for low-sodium products.

If you do buy processed foods, choose those that are labeled “low sodium.”

Remove salt from recipes whenever possi-

After a few weeks of cutting back on salt, you probably won’t miss it, and some foods may even taste too salty. Start by using no more than 1/4 teaspoon of salt daily - at the table and in cooking. Then throw away the salt shaker. As you use less salt, your preference for it diminishes, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the food itself, with hearthealthy benefits. (www.mayoclinic.com)

Arts FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Damien Hirst: ‘I still believe art Damien Hirst has gone from mouthy YBA to global brand over the past 25 years - and become the world’s richest living artist on the way. Here he talks about money, mortality and his first retrospective in Britain

Damien Hirst and his 18th Century Diamond-Encrusted Human Skull.

W

hen Damien Hirst was looking though his archive recently, in preparation for his forthcoming retrospective at Tate Modern, he came across some film footage of an interview he did with David Bowie in the Gagosian Gallery in New York in 1996. “I’m sitting on a big ashtray talking bollocks,” says Hirst, laughing. “At one point, Bowie says, ‘So what about a big Tate gallery show, then?’ And I say, ‘No way.

Museums are for dead artists. I’d never show my work in the Tate. You’d never get me in that place.’”

He grins ruefully and shakes his head. “I was watching it and thinking, ‘how things change.’ Suddenly, I’m 46 and I’m having what they call a mid-career retrospective. It doesn’t seem right somehow.”

We are seated on a sofa beneath a big blue Francis Bacon in an expansive first-floor room in Science Ltd, Hirst’s central London HQ. It is a vast building on several storeys, and it contains more contemporary art than many medium-sized galleries. There are pieces by Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Sarah Lucas and, of

course, several spin and spot paintings, and steel and glass medicine cabinets by the man himself. Hirst’s Prada loafers are on the floor in front of us, but his signature tinted glasses are nowhere to be seen. He looks stockier than the last time I saw him, just over two years ago, and a bit quieter, more reflective. “It’s mortality, mate,” he says. “My eldest boy, Connor, is 16. A few of my friends have died.

I’m getting older. I’m not the mad bastard shouting at the world any more.”

But you’re only 46, I say; it’s not as if the reaper has you in his sights. “I know, I know, but it’s more that realisation that you’re not young any more. I’ve always thought, ‘I don’t want to look back. Ever.’ I think I was obsessed with the new. That’s changed.”

A mid-career retrospective will do that, I say, teasingly. “Maybe,” he says. “But I think it’s more that when you’re young, you’re invincible, you’re immortal - or at least you think you are. The possibilities are limitless, you’re inventing the future. Then you get older and suddenly you have a history. It’s fixed.

You can’t change anything. I find that a bit

disturbing, to be honest.”

The exhibition in question, simply entitled Damien Hirst, will “be a map of my life as an artist, not a greatest hits”. It will include most of the greatest hits, though, as well as some not so well-known early work. “There’s the painted boxes and boards that I put in Freeze [the groundbreaking show Hirst curated in 1988], from when I wanted to be the new Kurt Schwitters. And there’s stuff from my student days at Goldsmiths - gloss-painted frying pans I hung on the wall. Embarrassing stuff like that.”

It was Nick Serota, director of Tate, who also insisted that Hirst show the early work, as well as the first piece from every series he has made ever since. “The first spot painting, the first spin painting, the first vitrine, the first medicine cabinet. They’re all in there, for better or worse,” says Hirst. He then relates an anecdote that illustrates both his cavalier attitude to his work and the weight the work carries. It concerns an early spot painting, executed by Hirst himself, rather than (as is the case with the 1,500-strong series that fol-

lowed) one of his production team.

“I showed Nick a photo of it and he wanted it in the show. It’s all drips and splats. Terrible, really. When I moved down to Devon, I stuck it outside behind a barn. Millicent [Wilner] from Gagosian came down to visit and she was freaking out: ‘Why have you put it there?

In the rain!’ It was like gold because it was me, but, really, it’s shit.”

Is he happy it’s in the show, now? “I am, yes. It tells part of the story of my last 25 years as an artist. It’s important on that level. It says that I didn’t just arrive on the planet going ‘Fyou’ to everybody, which is what a lot of people seem to think.”

The “f- you” work is there in full force, too, though. There’s the famous shark in formaldehyde, entitled with typical Hirstian extravagance The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) and described in the catalogue as “one of the most iconic images of late 20th-century art”.

There’s Mother and Child Divided (1993), a bisected cow and calf suspended in four tanks, and the mythical bestiary that is the

Arts FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

is more powerful than money’ collection Beautiful Inside My Head Forever (2008), which includes a zebra, a unicorn and a golden calf. There are pristine steel and glass cabinets full of neatly arranged pills, and evil-looking black paintings made of thousands of flies congealed in paint.

There are spin paintings with and without human skulls at their centre, and spot paintings that move between the vibrant and the purely ambient. There are more flies, live ones, hatched from maggots and feeding off a severed cow’s head in a vitrine, and butterflies, pinned and painted and pressed on canvas, and a single white dove suspended in mid-flight above a human skull. Life and death, beauty and ugliness, the sacred and the profane; all the big Hirstian statements that have appalled some critics with their supposed obviousness, but have also dragged conceptualism from the margins of the art world into the mainstream.

Outside Tate Modern will stand Hymn (1999), Hirst’s monumental take on a child’s educational figure, complete with exposed stomach organs. Inside, in the massive Turbine Hall, flanked by security guards, will sit a relatively tiny piece entitled For the Love of God (2007), the most expensive work of art ever created in terms of its materials: a human skull cast in platinum and encased in diamonds. A modern vanitas piece about death and money, but mostly about money.

“Putting the show together,” says Hirst, “was like a big 180-degree turn for me. I’m looking back at all this work and trying to make sense of it. Some of it is great, and some of it is unrealised and didn’t make it in there, and some of it is just shit. It’s 25 bloody years of work and, of course, I’m proud of it, proud that I put the effort in, but there’s also one part of me going, ‘How did that happen?’”

How, indeed? It is a question that exercises the minds of his many detractors in the art world: how did a mouthy, working-class lad from Leeds, with hooligan tendencies, become the biggest - and the richest - artist on the planet? (In the Sunday Times Rich List of 2010, Hirst’s wealth was estimated at £215m.) The answer is long and complex, and has much to do with the radical shifts in culture that have occurred over the past 25 years or so, both in Britain and the world: the unstoppable rise of art as commodity and the successful artist as a brand; the ascendancy of a post-Thatcher generation of Young British Artists (YBAs) who set out, unapologetically, to make shock-art that also made money; the attendant rise of uber-dealers such as Jay Jopling in London and Larry Gagosian in New York; and the birth of a new kind of gallery culture, in which the blockbuster show rules and merchandising is a lucrative sideline.

At the centre of this ultra-commodified art world stands Damien Hirst, art superstar: the richest, loudest, biggest YBA of all. Except that, no longer young, he seems - at the very moment when his canonisation by the art establishment is complete - to be in a long period of transition. When I last spoke to him, in September 2009, in his vast studio near Stroud, Gloucestershire, it was exactly a year after the astounding success of Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, his record-breaking Sotheby’s auction of 2008. Back then, just before the world markets tumbled, Hirst made headlines by bypassing his dealers, Jopling and Gagosian, altogether, and taking more than £111m in sales in two days of often-frenzied bidding. Right on the cusp of the recession, the Sotheby’s auction was a

pivotal moment for Hirst - a grand farewell, he told me, to the “big work” he had been making for years. He also told me then that conceptualism was “a total dead end” and said: “You spend 20 years celebrating your immortality, and then you realise that’s not what it’s about.” Since then, he has been relatively quiet on the creative (if not the commercial) front, working mainly on his own paintings: that is, canvases on which he, and he alone, applies the paint. Many of them, including a series made after the suicide of his friend Angus Fairhurst in March 2008, were completed in a room in Claridge’s that his good friend Paddy McKillen (co-owner of the hotel) loaned him rent-free, in return for some paintings that now decorate the Connaught, another of McKillen’s London hotels.

No Love Lost An exhibition of that work, No Love Lost, opened at the Wallace Collection in London in October 2009 to uniformly murderous reviews, the late art critic Tom Lubbock comparing Hirst to “a not very promising first-year art student”.

Undaunted, Hirst has continued to paint, and when I travelled down to his country home in deepest Devon a few weeks ago, he showed me briefly around his garden shed, where a paint-splattered stuffed bear stood sentinel over a group of partially completed canvases, featuring brightly coloured parrots in lush landscapes and a single big painting of a human head in a wash of what you might call Bacon blue. A few stuffed parrots stood on perches in the centre of the cluttered room, bright yellow and green, as if staring at their painted selves. “When all else fails,” Hirst quipped, “get yourself a few dead parrots.” It all seemed a long way from a giant blue shark in a tank of formaldehyde. “I’ve spent a long time avoiding painting and dealing with it from a distance,” he said. “But as I get older I’m more comfortable with it.”

The house in Devon, where Hirst currently lives with his wife, Maia Norman, and their three children, is one of several properties he owns. He also has a stately home, Toddington Manor, in Gloucestershire, that will one day house a collection of his own work. Near Stroud, he has another house with a vast studio attached, where, not that long ago, many of his 150-strong team of assistants laboured over his serial works: the spot paintings, spin paintings, cabinets and vitrines. He has a houseboat in Chelsea, a house in Thailand, where he spent Christmas, and another in Mexico, although he hasn’t been there for a while because “it’s a bit wild west out there at the moment”.

In London, as well as Science, his organisational hub, he also owns a big chunk of Newport Street in Lambeth, which is currently being turned into a new gallery that will open in 2014 and house his extensive collection of contemporary art by the likes of Bacon, Koons, Murakami, Richard Prince, Sarah Lucas and even Banksy - “We do these collaborations with my spots. I got one from him recently and he’d written all over it in big black letters: Sorry, The Lifestyle You Ordered Is Out of Stock.”

Over lunch in Hirst’s quayside restaurant in Ilfracombe, beneath a pristine glass cabinet full of pills, I ask him if it was always his motivation to be the biggest, the most successful?

“I always wanted to be bigger, but not biggest. Even as a kid in drawing class, I had real ambition. I wanted to be the best in the

Art, ambition and money With Damien Hirst, though, it aways seems to come down to three things: art, ambition and money, though not necessarily in that order. For that reason, as curator Ann Gallagher asserts in her catalogue introduction to the Tate Modern show: “Like no other artist of his generation, Damien Hirst has permeated the cultural consciousness of our times.” What that says about us - and about Hirst - is a matter of some debate. Writing recently in the New Yorker on the simultaneous exhibition of all Hirst’s 1,500 signature spot paintings in all 11 Gagosian galleries dotted around the globe, the American art critic Peter Schjeldahl wrote: “Hirst will go down in history as a particularly cold-blooded pet of millennial excess wealth. That’s not Old Master status, but it’s immortality of a sort.”

Schjeldahl’s critical hauteur is not untypical. The bigger Hirst has become, the more he

remember in about 1989, when I was still an outsider and all my mates were having shows and I wasn’t, and it really bugged me. As I was making the fly piece, I was thinking: ‘I’m gonna show you. I’m gonna kill you with this one, knock you down dead, and change the world.’ And I showed it to a few galleries and they all just turned round and went ‘Marvellous, darling.’ It didn’t have the effect I wanted. It had the opposite effect. I was gutted, in a way.” As a young teenager, Damien Hirst wanted most of all to be a punk, but, as he now puts it, “I was just too young and not angry enough.” He remembers his mother melting his one Sex Pistols record to fashion it into a plant holder, and he remembers sneaking out, aged 12 or 13, with his “punk clothes” hidden in a bag, then changing into them when he was out of sight of his house. “I think that attitude crept into my art somehow. I was always looking for ways to sneak stuff into the art world and make it explode in their faces. I was an infiltrator.”

Growing up in Leeds, Hirst was a handful for his mother, Mary Brennan, who worked in the local Citizens’ Advice Bureau. His punk phase came just after the man he thought was his father walked out on the family when Hirst was 12. He also went through a brief shoplifting phase - he was arrested twice - before he was finally

has become an object of scorn to some serious art critics, a symptom of all that is wrong with contemporary art - and the rampant, market-led capitalism that drives it - as well as an easy target for the flak directed at conceptual art in general. “His work,” writes Gallagher, measuredly, “is characterised by its directness as well as its ambition; it is both deadpan and affecting, and it provokes awe and outrage in equal measure.”

That, one senses, is exactly how Hirst - mellower these days, but still a northern prole with attitude to burn - likes it. Is there a little part of him that still rejoices in the notion that he is, at heart, a working-class lad who is somehow sticking it to the toffs of the art world? “All of me, I’d say,” he replies, cackling.

“I mean, I don’t fit, do I? I can play the game, but I don’t really fit. But you get older and you realise that rebellion doesn’t really matter to the market. I kind of learned that early on and I’ve never forgotten it.” How early on? “Well, I

accepted on his second application to study an art foundation course at Jacob Kramer College in Leeds.

As a teenager, he made regular visits to Leeds University’s Anatomy Museum to practise drawing, and it was there he found inspiration for his first piece of shock art: a photograph mounted on a steel frame called With Dead Head, first exhibited in 1991, in which his 16-year-old self poses, grinning, beside the severed head of a middle-aged man which sits on a mortuary table. It set the scene, if not the tone, for much of what was to follow.

Hirst moved to London in the mid-1980s, and for a time worked on building sites, before being accepted to Goldsmiths in 1986.

There, under the tutelage of the artist Michael Craig-Martin, he realised that for the time being, at least, painting was over and that, in contemporary art, the idea was the be all and end all.—Guardian

class but there was always some other feller who was better; so I thought, ‘It can’t be about being the best, it has to be about the drawing itself, what you do with it.’ That’s kind of stuck with me. Being best is a false goal, you have to measure success on your own terms.”

Comic

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FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. The airforce of Great Britain.

4. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

9. Wearing or provided with clothing.

13. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

14. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

15. Capital and largest city of Togo.

16. Covered with paving material.

18. An abdominal tumor.

20. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

21. Before noon.

23. Wealth regarded as an evil influence.

24. Hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped.

26. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget.

27. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

29. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

30. A soft gray ductile metallic element used in alloys.

34. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

38. Fudge made with brown sugar and butter and milk and nuts.

42. A state in northwestern North America.

43. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

44. Someone who brews beer or ale from malt and hops and water.

48. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

49. The capacitance of a capacitor that has an equal and opposite charge of 1 coulomb on each plate and a voltage difference of 1 volt between the plates.

51. A bachelor's degree in science.

53. Greek mythology.

57. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

60. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

61. A flat device with narrow pointed teeth on one edge.

62. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

63. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

64. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

65. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

66. Used of a single unit or thing.

DOWN 1. (Roman Catholic Church) The supreme ecclesiastical tribunal for cases appealed to the Holy See from diocesan courts.

2. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

3. A comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations.

4. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

5. Tropical American tree producing cacao beans.

6. A state in southeastern United States.

7. (computer science) A coding system that incorporates extra parity bits in order to detect errors.

8. One of the evil spirits of traditional Jewish and Christian belief.

9. An upward slope or grade (as in a road).

10. A textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile v 1.

11. Projectiles to be fired from a gun.

12. An administrator in charge of a division of a university or college.

17. The capital and largest city of Equatorial Guinea on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea.

19. Young sheep.

22. A Bantu language spoken in southern coastal Tanzania.

25. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

28. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

31. United States humorist who wrote about rural life (1818-1885).

32. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.

33. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

35. An associate degree in nursing.

36. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

37. Fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of e.g. a puffball or stinkhorn.

39. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Republic of Chad or its people or language.

40. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

41. The mother of your father or mother.

42. An upward slope or grade (as in a road).

45. An edilbe seaweed with a mild flavor.

46. A Bantu language spoken by the Kamba people in Kenya.

47. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

50. (Roman mythology) God of love.

51. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

52. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

53. The second day of the week.

54. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

55. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

56. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

58. Tag the base runner to get him out.

59. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the ancient Hebrews kept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

Yesterday’s Solution

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

A computer generated image shows the main dining room aboard the Titanic ship at theTitanic Belfast visitor centre in Northern Ireland, on March 13, 2012.

(Right) A replica of a Main Staircase aboard the Titanic ship is pictured. —AFP photos

Titanic

A computer generated image of the First Class accommodation.

comes home as Belfast launches landmark attraction

T

he world’s biggest Titanic visitor attraction opens in the ship’s Belfast birthplace this month, 100 years to the day since the doomed liner was completed in the same yards. After decades of quietly forgetting “the most famous ship since Noah’s Ark”, Belfast has reclaimed the Titanic, and is championing a legend which continues to captivate the imagination a century on. “What happened to Titanic was a disaster. But Titanic itself wasn’t,” Tim Husbands, the chief executive of Titanic Belfast, told AFP. “The craftsmanship was a symbol for the industrial time. A symbol of ambition, a symbol of hope. And we’re now creating exactly the same feelings.”

The attraction, which has risen from the derelict Harland and Wolff shipyards, tells the story of the liner from its inception in Belfast’s industrial boom years through to its launch, its sinking and the aftermath. The six-level, aluminum-clad building is in the form of four Titanic-sized prows that can be seen shimmering from any one viewpoint, representing Titanic and its two sister ships, Olympic and Britannic. Northern Ireland, the British province torn apart by sectarian strife for three decades until the late 1990s, hopes the eye-catching centre will kick-start its tourism economy and attract visitors from Asia.

“This is all about a new era: This is our Eiffel Tower, this is our Guggenheim, and it’s our time to completely change how people across the world see our city,” said Claire Bradshaw, Titanic Belfast’s marketing chief. Inside, workmen are putting the finishing touches to its nine interactive galleries ahead of the March 31 launch. “There’s a lot of other Titanic visitor attractions in the world, with no connection to the Titanic at all. This will be the largest and the only one with the authentic story to tell,” Husbands told AFP. “People have been talking about Titanic for 100 years now. They want to

know more, there’s a real hunger for it.” The biggest, most ambitious ship of the age hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Southampton to New York, sinking on April 15, 1912. Of the 2,224 people aboard, 1,514 perished.

This is no dusty museum-the visitor experience uses a barrage of computer-generated imagery, audio, special effects and interactive touch screens to tell the ship’s story. There are recreations of the opulent first-class accommodation and the cramped third-class bunks, which were nonetheless smartly fitted-out. A ride carries visitors through the sights, sounds and smells of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, while the liner’s launch is seen on a glass screen which then reveals a view of the actual

A replica Titanic lifeboat is pictured.

slipway outside where Titanic was built. An ingenious “3D cave” allows visitors to ‘travel’ straight up from the giant engine room through the ship’s decks to the bridge.

In the section on the sinking, the lights dim, the temperature plunges; the horror and heroism is retold, though here it is cast as just one part of Titanic’s story. The attraction houses a passenger and crew database, and an Ocean Exploration Centre, which shows footage from the seabed. Ongoing research on the wreck’s gradual degradation will be tracked from here.

The top two floors host the Titanic Suite, a banqueting space containing a replica of the ship’s grand staircase, which featured prominently in the 1997 blockbuster film starring Leonardo DiCaprio-and is now set to appear in many a

A computer generated image shows the third class accommodation available on the Titanic ship.

Belfast wedding photo.

The attention to detail extends to the replica crockery bearing the White Star Line logo and the name RMS Titanic. Titanic Belfast was nine years in the planning and cost £97 million ($152 million, 117 million euros) to build, using a mixture of public and private investment. It took three years to construct and 10 months to fit out-the same as the Titanic itself.

It forms a key part of Northern Ireland’s regeneration after the Troubles the bombings and shootings in violence between Protestants and Catholics-which wiped the province off the tourist map and flattened its economy. —AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

No Rolling Stones tour yet despite 50th anniversary

T

he Rolling Stones are staying put this year, Rolling Stone reported Wednesday, leaving fans to look forward instead to a major documentary marking the rock band’s 50th anniversary. “Basically, we’re just not ready” for a fresh concert tour, guitarist Keith Richards told the pop culture magazine, adding that 2013 was the group’s “more realistic” target for hitting the road.

Quoting other, unidentified sources, Rolling Stone cited worries about Richards’ health in the wake of a head injury he sustained in Fiji in 2006 as one

reason for the band to stay close to home. “They don’t want to do a full tour,” a concert industry source told the biweekly magazine. “They don’t want to travel, and there are concerns about Keith’s health.” On their website, the Stones announced Wednesday the upcoming release of “a groundbreaking and eye-opening documentary,” directed by Brett Morgen, covering the history of the band from its founding in London in 1962 to today. “The film will be showcased in September as part of the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary celebrations,”

said the website, without elaboration.

Rolling Stone said the Stones reassembled in a London studio in December to play together for the first time since their Bigger Bang tour ended in 2007 — with bassist Bill Wyman sitting in for the first time since he quit in 1992. “We played a lot of blues and outtakes of ‘Some Girls’ and things like that,” it quoted lead singer Mick Jagger as saying. “It went very well.” Whether Wyman would join them on the road in 2013 was still not resolved. “I think he’s up for it,” Richards said. “We talked about it.”

J-pop star Kimutaku caught speeding twice

A

geing boyband star and Japanese pop culture icon Takuya Kimura has been caught speeding twice in four months, casting a shadow over a sponsorship deal with Toyota, reports said Tuesday. The heartthrob, whose increasingly middleaged female fanbase spreads throughout Asia, was caught doing up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) an hour on a motorway with a speed limit of 80 kph last September, the weekly Shukan Bunshun said. The 39-year-old, who shot to fame as a member of fivepiece SMAP, was with his actress wife Shizuka Kudo in a Chevrolet Astro on the way to a popular surf spot when he was pulled over, the magazine said. Kimura, known to his legion fans by the nickname Kimutaku, was again charged with speeding on a street in Tokyo in January, his agent said in a statement published in Japanese newspapers. His driver’s licence was suspended. “He has paid the penalty in each case,” the statement said, offering “profound apologies” for his offences. “Kimura himself deeply regrets that he has acted in a shameful manner... and vows not to repeat such a thing.” SMAP started out as a fresh-faced boy band some 20 years ago, and despite sometimes obvious musical shortcomings, they have remained popular in Japan and across Asia. Kimutaku has starred in a series of Toyota commercials since last October with popular Japanese comedian-actor-filmmaker “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, under the slogan “Fun to Drive Again.” “It was very regrettable,” a Toyota spokesman said when asked about Kimutaku’s misdeed. “We have asked him to abide by traffic rules”. He added that the company had no immediate plan to end the commercials.

Top CFDA fashion prizes going to

Depp, Hilfiger J

ohnny Depp and his quirky sense of style caught the eye of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and the group will give him its fashion icon award at its annual gala in June. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb announced details of the awards ceremony Wednesday night. The nominees for womenswear designer of the year, the biggest prize, are Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen for The Row, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, and Marc Jacobs. “This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CFDA, we can see what a critical role the CFDA Fashion Awards continue to play in our efforts to promote American Fashion,” Kolb said in a news release.

“This year’s nominees truly represent the important influence of American design. We look forward to once again honoring the best and brightest talent working today.” Top contenders in menswear are Billy Reid, Patrik Ervell and Simon Spurr, and for the best in accessory design they are Alexander Wang, Reed Krakoff and McCollough and Hernandez. Tommy Hilfiger is to receive a lifetime achievement award. The ceremony will be held on June 4 at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall. Comedian Seth Meyers will be the evening’s host. Other honorees: * Swarovski Award for emerging talent in womenswear: Chris Peters and Shane Gabier for Creatures of the Wind, Joseph Altuzarra, and Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty for Suno. * Emerging talent in menswear: Antonio Azzuolo, Phillip Lim and Todd Snyder. * Emerging talent in accessories: Irene Neuwirth, Pamela Love and Tabitha Simmons. * Media award: Scott Schuman and Garance Dore. * Founders award: Andrew Rosen. * International award: Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons.

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

White tops, Perry drops in celebrity poll

B

etty White, the 90-year-old queen of comedy, remained the star with the most audience appeal in 2011 while cross-dressing Tyler Perry of the “Madea” films suffered a setback in a new celebrity poll yesterday. The survey from Encino, California-based E-Poll Market Research showed “Hot in Cleveland” star White was the most liked Hollywood celebrity in its survey covering calendar year 2011, a spot she also held in 2010. She was followed by Sandra Bullock and Michael J Fox. But the percentage of respondents who said they like Perry a lot dropped by 14 points, which the research firm pinned on a “South Park” spoof of the star and controversy surrounding him. “He declined from a very high level. He was very popular in 2010,” said Randy Parker, a spokesman for E-Poll, which found only 20 percent of respondents like Perry a alot. White, by contrast, had 53 percent say they liked her very much.

Perry, who had an overall popularity grade of 77 out of 100, or “E-Score,” in the survey, is far from a critics’ darling. But he has a fiercely loyal fan base and regularly tops US box office charts with the films he writes, directs and stars in. His film hits have included the 2005 breakout “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” in which he dressed up to play several characters including the tough-talking grandmother Madea. He has made several spinoffs such as last year’s “A Madea Christmas.” But some detractors have accused Perry of perpetuating stereotypes about blacks. Director Spike Lee, for one, has been critical of Perry’s low-brow comedy, and last year Perry fired back at Lee in a feud that seemed to take on a life of its own. Joining Perry at the top of the E-Poll list of biggest decliners was snow boarder Shaun White, who was on everyone’s TV screen in 2010 due to his gold medal finish at the Winter Olympics, then fell in media exposure last year.

Still, White had an overall popularity ranking, or E-Score, of 90 out of 100. “Parks and Recreation” TV star Aziz Ansari, a stand-up comedian who appeared last year in the film “30 Minutes Or Less,” ranked as the biggest gainer on the E-Poll survey. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they liked Ansari a lot, which was up by 16 points from the year before.

The E-Poll celebrity rankings were based on results from weekly surveys done by the company. Each weekly survey had 1,100 respondents. Below are the top three most appealing, biggest gainers and biggest losers.

Most appealing celebrities 1 Betty White 2 Sandra Bullock 3 Michael J. Fox Biggest gainers 1 Aziz Ansari 2 Scott Caan 3 Kaley Cuaco Biggest losers 1 Tyler Perry 2 Shaun White 3 Nicolas Cage —Agencies

Hollywood Reporter:

Portman stylist most powerful K

ate Young, the stylist responsible for some of Michelle Williams’ and Natalie Portman’s most memorable red carpet moments, tops The Hollywood Reporter’s countdown of the 25 most powerful stylists in showbiz. Young earned the honor in part for helping make Portman a red carpet fixture last year while she was pregnant and on her way to winning the best actress Oscar for “Black Swan.”

The issue ranks the trendsetters behind the A-listers, including Leslie Fremar at No. 2, whose clientele includes Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon. No. 3 is Petra Flannery, who likes to discover new talent and make them fashion stars. Her roster includes Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis and Megan Fox. Other notables: At No. 11, Jeanne Yang, who styles Katie Holmes so well they have a luxury sportswear collec-

tion in their names at Barneys New York; No. 12, L’Wren Scott, who is engaged to Mick Jagger and is a favorite of first lady Michelle Obama; and No. 20, reality TV star Brad Goreski, who made the list while his former employer, stylist-turned-designer Rachel Zoe, went from No. 1 last year to off the countdown this year. (The Hollywood Reporter says she’s now “too big to rank.”)

Michelle wears Marchesa

to state dinner

M

ichelle Obama chose an off-the-shoulder Marchesa gown for her duties Wednesday night as hostess at a White House state dinner honoring the British prime minister and his wife, David and Samantha Cameron. It was a deep shade of teal in a draped, column silhouette. The designer of the gown, Georgina Chapman, and her husband, movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, were guests at the affair, but they didn’t know Mrs Obama was wearing one of Chapman’s designs when they arrived. “I’m knocked out!” Weinstein said. Chapman, not surprisingly, also wore Marchesa, which has made its name on Hollywood red carpets. Hers was a draped blue and gray gown with a sheer overlay, and covered in crystal embroidery. Mrs Cameron seemed to get the memo to wear blue too: Her sparkly gown by London- based designer Alessandra Rich featured lace details, a high neck, half sleeves and a belted waist. She had on high black heels from the British retailer Next. There’s great interest in what Mrs. Obama wears to big events like this because she’s been touted as a fashion influencer who makes bold choices. On Wednesday, the unexpected piece of her look was the chunky, multistrand silver, turquoise and teal necklace by Tom Binns. Binns also had created the elaborate necklace the first lady wore last year in London when she and the president welcomed the British royals to the American ambassador’s home for a black-tie dinner. “First lady Mrs Obama always looks so chic and modern. I love the addition of texture with the Tom Binns necklace,” said Roksanda Ilincic, who has dressed both Mrs Obama and Mrs Cameron. Mrs Obama, in fact, wore a purple dress

by Ilincic during that same trip to England. “Dressing Mrs Obama and Samantha Cameron have been wonderful. I am honored that each woman representing their countries have been such advocates in their respective roles,” Ilincic said. The other fashion plate at the dinner was Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, a well-known supporter of President Barack Obama. She wore Chanel.

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Jonah Hill seeks a dramatic career change

F

resh from his surprise Oscar nomination for a dramatic role in “Moneyball,” Jonah Hill is looking at a career change that many have tried before in Hollywood but few have succeeded at. He is moving from funnyman to serious actor. Even as his new “21 Jump Street,” based on a 1980s TV drama but turned into a comedy for the movies, hits theaters on Friday, Hill said he has grown bored with always being the sidekick in funny films like “Superbad” that made him a star. At age 28, a slimmed-down Hill said his role as a numbers-crunching Yale grad in baseball drama “Moneyball” has blown “the door wide open” for new opportunities and better roles. In fact, he’s already hard at work on one new drama.

“The past 10 years, I’ve made a lot of comedy films,” he told Reuters at the South by Southwest film festival where “21 Jump Street” premiered last week ahead of its US debut. “It’s just not as inspiring to me anymore as an artist. I love doing it, but it really is exciting after ‘Moneyball’ to have that taste for something different ... doing the same thing over and over again is as boring to do as it’s boring to watch.” Others, of course, have tried before. Funnyman Jim Carrey had his box office bombs with Andy Kaufman biopic “Man on the Moon” and thriller “The Number 23,” and Adam Sandler flopped with drama/comedy hybrids “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Spanglish.” Steve Martin and Robin Williams have fared much better.

Hill will soon add his name to the list of comedy-todrama crossovers, but until then comes “21 Jump Street,” a new take on the TV show from 25 years ago that starred Johnny Depp. Hill, who co-wrote the screenplay, portrays one of two bumbling young police officers - the other is played by Channing Tatum - who are sent undercover to a high school to investigate a drug ring.

Time for a change Hill’s character, Schmidt, was a high school nerd (Tatum’s was a jock), and his return to drama class and dances is Schmidt’s chance at redemption. Parties, romance, car chases, boyish humor and a chaotic prom night are all part of the plot. The actor said he was first approached about a remake of “21 Jump Street,” coincidentally, at South by Southwest (SXSW) five years ago, but turned it down. “I thought it was lame,” he said. But Hill changed his mind after considering that bothSchmidt and Tatum’s character, named Jenko, could return to high school, re-examine their own lives and come to a new understanding of who they are as grown men.

“High school was all about defining yourself and figuring out who you are, and I realized that doesn’t go away in your 20s,” Hill said. Hill said he wanted to create a new story and new characters with a few homages to the original.

There’s one joke early in the movie that refers to the laziness of the remake concept. “We wanted to call ourselves out on it before anyone else did, because the movie doesn’t take itself super seriously,” Hill said. “It’s supposed to be an hour and a half of fun.”

But that is changing. In 2010, Hill had a supporting role in the drama/comedy hybrid “Cyrus” and after that came “Moneyball,” both of which, Hill said, had inspired him as an actor. In the works is crime thriller “True Story” with James Franco in which Hill plays a New York Times journalist who is trying to figure out if Franco’s character killed his family.

That film is a drama-it may go without saying-and a payoff of Hill’s long transition from “Superbad” to “Moneyball.” —Reuters

In this undated image released by Discovery Channel/BBC, polar bears walk on ice floes during the filming of ‘Frozen Planet,’ a seven-part series premiering with the first two hours Sunday, March 18, at 8 pm EDT on Discovery. — AP

“T

he best stories on our planet are natural ones,” says Alastair Fothergill. But you’d expect him to say that. For two decades with the BBC, Fothergill has produced wildlife documentary series including “Planet Earth,” “Blue Planet” and, back in 1993, “Life in the Freezer,” which explored Antarctica in all its frigid wonder. Now he’s executive producer of “Frozen Planet,” a Discovery Channel/BBC co-production that takes a fresh look at Antarctica as well as its north-end counterpart, the Arctic, in seven gorgeous episodes premiering Sunday with the first two hours on Discovery. And while you may not be ready to dismiss filmdom’s stars and screenplay writers as unnecessary, “Frozen Planet” makes a strong case that Nature - captured in the wild can equal Hollywood for epic sweep and drama.

Comedy, too. In Sunday’s second hour, male penguins by the hundreds of thousands anticipate the spring return of the females, for whose favor each male must compete by building a swankier nest than his rivals. In a delightful sequence, a painstaking penguin gathers stones one by one, only to have them filched, one after another, by a scheming neighbor whenever the hapless suitor’s back is turned. These performers, with their Chaplin-esque gait and impeccable timing, would have been right at home in a 1920s two-reeler.

There’s also bittersweet romance on “Frozen Planet.”

Nature’s ultimate loner, a 1400-pound (635-kilogram) male polar bear, has lumbered across the ice all winter in search of a mate come spring. Picking up her scent from 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, he finds her, after which they share a tender interlude.

A In this undated image released by HBO, Nick Nolte appears in a scene from the HBO original series ‘Luck.’ — AP

Then, just two weeks later, their brief encounter ends as they are fated to part. Plus, there are thrilling, life-or-death confrontations in the series. Three-ton elephant seals brawl over females. A pack of 25 wolves brings down a huge bison. A wide-eyed Weddell seal falls prey to hungry orca whales that, working as a team, can stir up giant waves to wash these frantic seals from the refuge of their ice floes.

And talk about “special effects”! An unprecedented timelapse shot underwater records the growth of a brinicle - an ice stalactite progressing downward toward the seabed - killing everything its frozen plume touches. This otherworldly sight is as eerie and magical as a CGI effect from a sci-fi film. But it’s real.

“That’s the thing about the natural world: It gives you amazing natural drama,” says Vanessa Berlowitz, “Frozen Planet” series producer, “It looks like it’s scripted, but we don’t fake anything.

Everything that we film is a complete portrayal of reality. And the audience thinks, ‘Wow, they did that without trained animals!’”

Berlowitz has produced and directed a score of BBC documentaries, including two episodes of “Planet Earth,” and, like Fothergill, she logged time at both poles for “Frozen Planet.” She lived aboard a Royal Naval icebreaker for four months filming penguins and whales, and, in the Arctic, spent three weeks filming female polar bears and their cubs while she was five months pregnant.— AP

hit US television series starring Dustin Hoffman has been canceled after three horses died during filming, the channel which makes the show announced Wednesday. “Luck,” about thoroughbred racing and also starring Nick Nolte, launched in January and had already been picked up for a second season, with production mostly at a horsetrack east of Los Angeles. But a first horse died on the set in 2010 and another died last year. Then a third animal had to be put down on

Tuesday after falling backwards and striking its head, despite new safety rules put in place.

“Safety is always of paramount concern,” said Home Box Office, which aired the show. “We maintained the highest safety standards .. higher in fact than any protocols existing in horse racing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures.—AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

F

rench actor Gerard Depardieu said yesterday he would play the “arrogant, smug” former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a film about his fall from grace in a series of sex scandals. “I will do it, because I don’t like him,” said Depardieu, best known for his larger-than-life swashbuckling roles like warrior poet Cyrano de Bergerac or comic book hero Asterix’s huge sidekick Obelix. “He’s not lovable. I think he’s a bit like all the French, a bit arrogant. I don’t much like the French in any case,” he told Swiss television. “He’s very French: arrogant, smug. He’s playable.”

Strauss-Kahn had been the favorite to win next month’s French presidential election until May last year, when the former Socialist minister was arrested in New York and accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid.

The US case fell apart over doubts about the alleged victim’s testimony, but since his return to France he has been implicated in a series of further scandals and is under investigation for alleged ties to a vice ring. Asked about the “impulses” that drive Strauss-Kahan’s behavior, Depardieu said it was not these that disgusted him, but his general attitude.

“It’s the way he walks, with one hand in his pocket. We can all have filthy thoughts, and it’s well known that these guys with huge power, money, the IMF or top judicial officials can be like that,” he said. Depardieu said he would not try to inhabit the role of StraussKahn too deeply, as he had “never been much moved by people who have no dignity.” In August last year Depardieu gave his own dignity a knock when he urinated in the aisle of a passenger plane after a stewardess had refused to allow him to go to the toilet, but he remains one of France’s best-loved stars. He is a strong supporter of right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is standing for re-election next month and would probably have faced a tough challenge from 62-year-old Strauss-Kahn if the Socialist had not been arrested. Depardieu appeared at a Sarkozy election rally on Sunday and told reporters that the president “only does good”. US director Abel Ferrara has announced that he plans to film a Strauss-Kahn movie in the next few months, featuring Depardieu as the fallen IMF boss and Isabelle Adjani as his loyal wife Anne Sinclair. Strauss-Kahn is due to appear before magistrates in the northern French city of Lille later this month. — AP

North Korean musicians from the Unhasu orchestra and musicians from the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra are conducted for a joint concert, during a rehearsal on March 14, 2012 at the salle Pleyel concert hall in Paris. (inset) South Korean conductor Myung-Whun Chung conducts. —AFP

A

North Korean and a French orchestra performed a landmark concert on Wednesday, adding a note of harmony to long-standing tensions between the isolated nation and the West. Under the baton of noted South Korean conductor Chung MyungWhun, North Korea’s Unhasu Orchestra and Radio France Philharmonic played to a packed house at Paris’ Salle Pleyel music hall. “We are witnessing a historical moment that I hope will not be an isolated event,” Radio France’s first violinist Svetlin Roussev said before the concert opened, crediting “Maestro Chung” for making the joint concert possible. Chung was born in the South but his mother was from North Korea, making the concert a musical bridge toward reconciliation of a divided people.

“For now, this is an experience lived through our hearts with the music expressing our feelings, our emotions,” Roussev said, adding optimistically, “This could be the first stone to build on towards something that

L

File photo shows French actor Gerard Depardieu speaking during the third edition of the Lumiere film festival in the eastern French city of Lyon. — AFP

indsay Lohan, trying hard to stay sober and out of trouble, found herself at the center of a new kerfuffle on Wednesday after an aborted trip to a Hollywood night club. The “Mean Girls” actress was accused by a nightclub manager of grazing his knee with her car while trying to avoid paparazzi and drive away in her Porsche from a friend’s birthday party. But Lohan said the claims were “absurd” and a “complete lie”, while police said there was no evidence anyone had been injured.

“Scrape? This is all a complete lie,” Lohan said on her Twitter account, after completing her latest stint of court-ordered community service at the Los Angeles morgue on Wednesday. “Last night, I attempted to wish a friend happy birthday, which I didn’t even

could be immense, for history and the world.”

Korea was split at the end of World War II into the communist North and the US -backed South. The two sides fought a three-year war that ended in a truce in 1953 but has left the Korean Peninsula divided by a heavily fortified border. Relations between North Korea and the US and its allies have been tense over the years, particularly over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. North Korea has tested two atomic devices in the past six years.

France is among Western nations that do not have official diplomatic ties with North Korea, although it opened an office in the capital Pyongyang last year to foster cultural exchanges. There have been other signs of improving relations between North Korea and Western nations. Late last month, the United States and North Korea announced an agreement that calls for Pyongyang to freeze its nuclear activities in exchange for food aid.

Days later, a senior North Korean nuclear envoy traveled to the US to attend a university

forum. Most of the 90 North Koreans musicians - many under age 30 - were performing with a Western ensemble for the first time.

Earlier in the week, they had the chance to do some sightseeing, including a visit to Versailles Palace, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported yesterday. Roussev said that exchanges during the four rehearsals were about typical subjects - fatigue from jet lag, the weather, the beauty of Paris but “no sensitive issues yet.” Roussev hoped for more substantive conversation at the dinner following the concert, but said the North Koreans are “well supervised and quite reserved even if the barriers are falling.” Kwon Hyok Bong, a musical adviser who is leading the North Korean delegation, said he believed the collaboration would boost ties between France and North Korea. —AP

get to do because I was freaked out by all of the paparazzi ... These false accusations are absurd,” she added.

Police said officers were called to the scene shortly after midnight. “They found no evidence of vehicles being hit, no evidence of people being injured, so there was no report taken since there was no evidence of any crime,” said police spokesman Raul Jovel.

Lohan’s spokesman said the actress, who is nearing the end of a lengthy probation stemming from a 2007 drunk driving and cocaine possession case, a 2011 jewelry theft, and a string of missed court dates, never got out of her car. — Reuters File photo shows Lindsay Lohan attends AMfAR’s New York gala benefit at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. — AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Floating bookshop sails on amid electronic storm

D

espite fierce storms, a deadly bomb attack and growing competition from electronic media, a Christian charity still sails the seas on a mission to offer cheap books while promoting family values. The Logos Hope, which docked in Manila Bay last month, is the latest in a fleet of converted ferries that have been selling books in harbors of mostly poor nations for the past four decades. “What we hope happens is that people get excited with reading,” ship captain Pat Tracy told AFP during a tour of the 132-metre-long (433-foot) vessel that inside resembles a bookshop in an upscale mall.

“We want to encourage people to get into reading but we want to make the books available to all people, not just people with a lot of money.” The ship carries at least half a million books, with stocks being constantly replenished during port calls, according to Tracy. It is run by GBA Ships, a German-based Protestant charity, that relies on a volunteer crew of 400 people and donations to meet running costs drawn from a global church network. In the air-conditioned aisles of the floating shop, children’s books featuring popular characters such as Bob the Builder share space with the works of Shakespeare and Dickens. Another section is devoted to technical books on engineering and biology, which Tracy said were particularly popular in poor communities. “Everything can be found in our books, from brain surgery to bridge construction,” he said. There is also a large selection of books on nurturing family life and developing leadership skills, as well as other lifestyle genres including education, health, handicrafts, home repair and cooking. —AFP

The “Eye of the Time” by Spanish artist Salvador Dali is shown yesterday during a press preview of the Tefaf art fair in Maastricht. The fair is open to the public today and lasts until March 25. —AFP

Dutch ‘Repair Cafe’ give trash a new lease of life

A

broken-down vacuum cleaner, an old bicycle, a torn shirt ... almost nothing is impossible to fix for a group of crafty Dutch volunteers dedicated to giving potential trash a second lease of life. The volunteers of Amsterdam’s “Repair Cafe” are part of a network of 20 similar groups across The Netherlands who mend broken household appliances and electronics, rather than relegating them to the trash heap-an all-too-easy choice in today’s consumer society.

“People have simply lost the culture of repairs. We too easily throw away things that can be fixed,” Martine Postma, the driving force behind the initiative, told AFP at Amsterdam’s Repair Cafe.

Here in a rented hall, saws, screwdrivers and electric cables hang from the walls.

Four electronics enthusiasts and two seamstresses are hard at work, fixing a sound system and mending torn clothing.

Postma, a former journalist, pulls a cell phone from her pocket which she bought

File photo shows Ronald Westerlaken one of the volunteer repairers examining a broken hi-fi unit watched by its owner in a ‘Repair Cafe’ in Amsterdam. —AFP

a decade ago, saying: “It’s missing three keys on the keypad but otherwise it works fine. Surely there must be a way to fix it.”

Convinced that no one enjoys throwing things away, Postma, 41, opened the first Repair Cafe in Amsterdam in 2009 “to bring together two groups of people: ‘repair volunteers’ and those who want to fix things but don’t know how.”

Margreet Bakker, 57, brought in her vacuum cleaner, preferring the Repair Cafe to the manufacturer. “It’s much better to bring it here, rather than have it fixed by the manufacturer, who would charge the equivalent of a new vacuum cleaner,” she said. Bakker and Theo van den Akker, a tax consultant by profession, but also an electronics enthusiast, start probing the machine’s innards. They dismantle it, check its fan, test its electronics ... and within an hour later identify the problem.

Simple, really: a loose connection at the plug. With that fixed, the vacuum cleaner hums back to life.

‘Devices today are not made to be fixed’ Visitors to the Repair Cafe, working with “fixers,” sometimes learn to do the repairs themselves. “Devices made today are less and less reliable and they last far less time than they used to,” lamented Van den Akker, 64, adding: “They are made less-and-less easy to take apart-they are not made to be fixed.” What started as a purely local initiative in Amsterdam, the Repair Cafe became an overnight success, far exceeding Postma’s expectations. The

initial goal was to set up 18 Repair Cafes across the country by 2013. Today, around 20 are already up and running, and another 50 are in the planning stages.

Postma now works full-time for the Repair Cafe Foundation, which she founded in 2010. Funded by the Dutch state, the foundation advises volunteers on how to set up their own Repair Cafes. Each one works independently and sets its own pace-be it one afternoon a month or two evenings a week-in a workspace that may be provided by the local municipality or rented to an individual. It is up to each one to obtain funding, recruit volunteers and find tools. Now Postma dreams of opening a Repair Cafe in every one of The Netherlands’ 415 municipalities: “It could also work elsewhere in western Europe, and why not in the United States as well?” she asks. Ronald Westerlaken, 37, a former electrician who now works as a designer, said he volunteered because he “wanted to do something with my hands again. My other job requires me to be constantly in front of my computer!” “When it comes to fixing something, you feel a great deal of satisfaction,” he said. —AFP

Stars

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your energy is high and your creative mind is ready to be applied to whatever comes before you this day—and it is certainly a full day. There are plenty of decisions and business calls to make. You seem able to choose the most profitable paths. Your creative side is highlighted as you use your knowledge and your creativeness in problem-solving situations. You understand the importance of laughter and may be able to cause a healing when it comes to a relationship this afternoon. You are getting good at leaving your work behind—keep practicing. A dialogue with an older person may endear him or her to you more than ever. Companionship with others is most rewarding at this time and you should take every opportunity to be with those you love.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your charming sense of humor is showing today. You may find that your peers and co-workers hold you in high esteem because of your ability to lighten up and aim high. Travel and mental development at high levels are major themes in your life now. This is a time to broaden your horizons both intellectually and spiritually. Look at your talents and think about the occupation or hobby that you think you might really like and how you might progress in that direction. Opportunities open up for you now. Domestic property, gold and real estate may be the uppermost in your mind for investing. You either like a particular landscape or busy yourself taking pictures of some unusual architecture design today. There is a party tonight . . . enjoy.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You will need to take care not to misapply your energy in projects or people. Otherwise there could be conflicts about the direction a certain project should go or, people working under you may not perform up to your standards. Before this day is over, you will discover the obstacles that have previously been slowing your progress. A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods is available now. Share time with a friend in an emotional context. You usually share intelligence or ideas with friends. You have been working on improving the connection between you and your friends. These relationships show much improvement. Interaction with people you are attracted to may be both stimulating and delightful.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This is a most favorable time for working in groups, especially regarding a pet project. You accept the challenge to try and win over higher-ups to a new way of thinking. By the time you read this, there will be more occasions to become creative with advertisement and the way you reach the public. This may be the biggest subject of concern. Also, working faster and working accurately could call for added employees. This could be a temporary situation, but it will bring about more business. Business dealings may be particularly fruitful now. The barriers between people dissolve and therein are the keys to a greater sensitivity you feel. Shopping this afternoon brings positive results for you, as well as some new ideas to present in the workplace.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You are very serene today with the tendency to daydream and indulge in escapism, especially in art or cinema. If channeled properly, it can be constructive. For example, if you are in advertising a new format of an old advertisement may come to your mind. You may experience a revolution within the established order today. This may mean that new ideas and ways to do and use things become clear. You will be curious today and adept at problem solving and conversation. There is luck in financial investments and in love. You are filled with passion and have a special appreciation of loved ones. You are moved to help someone overcome some difficulty this evening. Positive changes at home will help to secure your peace of mind.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Today is a great time to be with others and to work in teams.

You demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others. You are in a good position to communicate concerning group discussions. This may also be a good time to keep notes of your successes, so as to present them at your next employee interview—a promotion is likely. A time for travel is coming soon and now may be a good time to get out the atlas and gather the family to talk about what places and what activities everyone would enjoy. There is positive input with family this evening.

You may also find positive ways that will bring your little family together in projects similar to the way your work environment is brought together successfully.

COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22) Now is the time to be active—not passive. Speak up, let yourself be known—show off your talents. The only thing you will want to take your time with today is a new project coming to you this afternoon. You should examine and ask questions before moving too quickly here. You are most concerned with your business future as well as any romantic associates you may be involved with now. This is a good time to work with the opposite sex. There is a love for the underdog and a search for your soul mate; such are the experiences associated with the new cycle you are now just beginning. A new book or just simply tending to chores occupies you this afternoon. Friends want you to join them this evening in an atmosphere of fun and adventure.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There may be some serious decisions made about the future of a project, investment or term of employment with your business at this time. Your goals stand in stark contrast to the goals of others just now: adjustments must be made in the interests of harmony. Failure to take such steps can increase tensions—especially between those closest to you. Now is the time to act, because it does not get easier if you let the moment pass. You remember successful projects and may be encouraged to move forward. The project at hand should be a great success. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation this evening. Try to be relaxed in all your interactions with loved ones. Spending time with family members is advisable now.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may engage in many emotional shifts and feel that your work and career is inadequate—perhaps you are thinking of changing jobs.

Perseverance should be exercised as much as possible since slow and steady win the race. You should be attentive to all work you do today, for there is a tendency to gloss over the more mundane. Be especially careful in any business dealings or purchases that may cause you to go in debt. Ignore the gossip at work now—it is just that—gossip. Close relationships and other ties between people become a focus for your energy now. Family, home and other roots in your life give you a sense of mission. If you accept loved ones for who they truly are, you will come to really enjoy their companionship.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your personality and mode of living will be changeable. You are well-disposed to others at this time, but you should be careful of bending over backwards just to please someone. This is a good time to exercise caution and care in business dealings, both in the physical and financial realm. Others could challenge your non-conforming attitude in some situation that results in opposition and blockage. This may not be a time for you to try new things or break away from the old routine. You could blurt out the wrong thing today or be unable to convey what you really mean to someone. Energies will become more positive soon—spend your breaks in repose. This evening is a time to spend with a loved one. You may even enjoy observing the stars tonight.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is not a good time to make any concrete decisions about a relationship or a business deal. Rather, it’s best to spend time alone and find what is needed in the next step to what you are involved with just now. You may find that both your personal growth and your career may depend upon how you can handle the very sensitive material that may be coming up now. There are opportunities to work with others in some problem-solving situation. It is important to develop a team attitude so as not to alienate fellow workers. There is a chance to better understand those around you at this time. New methods of working or new equipment can be exciting and challenging at this time. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Relax.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) The challenges you find today are stepping stones to positive changes—do not take them too personally. You have a desire to free yourself from the chains that society places on you now. You may react suddenly against the things that previously seemed appropriate. This is a good time to lead the way on a project, for your originality is heightened. There could be a financial disagreement within the family now. Request time to think through the ways in which this situation can be changed or compromised. You will be successful. Consolidating your resources is the best bet for any future success. You are inspired and may enjoy pleasant daydreams this afternoon.

Take pleasure in the company of loved ones this evening, with no expectations.

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African Republic 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands)0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062 Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

ABUJA: Kuwait Embassy in Nigeria recently celebrated Kuwait’s 51st National Day and the 21st Liberation Day at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja. The event attracted several dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps. The Kuwait Ambassador HE Saad Al Asousi in his speech affirmed the strong relations between State of Kuwait and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

IKFS to conduct art and calligraphy competitions

I

ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society (IKFS) is conducting competitions in calligraphy for 3 languages “Hindi & Arabic & Urdu” as well as awards for students who have scored top marks in their first attempted Professional Examinations (Medical & Engineering fields) held in India, Kuwait/ abroad during the year 2011.

Dr Ghalib Al-Mashoor said in a press release that IKFS is celebrating its first anniversary on Friday, 25th May 2012, and IKFS committee wants to adopt different varieties of programs useful for the community and want to show some deviations in the mode of events while comparing to the works of more than 150 associations in Kuwait.

IKFS motto is that to build friendly relationship between the people and countries globally. IKFS took the initiative of promoting Patriotism and love on their national languages of both Indian and Arab countries. This is the first time in Kuwait an Indian Association is conducting Calligraphy contest for both India’s national language “Hindi” and regional language “Urdu” Plus the strong 400 million Arabs’ national language “Arabic”.

A.K.S. Abdul Nazar , General Secretary and Ifetkhar Ahamed, Treasurer of said that IKFS will continue to develop and encourage the drawing talents of Artists both in Kuwait and India. Expertise Competition in ARABIC as a language was chosen, because more than 5.0 million Indians are working in the GCC states and the communication and knowledge of ARABIC as a must to inter-act between ARABIC native speakers and Indian expatriate workers.

Therefore, to seek knowledge in the form of recitation of the HOLY QURAN is an added value for the expatriate communities in Kuwait and other GCC countries. Accordingly, IKFS planned to conduct competitions in Arabic expertise + Quiz. Some criteria for the participants who are willing to enroll for these competitions are outlined.

• • • • • • • •

For Calligraphy competitions: All expatriate communities (nationality no bar) aged 17 years and above are allowed to participate.

Subject : “FRIENDSHIP & GLOBAL PEACE” Participants : both gender from different communities who are on visit to Kuwait are also allowed.

Timings: 2 hours enabling to embark the participant’s caliber in the Modern Calligraphy.

Total words allowed in the Calligraphic competition in any one language: 101 Language: As per the participant’s choice.

Phraseology: Given on the spot Photos and their rewarding Calligraphy will be published in the Souvenir and in the IKFS website www.indo-kuwaitfriendshipsociety.com For ARABIC EXPERTISE COMPETITIONS: QUIZ competitions for the Public above 17 years will be held.

Both General and Islamic knowledge will be challenged. In addition to HOLY QURAN Recitation + Hifz also will be tested. Readings will be attributed on the spot.

Competition Date : 11th MAY 2012 Results announcement : 18th MAY 2012.

The last date of Registration: 30.04.2012 Registration (information required): Full Name, Date of Birth, ID/Passport No. Contact Phone & Email ID. Email ID to register: ikfsociety@gmail.com Prizes: For each category , the winners will be awarded in the form of cash + certificates: • First Place: IRs. 5,001, Second Place: IRs. 3,001, Third Place: IRs. 1,001 • Certificates: Honorary Certificates + Medals /Plaques also will be awarded.

Venue of the competition: SALMIYA INDIAN MODEL SCHOOL, SALMIYA Supervision and Judges: Veteran artists and Experts in Calligraphies will evaluate the works.

For Top Scorer Awards in Professional Examinations : Children of Indian and Kuwaiti Members/Patrons of IKFS are eligible for the awards.

Top scorers should submit their mark lists with evidence showing that they have passed their final examinations including their internships during the year of 2011 and also in the first attempt .

The scorer of Highest marks will be treated as in the first Place.

Accordingly, The first place holder will be awarded with IRs. 10,001, Second Place: IRs. 5,001, Third Place: IRs. 3,001.

Certificate: Honorary Certificates and Plaque will be awarded.

Photos in the Souvenir and IKFS Website: www.indo-kuwaitfriendshipsociety.com Photos of each Winners in different categories will be published Registration ( information required): Full Name, Date of Birth, ID/Passport No. Contact Phone & Email ID + Mark lists for all semesters.

Email ID to register: ikfsociety@gmail.com Top marks scorers’ announcement: 2nd May 2012.

The first place holders are allowed to present their thesis related to their studies thru multi-media presentations for a minimum of 10 minutes.

During the month of May 2012, a grand Event and the 1st Anniversary will be convened at Salmiya Indian Model School, where some of the Patrons of Indo-Kuwait Friendship Society will be joined from Kuwait and India to witness the grand programs and to hand over awards for the winners and top scorers of the professional examinations.

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

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 A.M until 12:00 P.M on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home.

The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. 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).

W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Announcements ILF legal seminar The Indian Lawyers’ Forum (ILF), association of Indian Lawyers and Law graduates’ in Kuwait is conducting a legal seminar, today (March 16) 10:30 am at United Indian School, Abbassiya, Jleeb Al-Shuyukh. The legal seminar will include Kuwait new labor law and company formation by Adv Rajesh Sagar and adv Stephen Thomas and discussion on the subjects. All Indian Lawyers & Law graduates working here in Kuwait are cordially invited to participate with their families and friends.

For further information please contact, advocate Thomas Panicker 24346934, 97203939, Adv Suresh Pulikkal 97260159.

IOC arts cpmpetition Indian Overseas Congress, Kuwait is conducting Arts Competitions-2012 on 11th and 12 May 2012 at United Indian School. The winners of this prestigious competition will be awarded with trophies and medals. The awards will be distributed during the Gandhidarshan Program in October, this year. The competitions include Elocution, Solo, Poetry Recitation, Dance, Indian Patriotic Song, Mono act, Drawing/Painting and Poster Poetry. Although the competitions are mainly meant for children from various disciplines, Elocution and Indian Patriotic Song Competitions will be held for elders also. For entry forms, please contact the following collection points. Abbassiya - Hidine Super Market, Sakina Book Stall; Salmiya - Uduppi Restaurant, Sakina Book Stall; Riggae - Al Dallah Super Market; Fahaheel - Royal Mobile Services and Sales. For details, contact 24316426, 24884175, 24343173, 66110570, 66853100. Filled forms can be sent to fax : 24331461 or Email : iockuwait@yahoo.com Or deliver by hand to Sakina Book Stall, Abbassiya.

Talent launch Kuwait’s Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) called on to the Kuwaiti community to come out and support its local young talented Kuwaitis by visiting the “Mawaheb” gallery exhibition on March 15, 16, and 17 at the Avenues Mall. The exhibition, created and organized by SACGC, provides a platform for 15 of the top Kuwaiti photographers, artists and musicians, to showcase their talent directly to the community through unique, signature performances, displays, and presentations. SACGC General Manager, Dr Omar Al Bannai said, “”Mawaheb” is a talent-driven exhibition that connect Kuwait’s undiscovered talents to the community and showcases to Kuwait some of the great art. “Mawaheb” will kick-off on 7 pm on March 15 at the Avenues location near Dean and Deluca in the presence of SACGC CEO, Dr. Bader Al-Omar, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences General Manager, Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin, SACGC General Manager, Dr. Omar Al Bannai, and all members of the SACGC Board of Directors.

Lecturers at AUK The Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) will be organizing the following events in March. Event Title: “The People are Missing” Lecturer By Dr Mai Al Nakib, on March 21, 2012 at 6-9 pm, AUK Auditorium. Event Description: Dr. Mai Al-Nakib’s presentation looks at the Palestinian community in Kuwait prior to the first Gulf War, and considers the ethical consequences to Kuwait after their expulsion in 1991. Event Title: City Images, on March 27, 2012, at 6-9 pm, AUK Auditorium.

Event Description: This talk presents the issues surrounding the concept of ‘branding’ in relation to the city states of the Gulf, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. Event Title: “Energy Conservation” Lecture by Jim Krane, on March 28, 2012 at 6-8 pm, AUK Auditorium. Event Description: The speaker discusses the energy consumption issue in the Gulf.

He examines the role of government, the population, and the barriers to promoting less consumption and reforming the energy sector. All events are open for public.

Desert get-together A full day in the desert with the collaboration of the BBF (British Business Forum), BLS (British Ladies Society), ANZAK (Australians & New Zealanders), Diwaniya Italia (Italians in Kuwait), UFE (French Community in Kuwait), and the Lebanese community as well. It’s a get together day with loads of fun and a chance to compete in a real Paint Ball arena in the desert, participate in a mini football tournament & volleyball tournament, and there will also be many other activities such as ATV (Quads) Karaoke and more! A BBQ buffet catering will be provided by Holiday Inn Salmiya, and entertainment will be provided by DJ Shatti and Chromatic Band). For more information and early booking please call 5010-0734.

Balavedi Abbassiya zone holds ‘Kaliyarangu’

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n order to enhance the leadership qualities as well as to expose extracurricular talents in the NRI children, Balavedi Kuwait organized ‘Kaliyarangu’. Master Sidharth convened the function which was held on February 25 at Kala Centre, Abbasiya. Master Aravind welcomed all. Kala Kuwait general Secretary Saji Thomas Mathew, Kala Vice President and Balavedi Principal chairperson P R Babu, and Abbasiya zonal chairperson and Kala central committee member Rejeesh delivered felicitations.

A variety of programs such as folksongs, storytelling and dances were performed by the children. Kala central committee member Sharath Chandrababu presented a magical show which mesmerized the kids to a great extent. The efforts of the little stars Aravind, Saarang, Abel, Sarah, Alveena, Roshan, Aashyan, Sreejith, Caroline, Omanakuttan, Clamin and Siddarth led to the success of the program. The principal organizers of the Kaliyarangu were Sanni Saijesh, Vinu Kalleli, Johnson, Joji Iyype, Chandran Kalarikkal, Renjith, Prinston and Vikas.

Jayachandran musical concert postponed

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ive musical concert by ‘Bhava Gayakan’ P Jayachandran organized by Kalanjali Kuwait has been postponed to May 4, 2012 due to certain unavoidable circumstances, organizers announced. The time and the venue will be notified at the earliest. For more details, contact 66457286 / 25655912 / 66851263 / 55467286 or send an email to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com

Kuwait CSI vacation Bible school 2012

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t Peter’s CSI Congregation, Kuwait will be conducting its annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) from 16th to 30th of March, 2012, at the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait (NECK), from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. Robert Shine (Director, CEF Bhopal) will serve as the Director of VBS 2012. The Superintendent is Rev Binju Varghese Kuruvilla, the Convener, Deepak Philip Thomas, and the Secretary, Manija Vinod. All children in the age group of 3 - 17 years are welcome to join the VBS. Transportation will be provided upon request. Hurry! Only limited seats are available! For registrations and more details, please visit www.kuwaitcsi.org. Contact us at vbs@kuwaitcsi.org (Email) or Tel: 65927381 / 67701132.

Hempel Cup 2012 begins today

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empel Cup 2012, the T10 Tennis ball cricket tournament being organized by Artech Cricket Club, will commence today, (March 16, 2012) at NCC cricket grounds, Mina Abdullah. The tournament will be played on Fridays and 16 teams including Friday Court, GulfSpic, NBTC, NCC, KIMMCO etc from different parts of Kuwait are participating.

A lot of prizes similar to major tournaments like IPL are offered to the participants to make the tournament interesting and thrilling. Apart from the usual tournament prizes, cash awards are offered for batsmen hitting most numbers of sixes, fastest fifty, six sixes in a match, hatricks, and 5 wicket haul. Hit a six on a pre-set target on ground and win cash prize is yet another highlight of the tournament. The tournament will be inaugurated

by Shaji Jose, General Manager, National Contracting Company today morning and will be followed by the inaugural match between AlKubra and Kuwait Rangers. Second match will be played between TCR 11 & Q8 Cricketers. The tournament is scheduled to end April 13, 2012, leaving behind a month’s weekends filled with thrilling combats between bat and ball.

Vijayan Karayil NAFO’s new patron

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AFO Kuwait has unanimously selected Vijayan Karayil, managing partner, Doctor Group of companies, Joint-Secretary, Board of Trustees, Indian Community School and Vice-President, Soorya Chapter, Kuwait, as its new PATRON. “Vijayan Karayil, a well-known person among the Indian expatriate community, has been a close associate of NAFO since its inception. His contributions to NAFO, have always been commendable in delivering its social, welfare and cultural services, said B S Pillai, President. “Prior to taking up the

prestigious position of patron, Vijayan Karayil has served Nafo as its Vice-President and we congratulate and wish him all success”, Pillai added.

NAFO Kuwait (National Forum, Kuwait), a non-political, non-commercial organization, has been in the Gulf for the last 8 years promoting social, cultural and welfare services to the community by way of lending help to the needy, supporting economically backward people, aid to ailing members, students educational assistance etc.

TV Listings FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

15:35 16:00 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05 18:20 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:15 20:40 21:05 21:30 21:55 22:20 22:45 23:10 23:35

00:20 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 00:50 Pit Bulls And Parolees 01:45 Untamed & Uncut 02:40 Maneaters 03:35 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 04:30 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 04:55 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 05:25 Extreme Animals 06:20 Gorilla School 06:45 Planet Wild 07:10 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin 08:00 Orangutan Island 08:25 Pandamonium 09:15 The Really Wild Show 09:40 Project Puppy 10:10 Extraordinary Dogs 10:35 Extraordinary Dogs 11:05 Extreme Animals 12:00 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 12:55 RSPCA: Have You Got What It Takes?

13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Wild Africa Rescue 14:15 Wild Africa Rescue 14:45 Animal Cops Houston 15:40 Extreme Animals 16:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Growing Up...: Polar Bear Orphan 18:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 19:20 World’s Ugliest Dog Competition 20:15 Orangutan Island 20:40 Wildlife SOS 21:10 Gorilla School 21:35 Planet Wild 22:05 Extreme Animals 23:00 How Not To Become Shark Bait 23:55 Crime Scene Wild

00:45 01:10 01:40 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:20 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:05 05:35 05:45 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:35 06:45 06:50 07:20 07:30 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:20 09:50 10:20 10:50 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:15 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 18:40 19:10 20:00 20:50 21:20 21:50 22:20 22:50 23:35

Eastenders Doctors Last Woman Standing 2 Point 4 Children Keeping Up Appearances My Family Me Too! Charlie and Lola Jackanory Junior Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tikkabilla 3rd & Bird The Adventures of Spot Me Too! Charlie and Lola Jackanory Junior Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tikkabilla 3rd & Bird The Adventures of Spot 2 Point 4 Children Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Orang-Utan Diary Coast My Family 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Orang-Utan Diary Coast The Weakest Link My Family Doctors Keeping Up Appearances 2 Point 4 Children Doctor Who Jekyll Taking the Flak The Cup The Impressions Show The Impressions Show The Weakest Link Doctor Who

00:15 01:10 02:45 03:10 04:00 04:45 06:20 06:40 07:35 08:00

Antiques Roadshow French Food At Home French Food At Home 10 Years Younger Fantasy Homes By The Sea French Food At Home French Food At Home Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA French Food At Home

Looney Tunes Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show The Scooby Doo Show Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones

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 05:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 06:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 07:00 World Sport 07:30 World View 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 African Voices 11:00 World Business Today 11:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 12:00 Backstory 12:30 Talk Asia 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 The Brief 18:30 News Special 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Inside Africa 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

PLANET OF THE APES ON OSN ACTION HD 08:25 08:45 09:30 10:20 11:05 12:00 12:50 13:35 14:20 15:10 15:55 16:40 17:25 18:20 18:40 19:00 20:35 20:55 21:45 22:35 23:25

French Food At Home MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me 10 Years Younger Celebrity Fantasy Homes Celebrity Fantasy Homes Fantasy Homes By The Sea Holmes On Homes Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA French Food At Home French Food At Home 10 Years Younger Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix Bargain Hunt

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30

BBC World News America Hardtalk 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 Newsday Asia Business Report

06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 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 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 BBC World News 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact 16:30 Our World 17:00 Impact 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World Have Your Say 18:30 World Have Your Say 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:40 Weekend World 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 Middle East Business Report 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Have Your Say Extra 22:40 Weekend World 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 Our World

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:00 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:45 15:10

Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley New Yogi Bear Show Duck Dodgers The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Jetsons Puppy In My Pocket Popeye Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races The Flintstones A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Popeye Classics The Garfield Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Scooby Doo Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Duck Dodgers Tom & Jerry Kids Pink Panther And Pals Wacky Races Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Garfield Show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:45 Junior 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 Junior 22:25 22:50 23:20

Destroyed In Seconds Surviving Disaster Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Mythbusters Fifth Gear Fifth Gear American Chopper: Senior vs

00:40 01:35 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:35 05:00 05:25 06:20 07:10

Man Made Marvels Asia Nasa’s Greatest Missions The Tech Show Bang Goes The Theory Bang Goes The Theory Sci-Trek How Does That Work?

How Stuff’s Made Science Of The Movies Thunder Races Nasa’s Greatest Missions

How Do They Do It? Cake Boss Border Security Dirty Money Ultimate Car Build-Off Ultimate Car Build-Off Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Cash Cab Us Border Security Dirty Money How It’s Made Rebuilding Japan Cake Boss American Chopper: Senior vs Fifth Gear Fifth Gear Street Customs

08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:35 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:05 14:55 15:20 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:05 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:05 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

The Gadget Show The Gadget Show How Does That Work?

How Stuff’s Made Bang Goes The Theory Bang Goes The Theory Sci-Trek Man Made Marvels Asia Thunder Races Nasa’s Greatest Missions Science Of The Movies How Does That Work?

How Stuff’s Made The Gadget Show The Gadget Show The Tech Show Thunder Races Man Made Marvels Asia Nasa’s Greatest Missions Tech Toys 360 Tech Toys 360 Ways To Save The Planet The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Thunder Races Tech Toys 360 Tech Toys 360 Ways To Save The Planet

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 06:40 07:05 07:16 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:25 09:35 09:49 10:00 10:25 10:45 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:08 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 Movie 18:47 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

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 Timon And Pumbaa Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive 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 Phineas And Ferb So Random Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie: The Road Trip

00:20 00:35 00:50 01:15 01:40 01:55 02:10 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:25

Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins

Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Have A Laugh Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Fish Hooks Recess Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

TV Listings FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

03:50 04:05 04:20 04:40 04:55 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:50 07:15 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:15 08:30 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:55 10:15 Pooh 10:18 Pooh 10:22 Pooh 10:26 Pooh 10:35 10:45 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 12:45 13:10 13:25 13:40 14:05 14:15 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:45 16:05 16:25 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:15 18:35 18:55 19:10 19:35 20:00 Pooh 20:05 20:25 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:20 21:30 Pooh 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:25 22:40 22:55 23:20 23:30 23:45 23:55

Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Lazytown Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mini Adventures Of Winnie The

00:25 00:55 01:25 01:50 02:20 03:15 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 12:05 13:05 14:05 14:35 15:00 15:30 16:25 16:55 17:55 18:55 19:55 20:55 21:25 22:25 23:25 23:55

Kendra Style Star E!es E!es THS 25 Most Stylish Sexiest Extreme Hollywood THS Behind The Scenes E! News Dirty Soap 20 Acts Of Love Gone Wrong E! News Bridalplasty Keeping Up With The Kardashians Keeping Up With The Kardashians Style Star E!es Behind The Scenes Scouted E! News E!es Dirty Soap Chelsea Lately THS E! News Chelsea Lately Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mouk The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Art Attack Imagination Movers Special Agent Oso Lazytown Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mouk Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Art Attack Jungle Junction Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mini Adventures Of Winnie The

00:40 01:30 02:15 03:05 03:50 04:40 05:25 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:25 11:10 11:35 11:55 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00

Extreme Forensics Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Kidnap And Rescue Fugitive Strike Force Extreme Forensics Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared I Was Murdered I Was Murdered I Escaped Death

Departures Food School Bondi Rescue: Bali The Green Way Up The Green Way Up Exploring The Vine

03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00

Market Values Making Tracks Making Tracks Adventure Wanted Departures Food School Bondi Rescue: Bali The Green Way Up The Green Way Up Exploring The Vine Market Values Making Tracks Making Tracks Adventure Wanted Departures Geo Sessions Geo Sessions Travel Madness Travel Madness Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled Pressure Cook Pressure Cook City Chase Marrakech Which Way To Geo Sessions Geo Sessions Travel Madness Travel Madness Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled Pressure Cook Pressure Cook City Chase Marrakech

00:00 Brotherhood-PG15 02:00 RoboCop-PG15 04:00 Tank Girl-PG15 06:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 08:00 Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost-PG15 10:00 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 12:00 Top Gun-PG15 14:00 Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost-PG15 16:00 Wild Bill-PG15 18:00 Top Gun-PG15 20:00 RoboCop 2-PG15 22:00 Sleep Dealer-18

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Triage-18 The Losers-PG15 Bound By A Secret-PG15 District 9-PG15 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 Waiting For Superman-PG15 Miles From Nowhere-PG15 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 The Eagle-PG15 Dear John-PG15 Shrink-18 Tortured-18

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report The Big C The Ricky Gervais Show The Cleveland Show The Simpsons Mr. Sunshine Dharma And Greg The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Simpsons Just Shoot Me Yes Dear Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Dharma And Greg The Simpsons The Simpsons The League State Of Georgia Yes Dear The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Just Shoot Me Dharma And Greg The Simpsons Yes Dear Mr. Sunshine State Of Georgia The League The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Just Shoot Me Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

New Girl Happy Endings The League Perfect Couples The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Neighbors From Hell The Ricky Gervais Show The Cleveland Show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

American Idol Necessary Roughness Psych Bones Live Good Morning America The Good Guys Emmerdale Look-A-Like The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View American Idol Live Good Morning America The Good Guys The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Glee American Idol Drop Dead Diva Survivor: One World Bones

00:00 01:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

White Collar Necessary Roughness Psych White Collar Emmerdale Parks And Recreation Terra Nova Psych Law & Order: Los Angeles The Ellen DeGeneres Show Terra Nova White Collar Law & Order: Los Angeles The Ellen DeGeneres Show Terriers Glee Drop Dead Diva Survivor: One World Any Human Heart

01:00 From Within-PG15 03:00 Sniper: Reloaded-18 05:00 Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood-18 07:00 Rocky IV-PG15 09:00 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 11:00 Iron Man 2-PG15 13:15 Hurricane Season-PG15 15:00 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 17:00 Law Abiding Citizen-18 19:00 Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels-18 21:00 Rollerball-18

A Poem Is...

Animated Stories Mouk Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 02:00 Crazy On The Outside-PG15 04:00 Mean Girls 2-PG15 06:00 A Lot Like Love-PG15 08:00 Like Mike-PG 10:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG15 12:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big BangPG 14:00 Love Happens-PG15 16:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 18:00 Away We Go-PG15 20:00 The Fighting Temptations-PG15 22:15 Defendor-PG15

SHRINK ON OSN CINEMA

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DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines QTR JZR PIA JZR JZR THY UAE QTR DHX FDB ETD RJA GFA MLR ETH KAC THY RBG JZR JZR BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA JZR RBG MEA IYE MSR MSR JZR KAC GFA KAC FDB UAL OMA QTR RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR JZR JZR JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA ABY ALK

Flt 138 185 205 267 539 772 853 148 370 67 305 642 211 1405 3622 544 770 3563 555 529 157 206 53 352 302 332 676 284 344 855 125 132 301 55 619 213 165 3553 404 825 623 610 201 672 219 618 57 982 645 140 640 788 257 546 134 561 535 213 303 857 215 510 127 227

Arrival Flights on Friday 16/3/2012 Route DOHA DUBAI LAHORE BEIRUT CAIRO ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN COLOMBO ADDIS ABABA CAIRO ISTANBUL ASSIUT ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT LONDON ISLAMABAD DUBAI COCHIN MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI DHAKA CHENNAI DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI LAR BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA BEIRUT SANAA SOHAG CAIRO DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES MUSCAT DOHA AMMAN JEDDAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA SOHAG CAIRO DEIREZZOR ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SHARJAH COLOMBO

Time 0:20 0:20 0:25 0:45 0:50 2:15 2:35 2:55 2:55 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 3:40 3:45 4:40 4:50 5:00 6:00 6:20 6:40 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:15 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:50 9:55 11:20 11:35 11:55 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:40 14:50 15:00 15:20 15:25 16:10 16:25 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 18:10

JZR RBG FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC AIC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB JAI KAC SVA MSR MLR DHX GRF FCX MEA GFA QTR JZR UAE SAI JZR UAL PIA DLH

177 3557 63 502 542 744 787 674 975 166 102 774 562 61 572 786 506 618 1407 372 81 304 402 217 136 135 859 441 239 981 215 636

Airlines AXB UAL BBC AIC DLH PIA THY GRF FDB UAE DHX ETD MLR QTR QTR RBG THY JZR GFA RJA JZR KAC FDB KAC BAW JZR KAC JZR KAC JZR UAE ABY

Flt 390 981 44 982 637 206 773 94 68 854 371 306 1405 139 149 3556 771 164 212 643 200 415 54 545 156 256 671 534 787 560 856 126

DUBAI SOHAG DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO DAMMAM RIYADH DUBAI CHENNAI PARIS NEW YORK RIYADH AMMAN DUBAI MUMBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO BAHRAIN BAGHDAD RIYADH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI LAHORE AMMAN BAHRAIN KARACHI FRANKFURT Departure Flights on Friday 16/3/2012 Route KOZHIKODE WASHINGTON DC DHAKA AHMEDABAD FRANKFURT LAHORE ISTANBUL DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI COLOMBO DOHA DOHA ALEXANDRIA ISTANBUL DUBAI BAHRAIN AMMAN DAMASCUS JAKARTA DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LONDON BEIRUT DUBAI CAIRO JEDDAH SOHAG DUBAI SHARJAH

18:15 18:25 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:50 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:35 20:45 20:50 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:30 23:50 Time 0:05 0:45 1:00 1:05 1:20 1:25 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:40 4:40 5:40 5:40 5:50 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 8:00 8:25 8:30 8:40 9:00 9:00 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:40 9:45

ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC KAC GFA IRA JZR ETH KAC RBG KAC MEA KAC IYE MSR JZR MSR GFA FDB ETH KAC KAC KAC OMA UAL RJA JZR KAC KAC QTR JZR QTR ETD JZR UAE GFA ABY SVA RBG JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC JAI MSR MLR SVA DHX MEA GFA KAC QTR KAC JZR KAC FCX UAE KAC JZR SAI KAC

302 117 56 133 617 177 214 618 212 3623 541 3558 103 405 501 825 624 176 611 220 58 3623 561 673 785 646 982 641 786 743 773 141 238 135 304 538 858 216 128 511 3554 134 228 64 184 361 62 343 351 571 619 1407 507 373 403 218 381 137 301 554 205 102 860 283 502 442 411

ABU DHABI NEW YORK DUBAI DOHA DOHA FRANKFURT BAHRAIN LAR DEIREZZOR DUBAI CAIRO SOHAG LONDON BEIRUT BEIRUT DOHA SOHAG DUBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH MUSCAT BAHRAIN AMMAN RIYADH DAMMAM RIYADH DOHA AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH RIYADH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI COLOMBO DUBAI CHENNAI KOCHI MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO JEDDAH BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DELHI DOHA MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA ISLAMABAD DUBAI DUBAI DHAKA LUXOR LAHORE BANGKOK

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

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ACCOMMODATION Room available in Salmiya near City Center for decent bachelor, rent KD 75 (Pakistani or Indian). Tel: 99959140. (C 3914) Accommodation available for non smoking decent bachelor in Khaitan with separate bathroom and C-A/C, sharing with Sri Lankan family. Contact: 66704630. (C 3913) 15-3-2012 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya with Keralite Christian family near German clinic, rent KD 55 (Christian visiting couples only). Contact: 97145592. (C 3909) 13-3-2012 Accommodation available in Abbassiya double bedroom flat, two bachelors accommodation available April 1st, rent KD 40. Contact: 99162583.

(C 3900)

FOR SALE Toyota Prado 2006, golden color, 6 clr, 4 doors, km 101000. Price KD 5250. Mob: 66729295. (C 3908) 13-3-2012 VW Tiguan (car) 2010, exterior white, interior black / Tan manual gear, in great condition, 22000 mph, under Kuwait warranty. Price KD 4900. Contact: 66663494. (C 3907) Mitsubishi Pajero 2003, baige color, GLX, 1,35000 km, 2 doors, 6 cyl, (one owner, company maintained).

Contact: 66133001.

12-3-2012 Lady driven Land Rover model 1996, passing up to Nov 2012, available for sale, KD 550. Contact: 97358878.

(C 3905) 11-3-2012

MATRIMONIAL Alliance sought for Brahmin boy aged 28, decently employed in Kuwait, from parents of girls preferably employed in Kuwait. Please contact: nagan21@gmail.com 11-3-2012 Proposals invited for a Keralite Marthoma girl 24/154, BBA, working in India (Baroda), seeks alliance from God fearing, well-educated employed boys (Kuwait/ India). Email: sunilvgs73@gmail.com (C 3898) 7-3-2012

LOST Lost Indian Passport No. Z1959053, finder please call 99866856 or Indian Embassy 22530600, will be rewarded.

(C 3901) 10-3-2012

SITUATION WANTED Female, MBA, with total 8 years experience (3 years, in Kuwait). Specialized in all areas of HR/Admin functions of big companies. Looking for suitable post. Contact: 94062123. (C 3902) 10-3-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Kandli Qadar Shaikh Ahmed, Indian Passport No: E5351994, hereby change my name to Kadar Ahmed Kundlik. (C 3906) 11-3-2012

SITUATION VACANT A Kuwaiti family looks to hire experienced driver and cook.

Contact: 97691119.

(C 3911) Housemaid wanted for an Indian doctor family in Kuwait City. Call 55003696 / 55003699. (C 3912) 14-3-2012

TUITION Math teacher for secondary stage, language schools, bilingual schools and intermediate stage: Algebra, Gmath, Geometry, Statistics for arts and science branches. Tel: 66974020.

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.

Female Syrian Arabic language teacher for elementary and intermediate, and starting the weak using Halaby method in her house located in Abdallah AlMubarak area. Tel: 50513699.

Senior biology and science teacher for 12th, 11th and 10th grades, and science for all intermediate classes, religious institutes, nursing, educational experience, simple explanation for fast understanding.

Tel: 66543474.

Arabic language teacher, masters in methods of teaching for secondary and intermediate students. Tel: 50644685.

Senior Arabic language teacher, elementary and intermediate, long experience in Kuwait curricula, explaining grammar rules and starting those weak in reading and writing. Tel: 99262948.

FOR RENT Flat in South Surra, 3 bedrooms, 2 of which are master + living room + kitchen + maid room, new, super deluxe. Tel: 97864628.

For rent, commercial flat in Hawally, can be used as workshop, large area. No middle men. Parking. Tel: 66043961.

Arabic language teacher to start elementary, intermediate and secondary stages.

Simple explanation of grammar and literature, experienced in Kuwait curricula.

Flat in Bneid Al-Gar, 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + Gym + swimming pool overlooking the sea, central satellite + internet. For families, no middle men. Tel: 66043961.

Senior chemistry and physics teacher. Long experience for 10th, 11th and 12th stages. Intermediate science and applied institutions.

Highly competent. Tel: 99542922.

Flat in Salmiya 3 bedroom + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + central satellite + internet. 4x4 rooms, 4x8 living room for expatriates only. Rent KD 330. No middle men. Tel: 66043961.

Mathematics and statistics female teacher for female students in the secondary, intermediate, university and applied institutions female students. Tel: 99410370.

Flat in Salmiya 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + central satellite + internet. Families only, no middle men. Tel: 66043961.

Senior Arabic language and Islamic studies teacher to help weak and slow learning students in a short time. 20 years experience, teaching all elementary subjects excep E. Arabic and Islamic studies for elementary and intermediate. Tel: 66896088.

Senior mathematics and statistics teacher. Long experience in Kuwait curricula to teach secondary students both science and arts branches, and university admission exams. Tel: 97975096.

Senior chemistry teacher for secondary students and science for intermediate. All reviews and exams, and university qualification chemistry. Tel: 99560268.

Female senior mathematics teacher, 35 years experience in Kuwait for secondary, intermediate and elementary stages, applied, initial university, communications and navigation and special courses. Tel: 97926737.

Elementary stage teacher, 12 years experience, ready to give remedial lessons for all topics in the elementary stage in a simple method.

Tel: 66594901.

English teacher specialized in elementary and intermediate, experienced in grammar, book questions and synonyms. Highly experienced in Kuwait curricula. Tel: 97373301.

A commercial floor in Salmiya. Close to Blajat. Car parking. No middle men. Tel: 66043961.

First floor in Shuhada, 4 rooms + living room + 5 bathrooms + maid room + balcony. Must be small family. Tel: 60308586.

Flat in Zahra, 2 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms + laundry room + maid room. Tel: 60308586.

A floor in Zahra, 4 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms, second floor, elevator. Must be small family.

Tel: 99719887.

Flat in west Jleeb, 3 rooms + living room + kitchen + 2 bathrooms first floor. No elevator. Must be newlyweds or

No: 15389

one child only. Tel:99719887.

Flat in Salam, 3 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms + maid room. Must be newlyweds or two children only. 60308586.

First floor in Rumaithiya. 4 rooms + living room + kitchen + maid room + 6 bathrooms. Super deluxe.

Must be foreigners and expats only. Tel: 60308586, 99719887.

Large first floor with the roof

in Firdous. No middle men.

Tel: 99490502.

Fully furnished flat in Mahboula 2 rooms + 2 baths + living room + Gym + DSL, Satellite + full sea view. Rent starts from KD 450. Tel: 66060822.

Furished flat in a Salmiya resort 3 rooms + maid room + garden + swimming pool + children play room + DSL. Sea view + hotel service + car parking. Rent KD 800. Tel: 66060299.

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Aussies look to pile on Windies agony KINGSTOWN: Stand-in skipper Shane Watson believes Australia’s recent successes over India and Sri Lanka will mask any world-weariness when they kick-off their Caribbean tour. Australia tackle the West Indies in the first of five one-dayers today, with two Twenty20s and three Tests to follow on the seven-week tour-a trip they set off on just 12 hours after their Tri-Nations win over Sri Lanka in Adelaide. Watson, deputizing for injured full-time captain Michael Clarke, insists his squad can impress, with younger players desperate to make their mark.

“It’s a very exciting time in Australian cricket,” Watson said. “To think even 12

months ago that things were being said that the depth in Australian cricket might not be that good, to actually see the guys who are coming through.” Watson is keen to see how the likes of Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson and Peter Forrest perform in the Caribbean after making their mark on home wickets. “James Pattinson has been brilliant, Nathan Lyon ... to see these guys come in and perform straight away is a very exciting thing,” Watson told www.cricinfo.com. “To actually know that we’ve got some great depth now and in the future with a few other guys still on their way back from injury and also some guys who will continue to improve in domestic cricket to put pressure

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the close of play on the first day of the second test between New Zealand and South Africa at Seddon Park in Hamilton yesterday.

South Africa won the toss and chose to field New Zealand first innings R. Nicol c Boucher b Philander 2 M. Guptill b Steyn 22 B. McCullum c Rudolph b Steyn 61 R. Taylor c Smith b Philander 44 K. Williamson c Smith b Steyn 0 D. Vettori b Philander 0 K. van Wyk lbw b Morkel 21 D. Bracewell c Boucher b Philander 0 M. Gillespie c Petersen b Tahir 27 B. Arnel lbw b Tahir 3 C. Martin not out 0 Extras (lb-3, nb-2) 5 Total (all out, 61.2 overs) 185 Fall of wickets: 1-11 2-44 3-133 4-133 5-133 6-133 7-133 8176 9-184 Bowling: Steyn 18-5-49-3, Philander 15-3-70-4 (nb-2), Kallis 94-9-0, Morkel 14-2-42-1, Tahir 5.2-1-12-2 South Africa first innings G. Smith c van Wyk b Martin 13 A. Petersen not out 8 D. Steyn c van Wyk b Martin 4 H. Amla not out 2 Extras 0 Total (for two wickets, 11 overs) 27 Fall of wickets: 1-14 2-18 Still to bat: Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

Bowling: Martin 5-2-18-2; Bracewell 4-1-7-0; Gillespie 1-0-1-0; Vettori 1-0-1-0.

Vettel coy on hat-trick bid MELBOURNE: Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel tried to dampen excitement over his bid for a landmark title hat-trick, as an upbeat Lewis Hamilton yesterday vowed to make a fresh start this season. Red Bull’s Vettel, 24, breezed through 2011 with 11 wins, and another series title this year would lift him to the exalted level of Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher, the only men so far to take three or more in a row.

But the modest German did his best to deflect talk about his historic attempt as he prepared for this season’s curtain-raiser, the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park. “Well, you know I am here to win races and to win all I can,” Vettel said. “But most of all I’m here to win the championship-so that’s the target, but we are not talking about anything else. “Whether it is the third or not doesn’t make the difference. It would be a nice thing, but the reason why we’re here is to race and to win.”

Vettel, who became Formula One’s youngest back-to-back champion in such impressive fashion last year, also warned that he had little idea about the relative speed and strengths of his team.

“OK, we are all here and we are ready to start racing, but really, we have to wait until qualifying tomorrow and for the first couple of races to show a trend of what is happening,” said the German.

“Maybe after qualifying we will know a little bit more, but after today we will not know much more.” —AFP

on the more senior guys.”

In contrast, West Indies have turned to their back catalogue in an effort to gain an edge, with 31-year-old fast bowler Tino Best recalled after more than two years on the sidelines. Best last played international cricket in the 2009 Champions Trophy. “I’m fully focused. I am fully aware of what is expected of me and what is required by the team. I have worked extremely hard to get back into the team and I will continue to work hard to stay in the team,” Best said. In his most recent first-class appearance in February, Best took seven wickets for Barbados in their crushing win over Combined Campuses and Colleges and

bagged six for 44 in a warm-up that followed.

Another player in form is big-hitting Kieron Pollard, who smashed 151 off 120 balls in a recent squad warm-up. “I have been playing a lot of Twenty20 cricket, but when you practice, you do not practice Twenty20,” Pollard said. “When you practice, you work on your technique and there are a number of things I have been working on.” West Indies are again without former skipper Chris Gayle, who has not played for the West Indies since last year’s World Cup and has been involved in a long-running dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board.— AFP

NZ fight back after collapse Reckless shot sparks collapse HAMILTON: Chris Martin struck back for New Zealand with two quick wickets to leave South Africa on 27 for two at the close of play on the rain-hit first day of the second test in Hamilton yesterday after the hosts’ middle order had collapsed. Martin had South Africa captain Graeme Smith (13) and night watchman Dale Steyn (four) caught by wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk after the visitors had taken five wickets for no runs in 20 balls to bowl New Zealand out for 185 at Seddon Park.

Alivro Petersen was not out on eight, while Hashim Amla was on two for the visitors at the close of play.

Martin’s double strike restored a measure of balance after New Zealand had slumped from 133 for two to 133 for seven in a little over 15 minutes during the final session following some hostile fast bowling from Steyn and Vernon Philander.

Brendon McCullum’s reckless hook shot to a Steyn bouncer that was over his head after he had battled for more than two hours sparked the collapse.

McCullum had curbed his natural attacking instincts to grind his way to 61 and share in an 89-run partnership with Ross Taylor (44) as New Zealand looked to be in a strong position after being asked to bat on a green-tinged pitch. However, just as they had in the drawn first test in Dunedin, McCullum and Taylor were dismissed in quick succession. McCullum belted the ball straight to Jacques Rudolph at deep backward square, with the South African’s only requirement to take a step back so he could catch the ball at waist height. Taylor prodded at a straight delivery from Philander and was well caught at first slip by Smith, before Kane Williamson got a Steyn delivery that reared on him off a length and the ball hit the shoulder of the bat and flew to Smith.

Daniel Vettori then played around a

HAMILTON: Chris Martin (left) and Kruger van Wyk of New Zealand celebrate the dismissal of Dale Steyn of South Africa during day one of the second cricket test match at Seddon Park in Hamilton. — AFP

Philander delivery that nipped back into the left-hander and was bowled, before Doug Bracewell feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher three balls later. Pace bowler Mark Gillespie, who is making his return to the test team for the first time in more than three years, finally ended the run of wickets at 133 when he nicked a ball

through the slips to the boundary.

Gillespie (27) and van Wyk (21) combined for a cameo partnership of 43 runs in 40 balls before Imran Tahir trapped Brent Arnel lbw for three to end the innings. Rain had forced the players off the field for just over two hours that destroyed much of the middle session. — Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Boca Juniors keep hope alive BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors recovered from a nervy start to beat fellow Argentine side Arsenal 2-1 and put their Libertadores Cup campaign back on track on Wednesday.

The victory gave Boca four points from three matches in second place in Group Four, five points behind leaders Fluminense after the Brazilians beat Venezuela’s Zamora 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro. “We’re playing well, we’re going to fight for it in the Cup and the (domestic) championship,” Boca captain Juan Roman Riquelme told reporters.

“It was a very important victory, what we came looking for. The start got complicated with the goal through bad luck but we were able to turn it round with attitude.” It was the third match in eight days in which Boca fell behind in the opening 10 minutes after losing 2-1 to Fluminense last Wednesday and 5-4 to Independiente in the league on Sunday. Arsenal, hosting the match at their Julio Grondona ground, went ahead after 10 minutes when Boca defender Clemente Rodriguez turned a low cross into his own net.

But the visitors equalized just before the half hour when winger Pablo Mouche latched onto a half

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s Boca Juniors footballers celebrate the team’s second goal against Argentina’s Arsenal FC during their Copa Libertadores 2012 group 4 football match in Sarandi. — AFP

Ex-players hold key to Juve pursuit of Milan MILAN: Juventus hope former forward Amauri does not suddenly find his form this weekend and further curtail their Serie A title bid while another ex could boost their chances if Sebastian Giovinco downs leaders AC Milan. Brazil-born Amauri signed for Juventus for 22 million euros ($28.66 million) from Palermo in 2008 but after a promising start his career nosedived and he now plays for struggling Fiorentina, who host Juve tomorrow (1945 GMT).

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli gave Amauri

his international debut in 2010 but it turned out to be his only cap and the 31-year-old’s last goal was on loan at Parma last April.

“Amauri has promised me his first goal for Fiorentina tomorrow,” the Florence club’s chief executive Sandro Mencucci told reporters. Juve, who have slipped four points behind champions Milan after drawing three straight matches, will think it is just their recent luck if Amauri breaks his drought against them. Still, to many Juve fans the fact they are in a title race after several seasons of

Everton target missing trophy MANCHESTER: Everton resume the priority of securing a tangible memento for manager David Moyes’s decade of service when they host Sunderland tomorrow (1245 GMT) in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Moyes celebrated 10 years at Goodison Park this week and has been lauded for his longevity in the hire-and-fire culture of the Premier League as well as for his ability to create a reliable team on modest resources. What he has not done is brought a trophy to the club whose glory days of the 1980s are getting ever more distant. The closest he came was in 2009 when he led Everton to the FA Cup final where they were beaten 2-1

by Chelsea and this season the Scot is determined to go one better.

By effectively sacrificing Merseyside bragging rights by fielding a weakened team for Tuesday’s 3-0 league defeat at Liverpool, Moyes made it clear what took precedence this season. “I think you have to juggle your squad and decide where you prioritize,” he told reporters.

With Everton staring at mid-table security in the league, lying ninth on the same points as Sunderland, booking a trip to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final is enticing. “The boys have been doing really well and hopefully we can continue the decent cup run we have had,” said defender Phil Jagielka.

“After Tuesday’s result it puts a little bit more pressure on the cup because 3-0 is not good enough.” —Reuters

woe following their 2006 match-fixing demotion is progress enough.

President Andrea Agnelli backed coach Antonio Conte this week for helping return the Turin club, the most successful Italian side domestically, to the upper echelons of the game. “The manager and his players are enjoying a truly commendable season” he told reporters. “They know that there are 11 championship games to go and possibly another two in the Coppa Italia, they’re aware that there’s the possibility to obtain prestigious results so we’ll be perfectly calm in trying to reach our targets.” While hoping Amauri does not score tomorrow, Juve will be urging on fellow former forward Sebastian Giovinco when his stuttering Parma side entertain Milan (1700).

Robinho is a slight doubt for Milan after injuring his calf in training while Philippe Mexes is banned but Clarence Seedorf and Maxi Lopez may be fit enough to return on the bench. Milan centre back Daniele Bonera, who may again fill in for Mexes, is an exParma player and is expecting a difficult game. “Opponents give something extra when they play Milan and Parma at home have always done well. We have to be careful,” he told Milan Channel before hailing Antonio Nocerino, the midfield revelation of the year after average spells at Juve and Palermo. “It’s a great advantage for us to have a player like Nocerino. When he came in, perhaps we didn’t expect that he could do what he is doing.”

Fourth-placed Napoli, fresh from their Champions League heartbreak in the last 16 against Chelsea, travel to Udinese in fifth on Sunday (1945) as the fight for the third and final Champions League qualifying spot for next term hots up. —Reuters

clearance in the box and shot under goalkeeper Cristian Campestrini’s dive. The Argentine champions sealed the points in the 68th minute when Rodriguez crossed from the left and with two defenders keeping a close eye on burly striker Santiago Silva, substitute midfielder Pablo Ledesma ghosted in through to tap home. Striker Luciano Leguizamon squandered an easy opportunity right in front of goal that would have given Arsenal a late equaliser.

Boca needed the win not only to stay in the hunt for a seventh title in South America’s elite club competition but also to put behind them a week in which their home defeat by Fluminense was their first in 37 matches. Mexico’s Cruz Azul retained the Group Six lead with a 0-0 draw at home to secondplaced Corinthians in Mexico City.

After three matches Cruz Azul have seven points and the Brazilians five. Libertad of Paraguay stayed top of Group Five after a 1-1 draw with Brazil’s Vasco da Gama in an ill-tempered match in Asuncion.

The same two players who scored the goals, Vasco’s Diego Souza and Jose Nunez of Libertad, were sent off. — Reuters

Mourinho eyeing Chelsea reunion MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was hoping for a dream Champions League final against his former club Chelsea yesterday after the Spanish giants cruised into the quarter-finals. Nine-time winners Real beat CSKA Moscow 4-1 in the second leg of their last 16 tie for a 5-2 aggregate win with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo grabbing two of the goals.

No sooner had the night’s business been settled, however, than Mourinho was already eyeing Chelsea, who won an extra-time thriller to defeat Napoli, as potential final opponents in May. “People can’t understand how much I love Chelsea and I know if I get them in the quarter-finals or the semi-finals, they would be great opponents,” said Mourinho, who has been widely-tipped to retake the reins at Stamford Bridge in the summer. “I’m happy Chelsea have got through, but I’d love to play them in the final.” The Real coach was also happy to heap more praise on Ronaldo whose brace took his Real Madrid career total to 19 goals in 24 appearances in the Champions League.

Compared to 16 goals during his 55 outings as a Manchester United player, the Portuguese star is flourishing at Real. “Ronaldo is unbelievable,” said Mourinho. “You would have thought with the number of goals he scored last season you couldn’t improve, but he is at another level.” Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema were also on target on Wednesday as Real joined bitter rivals Barcelona in the last eight, the draw for which will be held today. The only negative on the night for Madrid was a yellow card for Xabi Alonso that means he will miss the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

“It’s not a problem that Xabi can’t play, we are not going to cry about it, there is no problem for (Lass) Diarra or (Esteban) Granero to play with (Sami) Khedira,” added Mourinho. The coach added he was happy with his team but underlined how difficult the match had been until Ronaldo got Madrid’s second goal of the evening. “We suffered more than we should have until the second goal and the game was demanding until the end but all Champions League games are like this,” he said. “We gave a mature and balanced performance and now we’ll take on whoever the draw pairs us with today.”— AFP

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Divided Indonesia creep towards FIFA ban JAKARTA: Indonesia continues to creep towards a FIFA ban after a reconciliation meeting between the country’s two soccer leagues resulted in a virtual no-show, local media reported yesterday. The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) invited 13 of the 18 clubs in the breakaway Indonesian Super League (ISL) to talk on Wednesday but only one, Persib Bandung, turned up.

FIFA, the game’s world ruling body, is

set to punish Indonesia unless the PSSI, also under orders from exasperated government officials, restores order and unifies the ISL with their Indonesian Premier League (IPL) before March 20. “We won’t stop trying to save our football,” PSSI executive committee member Bernhard Limbong told the Jakarta Globe. “We’ll wait for the other clubs to respond to our invitation before the PSSI congress on March 18. “We want to speak with all

(ISL) clubs on the best way to settle the dispute so there will be only one league here.”

The decision to snub the meeting at a Jakarta hotel has potentially serious consequences for Indonesia, whose national team crashed out of 2014 World Cup qualifying in disgrace. A humiliating 10-0 defeat in Bahrain last month prompted a FIFA investigation, leaving them bottom of their group with no points and mark-

Utd can go 4 clear by avoiding Wolves bite MANCHESTER: Premier League leaders Manchester United will go four points clear if they beat secondfrom-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this weekend but need only look back a year to know that is not as easy as it sounds. In February 2011, then bottom club Wolves ended Unitedís 29-match unbeaten league run, inflicting a first league defeat of the season on the eventual champions when they stunned their visitors 2-1 in this fixture.

Wolves, again embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation after just one win in their last 14 league games, fell behind to an early Nani goal but replied with two goals before halftime which led manager Alex Ferguson to bemoan his sideís ìbad play at setpiecesî. With Manchester City, the long-time leaders before their rivals overhauled them last week, not playing until Wednesday because opponents Chelsea are among those involved in the FA Cup quarter-finals, United can turn the screw on Sunday (1330 GMT).

One of the keys to whether they can retain their title could be striker Wayne Rooney, who has been challenged by Ferguson to net 40 goals this season and who scored twice in Decemberís 4-1 victory over Wolves at Old Trafford. Another double in last weekís 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion took his tally to 26, eight fewer than his best ever haul of 34 in 2009-10, and his team mates see his run continuing. ìHe can go as far as he wants to,î winger Ashley Young told British media. ìHe has done brilliantly this season. Hopefully he keeps adding to his tally and we can keep getting the three points.î CANíT CRYí City manager Roberto Mancini has said the champions have the mental edge having been involved in so many title battles while his club are seeking a first championship since 1968. But he has refused to be down and says his team have enough games left to swing things back in their favor, including next monthís mouth-watering Manchester derby. ìNow we canít cry, now is a time to be strong and keep going because we are a top team,î the Italian, whose team have 66 points from 28 games compared to Unitedís 67, told a news conference. ìWe have 10 games, all is in our hands and we can change if we want. We have pressure because we want to win the title, we want to make history for the club.î The increasingly interesting tussle for third and fourth place takes a back seat this weekend because of the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, like fellow Londoners Chelsea, not in league action until Wednesday. At the other end of the table, bottom side Wigan Athletic host West Brom tomorrow (1500) hoping to make the most of the fact fellow relegation candidates Queens Park Rangers, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers are not playing until midweek. In the weekendís two other league games, Fulham entertain a Swansea City team who are full of confidence after last weekendís surprise 10 victory over Manchester City and Norwich City travel to sixth-placed Newcastle United. — Reuters

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson

School football sparks Hong Kong race row HONG KONG: A violent incident in a school football match in Hong Kong has sparked an ugly race row after a video was posted online showing a Caucasian boy kicking a Chinese opponent in the head.

Parents of the Asian boy filed a police complaint after the weekend’s under-12 game between ESF Lions and Kitchee Escola descended into chaos, with fathers and the ESF coach engaged in an angry on-field altercation.

A video of the match showing the 10-year-old ESF player making contact with the Kitchee boy’s head has been viewed more than 50,000 times and generated a torrent of often racist commentary against “gweilos”, or Caucasians. “These are English Men... Shame of mankind!” wrote one viewer on the YouTube website. Others called the coach and mainly Caucasian players for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) team “animals” and “white scum”, and demanded the government stop subsidizing the English-language school system.

“The Hong Kong government should cancel its funding of the ESF. Gweilos should leave Hong Kong immediately,” said one user.

“Gweilo” means “ghost man” in Cantonese and is often used as derogatory slang to describe people of European decent. Other commentators however said the incident was bad enough without the racist abuse on the Internet. “I am not sure what is worse, the coach, the young thug, the refs or the tirade of racist comments in this thread,” wrote another viewer. —AFP

ing a new low for Indonesia soccer.

Persib officials did at least have their say in the absence of their ISL rivals. “Persib is still a PSSI member and we still regard the PSSI as the only football authority in the country,” said the club’s marketing director M. Farhan, underlining the confusion. Both sides now face a race against time with a FIFA ban, which Indonesia narrowly avoided last year, looming large again. — Reuters

Football school kicks off Palestinian WCup hopes AL-BIREH: At a state-of-the-art football stadium in the Palestinian city of Al-Bireh, three-year-old Adam is trying to pass a ball as coaches shout encouragement. The darkhaired youngster, who is not much bigger than the ball he is racing after, is one of scores of children attending a football training school run by a non-governmental organization called Palestine: Sports for Life (PS4L). Their dream is that Adam and the dozens of other Palestinian youngsters could one day play professionally for their country-and even go on to represent Palestine in tournaments such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Established in 2010, PS4L brings together Palestinian athletes committed to raising the level of sports training and education in the West Bank. It is headed by Tamara Awartani, a 29-year-old former basketball star who used to play for the top women’s team in the Palestinian territories.

She makes no secret of the ambitious dreams she has for the children. “The main goal is to produce qualified footballers who are capable of representing Palestine in the World Cup in 2022,” she said. “This is our vision and this is their dream.”

The school, she says, emphasizes “the basic skills of football, like team play, discipline and communication with each other from an early age, with a team of qualified coaches and former footballers who are passionate about football and who work here for a nominal fee.” Some of the coaches used to play for teams in the Palestinian first division, while others were part of regional or women’s squads.

And still others come from overseas to volunteer their skills. The school also offers children the rare chance to travel overseas to international coaching camps in places such as Turkey and Jordan.

And in keeping with the organization’s broader goals-to use sports as a way to build “healthy and vibrant communities”-Awartani also wants the school to teach skills that will serve students off the pitch too. “We are trying to create a place for these children to blow off some steam instead of sticking to television, Facebook and video games,” she explains. Last summer, PS4L kicked off its first football program which caters to around 100 children between the ages of three and 12, giving them two hours of training twice a week. At the stadium, the youngest are put in a group of their own to protect them from the more boisterous older children.

Quality from an early age-While the smaller children learn how to kick and field the ball, their older counterparts are working on more advanced skills, such as dribbling around cones. The World Cup in Qatar may be far off yet, but it’s clearly in the forefront of the minds of many of the kids. “I will be on the 2022 team!” shouts 10-year-old Karim Omar, one of the most promising students. “I started playing football when I was young, and I am here to be in the 2022 national team,” declares another student, a confident 12-year-old called Mustafa Shaltaf. Football is easily the most popular sport in the Palestinian territories, where ferocious local rivalries coexist with enthusiastic support for foreign teams, the most popular being Spain’s Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But the national team, ranked 162 in the world, has had little success and has never qualified out of its Asia group for the World Cup. Awartani believes PS4L could change that, and insists the students train on a proper pitch, renting out the Majed Assad international stadium in Al-Bireh twice a week so the children can get a feel for the real thing. —AFP

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Australia’s Rice to defend Olympic title ADELAIDE: Stephanie Rice will defend her Olympic 400-metre individual medley title in London after setting the year’s second-best time to win the event at the Australian selection trials in Adelaide yesterday.

The triple Beijing Olympic gold medalist won in four minutes 33.45 seconds, more than four seconds ahead of Blair Evans (4:37.80), who is also off to the London Olympics in July. Rice, 23, went into the national championships under pressure to earn a place in Australia’s Olympic team after surgery on her right shoulder last December.

But the glamour girl of Australian swimming sent out an emphatic message that she will be competitive

in London after swimming just 0.78secs outside Briton Hannah Miley’s 2012 best time of 4:32.67 set earlier this month. “It’s the biggest relief and the biggest weight lifted off my shoulders,” Rice said. “It’s been the toughest preparation I’ve had to date and I had to get my head around that I couldn’t do the training sessions that I was doing in the leadup to the Beijing Olympics. “That gives me a world-class time and puts me up in the world rankings again and if I can get a consistent three months of training I’m confident I will be competitive in London.”

Rice said her sizzling time proved she was not a spent force. “To put the time on the board was all I need-

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Wednesday.

Colorado 5, Buffalo 4 (So); Montreal 3, Ottawa 2 (SO); Winnipeg 5, Dallas 2; Edmonton 3, Columbus 0; Phoenix 5, Vancouver 4; Anaheim 4, Detroit 0. (SO denotes shootout win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS NY Rangers 44 18 7 192 150 95 Pittsburgh 42 21 5 219 173 89 Philadelphia 40 22 7 223 197 87 New Jersey 40 25 5 195 182 85 NY Islanders 28 31 11 164 211 67 Northeast Division Boston 40 26 3 223 170 83 Ottawa 36 25 10 218 209 82 Buffalo 33 29 9 178 201 75 Toronto 30 32 8 202 217 68 Montreal 28 32 11 188 198 67 Southeast Division Florida 33 23 13 171 193 79 Washington 36 28 6 189 197 78 Winnipeg 33 29 8 186 197 74 Tampa Bay 32 30 7 197 234 71 Carolina 26 29 15 183 211 67 Western Conference Central Division St. Louis 45 18 8 186 139 98 Detroit 44 24 3 219 171 91 Nashville 41 21 7 200 179 89 Chicago 38 25 8 213 209 84 Columbus 22 41 7 161 226 51 Northwest Division Vancouver 42 20 8 219 177 92 Colorado 38 30 4 191 193 80 Calgary 33 25 12 176 193 78 Minnesota 29 31 10 150 194 68 Edmonton 27 36 7 185 209 61 Pacific Division Dallas 39 27 5 188 188 83 Phoenix 35 25 11 187 182 81 San Jose 34 25 10 189 178 78 Los Angeles 33 25 12 159 154 78 Anaheim 30 30 11 177 196 71

France recall Yachvili PARIS: Scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili was recalled after a back injury to lead a reshuffled French side for their Six Nations finale against Wales in Cardiff tomorrow. The Biarritz back replaces Julien Dupuy, who was dropped from the squad after a poor performance as France lost 24-22 to England on Sunday. Yachvili’s return after a three-game absence comes a week too late for some supporters and French media, who were unhappy he was overlooked by manager Philippe Saint-Andre for the England game despite being fit enough to play for his club.

Yachvili will link up with standoff Lionel Beauxis for the Cardiff match, a repeat of their controversial World Cup semi-final, and means utility halfback Morgan Parra will sit on the bench for the second consecutive game. “Dimitri and Morgan are experienced, they have a huge background with this team. Dimitri is now 100 percent fit after playing some good matches with his club,” SaintAndre told a news conference yesterday. —Reuters

ed to do and to qualify and be pretty close to Hannah Miley’s time which she did not long ago is a really good feeling for me,” she said. Four more spots in the Australian team were filled on the opening night of the trials with David McKeon (3:46.36) beating Ryan Napoleon (3:47.93) in the 400m freestyle. Thomas FraserHolmes swam the year’s best time of 4:11.81 to set an Australian record in winning the 400m individual medley to clinch Olympic selection along with runner-up Daniel Tranter (4:16.38). Defending Olympic champion Libby Trickett was sixth fastest into the 100m butterfly final with 59.65secs behind Jessicah Schipper (58.26). Only 1.44 seconds separated

the top seven with only two from today’s final going on to compete in London.

Triple Olympic gold medallist Trickett retired at the end of 2009 but made a comeback to competition last year and missed out on qualifying for the Shanghai world championships. “I was excited to go faster than this morning’s heats and the confidence I am taking from both those races, and now it’s just a matter of freshening up a bit more,” Trickett said. “It’s going to be a fun race tomorrow, the girls are racing really quickly, I’m buzzing at the moment, I’m just so thrilled to be here and racing at this level again.”— AFP

Mueller seals Avs’ 5-4 shootout win BUFFALO: Jamie McGinn forced overtime by scoring with 2 seconds left in regulation, and Peter Mueller netted the lone shootout goal in the Colorado Avalanche’s 5-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. McGinn scored twice, Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and assist, and David Jones scored for the Avalanche (3830-4), who vaulted out of a four-way tie for eighth place in the Western Conference to sixth. Semyon Varlamov made 20 saves through overtime, and stopped all three of Buffalo’s shootout attempts to improve to 8-0 in the tiebreaker. Rookie Marcus Foligno scored twice for Buffalo (33-29-9), which inched within three points of eighth-place Washington in the East. Drew Stafford had a goal and two assists, Tyler Ennis had three assists, and Alexander Sulzer also scored for the Sabres.

CANADIENS 3, SENATORS 2, SO At Montreal, David Desharnais scored in regulation and in a shootout to lift Montreal past Ottawa. Desharnais had the only goal in the shootout, and Canadiens goalie Carey Price stopped all three Senators attempts. Erik Cole also scored for Montreal (28-32-11), 3-0-1 in its last four games. The Canadiens are 3-0-1 against the Senators this season, and will face them again in Ottawa today. Colin Greening and Erik Karlsson had goals for the Senators (36-25-10), who are one point behind Northeast Division-leading Boston.

The Bruins have two games in hand.

JETS 5, STARS 2 At Winnipeg, Manitoba, Andrew Ladd scored twice to help Winnipeg snap Dallas’ six-game winning streak. Nik Antropov, Evander Kane and Eric Fehr also scored for the Jets, who moved four points behind Washington for the eighth and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Loui Eriksson had both goals for Dallas. The Stars, who won 1-0 at Minnesota the previous night, dropped to 1-10-2 in the second games of back-to-backs.

DUCKS 4, RED WINGS 0 At Anaheim, California, Jonas Hiller made 23 saves in his 15th career shutout and rookie Kyle Palmieri scored two goals

ANAHEIM: Vancouver Canucks’ Ryan Kesler (top) checks Phoenix Coyotes’ Antoine Vermette during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia. — AP as Anaheim kept its faint playoff hopes flickering. Teemu Selanne scored his 660th career goal and Bobby Ryan also scored as the Ducks shut out the Red Wings at home for the first time in Anaheim’s franchise history. Playing without injured MVP Corey Perry, the Ducks also snapped a threegame skid with a thrashing of injurydepleted Detroit, which has lost five of six.

OILERS 3, BLUE JACKETS 0 At Edmonton, Alberta, Ryan NugentHopkins had a goal and an assist and Devan Dubnyk stopped 22 shots for his second shutout of the season as Edmonton snapped a three-game losing streak. Taylor Hall and Linus Omark also scored as the Oilers won for just the second time in eight games (2-5-1). Edmonton improved its total to 61 points, ahead of only leagueworst Columbus (51). Curtis Sanford stopped 24 shots as the Blue Jackets - the

only team already eliminated from playoff contention - lost their third straight.

COYOTES 5, CANUCKS 4 At Vancouver, British Columbia, Antoine Vermette had a goal and added two assists as Phoenix held on to beat Vancouver. The Coyotes won for the second time in eight games after overcoming an early 2-0 deficit against a rejuvenated Canucks squad that featured several different forward and defense combinations. Rostislav Klesla, Shane Doan, Oliver Ekman-Larson, and Gilbert Brule also scored for Phoenix, and Ray Whitney had three assists. The seventh-place Coyotes increased their lead to three points over the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference. Alex Burrows, Ryan Kesler, David Booth, and Dan Hamhuis scored for the Canucks, who have lost six of eight. Hamhuis’ goal was his first in 35 games. — AP

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Knicks rout Blazers 121-79 Bulls overcome Rose absence to beat Heat NEW YORK: Amare Stoudemire made all seven shots in the first half and Carmelo Anthony passed and shot well as the New York Knicks shook off the surprising departure of their coach to rout the Portland Trail Blazers 121-79 on Wednesday, snapping a six-game losing streak. Anthony, who denied wanting a trade or having friction with former coach Mike D’Antoni earlier Wednesday, had 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and tied a season high with seven assists. Stoudemire finished with 17 points and shot 8 of 10, before both stars sat out the fourth quarter while the Knicks rang up their highest point total of the season. LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace each scored 15 points for the Trail Blazers.

LAKERS 107, HORNETS 101, OT At New Orleans, Kobe Bryant scored 33 points as the Los Angeles Lakers won their fourth straight game and second straight in overtime. For the second night in a row, the Lakers climbed out of a double-digit hole in the second half to force an extra period. On Tuesday night, they came back from 17 down to win at Memphis in double overtime. The Hornets also led by as many as 17 late in the second quarter and 15 in the second half. Andrew Bynum added 25 points and Pau Gasol 18 for Los Angeles.

Jarrett Jack scored 30 for New Orleans.

SPURS 122, MAGIC 111 At San Antonio, Dwight Howard had 22 points and 12 rebounds while losing what could be his last game with Orlando. Howard, who said before the game he won’t surrender his right to become a free agent this summer, had 22 points and 12 rebounds on the eve of the NBA trade deadline. Tony Parker had 31 points and 12 assists, and Tim Duncan had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Spurs closed a seven-game homestand by hosting the NBA’s biggest drama.

PACERS 111, 76ERS 94 At Indianapolis, Danny Granger scored 20 points as Indiana shot a season-high 57 percent from the field to win its second straight. David West scored 18 points, George Hill had 17 and Roy Hibbert added 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks for the Pacers, who outrebounded the 76ers 37-26. Evan Turner scored 21 points, Jrue Holiday had 17, Elton Brand added 16 and Andre Iguodala had 10 points and nine assists for the 76ers.

NETS 98, RAPTORS 84 At Newark, New Jersey, Kris Humphries had 16 points and a career-high 21 rebounds to lead New Jersey past Toronto. Former D-League star Gerald Green tied his season high by scoring 20 of his 26 points in the second half as the Nets snapped a two-game losing streak. Anthony Morrow added 15 points for New Jersey, which shot 48 percent from the field. James Johnson and Jerryd Bayless had 16 points apiece for Toronto, which was limited to 38 second-half points, including 15 in the third quarter when the Nets took the lead.

ROCKETS 107, BOBCATS 87 At Houston, Luis Scola scored 23 points, and Goran Dragic had 14 points and 10 assists as Houston routed league-worst Charlotte. Samuel Dalembert added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Hill scored 14 and grabbed eight rebounds for the Rockets, who’ve won two in a row after dropping six of their previous seven games. Derrick Brown scored 15 to lead the Bobcats, who’ve lost 20 of 23 road games this season.

BUCKS 115, CAVALIERS 105 At Milwaukee, Drew Gooden had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for his second career triple-double to lead Milwaukee over Cleveland.

Gooden completed the triple-double with a rebound near the end of the third quarter. Gooden

NEW YORK: (Center) Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks battles for a loose ball foul with Marcus Camby #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Raymond Felton #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden. — AFP also had a triple-double against the Cavaliers last April, marking the last time the Bucks had a player accomplish the feat. Ersan Ilyasova had 22 points before fouling out for the Bucks, who have won four straight. Kyrie Irving had 28 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their second in a row.

BULLS 106, HEAT 102 At Chicago, John Lucas III scored 24 points, as Chicago beat Miami without Derrick Rose in a charged showdown between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams. The Bulls built a 16point lead in the second quarter, were up 11 at halftime and boosted it back to 17 in the third after a push by Miami. They then hung on after Miami pulled within two in the closing minute for their 11th win in 12 games. Even better, they won without their superstar, and they did it on a night when Dwyane Wade scored 36 and LeBron James finished with 35 points for the Heat.

PISTONS 124, KINGS 112 At Sacramento, California, Rodney Stuckey scored 35 points and Greg Monroe had 32 for Detroit, which used a huge third-quarter effort to pull away from Sacramento. Stuckey led the Pistons’ 40-23 effort in the third quarter, connecting on four 3-pointers and scoring 19 points as the Pistons built their lead to 97-81 entering the fourth. Detroit made 15 of 20 shots for their highest points total in a quarter this season, and the Pistons never let the lead get below eight points in the fourth. Tyreke Evans scored 23 points for the Kings, but left the game and didn’t return after a hard fall in the fourth quarter. Jason Thompson had 21 points and 15 rebounds for the Kings, losers of three straight games.

CELTICS 105, WARRIORS 103 At Oakland, California, Kevin Garnett scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a tiebreaking jumper with 5.1 seconds left that led Boston over Golden State. Brandon Bass added a season-high 22 points, Paul Pierce and Mickael Pietrus each chipped in 15 and Rajon Rondo dished

out 14 assists for the Celtics. Rookie Klay Thompson led the Warriors with a season-high 26 points, David Lee added 22 and Nate Robinson had 20 points and 11 assists.

CLIPPERS 96, HAWKS 82 At Los Angeles, Mo Williams scored 25 points and fellow reserve Eric Bledsoe added 14 on a relatively quiet night by Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, leading the Los Angeles Clippers over Atlanta. The victory kept the Clippers within two games of the Lakers in the race for the Pacific Division lead. Griffin had 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Paul con-

tributed 13 points and nine assists. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 19 points, and Josh Smith added 18.

SUNS 120, JAZZ 111 At Phoenix, Channing Frye scored 26 points and Marcin Gortat had 25 as Phoenix overcame a 13point deficit to beat Utah. Jared Dudley added 21 points and Steve Nash finished with 12 points and 16 assists for Phoenix. The Suns have won six of their past seven at home, and have trailed by double digits in all six wins. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap each scored 18 points for Utah, which has lost six straight against Phoenix. —AP

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Wednesday.

Indiana 111, Philadelphia 94; New Jersey 98, Toronto 84; NY Knicks 121, Portland 79; Milwaukee 115, Cleveland 105; La Lakers 107, New Orleans 101 (OT); Houston 107, Charlotte 87; San Antonio 122, Orlando 111; Chicago 106, Miami 102; Detroit 124, Sacramento 112; Boston 105, Golden State 103; Phoenix 120, Utah 111; LA Clippers 96, Atlanta 82. (OT denotes overtime win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Philadelphia 25 18 .581 Boston 23 19 .548 NY Knicks 19 24 .442 New Jersey 15 29 .341 Toronto 14 29 .326 Central Division Chicago 36 9 .800 Indiana 25 16 .610 Milwaukee 19 24 .442 Cleveland 16 25 .390 Detroit 16 27 .372 Southeast Division Miami 31 11 .738 Orlando 28 16 .636 Atlanta 24 19 .558 Washington 9 32 .220 Charlotte 6 35 .146

GB 1.5 6 10.5 11 9 16 18 19 4 7.5 21.5 24.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 32 10 .762 Denver 24 19 .558 Minnesota 22 21 .512 Utah 20 22 .476 Portland 20 23 .465 Pacific Division LA Lakers 27 16 .628 LA Clippers 24 17 .585 Phoenix 20 22 .476 Golden State 18 22 .450 Sacramento 14 29 .326 Southwest Division San Antonio 28 13 .683 Memphis 24 17 .585 Dallas 24 20 .545 Houston 24 20 .545 New Orleans 10 33 .233

8.5 10.5 12 12.5 2 6.5 7.5 13 4 5.5 5.5 19

Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

Azarenka demolishes Radwanska Li ousted by Germany’s Kerber INDIAN WELLS: Top seed Victoria Azarenka stormed into the last four of the Indian Wells WTA tournament with a ruthless 6-0 6-2 demolition of Agnieszka Radwanska, improving her record this year to 21-0. The Belarusian world number one will next face Germany’s Angelique Kerber, who upset eighth seed Li Na of China 6-4 6-2 after one hour 23 minutes in Wednesday’s night session. Australian Open champion Azarenka outplayed her Polish opponent from the baseline, coasting through the opening set in 25 minutes and racing to a 5-0 lead in the second before being surprisingly broken.

Though fifth-seed Radwanska then held serve for the first time in the match, Azarenka served out to clinch a onesided victory in just over an hour when her opponent netted a forehand. The pony-tailed Belarusian clenched her

right fist in delight as she looked at the players’ box, having moved into joint second place in the all-time standings for the best start to a WTA Tour season.

Swiss Martina Hingis leads the way with 37 consecutive victories to launch her 1997 campaign while American Serena Williams, with 21 in 2003, and Azarenka are next best.

“I was really impressed with the way I played today,” a beaming Azarenka said in a courtside interview after improving her record to 9-3 against Radwanska. “I didn’t expect to win that way. I’m proud how I fought hard and played winning tennis. “I had very good motivation because I knew she’s an excellent player, so I had to come up with a great match today. “I was just really focused on every moment, on every point I played, on every ball I was striking. I didn’t really think about the score,” added the 22-

year-old, who converted six of her 12 break points.

KERBER UPSET Kerber broke Li twice in the opening set and three times in the second, completing her first win over the Chinese in four career meetings when her opponent hit a backhand service return long.

“This is very special,” said the 24-year-old Kerber.

“She’s a great player and I had nothing to lose tonight. “My plan was to be aggressive, play my normal game and move very well,” added the German, who saved two match points in her opening match against American Sloane Stephens and three in her fourth-round victory over American Christina McHale.

“I am very happy to be in the semis.”

Radwanska came into Wednesday’s match with a 20-3 record for this season,

all three of her defeats coming against Azarenka. “She played very well today, just way too good,” the 23-year-old from Krakow said. “She was hitting really well with pretty much no mistakes and making the winners from those shots I didn’t really expect.

“I had some chances, but when you’re not really taking those chances against good players, then you’re going down. It was just her day.” Radwanska, a winner of eight WTA singles titles, took some consolation from her projected rise to a career-high fourth when the new rankings are issued on Monday. “I didn’t really expect that,” she smiled.

“From the beginning of the year, my first time at No. 6, then No 5, and now No 4, and it’s only March. “I’m very happy about that, of course. I’m just hoping that I can play some good tennis, especially in the grand slams.” — Reuters

Ailing Federer finds a way into last eight Djokovic, Federer, Nadal advance

SCHLADMING: Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal skis down during the season final men’s super-G race at the Alpine ski World Cup finals yesterday. Svindal won the super-G World Cup trophy. — AFP

Svindal grabs super-G title SCHLADMING: Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal snatched the superG title at the Alpine ski World Cup finals yesterday in a race which strengthened the ambitions of Austria’s Marcel Hirscher for the overall title. World Cup overall leader Beat Feuz lost his balance and crashed halfway down the Planai piste, failing to score points in one of his best events. Svindal finished 16th in the last super-G of the season, won by world champion Christof Innerhofer of Italy, but his two rivals for the discipline’s title, Feuz and Didier Cuche, also had a disappointing day, handing the Olympic champion the seventh World Cup trophy of his career.

Innerhofer won the race in one minute 21.24 seconds, with a 0.02-second lead over France’s Alexis Pinturault while Hirscher was a surprise third, 0.06 adrift. Swiss Feuz’s hopes for the superG title vanished in his crash which also dented his prospects in the overall competition. Hirscher’s third place, his first podium place in a speed event, means the Austrian now trails Feuz by 75 points in the overall cup standings with two events left, the slalom and giant slalom which he has dominated all winter.

The overall trophy is now expected to go to either Hirscher or Feuz and will be decided on the final weekend of the season. “I made a classic mistake and I skidded out,” said Feuz. “Hirscher is now the favorite but I will keep fighting.” Hirscher was delighted with his unexpected podium place. “It’s almost unreal, I can hardly believe it,” he said. “I was feeling good but I didn’t expect such a result. “I don’t want to make calculations, we’ll make them on Sunday. Feuz showed today that mistakes can happen any time.” With 200 points left to be won, Svindal - 199 points behind in third place - still has the smallest mathematical chance.

However, though he is a former world champion in giant slalom, he has not raced slalom in a year and has never finished better than sixth in the discipline. —Reuters

INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer each needed three sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Wednesday while Rafa Nadal advanced with a comfortable victory over Alexandr Dolgopolov. Djokovic held off a strong fightback by Spaniard Pablo Andujar to triumph 6-0 6-7 6-2, Federer recovered from a shaky first set to beat Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 3-6 6-3 6-4 while Nadal eased through 6-3 6-2.

Argentina’s David Nalbandian upset sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 3-6 7-5 6-3 and seventh seed Tomas Berdych was beaten 6-4 6-0 by Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who had lost a bad tempered fourth-round match to the Czech at the Australian Open in January.

Almagro’s reward for reaching the last eight at Indian Wells for the first time is a matchup with Djokovic. World number one Djokovic battled past unseeded Spaniard Andujar at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after barely breaking sweat with an attacking display in his opening set.

However, the Serb fell 7-5 in a second set tiebreak as Andujar upped his game on the showpiece stadium court.

Champion here in 2008 and last year, Djokovic broke his opponent in the first game of the third set, and also in the seventh, before sealing victory on his first match point when the Spaniard hit a forehand service return wide. “My opponent is really a quality player who deserves to be at this stage of the tournament,” Djokovic said in a courtside interview. “He surprised me with his aggressive approach. He was taking the ball early and was playing well.

“In the second set, I start playing a little bit more defensive and I think that allowed him to come back to the match.

All the credit for him to play the way he played. “And then in the third set I

INDIAN WELLS: Mirka Federer, Miyla Rose Federer and Charlene Riva Federer in attendance during the match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Tomaz Bellucci of Brazilat the Indian Wells Tennis Garden California. —AFP regrouped. I managed to stay calm ing set but he then broke Bellucci in the mentally and just find my rhythm first and ninth games of the second to again,” added the Serb, who won his level the match. The final set went with fifth grand slam crown at the Australian serve until the Swiss maestro broke the 50th-ranked Brazilian in the 10th game, Open two months ago. converting his second match point when the left-hander hit a forehand COMMANDING WIN Nadal, Indian Wells champion in 2007 long. “It’s always great to come through and 2009, broke pony-tailed Ukrainian in a three-setter,” said 16-times grand Dolgopolov once in the opening set and slam champion Federer, who has been twice in the second to wrap up a com- trying to shake off a flu bug and slight manding win in one hour, 16 minutes. temperature. “I thought Thomaz played “He is a very difficult player to play great.

“I struggled early on to make the tranagainst,” the Spanish left-hander said of Dolgopolov. “He hits very hard, produces sition from night (session) to day. I’m winners from every part of the court. He happy and relieved to be through and still alive in the tournament.” Federer will is a funny player, good for tennis.

“I started very strong and he made a next play ninth seed Juan Martin del few mistakes, more than usual, with his Potro of Argentina who overcame backhand, which helped me a lot. Being Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 7-6 6-7 6-2. in the quarter-finals here is fantastic for Big-serving American John Isner powme,” added Nadal, who has reached the ered past Australian qualifier Matthew semi-finals in his last six attempts at Ebden 6-4 7-5 to set up a meeting in the Indian Wells and will next take on last eight with Frenchman Gilles Simon, Nalbandian. For the second day in a row, who beat American Ryan Harrison 7-6 5triple champion Federer lost the open- 7 6-1 — Reuters

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INDIAN WELLS: Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, returns a shot to Agnieszka Radwanska, of Poland, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif. — AP

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