17th Jun

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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Saudi Crown Prince Nayef passes away Amir declares three days of mourning in Kuwait

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, next in line to rule the world’s top oil exporter, has died just eight months after becoming heir to 89-year-old King Abdullah, the royal court said yesterday.

Analysts and former diplomats said the succession process was likely to be stable, however, with the king and a family council expected to start work on the appointment of a new crown prince, who would probably be another brother of King Abdullah. “With deep sorrow and grief... King Abdullah mourns his brother...

Crown Prince Nayef who passed to the mercy of God on Saturday outside the kingdom,” said a royal court statement carried by state media.

State TV said Nayef had died in Geneva where he had been receiving medical treatment for an unknown problem - he was thought to be 78.

HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah declared a three-day mourning period from today. Sheikh Sabah also sent a cable of condolences to King Abdullah expressing his heartfelt sorrow over the loss of Prince Nayef, in which he described the deceased as “a dear brother” whom he had “great admiration and respect” for. The Amir recalled the stellar record of the deceased in the service of his country as well as Arab and Islamic nations, noting the deceased’s penchant for contributing boundlessly to any cause of benevolence to the Saudi people or

Muslim people worldwide. Kuwait’s Crown Prince HH Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah and Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent similar cables of condolences.

The king of neighbouring Bahrain also ordered a three-day mourning period, Bahrain News Agency said. Prince Nayef’s death was not expected to trigger any major changes to the kingdom’s energy policy or to key relationships with the United States and other allies. Defence Minister Prince Salman, 76, has long been viewed as the next most senior prince after the late Nayef. If he became king, analysts believe he would continue King Abdullah’s cautious reforms. Nayef, interior minister since 1975, was appointed crown prince in October after the death of his elder brother and the previous heir Crown Prince Sultan. State television said the burial would be in Makkah today.

Nayef had a reputation as a steely conservative who opposed King Abdullah’s reforms and developed a formidable security infrastructure that crushed Al-Qaeda but also locked up some political activists. “He supervised the security affairs of the state for more than 30 years. He scored a lot of successes there. Especially in fighting al Qaeda,” said Khalid Al-Dakhil, a Saudi political analyst. In May, Nayef went to Switzerland for medical tests, his second trip abroad for checkups for an undisclosed health issue since March. Like his brothers King

Abdullah and Salman, he was one of the nearly 40 sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, Abdulaziz ibn Saud, who established the kingdom in 1935.

Prince Salman, his likely successor, was made defence minister in November and had served as Riyadh governor for five decades. While Salman has often met foreign diplomats and other officials, he is seen as something of an unknown quantity, having maintained strong relations with both conservative clerics and western-oriented businessmen.

The conservative Islamic kingdom emerged from last year’s Arab uprisings as one of the most stable Middle Eastern states. Although most Saudi watchers say it is very likely that Salman will become the kingdom’s leader after the deaths of Abdullah and Nayef, they say it is uncertain who would then be seen as next in line. Although nearly 20 of King Abdulaziz’s sons still survive, few of them have the requisite government experience to lead the country.

Meanwhile, those that have served for a long time in important positions, such as Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmed or Intelligence Minister Prince Muqrin, are younger than the oldest of King Abdulaziz’s grandsons. Under Saudi law, the line of sons must be exhausted before moving on a generation. But it might be seen as embarrassing for elder grandsons, who come first in the official line of precedence, to be overruled by their younger uncles. — Agencies

Max 49º Min 32º High Tide 09:22 & 23:48 Low Tide 02:52 & 16:48

Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, who passed away yesterday, is seen in this undated file photo. — SPA (See Pages 4 & 5)

CONDOLENCES Editor-in-Chief, Management and Staff convey their deepest condolences to King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and the people of Saudi Arabia

on the sad demise of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

local

Canadians help Kuwaitis improve cancer treatment

5,000 residency violators held, 95,000 still at large KUWAIT: Around 5,000 people have been arrested during ongoing security crackdowns against residency violators across Kuwait, and the Ministry of Interior looks to apprehend the remaining 95,000 according to official statistics.

According to a local report quoting statistics released by the Migration General Department, the recorded violators who remain at large belong to 10 nationalities,

while 39,000 of them are domestic workers.

“The number of residency violators dropped from 104,000 by the end of April 2012 to 95,000,” said a security source who made the statistics available to a local daily. On the other hand, the source questioned the effectiveness of the unscheduled security campaigns that has so far covered areas such as Khaitan, Amghara and Jleeb Al-

Shuyoukh, in tackling the problem with no parallel efforts being carried out to stop residency traffickers.

According to the statistics, there are 24,000 Bengalese nationals living in Kuwait in violation of residency regulations, compared to 22,000 Indians, 15,000 Sri Lankans, 8,000 Indonesians, 8,000 Egyptians, 7,000 Filipinos, 4,000 Pakistanis, 3,000 Nepalese, 3,000 Syrians and 1,000 Ethiopians. — Al-Qabas

CONDOLENCES Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief, Management and staff convey their deepest condolences to

Hussam Suwaid 'ĞŶĞƌĂů DĂŶĂŐĞƌ ŽĨ 'ĂƚĞƐ ĚǀĞƌƟƐŝŶŐ ŽŵƉĂŶLJ

on the sad demise of his

Father May Allah Almighty rest his soul in peace

Team of experts in town

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: In September 2010, the University Health Network (UHN) signed a five-year agreement at a fee of KD 37 million with the Ministry of Health of the State of Kuwait to provide clinical expertise to the Kuwait Cancer Control Centre (KCCC) to improve access to quality cancer services. The partnership included regular visits by some of the most renowned doctors from four hospitals within the University Health Network; Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Dr Mark Bernstein, a world renowned Oncology Neurosurgeon was the latest doctor to visit KCCC as part of the agreement.

Dr Bernstein is the first neurosurgeon in the world to perform an outpatient brain tumour removal. He is also a dedicated educator having won numerous teaching awards. Dr Bernstein is a professor at the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. His clinical practice focuses primarily on neuro-oncology with research interests in innovative treatment strategies, outcomes and medical ethics.

These include error and patient safety, ethics of introducing surgical innovation, neuro-ethics, surgical education, conflict of interest and international surgery.

The following is an excerpt of a Kuwait Times interview:

need much of the expertise because they have enough on the ground KT: What are the challenges oncologists are facing in Kuwait?

Bernstein: Busy schedules of Neurosurgeons is one. As I said, they have the expertise, the equipment although I heard that ordering equipments takes about a year to get the get them on the ground. There should be the system that will transmit idea into reality. We are here helping the Ministry of Health to inform them about some gaps. Our partnership with the Ministry of Health is getting stronger because they ask us to come and fill those gaps. We are here suggesting ways and means to identify the problem, so, we are here to help. We are viewing the issues in a very systematic and organized way. There are systems already set up to expedite all our needs. The system which we are trying to introduce is not just exclusive to neuro-surgeon area but throughout the other medical procedures and disciplines. We are trying to

ment than the hospital. Hospitals are full of bacteria and often evil bacteria because they are resistant to regular drugs. I do prefer outpatient surgery if it’s available; it’s better for the patients and also cheaper.

KT: Is outpatient brain surgery operation tried in Kuwait?

Bernstein: No. But brain surgery is being done in Kuwait. There are some complicated stuff like epilepsy and some other complex cases, which are not done here. But brain surgery is being done here and they do it well. Our type of system which we want to introduce and hope adopted will help them a lot. It will surely help the patients, doctors and the ministry.

KT: What support are you getting from the government?

Bernstein: The Kuwaiti government is very supportive in many ways. There is a lot of support in this endeavour; education is one; the ministry of health has

KT: What is the purpose of your visit?

Bernstein: This is my second visit in a month’s time. We are exploring neurooncology in Kuwait. The purpose of this mission was to teach and explain awake brain tumour removal surgery. I brought along with me some experts, doctors and nurses, specialized on this field. We are here for disciplinary teaching of awake brain surgery.

Dr Mark Bernstein, right, with another doctor in Kuwait.

KT: What is the progress so far?

Bernstein: We don’t know yet, but it’s important to teach and empower the locals on how to carry out the job properly.

help them identify the root causes of issues within the system. Their [ministry of health] openness to it is actually very encouraging.

KT: What is the current state of awake brain surgery in Kuwait?

Bernstein: Physicians here are empowered people, very knowledgeable and bright. What is lacking perhaps in Kuwait is a system; a referral system should be in place to help the patients, especially when they have to undergo brain tumour surgery. They have to be connected to oncologists for other treatment. So the referral system will make it easier and smoother for the patients. I know there is room for improvement in Kuwait in that regard. With minor work, the neuro-oncology operations in Kuwait could be very good. Everything is computerized; people are good; they don’t

KT: Heard that you are the first doctor to perform outpatient brain tumour removal surgery.

Bernstein: Yes. Outpatient. It was never done before. We’ve been proven that such a system is doable, people at that time said it was a crazy idea, but we have proved its possible, it works, and also safer than other types of surgery because you are actually avoiding other complications which people get in the hospital.

Many of the complications after the surgery are related to the patients being in the hospital, and infections which can be contracted while you are in the hospital.

It doesn’t happen when you are at home [outpatient]. Home is a cleaner environ-

spent a lot of money in this area. The ministry is keen to hear our recommendations. They accept our recommendations positively and we are happy about it. What we do is advisory mostly; the final decision always comes from the Ministry of Health. They are investing a lot to improve their system. The team from Canada’s University Health Network helps a lot in this regard to help implement various recommendations. The other thing is clinical aspects that come in regular basis. Like for example, one recommendation was to make more timely pathology for their cancer patients. The ministry already gave the real time result and consultations between pathologies in Kuwait and Canada. They agreed on that because they said it can help in improving skills, with more timely diagnosis to help the patients.

Cabinet, Parliament reach deadlock KUWAIT: The relationship between the Cabinet and the Parliament is reaching a deadlock, given the lack of improvement in efforts to defuse tensions clouding in Kuwait’s political scenario. These remarks were made by a Cabinet insider who believes that the executive authority will ‘settle the issue’ during its weekly meeting to be held tomorrow.

A Cabinet reshuffle or even a resignation is widely being mulled by Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah “who has to choose between a very limited set of options when the majority bloc does not give ministers a chance to

operate while placing conditions to join the Cabinet,” according to the source who spoke to Al-Qabas.

Two ministers have resigned since the Cabinet’s formation after grilling motions were filed by members from the coalition of oppositionists that form a majority in the Parliament.

The first was former Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali who stepped down in late May after a marathon debate that ended with a request to file a vote of confidence. In addition, the former Minister of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) stepped down last week, ahead of a scheduled debate (of two separate grilling motions) that were to take place next Tuesday. “The bloc broke an earlier promise after agreeing to give the Cabinet a six-month period to work before assessment,” said the source who believes that the premier made several concessions “whether in voting for the Speaker post, parliament committees and investigation committees.”

One of the options that Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak can take is file a non-cooperation letter with the Parliament to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; based on which the state’s ruling can be dissolved. “The premier is hoping that he will have to resort to this option as a final solution when all else fails,” the source said.

Local dailies reported last week, news about negotiations between Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and the majority bloc on the number of MPs who can be included in a potential new Cabinet. The bloc reportedly wants it to be nine. Similar negotiations before the Cabinet’s formation last February broke down when the premier refused to accept a similar request, though the bloc is said to be more open now to reduce the number but maintain an influence in the Cabinet’s decision-making process. The Cabinet was formed in early February after a political turmoil which saw a parliamentary dissolution after the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah’s Cabinet in late 2011 due to public pressure led by the opposition.

On the other hand, the bloc does not seem to be in a better shape according to sources who hinted that disagreements arose among members over grilling motions.

“Interpellation motions forwarded without coordination with all members is an indication that a disagreement is present with the majority bloc over this policy,” said a source close to the bloc. “In the meantime, there is a general consensus among many members that the coalition is led by certain political groups who look at the rest as an added number,” reported Al-Qabas.

MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei downplayed rumors about a looming parliamentary dissolution that can be taken as a way out of the current political turmoil. “In my opinion, the Parliament before it completes two years is wasting the nation’s capabilities,” Al-Tabtabaei said, insisting that the bloc not allow rumors to spread about an imminent dissolution.

The lawmaker made these statements recently as he announced plans to propose a stipulation banning Parliament dissolution in the first two years as part of constitutional amendments. These amendments are part of “efforts to introduce political reform” as described by the anti-government bloc, which included necessitating the prime minister gain the Parliament’s confidence while removing the minister’s right, in addition to a ‘political institutions’ law that paves the way for political parties to be established in Kuwait, reported Al- Rai.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

local

Expat business fraternity flourishes in Kuwait Paperwork, bureaucracy ‘restrictive’

By Nawara Fattahova

Preparations for traditional diving expedition KUWAIT: With summer beginning, the Kuwait Sea Sports Club(KSSC) is preparing to hold the 24th leg of the heritage-reviving activity in the period of August 23 till 30, said Ali AlQabandi KSSR’s Chairman of the Heritage Committee, noting that dhows presented by late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to KSSC would take part in the expedition.

Al-Qabandi also invited young people aged between 15 to 20 who wish to take part in this year’s expedition. He added that an exception will be made for younger participants provided, an elder kin takes part.

Moreover, Al-Qabandi said that participants had to be Kuwaiti, good swimmers, ful-

ly free to attend the training period and activities, physically and medically fit with the consent of their parents. He also noted that applicants should provide two photographs and a copy of their identification cards.

Furthermore, Al-Qabandi said that all participants should observe the condition of wearing traditional Ezar, white T-shirts and black shorts during both training and the expedition. “They should also shave their heads, refrain from smoking and observe all rules and regulations,” he added. Finally, he added that with the holy month of Ramadan approaching, the expedition will be held after that period.

Regulation to lower criteria in hiring citizens at KU KUWAIT: The Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al Hajref has approved a new regulation that governs hiring of teaching staff at Kuwait University.

Based on this rule, citizens that hold educational certificates (not on scholarship) will be accepted as teaching staff at Kuwait University.

Citizens that hold the grade ‘good’ will be

accepted as a condition to accept teaching staff. Previously, 90 percent of citizens were not accepted because they could not fulfill the ‘very good’ criteria. The certificates should be issued by a recognized university and be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education. Holders should have spent at least one and a half year in the country from which he or she received the PhD degree.

KUWAIT: An expatriate status does not deprive you from successfully running a business. Many expatriates belonging to different nationalities have conducted their businesses in Kuwait. Ahmad is a Canadian citizen of Arab origin who was born in Kuwait and studied in Canada. He started small business there. After returning to Kuwait, where his family lives, he launched a branch of his company.

“I founded my general trading and contracting company in Canada when I went to study there in 2001. I was trading with real estate in Canada selling for foreigners in 2004. I came back to Kuwait and launched a second branch. I also launched a travel agency. So it is one company that has two lines of business,” Ahmad told Kuwait Times.

The global downturn took a toll on his business. “The crisis hit our business. We survived after downsizing the business. It is slowly improving, and is doing much better than it did in 2008. This business is more than enough. We are trying to expand now by taking baby steps,” he added.

There are advantages and disadvantages of running a business in Kuwait. “Taxes wise it is better than in Canada. On the other hand, paperwork, bureaucracy and rules in Kuwait are restrictive. For instance, I should have a Kuwaiti partner to open a business, making it difficult for foreigners to invest here. I think that laws should be modified in a way to make it more attractive for investors to run business in Kuwait,” stressed Ahmad.

Jacob Ommen, an Indian expat living in Kuwait for the past 23 years began his little business in June 2003. He runs a small bookshop in Kuwait City called Q8books. “My bookshop should not be seen as a traditional business. It is primarily a hobby that doubles up as a small store mainly to bring a selection of good books and inexpensive reading. Aside

‘Mistakes can be made by judiciary’ KUWAIT: The government should act with reason in order to maintain the public’s trust and face rebels, said Jamal AlShehab Minister of Justice, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in statements made on Friday, asserting that “the judiciary is similar to others which have people

with conscience, and others who sometimes make mistakes.”

Al-Shehab was commenting on an earlier statement on a court ruling that acquitted special task forces of charges regarding use of violence against MP Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi during a demonstration

KUWAIT: A street sign in Ashbiliya near the first roundabout from the Sixth Ring Road is seen lying on the ground.

— Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh

held outside MP Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash’s diwaniya in late 2010.

“Transcending any authority is insulting people’s intelligence,” the minister said. “The people in democratic countries can correct the path through constitutional channels.” Al-Shehab reiterated that the recent ruling can still be appealed “as the final verdict is the most important,” recognizing that “some mistakes can happen.” MP Dr Al-Wasmi announced plans to introduce legislations to revitalize the judicial system.

“The judiciary is an authority whose authorities and works are organized by the law,” the lawmaker said Friday, adding that “constructive criticism is everyone’s right.” MP Musallam Al-Barrak expressed confidence that the Appeals Court will overrule the First Degree Court’s ruling. In other news, Al-Rai reported yesterday that youth groups plan to campaign for pushing the Parliament’s majority into enforcing the judicial authority’s independence law and other law-related draft laws, reported Al-Rai.

Divers install buoys around Garo island KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team of Environmental Voluntary Foundation has set up buoys around the island of Garo to protect its coral reefs. Faisal AlHerban, in charge of the operation, said in a press release yesterday that navigation marks were set up along four sides of the island to enable easi-

er navigation for visitors to the island.

Although the island was declared a natural reserve in 2008, its surrounding reefs have subject to harmful activities by fishermen and divers. Alluding to efforts to safeguard the island and its surroundings, Al-Herban said that 80 tons of harmful materials was lifted

from the reefs, in addition to fishing nets. The teams had also planted new reefs since 1999.

Kuwait’s territorial waters are dotted with several islands, major attractions for sea goers and divers. The State has drawn up plans to develop some of these islands.—KUNA

from serving the community, it prevents me from remaining idle and away from the television,” he stated.

According to him Q8books is the only bookstore in Kuwait which has an online presence.

“This has made it easier for people to reach us. More than 90 percent of the books available in my shop are used books, with only three percent being new books. So I do not import books from abroad so I do not bother with censorship.

the hard way because I did not have anybody to learn from.

Q8books is a unique bookshop, it works in a way in which books are recycled,” he concluded.

Mahmood is a 35-year- old Iranian who has lived in Kuwait all his life. “I was born here in 1977.

After I graduated from high school, I searched for work. I worked as a store manager at a furniture showroom for five years. I invested my savings into a small project consisting of a trading (import and

Ahmad Abdulsatar

Mahmood Tamimi

Jacob Ommen

Shirley Sales (right)

People come to my bookshop to sell their books and buy others. So, the books keep circulating. I do not know much about business but I love books,” stressed Ommen. “ The global financial crisis boosted my business. People preferred to read books than go to a restaurant. I have a job in the morning, so I open my bookshop in the afternoon. I do not make great profits out of it. I started it

export) company in 2000. I founded this office with a Kuwaiti partner and I began importing cars from the United Sates to Kuwait,” he pointed out.

“In the past, when I started my business it was easy. Later many rules were passed like a ban on importing a vehicle that is older than five years. The business became more difficult. Also, the economic crisis in 2008 had a neg-

ative effect, and sales were less.

The situation now has improved than how it was in 2008. It is still not very good,” Mahmood added.

He imports vehicles from the US and display them at the autobazaar of his friend in Salmiya.

“Sometimes, I advertize in some websites or the press. I also run two laundries I rented to other people. I receive a fixed amount.

The profit I make covers my expenses which are high. I spend on my family, as my father has retired,” he explained.

Shirley Sales, a Filipina businesswoman who first arrived in Kuwait in 1998, began working as a private tutor. Today, she owns three restaurants, a trading company and a beaut y salon. Her business has tasted success, expanding to Bahrain, Dubai and the Philippines.

“After my first sponsor released me, I joined Alghanim, where I worked as a secretary. I decided to open my own business and I left the company. With my savings and indemnities, I launched my first restaurant with a Kuwaiti partner in 2004 in Fahaheel, serving Filipino food. Later, I established a general trading company to import and export Filipino food by supplying different supermarkets with Filipino foodstuff. I was the first to import non-alcoholic beer, swift hotdog, fiesta Pinoy and other products,” she said.

Sales was not hit hard by the crisis. “When there was a crisis, people reduced spending on other stuff but not food. In fact, the demand for food always increases, as people will always buy food.

Now, I own two restaurants in Far waniya and Mangaf respectively. I also own a beauty salon in Farwaniya,” added Sales.

According to Sales, the sponsor is the main catalyst that helps run a successful business. “In general, it is easy to do business in Kuwait. You should always have a good partner who will not cheat on you. My partner really helped me grow my business,” she concluded.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

LOCAL

Prince Nayef

Saudi Arabia’s iron fist against Qaeda RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, whose death was announced on state television yesterday, was a long-serving interior minister who led an ironfisted crackdown on Al-Qaeda.

Prince Nayef, 78, was seen as more conservative than his half brother King Abdullah, and a pragmatist who liked to describe himself as a soldier under the command of the Saudi monarch.

Prince Nayef, who was recently abroad for medical treatment, “died outside the kingdom,” said Al-Ekhbariyah Television, quoting a statement from the royal court.

He was shown on television in Geneva three days ago greeting supporters.

According to experts on the Saudi monarchy, Prince Nayef was treated abroad in April for cancer.

He was heir to the Saudi throne for less than a year, having been named crown prince late last October after the death of his brother Sultan. The crown prince was known for his solid relations with the kingdom’s religious elite and was believed to have opposed reforms that could liberalise the Gulf ’s ultra-conservative Islamic society.

He was known for his suspicion and mistrust of Saudi Arabia’s arch-rival Iran, and had pushed for hardline policies towards the Shiite nation.

Interior minister for more than three decades, Prince Nayef enjoyed strong relations across the Arab region.

Diplomats said he played a key role in Riyadh’s decisions to host Tunisia’s ousted

strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after his January 2011 overthrow, and to send troops in March last year to Bahrain to help end Shiite-led protests.

Born in the western city of Taif in 1933, Prince Nayef was quickly pushed into public service, being named governor of Riyadh when he was barely 20.

His elder brother Prince Fahd brought him into the interior ministry, where he was named deputy minister in 1970 and minister five years later, when Fahd became crown prince.

Prince Nayef was credited for the successful crackdown on Al-Qaeda militants in subsequent years, halting their wave of bloody attacks on the kingdom between 2003 and 2006.

His internal security campaign forced AlQaeda leaders and many members to flee to southern neighbour Yemen, where they formed Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which continued to threaten Saudi interests.

Charged with managing the country’s borders, its internal crime-fighting apparatus and the internal intelligence force the mabahith, Nayef dismantled charities which used to collect donations for the late Osama bin Laden and his extremist network.

Prince Nayef’s son Prince Mohammed, who is the assistant interior minister and the kingdom’s top counter-terrorism official, escaped assassination in 2009 when a suicide bomber from Yemen tried to kill him.

In recent years he transferred day-to-day security responsibilities to Prince Mohammed, who has been even more methodical in pursu-

ing Islamist radicals and battling their ideology.

But critics accused Prince Nayef of targeting democracy and human rights activists while neglecting, until recent years, the rise of Islamic radicalism in the country.

Saudis, however, showed support and appreciation for the strongman persona Prince Nayef reflected because of public perceptions that he could deliver on national security.

Prince Nayef told reporters early in 2009 that he opposed electing members of the consultative Shura council, or to include women in the group. “I don’t see the need for that,” he said.

He defended members of Saudi Arabia’s religious police, who have often been accused of brutality and abuse.

As fall-out from the Arab Spring spread east from Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the interior ministry played a key role in preventing popular demonstrations in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Nayef publicly thanked Saudis for not answering local activists’ calls for protests.

The ministry also sought to maintain order in the face of increasing unrest in the primarily Shiite-inhabited and oil-rich Eastern province, where the kingdom accuses Iran of inciting the local population against the Sunni-led monarchy. Prince Nayef was the middle prince of the so-called Sudairi Seven, the formidable bloc of sons of King Abdul Aziz by a favourite wife, Princess Hassa al-Sudairi.

Among his other full brothers were King Fahd, who died in 2005, Crown Prince Sultan who died in 2011, and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman. — AFP

A composite of undated file pictures shows Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah II bin Abdul Aziz with his late brothers, Prince Nayef (left) and Sultan. — AFP

Kuwaitis remember with appreciation Prince Nayef stances KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah expressed deep grief and sorrow over the demise of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, recalling with appreciation the honorable stances of the deceased Saudi prince, especially during Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

“We condole ourselves and the Saudi leadership and people over the loss of Crown Prince Nayef and pray to God Almighty to rest his soul and grant his family and loved ones

patience,” Sheikh Mohammad said.

Prince Nayef, also Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, died earlier yesterday at the age of 78 while receiving treatment in Switzerland. “The demised Prince Nayef had close ties with Kuwaiti leadership and people over the past decades,” Sheikh Mohammad said, praising his honorable stance during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.

He noted that the Prince Nayef, in his capacity as the interior minister, had offered all help and facilitated Kuwaitis’ entry to Saudi Arabia

in this critical time to help them overcome their ordeal. Sheikh Mohammad recalled the great efforts made by the deceased to combat terrorism and curt its spread in the region.

“In few years, he became one of the heroes of the war on terror, the scourge that threatened the Arab and Muslim societies and the entire world,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammad expressed his hope that everybody would benefit from the memorable achievements and contributions of the late Prince Nayef. — KUNA

In this Feb. 5, 2012 file photo, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef is seen during an interview with The Associated Press at his office in Riyadh. — AP

Saudi succession:

How oil kingdom picks its kings RIYADH: To outsiders, the Al-Saud ruling family’s succession process often appears opaque. But behind the ornate doors of Riyadh’s palaces, the senior princes in a family thousands strong have long planned the next step in a complex dance of power.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz is widely seen as the next most senior prince in the world’s top oil exporter after the death of Crown Prince Nayef, which was reported yesterday, just eight months after he had become the heir himself.

Unlike in European monarchies, the line of royal succession in Saudi Arabia does not move directly from father to eldest son, but is passed down a line of brothers born to the kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who died in 1953.

So far, five brothers have become kings and around 20 are still alive. But only a few of those are thought to be realistic candidates to rule the country where Islam was born some 14 centuries ago. Some have already been passed over or renounced their claims to rule.

“The inner circle of the Al-Saud (family) can and do exclude from succession those found lacking in lineage, leadership and personal character,” said an American embassy assessment of the succession process as detailed in a 1995 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.

Under rules drawn up soon after King Abdullah, the current monarch, became king in 2005, succession decisions lie with an “allegiance council” of the ruling AlSaud family. When a king dies, his crown prince accedes to power and nominates a new crown prince.

The allegiance council, which has 34 princely members who each represent the family of a son of Ibn Saud, votes to approve the king’s choice and has the power to elect its own nominee.

The council swore allegiance to Nayef as crown prince after the death of his predecessor Prince Sultan last year, but it was unclear if it actually voted.

While the next stage of the power planning transfer process appears straightforward and uncontroversial, there will be keen interest in how the council handles more complex succession decisions in the future.

To avert a repeat of the situation that unfolded after King Fahd fell ill, when Abdullah’s leadership was undermined by his ambiguous position as de facto regent without the formal title, the council has the power to remove a king or crown prince who is too sick to rule.

Given that King Abdullah is nearly 90, the clause might prove an important failsafe in a country where power emanates from the top.

The next prince presumed to be in line for power is Prince Salman, who was made defence minister in November after Prince Sultan’s death, cementing his role near the top of the family hierarchy.

He served for five decades as governor of Riyadh province, a role that made him responsible for settling disputes between other members of the ruling family. An owner of several major media outlets that have pushed a pro-government position and supported King Abdullah’s cautious reforms, he said in 2007 that social change in the kingdom had to be slow and that the country was not ready for democracy, according to a US embassy cable released by WikiLeaks.

Because Ibn Saud had so many sons born over a period of nearly five decades, various groups of princes have envisaged different paths for the kingdom’s future.

The most powerful bloc within the variegated ranks of the Al-Saud family is thought to comprise the sons born to Ibn Saud by his favourite wife Hassa bint Ahmed Al-Sudairi: the so-called “Sudairi Seven”.

They included the late King Fahd, Prince Sultan, Prince Nayef and Prince Salman. Three other brothers include a former defence minister, a former deputy defence minister and a deputy interior minister.

To many analysts, the key question is what will happen when the succession moves beyond the sons of Ibn Saud to one of his grandsons.

That decision might not be made for some years, but outside observers already see the emergence of a handful of contenders who appear better qualified to rule than their cousins.

There are no formal rules to dictate how the generational transition will be made other than through King Abdullah’s allegiance council. But any candidate would need broad support among the family as well as a strong record of political experience.

That might point to one of the Sudairis, such as Fahd’s son Mohammed, who is governor of the Eastern Province, Sultan’s son Khaled, who is deputy defence minister, or Nayef ’s son Mohammed, who as deputy interior minister was partly responsible for the successful suppression of an al Qaeda uprising six years ago.

Salman’s son Sultan is the tourism minister and was the first Arab astronaut.

Another potential candidate among the third generation is Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, son of the former King Faisal and the well regarded governor of Makkah Province, one of the most prestigious jobs in the country.

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the son of the present king, has inherited his father’s position as head of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, a military unit that is separate from the ordinary armed forces whose role is to protect the kingdom from coups d’etats. — Reuters

5

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

LOCAL

In this Nov. 1, 2011 file photo, Saudi’s Crown Prince - Interior minister Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, right, and his son, deputy to the Saudi Interior Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, attend a ceremony of the Saudi armed forces, as they prepare for the influx of people to participate in the annual Hajj, in Arafat 15 km outside of Makkah. — AP

In this May 14, 2012 file photo, Saudi’s Crown Prince - Interior minister Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, right, and his brother Saudi defense minister Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz attend to welcome the Gulf Arab leaders as they arrive to the Saudi capital Riyadh to take part in the opening of Gulf Cooperation Council “GCC” summit. — AP

Life history at a glance RIYADH: Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior (May Allah bless his soul) was born in the city of Taif in 1353AH, corresponding to 1934 and he was grown up by his father, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud.

He has been taught by a group of senior scholars of religion, literature, poetry, political science, diplomacy and administration.

He has assumed many posts and missions as follows: * Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior 29-11-1432AH, corresponding to October 27, 2011. * Second Deputy Premier, 30 Rabi I, 1430AH corresponding to March 27, 2009. * Minister of Interior 1395 AH / 1975 AD. * Minister of State for Internal Affairs, 1394 AH / 1975 AD. * Deputy Interior Minister with a rank of minister, 1394 AH / 1974. * Deputy Interior Minister in 1390AH / 1970. * Governor of Riyadh Region in 1372- 1374 AH / 1953 AD 1954. * Undersecretary of Riyadh Region 1371- 1372 AH / 1951 - 1952.

Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz has chaired a number of committees and councils and he has been a member of a number of other councils and committees including the following: * Chairman of Board of Directors of Human Development Fund in 1421AH. * Honorary President of Saudi Association for Information and Communication in 1421AH. * Honorary President of Saudi Charity for Saudi Families Abroad. * General Supervisor of humanitarian and relief committees and campaigns in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. * Chairman of the Committee of the Statute of the systems of government, Majlis Al-Shura, and regions in 1412AH, corresponding to 1992. * Chairman of the manpower council in 1411AH. * Supervisor of Commission of Investigation and Public Prosecution in 1409AH. * Honorary President of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers in 1404 .

Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz is the Honorary President of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, which has approved many security agreements and projects to serve Arab human security including the following: * Arab security strategy in Baghdad in 1404 AH / 1984 AD. * Arab preventive security plan in Tunisia in 1405AH/1985. * Arab Counter-Terrorism Convention , signed by Arab Ministers of Interior and Justice in 1998. * A Draft Arab strategy for combating illegal use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. * Chairman of the Higher Information Council in 1401AH. * Chairman of the Supreme Commission for Industrial Security in 1397AH. * Chairman of Board of Directors of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences in 1397AH. * Chairman of the Council of Governors of Regions in 1395AH. * Chairman of the Supreme Council of Civil Defense in 1387AH. * Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee in 1385AH. * Member of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. * Vice-President of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development. * Chairman of the Supreme Council for Tourism.

Crown Prince Naif’s vision on the development of sectors of the Ministry of the Interior focuses on the following: * Development of human resources through education and training. * Modern management and modernization of systems. * Attention to infrastructures. * Technical development and modernization.

Crown Prince Naif’s efforts have resulted in comprehensive development of security sectors including General Directorate of Civil Defence; Directorate General of the Border Guard; Directorate General of Public Security; General Directorate of Intelligence; Directorate General of Prisons; Special Security Forces; Directorate General of Passports; security forces installations; Directorate General for Drug Control.

Crown Prince Naif has paid attention to security files and worked for their development as a partnership between citizens and the security institutions including: First: tackling intellectual issues of extremism and terrorism: * Establishment of Intellectual Security Directorate of Ministry of Interior in 1427AH/2007. * Establishment and finance of Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Chair for Intellectual Security Studies at King Saud University in 1428/2008. * Finance of Prince Naif Chair for National Unity Studies at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in 1429AH/2009. * Encouragement and support for dozens of studies and research on the phenomenon of extremism. * The formation of a working group of university professors to develop strategic plans for Arab intellectual security.

Second: drugs control: * The establishment of Directorate General of Drugs Control. * The establishment of National Committee for Drug Control in 1428AH. Prince Nayef has signed a number of bilateral , regional and international agreements to combat the phenomenon of drugs and its scourge.

Prince Nayef has supervised committees and campaigns for relief and humanitarian works at regional and international arenas.

In the area of the service to science and knowledge, Prince Nayef exerted many efforts, including: 1Nayef Arab University for Security Studies: Prince Nayef chaired the Board of Directors of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), which took up the task of development of security and judicial expertise and provision of programs and international conferences benefiting Arab countries. It grants diplomas, master’s and doctoral degrees.

2Prophet’s Sunnah Award: An International award dedicated to supporting researchers and scholars in the fields of Sunnah and its sciences.

3Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz contest for Memorization of Hadith: A contest for memorization of Hadith in 2006.

4Establishment of Scientific Chairs locally and internationally: Prince Nayef Chair for national unity - Prince Nayef Chair for Intellectual Security - Prince Nayef Chair of moral values.

5Scholarships: A number of students receiving higher education inside the Kingdom and abroad with scientific grants from him in different disciplines.

6Support for public and scientific associations: Prince Nayef supported the activities of several scientific and public institutions including (National Association of Retired Persons, the Saudi Charity for Saudi Families Abroad “bonds” and the Saudi Society for communication and media).

7Scientific Departments: Establishment of the Islamic Studies Department at the University of Moscow 1416 AH / 1995 AD. Crown Prince Nayef patronized many awards, conferences and scientific and national events, including: * Prophet’s Sunnah Award and memorization of Hadith. * Prince Nayef Award for Saudization. * 2nd Conference and Exhibition of Occupational Health

Prince Nayef poses with a group of young students.

and Safety organized by the General Organization for Social Insurance. * Second Symposium on reform and rehabilitation at correctional institutions under the banner (the prisoner and the community). * Annual Media Forum of the Saudi Society for communication and Media. * International Forum of community partnership in the field of scientific research. * Annual Symposium (Security is everyone’s responsibility). * Annual Symposium (Society and Security). * Conference on Saudi families and the changes of today. * First National Conference on Intellectual Security King Saud University. * Dawa Studies forum and Sunnah translation seminar. * 19the National Congress on computer at King Saud University entitled the digital economy and information technology industry. * Second Islamic Conference of Environment Ministers. * First Conference of the Division of Industrial Engineering at the Saudi Council of Engineers. * Conference of (safety and health of the pilgrims). * First International Conference on Tourism and Handicrafts. * Conference on Human Rights in Peace and War. * Second Arab Conference of Heads of Public Prosecutions. * Seventh Conference of Heads of Arab media and the

joint meeting with the Arab media.

Crown Prince Nayef held numerous honors and got a lot of certificates, including: * Cloud Medal from the Republic of China in 1397 AH / 1977 AD. * Legion of Honor Medal from the Republic of France in 1397 AH / 1977 AD. * The Order of the Great Liberator from the Republic of Venezuela in 1397 AH / 1977 AD. * The Star Decoration from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 1397 AH / 1977 AD. * Honorar y Doctorate in Law from Chung Cheng University in Taiwan in 17/8/1399 AH / 1979 AD. * King Abdul Aziz Sash (medal) of the first rank, the highest honor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. * The national security medal from the Republic of South Korea in 1400/1980. * Honorary Doctorate of Law from South Korea. * An honorary doctorate degree in political science from the Lebanese University in 1430 H./2009 G., at the conclusion of the 26th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior in Beirut. * An honorary doctorate degree from the University of Umm Al-Qura in Islamic politics. * Order of the Cedar from Lebanon 1430 AH / 2009 AD. * Honorary Doctorate from the University of Rabat in the Republic of Sudan.

May Allah bestow mercy on Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz and grant him Paradise. — SPA

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

local Salwa residents disappointed over TSC shutdown

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The residents of Salwa and neighbouring populace left disappointed from the parking lot in Salwa on seeing The Sultan Centre (TSC) closed in Salwa.

Hundreds of people were accustomed to shopping at TSC for many years and were surprised to find the place dark and closed for an unknown period.

Stickers from the Ministry of Commerce stating that the place was closed for violating regulation number 62/2007 were stuck on both doors. The sticker also warned people against trying to remove it as it was the sole responsibility of the Ministry.

Kuwait Times was not able to get a statement or comment on why only the Salwa branch was targeted. Many attempts to contact authorities failed to come through since it’s the weekend.

The reason remains unclear. If it was regarding expired food stuff, it would be closed by the municipality. No information has been provided about when the place will be ready to function again.

Musaed, a 32-year-old Salwa resident remarked that it’s a pity that the place has been closed as he has been a loyal customer of TSC for more than 10 years now.

“I like the place as it’s very organized and it’s better than a co-op as it has many items which aren’t available at the co-op,” he told the Kuwait Times.

Stefani, an expat customer of TSC wondered what the reason behind the shutdown was and hoped that it will be opened again. “I really hope the problem will be solved and they ’ll reopen the place. It’s true that the Salmiya branch of TSC is bigger and better equipped but the best thing about this place is that it’s always easy to find parking here,” she said.

KUWAIT: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Khalid Suleiman Al-Jarallah and Philippines Ambassador Shulan O. Primavera jointly cut the ceremonial cake at a reception at Crowne Plaza Hotel on the occasion of the 114th anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence. A number of diplomats, high ranking officials and a cross section of the Filipino community attended the reception. —Photos by Joseph Shagraa

Zain shares its success factors with PACI KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunication company in Kuwait, hosted a visit by officials from the Public Authority For Civil Information as part of the organization’s cooperation with local institutions aiming to demonstrate the experience that makes Zain a leader in the telecommunications sector.

The visit aimed to demonstrate the Public Authority For Civil Information’s call centre the unique business model applied

by Zain’s customer service center (107), the company said in a press statement. The Public Authority For Civil Information officials were introduced to the system of operation and the network growth of communication devices on the server. The officials were also shown the database and the screens and the way drafting of timely reports is done. They also experienced how to prepare and take advantage of these tools during staff evaluation.

During the visit,Zain hosted a lecture focused on the mechanism of the call center (107) and its great success in taking up the leading position among its counterparts in the region.

Zain noted that the Public Authority For Civil Informationofficials were introduced to the organizational structure of Zain’s contact center, starting from the entry passes, to the staff job description, and the log with the overall system and delays.

Also, the visitors were guided on how to set up a database to receive calls and determine the best ways of dealing with customers.

This visit created a good opportunity for the Public Authority For Civil Information officials to experience the level of service Zain provides to its customers. In turn, the visitors expressed their admiration for the high level of services and for the high standard in following the company’s operational model and state-of-the-art equipment and systems.

Zain stressed on the priority given to the customer and the motivation to get the highest mark for customer satisfaction both being drawn from the company’s operational strategy.

Zain is keen to convey its experience in the telecommunications sector to all organizations willing to identify the operational model on all service level. Zain is committed to share its success.

For his par t, Mohamed Al-Rashed, head of customer service in the Public Authority For Civil Information (PACI) stated that the visit is part of the organization’s plan of field visits work places of excellence, such as Zain’s Customer Service Centre. He said, “such visits add value to our work process and can be applied to our office that opened in the Commission in January 2012.”

Foul play suspected in five-year-old’s death Man killed, co-worker injured KUWAIT: A criminal investigation is underway to determine the circumstances which led to the death of a five-year-old boy in Fahaheel recently. The victim reportedly arrived dead at the area’s polyclinic where he was rushed by his parents who explained that they found him suffocated with a piece of cloth wrapped around his neck. Police summoned the family’s housemaid for investigations after the parents suspected her. The woman denied any involvement in the case, insisting that the child suffered from a medical condition and used to move a lot during his sleep. Investigators are waiting for the forensic examination report.

Shuwaikh mishap A construction worker was killed and another was seriously injured after falling off a building in Shuwaikh recently. The two were hospitalized shortly after the mishap was reported, but one of them was pronounced dead at the nearest medical facility where the other is in ICU in a critical condition. Police opened an investigation to reveal circumstances behind the incident after the victims reportedly fell from the sixth floor of a building under construction.

Slow treatment A woman died recently from complications after a staff member refused her treatment at the hospital till she showed her marriage certificate. The victim, an Indian citizen in her forties, reportedly died at home a few days after a staff member at the Maternity Hospital failed to

cooperate adequately with her emergency case.

According to the report quoting a source, the woman arrived at the hospital complaining of severe abdominal pains, but the registration employee refused to open a file without a marriage certificate as the followed procedure. The female employee insisted on following the procedure despite doctors’ recommendation which exempts emergency cases under the same rule.

Tests following the victim’s death revealed that her condition was caused by a large tumour.

Political row An Egyptian man was injured during a fight with two compatriots over political conflicts related to the presidential elections in Egypt.

Paramedics rushed to the scene in Abu Halifa soon after the incident was reported, and they immediately rushed the victim to Al-Adan Hospital to treat his stab wounds. Police arrested the perpetrators who reportedly attacked their compatriot when he cheered an Egyptian Supreme Court order that allowed candidate Ahmed Shafik to remain in the presidential race.

Ingrate son A 21-year-old man was arrested recently after physically assaulting his parents at home in Saad Al-Abdullah. Police rushed to the scene after an emergency call from the homeowner.

Following the attacker’s arrest, his parents explained to police that he first pushed his mother when she confronted him after return-

‘Kuwaiti-Egyptian ties are strong’ KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Egyptian ties are very strong and is based on a solid foundation, said Abdulkarim Sulaiman Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait said.

Kuwaiti investment is the core of

the Egyptian economy. He denied rumors that the 25 January revolution has strained relations. The Ambassador thanked the Egyptian community in Kuwait for abiding by

Kuwaiti rules and regulations, and for respecting them.

He added that after elections, he will work toward achieving the ambitions of the Egyptian committee and building new

premises to organize work in the consulate. He concluded, we are working toward opening an Egyptian Embassy in Kuwait in accordance with the Egyptian community’s request.

Fires in Amghara scrapyard ‘under control’ KUWAIT: Fires in the Amghara scrapyard area were extinguished by the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, said a statement here yesterday.

Head of the Jahra Al-Salmi areas’ fire directorate Col Mohammad Al-Kanderi said that the fires occurred earlier yesterday in an area of around 2,000 meters, adding that the firefighters managed to control the blazes in a period of an hour and half.

No injuries have been inflicted among the firefighters, affirmed the official.

A similar incident occurred on Friday within the scrapyard and the KFSD managed to put out the fire.

Meanwhile, security sources said that state security is following up the cases of accidental fire which happen every Friday in Jahra and

has reason to believe that the incidents are deliberate.

The last incident of fire which took place on Friday required the intervention of 10 fire centres. The fire broke out in a plastic factory over an area of 5,000 square meters and included a store for chemical materials.

Firemen made an effort to contain it to ensure it didn’t engulf the nearby stores, security sources said. They also revealed that state security participated in investigating all fires started in the area surrounding Saad AlAbdullah City.

In another development, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) said that fire incidents have been occurring every two or three weeks, the recent of which was the incident where a

fire broke out at a plastic factory in Amghara industrial area.

Capt Ali Haidar EPA Deputy Director General said that the fire broke out in the 6,000-square-meter factory which includes many highly flammable materials, producing smoke consisting of toxic gases.

The smoke covered many areas of Saad AlAbdullah residential area and Jahra City, Haidar said. The degree of pollutants in the smoke were high, he noted, prompting EPA to warn inhabitants into staying indoors and not to leaving their houses except in cases of emergency.

Haidar said that the business owners should exercise more caution while using flammable materials.

KUWAIT: Firefighters in action after fire erupted in the Amghara scrapyard area yesterday.

— Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

ing home “in an inebriated state”, before launching an assault on his father when he defended her. The man was taken to the area’s police station where he was charged.

Alcohol smugglers Three people were arrested at the Kuwait International Airport for attempting to smuggle alcohol in their suitcases. The suspects arrived from their native Gulf state when customs officials noticed objects resembling bottles inside one of their suitcases at the x-ray scanner. The suitcase’s owner was held after 30 liquor bottles were found inside; while his two companions were arrested after a similar number of bottles were found in each of their suitcases. They were taken to the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station for further action.

Detainee’s escape foiled Jahra police station officers managed to arrest an inmate who was able to escape recently before reaching his house in nearby AlQasr. The suspect was being put back into his cell after testifying at the Public Prosecution, when his handcuffs got stuck. Police called firefighters to break the handcuffs after which the suspect sneaked out of police’s hold and managed to run away from the police station. The escape’s plan failed when an officer ran after him and caught him near his house. He was returned back to the police station and charged with attempted escape.

—Al-Rai, Al-Watan, Al-Anba

NA delegation visit to Slovakia pushes bilateral ties forward BRATISLAVA, Slovakia: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Slovakia Bader Nasser Al-Houti reiterated the importance of current visit by the second Kuwaiti parliamentary friendship group to Slovakia that aims at boosting parliamentary relations between the two countries and look into ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Al-Houti said yesterday that ties between Kuwait and Slovakia are thriving in all fields especially, the economic, health and educational sectors.

He encouraged Kuwaiti students to seek Slovakian universities for their educational purpose. In addition, he even endorsed establishing Kuwaiti businesses in the European country. The parliamentary delega-

tion consists of MPs Jamaan al-Herbish, Abdullah Al-Barghesh, Salem Al-Namlan, Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Nayef Merdas and Menawer Al-Azmi.

The delegation’s visit to Slovakia, which will last three days, falls within the framework of strengthening the existing relations between Kuwait and Slovakia, in addition to exchanging views on a number of issues of common interest and to continue consultations and to promote cooperation between the representatives of the two peoples in both countries.

Kuwait is the first country in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council having its resident embassy in the Slovak capital Bratislava. —KUNA

Kuwaiti official commends philanthropic forum with Tunisia TUNIS: The first Kuwaiti-Tunisian Philanthropy Forum, which kicked off here on Friday, is part of fast-track efforts to shore up charitable activities, a senior Kuwaiti official said.

Addressing the three-day forum, Deputy Secretary General of the Kuwaiti General Secretariat of Awqaf and Head of the Forum’s Preparator y Committee Mohammad Al-Jalahma said the gathering is mainly intended to promote Kuwait’s philanthropic experience and to build connecting bridges between Kuwaiti and Tunisian charities.

The forum also aims to set out effective methods to support Tunisian charities by means of boosting their capability of fulfilling the needs of the poor and have-nots, he said.

He also considered the gathering a distinguished framework for sharing experience with Tunisian charities and getting acquainted with other countries’ philanthropic activities.

For his part, Kuwaiti Ambassador in Tunis Fahad Al-Awadhi hailed the forum as giving a fresh dimension for direct communication between both brotherly Kuwaiti and Tunisian peoples by further reinforcing

cooperation between both sides’ charities.

Speaking to KUNA on the sidelines of the forum, he said the event reflects good relations between Kuwait and Tunisia, given that it came shortly following a recent visit by Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki to the State of Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti-Tunisian Philanthropy Forum is part of the fruits of the Tunisian leader’s successful visit to Kuwait, he pointed out.

It also comes within the framework of mutual initiatives in various areas aiming to raise bilateral relations to higher horizons, the Kuwaiti ambassador added.

The forum, the first of its kind, aims to strengthen co-operation between the two countries, exchange local and international expertise and increase awareness on philanthropy.

Themed “Experience and Communication”, the event is being held under the auspices of Kuwaiti Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Jamal Ahmed Al-Shehab in cooperation with the Kuwaiti-based Awqaf Public Foundation, Zakat House and the International Islamic Charitable Organization. — KUNA

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

Drones, computers-new weapons of US shadow wars

Bombs target Shiite pilgrims, 26 killed

Page 11

Page 8

CAIRO: Egyptian Christian Coptic women line up to cast their votes at a polling station in the Cairo Coptic neighborhood of Shubra yesterday. — AFP

Egyptians choose ‘lesser of two evils’ Stark choice for Egypt in presidential poll CAIRO: Egyptians voted yesterday in the first free presidential election in their history that for many offers a choice of the lesser of two evils - a military man who served deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak or an Islamist who says he is running for God. Reeling from a court order two days ago to dissolve a new parliament dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, many question whether the wealthy generals who pushed aside their fellow officer Mubarak last year to appease the pro-democracy protests of the Arab Spring will honor a pledge to let civilians rule.

“Egypt chooses a president today without a constitution or a parliament,” Al-Masry Al-Youm daily wrote in a front-page headline, highlighting the uncertainty many Egyptians feel 16 months after Mubarak’s 30-year rule ended with mass protests.

With neither a parliament nor a new constitution in place to define the president’s powers, the run-off vote will not settle the matter, leaving 82 million Egyptians, foreign investors and allies in the United States and Europe unsure what kind of state the

most populous Arab nation will be.

Whoever wins, the army retains the upper hand.

A Shafik presidency means a man steeped in military tradition will be back in charge, just like all the other previous presidents. If Morsy wins, the military can still influence how much executive authority he has in the yet-to-be-written constitution. Many fear the Brotherhood will not accept a defeat quietly and a Shafik win could touch off new turmoil on the streets, forcing the army to take sides to impose order and further unsettling a state at the heart of a turbulent Middle East. The euphoria that accompanied Mubarak’s overthrow on Feb 11, 2011 has given way to exhaustion and frustration after a messy and often violent transition overseen by the generals. For those who preferred the secular centrists, leftists and moderate Islamists who lost in the first round, the two-man run-off leaves an unpalatable choice from the extremes. Some of Egypt’s 50 million eligible voters say they will despoil their ballots rather than back Ahmed Shafik, 70, a former air force commander who was Mubarak’s last prime

Copts back Shafiq as anti-Islamist bulwark CAIRO: As Egyptians voted for a new president yesterday, many of the country’s Coptic Christians said they were backing Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister they believe can stem a rising Islamist tide. In the workingclass Cairo neighborhood of Shobra, home to a large Christian community, 30-year-old Makram was proud to declare his support for Shafiq, the last premier to serve under ousted president Hosni Mubarak. “We are backing the one who can ensure a measure of security for our community and the country,” the government employee said.

“Since the end of the first round on May 24, we launched a mobilization campaign to get the community to vote for Shafiq and encourage those who are reluctant to go and vote yesterday and Sunday” in the runoff poll, he added. Makram denied that the Coptic Church leadership had urged the faithful to vote one way or another, but even without such an endorsement, the Christian community has largely swung their support behind Shafiq’s campaign.

And in Shobra, men and women joined long queues outside polling stations set up in local schools from the early hours of the morning, determined to cast their ballots.

While Shafiq’s critics dub him a “felool,” a pejorative term used by some Egyptians to refer to members of the old regime, Makram countered that his candidate had “a clear vision for the future of the country.” And Shafiq’s experience, as a prime minister, aviation minister and air force chief, “will allow him to reestablish security and protect those who are discriminated against,” he said.

Egypt’s Christian population, which is believed to represent between six and 10 percent of Egypt’s 82 million strong popula-

tion, has long complained of discrimination and increasingly fears “creeping Islamism” in Egyptian society. Their patriarch, Shenouda III, an ardent defender of his community, died on March 17 at age 88 and has not yet been replaced. Shafiq’s rival, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi has tried to quiet the fears of the Christian population, promising to protect their rights and stamp out discrimination.

In speeches he refers to “our Christian brothers” who are “our partners in the nation and have full rights.” Some of his posters even feature pictures of Coptic priests. But his words have largely fallen on deaf ears, at least among the Christians in Shobra.—AFP “They say one thing and do the opposite, to marginalize us,” 35-year-old Maureen, a Coptic teacher, said of the Brotherhood.

“Look, in the last two years we’ve had attacks, murders, restrictions on the building of churches have increased and God knows what future we’ll have with the Salafists,” she added. At the Mohammed Abdu school in Shobra, Omar Abdi, a Muslim shopkeeper in the neighborhood, railed against those criticizing the Islamists and urged his Coptic compatriots not to vote on the basis of their fears.

“We were all discriminated against under the old regime. This is a new era and all parts of the society must work to build the new Egypt,” the bearded 50-year-old said.

“Vote for Morsi. There’s nothing to fear,” he said, attracting a few gestures of sympathy from the crowd, some of who said “God protect Egypt.” Shafiq, a Muslim who has nonetheless stood as a fierce critic of the Brotherhood, calls the group a “reactionary” organization that wants to return Egypt to the “Middle Ages.” —AFP

minister, or Mohammed Morsy, 60, of the Brotherhood, the clandestine enemy of army rule for six decades. “Both are useless but we must choose one of them unfortunately,” said Hassan ElShafie, 33, in Mansoura, north of Cairo. “But I am thinking of spoiling my vote.”

EXASPERATION Yet, Shafik has won over many who see him having the army’s backing to bring stability to a nation, whose economy has been teetering on the brink of crisis with its foreign reserves drained dramatically after tourists and investors packed up. “He has exactly what we need in a leader. A strong military man to have a strong grip on the state and bring back security,” said Hamdy Saif, 22, a student in Cairo’s Nasser City district. There are signs of exasperation with the Brotherhood’s push for power on the back of a revolt driven in its early stages by the secular, urban middle class that may limit Morsy’s ability to widen his appeal beyond the Brotherhood’s disciplined ranks.

The Brotherhood had secured the biggest bloc in parliament elected in a vote that ended in January. It ran for more seats that it initially said it would and then angered some Egyptians by reneging on a declaration not to seek the presidency. The court ruling to dissolve parliament reverses its gains, and helped win at least some more sympathizers for the group. “I was going to vote for Shafik but after parliament was dissolved, I changed my mind and will vote Morsy. There is no more fear of the Islamists dominating everything,” said Ahmed Attiya, 35, a IT technician in Cairo’s Zamalek district.

“Shafik represents a counter-revolution,” he added.

He had joined others to vote early on the first of two days of voting. A result could be known as early Sunday night. International monitors gave guarded approval of the first round of voting and there were no early reports of major violations yesterday. One Egyptian monitoring group said early indications were that voting was running smoothly. The head of the election committee, Farouk Soltan, told Reuters “turn out was good so far” late yesterday morning, after 46 percent eligible voters cast ballots in the first round.

Critics denounced the court’s parliament ruling as a coup and compared it to the start of the Algerian civil war, when the military cancelled an election won by Islamists 20 years ago. But the Brotherhood renounced violence as a means to achieve political change in Egypt decades ago and an Islamist uprising in the 1990s was put down by Mubarak and his security forces, which have survived last year’s revolt intact.

OLD REGIME Hardline Islamist violence this month in Tunis, where the first Arab Spring uprising inspired Egyptians to follow, has also hardened fears of political Islam, notably among those dependent on tourism for a living, secular activists, women and the Egypt’s Christians, who make up a tenth of the nation. “With Shafik I know what policy he is going to pursue but Morsy is enigmatic and shadowy like their underground group,” said Walid Farouk, a 42year-old cook, referring to the Brotherhood which was banned for decades under Mubarak.

But some voters said they would not be silent if Shafik won. “Youths died in the revolution and not

so the old regime can return. If Shafik wins, I will be the first one to gather the people and go to Tahrir Square,” said Sherif Abdel Aziz, 25, a worker in Fayoum, a city south of Cairo. More than 850 people were killed in the uprising that brought Mubarak down. The former president has been sentenced to life in jail as was his interior minister but many were angry with the June 2 verdict because six top police officers were acquitted, so many now feel Mubarak could win an appeal. Both candidates have sought the centre ground, promising to rule in the spirit of the revolution: “It is not correct that the military council wants to rule through me,” said Shafik, seen as a potential successor even in Mubarak’s time although he and other contenders were overshadowed by the president’s son. Protesters chanted slogans for and against Shafik as he voted in a Cairo suburb, slipping into the polling station by a side door. But he did not face the hail of shoes or the same kind of abuse that he received when he voted in the first round.

Morsy, a last-minute choice for the Brotherhood after their preferred candidate was barred, has played down talk of a crackdown on beachwear and alcohol that would hurt tourism and steered away from confrontation with Israel after three decades of cool peace maintained during Mubarak’s militarybacked rule. Morsy cast his vote in a Nile Delta city, driving into the grounds of the polling station set up in a school by car. But both candidates are also defined by those who promoted them. The Brotherhood candidate says he is running because God expects him to offer his sacrifice for the nation.

Shafik’s air force career shadowed that of Mubarak, his elder by 13 years. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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

UN suspends Syria monitoring as violence rages BEIRUT: United Nations observers monitoring the turmoil in Syria suspended operations yesterday in response to escalating violence which threatens to kill off a tattered peace plan brokered by international mediator Kofi Annan.

General Robert Mood said the relentless bloodshed posed a threat to his unarmed observers, one of whose patrols was fired upon four days ago, and prevented them from carrying out their mandate to monitor Annan’s widely ignored April 12 ceasefire.

“There has been an intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past 10 days,” Mood said in statement. “The lack of willingness by the parties to seek a peaceful transition, and the push towards advancing military positions is increasing the losses on both sides.” Mood is expected to brief the United Nations Security Council on Monday about the security situation in Syria, which head of UN peacekeeping said this week was now in the throes of full-scale civil war.

The five veto-wielding Security Council members are expected to have discussions on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Mexico, which starts on Monday, aimed at breaking deadlock on the issue of international sanctions against Syria. Mood said the violence posed “significant risks” to the 300 unarmed members of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), who have been operating there since late April. “In this high risk situation, UNSMIS is suspending its activities. UN observers will not be conducting patrols and will stay in their locations until further notice,” Mood said, noting the decision would be reviewed on a daily basis. Last Tuesday shots were fired at a car carrying UN observers after they were turned away from the town of Haffeh by angry Assad supporters who threw stones and metal rods at their convoy. Many

hundreds of people, including civilians, rebels and government forces, have been killed in the two months since Annan’s ceasefire deal was supposed to come into effect. But the violence has increased sharply this month, with rebels formally abandoning any commitment to Annan’s ceasefire and government forces using attack helicopters

and artillery to pound opposition strongholds into submission.

HOMS BOMBARDED The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 22 civilians were killed yesterday, most of them in army shelling on the

LONDON: Protestors chant slogans during a women demonstration against the Bashar Al-Assad regime crackdown on pro-democracy protests, outside the Syrian embassy in central London yesterday. The former chief of the main opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) yesterday urged the United Nations to deploy peacekeepers after UN observers suspended their mission in the country. — AFP

eastern suburbs of Damascus. Ac tivists also reported gunfire in the Mezze neighborhood of the capital, and bombardment of rebel strongholds in the central city of Homs which they said killed five people. “There has been heavy shelling in Homs since early morning,” a local activist who declined to be named said by Skype. “Since 4 am there was mor tar and ar tiller y shelling of Khalidiya, Old Homs, Jouret Al-Shiyah and Qusur districts,” he said Syria restricts access to international media, making it hard to verify accounts by activists and authorities.

The British-based Observatory, which monitors violence in Syria through a network of local sources, said 1,000 families were surrounded in the Homs districts under fire from Assad’s forces yesterday. Dozens of wounded people were in danger because of lack of medical equipment, it said. France said on Friday night it was seriously concerned about what it said were reports of an imminent large-scale operation against Homs.

“The bloody repression led by Syrian authorities, which is intolerable and has caused tens of deaths in recent days, must come to an end,” a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

“Bashar Al Assad’s regime continues to violate commitments under the Annan plan and threatens international peace and security. Sooner or later, the Security Council will have to reckon with the consequences.” The United Nations says Syrian forces have k illed 10,000 people in a crackdown on protest against Assad’s rule which broke out in March last year, inspired by uprisings across the Arab world which have toppled four autocratic leaders. Syrian authorities blame the violence on foreign-backed Islamists who they say have killed at least 2,600 police and soldiers. — Reuters

Lebanon must ‘end rifts to withstand Syrian turmoil’ Tensions make disarming Hezbollah impossible

BAGHDAD: Shiite pilgrims carry a symbolic coffin at the holy shrine of the Imam Moussa Al-Kadhim during the annual commemoration of the saint’s death in the Shiite district of Kazimiyah in Baghdad yesterday. — AP

Bombs target Shiite pilgrims, 26 killed Third attack on Iraq pilgrims in a week BAGHDAD: Car bombers targeting Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad killed at least 26 people yesterday in the latest attacks by insurgents trying to tip Iraq back into widespread sectarian violence. It was the third day of bombings to strike Shiite pilgrims this week. On Wednesday, a wave of bombings killed 70 people across Iraq in the bloodiest violence since US troops left the country in December.

Yesterday’s car bombs exploded near Baghdad’s Kadhimiya district, scattering body parts and clothing along a route used by pilgrims marking the anniversary of the death of Shiite imam Moussa Al-Kadhim, a great-grandson of Prophet Mohammad. “We rushed to the scene, there were dismembered bodies, shoes, plastic bags, women’s robes left all around, and people were screaming everywhere,” said Ahmed Maati, a policeman working nearby.

The recent attacks on Shiite targets are reviving fears Iraq risks slipping back into the broad sectarian slaughter of its recent past, especially as Shiite, Sunni and ethnic Kurdish parties that make up its fragile government feud over sharing power. With security around Baghdad’s Kadhimiya district very tight for the religious festival, one bomber yesterday posed as a taxi driver and picked up pilgrims to access the area. At least 14 were killed in that initial blast and more than 30 wounded, authorities said. A second car bomb exploded nearby and killed at least 12 more and wounded 28, police and hospital sources said.

AL-QAEDA AFFILIATE Al-Qaeda’s Iraq affiliate, Islamic State of Iraq or ISI, has claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attacks, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which follows jihadist websites. Iraq’s Al-Qaeda wing was weakened by its long war with US and Iraqi security forces, but since the last American troops left in December, the group and other Sunni Islamist insurgents have carried out a major attack about once a month this year. Al-Qaeda in Iraq often hits Shiite targets in an attempt to stir up the kind of sectarian tensions that drove Iraq to the edge of civil war and killed tens of thousands of people in 2006-2007.

They also target security forces to try

to show the Shiite-led government is failing to stamp out violence. Earlier this month, ISI claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a major Shiite religious office in Baghdad, which killed 26 people, wounded 190 and evoked memories of the darker days of the country’s conflict. The violence also risks escalating tensions among the Shiite, Sunni Muslim and Kurdish blocks in the government as Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki fends off attempts at a vote of no confidence against him.

Many Sunni Iraqis, who once dominated the Shiite majority under dictator Saddam Hussein, fear Maliki is consolidating his power at their expense by ignoring pledges to share power among the country’s sectarian and ethnic mix.

Kurdistan, an autonomous Kurdish area in northern Iraq reliant on the central government’s budget, is also chaffing against Maliki’s authority in a long-running feud for control over oil and areas disputed by ethnic Kurds and Iraqi Arabs. — Reuters

BEIRUT: Lebanon risks being sucked into a worsening spiral of violence that has already begun to spill over from neighboring Syria unless its deeply divided leaders set aside their disputes, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said. The situation was so tense that the tiny Arab Mediterranean country could not afford the luxury of internal disputes, including a row over disarming the Shi’ite movement Hezbollah, and needed to agree to set them aside for now, he added.

“If, God forbid, something happened in Lebanon I do not think there would be anyone to help. There would be an absurd war among the Lebanese in which everyone would lose,” Charbel said in an interview late on Friday. “Conditions now do not allow for disputes.” Lebanon is still recovering from its bloody 1975-1990 civil war, but unrest in its larger and more powerful neighbour Syria has fuelled long-running tensions, sparking violent clashes on the streets of its northern port city of Tripoli and of its capital Beirut.

The opposition March 14 grouping has called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government, a coalition which includes Charbel’s mainly Christian Free Patriotic Movement and the Shiite Hezbollah group, to be replaced by a “salvation government.” It is also pressing for the disarmament of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s powerful Shi’ite militant and political group that fought a war against Israel in 2006.

Hezbollah supports Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in his crackdown on his opponents.

Hezbollah was the only armed group to retain its weapons after the end of the civil war - its domestic rivals have always been uneasy about its arsenal, but it has proved too powerful within Lebanon to be forced to surrender it. It initially said it needed to keep its weapons to confront Israeli forces which maintained their occupation of southern Lebanon for 10 years after the civil war ended.

It now says it needs to keep them to deter any future attack by Israel. “The argument over the government is a minor one and the argument over Hezbollah’s arms is minor - any other disagreements are minor compared to what Lebanon would face because of what is happening in Syria,” said Charbel.

GUNMEN Ruling a country of just four million people, Lebanon’s government has often been paralysed by squabbling among its religiously and politically divided members, many of whom

HOMS: Image shows smoke rising from a mosque following shelling by government forces on the Khalidiyah neighborhood of the restive central city of Homs. — AFP

are in parties formed during the 15-year civil war. Political leaders have held a series of largely fruitless “national dialogue” meetings to try to overcome their differences, which have hampered efforts to tackle massive public debt and crippling electricity shortages. “I call on those sitting at the table of dialogue not to demand any preconditions. Our first priority is saving Lebanon from the calamity we have fallen into,” Charbel said.

Charbel said the debate over Hezbollah’s weapons had hindered efforts by security forces to clamp down on other armed groups and their weapons, fearing a political conflagration. Hezbollah’s Sunni Muslim political opponents have supported the Syrian uprising, and it is gunmen from their ranks that have clashed with Assad supporters, particularly in Tripoli. “It would be very easy to carry out raids and clear out the gunmen (in Tripoli),” said Charbel. “But then other Lebanese groups

will say there are other places with weapons.

That would be an embarrassing subject because it would seem security forces were not applying the law everywhere.”

However, Charbel said security forces were tightening up security at Lebanon’s border with Syria, across which rebels have been smuggling weapons to the opposition.

“Weapons smuggling has dropped substantially because the Lebanese army has tightened its grip on legal crossings and that was where most of the smuggling happened,” he said.

“But we should not forget that the border is 180 km long and the Lebanese army and security forces are not capable of covering all that.”

Militants using Lebanon as a crossing point into Syria had increased in numbers, he added, but security forces were improving their technical capabilities at airports, seaports and borders in order to apprehend them. — Reuters

20 years on, the dilemma of world’s biggest refugee camp NAIROBI: Set up as an emergency measure 20 years ago, the refugee camps for Somalis in Dadaab in eastern Kenya have swollen to become the world’s biggest-a dilemma for experts and an open prison for residents. With more than 465,000 inhabitants at the end of May, the camps at Dadaab now constitute Kenya’s third-biggest town. But the health situation and the social situation are going downhill, insecurity has taken hold there and the Kenyan government is losing patience. “It is clear that keeping the camps as they are for another 20 years is not an option. But what is the alternative?” Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without borders-MSF) asked at a conference on the subject this week in Nairobi.

The camps were set up in 1992 in Kenya’s arid north east, almost 100 kilometers from the Somali border, as what was at the time a temporary measure to aid refugees fleeing the civil war that followed the fall of Mohamed Siad Barre. But things went from bad to worse in Somalia with conflict aggravated by drought bringing on one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, notably last year when tens of thousands of Somalis died of hunger and hundreds of thousands of others joined the ranks of those who were displaced or who fled.

Since then a coalition of regional military forces has pushed back the Shebab Islamists and a good rainy season

has brought satifactory harvests. But nobody is moving out of Dadaab and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. “Continuing to bring supplies to Kenya encourages more people to cross the border,” Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga told journalists earlier this week. “The best solution for the refugees is to go back home,” Kenya’s Commissioner for Refugees Badu Katelo said, arguing that the setbacks to the Shebab in southern Somalia should open the way for “voluntary” repatriation of refugees.

For most of the humanitarian workers at the conference voluntary repatriation remains a pipe dream, even if they readily admit that Kenya bears “a disproportionate burden.”

“Voluntary repatriation is a possibility, but it is a bit elusive.

The peace process is not very stable and I don’t see us looking into an intensive promotion of a repatriation scheme,” said Abel Mbilinyi, deputy representative of the UN refugee agency in Kenya.

INTEGRATION IN KENYA? The humanitarian agencies see integration in Kenya as the inevitable solution for the refugees who have been here the longest. “They have nothing left in Somalia, it is the third generation, they do not know where they are coming from,” said Elena Velilla, MSF’s head of mission.

UNHCR’s Mbilinyi said he personally advocates the opening

up of “a frank dialogue on the prospect of local integration” for the refugees, noting that a good number of them are actually eligible for Kenyan nationality.

He cited the example of Tanzania, which in 2010 gave nationality to 162,000 Burundian refugees who had fled their country 40 years earlier. “Yes, 350,000 refugees can claim Kenyan citizenship. Will they get it? No,” replied one of the deputy speakers of the Kenyan parliament, Farah Maalim. This MP, himself of Somali origin, says there is too much antagonism between the Somali and non-Somali communities in Kenya for such a massive naturalization exercise to work. A storm of publicity around last year’s famine in Somalia enabled the UNHCR, which runs Dadaab, to collect $100 million last year.

This year the agency raised only $70 million. Unrest in Somalia has spilled over into Dadaab, with a series of attacks in the camps and, last October, the kidnapping of two Spaniards working for MSF, who have since been held in Somalia. “We are in an open prison,” protested Bare Osman Abdi, deputy chairman of the young people in Dagahaley camp, referring to the ban on refugees working or leaving the camp without authorization. “There are people who have been here for the last 20 years and who have never ventured outside the camp,” said Abdi, who arrived in the camps at the age of five. — AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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

Breakup led NY doctor to kill lover, self

BUFFALO: In the end, the gifted trauma surgeon widely beloved as a lifesaver turned to violence, killing himself with a gunshot to the head as he was being sought in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend. A two-day nationwide search for Dr Timothy Jorden ended when police found his body in thick brush a half-mile from his Lake Erie shoreline home.

A neighbor had reported hearing a gunshot from the area on Wednesday morning, and police with dogs found the body, dressed in surgical scrubs, on Friday morning.

Authorities had been looking for Jorden since Wednesday morning, when 33-year-old Jacqueline Wisniewski was found shot to death in a stairwell at the Erie County Medical Center, where they both worked. Friends said Wisniewski was afraid of the 49-year-old Jorden and had broken off their relationship some time ago. Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said Jorden went to the hospital with a shotgun and a .357 Magnum pistol intending to kill Wisniewski because of their breakup. Jorden

lured her to the hospital basement, where he shot her five times at point-blank range, Derenda said.

He then ran from the hospital and drove home, where surveillance video showed him arriving about 30 minutes later.

Just four minutes later, Jorden is seen leaving the house, down a path to a ravine and disappearing into the woods. Derenda said Jorden killed himself with one shot to the head from the .357 Magnum and didn’t leave a suicide note. He had withdrawn large sums of money recently and had given friends gifts. As Jorden’s tailspin accelerated, friends, neighbors and colleagues painted a picture of a man in decline. Jorden, once 250 pounds and clean-shaven, had lost up to 75 pounds and let his face get scraggly. His neatly manicured lawn got overgrown. He just didn’t seem the same; not as “nice” as before, was how neighbor June Dupree put it.

Dupree said she was distraught over what had happened. “It doesn’t make any sense that he did

that and that he killed himself,” she said. “Oh, my God, it’s just terrible. I can’t get over it. I’m just about in tears right now.” She said everybody loved Jorden. “He saved so many lives,” she said. “This is what doesn’t make sense. There’s got to be more to it.” At the medical center, staff members were left to mourn the death of a respected administrative assistant and try to fathom how two lives could end this way. “We are just starting the healing process and trying to cope with an incomprehensible event,” said Jody Lomeo, the hospital’s chief executive officer. SWAT teams had spent hours Wednesday searching Jorden’s home without success. On Thursday, neighbor Tom Wrzosek told police he had heard a gunshot from the steep, thick terrain behind Jorden’s house the morning before, about 90 minutes after Wisniewski was gunned down at the hospital. Some of her friends told local media outlets that Jorden stalked her after she ended the relationship. One of her friends told WIVB-TV that Wisniewski told her the doctor had put a GPS

tracking device in her car and once held her captive in her home for a day and a half, wielding a knife. A woman who answered the phone listed in the name of Wisniewski’s parents said the family would not be commenting.

The Buffalo News reported that Jorden joined the National Guard in high school, went into the Army after graduation and served with the Army’s special forces, first as a weapons expert, then as a medic. In those roles, he served in the Caribbean, Japan and Korea. Jorden earned a medical degree from the University at Buffalo and trained at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. He received his certification from the American Board of Surgery in 2004. He was honored by various local organizations over the years for his teaching skills and involvement in the Buffalo community.

Dupree said she will try to remember Jorden as a good neighbor and gifted surgeon. “It’s very quiet here today,” she said. “It’s like everybody is in mourning.” — AP

Greek left threatening to tear up terms of bailout Greeks weigh consequences of pivotal vote

DIBISSI: Refugees from northern Mali mill around at the Malian refugee camp in the village of Dibissi, 300 Km north of Ouagadougou in Burina Faso. — AFP

Mali becoming ‘West Africa’s Afghanistan’ UN not ready to back military intervention UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council is not ready to agree to an African Union request for endorsement of military intervention in Mali, where rebels and Islamist militants have seized control of much of the country, council diplomats said yesterday.

“It’s going to take some time before the Security Council is in a position to approve outside intervention in Mali,” a council diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

“It’s not that we’re opposed, it’s just that there are many questions about how it would be done that need to be answered first.”

Mali, once regarded as a good example of African democracy, collapsed into chaos after soldiers toppled the president in March, leaving a power vacuum that enabled Tuareg rebels from the north to take control of nearly two-thirds of the country.

The uprising also involved both local and foreign Islamist militants, and Western diplomats talk of the risk of the country turning into a “West African Afghanistan.” The African Union said on Tuesday it had asked the UN Security Council for a resolution that would allow military intervention in Mali.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an umbrella group of 15 countries aimed at promoting regional cooperation, says it is ready to organize military intervention to restore constitutional order in the countr y, but wants a UN Security Council mandate and UN support.

Earlier this week the UN Security Council met informally with members of African Union’s Peace and Security Council. They issued a declaration afterwards that stopped short of giving ECOWAS a green light to intervene in Mali.

The statement said the two bodies “acknowledge the efforts of ECOWAS to explore options to restore peace and security in Mali in the context of upholding Mali’s territorial integrity.” Speaking after another informal meeting between council members and the African Union on Friday, diplomats said they need to know more about how an

ECOWAS militar y operation would be mounted before they agree to endorse it.

PLANNING UNDERWAY Diplomats said ECOWAS needed to show it had the troops, credible objectives and a sound strategy to conduct an operation.

There are also questions about funding.

“They don’t have anything,” one senior council diplomat said. “It’s ridiculous.” Another question that needs to be answered, diplomats said, is what an ECOWAS force would do in northern Mali with the Tuareg and Islamist militants believed to be linked to AlQaeda. “ Those guys are tough in the North,” another diplomat said. “I’m not sure ECOWAS is up to it yet.” “Are they (ECOWAS) going to go in fighting?” another asked. Of the 15 council members, France, Morocco and Togo were among the most enthusiastic about swiftly endorsing an ECOWAS operation in Mali, envoys said. Others are more skeptical.

ECOWAS has intervened militarily in past African conflicts, such as the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, told reporters after Friday’s African Union-Security Council meeting that talks on military intervention in Mali were “at the planning stages.”

But she said ECOWAS was “indeed requesting the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution that will legitimize any action, any military action, that we’re going to take in Mali and that is what we are pursuing.” “ECOWAS have given a mandate for 3,000 (troops) to be put on standby,” she said, adding that there was a planning conference underway in Abidjan, Ivor y Coast and ECOWAS was working with US, French, UN and other experts to prepare a strategy. Suleiman said the council’s response to ECOWAS’ proposal on Mali had so far been “very, very positive” and predicted it was likely to adopt a resolution endorsing ECOWAS action “very soon.” — Reuters

Obama’s fate and Europe’s woes conjoin at G20 summit WASHINGTON: Barack Obama heads to the G20 summit today, in the knowledge that his presidency may depend on swift, sweeping action by his European counterparts to contain their financial contagion. A collapse of the euro, or financial spillover that could spook US markets, could move closer after Greece’s election today, and has the potential to further weaken the tepid US recovery before Obama seeks reelection in November.

Washington does not expect Europe to use the talks in Mexico to finalize measures it will take to quell the raging crisis, partly because only euro-zone leaders from France, Germany, Italy and top EU officials will attend. But they do expect a clear signal at the Mexican resort on the tip of the Baja peninsula about the approach Europe will adopt at what is shaping up as a fateful summit of the 17-member euro-zone at the end of the month.

“Los Cabos provides a timely opportunity for European leaders to update on their progress and to serve as a catalyst for future action,” said Lael Brainard, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs.

Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics Mike Froman said the G20 wanted to hear more about how Europe planned to stabilize its banking sys-

tem and move toward fiscal and financial union. “That being said, Los Cabos will not be the final word on the euro-zone,” he added. “That is a continuing conversation with some important milestones, including a meeting of all EU leaders coming up in Brussels at the end of the month.”

Obama will not focus exclusively on economics and finance at Los Cabos. On Monday, the president will hold his crucial first meeting with Vladimir Putin since the Russian president returned to the Kremlin.

Obama will hope to salvage his “reset” of relations with Russia and ease sharp differences over Syria, which have boiled into Cold War-style rhetoric. The US leader will also have the latest of his regular meetings on Tuesday with Chinese President Hu Jintao. But Europe will top his agenda.

Obama and top aides, including Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, have burned up trans Atlantic phone lines for months as Europe slipped deeper into the mire and Greece, Spain and Italy slumped from crisis to crisis.

The president enters the G20 summit, which could conceivably be his last, in a perilous political position, amid a neckand-neck reelection tussle with Republican Mitt Romney dominated by the lagging economic recovery. —AFP

ATHENS: Greeks weighed anger yesterday at five years of biting recession with a deep fear of being forced from Europe’s single currency on the eve of a pivotal election that could send shockwaves through global financial markets.

The vote today amounts to a referendum on the punishing terms set by international lenders as the price of saving debt-ridden Greece from bankruptcy - tax hikes, job losses and pay cuts that have helped condemn the country to record-breaking recession.

Riding a wave of anger from political obscurity to contender for power, radical leftist SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, 37, is threatening to tear up the bailout deal, saying Europe is bluffing when it threatens to cut Greece loose and risk a broader euro breakup. On the right, establishment heir and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, 61, says that to reject the 130 billion euro ($163.75 billion) bailout deal would force a return to the drachma and even greater economic calamity.

Wrapping up his campaign on Friday night before several thousand supporters waving Greek and EU flags in the capital’s central Syntagma square, Samaras said: “We are going into an election to decide the future of Greece and of our children.” The vote is a re-run of a May 6 election that produced stalemate, when anger at the close-knit and often corrupt political clique that has run Greece for years propelled SYRIZA from the political fringe into second place.

“My heart says I should vote for the left, for all the horrible things these (mainstream) politicians have done to us, but my mind says vote for the right, so that Greece does not leave the euro,” said part-time teacher Kostas Manitsas, 28. A SYRIZA victory today could sow turmoil on global financial markets, just as leaders of the Group of 20 world economic powers gather in Mexico for a meeting dominated by the crisis.

COALITION NEGOTIATIONS “Tomorrow’s vote must not be based on

ATHENS: Syriza leftist radical party leader, Alexis Tsipras (left) and Greek resistance hero, politician and writer Manolis Glezos sit in a restaurant in Athens during a dinner with journalists yesterday. — AFP anger but on hope,” the liberal left daily Ta Nea implored in an editorial. “It must be based on the Greece of the euro, not the Greece of the drachma.” Greeks say they want to keep the euro, but they do not want the pension, wage and jobs cuts imposed by the bailout package and which have seen living standards plummet and unemployment reach almost 23 percent.

The country’s lenders in the European Union and International Monetary Fund say they cannot have one without the other.

“Public opinion polls, as well as the May 6 vote, show that those who want the euro overwhelmingly outnumber those who reject it or are willing to sacrifice it for their own partypolitical purposes,” wrote the centre-left daily Ethnos. Opinion polls published until a ban two

weeks ago put the two parties almost neck and neck. Neither is expected to win outright, triggering coalition talks. Eurogroup head JeanClaude Juncker urged Greeks not to turn their backs on the euro, for their own sakes as well as the sake of the 17-member currency union, with the far larger economies of Spain and Italy also on the ropes.

“If the radical left wins - which cannot be ruled out - the consequences for the currency union are unforeseeable,” Juncker, head of the group of euro zone finance ministers, told Austrian paper Kurier. “We will have to speak to any government. I can only warn everyone against leaving the currency union. The internal cohesion of the euro zone would be in danger.”— Reuters

Voters likely to give Socialists a majority France to vote in parliamentary elections PARIS: Campaigning ended in France’s parliamentary elections yesterday with voters likely to give President Francois Hollande’s Socialists a majority as he seeks to steer the country through Europe’s debt crisis. Opinion polls released before the end of campaigning at midnight Friday showed Hollande’s Socialists and their allies on track to take control of France’s lower house National Assembly today.

Hollande, who defeated rightwinger Nicolas Sarkozy in May’s presidential election, has urged voters to give him a majority as he seeks to tackle Europe’s financial crisis and France’s rising unemployment and faltering economy. The French vote risks being overshadowed however by elections in Greece that could determine its future in the euro-zone, amid concern over the shockwaves that a Greek euro exit would send through the global economy.

The polls showed France’s Socialists winning between 287 and 330 seats in today’s run-off election-almost certainly enough to secure a majority in the 577-seat Assembly. With polls showing the Greens, who are close allies of the Socialists and already in government, set to win up to 20 seats, Hollande is all but guaranteed to get the parliamentary backing he needs. The Socialists and other leftwing parties came out on top in last Sunday’s first round of the vote, winning 46 percent to 34 percent for Sarkozy’s UMP party and its allies.

Pollsters predict the UMP and its allies will take between 210 and 263 seats in the run-off. “Unless there is an enormous surprise, Francois Hollande should today

night have a majority in the National Assembly,” the left-leaning daily Liberation wrote yesterday.

“With the National Assembly, the Senate, nearly all the regions, most of the departments and good number of the big cities, Francois Hollande and his Socialist friends will have all the levers of power in

France’s President Francois Hollande

their hands,” it said. But conservative daily Le Figaro warned this would be an “unprecedented situation for nearly 200 years” and urged voters to check the Socialists’ power by voting for the right.

The vote will also be a key test for Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant and anti-EU National Front (FN),

which took 13.6 percent in the first round-far above the four percent it won in the last parliamentary election in 2007. Le Pen, who said the result confirmed her party’s position as France’s “third political force,” is hoping the FN will be able to take a handful of seats including one for her in a rundown former mining constituency near the northern city of Lille.

Polls indicate the FN are set to win up to three seats, including for Le Pen and for Marion Marechal-Le Pen, the FN leader’s 22-year-old niece, in the southern Vaucluse area. After a hard-fought presidential race, the campaign for the parliamentary elections has been lacklustre, with the only major excitement generated by an incendiary tweet fired off by the country’s new unofficial first lady. The Twitter message by Hollande’s companion Valerie Trierweiler wished good luck to Socialist dissident Olivier Falorni, who is running against Segolene Royal-the president’s expartner and mother of their four children-in the western town of La Rochelle.

There has long been speculation of intense rivalry between Royal and Trierweiler. Hollande stood loyally by Royal as she battled Sarkozy for the presidency in the 2007 race, but he had reportedly been in a relationship since 2005 with Trier weiler, a twice divorced 47-year-old mother of three. The UMP said the tweet was an inappropriate intrusion of Hollande’s personal life into politics, but analysts said that despite widespread media coverage the scandal was unlikely to have much impact on the Socialists’ result.— AFP

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Watergate at 40: So many ‘what ifs’ WASHINGTON: In the perfect hindsight of history, Watergate’s “what ifs” are still tantalizing. What if a security guard hadn’t noticed tape on a door latch outside Democratic headquarters at the Watergate office building. What if a calculating president hadn’t taped his private words for posterity? And perhaps most intriguing: What if Richard Nixon had simply come clean about the break-in and cover-up and apologized?

Forty years of investigation, reporting, trials, debate and historical research have yielded no simple answer to the central riddle of how a clumsy raid that Nixon’s spokesman termed a “third-rate burglary” became a titanic constitutional struggle that ultimately expelled him from office. “The shame of it all is that it didn’t have to be,” Stanley Kutler, the dean of Watergate historians said in an interview. “Had he been forthcoming, had he told his men, ‘This is crazy, who ordered this?’ ... (He) wouldn’t have had this problem.”

Of course, Watergate would never have happened had officials at Nixon’s re-election campaign committee not responded to his ceaseless demands for dirt on the opposition by hiring E Howard Hunt and G Gordon Liddy. The ex-CIA and ex-FBI operatives presented an outline - codenamed Operation Gemstone - that included bugging and rifling the files at Democratic National Committee headquarters. “I was one of those who tried to throw cold water on Gordon Liddy’s plans to break in and thought I had done so,” recalled former White House counsel John Dean. “But I hadn’t killed the plans. It came back to haunt us.”

Liddy and four others were caught red-handed early on the morning of June 17, 1972 - actually, the second of two break-ins at the DNC - when security guard Frank Wills, seeing the taped latch, summoned police. “The insanity of it and the stupidity of it have never ceased to

amaze me,” Dean, who’s now 73, said in an AP interview.

Hunt died in 2007. Liddy, now a conservative radio host, declined an interview request.

While there’s no evidence Nixon knew of the burglary plot beforehand, within days he was neck-deep in a conspiracy to hide the burglars’ ties to his campaign and the

White House. Meeting with top aides, he readily agreed to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in hush money and urged that the CIA intervene to block an FBI investigation. Following the money trail eventually led investigators to the truth - and began a more than twoyear legal war involving grand juries, Congress and the

WASHINGTON: The Watergate Hotel is seen in Washington, DC. Today marks the 40th anniversary of the infamous Watergate break-in, which brought down the presidency of Richard M Nixon. — AFP

Supreme Court and ending when Nixon, facing certain impeachment, resigned from office on Aug 8, 1974.

With the remove of four decades, it’s hard to remember or even imagine the hysteria and high drama of those months, with each twist and turn unleashing a flurry of subpoenas and headlines. One highlight: Nixon telling a news conference “I’m not a crook.” Another: the day a White House aide told a televised congressional hearing that Nixon had a recording system that taped phone calls and meetings in the Oval Office and elsewhere. Former Watergate prosecutor Richard BenVeniste says if Nixon hadn’t been forced by the Supreme Court to hand over his tapes, with their “smoking gun” of self-incrimination, things might have turned out differently. “The system worked,” Ben-Veniste said. “But the system would not have worked had not the president taped himself.” Why did he do it? In his memoirs, Nixon said he wished his administration to be “the best chronicled in history.” But without doubt he also wanted evidence in case someone attacked his decisions or motives. What the system did, however, is capture him ordering Chief of Staff H R Haldeman to get CIA Director Richard Helms to claim national security grounds in blocking block the probe. “Play it tough,” Nixon instructed. The president spent months battling disclosure of conversations like that. But Kutler wonders what if instead, early on, he had adopted a different strategy and made a clean breast of things. Might America have forgiven him?

“One of the mysteries of Watergate is why didn’t Richard Nixon come on television, look the camera in the eye - he was a master of that - and say, to us, the American people, ‘Yes, I had knowledge of this?’,” said Kutler, who, after Nixon’s death, won a lawsuit for the release of thousands of hours of tapes. —AP

Joy and anger as Obama relaxes deportation rules Obama halts deportations of young illegals

This image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Carlotta approaching the Mexican Pacific coastline. — AFP

Hurricane Carlotta rocks Pacific coast ACAPULCO: Hurricane Carlotta made landfall on Mexico’s Pacific coast near the southern city of Puerto Escondido late on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and gusts of winds as far as the resort city of Acapulco, the US National Hurricane Center said. Carlotta, the third named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, had escalated throughout the afternoon into a Category 2 hurricane but weakened into Category 1 storm as it hit coastal mountains in the state of Oaxaca.

As it made landfall at 9 pm EDT, it had winds of nearly 90 mph with higher gusts. It was about 10 miles northwest of Puerto Escondido and about 190 miles southeast of the tourist city of Acapulco. The Mexican government had issued a hurricane warning from Punta Maldonado to Acapulco, where winds started to pick up on Friday afternoon. State oil company Pemex took preventative measures, but by late morning, the eye of the storm had passed north of its biggest refinery, the 330,000 barrelper-day Salinas Cruz. The installation was operating normally.

The hurricane’s path is far from the Baja California resort of Los Cabos, where the Group of 20 leaders of top economies are convening on Monday and Tuesday. Authorities said they

did not expect Carlotta to make much of an impact and that the airport remained open. In Acapulco, local government spokeswoman Maribel Helguera had said they were preparing for heavy rains but there was no sign of residents boarding up windows.

“Officials are visiting danger zones at risk from mudslides in the highlands to tell people the storm is coming and where to seek shelter if need be,” she said. Acapulco Mayor Veronica Escobar said there are 112 shelters in the state of Guerrero. By Friday evening, lightning and heavy rain could be seen in the resort city.

However, some tourists were still on the beach under the showers. “You see guests still swimming because the climate is so good that even when there is a hurricane and heavy rains it is still warm,” said Mary Bertha Media, president of Acapulco’s hotel association. In neighboring Oaxaca, state weather officials reported moderate to heavy rainfall across the area. They said they had not yet ordered residents to evacuate or to suspend school. The sun-drenched area last was hit by a hurricane in 1997, when Pauline made landfall near Puerto Angel, causing torrential rains, flooding and mudslides in two of Mexico’s poorest states. Hundreds died and thousands were left homeless. — Reuters

Canada court: Suicide laws unconstitutional VANCOUVER: A British Columbia judge has ruled that Canadian laws banning doctorassisted suicide are unconstitutional because they discriminate against severely ill patients.

BC Supreme Court Justice Lynn Smith declared the laws invalid, but also suspended her ruling for one year to give Canada’s federal Parliament time to draft legislation with her ruling in mind. Canada’s federal government is expected to appeal the decision. The case will likely go to the Canadian Supreme Court. Smith also allowed the ailing Gloria Taylor, 64, to seek a physician-assisted suicide during the one-year period if she wants.

Taylor was diagnosed in 2009 with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, which progresses rapidly and is always fatal.

Smith said the provisions in Canada’s constitution infringe on Taylor’s rights to life, liberty and security of persons, and discriminate against grievously ill or physically disabled patients who want to have some control over their circumstances at the end of their lives. Countries are increasingly wrestling with the issue of assisted suicide as their populations age. It has been illegal in Canada to counsel, aid or abet a suicide, an offence carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. Grace Pastine of the British Civil Liberties Association called it a major victory for individual rights at the end of life. “The court has recognized that Canadians who are seriously and incurably ill have the right to request a physician to assist them in a dignified and human manner,” she said.

Pastine said Taylor released a statement in which she said she was deeply grateful

knowing that she’ll have a choice at the end of her life and that it allows her to approach her death with dignity. Dr Will Johnson, Chair of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, called it a “radical” decision but noted Parliament will have a say. “We’re disappointed but not surprised at the radical nature of this decision today which essentially legalizes assisted suicide and euthanasia in Canada,” Johnson said. “We think this judgment decided to minimize and to disregard a lot of the evidence of harm in other jurisdictions where assisted suicide and euthanizes has been practiced.”

It has been nearly 20 years since the tale of another patient suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, Sue Rodriguez, gripped Canadians as she fought in court for the right to assisted suicide. She lost her appeal but took her own life with the help of an anonymous doctor in 1994, at the age of 44. In the latest case, Taylor’s lead lawyer, civil liberties defender Joe Arvay, argued to the court that assisted suicides were taking place despite the ban, a practice he likened to the illegal “back-alley abortions” of the past. As she began her court fight in December 2011, Taylor was confined to a wheelchair in constant pain with hands that barely function.

Taylor said she has challenges with everyday living, and is unable to perform basic household tasks or wash herself. Opponents argue that allowing assisted deaths could lead to abuses of the elderly and infirm. Johnston of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Canada fears people could be pushed to kill themselves when their lives become inconvenient for others. —AP

PHOENIX: Hispanics who came to the United States as the children of illegal immigrants reacted with joy to an Obama administration rule change on Friday that could spare them deportation, but opponents slammed it as an outrageous act of amnesty. “It hasn’t really sunk in entirely, but I feel a sense of joy and happiness because I know this is really going to change my life,” said Justino Mora, 22, an undocumented computer science student at the University of California Los Angeles.

Mora is among an estimated 800,000 illegal immigrants up to 30 years old who came to the United States as children and will benefit by the surprise order announced

by President Barack Obama.. “I will have the opportunity to ... create my own business so that I can help ... my family financially and create the jobs that the US needs,” Mora said. The rule change applies to people like Mora who do not pose a risk to national security and who will now be eligible to stay in the country and apply for work permits. Mora came to the United States at age 11 from central Mexico with his mother.

Those eligible under Obama’s plan must have come to the United States under the age of 16 and lived in the country for at least five years. They must be in school or have graduated from high school or be honorably discharged from the US military.

They also must not have been convicted of any felony or significant misdemeanor offenses. For 18year-old Phoenix high school honors graduate Yolanda Medina, the rule change means a shot at studying at the city’s Grand Canyon University in the autumn and the chance to escape a life toiling in

menial jobs open to illegal immigrants. “Most of us ... are forced to take jobs like cleaning houses, cleaning someone’s car or babysitting, when you have so much more to offer,” said Medina, who came to the United States with her mother from Durango, Mexico, at age 3.

Gaby Pacheco, an immigration rights activist from Miami who appeared on a Time magazine cover story this week about illegal immigration, said, “Today we’ve come closer and closer to being full-fledged Americans.” “We have been freed from the fear that we have of being deported,” Pacheco, who came from Ecuador at age 7 and is now 27, told a conference call with reporters.

‘OUTRAGEOUS ANNOUNCEMENT’ There are about 11 million illegal immigrants living, working and studying in the shadows in the United States, some 1 million to 2 million of whom came to the country as children. Most US illegal immigrants are Hispanics. How to deal with the issue divides Americans in an election year marked by a tough economy, and the rule change angered some. Obama, a Democrat, is courting the fast-growing Hispanic population as he seeks re-election on Nov 6 against Republican Mitt Romney, who has taken a tough stand against illegal immigration.

At a news conference in Phoenix, Arizona’s Republican governor, Jan

TEXAS: Ramiro Luna, a member of the North Texas Dream Team, cries after an announcement on the new US immigration policy at the offices of Domingo Garcia in Oak Cliff, Texas. — AP

Brewer, called Obama’s move an “outrageous announcement” designed to “grant backdoor amnesty” to a large portion of illegal immigrants. “Now is not the time to grant broad amnesty to nearly 1 million people,” said Brewer, who has clashed repeatedly with Obama over immigration and was pictured wagging her finger at him in a meeting at a Phoenix airport earlier this year.

“And now is not the time to approve something via executive fiat that the president knows he could never get through Congress,” she added. Brewer called the policy a “pre-emptive strike” against the US Supreme Court and its upcoming decision on Arizona’s controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants. The court is expected to rule as early as Monday on blocked sections of the Arizona law, including a provision requiring police to determine the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Republican who made an unsuccessful bid for his party’s presidential nomination, said, “This administration has failed to provide a secure border, which is essential to national security, and is instead granting blanket amnesty to those who have broken our laws.” For Mark Renner, 50 and unemployed in Phoenix, the administration’s move was simply “ridiculous.” “The whole problem is they’re coming here illegally, they know they’re here illegally and they’re getting better treatment than citizens of the US as far as I’m concerned,” Renner said. “Jobs, the healthcare, it’s taking away from what we barely have left ... they should go back and do it the right way like everyone else has to,” he said.— Reuters

Group seeks change in US birth control policy WASHINGTON: The biggest US network of nonprofit health facilities formally asked the Obama administration on Friday not to require Roman Catholic-affiliated institutions including hospitals to provide employees with health coverage for contraceptives. The Catholic Health Association of the United States, which initially welcomed White House efforts to find compromise with Catholic authorities on the contraceptives issue, said administration proposals have not satisfied its concerns about emergency contraceptives that could interfere with a fertilized egg.

The Obama administration’s decision in January to require employers including religiously affiliated hospitals, universities and charities to provide employees with access to coverage for contraceptives without copays or deductibles has ballooned into a major battle in an election year. The Catholic Church considers artificial contraception to be a sin and the administration’s demands on contraceptives have been decried as a violation of religious freedom.

Catholic bishops and other social conservatives including top Republicans have called on the administration to exempt any employer who professes moral concerns about the policy. A number of Catholic institutions, including the University of Notre Dame, have also sued in federal court to block its enforcement. Meanwhile, women’s groups and other

secular organizations have decried the flap over contraception as a conservative effort to curtail women’s reproductive rights. The Catholic Health Association, which represents more than 2,000 healthcare sponsors, systems and facilities, is seeking relatively narrow action by calling on the administration to expand its exemption for churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship.

“It is imperative for the administration to abandon the arrow definition of ‘religious employer’ and instead use an expanded definition to exempt from the contraceptive mandate, not only churches, but also Catholic hospitals, health care organizations and other ministries,” the association said in a June 15 letter to Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator for the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “If the government continues to pursue the policy that all employees should have access to contraceptive services, then it should find a way to provide and pay for these services directly without requiring any direct or indirect involvement of ‘religious employers’,” the letter said.

Officials at the White House and US Department of Health and Human Services had no immediate comment. But an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said government proposals put forward up to now would ensure that reli-

gious organizations did not have to pay for or provide contraception. The administration is currently working toward final policy language that would require insurance companies or other third parties to take responsibility for contraceptives coverage for the employees of religiously affiliated institutions.

“We will consider all the comments and suggestions from interested stakeholders before finalizing and implementing policies that respect religious liberty and ensure millions of women have access to recommended preventive services,” the official said. The administration policy, authorized under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, covers all contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration including the so-called morning after pill, which women can take after sex to avoid becoming pregnant. The Catholic Health Association said one of the FDA-approved drugs known as ulipristal acetate, or ella, could interfere with implantation of a fertilized egg. “The Catholic Church considers a drug which interferes with the implantation of a fertilized egg to be abortifacient, based upon the known science of reproduction and the Church’s belief that human life begins at the moment of fertilization,” the association said. Religious employers are not required to comply with the policy until Aug 1, 2013, one year later than secular employers.— Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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Unmanned Air Force space plane lands in California LOS ANGELES: An unmanned Air Force space plane steered itself to a landing early yesterday at a California military base, capping a 15-month clandestine mission.

The spacecraft, which was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in March 2011, conducted in-orbit experiments during the mission, officials said. It was the second such autonomous landing at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles. In 2010, an identical unmanned spacecraft returned to Earth after seven months and 91 million miles in orbit.

The latest homecoming was set in motion when the stubby-winged robotic X-37B fired its engine to slip out of orbit, then pierced through the atmosphere and glided down the runway like an airplane.

“With the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet, the X-37B OTV program brings a singular capability to space technology development,” said Lt Col Tom McIntyre, the X-37B’s program manager. “The return capability allows the Air Force to test new technologies without the same risk commitment faced by other programs. We’re proud of the entire team’s successful efforts to bring this mission to an outstanding conclusion.”

With the second X-37B on the ground, the Air Force planned to launch the first

one again later this year. An exact date has not been set. The twin X-37B vehicles are part of a military program testing robotically controlled reusable spacecraft technologies. Though the Air Force has emphasized the goal is to test the space plane itself, there’s a classified payload on board - a detail that has led to much speculation about the mission’s ultimate purpose.

Some amateur trackers think the craft carried an experimental spy satellite sensor judging by its low orbit and inclination, suggesting reconnaissance or intelligence gathering rather than communications.

Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who runs Jonathan’s Space Report, which tracks the world’s space launches and satellites, said it’s possible it was testing some form of new imaging.

The latest X-37B was boosted into orbit atop an Atlas 5 rocket. It was designed to stay aloft for nine months, but the Air Force wanted to test its endurance. After determining the space plane was performing well, the military decided in December to extend the mission.

Little has been said publicly about the second X-37B flight and operations. At a budget hearing before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee in March, William Shelton, head of the Air Force Space Command, made a passing mention. That

the second X-37B has stayed longer in space than the first shows “the flexibility of this unique system,” he told lawmakers.

Defense analysts are divided over its usefulness. Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College, said such a craft could give the US “eyes” over conflict regions faster than a satellite. “Having a vehicle with a broad range of capabilities that can get into space quickly is a very good thing,” she said.

Yousaf Butt, a nuclear physicist and scientific consultant for the Federation of American Scientists, thinks the capabilities of the X-37B could be done more cheaply with a disposable spacecraft. “I believe one of the reasons that the mission is still around is institutional inertia,” he said. The arc of the X-37 program spans back to 1999 and has changed hands several times. Originally a NASA project, the space agency in 2004 transferred it to the Pentagon’s research and development arm, DARPA, and then to the secretive Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into development, but the current total spent remains a secret.

Built by Boeing Co’s Phantom Works, the 11,000-pound space plane stands 9 1/2 feet tall and is just over 29 feet long,

CALIFORNIA: This undated file image provided by the US Air Force shows the X-37B spacecraft. The unmanned Air Force space plane steered itself to a landing yesterday at a California military base, capping a 15-month clandestine mission. — AP with a wingspan of less than 15 feet. It send up such planes on short notice if it possesses two angled tail fins rather than a has to rely on the Atlas V rocket, which single vertical stabilizer. Once in orbit, it requires lengthy preparations. “ The has solar panels that unfurl to charge bat- requirement to go on Atlas V is a problem; teries for electrical power. McDowell of the they may need to look at a new launch Jonathan’s Space Report sees a downside. vehicle that would be ready to go more He noted it’ll be tough for the Air Force to quickly,” he said. — AP

News

in brief

Journalist stabbed to death DHAKA: Unidentified men have hacked a journalist to death apparently for his reports on the illegal drug trade in southwestern Bangladesh, police said yesterday. The attack on Zamal Uddin took place late Friday at Kashipur Bazar in Jessore district bordering India, said local police chief AKM Faruk Hossain. The area is 140 kilometers west of the capital, Dhaka. Witnesses reported that assailants armed with sharp-edged weapons swooped on Uddin while he was having tea at a roadside tea stall, Hossain said. Hossain said the reporter was rushed to hospital with severe injuries and later declared dead. Uddin, who worked for the Bengali-language Gramer Kagoj daily, was apparently killed for his reporting, said Hossain. The journalist had recently filed a complaint with police seeking security after he was threatened for his articles on the illicit drug trade. Local journalists will demonstrate later yesterday to protest his slaying, said Asaduzzaman Asad, president of the local Sharsha Press Club. The New Yorkbased Committee to Protect Journalists has branded Bangladesh as among the worst nations in the world in combating violence against the press.

Marxist meeting smashed COLOMBO: Heavily armed gunmen broke up a rally of the main Marxist party in Sri Lanka, killing two people and wounding several others, police and a party official said yesterday. Gunmen on motorcycles stormed a public meeting organized by the JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, at the village of Katuwana Friday and escaped after killing a woman and a 17-year-old boy and wounding many others, police said. “Investigations are underway, but no arrests have been made yet,” a local police official in the nearby Hambantota town said when contacted by telephone. “We have deployed more personnel in the area after the shooting,” he added. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the attack had been carried out by those linked to the ruling party. “Gunmen linked to the government carried out this attack,” Silva told reporters in Colombo. “They came on four or five motorcycles, opened fire indiscriminately and got away.” He said the meeting in the area was part of the JVP campaign to mobilize public support against rising living costs and press for the protection of democratic freedoms and human rights. Silva said the government continued to suppress its political opponents even as Sri Lanka faced international strictures over its human rights record.

‘Innocent’ Nepalese freed KATHMANDU: A Nepalese man who spent 15 years in a Japanese jail on murder charges returned home yesterday after a DNA test indicated he was ‘innocent’. Govinda Prasad Mainali, 45, flew with his wife and children to Kathmandu and was hugged by his mother and other relatives at the airport. “I have no words to describe how happy I am,” Mainali told dozens of Japanese and Nepalese journalists who were waiting for him at the airport. Mainali was a migrant worker in Tokyo when he was arrested in 1997 on charges of murdering a Japanese woman in a high-profile case. Japan’s Kyodo News agency said a new analysis showed that DNA in semen found in the victim’s body did not match Mainali’s. Mainali was released from a Yokohama prison on June 7 and was immediately taken into custody by immigration officials because he had previously overstayed his visa. He was deported on Friday and arrived in Kathmandu yesterday with his wife, two daughters and supporters.

KANDAHAR: An unmanned US Predator drone flies over Kandahar Air Field, southern Afghanistan, on a moon-lit night. — AP

WAZIRISTAN: Pakistani villagers offer funeral prayers for people who were reportedly killed by a US drone attack in this file photo. — AP

Drones and computers-new weapons of US shadow wars Computer viruses attacks leave no American fingerprint WASHINGTON: After a decade of costly conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American way of war is evolving toward less brawn, more guile.

Drone aircraft spy on and attack terrorists with no pilot in harm’s way. Small teams of special operations troops quietly train and advise foreign forces. Viruses sent from computers to foreign networks strike silently, with no American fingerprint. It’s war in the shadows, with the US public largely in the dark.

In Pakistan, armed drones, not US ground troops or B-52 bombers, are hunting down AlQaeda terrorists, and a CIA-run raid of Osama bin Laden’s hide-out was executed by a stealthy team of Navy SEALs. In Yemen, drones and several dozen US military advisers are trying to help the government tip the balance against an AlQaeda offshoot that harbors hopes of one day attacking the US homeland.

In Somalia, the Horn of Africa country that has not had a fully functioning government since 1991, President Barack Obama secretly has authorized two drone strikes and two commando raids against terrorists. In Iran, surveillance drones have kept an eye on nuclear activities while a computer attack reportedly has infected its nuclear enrichment facilities with a virus, possibly delaying the day when the US or Israel might feel compelled to drop real bombs on Iran and risk a wider war in the Middle East.

The high-tech warfare allows Obama to target what the administration sees as the greatest threats to US security, without the cost and liabilities of sending a swarm of ground troops to capture territory; some of them almost certainly would come home maimed or dead. But it also raises questions about accountability and the implications for international norms regarding the use of force outside of traditional armed conflict. The White House took an incremental step Friday toward greater openness about the basic dimensions of its shadowy wars by telling Congress for the first time that the US military has been launching lethal attacks on terrorist

targets in Somalia and Yemen. It did not mention drones, and its admission did not apply to CIA operations. “Congressional oversight of these operations appears to be cursory and insufficient,” said Steven Aftergood, an expert on government secrecy issues for the Federation of American Scientists, a private group. “It is Congress’ responsibility to declare war under the Constitution, but instead it appears to have adopted a largely passive role while the executive takes the initiative in war fighting,” Aftergood said in an interview.

That’s partly because lawmakers relinquished their authority by passing a law just after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that essentially granted the White House open-ended authority for armed action against Al-Qaeda. Secret wars are not new. For decades, the CIA has carried out covert operations abroad at the president’s direction and with congressional notice. It armed the mujahedeen in Afghanistan who fought Soviet occupiers in the 1980s, for example. In recent years the US military’s secretive commando units have operated more widely, even in countries where the US is not at war, and that’s blurred the lines between the intelligence and military spheres. In this shroud of secrecy, leaks to the news media of classified details about certain covert operations have led to charges that the White House orchestrated the revelations to bolster Obama’s national security credentials and thereby improve his re-election chances. The White House has denied the accusations. The leaks exposed details of US computer virus attacks on Iran’s nuclear program, the foiling of an Al-Qaeda bomb plot targeting US aircraft, and other secret operations.

Two US attorneys are heading separate FBI investigations into leaks of national security information, and Congress is conducting its own probe. It’s not just the news media that has pressed the administration for information about its shadowy wars. Some in Congress, particularly those lawmakers most skeptical of the

Bomb kills 26 in Pakistan PESHAWAR: A car bomb ripped through a market area in a northwest Pakistan tribal town near the Afghan border yesterday, killing 26 people including three children, officials said. “The death toll is 26,” from the blast in the main bazaar of Landi Kotal in Khyber tribal district, local administration chief Mutahir Zeb said, adding more than 50 people were injured, some of them seriously.

Hospital officials confirmed the toll. Zeb said there were 18 bodies at the Landi Kotal hospital while seven victims had died while being taken for treatment in Peshawar, the main town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The dead included three children aged nine, 10 and 12, he added. Motor mechanic Sajidullah Khan, who was wounded in the leg, forearms and face said: “I was checking a car when I heard a huge blast nearby. I knew nothing afterwards and came to in the hospital.” Shakoor Jan, an electrician, said he was sitting in his shop when the blast rocked the whole area. “There was fire in several shops,” he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist militants

have carried out several attacks in the area.

Since July 2007, a Taleban-led insurgency concentrated in the northwest has fought Pakistan’s US-allied government. Arshad Khan, a local administration official, said the blast appeared to be aimed at members of the pro-government Zakha Khel tribe, who oppose a local warlord, Mangal Bagh. Bagh’s Lashkar-i-Islam group has links to Islamist militants and criminal gangs. “The bomb was planted in a pick-up truck parked near the bus stand,” Khan said. Six shops were gutted and several damaged in the blast, which also destroyed at least eight vehicles, he added.

In the last five years, attacks blamed on Islamist bombers have killed more than 5,000 people in Pakistan according to an AFP tally. US officials consider the country’s semiautonomous tribal belt a safe haven for AlQaeda and insurgents fighting both in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan. Last week a bomb ripped through a passenger bus, killing 19 people, including seven women and a child, on the outskirts of Peshawar. —Agencies

need for US foreign interventions, are objecting to the administration’s drone wars. They are demanding a fuller explanation of how, for example, drone strikes are authorized and executed in cases in which the identity of the targeted terrorist is not confirmed.

“Our drone campaigns already have virtually no transparency, accountability or oversight,” Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and 25 other mostly anti-war members of Congress wrote Obama on Tuesday. A few dozen lawmakers are briefed on the CIA’s covert action and clandestine military activity, and some may ask to review drone strike video and be granted access to after-action reports on strikes and other clandestine actions. But until two months ago, the administration had not formally confirmed in public its use of armed drones.

In an April speech in Washington, Obama’s counterterrorism chief, John Brennan, acknowledged that despite presidential assurances of a judicious use of force against terrorists, some still question the legality of drone strikes. “So let me say it as simply as I can: Yes, in full accordance with the law - and in order to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States and to save American lives - the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific AlQaeda terrorists, sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to publicly as drones,” he said.

President George W Bush authorized drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere, but Obama has vastly increased the numbers. According to Bill Roggio of The Long War Journal, an online publication that tracks US counterterrorism operations, the US under Obama has carried out an estimated 254 drone strikes in Pakistan alone.

That compares with 47 strikes during the Bush administration. In at least one case the target was an American. Anwar al-Awlaki, an Al-Qaeda leader, was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in September. According to a White House list released late last year, US counterterrorism oper-

ations have removed more than 30 terrorist leaders around the globe. They include AlQaeda in East Africa “planner” Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, who was killed in a helicopter strike in Somalia. The drone campaign is highly unpopular overseas. A Pew Research Center survey on the US image abroad found that in 17 of 21 countries surveyed, more than half of the people disapproved of US drone attacks targeting extremist leaders in such places as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. In the US, 62 percent approved of the drone campaign, making American public opinion the clear exception.

The US use of cyberweapons, like viruses that sabotage computer networks or other high-tech tools that can invade computers and steal data, is even more closely shielded by official secrecy and, arguably, less well understood.

Sen John McCain, R-Ariz, has been a leading critic of the administration’s handling of information about using computers as a tool of war.

“I think that cyberattacks are one of the greatest threats that we face,” McCain said in a recent interview, “and we have a very divided and not very well-informed Congress addressing it.”

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and national security officials often talk publicly about improving US defenses against cyberattack, not only on US government computer systems but also against defense contractors and other private networks linked, for example, to the US financial system or electrical grid. Left largely unexplained is the US capacity to use computer viruses and other cyberweapons against foreign targets. In the view of some, the White House has cut Congress out of the loop, even in the realm of overt warfare. Sen James Webb, DVa, who saw combat in Vietnam as a Marine, introduced legislation last month that would require that the president seek congressional approval before committing US forces in civil conflicts, such as last year’s armed intervention in Libya, in which there is no imminent security threat to the US. —AP

UN urges Bangladesh to help Myanmar refugees

PESHAWAR: Pakistani men shift an injured blast victim at a hospital in Peshawar yesterday following a bomb explosion in the main bazaar of Landi Kotal in Khyber tribal district. — AFP

GENEVA: An unknown number of people fleeing sectarian violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine region are adrift in boats on the Naf River and some have been turned back by Bangladeshi border authorities, the United Nations refugee agency said yesterday. “The UN refugee agency has first-hand, credible accounts of boats from Myanmar not being enabled to access Bangladeshi territory.

These reports indicate women, children and some wounded are on board,” the agency said in a statement.

Refugees interviewed by Reuters Television next to the Naf River gave accounts of the days of sectarian violence in which thousands of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas have been displaced. Many are feared dead. “The (Rakhines) torched our houses, killed our relatives, assaulted our women. They were killing Muslims,” said Abdus Salam. “When we protested, the government forces also

shot our people dead. Then we started fleeing.” Witnesses said that some people fleeing the violence had made it ashore in Bangladesh.

“To save their lives they came in boats and four times they tried to come into Bangladesh, but the Border Guard stopped them,” said Munira Begum, adding she had helped 14 refugees. “They were pushed back but somehow they came ashore and they were all crying. The local people asked them, ‘What happened to you?’. They said that the Rakhines are killing us, so to be safe we had come here. “Then the local people gave them food and shelter. Forty-five people came in and they are staying with different families.” Andrej Mahecic, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news briefing in Geneva that those stranded on boats or near the Naf River were in desperate need of water, food and medical care. —Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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

Suu Kyi accepts Nobel Peace Prize 21 years late

OSLO: Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi (center) lights a flame for peace to Norwegian children during a public meeting after the Nobel ceremony in Oslo yesterday. — AP

OSLO: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally accepted her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo yesterday after spending a total of 15 years under house arrest and said full political freedom in her country was still a long way off. “Absolute peace in our world is an unattainable goal,” Suu Kyi said in her acceptance speech during her first trip to Europe in nearly 25 years. “Hostilities have not ceased in the far north; to the west, communal violence resulting in arson and murder were taking place just several days before I started out the journey that has brought me here today.”

Suu Kyi, the Oxford University-educated daughter of General Aung San, Myanmar’s assassinated independence hero, advocated caution about transformation in Myanmar, whose quasi-civilian government continues to hold political prisoners.

“There still remain such prisoners in Burma.

It is to be feared that because the best known detainees have been released, the remainder, the unknown ones, will be forgotten,” Suu Kyi, 66, told a packed Oslo City Hall. A day earlier, she arrived from Switzerland to a jubilant reception as dancing and chanting crowds filled Oslo’s

streets and showered her with flowers.

Suu Kyi, who spent a total of 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and her release in late 2010, never left Myanmar even during brief periods of freedom after 1989, afraid the military would not let back in. Her sons, Kim and Alexander had accepted the Nobel prize on her behalf in 1991, with her husband Michael Aris also attending the ceremony. A year later Suu Kyi announced she would use the $1.3 million prize money to establish a health and education trust for Burmese people. She was unable to be with Aris, an Oxford academic, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in Britain in 1999.

INSTRUMENTAL Suu Kyi, who was elected to parliament in April, thanked Norway - a tiny Nordic nation of just 5 million people - for its support and the instrumental role it played in Myanmar’s transformation. In 1990, the Bergen-based Rafto Foundation awarded its annual prize to Suu Kyi. The award provided lasting publicity for her non-violent struggle against the country’s military junta, putting her in the international spotlight and setting the stage a year later for

50 dead; Myanmar counts cost of communal unrest Anger, fear linger after Myanmar communal clashes BYAING PHYU: Deep-seated anger and fear smoulder between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in the aftermath of the worst sectarian clashes in Myanmar in years, raising concerns that a fragile peace may not last long. Violence has largely subsided in the villages and capital of northwestern Rakhine state, leaving reformist President Thein Sein with the difficult task of averting another round of mob attacks that have left dozens dead and tens of thousands homeless. “ The government should separate Rakhines and Rohingyas because we can no longer live together,” Than Mya, a 30-year-old mother of five who lost her husband, told Reuters at a camp for displaced villagers in Rakhine’s capital Sittwe. “My husband was at the front when the fighting started. I didn’t see him die,” she said, while kneeling on the ground with a huge statue of Buddha behind her. The official death toll from two weeks of attacks stands at 50, with 58 injured and more than 2,500 houses burned down, according to state media. Local people say many more have died.

What started the rampage of rock-hurling, arson and machete attacks eight days ago is unclear and the subject of heated debate in Myanmar, where there is entrenched, longstanding animosity felt towards the stateless Rohingyas, of whom there are an estimated 800,000, most living in abject conditions.

Relations between Buddhist Rakhines and the Rohingyas, who are recognized by neither Myanmar nor neighboring Bangladesh, have always been uneasy and tension flared last month after the gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman that was blamed on

Muslims. That led to the killing of 10 Muslims in reprisal on June 3 by a Buddhist mob.

The violence is a major setback for a rapidly reforming Myanmar that has seen a year of dramatic political change after 49 years of oppressive military rule. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on her first visit to Europe in nearly a quarter of a century, called for calm. The new government has made peace and unity in what is one of Asia’s most ethnically and religiously diverse nations a central part of a reform agenda it says is “irreversible”.

It has already struck ceasefires with more than 10 ethnic minority rebel groups after decades of hostilities. Thein Sein’s quasi-civil-

ian administration is being urged by rights groups and Western countries to treat the Rohingyas fairly and humanely, but anything more than that, such as granting them citizenship, risks angering the broader population which sees the Rohingya issue as one of national sovereignty.

THOUSANDS DISPLACED Food aid was slowly trickling in to the dozens of camps, mainly monasteries and schools, housing more than 30,000 displaced Rohingyas and Rakhines. One Sittwe camp visited by Reuters journalists found more than a thousand Rakhine women, children

SITTWE: A Myanmar soldier stands guard near damaged buildings in Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state in western Myanmar yesterday. — AP

Japan to restart Nuclear reactors TOKYO: Japan yesterday approved the resumption of nuclear power operations at two reactors despite mass public opposition, the first to come back on line after they were all shut down following the Fukushima crisis. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, his popularity ratings sagging, had backed the restarts for some time. He announced the government’s decision at a meeting with key ministers, giving the go-ahead to two reactors operated by Kansai Electric Power Co at Ohi in western Japan.

The decision, despite public concerns over safety after the big earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant, could open the door to more restarts among Japan’s 50 nuclear power reactors.

“There is no such thing as a perfect score when it comes to disaster prevention steps,” Trade Minister Yukio Edano told a news conference after the announcement. “But, based on what we learned from the Fukushima accident, those measures that need to be taken urgently have been addressed, and the level of safety has been considerably enhanced (at the Ohi plant),” he said.

Edano, who holds the energy portfolio, said the government policy to reduce Japan’s dependence on nuclear energy in the medium- to long-term was unchanged despite the decision. The decision is a victory for Japan’s still-powerful nuclear industry and reflects Noda’s concerns about damage to the economy if atomic energy is abandoned following the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The push to restart the two Ohi reactors, before a potential summer power crunch, also underscores the premier’s eagerness to win backing from businesses worried about high electricity costs that could push factories offshore. Kansai electric says it will take six weeks to get both reactors running fully.

But the decision risks a backlash from a public deeply concerned about nuclear safety. As many as 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside Noda’s office on Friday night amid a heavy police presence to denounce the restarts, urging the premier to step down and shouting “Lives matter more than the economy.” “Prime Minister Noda’s rushed, dangerous approval of the Ohi nuclear power plant restart ignores expert safety advice and public outcry, and needlessly risks the health of Japan’s environment, its people and its economy,” environmental group Greepeace said in a statement.—Reuters

and elderly villagers packed inside a monastery awaiting their twice-daily ration of rice, fruit and rain water. “They are getting enough food but the security around here is not good. The men have stayed in the villages to protect their houses, so we are left with little security,” said Sa Kin Da, a Buddhist monk at the camp.

Further down the road, firemen hose down smoke still billowing from a deserted Rohingya house. Thousands of Rohingyas have fled to Muslim villages outside Sittwe because of fears for their safety while some were currently adrift in boats on the Naf River between Myanmar and Bangladesh, the United Nations said. Bangladesh has turned back at least a dozen boats this week. “I don’t want to live here in Rakhine state anymore. I have eight family members and three have died already,” said one Rohingya in the camp, Maung Maung.

Security forces have arrested dozens of rioters, parading them on state television with confiscated bottles of petrol, knives and spears. Violence could easily reignite once the thousands of displaced Rakhines and Rohingyas return to their battered villages and wrecked homes. The army and police do not appear to have the capacity to patrol all the potential flashpoints, focusing their limited resources mainly on Sittwe. “(Rohingyas) came here to burn our houses and we followed them and burned theirs,” said Thin Yin Nu, a Buddhist Rakhine in Byaing Phyu, a village just a few rice fields away from a Rohingya settlement. “Both sides have seen dead and things cannot be okay again.”— Reuters

‘Long Hair’ Leung: Hong Kong’s rebel with a cause HONG KONG: A hero to some and a pest to others, maverick Hong Kong lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung is universally recognized as the most outspoken critic of the city’s ruling business elite. With his trademark ponytail and Che Guevara Tshirts, he has cut a defiant figure in the Asian financial centre’s legislative assembly since winning a seat representing the gritty New Territories East electorate in 2004.

But his activism has already landed him in jail four times, and a new conviction, handed down in March for disorderly behavior and causing criminal damage at a public forum, could threaten his career as a lawmaker.

He was sentenced to two months in jail, enough to see him stripped of his seat and barred from contesting September polls. The 56-year-old former construction worker says he is more than just a professional protester, and has vowed to fight his conviction or serve his sentence in time to legally nominate for re-election. “It is totally wrong to suggest I only protest. I can deliver speeches, which I have done dayin, day-out in the chamber,” the secondterm legislator says at his office in the city’s equivalent of parliament house.

His desk has a wooden plaque that says “Mr Long Hair”, and his office is crammed with books and Che memorabilia including posters, mugs and a “limited edition” doll. The late Cuban Marxist revolutionary is also emblazoned on Leung’s silver minivan in the parking lot. The vehicle’s number plate, DONALDPK, is an insult directed at the city’s bow-tie wearing chief executive, Donald Tsang. Leung can often be spotted in the regional financial hub’s glittering business and shopping districts armed with a loud hailer and cigarettes, campaigning for greater Chinese democracy and better rights for the poor.

His performances in the assembly are just as vocal, and frequently end in him being ejected from the chamber. He comes armed with props such as balloons and vegetables, which he has been known

to hurl at government officials. “You eat rice but don’t know how expensive it is ...

Why can’t you have some mercy on the poor?” Leung asked Tsang during a heated debate about the minimum wage in 2008, before presenting the chief executive with a banana. In March he gatecrashed the convention centre where the 1,200-member electoral committee-packed with proBeijing business and political elites-were selecting a new business-friendly chief executive to replace Tsang.

‘One Country Two Systems’-Wearing a yellow emperor suit, a pig-wolf mask and holding a papier-mache Chinese tank, he shouted “I am the king and kingmaker” as the delegates arrived to cast their votes behind closed doors. The high school graduate made his presence felt from day one of his political career, when he attended the swearing-in ceremony in a black Tshirt to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. When he was called to take his oath, he raised his fist and shouted “Long live democracy!

Power to the people!”

He earned his latest conviction after he led a small group of demonstrators into a public forum at Hong Kong Science

Museum in September that was discussing proposals to scrap by-elections.

The protesters seized the stage, clashed with museum staff and damaged public property. Leung defends what he calls his “visual and sensational” style. “If you want to draw the attention from the crowd, you need to climb the ladder to let other people see you. Otherwise, it is a waste of time,” he said in English, wearing a T-shirt with a “21st Century Socialism” logo, khaki pants and sandals. “If you live in a deformed society, you need to be deformed first.”

Leung is a founding member of the League of Social Democrats, a party at the radical end of the pro-democracy spectrum in the former British colony.

Hong Kong, a city of seven million people, reverted to Chinese rule in 1997 under a mini-constitution that guarantees its basic freedoms while ensuring that ultimate power rests with the communist central authorities in Beijing. The “One Country Two Systems” arrangement has led to great wealth accruing to a handful of family business empires in one of the most laissez-faire economies in the world.—AFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung is seen in his office during an interview with AFP in Hong Kong. — AFP

the Nobel Peace Prize.

Norway has also provided a home to the Democratic Voice of Burma, an opposition television and radio outlet, which broadcasts uncensored news into Myanmar, in much the same way Radio Free Europe did behind the Iron Curtain decades earlier. During her acceptance speech, Suu Kyi skirted the issue of sectarian violence between Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Muslim Rohingyas, which has tested Myanmar’s 15-month-old government. “We hope ceasefire agreements will lead to political settlements founded on the aspirations of the people, and the spirit of union,” she said.

The violence, which displaced 30,000 people and killed 29 by government accounts, stems from an entrenched, longstanding distrust of around 800,000 Muslim Rohingyas, who do not even hold citizenship, and much of Myanmar’s public regards them as illegal immigrants. The crisis has also put President Thein Sein in a tight spot. His government is under pressure from rights groups and Western countries to show compassion towards the Rohingyas but a policy shift risks angering the public. — Reuters

News

in brief

32 India pilgrims killed NEW DELHI: At least 32 pilgrims were killed and more than 20 injured yesterday when their bus plunged off a bridge in western India, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The pilgrims were returning from a visit to the popular Shirdi Saibaba temple, built in honor of an Indian guru, when the accident occurred before dawn in Maharashtra state’s Osmanabad district, police told PTI. “We had to struggle to rescue survivors and retrieve the victims’ bodies from water,” a police official told CNN-IBN news channel. India has the highest annual road death toll in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with accidents caused by speeding, careless driving and poor roads. Twenty-four Hindu pilgrims were killed in May when their bus collided with a truck and fell into a fast-flowing river in northern India. Nearly 135,000 people or 366 a day died on India’s roads in 2010, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

Rocket hits south Israel JERUSALEM: Israeli sappers yesterday recovered the debris of a rocket fired into the south of the Jewish state late on Friday, a military spokesman said. “Last night, an explosion in the Arava valley was heard, and this morning we recovered the remains of a device we have now identified as a Grad-type rocket,” the spokesman said. “An investigation into the attack has now begun.” The desert Arava region extends from the south of the Dead Sea to the Red Sea resort city of Eilat. A Grad rocket exploded near Eilat at the beginning of April, without causing any casualties, and another unexploded Grad was later found in the same area. The military said both rockets had been fired from the desert in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Canadian sisters found dead BANGKOK: The bodies of two Canadian sisters have been found in a hotel room on the popular tourist resort island of Phi Phi, Thai police said yesterday, without revealing the suspected cause of death. The sisters, aged 26 and 20, were found dead on Friday afternoon by hotel staff on the Andaman sea island, 800 kilometers south of Bangkok. “Their bodies were found a little after midday (Friday). They were sisters,” Lieutenant Pongpan Waiyawat, of the island’s police force said. “We have to wait for the post-mortem to determine the cause of death but based on initial investigations there’s no sign of violence in their room.” Thailand is a tourist magnet but its image as the “Land of Smiles” has been tested in recent years by deadly political unrest, devastating floods and more recently a bungled bomb plot involving Iranian suspects.

Philippines pulls vessels out of Scarborough Shoal MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino has ordered home its two ships engaged in a maritime stand-off with China over a disputed shoal, citing bad weather, the government said yesterday. Aquino ordered a coast guard patrol vessel and a fisheries bureau survey ship out of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Friday night, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said. “Last night, President Aquino ordered both of our ships to return to port due to increasing bad weather,” del Rosario said in a statement.

“When weather improves, a re-evaluation will be made,” he added. The announcement was made as Typhoon Guchol approached the country’s north from the Pacific Ocean. The Filipino vessels have been around the shoal claimed by both countries since April. A larger number of Chinese maritime patrol vessels as well as fishing boats are also in the area, according to the Philippine side, though both sides imposed unilateral fishing bans in the area during the dispute. The dispute began after Chinese government vessels blocked Philippine ships from arresting Chinese fishermen near the shoal on April 10. Since then, both countries have maintained ships there to press their respective claims to the area. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coasts of neighboring countries. The Philippines and Vietnam have in recent years accused China of becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claim. — AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y C H R I S WA R E / L E X I N G T O N HERALD-LEADER/MCT

Are you still reeling from Rachel and Finn’s breakup on “Glee”? Maybe you’re suffering from severe “New Girl” or “Community” withdrawal. Well fear not television fanatics: Your favorite summer shows are starting back up again. Why would you ever go outside when you can catch your favorite programs on USA, AMC, HBO and other summer-centric networks?

Grab a cool drink, find a comfortable spot on the couch and enjoy these sizzling summer shows: 1. “BREAKING BAD” Premieres 10 p.m. Friday, July 15 on AMC (all times ET)

There’s no such thing as a fair-weather “Breaking Bad” fan. Ask people if it’s worth watching and responses will range from “It’s the best show on TV” to “It’s the best show ever.” Chalk that up to four seasons of gripping storytelling and Bryan Cranston proving he can do just about anything. Going into its fifth and final season, you can expect more meth and mayhem from Cranston’s Walt. New to the show is “Friday Night Lights” alum Jesse Plemons, playing a working-class Joe who may be hiding something. Then again, who on “Breaking Bad” isn’t a little shady?

2. “THE NEWSROOM” Premieres 10 p.m. Sunday, June 24 on HBO

Normally a project with a premise this simple — a behind-the-scenes look at the machinations of a cable news network — wouldn’t warrant anything resembling the hype “The Newsroom” has been getting.

Then again, it’s not every day that Aaron Sorkin returns to television. The man has written for “The West Wing,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” and even won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for penning “The Social Network.” Throw in some recognizable faces like Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston, Emily Mortimer and Olivia Munn, and “The Newsroom” appears to be destined for summer success.

3. “TRUE BLOOD” Airs 9 p.m. Sundays, on HBO

If “The Newsroom” is where HBO viewers can go to get highbrow this summer, “True Blood” is the perfect trashy counterbalance. Though the show has devolved into soap opera territory, there’s something addicting about watching the residents of

Bon Temps, La., deal with the craziness that befalls them. Last season’s finale set up some intriguing scenarios, including the return of Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare) and an alliance forming between Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard). Season five should be a bloodtingling good time.

4. “FALLING SKIES”

B Y J O S H A X E L R O D / M C C L AT C H Y - T R I B U N E

Airs 9 p.m. Sundays, on TNT

9. “PRETTY LITTLE LIARS”

This show has no right to be as good as it is. Yet somehow the story of the aftermath of an alien invasion and the retaliation by a ragtag human army led by former college professor Tom Mason (Noah Wyle) just plain works. It makes sense when you realize the show is executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg. Get ready for more alien-hunting action and look for “Lost” alum Terry O’Quinn to show up later in the season.

Airs 8 p.m. Tuesdays, on ABC Family

5. “BURN NOTICE”

7. “LOUIE”

Airs 9 p.m. Thursdays, on USA

Premieres 10:30 p.m. Thursday, June 28 on FX

What’s summer without a little heat? Take a trip to Miami to visit the “Burn Notice” gang and see what they’ve been up to since last season. Don’t expect life to get any easier for Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) and his group of semi-spies. Look out for returning villain Anson Fullerton (Jere Burns) and guest appearances from “Scrubs” alum John C. McGinley, Taryn Manning and William Mapathor.

6. “FUTURAMA” Premieres 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 20 on Comedy Central

Good news: “Futurama” is back for its second post-resurrection season on Comedy Central. There is no group of animated misfits on television more entertaining than the Planet Express crew, and now you can catch up with all of their sci-fi shenanigans. Not much is known about the new season, but with episode titles like “Decision 3012” and “The Thief of Baghdad,” it’s a solid bet that Fry, Leela and Bender will get themselves into plenty of intergalactic trouble.

This one is for the ladies. “Pretty Little Liars” is back with more twists and turns and, you guessed it, lies. Last season ended with the identity of “A” — a mysterious texter who seemed to know the deepest secrets of a clique of teenage girls — being revealed. What’s in store this season for the residents of Rosewood? You’ll have to watch and find out.

Louis C.K. is a sick man, but he also happens to be one of the funniest comedians around. He does everything on this show — writing, directing, editing, starring, etc.

It’s no wonder “Louie,” which is a combination of sketches and stand-up, feels so unique in today’s television landscape. Get ready to laugh, cry and feel uncomfortable all at the same time.

8. “REALITY SHOWS GALORE” Times and networks vary

With each new season comes a new crop of reality shows for America’s viewing pleasure. This summer includes ABC’s “Duets” (featuring the likes of John Legend and Kelly Clarkson), a new season of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Hell’s Kitchen,” CBS’ “Big Brother,” and NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” (now featuring Howard Stern). Most intriguingly, MTV’s “Snooki and JWoww” will supposedly feature sober and maternal versions of the two “Jersey Shore” stars. Now that’s must-see TV.

10. “THE LEGEND OF KORRA” Airs 11 a.m. Saturdays, on Nickelodeon

Don’t write this off as a kid’s show. As any fan of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” will tell you, the world of elemental bending and political corruption is mature beyond the years of the average Nickelodeon viewer. The new series is a follow-up set 70 years after the events of “Avatar.” Korra is the new Avatar, living in the steampunkinspired Republic City and trying to quell an anti-bending revolution. The action is intense and the humor is always chuckleinducing. A lazy summer afternoon watching “Korra” is an afternoon well spent.

14

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

opinion

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Issues

Obama’s Asia ‘pivot’ advances, obstacles await

By Paul Eckert n intense fortnight of top-level US engagement with Asian countries from powerful India to tiny Singapore has highlighted President Barack Obama’s seriousness about reasserting American power across the Pacific - but also the obstacles he faces. Even as a conflict elsewhere, in Syria, worsened dramatically this month, the Obama administration’s top officials spent much of their face-time with Asian colleagues. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta toured Singapore, Vietnam and India; Obama hosted Philippine President Benigno Aquino at the White House; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed counterparts from Cambodia, Thailand, India and South Korea.

Virtually every country on the list is a potential friction point between the United States and a rising China, and many share Washington’s concern about Beijing’s increasing economic and military influence. “All of this happening at the same time does a very good job of conveying the message that we are paying attention to the region, that it’s of great importance to us and that we intend to focus on it even more,” said Michael Mazza, a security expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

But meetings and messaging may be the easy part, Mazza and other analysts say. China’s rapid military buildup and its tough stance on territorial disputes with weaker Southeast Asian neighbors has inadvertently given a boost to Obama’s enhanced Asia strategy, variously called a pivot, a refocus or a rebalancing. But ahead still lies the harder work of matching the expectations of Washington’s partners - including mustering the political will to overcome US fiscal deficits and dispelling a growing sense that the United States is declining while China rises. US policy also has to factor in historical ambivalence about the United States in India and several other regional democracies, as well as political disarray in long-time ally Japan.

Countries with troubling human rights records like Vietnam and Cambodia have limited appeal in the US Congress, while leaders of these states see political risks in getting too close to Washington. And the US strategy, while drawing some verbal fire from China, has yet to be tested in a serious way. That might happen if, for example, the Philippines’ ongoing showdown with Beijing over contested shoals in the South China Sea were to deteriorate into a military conflict that invoked US Mutual Defense Treaty obligations to Manila.

The official US line that its more energetic Asia-Pacific diplomacy is “not directed at any one country” is scarcely taken at face value - not least in that unnamed one country. “In Australia’s case, it is a matter of doing what the United States wants while reassuring China it is not a containment policy,” said Australian National University analyst Michael McKinley. “The Chinese don’t believe it.” But the polite fiction employed by Washington serves AsiaPacific countries who seek security assurances from the far-away United States without sacrificing important trade with nearby China and its fast-growing economy.

“Treading too forcefully on China’s interests can and has resulted in economic reprisals against Southeast Asian countries,” said Scott Harrison of Pacific Strategies and Assessments, a consultancy in Manila.

Beijing responded last month to its South China Sea dispute with Manila by tightening quality controls on Philippine fruit and cutting the number of visits by Chinese citizens to the Philippines. For now, many nations in Asia have welcomed the US pivot despite the danger of antagonizing Beijing, said Ross Babbage, a defense analyst and founder of the Kokoda Foundation, an independent security policy unit in Canberra, Australia. “What you are seeing is key players in the region playing their cards differently,” he said.

Australia and other traditional US allies have publicly backed Washington’s new strategy, while others, such as Vietnam, have quietly but enthusiastically sought closer ties to counter China’s “turbo-charged” military expansion, Babbage said. Threatened by China’s growing assertiveness, Manila sees Washington’s new Asia policy as “essential to ameliorate its growing security dilemma,” said Rommel Banlaoi, head of the Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

When Australia’s Defense Minister Stephen Smith visited China this month for inaugural bilateral defense talks, he was forthright about Canberra’s decision to host 2,500 US Marines for training missions in Darwin.— Reuters

A

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Egypt still in turmoil after 16 months

By Lee Keath n the eve of a presidential election and two weeks before they are supposed to hand over authority, the military generals who were the power behind Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic rule are more entrenched in control than anyone in Egypt had ever intended. That shows no sign of changing. They are poised to have a president who will bend to their will, with no parliament or constitution to put checks on them for the near future. They are also in a position to mold the new constitution to their own purposes.

How did Egypt get to this point, after a revolution intended to sweep out Mubarak’s old order and bring democracy? A ruling Thursday by judges he had appointed dissolved the freely elected, Islamist-dominated parliament and sealed the military’s leading role. But it was only the latest step in a path Egypt was put on soon after Mubarak was removed by his military brethren on Feb 11, 2011, in the face of 18 days of prodemocracy protests.

For 16 tortured months, three factors have shaped that course: The military firmly controlled the transition. The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s strongest political force, tried to ride that transition to win power, but overreached. And the young leftist and secular revolutionaries who launched the revolt were in too much disarray to bring their dreams to fruition. The international scene also played a significant role: Saudi Arabia and the United States deeply worried about instability and saw in the generals someone they could or had to trust.

There was a brief glimmer of a possibly different route right after Mubarak fell and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, headed by Mubarak’s defense minister, stepped in to rule. The council promised to hold elections for a parliament that would oversee the writing of a constitution, then presidential elections. The leftist and secular revolutionaries, particularly reform leader Mohammed ElBaradei, argued that elections supervised by the military would be a farce and any constitution would be tainted. Instead, they proposed a civilian leadership grouping the “revolutionary powers” immediately start to rule and oversee the constitution.

Divided and politically inexperienced, they were resoundingly overruled. The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists - who had joined the revolt against Mubarak - broke with the revolutionaries and backed the military-run transition.

They had no time for worries over military rule or talk of a revolutionary government, keeping a laser-like focus on elections in which they were confident of vaulting to power on a strong popular base.

Now the revolutionaries are saying: We told you so. “A lot of time and effort went into campaigning for the presidential and parliamentary elections. They proved to be nothing, a scam,” said activist Lobna Darwish. “It proved to be a distraction from working on direct street

O

action, organizing people on the neighborhood and street level” to reach the revolution’s goals and remove the military. As a poster circulating on activists’ social networking sites puts it: “The revolution asked for bread, freedom and social justice. They gave us troops, police and military police.”

Gone is the parliament, the Brotherhood’s main gain in the past year.

Mubarak regime veteran Ahmed Shafiq, seen as the military’s favorite, is competing in the presidential runoff election yesterday and today against the Brotherhood’s candidate, Mohammed Mursi. With no constitution, the powers of a new president will be up to the military to determine even after it “steps down” as promised by June 30. The generals have taken over legislative powers, and they can pick the members of the body that will write the constitution.

A turning point was a referendum in March 2011 in which the public overwhelmingly approved the military’s plan for the transition. The Islamists strongly backed the plan, even proclaiming a “yes” vote to be required by God. The public trusted the military, was enamored at the promise of free elections and saw the revolutionaries’ alternative as vague. The plan passed with 70 percent

gery intact.

Only a handful of low-level police officers were convicted in any of the deaths of 900 protesters in the uprising.

Mubarak and his interior minister have been sentenced to life imprisonment for failing to stop those deaths, but not of ordering them. With a largely shoddy prosecution case, other security bosses were acquitted, and Mubarak and his sons were cleared of corruption charges.

The generals showed they could resort to even more brutal tactics than Mubarak. Troops cracked down on an early protest of military rule in Tahrir Square, detaining and torturing activists and carrying out humiliating “virginity tests” on female demonstrators in the nearby Egyptian Museum. Further crackdowns by security forces left more than 100 dead, and more than 12,000 went before military trials.

State TV, firmly in the generals’ hands, depicted revolutionaries as troublemakers or worse - agents paid by foreign powers to spread chaos. That fueled resentment of the activists among some in the public, frustrated with the instability and an economy sliding downhill fast.

Notably, the Muslim Brotherhood repeated the same accusations against protesters - the starkest sign of their accommo-

An Egyptian protester puts his shoe on a ripped poster of presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who was ousted leader Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, during a demonstration against him in Cairo on Friday, on the eve of Egypt’s second round presidential election between Shafiq and his only rival, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi. — AFP of the vote. From then on, the military pointed to that referendum as proof of legitimacy for whatever it did.

While the generals portrayed themselves as the protectors of the revolution, their control meant there was no move to dismantle the system that Egyptians had risen up against. Most commanders of the feared security forces and intelligence agencies remained. Regime cronies kept their hold on state TV and newspapers. Mubarak-appointed judges and prosecutors made only superficial efforts to investigate or prosecute members of the regime, leaving the vast legacy of corruption and political skulldug-

dation with the military for most of the past year.

For most of its 80-year history, the Brotherhood operated as an outlawed secret society that had to dodge security crackdowns on its wide social networks, finances and cadres. Protests and street politics threatened the Brotherhood’s goal after Mubarak’s fall of winning a legitimized place at the table. That meshed with the immediate needs of the military to control the process and the streets, said Omar Ashour, an Egyptian expert on Islamic movements.

The highly organized Islamists largely stayed out of anti-military demonstra-

tions, isolating the revolutionaries. In turn, the military paved the way for parliamentary elections - and the Islamists won big. The Brotherhood captured nearly half the seats and more radical Islamists took another quarter. But the victory was hollow. The generals prevented the Brotherhood from creating a government, keeping military-appointed Cabinets in place. With the head of state the military - required to approve laws, passing legislation was a useless exercise.

The Brotherhood’s own ambitions prompted a backlash. It and other Islamists sought to pack the constitutionwriting assembly overwhelmingly with their own people, prompting a walkout by leftists, liberals and moderates. A court dissolved the panel. With Thursday’s court ruling, they have lost parliament completely. The generals “played this well,” Ashour said. As for the Brotherhood, he added, “all their gains are gone. ... Their chance of (being significant players) is very much minimum”.

The Brotherhood is also now largely without allies. Its former leftist and secular partners accused it of selling out the revolution. Repeatedly, it resisted concessions to work with other parties. It viewed the revolutionaries as immature with little popular support. Indeed, some have seen the military as a bulwark against an Islamic state. Emad Gad, a lawmaker with the liberal Egyptian Social Democratic Party, welcomed parliament’s dissolution, saying divisions made agreement impossible and said the generals can now form the constitution-writing assembly.

Throughout, revolutionary groups have struggled to form a cohesive strategy. They prided themselves on being a leaderless movement, which was a source of their strength. They used anger over police torture as the basis for launching the protests that grew into a nationwide uprising in which everyone brought different grievances against Mubarak’s system to Tahrir Square and elsewhere in Egypt.

But the unity disintegrated after Mubarak fell. Some revolutionaries joined new liberal political parties to contest elections. But their ideologies were indistinct, their efforts to build popularity fumbled, and they won no more than 6 percent of the seats in parliament. Others turned to street action and long-term organizing on the neighborhood level.

Many of them feel vindicated, saying that while elections have proven futile, they have managed to mobilize some in the public against the military.

Hossam El-Hamalawy, a leftist who was one of the first to call for the military regime to be dismantled and an advocate of labor-oriented street action, recognizes that the revolutionary groups have lacked the tools to “fight back”. A national organization linking labor and youth movements is even more urgent now, he wrote Friday in an online magazine, Jadaliya. But, he argued, the military has failed to stem the revolutionary drive.

Any deal from now on between the military and political groups aimed at stopping protests and strikes “is futile”. — AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

sp orts Champion Phillips out of Games

Pacquiao feted on return

Oakland release Ramirez

LONDON: Four-times world long jump champion Dwight Phillips will miss the London Olympics after having surgery that will keep him out of the US trials, the American’s agent said on Friday.

“He had surgery because he is injured,” Caroline Feith told Reuters via telephone from Germany. “He will not compete in the US trials.” The trials begin on Thursday in Oregon. Phillips, the 2004 Olympic champion, said on his Twitter account he would miss the June 21-July 1 qualifying meeting because of a recurring Achilles problem.

“I have had surgery and I am looking forward to competing at the World Championship in 2013 which will be my final year,” he said. The 34-year-old won world titles in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2011. Even without the Achilles problem, he may have struggled to make the US team because of an automobile accident earlier this season and the emergence of younger jumpers. Phillips’ car was hit from behind in April and he had not been able to train properly. “I had some strong pains in my neck from whiplash and also my back,” the reigning world champion said in a diary posted last month on the international athletics federation’s website. Only the top three finishers at the US trials make the team. There are no exceptions for injuries. Phillips finished fourth at the 2008 trials, which cost him a chance to defend his Olympic title. —Reuters

NEW YORK: The Oakland Athletics have granted slugger Manny Ramirez’s request for an outright release, the Major League Baseball (MLB) team said on Friday.

Fighting to make a return to the major leagues after serving a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, Ramirez signed a minor league contract with Oakland in February and has remained with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

Ramirez, who was also suspended for 50 games in 2009 for violating MLB’s drug policy, retired in April 2011 after being notified

of a second drug-policy issue.

A popular figure with his flowing locks, big-hitting style and lively personality, the Dominican Republic native retired with a .312 batting average, 555 home runs and 1,831 runs batted in over a 19-year career that included a pair of World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox. Ramirez made his name with Cleveland and Boston but had spells with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays toward the end of his career. —Reuters

MANILA: Manny Pacquiao was feted on his return to the Philippines yesterday despite losing one his eight championship belts in a contentious loss to Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao, who has returned to help flood victims in his home province which he represents in congress, was showered with confetti although his homecoming this time was much less festive because of his split decision defeat last week in Las Vegas.

Losing the welterweight belt was “okay” because “I am a winner in the hearts of the people and I am a winner in the heart of God,” Pacquiao said at a news conference where men dressed as gladiators lined up as his honor guards.

“Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us,” said Pacquiao. Later, he told GMA television he had asked supporters to skip the traditional “hero’s welcome” for him and instead focus on helping those affected by the floods. He said he has already sent relief supplies ahead of his return.

Pacquiao went to the Roman Catholic church in Manila’s Quiapo district where he addressed worshippers, urging them to accept the judges’ decision and shun anger.

Pacquiao’s controversial defeat has prompted one of boxing’s major sanctioning bodies to review Bradley’s victory, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be “clarity” in the judging of the fight. —AP

Yankees down Nationals

LONDON: Spain’s Alvaro Bautista riding a San Carlo Honda Gresini MotoGP bike takes Club corner during final qualifying at the Silverstone circuit. —AP

Bautista on pole at Silverstone SILVERSTONE: Honda’s Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista will start from pole in today’s British MotoGP after posting the fastest time in qualifying here yesterday.

Bautista earned his first MotoGP pole position by edging out American Ben Spies on a Yamaha by 106 thousandths of a second with Australian world champion Casey Stoner taking third at 0.120s.

The 2006 125cc world champion posted a time 0.2s outside the track record set by former MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo in 2010.

Lorenzo came in fourth fastest in qualifying, less than half a second behind his compatriot. Former multiple champion Valentino Rossi could manage only 10th in the dry conditions.

“I’m so excited. I never thought that I could get a pole position so early (in my career),” Bautista told the BBC. “I

felt good on my bike all weekend, b o t h in wet an d dr y c on dition s.

Morning practice was difficult because rain fell sometimes and then it came again at the end of the qualifying session.

“I’m so happy because my team did a great job. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race.” British rider Cal Crutchlow is in danger of missing his home race for the second successive year after suffering a heavy crash on his Yamaha in final practice.

Crutchlow lost control of his bike at Chapel corner and after landing awkwardly was initially diagnosed with a left-ankle sprain.

He was taken to hospital after the ankle swelled up to undergo further tests. Although he missed qualifying there is still a chance he could start the race from the back of the grid.

Crutchlow was unable to take part in last year’s race after crashing in quali-

Preview

Pybus debuts as coach of Bangladesh Tigers HARARE: Former Pakistan coach Richard Pybus makes his debut in charge of minnows Bangladesh today when they confront hosts Zimbabwe in the opening game of a tri-nation Twenty20 tournament.

Depleted South Africa are also competing at Harare Sports Club in the eight-day warm-up ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 to be hosted by Sri Lanka during September and October.

South Africa and Zimbabwe share Group C at the world 20-over championship with Sri Lanka while Bangladesh have been placed in Group D beside New Zealand and Pakistan.

Pybus, who was born in England and raised in Australia and turned to coaching in his mid-twenties after an injury ended his playing career, wants to build on the good form of the Bangladeshi Tigers in the Asia Cup this year.

The weakest top-flight Asian cricket nation stunned India and Sri Lanka in Dhaka before coming off second best to Pakistan in the final and the new man at the helm wants to tap into the confidence gained from that achievement.

“It is important to build on the momentum that has been created by the results in the Asia Cup and reach the goals we have set for ourselves,” he stressed.

“We want to improve our rankings in all formats,” he said of a team

currently ninth on the Test and a one-day international lists. “My job is to maximise the potential within the squad.”

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim added that his squad have a few points to prove in Zimbabwe having lost a one-off Test and a oneday international series there last year.

Star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is unavailable while there have been recalls for former skipper Mohammad Ashraful and batsman Zunaed Siddique and call-ups for uncapped Ziaur Rahman and Abul Hasan. Injuries to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu and off-spinner Raymond Price have upset the preparations of Zimbabwe with neither in the squad for the opening match.

Assistant coach Stephen Mangongo is relishing the rare chance to take on mighty neighbours South Africa and assured reporters that they will not be intimidated by the Proteas.

South Africa, who are without injured Johan Botha and have rested AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, give a chance to leading domestic Twenty20 wicket-taker Chris Morris.

Caps will not be awarded for appearances during the Harare tournament which reaches a climax next Sunday with the final as it falls outside the ICC future tours programme. —AFP

WASHINGTON: New York’s Curtis Granderson drove in three runs to lead the Yankees to their seventh straight win, beating the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Friday in a clash of the respective East division leaders from the American and National Leagues.

Both teams entered with sixgame winning streaks. For the Nationals, the attention was unusual, the stands were packed, with many supporting the Yankees.

New York starter Phil Hughes (75) pitched six innings, striking out nine and allowing only one run. Gio Gonzalez (8-3) worked six-plus innings for Washington, yielding three runs. He struck out eight.

Alex Rodriguez drove in a run in the third to leave him tied with Jimmie Foxx for sixth place on the all-time list with 1,924 RBIs. Dodgers 7, White Sox 6 In Los Angeles, James Loney scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning, giving Los Angeles victory over Chicago in the opener of the interleague series between division leaders.

Alex Rios hit his second homer of the game in the top half of the eighth, but the Dodgers went in front again in the bottom half.

Loney started the winning rally with a one-out single against Matt Thornton (2-4). Dee Gordon walked and Elian Herrera grounded into a fielder’s choice, putting runners at the corners. The run came in as Thornton’s first pitch to Bobby Abreu bounced past catcher AJ Pierzynski. Ronald Belisario (2-0) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the victory and Kenley Jansen worked a perfect ninth for the save.

Braves 4, Orioles 2 In Atlanta, rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons made amends for his first career error by hitting a two-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth inning as Atlanta ended Baltimore’s five-game winning streak.

Brian McCann’s first-inning homer off Brian Matusz (5-7) gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead. The Orioles scored two runs in the fourth with help from a throwing error by Simmons and another error by Michael Bourn.

Simmons had three hits for the Braves, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Chad Durbin (3-0) got the win. Matusz fell to 0-6 in seven career interleague starts.

Reds 7, Mets 3 In New York, Jay Bruce hit an inside-the-park homer that left Jason Bay with yet another injury as Cincinnati beat New York.

The NL Central leaders followed up a three-game sweep of state rival Cleveland by winning the series opener at Citi Field, a nice present for manager Dusty Baker on his 63rd birthday.

Reds starter Bronson Arroyo (3-4), who was 0-3 in his past six starts, allowed four hits in six-plus innings and took the win. New York starter Dillon Gee (4-5) gave up four runs in six innings.

Rays 11, Marlins 0 In St. Petersburg, Florida, Matt Moore and two relievers combined to restrict Miami to just one hit, helping Tampa Bay snap a three-game losing streak and take Floridian bragging rights.

Ben Zobrist homered and Desmond Jennings drove in four runs in support of Moore (4-5), who gave up nothing after a first-inning single. The rookie struck out eight.

The Marlins played without third baseman Hanley Ramirez, who was hit in the nose by a ball while taking batting practice in an indoor cage.

Miami’s Carlos Zambrano (4-5) got the loss.

D’backs 5, Angels 0 In Anaheim, Trevor Cahill pitched scorelessly into the eighth inning to direct Arizona over Los Angeles.

Rockies 12, Tigers 4 In Detroit, Wilin Rosario hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 10th and the Rockies went on to score a franchise-record eight runs in an extra inning to beat Detroit and win their first game in nine.

Detroit pitcher Jose Valverde (32) gave up a leadoff single to Michael Cuddyer in the 10th and allowed him to get to third on a throwing error to first base after Eric Young laid down a sacrifice bunt.

Valverde induced a groundout, and on the same play, the throw to home got Cuddyer out. Rosario broke the tie and Carlos Gonzalez and Cuddyer followed with back-toback homers.

The last time any team scored at least that many runs in an extra inning was in 2009, when the Angels scored nine runs in the 13th inning at Baltimore. Colorado’s Matt Belisle (3-2) earned the win with two scoreless innings.

Francisco to the victory over Seattle.

Posey hit a solo shot off Jason Vargas (7-6) in the second inning. Cabrera just cleared the fence for a two-run shot in the eighth. Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong (6-2) was dominant for seven innings.

Cahill (5-5), who got his third straight victory following a five-start winless streak, struck out eight.

Aaron Hill hit a three-run homer for the Diamondbacks. Angels starter Dan Haren (4-7), a two-time All-Star for Arizona facing his former teammates for the first time, allowed five runs.

Blue Jays 3, Phillies 0 In Toronto, the home team’s bullpen made up for the loss of rookie starter Drew Hutchison to an elbow injury in the first inning, combining to shut out Philadelphia as Toronto snapped a three-game skid. Hutchison became the third Blue Jays starter in five days to leave with an injury, lasting just nine pitches.

Carlos Villanueva (2-0) struck out five over four innings to take the win in long relief. Brett Lawrie had

Rangers 6, Astros 2 In Arlington, Texas, Yu Darvish matched his major league high with 11 strikeouts over eight innings, leading Texas to the victory over state rival Houston. Darvish (8-4) gave up two runs while throwing 76 of his 110 pitches for strikes.

After an infield single to start the sixth, the Japanese struck out eight of the last 11 batters he faced including the side in the eighth

Brewers 5, Twins 3 In Minneapolis, Martin Maldonado’s tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning lifted Milwaukee over Minnesota.

Corey Hart led off the ninth against Matt Capps (1-4) with a double. With two outs and two strikes, Maldonado sent a fastball into the bullpen. Then John Axford pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the save, aving blown consecutive save attempts coming into the game. Brewers reliever Kameron Loe (3-2) picked up the victory with 1 2-3 scoreless innings.

Cubs 3, Red Sox 0 In Chicago, Ryan Dempster pitched seven scoreless innings, guiding Chicago past Boston.

Dempster (3-3) stretched his scoreless innings streak to 22 and lowered his ERA to 2.11 with another dominant performance. The Red Sox loaded the bases against Carlos Marmol in the ninth, but he got out of it when Dustin Pedroia’s hit forced the runner at third, ending the game. Dempster also helped himself at the plate with two hits. He tripled and scored in the second to make it 3-0 after Steve Clevenger hit a two-run double off Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) in the first.

LOS ANGELES: Dodgers’ Dee Gordon (left) and Tony Gwynn celebrate as Elian Herrera looks on after they defeated the Chicago White Sox in their baseball game. —AP two doubles and drove in a run for Toronto. Phillies starter Vance Worley (3-3) allowed three runs in seven innings, matching his longest start of the season.

against the heart of the Astros order.

David Murphy lined a two-run single during a five-run fifth off Jordan Lyles (1-3), when the Rangers had two popups fall for hits after an error and a hit batsman started the rally.

Royals 3, Cardinals 2 In St. Louis, Mike Moustakas threw out Tyler Greene at the plate to end the game, capping a wild ninth inning and preserving Kansas City’s victory over St. Louis.

Greene reached base on a twoout infield hit for his third single of the game, stole second and advanced to third on a wild throw.

He tried to score on another off-line throw but third baseman Moustakas’ toss to home was too good. Vin Mazzaro (3-1) pitched six scoreless innings for Kansas City, which matched its longest winning streak of the season with its fourth consecutive victory. Jonathan Broxton worked the ninth for the save. Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse (62) scattered gave up 10 hits in seven innings.

Indians 2, Pirates 0 In Cleveland, Justin Masterson pitched seven scoreless innings to help Cleveland down Pittsburgh and snap a three-game losing skid.

Masterson (3-6) struck out nine and ended his own three-game slide. He wriggled out of threats in the fourth, sixth and seventh.

Carlos Santana hit an RBI double in the third off James McDonald (5-3) and Michael Brantley extended baseball’s longest hitting streak this season to 22 games with a run-scoring single in the eighth. The Pirates have lost four straight.

Giants 4, Mariners 2 In Seattle, Buster Posey and Melky Cabrera homered to lead San

Athletics 10, Padres 2 In Oakland, Brandon Moss homered in his fourth consecutive game, powering Oakland past San Diego and to its fourth straight win.

Moss’ two-run shot off starter Randy Bass (2-7) capped a five-run first inning. The A’s have scored 36 runs over their past four games.

Oakland’s Travis Blackley (1-2) pitched six innings for his first win since 2004 when he made his major league debut with Seattle. —AP

MLB results/standings Chicago Cubs 3, Boston 0; Cleveland 2, Pittsburgh 0; Colorado 12, Detroit 4 (10 innings); NY Yankees 7, Washington 2; Toronto 3, Philadelphia 0; Tampa Bay 11, Miami 0; Cincinnati 7, NY Mets 3; Atlanta 4, Baltimore 2; Texas 6, Houston 2; Milwaukee 5, Minnesota 3; Kansas City 3, St Louis 2; Arizona 5, LA Angels 0; Oakland 10, San Diego 2; San Francisco 4, Seattle 2; La Dodgers 7, Chicago White Sox 6.

NY Yankees Baltimore Tampa Bay Toronto Boston

American League Eastern Division W L 38 25 37 27 36 28 32 32 31 33

Central Division Chicago White Sox 34 Cleveland 33 Detroit 30 Kansas City 28 Minnesota 25 Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

30 30 34 34 38

Western Division 38 27 34 31 30 35 27 39

PCT .603 .578 .563 .500 .484 .531 .524 .469 .452 .397

GB 1.5 2.5 6.5 7.5 .5 4 5 8.5

.585 .523 4 .462 8 .409 11.5

Washington Atlanta NY Mets Miami Philadelphia

National League Eastern Division 38 35 35 32 31

24 29 30 32 35

.613 .547 .538 .500 .470

Cincinnati Pittsburgh St Louis Milwaukee Houston Chicago Cubs

Central Division 36 32 33 29 27 22

27 31 32 35 37 42

.571 .508 4 .508 4 .453 7.5 .422 9.5 .344 14.5

LA Dodgers San Francisco Arizona Colorado San Diego

Western Division 41 24 37 28 32 32 25 38 23 42

.631 .569 .500 .397 .354

4 4.5 7 9

4 8.5 15 18

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

sp orts

McIlroy the ‘next Tiger Woods?’ Not yet NEW YORK: A year after posting the lowest score ever to win the US Open and being anointed the latest “next Tiger Woods,” Rory McIlroy won’t be around for the weekend to defend his title.

He shot 77-73 at The Olympic Club and looked like Woods all right - the one who played listlessly en route to missing the cut at Congressional in 2011. And just like Woods a year ago, there was no place to hide afterward.

Some 15 minutes after completing his round, McIlroy wolfed down a sandwich hunched over in front of his locker, still wearing his hat and golf shoes. He checked his phone. Next he autographed some posters. Then he packed his clubs.

Ten minutes passed, then 15. He changed his shoes and checked his phone again. A day earlier, McIlroy waited out his questioners and said nothing. This time, convinced he was cornered, McIlroy finally turned and walked down the row of lockers to where a handful of reporters waited between him and the clubhouse exit. “Yeah, obviously disap-

pointed,” he said. “It wasn’t the way I wanted to play.”

On his final hole Friday, already 9 over with the cut projected at 8, McIlroy hit his tee shot on the par-3 to within 15 feet. Then he ran the birdie try 3 feet past the hole. He looked at that one, took a half-hearted stab and missed it coming back.

“I didn’t really take my time over it,” he said. “So if the cut is 9 I won’t be feeling too good on the way home.” It was the punctuation mark on what’s been a whirlwind year, and a humbling six weeks or so of maddeningly inconsistent golf. McIlroy flung a club in anger at Wentworth three weeks ago, missed the cut and then admitted he hadn’t practiced as much or as hard as he should have. For a kid raised in Northern Ireland by working-class parents who juggled two and three jobs at a time so he could chase the dream of becoming a pro, it was quite an admission. “I’ve taken my eye off the ball,” is how McIlroy put it. Small wonder. Beyond the demands of his long-distance romance with tennis star

Caroline Wozniacki, McIlroy has shed his former manager, adopted a schedule that is heavy on highpaying events and focused on the majors - a la Woods - and light on almost everything else. For a while, the changes seemed like a good fit.

McIlroy started the year with a win and nothing worse than a tie for fifth in his first five events. In his next five, he sandwiched three missed cuts in a row between ties for second and seventh. Last week at Memphis encapsulated his season so far: He had a two-stroke lead after four birdies through 11 holes in the final round. Then he skidded to two bogeys and a double at No. 18 after hooking his 3-wood off the tee into the water. For all that, the kid is almost too good and too young to know what a drought feels like.

“I just realized that you just got to keep working hard. ... that it doesn’t come easy to you all the time,” he said. “It hasn’t been the greatest run over the last sort of six weeks or whatever it is. But as I said, I still see enough good stuff in the rounds that

it does give me hope it’s not very far away.”

Most everything else McIlroy said over the next few minutes was how hard Olympic had been set up. “It’s just such a demanding golf course and just punishes the slightest shot that’s off line, or that’s maybe not the right distance, or whatever, and that’s how I feel.”

To his credit, he also cut himself off just short of an extended whine. “It’s been set up tough,” he said quietly, “but it still gives you opportunities.” A reporter asked McIlroy whether he would play the Irish Open in two weeks.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he replied. “Just go back home and start playing some links golf and get ready for those couple weeks.”

With that, McIlroy excused himself and headed for the exit with a much better idea of how much dedication it’s going to take to be just half as good as Woods was - and still is - year in and year out, all the while dealing with the smothering attention that good week or bad, never goes away. — AP

Woods joins Furyk and Toms in halfway lead

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand’s Richie McCaw (right) is tackled by Ireland’s Sean O’Brien during the second international rugby test series. — AP

NZ break Irish hearts CHRISTCHURCH: Flyhalf Daniel Carter was composed under pressure just when New Zealand needed it, slotting home an 80thminute dropgoal as the world champions snatched a tense, 22-19 victory over Ireland yesterday to win the three-match series.

Ireland had never beaten the All Blacks in their 25 previous encounters, with a 1010 draw in 1973 the closest they came in the 107 years they have been playing test matches.

Having drawn level at 19-19 and with New Zealand fullback Israel Dagg sinbinned for a late charge on his opposite Rob Kearney in the 72nd minute, yesterday’s match at a chilly Rugby League Park was Ireland’s for the taking.

The collective experience of the All Blacks, who ground out a tense 8-7 victory last year to win the World Cup, however, enabled them to march down field in the final five minutes to win the match.

“The thing was to stay calm,” All Blacks captain Richie McCaw told a media conference. “There was time left on the clock...the message was to keep believing in the plan.

“Ideally we would have liked to have been in a better position than that but...composure is a big thing.” The match had added significance for the local crowd, who had not seen an All Blacks test in almost two years after a devastating earthquake destroyed the central city and badly affected Lancaster Park.

Starved of international rugby, the 20,669-strong crowd welcomed the All Blacks on to the temporary ground at Rugby League Park to a standing ovation.

McCaw had said beforehand that he did not expect the earthquake to provide any additional motivation for his side, and that the All Blacks jersey should be enough.

Ireland, however, who were supposed to

have had their best chance of beating the All Blacks last week in Auckland, showed plenty of pride in their own jersey.

They upped their intensity, as they said they would, from the shellacking at Eden Park. They made massive hits in contact, upset the All Blacks at the breakdown and held the ball through numerous phases.

“What a difference a week makes, eh?” All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said. “Ireland played with a lot of conviction. A lot of energy. Lot of urgency. But I’d like to give my own team a pat on the back for the character they showed.

“It was a game we shouldn’t have won...we didn’t play as well as we would have liked but they showed some really special character to hang in there and win the game. “I felt the last five to 10 minutes the big guys in the team stood up...and we didn’t get there because DC dropped a goal. We got there because we had a plan and everyone did their job under pressure.”

Twice the All Blacks set for a drop goal with a poor pass from replacement scrumhalf Piri Weepu forcing Carter on to his weaker right foot, though the kick was partially charged and the home side were awarded an attacking scrum.

Weepu made no mistake a second time, with Carter slotting back in the pocket and guiding the ball through the posts to send the crowd into delirium and the Irish slumping to their knees.

“We set high standards of ourselves and trying to be a consistent team, be a good team and we dipped below those standards last week,” Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll said.

“Individually and collectively, the jersey deserved a bit more from us...and I think we did manage to do that, albeit we fell at the final hurdle.” — Reuters

Bhupathi says he will not go to Olympics with Paes LONDON: India’s Mahesh Bhupathi will not go to the London Olympics if he is separated from his usual partner and forced to play with Leander Paes, the doubles specialist told Reuters on Friday.

A row erupted when the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) announced on Friday that Bhupathi would be prevented from competing with his normal partner Rohan Bopanna.

Instead he would have to play with Paes,

Mahesh Bhupathi with whom he won three grand slam titles before the pair had an acrimonious split. “I have told them I will not partner Leander Paes,” Bhupathi told Reuters at the Queen’s Club tournament in West London.

“I have told them I am not available if they don’t pick me with Rohan. “We have been hoping all year since we decided to partner together that we were going to represent India at the Olympics.

“The decision taken today did not go in

our favour so we are going to try and hope that something changes.” Bhupathi and Paes joined forces to great effect in the late 1990s, winning the French Open and Wimbledon in 1999 before claiming a second Roland Garros title two years later.

Their partnership did not endure, however, as the relationship gradually deteriorated and they ceased to play together on the tour circuit from 2002. They announced they would never appear together again after joining up for the Asian Games in 2006, but managed to put their differences aside to play at the Beijing Olympics, where they finished joint fifth. They played together at the Australian Open in 2011 and Paes even attended Bhupathi’s wedding to former Miss Universe Lara Dutta.

While the acrimony has cooled, Bhupathi feels they do not have the relationship on court needed to succeed at the Olympics in July and August.

“We (Paes and Bhupathi) haven’t practised together,” he added. “We haven’t literally spoken with each other since we played last at the Masters in London in November so there is no camaraderie, there is no chemistry. “So for me to go back to a fifth Olympics and make up the numbers is not going to be exciting at all. They have kind of killed our Olympic dream.”

Paes, who completed his collection of men’s doubles grand-slam titles when he triumphed at the Australian Open in January with Czech partner Radek Stepanek, was given direct entry into the Olympic doubles thanks to his top-10 ranking.Bopanna is ranked 12th and Bhupathi is 14th. —Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Tiger Woods charged into a share of the lead in the second round of the US Open on Friday as Rory McIlroy’s title defense collapsed on another brutal day at the Olympic Club.

Woods had the galleries buzzing with anticipation that his major championship drought was about to end as he conjured up all his old magic to tame the notoriously difficult course and join Jim Furyk and David Toms in a threeway tie for the lead at one-under par 139.

The former world number one has not won a major in four years but the omens are good this time. Of the nine previous times Woods has led a major at the halfway state, he has gone on to win eight.

“Being patient is certainly something that we have to do in major championships and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that over the years,” said the 14-times major winner.

“I won my fair share, and I understand how to do it.” It was not an easy day for Woods. The 36year-old stumbled midway through his round, making three successive bogeys on the front nine, and had to scramble hard as the Pacific Ocean winds picked up in the afternoon.

But he maintained his composure to finish with an even par 70 after Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, set the standard with a 69 and Toms, the 2001 PGA Championship winner, matched Woods with a 70 as the sun started to set in Northern California.

“I’m sure they (spectators) will be going crazy for Tiger out there this weekend and rightfully so. He brings a lot to our game,” said Toms. “I’m excited about it and I don’t mind flying under the radar at all.” Four players, 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, overnight leader Michael Thompson, American John Peterson and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium, were a further stroke back at one over on a packed leaderboard.

A total of 25 players, including major winners Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Charl Schwartzel, finished within five shots of the leaders and are poised to challenge over the weekend.

“I think a lot of guys are pretty scared of it, I

don’t get that feeling,” said Schwartzel, who birdied his final four holes to win last year’s Masters. “I got 36 holes left and I feel I have a very good chance.”

There were also plenty of high-profile casualties that missed the cut at eight over, including McIlroy, Masters champion Bubba Watson and world number one Luke Donald.

McIlroy three-putted the last to finish at 10 under after missing a birdie putt that would have got him into the weekend, in stark contrast to 12 months ago when the Northern Irishman romped to victory at Congressional with a record total of 16 under.

“To be honest, overall I don’t feel like I played that badly for the last two days,” McIlroy said. “It’s just such a demanding golf course and just punishes the slightest shot that’s off line or that’s maybe not the right distance or whatever.”

Watson missed the cut by a shot after a 71, hitting his final approach into a bunker then getting up and down for par when he needed a birdie.

Donald, playing in the same group as McIlroy, finished at 11 over. The Englishman shot a respectable 72 but blew his chances on the first day when he signed for a 79.

“It wasn’t to be,” said Donald, who is yet to win a major. “I’m trying to learn from it and come back stronger next time.” While most of the top professionals struggled to survive, Furyk showed why he is looming as a serious threat to Woods as he calmly plotted his way around the layout, undaunted by the tight fairways, thick rough and slick greens.

“I guess you have to realize at the US Open that par is a really good score and you’re going to make some bogeys,” the 42-year-old said.

“And when I’m patient, when I’m playing well, I’ve had some success here.”

McDowell carded a 72, although it could have been much better. The Northern Irishman made three late bogeys after getting to two under but was thrilled just to be in the hunt.

“To be honest with you, if you had offered me one over par starting on the first tee yesterday,” he said. “I would have probably snapped your arm off for it.”—Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Tiger Woods reacts after making a par putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the US Open Championship golf tournament. —AP

Wallabies’ Harris inflicts more misery on Wales MELBOURNE: Replacement back Mike Harris achieved “every player’s dream” as he calmly slotted home a penalty goal after the siren to carry Australia to a pulsating 25-23 win over Wales in the second test yesterday to seal their three-match series and leave the tourists heartbroken.

Harris’s nerveless kick from just under 30 metres from near the sideline at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium was swift and brutal punishment for a howling mistake by Welsh flyhalf Rhys Priestland, who booted the ball away in the final minute to hand possession back to the Wallabies.

The hosts subsequently unleashed a powerful rolling maul to win the penalty within kicking range and New Zealand-born Harris, who had replaced flyhalf and man-of-thematch Berrick Barnes, covered himself in glory, having been on the field for only seven minutes.

“It’s every player’s dream, to win the match with the final kick,” the Queensland Reds back told reporters.

“It was awesome and I am really glad it went over and we got a different result to Scotland,” he added, referring to the Wallabies’ shock 9-6 loss to the Scots in Newcastle last week.

Harris made up for a missed penalty from an easier position by Barnes minutes before he was subbed off, but the flyhalf was nonetheless named man of the match for compiling 17 points and setting up the Wallabies’ sole try to Rob Horne a minute before halftime.

It capped an emotional rollercoaster for Barnes who had arrived back in Melbourne hours before kickoff after a rushed trip to Sydney to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

“I tell you what, it’s emotionally draining,” said Barnes, whose boy Archie was born “five or six weeks” ahead of schedule. “I appreciate that (the team) let me back in... I love playing for my country, it’s a great honor.”

Wales scored one more try than the Wallabies, with hulking winger

George North crossing in the fifth minute and outside centre Jonathan Davies winning a foot race for the second four minutes after half-time.

Despite a heroic defensive effort and a perfect kicking game from fullback Leigh Halfpenny, who scored 13 points, Wales stand-in coach Rob Howley was left pondering what might have been.

“We were 20 seconds or 10 seconds away from beating Australia,” said Howley, whose team lost the first

test in Brisbane 27-19 despite dominating the Wallabies for most of the second half.

“I think for 79 minutes and 40 seconds we’ve done a lot of good. I spoke to the players after that they’ll have to remember the date and the time.

“When you haven’t beaten Australia since 1969 and you’re 20 seconds away from doing it, it doesn’t get any worse than that, does it?”

MELBOURNE: Australia’s Sekope Kepu (left) and Walesí Rhys Priestl (right) fight for the ball during their rugby union test match in Melbourne. — AP

Howley may rue his decision to stick with Priestland at pivot, with James Hook left to cool his heels on the bench. Wales captain Sam Warburton was clearly unimpressed at Priestland’s last-minute decision to kick the ball away.

“I remember hearing (number eight) Ryan Jones shouting ‘no’ at the top of his voice. It wasn’t what the forwards were planning,” he said.

“I can understand why the backs might have wanted to kick it but from a forward’s point of view I would have wanted to back our contact skills and keep the ball.”

Wales had bemoaned their slow start last weekend at Lang Park and appeared desperate to make amends as they charged out of the blocks, with North throwing his bulky frame over by the right post in the fifth minute.

The Wallabies hit back a minute before half-time when scrumhalf Will Genia speared a 30-metre pass outside to Barnes, who sliced through the Welsh line before dishing off to Horne who cantered 30 metres to the line.

Taking a 13-7 lead to the break, Australia handed Wales their second five-pointer on a plate three minutes after the re-start, when an errant Genia pass was swooped on by Davies, who deftly toe-poked the ball over the line before pouncing on it to close the gap to a point.

Barnes and Halfpenny traded penalty goals before winger Cooper Vuna left the Wallabies a man down for 10 of the last 20 minutes after he interfered with Halfpenny catching the ball.

The Welsh fullback gingerly recovered from the clash to put his team in front 23-22 with a third straight penalty goal.

Australia overcame a number of fumbles in the final minutes but rode their luck before Harris stepped up and ensured Welsh disappointment once again. The teams play the third and final test in Sydney next weekend. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

sp orts

KUWAIT: The sports committee at the Kuwaiti Sea Club concluded the activities of the 20th Taekwondo Championship, which was held under the patronage of Lt General Fahad Al Fahad and the participation of more than 50 players of different nationalities. The coronation of winners was held in the presence of diplomats of the Korean Embassy and the secretary of the club Mohammad Al Farsi and chairman of public relations Mahmoud Abu Al Qassem. A similar championship will be held in the month of December.

Franchitti wins IndyCar pole

LONDON: Croatia’s Marin Cilic plays a return to Sam Querrey during their Queen’s Club grass court championships.—AP

Marin Cilic to face Nalbandian in final LONDON: Former Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian will face Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the final at Queen’s Club after defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals yesterday.

Nalbandian reached the Wimbledon final in 2002 before losing to Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt and 10 years later he is back in the final of a grass-court event for the first time since that memorable run at the All England Club.

The 30-year-old Argentine, seeded 10th, drew on his vast experience to subdue rising star Dimitrov and complete a remarkable run of three wins in 48 hours.

After rain caused a fixture pile-up on Friday, Nalbandian showed impressive durability to come from a set down to win against Edouard Roger-Vasselin and then Xavier Malisse.

Despite such a gruelling schedule, Nalbandian showed no signs of tiredness against Dimitrov and his reward is a first appearance in the Queen’s final and his first ATP Tour final since Auckland in January 2011. “I’m very happy. I’ve played this tournament quite a few times and I never reached the final, so I’m happy to be on court tomorrow (Sunday),” Nalbandian said.

“It’s a long time since I made a final on grass but I don’t go to the computer and see how long it is, so I don’t really care.

“Marin is a tough player but I’m in good shape so let’s see what happens.” Dimitrov was broken three times in the first set as Nalbandian took advantage of the 21-yearold’s jitters in his first ATP semi-final to open up a one-set lead.

Nalbandian looked on course for an easy win when he broke in the third game of the second set. Faced with a lacklustre exit, Dimitrov finally began to play with some freedom and he unfurled a trio of

sumptuous winners to break back in the sixth game.

But Nalbandian had too much experience for Dimitrov and moved him cleverly out of position to break for a 5-4 lead before serving out the match.

Earlier, Cilic beat former champion Sam Querrey 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the other semi-final to become the first Croat to reach the Queen’s final since Ivo Karlovic in 2005.

After missing the first seven weeks of the season with a knee injury, Cilic has gradually rediscovered his form and his shot-making ability eventually wore down Querrey.

“It was very difficult,” Cilic said.

“Especially in that third game having to save eight or nine break points, and then struggling a little bit with the rhythm and with the nerves.

“In the past I have found it hard to get used to the grass but this year I came a little bit earlier, had enough time on grass, and I was hitting the ball well.

“It’s definitely a great week for me and great preparation for Wimbledon.” Sixth seed Cilic was soon under pressure in windy conditions, but he showed remarkable resolve to fend off nine break points in an epic third game that lasted 20 minutes.

Querrey, who needed treatment on his right thumb midway through the first set, initially seemed shell-shocked by his failure to convert so many break opportunities.

He struggled to find any rhythm and a tame forehand from the American on the first of three break points handed Cilic the chance to serve out the set.

Querrey finally recovered his equilibrium and took the second set. But Cilic had too much firepower to be kept at bay for long and he broke twice in the final set to seal the win.—AFP

WEST ALLIS: Dario Franchitti found enough speed to rebound from a couple of subpar practice sessions and claim the pole for late yesterday’s IndyCar race at the Milwaukee Mile with a two-lap average of 168.737 mph (271.54 kph) on Friday.

“That was cool,” Franchitti said. “I didn’t expect anything like that.” It was the 27th pole of Franchitti’s IndyCar career, and his second straight at Milwaukee. Franchitti won the Milwaukee race from pole position last year.

Justin Wilson of England, last week’s winner at Texas, qualified second. Ryan Hunter-Reay of the US was third, followed by Will Power of Australia and Rubens Barrichello.

But Wilson and Power are two of the seven drivers facing a 10-position penalty for making an unapproved engine change, and will have to drop back into the field before the start of the race.

The penalties will bump HunterReay up to the second starting spot for the race, with Barrichello in third.

Helio Castroneves and EJ Viso will move into the top five at the start.

Power and Scott Dixon - who are first and second in the series points standings - and Wilson, Ryan Briscoe, Mike Conway, Takuma Sato and Josef Newgarden all face 10-spot starting

grid penalties for unapproved engine changes. IndyCar has established mileage minimums teams must hit before they are allowed to change engines, an attempt to help teams save money by forcing them to make their engines last longer.

Despite the penalty, Wilson believes he can make his way to the front and contend. “I’m hoping we can get back to the front and be there at the end,” Wilson said. “You

only have to lead the last lap.” After winning at Texas on Saturday, Wilson has spent part of this week dealing with the fallout from a separate penalty. A postrace inspection at Texas found unapproved pieces of bodywork fitted to the sidepods of Wilson’s car. Wilson was docked five points while his Dale Coyne Racing team was fined $7,500.

Other drivers have questioned whether Wilson’s penalty wasn’t

INDIANAPOLIS: IndyCar driver Ryan Briscoe, of Australia, drives through the first turn on a qualification run on the first day of qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 auto race.—AP

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in fourth ODI COLOMBO: Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 44 runs in the fourth one-day international in Colombo yesterday to gain a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Seamer Thisara Perera (4-42) bagged a hat-trick as Sri Lanka, who scored 243-8, bowled Pakistan out for 199 despite a 113run stand for third wicket between opener Azhar Ali (81 not out) and skipper Misbah-ulHaq (57). Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for

Sri Lanka with a 130-ball 97 while off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal, and paceman Sohail Tanvir each bagged two wickets for Pakistan in the day-night match.

Pakistan won the opening one-dayer by six wickets and Sri Lanka won the second game by 76 runs in Pallekele, while the third match was abandoned due to rain in Colombo on Wednesday. The fifth one-dayer will be played in Colombo tomorrow.—AFP

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s batsman Misbah-ul-Haq successfully dives into his crease during the fourth one day international cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. —AP

Federer, Haas reaches Halle final HALLE: Roger Federer will face wild card Tommy Haas of Germany as he bids to win the Gerry Weber Open for a record sixth time today.

The 87th-ranked Haas defeated defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (5), 7-5 on Saturday to face second-seeded Federer, who earlier eased past Mikhail Youzhny of Russia by 6-1, 6-4 to reach his seventh final.

“To be able to play Federer again is simply top,” said Haas, the oldest play-

er in the singles draw at age 34.

Kohlschreiber had knocked out Rafael Nadal on Friday, when 2009 winner Haas defeated No. 3 seed Tomas Berdych.

After winning the first set on a tiebreaker, Haas got the decisive break in the 11th game of the second set to lead 6-5 before wrapping up the match. “I said it all week, that Tommy’s playing fantastic tennis,” Kohlschreiber said.

Earlier, the second-seeded Federer

harsh enough, but Wilson believes the relatively light punishment is an indication that IndyCar officials didn’t think it was particularly serious.

“We’re focused on trying to do well,” Wilson said. “We believe - and I think by the size of the fine from IndyCar, they believe - that it didn’t really make any difference at Texas.

Franchitti wasn’t able to join several other teams in an earlier test session at Milwaukee. He had other commitments after winning his third Indianapolis 500.

So when his team got to Milwaukee - a place Franchitti has mastered in the past - they were off the pace in both practice sessions Friday. Franchitti huddled with his team before qualifying to come up with adjustments that might make the car run better.

So when Franchitti saw his quick times come up in qualifying, he was pleasantly surprised. “We didn’t really have a car that had good balance, that was quick, any of those things,” Franchitti said. Now Franchitti and his team have to figure out how to make their car go just as fast in race conditions, too. “We know what we need the car to do,” Franchitti said.

“Hopefully our qualifying setup will give us some direction, and we’ll go from there.”—AP

broke Youzhny twice to wrap up the first set in just 21 minutes. The Swiss was in such control that one fan implored him to slow down.

The 16-time Gram Slam champion responded by breaking twice more, before dropping serve to lead 5-3.

Federer wasted three break points in the next game, but sealed the match in the following one with his eighth ace. “It was nice to come out and play some decent tennis after yesterday’s shootout drill,” Federer said, referring

to his tiebreaker win over Milos Raonic of Canada in the quarterfinals.

The 29-year-old Youzhny has never beaten Federer in 13 attempts.

“Mikhail played a great tournament, and he deserves respect for the way he fought back in the second set,” Federer said.

Federer’s only final defeat at Halle was to Lleyton Hewitt in 2010. He is bidding for his fifth title of the season after wins in Rotterdam, Dubai, Indian Wells and Madrid.—AP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard in the fourth one-day international between Sri Lanka and Pakistan yesterday.

Sri Lanka U.Tharanga c Younis b Gul 4 T.Dilshan lbw b Hafeez 24 K.Sangakkara c Ali b Ajmal 97 D.Chandimal b Hafeez 18 M.Jayawardene b Tanvir 40 T.Perera c Akmal b Ajmal 8 A.Mathews not out 10 L.Thirimanne run out 13 N.Kulasekara b Tanvir 3 L.Malinga not out 0 Extras (b-5, lb-10, w-11) 26 Total (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 243 Fall of wickets: 1-9 2-64 3-90 4-200 5-204 6-214 7237 8-243 Did not bat: S Weerakoon Bowling: Gul 8-1-51-1 (w-3), Tanvir 10-2-43-2 (w-3), Afridi 10-0-36-0 (w-1), Younus 2-0-11-0 (w-3), Ajmal 10-1-50-2 (w-1), Hafeez 10-0-37-2.

Pakistan Mohammad Hafeez c Kulasekara b Malinga 0 Azhar Ali not out 81 Asad Shafiq lbw b Weerakoon 25 Misbah-ul-Haq c Kulasekara b Malinga 57 Umar Akmal c Sangakkara b Kulasekara 0 Younus Khan c Sangakkara b Perera 1 Shahid Afridi c Chandimal b Perera 0 Sarfraz Ahmed c Jayawardene b Perera 0 Sohail Tanvir run out 0 Umar Gul c Sangakkara b Mathews 0 Saeed Ajmal c Thirimanne b Perera 12 Extras (lb-9, w-14) 23 Total (all out, 45 overs) 199 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-53 3-166 4-169 5-176 6-176 7176 8-176 9-179 Bowling: Malinga 7-0-30-2 (w-2), Kulasekara 9-036-1 (w-5), Mathews 9-0-33-1 (w-2), Weerakoon 100-49-1 (w-4), Perera 10-1-42-4 (w-1).

Result: Sri Lanka won by 44 runs to lead five-match series 2-1

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

18

SPORTS

Euro 2012 briefs

Scenes of Polish-Russian friendship in Warsaw

Keeping appearances — almost Swedish coach Erik Hamren found his emotions finally got the better of him after his side’s Euro 2012 dreams died with their loss to England - coached by Roy Hodgson, who spent much of his early coaching career in Sweden. “I like Roy Hodgson very much, I really do. So I hope they will win their next match - I hope they will win the tournament,” said Hamren earnestly. But even as he spoke he shook his head and could not prevent himself uttering an expletive in the next breath, as his own disappointment hit home.

WARSAW: A young Polish man approached three Russians on a street in Warsaw yesterday and apologized. “We are really sorry,” Marek Wolski told them.

“We are ashamed.”

It’s a scene that has played out repeatedly since Polish hooligans attacked Russians on the streets of Warsaw on Tuesday ahead of an emotionally charged match between their national teams - one that pitted historic foes against each other.

Officials fear there could be more trouble on Saturday with some 20,000 Russians expected to see their team play Greece in Warsaw’s National Stadium.

Tuesday’s violence got a lot of attention and the risk of more trouble is real given the existence of thugs - or “cretins,” as Poland’s justice minister called them Friday.

But the reality is that encounters between Poles and Russians are often

warm despite historical emnity between their countries. That Slavic comradeship was on display Saturday on Warsaw’s streets hours before Russia plays Greece and Poland takes on the Czech Republic in Wroclaw. Poles and Russians could be seen drinking together at outdoor cafes.

One couple walked down a street pushing a baby carriage, him in a Polish team jersey, her wrapped in a Russian flag. It almost made the large number of police all over the place seem redundant.

“We have a lot in common,” said Wolski, a 30-year-old lawyer. “We like the same music, we drink a lot like the Russians do, and we like to party together.” The Russians he approached on the street said it wasn’t the first such apology they had received.

“About 30 to 40 Poles have come up to us in the past three days - Poles between the ages of 30 and 70 - and said they want to apologize for those 100

bastards who made Poland look bad,” said Artem Borodin, a 28-year-old from Moscow.

Borodin and his friends said they witnessed some of Tuesday’s violence firsthand, crouching behind a police car when Polish thugs with batons began kicking and hitting Russians who were marching to the stadium. But they also witnessed kindness. “Police were sitting in their cars not reacting and it was normal Poles who went to the police and asked them to intervene,” Borodin said.

Tuesday’s clashes led to a few dozen injuries and more than 200 arrests.

After the Polish lawyer, Wolski, made his apology, he shook hands with the Russians and bid them farewell. He said he was furious at “Polish criminals” that made his country look bad across the world. Just down the street, on one of Warsaw’s most popular streets, Nowy Swiat, another young Polish man and

three Russian fans were enjoying cold beers at an outdoor cafe. The Pole, Grzegorz Bajer, had met the Russians in Wroclaw last week when Russia played its opening match against the Czech Republic. “We liked each other so I made the trip to Warsaw to meet them again,” said Bajer, a 28-year-old financial adviser in between jobs.

“Normal Polish people do not have bad feeling toward Russians,” added Bajer, who studied half a year in St. Petersburg, Russia, and spoke to his new friends in their language. “History is in the past. Now is the present and the future.” One of the Russians, 38-year-old Alexander Sokolov, said Poles have been very hospitable to him and he believes Saturday’s match will pass in peace, partly because there will be no organized march of Russians to the stadium beforehand. “We don’t feel at risk,” Sokolov said.— AP

Hodgson vindicated for faith in tradition RVP’s skip After Holland’s defeat by Germany Dutch striker Robin van Persie skipped part of a post-match debriefing as he went outside to phone his wife.

Dutch media saw in that a sign of an emerging split between “RVP” and his squadmates. But skipper Mark van Bommel scoffed at the idea. “There was no network in the dressing room so Robin had to go out.” Defender Joris Mathijsen insisted: “There is no difficulty with Robin.”

Slight redeployment Central defender Sergio Ramos could face a slight redeployment if ever Iker Casillas suffers the indignity of being sent off and their substitutes have already been used. Ramos, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Negredo and Javi Martinez have been taking turns to have a session in between the sticks in training.

“It’s to see who could go in goal if it were necessary after the keeper had been sent off,” explained Albiol and Negredo. Both agreed in such an event that Ramos should get the nod.

England’s Wayne Rooney

Rooney ready to be unleashed after ban

Dreaming of England Spanish pair Raul Albiol and Alvaro Arbeloa have been whiling away the time in between training and matches with their Playstation machines. yet rather than select Spain they tend to choose England for virtual matches — something which has not gone unnoticed in the British media.

When a British journalist asked the pair how that panned out Albiol said: “Ask Alvaro (Negredo), who teams up with (Juan) Mata and always loses to us!”

Playstation aside, the Spanish could go up against the flesh and blood England in the quarter-finals if they win their group and Roy Hodgson’s men come second behind France in theirs.

Balotelli limps out Errant and talented forward Mario Balotelli limped out of Italy training on Saturday with a knee problem.

The Manchester City striker will be assessed by the Azzurri medical staff on Sunday to see if he can play in Italy’s final Euro 2012 Group C clash with Ireland tomorrow. Balotelli has started both of Italy’s previous two games against Spain and Croatia, both of which ended in 1-1 draws. He was a disappointment against Spain and although he improved against Croatia he was hauled off early in the second period in both games.

His replacement Antonio Di Natale scored Italy’s goal against Spain and there has been some media pressure on coach Cesare Prandelli to play the Udinese frontman from the start. Balotelli, 21, has scored just once in 10 international matches for Italy.

KRAKOW: Tethered to seats in the stands so far at the European Championship, Wayne Rooney is finally ready to burst into life on the pitch.

With his two-match suspension completed, the spectator will become the striker again on Tuesday against cohost Ukraine, hoping to help steer England into the quarterfinals.

The Manchester United player will be unleashed in the Group D finale in Donetsk after missing the draw against France and victory over Sweden.

And to accommodate Rooney, Roy Hodgson will make a change to the side that beat Sweden 3-2 on Friday by dropping either Danny Welbeck or Andy Carroll, who both scored in Kiev.

“Rooney is a special player and it would be very difficult for me quite frankly to leave him out of the team,” Hodgson said. “I’m afraid that if you’re a member of a team that has someone like Wayne Rooney sitting out with suspension, you probably expect him to get back in the team when the suspension is served.”

And the coach quipped: “If I did leave him out, all hell might break loose in the dressing room.”

Even Welbeck would seem to accept being dropped in favor of his more experienced Manchester United teammate. “Make no mistake, the whole team is happy that Wazza will be available to play again,” he said. “We all want to play but it’s only going to benefit us to have a player of his proven quality as part of the plans going forward in this tournament.”

England could be relying on Rooney’s freshness and firepower in front of goal to compensate for any repeat of the defensive lapses that nearly handed Sweden the win on Friday in Kiev.

“Hopefully, the addition of a player of Rooney’s class will take some pressure of the defenders because he can change a game off his own bat,” Hodgson said.

But is Rooney’s return being built up too much in the England camp? The 26-year-old forward hasn’t scored at a major tournament since Euro 2004 - when he hit four goals as an 18-year-old - having failed to find the net at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

In fact, Rooney has only scored three goals for his country since a miserable tournament in South Africa. Hodgson, though, is adamant that Rooney can be England’s “real ace in the hole” having played less than 40 minutes of football since United’s last match of the season a month ago - in a Euro 2012 warmup against Belgium. “He is very fit and he’s raring to go,” Hodgson said.

The danger is if Rooney is too desperate to make an impact. Then the hotheaded side of his character may reemerge and he may throw himself at the game in the steaming temperatures of Donetsk. —AP

KIEV: Two bold decisions by England manager Roy Hodgson paid off handsomely on Friday as his faith in the traditional virtues of the English game produced a roller-coaster victory over Sweden.

In a dramatic Euro 2012 Group D clash, Hodgson obeyed his instincts - and followed an unexpected new fashion in this tournament - by choosing a genuine centre forward, Andy Carroll, to lead his attack alongside Danny Welbeck in a 4-4-2 formation.

To his critics, it was a retrogressive move that promised little more than a return to the ‘stone age’ long-ball football for which many England teams have been criticised in the past.

But Hodgson knew Sweden were vulnerable in the air and that six of the last seven goals they had conceded came from headers.

As a seasoned observer of football in Sweden, where he had two four-years spells as a club manager, he also knew physical strength would be a key factor in a rugged contest that carried all the hallmarks of a typical high-tempo Premier League clash.

He may have also found inspiration in the re-emerging value of traditional strikers at the finals, not least Mario Gomez as a strapping leader of the Germany line and Fernando Torres, who has resumed his role as a goalscoring number nine for Spain.

After an era of possession football championed by the Spanish, Euro 2012 appears to be going ‘retro’ in keeping with an age of austerity that demands old values are back in fashion.

If the overall performance by England and Sweden was anything but technically accomplished, Hodgson emerged with credit and some deserved satisfaction as his players, having lost an early lead, recovered to claim their first competitive victory over Sweden and eliminate them.

Carroll scored with a towering header from 12 metres to put England ahead after 23 minutes and vindicate Hodgson’s choice before Sweden, showing a spirit once felt to be synonymous with English teams, recovered to lead 2-1 thanks to a Glen Johnson own goal and a header from unmarked defender Olof Mellberg.

As the game appeared to ebb away from England’s control, Hodgson then made his second key decision by bringing on speedy winger Theo Walcott after an hour.

Within four minutes, he equalised with a well-struck shot over a crowded penalty area past unsighted goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson and after 78 minutes he accelerated clear to create the winner with a cross that was deftly turned in by Danny Welbeck.

England might have scored a fourth if captain Steven

England manager Roy Hodgson Gerrard had not selfishly snatched at another Walcott cross when, behind him, substitute Alex OxladeChamberlain was better positioned.

A clear win would, however, have flattered Hodgson’s team on a night when muscle and team spirit were offered up as decisive alternatives to the silky rotational passing movements of Spain or the fluent, punchy attacking play of Germany and Russia.—Reuters

Tardelli plotting Italian downfall GDYNIA: Marco Tardelli’s eye-bulging, tear-jerking reaction after scoring Italy’s second goal in the 1982 World Cup final against West Germany is one of the most unforgettable celebrations of all time but now he is plotting his country’s downfall.

Thirty years after the former Juventus player gave the world l’urlo di Tardelli (the Tardelli scream) he could help to break Italian hearts at Euro 2012 as he swaps blue for green.

Tardelli, assistant to Ireland manager and fellow Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, will bark instructions from the technical area when they play Italy on Monday in their farewell match at the tournament, having lost to Croatia and Spain.

Italy must win to have any chance of qualifying but they will not find any sympathy from Tardelli, at least until after the game in Poznan is over.

“I was once the coach of the Italy under 21s but I’m a professional coach and my duty is to do everything for Ireland to win the game,” he told reporters as Ireland prepared for the match at their training base near Gdansk. “This is the first time I’ve played against Italy as a coach. If Ireland win, I will celebrate, why

not? I’m a coach of the Ireland team. But I will be sad too for Italy.”

Tardelli rejected any suggestion that Ireland’s players will not be fully motivated for the match, saying the fact that they are already out could make them dangerous.

“They certainly won’t be (carefree),” he said.

“Relaxed in their minds maybe. But we want to achieve three points or one point for morale and it’s a very important game for us moving forward to the next qualification.

“Italy have more pressure than us because they need to win to achieve and go through but for us it’s possible to play a little more relaxed. Possibly that might help us.”

Ireland’s Damien Duff is expected to earn his 100th cap on Monday and Tardelli hinted that the winger may even wear the captain’s armband. Usual skipper Robbie Keane said he would be happy to hand it over to mark Duff’s century.

“It’s the manager’s decision but it would not be an issue for me,” Keane said. “But knowing Duffer he wouldn’t want the attention!” — Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

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Today’s Matches on TV UEFA European Championship

Group

B

Denmark v Germany

Portugal v Netherlands

21:45

21:45

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Euro 2012 briefs

Croatia facing heavy penalty over racist chanting WARSAW: Croatia are facing a possible stiff penalty after UEFA said yesterday it was taking action over racist chanting against Italy’s Mario Balotelli, with tough sanctions already meted out to deal with crowd trouble.

UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body is to announce its decision on Tuesday over what the organisation said was “the setting-off and throwing of fireworks, and the improper conduct of supporters (racist chants, racist symbols)” at Thursday’s match.

The Group C match in Poznan, western Poland, finished 1-1. The sanction imposed on the Croatian Football Federation will be eyed closely given UEFA president Michel Platini’s repeated assertion that they have a “zero tolerance” to any racism-and footballrelated violence-in the European game.

The same committee this week imposed the threat of a six-point reduction on Russia’s next European championship qualifying campaign, after missiles and fireworks were thrown at their

opening Group A match against the Czech Republic on June 8.

Four stewards also required hospital treatment when they were set upon after the game, which Russia won 4-1.

The latest disciplinary proceedings are the first case for racism in Euro 2012, which started with fears of racist violence at football grounds in host countries Poland and Ukraine and which have refused to go away.

UEFA is already probing separate claims that a section of Spanish fans racially abused Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian origin, and that Russian supporters taunted the Czech Republic’s Theodor Gebre Selassie, who is of Ethiopian descent.

Dutch players also alleged they heard monkey noises during a public training session in Krakow, southern Poland, although no official complaint was made.

The latest allegations involving Balotelli, who is one of the best known footballers in Europe, emerged after an

AFP photographer and a racism monitoring body said they heard racist chanting at the Italy-Croatia match.

The photographer, who was positioned in front of the majority of Croatia fans during the match, also saw a steward pick up a banana from the pitch.

Balotelli, 21, has previously said that he would walk off the pitch if he were racially abused during a match.

The executive director of the UEFAbacked Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE), Piara Powar said between 300 and 500 Croatia fans were involved in racist chanting, calling it “fairly intermittent but progressive throughout the game”.

“It intensified when Balotelli was substituted,” said Powar. Croatian football chiefs appealed to UEFA for leniency and said they backed UEFA’s efforts to stamp out behaviour that tarnishes the game’s image.

“The Croatian Football Federation appeals to UEFA not to punish the Croatian national team... and not to

associate it with a section of fans who actually are not supporters but hooligans who should be isolated from all sports events,” it said.

The federation “distances itself from all deviant behavior on the part of the fans during... Euro 2012 and strongly condemns it”.

The Italian football federation also refused to comment, although they said on Friday that no player, including Balotelli, had mentioned either being abused or the throwing of a banana.

Coach Cesare Prandelli has strongly rejected the previous claims of abuse against the player during the Spain game. Croatia has already been in the dock at Euro 2012. On Friday UEFA fined the federation 25,000 euros ($31,400, 20,000 pounds) after fans lit flares and let off smoke bombs to celebrate goals in their opening match.

Missiles were also thrown and a spectator got on to the pitch in Croatia’s 3-1 win against the Republic of Ireland, which was also held in Poznan. —AFP

Ronaldo critics Portugal coach Paulo Bento turned his ire on critics of misfiring captain Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday, the day before his side’s crucial final Euro 2012 Group D match with the Netherlands.

Portugal staked a claim for a quarter-final place with a 3-2 win over Denmark on Wednesday, but Ronaldo was the subject of criticism for squandering two one-on-one chances that would have given his side a 3-1 lead.

The Real M adrid star ’s profligac y allowed Denmark to equalise through Nicklas Bendtner with 10 minutes remaining, only for Portugal substitute Silvestre Varela to spare his skipper’s blushes with an 87th-minute winner.

Having plundered 146 goals in 144 games for Madrid over the past three seasons, Ronaldo has established himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the game.

High-flying Germans out to down Danes GDANSK: After two wins already at Euro 2012, a confident Germany are aiming to beat Denmark today in Lviv to finish top of Group B and set up a quarter-final near their base here in Gdansk.

Having twice flown to the Ukraine for their respective wins against Portugal and Holland, Germany return to Lviv aiming to beat the Danes and book their place in the Gdansk quarter-final on Friday against the Group A runner-up.

The Germans still need a point to qualify with the Group B runner-up facing a last eight clash in Warsaw on Thursday against the winner of Group A. With three goals at Euro 2012, including two against Holland and the winning header against Portugal, Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has finally converted his impressive club form to German colors.

“The good thing with Mario is that he needs almost zero chances and still scores,” said Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who dscribed Gomez’s goals as a “precious commodity” for the Germans. Following their shock win over Holland and 3-2 defeat to Portugal, victory against Germany should put Denmark in the quarter-finals, but a draw would be enough if the Netherlands beat Portugal in the other group match in Kharkiv.

But Schweinsteiger and Germany have other ideas. “We can approach the

final game against Denmark with a lot of self-confidence - every victory gives you an extra push,” said the 27-year-old.

“We definitely want to win that game against Denmark.” Germany coach Joachim Loew said his side have their

make everything clear today,” he said.

Germany will be without suspended right-back Jerome Boateng, who picked up his second yellow card against Holland, and Loew has hinted he may switch captain Philipp Lahm from the left

LVIV: Denmark’s players run during the official training on the eve of the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group B match against Germany. —AP destiny in their own hands after two wins in the “Group of Death”.

“I think we’ve opened the door to the quarter-finals. It’s now in our hands to

or even play a three-man defence.

Midfielder Mesut Ozil missed training on Friday “as a precautionary measure”, but is set to play after his man-of-the-

match performance against Portugal in the opening game.

The 23-year-old Real Madrid attacking midfielder has been in stellar form at the European championship and also impressed in Wednesday ’s win over Holland.

Danish wing Dennis Rommedahl will miss the game against Germany while midfielder Niki Zimling is a doubt after the pair suffered muscle injures in the 3-2 defeat to Portugal.

“We are left with the number of points we had hoped for after the first two matches,” said Danish coach Morten Olsen, whose team came back from 2-0 down against Portugal only to fall foul of Silvestre Varela’s late winner.

“The scenario of our dreams would be to have one more point. “That could have been the case, but you don’t always have it your way in football.”

Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner who scored both their goals against the Por tuguese - said his team have to show plenty of belief against the Germans.

“It’s nice to know that we still stand a chance in this tournament,” he said. “We will have to do everything we can to get a good result against Germany. We are still in it. “If we win against Germany, we are through. If we draw, other things must go our way. If we lose, we are out.” —AFP

Holland cling to hope as Portugal eye last eight

Portugal’s star player Cristiano Ronaldo

KHARKIV: The statistics do not make pleasant reading for the Netherlands, who must beat Portugal by two goals today and hope Germany overcome Denmark if they are to reach the Euro 2012 quarter-finals. No team has ever reached the knockout phase at a Euro after losing their first two matches, and statistical website Infostrada Sports estimates that Bert van Marwijk’s side stand only a 9.5 percent chance of going through.

The omens are similarly ominous.

The last time the Oranje were eliminated at the group phase of the European Championship was in 1980, two years after they finished runners-up at the 1978 World Cup-just as they did in 2010.

As if the weight of history was not enough of a burden, van Marwijk also appears to face problems with several of his most important players.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart have both expressed anger at being left out of his starting line-up, while Arjen Robben reacted to his substitution in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Germany by jumping over an advertising hoarding and stalking angrily back to the dug-out.

The top scorers in qualifying with 37 goals, it took Holland 45 shots to find the net at the Euro but Robin van Persie’s 73rd-minute effort against Germany was ultimately in vain.

The Dutch press have deplored van Marwijk’s continued faith in van Persie at the expense of Huntelaar, who could start in place of Ibrahim Afellay in Kharkiv on Sunday with Holland obliged to attack Portugal from the off.

“I drew a lot of conclusions from our defeat against Germany,” said van Marwijk, as quoted by Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

“We defended carelessly and the service of both Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben from the flanks was not good enough.”

Van Marwijk has a fully fit squad to choose from, with all 23 players able to participate in a closed training session in Krakow on Friday evening.

Portugal are also at full-strength, as reserve defender Miguel Lopes returned to training in the Polish town of Opalenica on Friday after recovering from a cold.

Beaten 1-0 by Germany in their opening game, Portugal let a 2-0 lead slip against Denmark in Lviv on

Wednesday before Silvestre Varela’s thunderous 87th-minute half-volley rejuvenated their attempts to reach the quarter-finals.

The result means that Portugal will be guaranteed to reach the last eight if they win, unless Denmark beat Germany in the other game, which would invoke a three-way head-tohead comparison between those teams.

The only disappointment for Portugal coach Paulo Bento was yet another mystifyingly poor performance in front of goal from his captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who spurned two one-on-one chances to put Portugal 31 up.

The last meeting between Portugal and Holland at a major tournament saw the Seleccao prevail 1-0 in a badtempered last-16 match at the 2006 World Cup in Germany that yielded a record 16 cautions and four red cards.

A similar outcome on Sunday would take Portugal into the last eight, but for all Holland’s travails, Varela says it is too early to write them off. “We all know the Dutch have excellent players with a lot of quality,” said the Porto winger. — AFP

Shark Negredo waiting Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo may have yet to feature in the defending champion’s Euro 2012 campaign - but after missing out on the 2010 World Cup the Sevilla star is happy just to be here.

“I am really happy. First of all it’s really something to be here at the championships with my squadmates,” said the 26-year-old nicknamed the ‘Shark’. “Of course there is a lot of competition and those who are playing are doing phenomenally. I shall just have to await an opportunity and then seize it with both hands,” said Negredo.

Negredo is unlikely to get that chance as soon as Monday’s final Group C game against Croatia as Spain seek to win the group at their opponents’ expense.

‘Curse of Donetsk’ Ukraine’s press yesterday described their team’s 2-0 defeat to France as a “slap in the face” and issued a call to arms for the last Group D match against England to decide whether the Euro 2012 co-hosts make the quarter-finals. “The defeat was well-deserved,” admitted the Internet news site Lb.ua. After the “slap in the face” from France, who scored two goals in three minutes “Ukraine lost heart and couldn’t find a response to their opponents”. A number of publications mentioned the “curse” of Donetsk’s magnificent Donbass Arena for the national side, who have lost three times and drawn twice in their five outings there.

Dunne heartbroken A heartbroken Richard Dunne surveyed the wreckage of Ireland’s failed Euro 2012 bid, and admitted ‘it’s gone completely wrong for us’. The veteran 32-year-old Ireland defender claimed he and his team mates had traveled to Poland with a genuine belief they could lift the trophy. But after two heavy defeats in their opening games against Croatia (3-1) and Spain (4-0), Giovanni Trapattoni’s team have nothing but pride to play for in their last group game against Italy on Monday in Poznan. Speaking at the team’s last training day at their base in Gdynia, north of Gdansk, Dunne, who has won enarly 80 caps since making his debut in 2000, revealed the level of disappointment within the squad. “We’re fans as well,” he said.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

High-flying Germans out to down Danes Page 19

WROCLAW: Czech midfielder Petr Jiracek (center) scores a goal during the Euro 2012 championships football match against Poland. — AFP

Czechs axe Poles, Smuda resigns WROCLAW: Co-hosts Poland crashed out of the European Championship as they lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium here yesterday with their opponents winning Group A. Petr Jiracek scored the only goal of the game 18 minutes from time as the Czechs joined Greece — the 2004 champions — in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Poland coach Franciszek Smuda resigned after the Euro 2012 co-host was eliminated from the championship. “This is 100 percent the end of the road. My contract runs out at the end of Euro 2012. Thanks guys,” a visibly upset Smuda told Poland’s public TVP broadcaster.

The Poles needed to win the game after drawing their first two matches but a 72nd minute strike by Petr Jiracek ended any hopes they had of reaching the last eight.

“We did our best. Unfortunately, we had a lot of missed passes. In the second period, we had to fight non-stop to get the ball back,” said 63-year-old Smuda, who has been in charge since October 2009.

Few would have predicted such an outcome before the group games began and even fewer who saw the first halves here and in Warsaw.

Poland were totally dominant in the opening period but seemed to have left it all on the pitch in that first 45 minutes and they were second best after the restart.

But it was a mistake that cost them as Rafal Murawski tried to drive forward from midfield and lost the ball with little cover behind him.

It means Poland have never reached the knock-out stages of the Euros while the Czech Republic did so for the third time in five editions.

Given the hosts’ absolute need to win it was no surprise they set a manic tempo from the off and the first half hour must have made uncomfortable viewing for the visiting Czech fans.

Twice in the opening minutes the home fans let out a brief cheer but Dariusz Dudka’s overhead bicycle kick and Ludovic Obraniak’s free-kick both hit the side-netting rather than

the back one.

The Czechs did have one sniff themselves but Vaclav Pilar swiped at thin air from 12 yards from Theodor Gebre Selassie’s cross.

A horribly misplaced pass from Jaroslav Plasil was intercepted by Polish captain Jakub Blaszczykowski and he slipped in Borussia Dortmund team-mate Robert Lewandowski, but he sliced his shot well wide.

Such was Poland’s dominance that even their defence started getting in on the act and Sebastian Boenisch shot wide when well placed before sending Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech scurrying across his goal to scramble the ball behind from a long-range volley.

Marcin Wasilewski threw himself at a cross from deep but his header was gathered easily

by Cech. Towards the end of the half Poland’s electric pace-which seemed to have provoked a couple of flashes of lightning and an enormous crack of thunder-slowed markedly and the Czechs came back into it. But a deflected Jiracek shot and Pilar’s low effort did not overly tax goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton, who kept

his place despite the return from suspension of Wojciech Szczesny.

The second half was the reverse of the first with Poland melting away and the Czech Republic piling forwards. David Limbersky skipped into the box but prodded wide before Tomas Sivok won a header from Plasil’s freekick inside the six yard box only for his downward effort to bounce up into Tyton’s chest.

The big breakthrough came 18 minutes from time as Murawski surged forwards from midfield but was dispossessed by Jiracek.

The Czechs countered three on three and Jiracek exchanged passes with Milan Baros before turning inside Wasilewski and slipping the ball under Tyton.

Wasilewski got up well to win a header in the box but it landed on the roof of the net as the hosts finally came alive.

With virtually the last kick of the match Michal Kadlec secured qualification for the Czechs as he headed Blaszczykowski’s chip off the line. Had that gone in, the Czechs would have been out. —AFP

Karagounis sends Russia packing WARSAW: Veteran Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis halted Russia’s Euro 2012 campaign in its tracks here yesterday, as the underdogs unexpectedly beat the Group A early pacesetters 1-0 to reach the last eight instead.

Seconds before the end of stoppage time in the first half, the 35-year-old midfielder latched onto a throw-in that Russian defender Sergei Ignashevich failed to deal with.

Dodging between the Russian rearguard, he fired a powerful low cross shot past goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.

The 4,000 Greek fans in Warsaw’s stadium, who up to then had largely been outsung by 20,000 Russians, went wild as Karagounis hit home to put his side through on the head to head rule - both sides ending on four points behind group

winners the Czech Republic.

Greece, who drew 1-1 with tournament co-hosts Poland in their first match and then lost 2-1 to the Czechs, looked the hungrier side from the start and refused to play a walk on part in Russia’s expected drive to the quarter-finals.

Russia, meanwhile, had thrashed the Czech Republic 4-1 in their own opening match and then drawn 1-1 in a hard-fought match with Poland where they lost their lead.

Karagounis, who was in Greece’s Euro 2004 winning squad, and his team-mates had gone into the Russia game gung-ho, knowing that only a win would keep them in the tournament.

They had also said they aimed to bring some cheer to their crisis-ravaged homeland.

Six minutes in, Karagounis fired a corner to Kostas Katsouranis, and Dimitris Salpingidis bundled goalwards, only for Malafeev to save.

Salpingidis had been Greece’s hero of the night when, after coming on as a half-time substitute, he equalised Final Euro 2012 Group A table after yesterday’s games (Played, won, drawn, lost, for, against Poland for his side, earlier reduced to 10 men. against, points): Three minutes later, Russian captain Results Poland 1, Greece 1; Russia 4, Czech Republic 1; Greece 1, Czech Republic 2; Poland 1, Andrey Arshavin crossed to rising star Alan Dzagoev but he was beaten by Russia 1; Greece 1, Russia 0; Czech Republic 1 Poland 0 Greek goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis brought in to replace Kostas Chalkias, Group A injured in their defeat by the Czechs.

Czech Republic 3 2 0 1 4 5 6 - qualify Dzagoev tried again a minute later, Greece 3 1 1 1 3 3 4 - qualify on head to head with Russia but fired over the bar, before Aleksandr Russia 3 1 1 1 5 3 4 Kerzhakov shot wide. Russia continued Poland 3 0 2 1 2 3 2 to show their strength as the half pro-

Group A standings

WARSAW: Russian defender Aleksei Berezutski (left) vies with Greek forward Giorgios Samaras during the Euro 2012 championships football match. — AFP gressed, underlining the Greeks’ vulnerability to counterattacks.

But while not ironclad, Greece’s defence remained solid at the end. Five minutes from half-time, Yuri Zhirkov took a superb short corner, only to shoot over the bar.

With two minutes added on, Karagounis’s strike came just seconds before Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson’s half-time whistle. Returning from the dressing room, both sides continued to display fighting spirit. Russia came within a whisker of equalising in the 56th minute, but Igor Denisov was off-target.

There was gloom for Karagounis when he received a yellow card for being harshly adjudged to have dived in the box, meaning he will miss their quarter-final as he was also booked against the Czechs. Greece’s Giorgos Tzavellas came close to putting them further ahead in the 69th minute, but hit the post.

Five minutes later, Sifakis saved a shot from Igor Denisov, while Russia were again foiled in the 83rd minute when Dzagoev latched onto an Arshavin cross but fired wide.

With Eriksson adding four minutes’ stoppage time, a desperate Russia battled to save face, but Sifakis denied Denisov again on his line. — AFP

STATISTICS Match statistics for the Czech Republic’s 1-0 win against Poland in their Euro 2012 Group A match at the City Stadium in Wroclaw yesterday.

Czech Republic Poland Goals scored 1 0 Total shots 11 15 Shots on target 7 7 Corners 6 6 Offsides 3 1 Fouls committed 20 22 Yellow cards 3 5 Red cards 0 0 Ball possession (percent) 68 32

Greeks celebrate win ATHENS: Thousands of Greeks took to the streets yesterday to celebrate their national team’s surprise 1-0 victory over Russia at Euro 2012.

The win lifted Greece into the quarter-finals of the tournament and brought back memories here of their unexpected accomplishment in 2004 when they won the trophy.

In every major square in the country thousands of Greeks had gathered to watch the match on large television screens and they broke out in loud cheers when veteran captain Giorgos Karagounis scored the only goal late in the first half.

“I thank God for letting us celebrate such moments,” Karagounis told Greek television station ET after the match in Warsaw. “We did not give up. We can compare this to our cherished moments in Portugal in 2004.” Karagounis, who set a Greek record with his 120th appearance for the national team, will miss the next match after receiving his second yellow card in the tournament after being adjudged to have dived in the box.

“We believed all day that we would not return back to Athens (after the group phase). We kept our promise to all.

All Greeks can now celebrate,” Karagounis said. — AFP

STATISTICS Match statistics for Greece’s 1-0 win against Russia in their Euro 2012 Group A match at the National Stadium in Warsaw yesterday.

Goals scored Total shots Shots on target Corners Offsides Fouls committed Yellow cards Red cards Ball possession (percent)

Greece 1 5 2 5 1 8 2 0 38

Russia 0 25 10 12 0 14 4 0 62

Business SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

Kuwait equities face selling pressure Page 24

US unemployment aid applications up to 386K Page 25

Indian PM urges Europe to act on financial crisis

Merkel: Hope new Greek govt will keep promises

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ATHENS: People walk by electoral boards, in central Athens yesterday. Greeks faced a stark dilemma on the eve of elections being watched around the world today between voting against austerity or in favor of a party more likely to keep their country in the euro. — AFP

Saudi market seen steady after Crown Prince dies Investors bank on smooth succession RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s stock market is expected to see little impact from the death of the kingdom’s Crown Prince yesterday, despite an intraday drop, as investors bank on a smooth succession, analysts said.

The Saudi index declined 2.5 percent during the session as rumors of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud’s death circulated on social media earlier in the session. The market recovered some ground to end 0.3 percent lower at 6,724.5 points, a 10-day low.

Analysts said the official confirmation of the news on state television helped allay potential market uncertainty. “(The decline) is normal within an emerging market where people are impacted by rumors,” said Turki Fadaak,

head of research at Al Bilad Investment. Abdulhamid AlAmri, a member of the Saudi Economic Association, said the quick announcement “reflected the solidity of internal stability in the kingdom.”

International factors - a Greek election that could fuel further euro-zone uncertainty and the outcome of Egyptian elections - had dominated sentiment in Gulf Arab markets in recent trading sessions as wary investors cut positions. That tone is unlikely to be overtaken by Nayef’s death in Geneva.

The crown prince, believed to be 78, was next in line to the Saudi throne after being appointed just eight months ago. “I don’t think he had enough time to leave his stamp. It won’t have a substantive impact in the short term,” said

Mohammed Ali Yassin, former chief investment officer at CAPM Investments in Abu Dhabi. “The only issue is of succession and if that happens within the next few days - which is expected - there should be little impact on the markets longer term.

“The issues are more political than economic.” The king and a family council are expected to start work on the appointment of a new crown prince with Defence Minister Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz widely seen as the next most senior prince in the world’s top oil exporter.

Economically, the kingdom expanded at an officially estimated 6.8 percent in 2011, supported by high oil prices and lavish government spending.The Saudi stock market, the

largest in the Arab world, has been on a downtrend since hitting 2012 highs in early April. The TASI all-share index had gained 23.6 percent to April 3, buoyed partly by hopes the market will be opened to limited direct foreign ownership.

That process is not seen completed this year.

An unusual message from King Abdullah, reported by a local daily in early April, ordering a crackdown against market manipulation, including any done by royal family members, has triggered rumors of imminent action by the Saudi regulator though no major public move has yet occurred. The index will resume trading as scheduled on Sunday. The kingdom does not close to mark official mourning periods. — Reuters

Euro warning as Greeks face dilemma IMF chief sees time to do new review on bailout

AMMAN: Jordanian energy minister Alaa Bataineh speaks during a press conference in Amman on Jordan’s economic situation and the public debt of more than $21 billion yesterday. The ministers defended a recent government decision to raise the prices of fuel, electricity and other commodities to help offset a three billion dollar budget deficit this year. — AFP

How shock waves will hit US if Greece drops euro NEW YORK: The unthinkable suddenly looks possible.

Bankers, governments and investors are preparing for Greece to stop using the euro as its currency, a move that could spread turmoil throughout the global financial system. The worst case envisions governments defaulting on their debts, a run on European banks and a worldwide credit crunch reminiscent of the financial crisis in the fall of 2008.

A Greek election on Sunday will determine whether it happens. Syriza, a party opposed to the restrictions placed on Greece in exchange for a bailout from European neighbors, could do well. If Syriza gains power and rejects the terms of the bailout, Greece could lose its lifeline, default on its debt and decide that it must print its own currency, the drachma, to stay afloat.

No one is sure how that would work because there is no mechanism in the European Union charter for a country leaving the euro. In the meantime, banks and investors have sketched out the ripple effects.

They think the path of a full-blown crisis would start in Greece, quickly move to the rest of Europe and then hit the US Stocks and oil would plunge, the euro would

sink against the US dollar, and big banks would suffer losses on complex trades.

What would Greece’s exit look like? In the worst case, it starts off messy. The government resurrects the drachma, the currency Greece used before the euro, and says each drachma equals one euro. But currency markets would treat it differently. Banks’ foreign-exchange experts expect the drachma would plunge to half the value of the euro soon after its debut.

For Greeks, that would likely mean surging inflation 35 percent in the first year, according to some estimates.

The country is a net importer and would have to pay more for oil, medical equipment and anything else it imports.

Greece’s government and banks currently survive on international loans, and if it dropped the euro, the country would probably be locked out of lending markets, says Athanasios Vamvakidis, foreign-exchange strategist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in London. So the Greek central bank would need to print more drachmas to make up for what it could no longer borrow from abroad.—AP

ATHENS: Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned a radical left victory in Greece would have “unpredictable” consequences for the euro-zone as Greeks fed up with austerity prepared for today’s elections.

“If the radical left wins ... the consequences for monetary union are unpredictable,” Juncker, who leads euro-zone finance ministers and is also Luxembourg’s prime minister, said in an interview with the Austrian daily Kurier.

His comments were echoed in Germany by Wolfgang Bosbach, a leading lawmaker and close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, in excerpts from an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to be published in full today.

“If the radical left carries on saying it wants the help of all the other countries in the euro-zone but does not offer anything in return, then it will only be a matter of time before Greece exits” the euro, Bosbach said. The radical left Syriza’s firebrand leader Alexis Tsipras has vowed to tear up a bailout deal that has given Greece a credit lifeline in exchange for steep budget cuts and says he will renegotiate with creditors from scratch.

“The bailout deal is already in the past.

It will be history for good on Monday,” the 37-year-old said this week. He has given himself a 10-day deadline for negotiations-in time for a summit of European leaders on June 28 and 29.

The Syriza party chief says the mood in Europe is shifting against austerity and that the European Union and International Monetary Fund will not want to risk a Greek euro exit that would send shockwaves through the global economy.

At his final election rally in Athens, Tsipras accused his rival, conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, 61, of defending German Chancellor Angela “Merkel’s Europe of the past.” “We guarantee the Europe of the future,” he said.

Samaras wants a more moderate renegotiation of the deal and accuses Tsipras of playing with fire. At his last campaign rally, he said: “We will exit the crisis. We will not exit the euro. We will not let anyone take us out of Europe.”

In public comments at least, European leaders warn that Greece must respect its international debt commitments or risk leaving the euro-zone club, and the EU and the IMF have suspended loan payments until after the elections.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde said talks with a new government in Greece must resume “next week.” “We have time to do a new review of the current program which will have to be started quickly, after a cabinet is in place,” she said.

“We do not really know what has been implemented, what has been respected or not in the last six or eight weeks,” she told French daily Liberation, and underscored the need for Europe to strengthen the euro-zone.

“In the very short term, perhaps in less than three months, it is necessary for Europeans, particularly those in the heart of the euro-zone, to give strong signals about their collective will to buttress their monetary union,” she said. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said meanwhile he was confident Greece would stay in the euro and “respect its engagements.”

Greece has already been forced to seek bailouts twice, first for 110 billion

euros in 2010 and then for 130 billion euros this year plus a 107 billion euro private debt write-off-for a total of 347 billion euros ($439 billion).

For many Greeks a fine-tuning of the terms of the loans may not be enough as public anger is rising against the steep pay and pension cuts seen since the crisis first exploded in 2009, setting off a chain reaction across Europe. Greece is now in its fifth year of recession, and many young Greeks are voting with their feet by emigrating, while local media reports warn that the state will run out of cash to pay public sector salaries and pensions on July 20.

“We want the euro, but we also have to live. We can’t sacrifice everything,” said Syriza supporter Meri Primi, a 45-year-old teacher in Athens whose salary has fallen by 400 euros over the past two years to 1,100 euros ($1,390) a month.

At a New Democracy rally, one party supporter told AFP on condition of anonymity: “I hope fear will win out over anger”-a reference to party leader Samaras’s threat that a vote for Tsipras could bring back the drachma. No one party is expected to win enough votes to secure a majority in parliament, and the days to come are likely to be dominated by coalition talks.

Analysts say that New Democracy would find it easier to form a coalition if it wins-although it might struggle to secure a strong majority in parliament.

Syriza would find it harder to form a leftist coalition, analysts say. Polls open at 0400 GMT today and close at 1600 GMT, with exit polls due immediately afterward and the first indicative results expected after 1830 GMT. — AFP

22

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

BUSINESS

China urges euro-zone to work together on crisis

Indian PM urges Europe to act on financial crisis Singh leaves for G20 summit in Mexico NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged European leaders to take “resolute action” to tackle the financial crisis in the euro-zone as he departed yester-

day to attend the G20 summit in Mexico.

Singh described the situation in Europe as one of “particular concern” to India, where the economy grew just 5.3 percent in the January-

MUMBAI: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee waves as he leaves from a seminar in Mumbai yesterday. The basic strategy to bring the country’s economy back on track has to be to stimulate domestic demand, Mukherjee said as he addressed concerns of industry and credit rating agencies over the current turmoil in the sector, according to local news reports. —AP

March period, its slowest quarterly expansion in nine years.

“Continuing problems there (Europe) will further dampen global markets and adversely impact our own economic growth,” he said.

“It is our hope that European leaders will take resolute action to resolve the financial problems facing them,” he added.

India’s once-booming economy has been hurt by a lack of economic reforms, high interest rates, and plummeting business confidence.

Both Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee have blamed the euro-zone debt crisis for straining India’s economy, saying that the global slowdown has left them with less room for manoeuvre.

Singh’s government is also under pressure to rein in subsidies and other spending after the budget deficit widened to 5.75 percent of gross domestic product in the fiscal year ended March 31. Earlier in the week, Standard & Poor’s warned India could be the first of the BRIC emerging economies to lose its investment-grade rating unless the Asian giant revives its growth and spurs reforms.

In April, the firm changed India’s credit outlook to negative from stable, maintaining India’s rating at “BBB-” but warning it faced at least a one-in-three chance of losing its status if its public finances worsened. “BBB-” is just one notch above “junk”, which carries an increased risk of default and would see India having to pay higher interest rates on its public borrowing. —AFP

Europe. Xinhua said Germany and France were “the two motors of the euro-zone economy” and called on them to “strengthen bilateral cooperation and play a bigger part in handling the debt crisis. “As to countries particularly hit hard by the crisis, such as Greece and Spain, they and their peoples should better understand the necessity of relevant painstaking measures including austerity policies, budget-deficit reduction,” it said.

The Xinhua comments came a day before elections in debt-ridden Greece amid fears voters will elect anti-austerity parties who would tear up a bailout agreement, a move that could lead to the country leaving the euro. They also came ahead of a G20 summit in Mexico tomorrow and Tuesday, set to be dominated by the euro-zone crisis, that will be attended by Chinese President Hu Jintao. —AFP

BEIJING: China yesterday urged eurozone countries to work together to resolve the debt crisis or all face being pulled down amid “severe economic storms”, ahead of key elections in Greece and a G20 summit. The official Xinhua news agency likened the currency bloc to a “gigantic ship,” and said that its 17 members needed to act as if they were in the “same boat.”

“No one can escape unscathed when the ship capsizes among severe economic storms. Countries aboard the ship should extend a helping hand to each other,” it said in a commentary.

China is a major holder of European debt and Europe is its biggest export market, so Beijing has looked on with concern at the deepening euro-zone crisis. China’s slowing growth is in part due to Europe’s debt woes. Beijing has in the past said it is looking at ways it could contribute to bailout funds to help

Kuwaiti crude price rises to $94.87 KUWAIT: The price of Kuwaiti crude oil rose $0.95 in Friday’s oil markets to settle at $94.87 per barrel, compared to $93.92 the day before, said Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) yesterday. The rise in oil prices was due to an upward trend of optimism that major central banks across the globe would work, simultaneously, to save

any negative aftermaths of Greece’s elections. Greeks are facing elections tough dilemma after which they will decide whether they keep the euro as currency. Meanwhile, a meeting on that day saw the OPEC oil ministers concurring to leave intact the production ceiling at 30 million barrels a day. —KUNA

Greek, Spanish savings flee euro-zone crisis ATHENS: Savers across Europe are fleeing the continent’s debt crisis. InEurope’s most economically stricken countries, people are taking their money out of their banks as a way to protect their savings from the continent’s growing financial storm.

Worried that their savings could be devalued, or that banks are on the verge of collapse and that governments cannot make good on deposit insurance, people in Greece, Spain and beyond are withdrawing euros by the billions behavior that is magnifying their countries’ financial stresses. The money is being hoarded at home or deposited in banks in more stable economies.

In Greece and Spain, two of the hardest-hit by the debt crisis in the 17 countries that use the euro, savers and businesses are already pulling money out of banks. They are either worried that their money could be converted into a new currency at a much lower value or because their bank might be on the verge of collapse.

It’s a steady bank “jog” at the moment than a full-bore run. But it threatens to undermine the finances of those countries’ already-stressed lenders. And if it does turn into a full bank run after Greece’s crucial election on Sunday, it could hasten financial disaster in Europe and help spread turmoil around the

world. Since the Greek debt crisis broke in late 2009, deposits have fallen by 30 percent cent, as savers have slowly pulled some 72 billion euros ($90.24 billion) from local lenders, with total household and corporate deposits standing at 165.9 billion euros ($207.94 billion) in April, according to the latest data from the Bank of Greece. Spanish deposits have fallen about six percent over the past year. They dipped suddenly in April by about 3.1 billion euros, or 1.8 percent, to 1.624 trillion euros as problems with the country’s troubled banks stated to grow to alarming proportions. This is despite the fact that deposits are guaranteed by the government up to 100,000 euros across the eurozone. Spain’s financial turmoil quickly worsened in late May, when the country’s second-largest lender announced it needed capital of ?19 billion to stay afloat.

Bankia denied reports of a rush by its customers to withdraw but the bailout scared Spaniards who assumed their money was safe. Bankia client Rosa Monsivais panicked and decided she had to move her savings from Bankia to one she thought would be safer. She chose a foreign bank with Spanish operations, the Dutch owned ING bank.

It took longer than she thought, leading to anxious days until she knew her money was in her new account. “It scared

me a little. I took all my money out and put it in ING,” said Monsivais, a 41-year-old graphic artist, who would not say how much money she moved. “But it took a full week to do this kind of transaction, I was reading the newspaper each day and it worried me.” The money across Europe is

headed different places. Some has simply been withdrawn and spent out of urgent need as people lose their jobs due to recessions. Some is winding up in bank accounts or invested in countries that are more stable such as Germany. The rest is being invested in property or bonds

MADRID: Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy leaves after a control session at the Spanish Parliament, in Madrid. The interest rate Spain would have to pay to raise money on the world’s bond markets continued to rise Wednesday amid worries that a planned bank bailout might not be enough to save the country from needing an overall financial rescue. —AP

being issued by other euro-zone countries. In the UK, the euro-zone crisis was seen as one factor pushing up central London house price, according to Knight Frank, a real estate agency dealing in high-end property.

“While it looks very much that the surge in Greek buyers has fallen off sharply since the beginning of the year those who had the funds to buy have done so - we are now seeing a noticeable uptick in interest from France, Italy, Spain and even German-based purchasers looking at the prime London market,” the company said in its Prime Central London Index report. Meanwhile, some money appears to be simply hoarded at home, despite the risk of theft.Last month, police in Athens arrested a gang that specialized in breaking into basement storage spaces under apartment blocks, netting a rich haul in stashed cash and valuables.

“What the average Greek has in mind is to secure the euros they currently hold,” said Theodore Krintas, managing director at Attica Wealth Management. “That has been going on for a long time, and will continue as long as the uncertainty increases concerning Greece’s position in the near future in the euro-zone and the European Union.” Today’s vote could determine whether Greece stays in the

euro or leaves in chaos. Since 2010, Greece has been dependent on two bailouts totalling ?240 billion in loans to pay its bills. In return, the government had to promise to make deep spending cuts to lower its deficit. That has helped putthe country in a deep recession.

Leading political figures have called for renegotiating or rejecting the bailout deal, which could lead to a payment cutoff from mistrustful euro-zone governments and the IMF. A bailout cutoff could lead to a complete collapse of government finances.

And a euro exit so the country will have to print its own money to pay bills or recapitalize banks. A large-scale bank run in Greece could further wreck government finances and push the country closer to leaving the euro. The country could either quit the single currency in order to introducea devalued currency that would improve its economic competitiveness, or because it has no choice but to print its own currency to recapitalize banks or pay government salaries. So far it’s been a trickle rather than a flood in Greece, underlining its slow-motion nature. Many people have kept their deposits because they don’t believe Greece will leave the euro. It’s not just in the financially troubled countries that savers are worried. —AP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4310000 .3490000 .2900000 .2700000 .2760000 .0040000 .0020000 .0758640 .7391240 .3840000 .0710000 .7245790 .0040000 .0430000

.2832500 .4420000 .3570000 .3010000 .2800000 .2860000 .0070000 .0035000 .0766270 .7465520 .4020000 .0770000 .7318610 .0072000 .0500000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2794500 .2815500 GB Pound/KD .4338040 .4370640 Euro .3515620 .3542040 Swiss francs .2926330 .2948320 Canadian dollars .2721030 .2741480 Danish Kroner .0473120 .0476680 Swedish Kroner .0398060 .0401050 Australian dlr .2783180 .2804100 Hong Kong dlr .0360190 .0362890 Singapore dlr .2181500 .2197890 Japanese yen .0035170 .0035440 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0050850 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0021330 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0029960 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0034560 UAE dirhams .0762090 .0767810 Bahraini dinars .7424700 .7480430 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3987270 Saudi Riyal/KD .0746330 .0751930 Omani riyals .7270370 .7324930 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0066640

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.250 46.466 1.309 176.65 396.190 1.884 4.899 32.64

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 286.700 746.500 3.670 278.400 551.300 45.800 48.800 167.800 48.100 359.200 36.880 5.210 0.032 0.160 0.236 3.660 397.790 0.190 91.500 44.400 4.310 225.200 1.818

48.400 729.130 3.150 6.790 77.650 75.950 225.530 36.250 2.674 445.000 41.200 296.500 4.300 9.250 198.263 76.530 281.100 1.350

728.950 2.990 6.645 77.220 74.950 222.530 36.250 2.132 443.000 298.000 4.300 9.110 76.430 280.700

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 443.000 280.700

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 285.200 746.500 3.428 276.900

222.500 46.441 357.700 36.730 5.065 0.030

COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 283.26 277.39 298.34 355.83 280.25 438.67 3.61 3.428 5.027 2.127 3.155 2.978 76.37 746.22 46.37 399.27 729.38 77.39 74.94

SELL CASH 283.00 277.00 295.00 356.00 281.50 438.00 3.65 3.550 5.200 2.400 3.700 3.200 77.00 746.00 47.75 397.50 732.50 77.75 75.25

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 397.750 0.189 91.500 3.180 223.700

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 280.950 277.805 436.620 351.565 292.680 743.805

UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

76.470 77.115 74.880 395.480 46.510 2.118 5.028 2.982 3.433 6.577 689.170 4.520 8.975 5.915 3.235 88.655

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,709.940

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 281.000 Pak Rupees 2.973 Indian Rupees 5.050 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.130 Bangladesh Taka 3.433 Philippines Peso 6.615 UAE Dirhams 76.610 Saudi Riyals 75.090 Bahraini Dinars 747.000 Egyptian Pounds 46.506 Pound Sterling 442.600 Indonesian Rupiah 2.990 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Euro 357.000 Canadian Dollars 279.100 Nepali rupee 3.190

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 280.600 Euro 357.500 Pound Sterling 442.750 Canadian Dollar 276.700 Japanese Yen 3.595 Indian Rupee 5.039 Egyptian Pound 46.410 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.126 Bangladesh Taka 3.417 Philippines Peso 6.625 Pakistan Rupee 2.978 Bahraini Dinar 746.300 UAE Dirham 76.300 Saudi Riyal 74.850 *Rates are subject to change

23

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

BUSINESS

China, Denmark sign deals worth billions as Hu ends visit COPENHAGEN: Chinese President Hu Jintao signed deals worth billions of euros with Denmark yesterday and got words of encouragement on his country’s bid to expand its influence in the oil-rich Arctic. Hu wrapped up his landmark three-day state visit to Denmark-the first ever by a Chinese head of state-meeting with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and signing a raft of partnerships that included agreements on tariffs, environmental protection, cultural exchanges and agriculture.

“These are partnerships that have formed the basis for Danish companies to reach agreements with Chinese companies into the two-figure billions,” Thorning-Schmidt told reporters. Hu has declined to speak to reporters throughout his stay in Denmark. Danish authorities have said Hu’s visit has generated some 18 billion kroner (2.4 billion euros, $3.1 billion) in agreements, though specific details on the deals were not immediately available.

Thorning-Schmidt said Hu had also raised the issue of China’s bid for permanent observer status on the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental

forum promoting cooperation among eight states, including Denmark, that border the mineralrich region.

“I see no problem in that, provided that China fulfills the conditions,” she said, without elaborating.

Thorning-Schmidt said talks with Hu and a 25-person delegation had been “good and constructive”, and that she planned to visit China.

“I will be going to China this autumn. We have had very good talks and have been very happy with the entire visit,” she said. The talks also touched on the issue of human rights, Thorning-Schmidt said. “There is no doubt that we in Denmark and the European Union are concerned about human rights in China. This is something we have discussed,” she said. She said she had pointed to Denmark’s parliamentary decision to support a One China policy, “but we are urging China to discuss with the Tibetans in order to find solutions with them.”

China froze relations with Denmark in 2009, after two successive prime ministers welcomed Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the official govern-

ment residence. Those relations were mended in late 2010 when parliament made it clear that Denmark

between the two delegations also touched on Europe’s economic crisis as Hu prepared to travel later to a

COPENHAGEN: Prince Henrik, President Hu Jintao and Danish Queen Margrethe, during the State Banquet for the Chinese President Hu Jintao at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on Friday. The Chinese President was on a three-day State Visit to Denmark. —AP had a one-China policy and did not back independence for the Himalayan territory. Discussions

meeting of G20 nations that begins Sunday in Los Cabos, Mexico. China has looked on with concern as the

debt crisis deepens in Europe-its largest export market-and the impact it is having on the Chinese economy.

On Wednesday last week China called on leaders at the G20 summit to express their confidence in Europe, which is battling a severe sovereign debt crisis that threatens the global economy. “All parties are convinced that the European side is capable of solving its own problems,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters. “The summit should fully recognize this, and send the message of the G20’s confidence in European economic and financial stability.”

2012 is a vital year for China as it moves into a new five-year plan, an upbeat Chinese President Hu Jintao said Friday in the first public speech.

“This year is an important one.

We go into a new five-year plan.

Chinese economic development paints a positive picture now,” Hu told guests at a state dinner hosted

by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II. “We have strengthened the macroeconomic regulation, growth quicker, prices are being stabilized and

efficiency is good. We have improved the population’s living standards,” Hu said.

He added that China’s 12th fiveyear plan and Europe’s 2020 strategy had a lot to offer each other and that China’s decision to increase domestic demand, increase imports and open up the service sector would expand the horizon for Danish and European exports to China.

“We will speed up changes to the economic growth model and develop new strategic sectors in China.

This will attract more European investment in new technology and strengthen European cooperation with China,” the Chinese president said. “China will strengthen copyright protection and improve the investment environment for foreign investment. This will help European capital and industry to achieve growth in China,” Hu said.

Praising Denmark as a “unique” player in Europe, Hu said China was par ticularly interested in Denmark’s high expertise in biomedicine, foodstuffs, green economy, energy saving, environmental protection and technological innovation. —Agencies

Merkel: Hope new Greek govt will keep promises Europe must stop making commitments BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday she hopes Greeks will elect a new government that stands by the country’s promises to international creditors, insisting that

reforms demanded in return for rescue loans by other European countries and the International Monetar y Fund. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has been a key advocate of that

in Europe,” she said.

“It cannot be the case - and this is also an issue now in connection with the Greek election that what comes out in the end is that those who don’t keep to an

DARMSTADT: German Chancellor Angela Merkel gesticulates during her speech at the regional conference of her conservative party, in Darmstadt, central Germany yesterday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday she hopes Greeks will elect a new government that stands by the country’s promises to international creditors, insisting that Europeans have to stop making commitments which they then ignore. —AP Europeans have to stop making commitments which they then ignore.

Greeks vote today for the second time in six weeks amid fears the country could be forced out of the euro if they reject strict austerity measures and structural

approach. Merkel told a regional conference of her conservative party that Europeans have too often failed to live up to their promises in various policy areas.

“Promised, broken, nothing happens - things cannot under any circumstances continue this way

agreement can, so to speak, lead everyone else through the arena by the nose ring,” Merkel said.

“That won’t work.” “That is why it is so important that, in the Greek election tomorrow ... a result emerges in which those who form a government in future tell

us, yes, we want to keep to the agreements,” she added. “That is the basis on which Europe can thrive.”

Merkel didn’t refer to any specific par ties or politicians in Greece. But the anti-austerity, radical-left Syriza par ty has pledged to rip up the international bailout agreement and repeal the strict austerity measures, while still insisting that others in Europe can be persuaded it is in their interests to keep Greece in the euro.

Officials in Germany and elsewhere, though, say that Greece must stick to the accords to stay in the 17-nation currency.

“Any future government will have to continue the agreed austerity and reform course. Without reforms, there can be no further money,” Merkel’s vice chancellor, Economy Minister Philipp Roesler, was quoted as telling the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. He insisted that “solidarity is not a one-way street.”

At the party convention in the western city of Darmstadt, Merkel defended the European budgetdiscipline pact she has championed and once again rejected mounting pressure for jointly issued government debt, or eurobonds, viewed by advocates as a way of bringing down struggling countries’ borrowing costs.

Merkel, however, insists that the way forward is a methodical process of reducing debt, improving competitiveness and deepening European integration.

“We will have to continue along the road ... of having more control from Europe,” she said. “And those who are not prepared to do that will see that it will then be very difficult to keep a common currency stable in the long term.” —AP

ECB’s Coeure: Banking union could revive money markets FRANKFURT: A European banking union could help revive money markets by restoring confidence in the creditworthiness of banks and governments, European Central Bank Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said.

Coeure, who is in charge of market operations on the ECB’s board, called for closer integration as “uncoordinated national reactions to heightened uncertainty could be collectively lethal to the single market for capital”.

The ECB is one of the main supporters of such a union, which would involve the introduction of a single European supervisory body, a pan-euro area deposit guarantee scheme and a resolution fund to wind down banks if necessary.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said he believed a banking union could be in place within a year, butEuropean paymaster Germany says it will not support one unless it is preceded by fiscal union within the euro zone.

“Restoring proper market functioning requires a series of actions to rebuild confidence in the creditworthiness of banks and

governments, as well as the taking of decisive steps towards a banking union,” Coeure said in a tex t of a speech released on Saturday and prepared for Morgan Stanley’s annual global investment seminar.

M oney markets have been impaired since the onset of the financial crisis as banks began to lend less to each other in the market for fear of not getting their funds back, relying instead increasingly on central banks.

To ease such strains, the ECB injected more than 1 trillion euros into the banking system with twin 3-year loan operations in December and February, but there is growing concern that banks are becoming too reliant on central bank support.

“Central bank intermediation of interbank funds was necessar y to ensure a smooth transmission of monetary policy across the euro area and to avoid a major credit crunch. However, it may have come at the cost of crowding out some market activity,” Coeure said.

A banking union could help revive the market by restoring trust among market players, Coeure said.

“ The adverse feedback loop between banks and sovereigns - in which doubts about the solvency of the sovereigns feed doubts about the solvency of the banks, and vice versa - will be broken more readily by the establishment of a true banking union,” he said.

Coeure also said Europe’s permanent rescue fund, the European Stabilit y Mechanism, should be able to inject capital directly into banks. “The emergence of truly pan-European banking institutions, provided they are properly controlled, would attenuate asymmetric shocks within member states and favor risk-sharing,” Coeure said.

Another key aspect was to strengthen banks’ balance sheets and Coeure called upon regulators to make sure that banks would have sufficiently high capital buffers in place.

“Leverage in the euro area banking system must be reduced. The aggregate leverage (asset-to-equity) ratio of large euro area banks remains comparatively high by international and historical standards,” Coeure said. —Reuters

TOKYO: Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano looks at a questioner raising his hand during his press conference at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo yesterday. Japan ordered nuclear reactors back online, defying public sentiment against atomic power following the quaketsunami that sparked last year’s meltdowns at Fukushima. —AFP

Japan’s LNG, oil demand to remain strong: Analysts TOKYO: Japan’s decision to restart two nuclear reactors idled for safety checks after the Fukushima catastrophe won’t cut the country’s spiraling fossil-fuel import bill unless more atomic units are brought back on line, traders and analysts said.

Japan’s fuel purchases soared as reactors were shut down and put through safety checks after the meltdowns at Fukushima in March 2011, dragging the world’s thirdbiggest economy into its first trade deficit in more than three decades. The reactors at the Ohi plant operated by Kansai Electric Power Co each have a capacity of 1,180 megawatts and restarting them would reduce LNG usage by about 180,000 tonnes per month, according to Reuters calculations.

If the reactors are replacing oil-fired generation, Japan’s crude requirements would fall by about 70,000 bpd. But with summer approaching, households and business turn on air conditioners and boost electricity consumption despite some energy saving efforts from last year and Kansai Electric is expected to keep fossil-fuel power plants online. “It’s still not going to make a huge impact in reducing oil demand, which will rise in the next few months when power demand is higher,” Alex Yap, oil analyst at FACTS Global Energy said.

Japan’s demand for direct-burning crude and fuel oil may rise as much a 900,000 bpd without more reactors operating, up from a peak of 700,000 bpd in February, before the last unit shut down in May, he said. “The restart of the nuclear plant will not affect demand that much,” said a fuel oil trader in Singapore. “Fuel oil demand will be cut if more reactors come on line though.”

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and three other ministers approved the startups at a meeting yesterday in Tokyo. Noda has said the restarts are necessary to avoid damaging the world’s third-largest economy.

The country’s current frontline regulator, the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, has approved safety checks for the 890megawatt No.3 reactor at the Ikata station

operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co in southwestern Japan. The checks need to be approved by the Nuclear Safety Commission.

Next on the list for possible approval are two Hokkaido Electric Power Co reactors in Tomari, northern Japan and the No.2 reactor at the Shika station operated by Hokuriku Electric Power Co in western Japan.

These reactors have combined capacity of 2,364 megawatts.“LNG demand will be supported by a recovery in city gas consumption and the shift of reliance by utilities on LNG away from nuclear power despite the expected restart of more reactors,” said Yu Nagatomi, an economist at the Institute of Energy Economics Japan.

“Even though energy savings may cap electricity use, LNG demand for fiscal 2012/13 is unlikely to fall dramatically from a record 83 million tonnes in 2011/12,” Nagatomi said. Japan’s fiscal year runs from April through March.

Spot prices for Asian LNG eased toward $17 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for July cargoes this week as new supplies came onto the market, compared with less than $10 before the disaster.

In May, when Japan went without nuclear power for the first time since 1970, power companies consumed a record 4.41 million tonnes equivalent of liquefied natural gas (LNG), worth an estimated $3.7 billion.

Fuel oil use in the same month rose 169 percent from a year earlier at 220,900 barrels per day (bpd) and crude consumption was up 148 percent at 241,400 bpd. Japan’s overall imports of crude totaled 3.7 million bpd in 2010. With oil at about $100 per barrel, that meant utilities spent $748 million on crude imports alone during the month. Prices of the sweet crude from Malaysia and Indonesia that is typically used for direct burning have risen to multi-year highs earlier this year, helped by the demand from Japanese power utilities. —Reuters

KSE in negative zone Markaz report The Kuwaiti market closed on a negative note this week. The Price index was down 3.14%, closing at 5,907.7 points. The Weighted index lost 1.98%, closing at 393.78, while the Kuwait 15 index lost 1.7% closing at 950.9. Liquidity levels were up 3.7% during the week. The market traded 1.2bn shares with a value of KD 90.2mn.

Sector performance Financial Services continues to be the top traded sector this week as well, contributing 34% to the total traded value.

Real Estate and Banks followed with 22.3%

and 19.1% contributions. Gulf Finance House, which lost 13.6% during the week, closing at 35 fils was the top traded stock with trading value of KD 12.6mn.

Loser, winners 152 companies were traded during the week out of which 22 closed positive, 108 were negative and 22 unchanged.

Contracting and Marine Services Co was the biggest gainer, increasing 12.7% during the week and closing at 160 fils. On the other side of the spectrum, Wethaq Takaful Insurance Co was the biggest loser, shedding 28.3% to 50 fils.

24

business

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

Kuwait equities face selling pressure BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone. The price index ended last week with a decrease amounted to 3.14%, while the weighted index declined by 1.98% compared to the closings of the week before, where KSX-15 Index decreased by 1.70%.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 2.24%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 18.03 million, whereas trading volume average was 243.29 million shares, recording increase of 3.66%. After a fragile firmness, selling pressures on small stocks continued, leading the price index to break through a new support level after crossing the 6,000 points level. On the other hand, both of weighted index and KSX-15 index suffered relatively lighter losses as a result of some buying deals on the leading stocks.

As far as the annual indices performance, two of the market main indices recorded losses. While the price index recorded gain of 1.61%, in spite of its losses during the last weeks; the weighted index recorded loss amounted to 2.92% and KSX-15 index retreated by 1.70%. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,907.73 points, down by 3.14% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.98% weekly loss after closing at 393.78 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index recorded 1.70% weekly loss after closing at 950.93 points.

Sectors’ indices All of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the red zone except for health Care Sector without change. The Insurance sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 8.78% to end the week’s activity at 951.86 points. The financial Services sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 5.68%, closing at 853.18 points, followed by the Basic Materials sector, as its index closed at 927.57 points at a loss of 2.70%. The technology sector was the least declining as its index closed at 1,148.28 points with a 0.96% decrease.

Sectors’ activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 643.55 million shares changing hands, representing 52.90% of the total market trading volume. The Real Estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 25.04% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 304.64 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 30.77 million or 34.12% of last week’s

total market trading value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 19.10 million represented 21.18% of the total market trading value.

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization declined by 1.95% during last week to reach KD 26.76 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded a decrease in their respective market capitalization except for Healthcare sector closed without change. The Basic Materials sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization reached KD 601.58 million, decreasing by 5.64%. The Financial Services sector was the second in terms of recorded decline with 4.35% decrease after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 2.84 billion. The third place was for the Consumer Services sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 729.02 million by the end of the week, recording a decline of 4.13%. The Consumer Goods sector was the least declining with 0.13% recorded decrease after its market capitalization amounted to KD 585.17 million.

For fur ther details, please visit our web site: www.bayaninvest.com . — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, Bayan Investment Co.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

BUSINESS

Greek elections to keep tensions high WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: Instead of backyard barbecues and beer, this Father’s Day could see many investors with their minds on Greece. The Greek election, that is. One thing is almost certain to come from today’s event, and that is more volatility for US stocks, according to analysts and investors.

“I think the S&P futures will see their high or low depending on the outcome within one hour of the futures’ opening today night at 6 p.m. Eastern time,” said Elliot Spar, option market strategist at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Analysts have viewed the Greek election as a potential turning point for Greece, with all eyes on whether voters will favor the leftist Syriza party opposed to the austerity measures that are part and parcel of Greece’s international bailout package, or the conservative New Democracy, which is committed to upholding terms of that agreement.

The election, which could result in Greece’s eventual departure from the euro zone, is also seen as another hurdle for the wider euro zone, which has been embroiled in a debt crisis for well over a year. The rest of the week is not likely to be any quieter. The Federal Reserve is due to release a policy statement on Wednesday at the end of its two-day meeting, and the steady flow of sovereign debt warnings and downgrades is likely to continue.

Central banks from major economies are ready to take steps to calm financial markets should the outcome of the Greek elections create a market storm. In yet another sign of investor nervousness, the CBOE Volatility index, Wall Street’s fear gauge, was up for much of Friday, even as stocks rose, although the VIX finally closed lower. Stocks and the VIX typically have an inverse relationship.

One likely outcome of the Greek election is the failure of any party to form a coalition government, said Gregory Peterson, director of investment research at Ballentine Partners LLC in Waltham, Massachusetts, which manages $3.5 billon.

“I think that’s a fairly high probability outcome,” he said. “It’s going to leave a lot of heads scratching, and that’s probably not going to be good for the market.”

A more bearish outcome would be one that presages an unraveling of the euro zone, said Peterson, whose firm starting reducing its exposure to European assets “over a year and a half ago.”

Many investors have been trying to prepare for the worst. “People have been hedging their positions aggressively over the past two weeks heading into this weekend,” said Alec Levine, derivatives strategist at Newedge Group SA in New York.

“No matter what happens next week, we will return to a massive game of

NEW YORK: Specialist Douglas Johnson (center) works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday. US stocks are opening higher as investors anticipate action by central banks to head off a deeper European debt crisis. — AP

chicken between the newly elected Greek government, whoever that may be, and the EU, specifically Germany.”

Despite the fears, stocks ended the week on a positive note, marking a second straight week of gains. The benchmark Standard & Poor’s index is now up 6.8 percent for 2012, though still well off its highest levels of the year. Part of what has spurred optimism for stock investors

in recent weeks has been the hope that the Fed and other central banks would act to provide more economic stimulus.

There has been continuing speculation over whether the Fed will engage in a third round of quantitative easing. “We do think that expectations of QE3 will drive the market one way or the other,” said Omar Aguilar, chief investment officer for equities at Charles Schwab Corp,

in San Francisco.

But the fact that the Fed has made no recent changes to policy could mean the economic data policymakers are seeing is “not as bad as everyone thinks,” said Aguilar.

Weeks of worries over potential outcomes of the Greek election have prompted a number of central banks to prepare for market problems. Among them, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the ECB was ready to step in and fund any viable euro zone bank that gets in trouble. The Bank of England on Thursday announced a 100 billion pound ($155 billion) offer of loans to banks.

Also ahead of the vote, Russell Indexes said certain events in Greece could mean changes in its indexes through implementation of its “financial crisis” rule. Its indexes include the Russell Global Index.

Adding to investor nervousness has been a slew of recent ratings cuts.

Among the most recent, Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded Egypt’s sovereign credit rating deeper into junk status. On Thursday, Egan-Jones cut France’s sovereign credit rating. Many investors see that trend continuing as agencies try to gauge the impact of the euro-zone and other problems on the global economy.

“We’re probably going to see more of it,” said Peterson. — Reuters

US unemployment aid applications up to 386K Hiring remains sluggish

NEW YORK: Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta (center) and his attorney Gary P Naftalis, leave federal court in New York on Friday. Gupta, accused of feeding confidential information to a corrupt hedge fund manager, has been convicted of conspiracy and three counts of securities fraud. — AP

Ex-business titan Gupta guilty of insider trading NEW YORK: Rajat Gupta, a consummate business insider who once sat on the board of Goldman Sachs Group Inc, was convicted on Friday of leaking secrets about the investment bank at the height of the financial crisis, a major victory for prosecutors seeking to root out illicit trading on Wall Street.

A Manhattan federal court jury delivered the verdict on its second day of deliberations, finding Gupta fed stock tips to his hedge fund manager friend Raj Rajaratnam gleaned from confidential Goldman board meetings. He was found guilty of four of six criminal counts and could face a prison term of up to 25 years.

The conviction burnishes the record of the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, which has spent the last several years aggressively prosecuting insider trading. More than 60 people have pleaded guilty or been convicted in cases brought by the FBI and the Manhattan US Attorney in the past four years.

In its case against Gupta, who headed elite business consultancy McKinsey & Co for nine years and is the most prominent person charged in the insider-trading crackdown, the government faced a challenge. There was no evidence he traded on any of the information he allegedly leaked and the government did not have the trove of FBI wiretaps that helped win a conviction of Rajaratnam a year ago.

Jury foreman Rick Lepkowski told reporters after the verdict: “On the counts we convicted, we felt there was enough circumstantial evidence.” He said wiretaps in which Rajaratnam was heard telling two of his traders about the board information “didn’t tip the balance.”

The verdict capped a four-week trial that featured Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein as a star government witness. All of the counts Gupta was convicted of involved tips and trades in Goldman stock in September and October 2008, including passing inside information on a crucial $5 billion investment by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. As the verdict was read in court by the jury foreman, there was a gasp when Gupta was pronounced “not guilty” on the first count of securities fraud. It involved whether Gupta told Rajaratnam about Goldman’s quarterly earnings after a March 12, 2007 board meeting. He was then declared guilty on three other securities fraud counts and a count of conspiracy.

Gupta, 63, was also found not guilty of divulging the quarterly earnings in January 2009 of Procter & Gamble Co , where he also served as a board member. After the verdict, an ashenfaced Gupta glanced grimly back at his wife and daughters. Later, the family stood together hugging in the courtroom as Gupta tried to console his distraught, sobbing daughters and wife.

“This is only Round One,” his defense attorney, Gary Naftalis, told reporters. “We will be moving to set aside the verdict and will, if neces-

sary, appeal the conviction.”

Gupta, who lives in Westport, Connecticut, is also a former director at American Airlines Corp and had ties to a prominent business school in his native India. Well known in philanthropic circles, he advised groups such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries. Jury foreman Lepkowski said he was impressed by Gupta’s “storybook life” up to the time of the allegations and his family’s support.

“I wanted to believe the allegations weren’t true,” said Lepkowski, 51, a non-profit group executive from Ossining, New York. “At the end of the day, when all of the evidence was in, it was in my opinion, overwhelming.” Another juror, child welfare worker Ronnie Sesso, 53, said the jury, which also included a nurse, a teacher and a school counselor, struggled to determine what Gupta’s motive might have been in passing tips to Rajaratnam. “Gupta was a true friend,” she said. “Raj was a snake in the grass.”

Since being implicated in the Rajaratnam case more than a year ago, Gupta has denied the charges. His lawyers said Rajaratnam cheated Gupta out of $10 million and the two men had a falling out in 2008. They argued that prosecutors “had no real, hard, direct evidence” against Gupta, who did not take the witness stand after signaling late in the trial he might.

US District Judge Jed Rakoff scheduled a tentative sentencing date of Oct 18. The maximum sentence for securities fraud is 20 years and the maximum sentence for conspiracy is five years, although it seems unlikely that Gupta would receive such a heavy punishment. Rajaratnam, founder of Galleon Group hedge fund, was convicted of 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy last year and is serving an 11-year prison term. He turned 55 years old on Friday in prison near Boston.

Earlier this month, a New Jersey federal court handed a 12-year sentence - the longest ever for insider trading - to a corporate lawyer whose illegal conduct stretched over 17 years.

In another tough sentence, a Houston federal judge sentenced disgraced financier Allen Stanford on Thursday to 110 years in prison for a $7 billion fraud that swindled investors out of their savings.

Two former executives of hedge funds Level Global and Diamondback and one trader who worked at SAC Capital Advisors unit Sigma, at the time of his arrest, could be the next significant criminal insider trading trial in October.

They deny charges of running a $62 million scheme on Dell Inc stock. Level Global no longer manages money. Diamondback has settled civil insider trading charges. SAC has not been charged. Gupta “achieved remarkable success and stature, but he threw it all away” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, who was also born in India, said in a statement after the verdict.—AP

WASHINGTON: More Americans sought unemployment aid last week, suggesting hiring remains sluggish.

The Labor Department said that weekly unemployment benefit applications rose 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000. The increase came after the government revised the previous week up to 380,000.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose for the third straight week to 382,000.

That’s the highest in six weeks.

Weekly applications are a measure of the pace of layoffs. When they drop below 375,000, it typically suggests hiring is strong enough to reduce the unemployment rate.

“The trend in jobless claims suggests ... that the underlying pace of employment growth has softened,” said Bricklin Dwyer, an economist at BNP Paribas. Applications fell steadily during the fall and winter but have since leveled off. At the same time, hiring has slowed, raising concerns about the pace of the recovery.

Employers added an average of only 96,000 jobs per month in the past three months. That’s down from an average of 252,000 in the previous three months.

Weaker hiring also pushed up the unemployment rate in May to 8.2 percent, its first rise in nearly a year.

Joseph LaVorgna, an economist at Deutsche Bank, said the increase in applications was “slightly disconcert-

ing” but added that more data would be needed to establish a trend. Still, he forecasts that the economy will gain only 75,000 jobs this month.

Faster job creation is crucial in order to accelerate growth. More jobs mean more income for consumers, which may lead to higher spending.

Consumer spending fuels about 70 percent of the economy.

The number of people continuing to receive benefits fell sharply, partly because extended benefit programs are ending in many states. The total benefit rolls fell to 5.8 million in the week ending May 26, the latest data

available. That’s a drop of 146,000 from the previous week. Many economists blame the slowdown in hiring partly on the unusually warm winter.

Companies moved up some hiring in January and February that normally would have occurred in spring. As that trend fades, job gains might recover in the coming months.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week that the warm winter might be a reason for the slowdown in hiring. He also suggested that the burst of job gains earlier this year could have represented a “catch-up in hiring’ by employers who

ANAHEIM: A job seeker talks to a recruiter at a job fair expo in Anaheim, California. The government reports on state and regional unemployment for May. —AP

Global stocks surge ahead of Greek vote NEW YORK: World stocks rallied and the euro bounced higher on Friday despite uncertainty over Greece and the euro-zone as investors bet on fresh stimulus from major central banks to boost growth and fight the European crisis. US markets capped a day of surprising gains, the S&P 500 adding 1.0 percent and the Dow 0.9 percent even as nervousness set in over the results of Sunday’s vote in Greece-which could decide whether it stays in the euro area or leave.

Earlier Europe’s markets, most under threat from more euro-zone turbulence, took larger jumps. The blue-chip Euro Stoxx 50 index gained 1.5 percent; the CAC 40 1.8 percent; the DAX 30 1.5 percent; and Milan shares 2.3 percent.

London’s FTSE was the underperformer among the majors, gaining only 0.2 percent.

Asian markets started the rally, following a mix of speculation and some clear signals that major central banks were readying intervention measures to forestall contagion from a Greek exit from the euro and to further ease money conditions to spark growth.

Late Thursday the Bank of England announced two new stimulus packages to help stimulate the economy and provide long-term support to banks. Finance chief George Osborne and Bank of England governor Mervyn King said they would flood banks with billions of pounds in a bid to jump-start lending to households and businesses and fend off a potential storm from Europe. European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi fueled speculation of an imminent rate cut or other measures, warning Friday of “serious downside risks” to the euro area economy while inflation saying was no threat. Meanwhile, with more weak domestic economic data filtering through, hopes grew that the Federal Reserve

would adopt further moves to stimulate the US economy when it meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. “The prospect of coordinated central bank intervention from central banks next week in the event of turmoil caused by the result of this weekend’s Greek elections has given equity markets a boost today, and calmed some rather frayed investor nerves,” said Michael Hewson, senior market analyst at CMC Markets.

“Place your bets. Yesterday’s and today’s trading is all about positioning ahead of Sunday’s elections in Greece and next week’s Federal Reserve policy meeting,” said Dick Green at Briefing.com.

Green said stocks rallied “because traders are betting that European governments will take action after the election to prevent any adverse credit market impact from the possibility of Greece leaving the euro-zone. The confidence sent the euro higher. At 2100 GMT the euro was trading at $1.2633, compared to $1.2630 late Thursday. The confidence came even though polls showed Greece’s far-left Syriza Party, which is threatening to scuttle the country’s bailout with the possible consequence an exit from the euro, running neck and neck with the New Democracy conservatives who promise to stick with the tough bailout program. “Never have the Greek people had such clear dilemmas,” Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos said on Friday.

Despite the apparent confidence of investors, with Spain’s borrowing costs pushing to record highs despite a 100-billion-euro bank bailout, traders remain on edge. On Thursday the interest rate on Spanish 10-year government bonds soared to 6.9667 percent, close to the danger-zone 7.0 percent considered unsustainable to service debts.—AFP

cut too deeply in the recession.

In that case, stronger economic growth would be needed to boost hiring further, Bernanke said. For now, the economy appears to be sputtering. It expanded 1.9 percent in the first quarter, down from 3 percent in the October-December quarter.

Growth isn’t expected to improve much in the current April-June quarter. Consumers remain cautious.

Retail sales fell 0.2 percent in May, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday, matching April’s decline.

It was the first back-to-back drop in two years.

A big reason for the decline was falling prices at the gas pump, which reduced gas station sales. The average price for a gallon of gas was $3.54 Wednesday, according to AAA. That’s 40 cents cheaper than the peak in early April.

That drop should free up more cash for consumers to spend in the coming months, which could accelerate spending this summer, economists said. The economy is still struggling three years after the recession officially ended in June 2009. Wages haven’t kept up with inflation. State and local governments have continued to shed jobs.The United States has regained less than 3.8 million, or 43 percent, of the 8.8 million jobs lost during and immediately after the recession. — AP

Greek stocks rocket ATHENS: Greek stocks rocketed higher, reflecting investor hopes that the national elections in three days will yield a government that can avoid a messy confrontation with the Athens’ bailout creditors and keep the country in the eurozone. Investors appeared to be reacting to market rumors of new public opinion polls, which cannot be openly released as Greek law forbids their publication in the last two weeks of campaigning. Athens’ main stock index closed a stunning 10.1 percent higher, with banking shares up a collective 23.6 percent.

Popular resentment of austerity measures, which the Greek government has taken to keep tapping its rescue loans, has fueled a surge in popularity for political parties that want to renege on the country’s bailout terms.

Sunday’s election is seen as a close race between the biggest such party, the radical left Syriza, and the conservative New Democracy party, which wants to largely adhere to bailout pledges, with tweaks in favor of low earners.

“There’s an investor sentiment build-up, ahead of the elections, that there might be a pro-European government formed, which the market has discounted,” Eurobank EFG analyst Nikos Koskoletos said. “Nevertheless, we remain in highly volatile territory.”

Greece’s creditors - its European partners and the International Monetary Fund - have warned that the cash lifeline would dry up if a new government played tough and tried to unilaterally abandon previous pledges for further cutbacks and reforms. With the money, Greece would go bankrupt and likely have to leave the 17-country eurozone. Sergios Melahrinos, an analyst at Solidus Securities, said Thursday’s stock rally seemed fragile.

“This is not a solidly-founded reaction, it is based on rumors and expectations rather than facts,” he said. “And these can very easily be disproved tomorrow, or on Monday after the elections.”

Before market rumors began this week, the latest official polls released showed that either New Democracy or Syriza could win on Sunday, although without enough seats in parliament to govern alone. The polls, however, suggested that likely-minded parties stand to gain enough seats to form a coalition.—AP

26

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

business

Worldwide sales of TMC Hybrids top 4m units TOYOTA CITY: Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announces that global cumulative sales of its hybrid vehicles have topped the 4 million mark as of April 30.

Positioning response to environmental issues as a management priority and based on its belief that environmentfriendly vehicles can only truly have a positive impact if they are used widely, TMC has endeavored to promote the massmarket adoption of hybrid vehicles. In 1997 in Japan, TMC launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August and launched the “Prius”-the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle-in December.

Sales of the Prius began in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2000. Next came the second-generation Prius in 2003 and the expanded use of TMC’s hybrid system

NBK to announce next week first 6 winners of Summer Campaign KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will announce the first six winners of its annual summer campaign next week. The winners will be reimbursed for all their spending using NBK Cards up to KD 10,000. NBK’s summer campaign offer customers the chance to win an astonishing 2012 McLaren MP4-12C super car at the end of the campaign as well as up to KD 180,000 in cash prizes.

NBK Cardholders still have the chance to participate in the promotion and earn unlimited chances in the three draws throughout the summer until 15 September 2012.

In addition to the grand prize draw for the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, 18 winners spread in to three draws will be reimbursed for all their spending using NBK Cards up to KD 10,000.

For every KD 20 spent in Kuwait with NBK Credit or Prepaid Cards, Cardholders will earn one chance to enter the draws. Cardholders will triple their chances by using their NBK Credit, Prepaid and Debit Card abroad or by shopping on international sites.

NBK Cards are accepted worldwide and are the safest, most convenient and rewarding way to pay. For more information log onto nbk.com or contact Hala Watani on 1801801. The new McLaren MP4-12C is one of the world’s most critically acclaimed luxurious supercars with its astonishing design that combines elegance and exquisiteness. Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive is the sole dealer of McLaren Automotive Ltd. and the exclusive importer of BMW Group vehicles in Kuwait.

on such vehicles as minivans, SUVs, rearwheel-drive sedans and compact hatchbacks. In particular, the third-generation Prius launched in May 2009 received strong support from customers around the world, leading to global cumulative sales of TMC’s hybrid vehicles topping 3 million vehicles by the end of February 2011. Since then, new models such as the “Prius” (Prius Alpha) and the “Aqua” have been launched. TMC currently sells 19 hybrid, passenger vehicle models in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world. This year, hybrid vehicles have accounted for 15% of TMC’s global vehicle sales. With the upcoming “Yaris Hybrid” scheduled for launch in Europe and the Lexus “ES 300h” for the United States, TMC is committed to augmenting its product lineup even further

and increasing the number of countries and regions in which it sells hybrid vehicles.

As of April 30, 2012, TMC calculates that TMC hybrid vehicles, since 1997, have led to approximately 26 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions considered to be a cause of climate change-than would have been emitted by gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. Having positioned hybrid technologies-consisting of the component technologies necessary for development of various environment-friendly cars-as key technologies, TMC plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup, including that of non-hybrid environment-friendly vehicles, to create vehicles that are popular with consumers.

KromOzone announces first winner of trip worth KD 1,500 Six Chevrolet cars accessorized with 2012 Euro Cup Theme KUWAIT: KromOzone, Kuwait’s prime location and center for car accessories, seized the opportunity of the 2012 Euro Cup to celebrate with soccer fans by selecting six Chevrolet cars and customizing them with the flags, colors and symbols of the countries participating in the final round of the championship. KromOzone also launched a media campaign for the youth cheering for the teams in the championship’s finals, encouraging them to customize their cars with a wide variety of accessories for a chance to win in one of two draws for a trip worth KD 1,500 that includes an all-inclusive trip to the winning team’s country.

Chevrolet’s showrooms welcomes all visitors to view the six cars that are designed with bright and eye-catching colors and symbols of some of the participating teams

including the German Tahoe, Spanish Camaro, English Silverado, French Tahoe, Dutch Camaro and Italian Silverado.

The First draw was held at Safat Alghanim’s showroom in Al-Rai on June 14 and the first winner was announced.

The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the Consumer Protection Department. The second draw will take place in July 1, 2012.

Vehicle accessory lovers may enter the draw for every purchase worth KD 150 from KromOzone, be it a 2012 Euro Cup accessory or any item from the wide range, high tech materials available at the center that also provides vehicle interior design services, rims, exteriors and an assortment

of accessories for all car makes.

The technical team at KromOzone selected a number of cars to be included in the exclusive edition in celebration of the 2012 Euro Cup. The cars were customized in a magnificent way to manifest the excitement surrounding the world renowned sport. This factor is an indication of the high level of expertise and technical professionalism of KromOzone’s staff as they install quality accessories.

Since its launch, KromoZone has proven to be a pioneer in car customization in Kuwait as it provides a world of accessories for all car makes. KromOzone is the ultimate spot and perfect choice for all fans of vehicle customization especially the youth who can find a large selection of accessories that suits their needs and tastes.

Gulf Bank announces winners of Al-Danah weekly draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its twenty-third Al-Danah weekly draw on June 10, 2012, announcing a total number of ten Al-Danah weekly prize draw winners. Each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The 23rd Al-Danah weekly winners are: Ahmed Ibrahem Rayyan, Sulaiman Al-Rahman Al-Ateyah, Noutha Mohammed Hussain, AlAjmy Saad Salah Abdulla Ali Al-Qattan, Mohammed Marzouq Turkey Al-Azmi, Awaad Mobark Ali Mobark, Msaed Mekhlef Malooh Al-Salaili, Sheikh Hamad Ali Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Saju Thomas Thomas and Saleh Hasan Ajeel Atshan Al-Eneizi.

Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an AlDanah account and/or increase their deposits to maximize their chances of becoming a winner in the upcoming weekly (KD1,000 each for 10 winners). Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah allows customers to win cash prizes and encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account. Al-Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al-Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al-Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al-Danah winner.

To be part of the Al-Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al-Danah and who the winners are.

Credit Suisse initiates coverage on NBK with a ‘Buy’ KUWAIT: Credit Suisse has initiated coverage on National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) with a Buy recommendation and a target price of KD 1.200, with an upside potential of 15.4% from the current traded levels. “We like the bank’s conservative growth strategy amid challenging economic and political conditions,” said Credit Suisse in a research note to private banking clients entitled Growth with Stability. “Being the industry leader in Kuwait, the bank is well positioned to exploit growth opportunities in its primary segments.”

Credit Suisse added: “we remain positive on the bank’s operating performance due to its market- leading position in the Corporate, Retail and Private Banking divisions with a market share in excess of 30% in all business sectors.” Credit Suisse stressed that NBK’s strong balance sheet provides much needed stability. As of 31 December 2011, the group’s total capital adequacy ratio was 18.3% against the regulatory requirement of 12%. The loan book also remains solid with asset quality indicators significantly healthier than sector averages.

“We view NBK’s conservative growth strategy positively, especially due to rising risk aversion globally”, said Credit Suisse. Expansion into Islamic banking and technology advancement appear enticing.” NBK enjoys the highest credit ratings of all banks in the Middle East and North Africa region by the major international rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings. In their latest reports, the three rating agencies affirmed NBK’s credit ratings with a stable outlook. In 2012, NBK moved up 14 positions to rank 33 among the 50 safest banks in the world. NBK is the only Arab bank to be listed among the world’s 50 safest banks five times in a row.

Egyptian Refining Co reaches financial close on $3.7bn Greenfield Petroleum Refining Project CAIRO: Landmark investment led by Citadel Capital, top Egyptian, Gulf and international investors, global export credit agencies and development finance institutions will reduce present-day diesel import needs by 50%, improve air quality in the Greater Cairo Area, help reduce Egypt’s annual subsidy bill, result in more than $300 million in additional direct benefits to the state annually, and spur job creation.

The Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) has achieved financial close on a $3.7 billion package to construct a greenfield petroleum refining upgrade project in the Greater Cairo Area. The ERC project is a public-private partnership with the private sector investing alongside the government to address a critical national requirement for infrastructure.

Developed by Citadel Capital (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Exchange), the leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa with $9.5 billion in investments under control, ERC is an import substitution project to address Egypt’s growing demand for products such as diesel that are currently imported in rising quantities.

The state-of-the-art facility will produce over 4.1 million tons of refined products and high-quality oil derivatives per year, including more than 2.3 million tons of Euro V diesel (the cleanest-burning diesel fuel in the world). ERC will enable Egypt to reduce its current level of diesel imports by approximately 50%.

“ERC is more than one of Africa’s largestever project finance deals, it is also a transformative development for the Egyptian economy. The financial close of ERC confirms to international investors and the global community that Egypt is open for business. The signal this sends is huge,” said Citadel Capital Founder and Chairman Ahmed Heikal, adding, “ERC is a key component of Egypt’s energy security going forward.”

ERC will deliver diesel and other high-value products to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) at the heart of the consumption market in the Greater Cairo Area.

“We would like to thank everyone who has made this project possible, from our

equity investors to the providers of ERC’s debt facilities, from the Government of Egypt to the people of Mostorod, where the refinery will be located,” Heikal noted.

Financing for the project includes US$ 2.6 billion in debt and a further $1.1 billion in equity.

Structure of the Equity Component ERC is supported by $1.1 billion in equity provided by a broad spectrum of investors including EGPC (which has invested US$ 270 million for a 23.8% interest), Qatar Petroleum International (QPI, which has committed over $362 million for an effective 27.9% interest) and Citadel Capital (which has directly and indirectly invested over $155 million and holds an effective equity stake of 11.7%).

Other participants in the funding include investors from Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as well as development finance institutions, including the International Finance Corporation (US$ 85 million, 6.4% ownership), the Dutch development bank FMO ($29 million, 2.2% ownership) and Germany’s DEG ($26 million, 2.0% ownership). The InfraMed Fund, the largest investment vehicle dedicated to infrastructure in the Mediterranean area, is also an investor with an effective ownership of 7.5% on an investment of $100 million.

EFG Hermes Investment Banking acted as placement manager for the equity component, raising approximately $462 million of the required equity funding for ERC. Structure of the Debt Component ERC is also backed by a $2.6 billion debt package announced in August 2010 which was arranged by ERC’s financial advisor Societe Generale and supported by ERC’s legal advisors, Shearman & Sterling and Arab Legal Consultants.

The package includes $2.35 billion of senior debt and $225 million of subordinated debt. With the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi serving as the global coordinator, institutions participating in the senior debt package include the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Nippon Export and

Investment Insurance (NEXI), the ExportImport Bank of Korea (KEXIM), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Mitsui & Co (which is part the contractor consortium building the refinery) and the African Development Bank are providing the subordinated debt financing.

The ERC Project Today, the Cairo Oil Refining Company (CORC) - ERC’s neighbor in the Mostorod district of Greater Cairo - is Egypt’s largest refinery, accounting for some 20% of total national refining capacity. CORC’s first units were installed in 1969 and it has a refining capacity of 160,000 barrels of crude oil per day (BPD).

“Approximately 67% of CORC’s output is fuel oil and this will be purchased by ERC at international prices and used as feedstock to be further refined to produce more than 4.1 million tons of refined products and highquality oil derivatives per year,” said ERC Chairman Abdelfattah Abu Zeid. “We are proud to be employing the most advanced and environmentally stringent technologies from Conoco Philips / Bechtel, Axens and KTI.” The facility’s entire liquid fuels production will be sold to the state-owned EGPC under a 25-year offtake agreement at international prices.

Benefits to Egypt and the Local Communities EGPC estimates that in addition to decreasing the country’s subsidies bill for imported fuel, ERC will result in more than US$ 300 million in direct annual benefits through avoided transportation and insurance costs, the elimination of product shipment losses, and revenues generated from storage and processing fees.

ERC will use proven, latest-generation technologies to meet the environmental standards of the International Finance Corporation (World Bank) and the European Union, as well as Egyptian environmental laws, to ensure that operations do not result in any form of environmental degradation.

ERC’s refining process will, in fact, result

in substantial environmental benefits to Egypt by annually preventing the release of 186,000 tons of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) that are currently emitted into the atmosphere. This represents a 29.1% reduction in Egypt’s present-day SO2 emissions (from the burning of sulfur-containing diesel and fuel-oil) and will result in much-needed improvement in air quality in the Greater Cairo Area.

“We will also deliver a number of projects with positive social impacts on the Mostorod area,” said Abu Zeid. “Our contractors will require 10,000 employees at the peak of construction work. During the operations phase, ERC’s operations and maintenance contractor will create permanent jobs for more than 700 staff. Although activity on the project has not started, more than 500 welders, pipefitters, mechanics and electricians have already received vocational training to prepare people in the nearby communities to obtain jobs.”

ERC is being engineered and constructed

by GS Engineering & Construction of Korea and Mitsui & Co. of Japan. WorleyParsons is ERC’s project manager and the operations and maintenance of the refinery will be performed by the Egyptian Projects Operation & Maintenance Company (EPROM), an EGPCaffiliated company.

Path Forward “The ERC Project has been in development for more than five years, during which time it weathered the 2008 global financial crisis, the January 25, 2011 Egyptian Revolution, and now the ongoing euro-zone banking challenges. To keep the lender group and all other stakeholders engaged during this period is a testament to the economic strength of the project, its importance in addressing Egypt’s increasing demand for refined products, and the stakeholders’ long-term commitment to support Egypt’s economic and political development,” said ERC Chief Executive Officer Thomas Thomason.

Engineering is underway and is expected to be completed in late 2013, at which time construction activity will begin at the site.

Operations are scheduled to start in 2016.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Facebook chief technical officer leaving for startup SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook’s chief technical officer Bret Taylor yesterday announced he is leaving the world’s leading social network to start a new company with a friend. Taylor revealed the move on his Facebook page less than a month after an initial public offering (IPO) of stock reported to have made millionaires of about a thousand of the California company’s employees.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Bret and getting to know him as a friend and teammate,” Facebook founder and chief executive Mark

Cooling technology helping umps handle the heat CINCINNATI: Those summer scorchers don’t make umpires melt down anymore. Cooling technology that’s been used by the military for years has started helping umps get through those days when the temperatures flirt with triple-digits and the humidity makes handling home plate duties a sweaty job. They can wear a vest with cooling packs on the front and back, or slip a pack into a special pocket in their shirt when they’re behind the plate.

They’re a lot cooler these summer days, which is no small thing. Unlike players, who can escape the sun and duck into the air conditioned clubhouse between innings, the men in black don’t get a break.

“It can really be the difference-maker in finishing the game when the conditions are that difficult,” 13year veteran umpire Bill Welke said.

It’s a vast improvement over the days when umpires got so dehydrated on broiling afternoons that their fingers would wrinkle. All they had back then to fight off the oppressive heat was sips of water between innings, a soaked cabbage leaf under their hat and quick dousing with ammonia water between innings. It’s especially tough for plate umpires, who have to wear that protective equipment and do more than 300 knee bends per game, making a fraction-ofan-inch decision on each pitch. A clear head is needed. And there’s no time to duck into air conditioning and cool down.

All major league umpires have access this summer to technology that was developed for the military during the first Gulf war. It has spread into industries that involve heat, and filtered down to law enforcement and firefighters who need to stay cool to do their jobs.

“This technology is not new,” said Kate Doherty, spokeswoman for HTFx, Inc., which developed the equipment. “It’s only new to sports.”

The umpires were skeptical at first.

There have been other attempts to adapt cooling equipment to umpires. About 20 years ago, they experimented with a liquid-filled vest that was bulky and didn’t stay cool long enough. Cooling packs would get wet and heavy as they thawed. Didn’t work.

When much of the country sizzled last summer, umpires started trying the HTFx equipment - marketed under RiteTemp Athletics - and loved it.

“This stuff really works,” said Tim Tschida, a 26-year veteran and crew chief. “When I first saw it, I was like, ‘I don’t know, that sounds like a gimmick.’ The first two or three guys on the staff that used it, they couldn’t stop raving about it. They said it’s like dropping the temperature outside by 20 degrees.”

Now, every umpire room in the majors has the cooling equipment, stored in a freezer for ready use.

There’s a vest with pads front and back that can be worn on the bases. Umpires’ shirts now have inside pockets for a pad with a home-plate insignia, providing a layer of cool under the chest protector. The pads can be quickly swapped for colder ones out of the freezer every few innings.

There’s a cooling cap and another that an umpire can sit on after the game to quickly lower their core temperature. To a fan or player, it may not seem like much. To umpires, it’s a godsend. Veteran umpires have stories about getting lightheaded in the heat and so sweaty that even the bag of baseballs attached to their waists got soaked.

“You get some scorcher days out there, I’ll tell you,” said MLB Director of Umpiring Randy Marsh, who worked major league games for 27 years. “I’ve got some old pictures of when I worked. When you walked off the field, your uniform was completely soaked.” When Marsh started working in the majors, there wasn’t much help with the heat. Teams would soak towels in cold ammonia water that umpires wrapped around their necks between innings.

Cabbage leaves soaked in the water could be tucked under caps.

“I learned that from Paul Runge,” Marsh said. “He used to put cabbage leaves in the hat. He had me do it when I worked with him. I don’t know if I noticed it, maybe psychologically. But a lot of guys thought that it worked better than the sun beating on your head.”

The multipurpose stadiums with artificial turf that came into vogue in the 1970s were especially brutal.

On-field temperatures at Riverfront Stadium, for example, were measured above 150 degrees. Waves of heat snaked off the field like a griddle.

During one series in Cincinnati in July 1997, Greg Maddux got so hot and mentally discombobulated that he took himself out of a game after six innings.

The plastic on the bottom of infielder Jeff Blauser’s cleats started to melt. Players said it burned their hands to touch the turf.

“George Hendrick used to tell us when he played in St. Louis, he used three pairs of shoes,” Marsh said. “He kept two on a big bucket of ice and would change shoes every inning because it was so hot on that turf.”

Umpires could get so dehydrated that their fingers would wrinkle. Sometimes, the plate umpire overheated and had to be replaced. Now, training staffs are aware of their need to keep drinking fluids. Plus, with the multipurpose turf stadiums replaced by grass fields, those blistering days aren’t nearly so bad.

“When they went to grass, it made all the difference in the world,” Tschida said.

The high-tech cooling packs have ramped down the heat even more. “It’s been a welcome, welcome addition to our equipment bags, that’s for sure,” Tschida said. —- AP

Zuckerberg said in an email response to an AFP inquiry. “I’m grateful for all he has done for Facebook and I’m proud of what he and his teams have built.” Taylor cited accomplishments including the “open graph” that lets outside websites or applications synch with the social network and mobile products such as Facebook Camera and integration with Apple gadgets.

“I’m sad to be leaving, but I’m excited to be starting a company with my friend Kevin Gibbs,” Taylor said, not indicating what the new enterprise would

be. “While a transition like this is never easy, I’m extremely confident in the teams and leadership we have in place.”

He referred to Zuckerberg not only as his boss for three years, but as among his closest friends.

It is common for startup employees made rich by the initial public offering of stock to depart companies to pursue dreams or new endeavors, according to analysts who anticipated that might happen at Facebook. By far the Internet’s dominant social network, Facebook went public on May 18 in a $16

billion share sale, the second largest IPO in the United States ever. The run-up to the sale was marked by bubbly enthusiasm reminiscent of the dot-com era, to the extent that lead underwriter Morgan Stanley agreed to raise the offering price and increase the number of shares issued.

But the shares barely held above the $38 introductory price on the opening day and have since fallen, delivering real and paper losses in the billions of dollars to the new investors. Facebook shares rose six percent to close at $30.01 Friday. — AFP

Phones gain ability to learn by touching Wallet of the future NEW YORK: There’s a form of extra-sensor y perception called psychometr y, whose practitioners claim to learn things about objects by touching them.

Smar tphones set to be released this month by Samsung and Sony will have some of that ability: they’ll learn things when you touch them to pre -programmed “tags.” For example, you can program a tag with your phone number, and stick it on your business card. When someone taps the phone to the card, the phone would call you. Or you can put a tag on your night stand. Place the phone there, and it goes into “alarm clock” mode, holding your calls until the morning.

Samsung Electronics Co. announced last week that it will be selling these tags in the form of stickers it calls “TecTiles” - $15 for 5 of them. They’ll work with its new flagship Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, set to launch in a few weeks, and several others already in the market, including the HTC EVO 4G LTE sold by Sprint Nextel.

Sony Corp.’s Xperia Ion, to be released June 24, will come with the ability to read different coin-like plastic tags that read “Home,” “Office” and so forth. The tags cost $20 for four, and the phone can be programmed to react differently to each tag.

The “Car” tag can launch a navigation application, for instance. Tapping “Home” can send a text message to the rest of the family that you’re home, and set the ringer volume to maximum.

The big push behind the technology, which is known as Near-Field Communications, comes from companies that see the phone as the wallet of the future. When touched to payment termi-

nals, NFC-equipped phones can act as credit or debit cards. But turning phones into credit cards is a tall order. Mobile payments already work with a few phones, but broad adoption is being held up while cellphone companies, banks, payment processors and retailers work out who pays for what and who benefits.

This ability to sense things close by is made possible by a new type of communications hardware in phones, complementing long-range cellular radios, mediumrange Wi-Fi and short-range Bluetooth. The latest version of Google Inc.’s Android software, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, comes with the ability to use NFC to communicate from phone to phone. When the backs are tapped together, the owners can trade information like contacts.

Samsung takes this one step further with the Galaxy S III. Tap two phones together, and they set up a connection via Wi-Fi. That means the owners can walk away from each other, and as long as they’re in the same room or so, they can transfer photos and even hefty video files between their phones.

There are issues to work out. The Samsung tags can be read by any phone running “Ice Cream Sandwich,” but that doesn’t include the Sony phone. Samsung and HTC phones won’t recognize the Sony tags. Apple Inc., whose iPhones are trendsetters in many ways, hasn’t built NFC into them - yet. Its patent filings hint at an interest in NFC, but they’ve given no clue when the technology might show up in iPhones.

Nick Holland, an analyst with Yankee Group, believes NFC will shine first in nonpayment applications, because they’re eas-

JIUQUAN: A Chinese soldier salutes near the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft rocket launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan in western China’s Gansu province yesterday. — AP

ier to sort out, and the technology has many uses. There have been NFC trials in Sweden, using phones as hotel room keys, he points out. Another compelling use case would be Wi-Fi hotspots. A cafe that wants to limit access to the local hotspot might let patrons tap their phones against a tag instead of having them laboriously enter a password.

“There’s been an over-focus on the wallets,” Holland said. “It’s a technology that’s not designed purely for payments.”

For advertisers, NFC tags could replace the so-called “QR” codes - two-dimensional bar codes that need to be photographed with specially downloaded software to be deciphered, so they can send a consumer to the advertiser’s website or earn them a coupon for a discount. QR codes work at a distance, unlike NFC tags, but have significant drawbacks.

“Someone described them as ‘digital vomit’ recently. You can’t make them look pretty,” Holland said.

Each NFC tag includes a tiny chip, which explains the relatively high prices Samsung and Sony are charging. Those prices will come down, Holland said, as adoption rises. QR codes, of course, have the advantage of being very cheap, since they can be created on a simple printer.

The big makers of NFC chips are NXP Semiconductors N.V., a Dutch company, and Inside Secure, a French one. But competition is looming, Holland said, from bigger chip companies like Broadcom Corp. and Texas Instruments Inc. “Basically, anyone who’s making chips is looking at NFC as a new area they could move into,” Holland said. — AP

NEW YORK: This undated image provided

by Samsung yesterday shows TecTiles stickers for use with certain near field communications-enabled mobile phones. The big push behind the technology comes from companies that see the phone as the wallet of the future. When touched to payment terminals, NFC-equipped phones can act as credit or debit cards. — AP

JIUQUAN: China’s first female astronaut Liu Yang waves during a sending off ceremony as she departs for the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft rocket launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, China, yesterday. — AP

China sends its first woman into space BEIJING: China yesterday launched its most ambitious space mission to date, sending its first female astronaut into orbit and bidding to achieve the country’s first manual space docking. Shenzhou-9 - China’s fourth manned space mission - blasted off on schedule at 6:37 pm (1037 GMT) from the remote Gobi desert in the nation’s northwest, state television pictures showed. Chang Wanquan, commanderin-chief of China’s manned space programme, said the craft had entered orbit, and declared the launch a “complete success”.

The crew was headed by Jing Haipeng, a veteran astronaut who had gone to space twice already. Liu Wang, who has been in the space program for 14 years, will be in charge of manual docking manoeuvres. Meanwhile Liu Yang, 33, who has created a stir in the media and online for becoming China’s first woman to travel to space, will conduct aerospace medical experiments and other space tests. In a nod to the symbolic significance of Liu’s presence, one of the country’s most senior female leaders, State Councillor Liu Yandong, read a message of congratulation from President Hu Jintao from the launch site.

“I would like to extend warm congratulations and sincere regards to all those participating,” said Hu, adding the docking operation would mark a “major breakthrough in the country’s manned space program”.

The mission will last 13 days, during which the crew will perform experiments and the manual space docking - a highly technical procedure that brings two vessels together in high speed orbit. Successful completion of the

rendezvous between the Shenzhou-9 (“Divine Vessel”) and the Tiangong-1 (“Heavenly Palace”) module already in orbit will take China a step closer to setting up its own space station in 2020.

The Asian powerhouse achieved a similar docking in November last year, but that mission was unmanned and the procedure was conducted remotely from Earth. “The manual

space rendezvous... is a huge test for astronauts’ ability to judge spatial position, eyehand coordination and psychological abilities,” Jing told reporters ahead of the launch. He added that the trio would work well together after months of intense training that saw them rehearse the mission some 16 hours a day. “One glance, one facial expression, one movement... we understand each other thor-

Humans to become multi-planet species?

PASADENA, California: Fresh off SpaceX’s historic return from the International Space Station, company founder Elon Musk said Friday that he would like to see humans settle Mars and become a “multi-planet species.”

The 40-year-old entrepreneur reiterated his vision to graduates at the California Institute of Technology, a private university 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles known for its science and engineering programs. Musk said he hoped some of the newly minted graduates would work toward Mars colonization, either at SpaceX or another outfit.

“You guys are the magicians of the 21st century. Don’t let anything hold you back,” he said. “Imagination is the limit ... go out there and create some magic.”

Musk made headlines last month when SpaceX became the first private company to

make a roundtrip supply run to the space station - a task that had been dominated by governments. With NASA’s space shuttle fleet retired, the space agency is outsourcing the job to private industry.

SpaceX’s unmanned Dragon capsule splashed into the Pacific on May 31 after a virtually flawless nine-day test flight that included docking with the multibillion-dollar orbiting outpost and delivering a load of food, clothing and equipment to the astronauts aboard.

Earlier this week, Musk accompanied NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on a tour of the Dragon capsule that was plucked from the ocean and trucked to SpaceX’s factory in Texas. Save for a few scorch marks from the fiery re-entry, the bell-shaped capsule weathered its maiden journey.—AP

oughly,” he said.The team have rehearsed the procedure more than 1,500 times in simulations, Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China’s manned space program, told reporters. But more than the upcoming challenge, it is the inclusion in the crew of Liu Yang - a trained pilot and major in the People’s Liberation Army who began astronaut training two years ago - that has captivated China’s people.

China sent its first person into space in 2003 and has since conducted several manned missions, the latest in 2008, but had never yet included a woman.

Liu’s mission made China the third country after the Soviet Union and United States to send a woman into space using its own technology. China sees its space program as a symbol of its global stature, growing technical expertise, and the Communist Party’s success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation. An editorial in the state-run Global Times newspaper yesterday said that China needed to “cement its strategic gains made during the years,” which called for “a stronger presence in outer space”. “The three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-9 personify China’s long-term space aspirations,” it added.

A white paper released last December outlined China’s long-term ambitions to “conduct studies on the preliminary plan for a human lunar landing”. The current programme aims to provide China with a space station in which a crew can live independently for several months, as at the old Russian Mir facility or the International Space Station. — AFP

28

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

health & science

Plague confirmed in Oregon man bitten by stray cat BEND: Health officials have confirmed that an Oregon man has the plague after he was bitten while trying to take a dead rodent from the mouth of a stray cat. The unidentified man, who is in his 50s, remained in critical condition Friday at a Bend hospital. His illness marks the fifth case of plague in Oregon since 1995. State public health veterinarian Dr. Emilio DeBess says the man was infected when he was bitten by the stray his family had befriended.

The cat died and its body is being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention for testing.

Karen Yeargain, communicable disease coordinator for Crook County, said the sick man lives in rural area outside the Central Oregon city of Prineville. DeBess, who is in Prineville investigating, said test results confirmed what officials had suspected, that the man had become infected with Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that devastated Europe during the Middle Ages. DeBess has collected blood samples from two dogs and another cat that lives with the man’s family. DeBess

also collected blood samples from neighbors’ pets and from animals in the local shelter to determine whether the area has a plague problem.

More than a dozen people who were in contact with the sick man have been notified and are receiving preventive antibiotics. There are three types of plague: bubonic, which infects the lymph nodes; pneumonic, which infects the lungs; and septicemic, which infects the blood. The man’s infection is septicemic, Yeargain said, which causes a “very significant

generalized illness.” Symptoms of the plague in humans, which typically appear within four days, include fever, chills and a bloody or watery cough. In pets, plague typically presents itself with enlarged lymph nodes under the jaw, as well as fever and tiredness.

“The plague is something that is always around. In some areas of the country, they have very regular outbreaks in the rodent community,” Yeargain said. “Humans don’t tend to come in direct contact with it as much here in Oregon, so we don’t think

about it as much.” Plague is spread to humans or animals through a bite from an infected flea or by contact with an animal sick with the disease.

Fleas that normally live on rodents are the source of the plague bacteria.

Domestic cats come into contact with these fleas, or with rodents who have been infected by the fleas, when they roam outdoors and hunt rodents. “The reality is that, in rural areas, part of the role of cats is to keep the rodent population controlled around our homes and barns,” Yeargain said. —AP

Rio+20: Race against clock as wrangle heads for overtime Document aims at nurturing planet’s natural bounty RIO DE JANEIRO: Talks on a new global charter to protect the environment and eradicate poverty were heading into overtime Friday as officials admitted they faced a battle to seal a deal ahead of a UN summit. The cornerstone document of the June 20-22 Rio+20 summit aims at setting a path for nurturing the planet’s natural bounty and promoting

everyone’s hope that by (June) 19 at the latest, everything will be wrapped up,” he said. “There is a sense of optimism, but in every room there is a sense also that the enemy now is time.” Brazilian delegation chief Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, confirming the target date, said “we have no intention to hand undecided issues to heads of state.”

encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, has 7,000 corporate participants in 135 countries.

Forum organizers said privatepublic partnerships and more than 100 corporate commitments would be announced and recommendations would be submitted to Rio+20 summit leaders next

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian natives, Potiguaras from Paraiba state, are seen at the metro station heading to the People’s Summit in the Flamengo park in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. —AFP green growth.

But after five months of wrangling, talks on a draft entered their final scheduled day on Friday with agreement on only 28 percent of the 81-page text, officials said. Responsibility for steering the haggle was expected to be handed yesterday to Brazil, the conference host, said Nikhil Seth of the UN’s Division for Sustainable Development. “It’s

Ahead of next week’s UN summit, hundreds of corporate leaders launched a four-day forum here Friday to discuss how the private sector could help advance sustainable development goals. In opening remarks, Georg Kell, executive director of the UN Global Compact, underscored the key role of “innovation and collaboration” in the process. The Global Compact, a UN initiative to

week. The Conference on Sustainable Development is the 20-year followup to the Earth Summit, when UN members made historic agreements to combat climate change, wildlife loss and desertification. An expected turnout of 116 heads of state or government will cap a week-long gathering of as many as 50,000 activists, business executives and policymakers.

Progress on the so-called outcome document has been mired by discord, often pitching developing economies against rich ones. “There are lively discussions still going on,” the US special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, said in a conference call with journalists. “There’s still a lot to be wrestled with.” Problems include a set of sustainable development goals to succeed the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, due to expire in 2015, to encourage the green economy and mustering funds to promote sustainable development. Poorer countries are calling for $30 billion a year.

But another area of friction is over how or whether to reaffirm the “Rio Principles” set down in the 1992 summit, which say countries have “common but differentiated responsibilities.” The phrase is designed to ensure that poor countries do not have to shoulder the same burden as rich countries in fixing Earth’s environmental problems. But Stern was scathing, saying the phrase belonged to an era when China and other countries that today are emerging giant economies were far poorer and less able to contribute.

The summit is taking place against a backdrop of ever-worsening news on the environment, while financial crises in rich economies have slashed the political will for concessions. A colorful counter-conference got under away at a Rio park, with the dramatic appearance of 82-year-old Amazonian chief Raoni, stomping and brandishing a club. The “People’s Summit” will feature several different demonstrations, including a main march expected to draw 50,000 people on June 20, when the official Rio+20 gets underway. —AFP

Scientists map DNA of bonobo, our peaceful ape kin WASHINGTON: Behold the bonobo, our ape cousin that’s kinder and gentler than the chimp or, well, us.

Now scientists have mapped the primate’s DNA, and some researchers say that may eventually reveal secrets about how the darker side of our nature evolved.

Scientists have found that we are as close genetically to the peace-lov-

Bonobos and humans share 98.7 percent of the same genetic blueprint, the same percentage shared with chimps, according to a study released Wednesday by the journal Nature. The two apes are much more closely related to each other sharing 99.6 percent of their genomes - said study lead author Kay Prufer, a geneticist at the Max

of as our better angels, said Duke University researcher Brian Hare.

Bonobos make love, not war.

Chimps have been documented to kill and make war.

Bonobos share food with total strangers, but chimps do not.

Bonobos stay close to their mothers - who even pick out their sons’ mates - long after infancy like

CONGO: This undated handout photo provided by Friends of Bonobos shows mother and a baby bonobo in the Congo. Behold the bonobo, our ape cousin that’s kinder and gentler than the chimp or, well, us. —AP ing but little-known bonobo as we are to the more violent and better understood chimpanzee. It’s as if they are siblings and we are cousins, related to them both equally, sharing some traits with just bonobos and other characteristics with just chimps.

Planck Institute in Germany.

“Humans are a little like a mosaic of bonobo and chimpanzee genomes.”

Bonobos and chimps have distinctly different behaviors that can be seen in humans, with bonobos displaying what might be thought

humans. But chimps tend to use tools better and have bigger brains, like humans. “Is the bonobo genome the secret to the biology of peace?” asked Hare, who was not involved in the new research. “They have done something in their evolution that even humans can’t do.

They don’t have the dark side we do.

“If we only studied chimps, we’d get a skewed view of human evolution,” he said.

Bonobos, chimps and humans shared a single common ancestor from about 6 million years ago, Prufer said. Chimps and bonobos shared the same common ancestor until about a million years ago, when the Congo River formed. Then the bonobos developed on one side of the river, the chimps the other. They became different species, even though scientists didn’t realize that until about 90 years ago.

Bonobo heads are slightly smaller and their teeth are arranged differently. In behavior, bonobos are far more tolerant, more social. They are inordinately sexual. Instead of releasing tension by fighting, they couple repeatedly, Hare said. Bonobos are ruled by alpha females, chimps by males. In some ways - especially when looking at the physiology of the brain - it’s as if a bonobo is a juvenile chimp that doesn’t develop, Hare said. Chimps get more violent as they age; bonobos don’t.

While the scientific name for bonobos is Pan paniscus, “they should be Peter Pan,” Hare said.

“They never grow up and we have lots of data to support this idea.

Much of their psychology seems to be frozen.”

Some researchers say Hare has romanticized the bonobo too much.

Emory University researcher Bill Hopkins says he has more bonobo scars than chimp scars on his body.

Sure, bonobos will bite, but they won’t kill, Hare said. Bonobos are endangered and only live around the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. “Ironically,” Hare said, “bonobos are from the place where people are at their worst.” —AP

RAMAT GAN: Tanda the rhinoceros and her four-hour-old baby are seen at the Ramat Gan Safari, an open-air zoo near Tel Aviv, on June 15, 2012. —AFP

Drought hits key food province in N Korea SEOUL: A long and widespread drought has ravaged one of North Korea’s breadbasket provinces, state media say, sparking fears of worsening food shortages in the impoverished communist state. “Most areas of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Hwanghae province in particular, have experienced a long spell of drought,” Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Friday’s report said crops were withering due to the most serious drought in the western province in 60 years-hitting maize, wheat, barley and potato crops.

Essential rice and corn planting have also been badly affected across the country, KCNA said last month. Hundreds of thou-

sands of people have turned out to help battle the drought with tractors, lorries, water pumps, sprinklers and other means, KCNA said.

Pyongyang’s official media have been urging workers and government employees to help farmers. North Korea suffers chronic food shortages, with the situation frequently exacerbated by floods, droughts and mismanagement. During a famine in the mid to late-1990s, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are believed to have died as the official food rationing system largely collapsed.

International food aid has also dwindled due to rows over the North’s missile and nuclear programs. —AFP

NASA launches telescope to seek out black holes LOS ANGELES: NASA on Wednesday launched its newest X-ray space telescope on a mission to shine a light on black holes and other hard-to-see objects lurking in the Milky Way and other galaxies.

Mission controllers clapped after receiving a signal from the telescope that it had reached orbit 350 miles above Earth. “It’s a terrific day,” assistant launch director Tim Dunn said. NASA decided to air-launch the $170 million mission, instead of rocketing off from a launch pad, because it was cheaper. The telescope was boosted into orbit by a Pegasus rocket released from a carrier aircraft that took off from the remote Kwajalein Atoll, a horseshoe-shaped Pacific island halfway between Hawaii and Australia. After free-falling for several seconds, the rocket ignited its engines and climbed to space. Minutes later, the telescope separated from the rocket and unfurled its solar panels as it circled 350 miles above the Earth.

The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuStar for short, focuses highenergy X-rays to peer through gas and dust in search of supermassive black holes in the center of galaxies, remnants of exploded stars and other exotic celestial objects.

While black holes are invisible, the region around them gives off telltale Xrays. NuStar will observe previously known black holes and map hidden ones. By zeroing in on never-before-seen parts of the universe, scientists hope to better understand how galaxies form and evolve.

“We can view black holes and galaxies even if they’re enshrouded with dust and gas. If you had high-energy X-ray eyes and

you stared up out of the galaxy, what you would see is the glow of all the massive black holes sprinkled throughout the cosmos,” chief scientist Fiona Harrison of the California Institute of Technology said earlier this week. NuStar will also hunt for the remains of ancient supernovae, stars that exploded in past centuries. If it’s lucky, it’ll witness a star’s death throes, but such events don’t happen often and the telescope will have to be pointed at the right place at the right time.

Scientists expect sharp images from the mission, which is many times more sensitive than previous space telescopes that have looked in this part of the electromagnetic spectrum. After a week in orbit, NuStar will unwrap its 33-foot mast laden with sensors. Observations will begin about a month after launch. The mission was supposed to lift off in March, but was delayed by a flight software issue with the rocket. To keep costs down, project managers bypassed the launch pad, which would have required a much larger rocket.

The launch comes at a trying time for NASA’s astrophysics division. Last week, the space agency killed an X-ray telescope mission because it failed to come in on budget. That mission, called GEMS, was supposed to launch in 2014 and would have observed many of the same targets as Nustar. NASA is pressing ahead with its flagship astrophysics mission the budget-busting James Webb Space Telescope considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It has the capability of peering deeper into the universe and back in time than ever, and is expected to launch in 2018 with an $8 billion price tag. —AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Secondhand smoke tied to more health effects NEW YORK: People regularly exposed to secondhand smoke may have increased risks of dying from strokes and emphysema as well as from heart disease and lung cancer, according to a study from China that followed people for nearly two decades. A number of studies have found that non-smokers who regularly breathe in other people’s tobacco smoke have an increased risk of developing heart disease or certain cancers, but the links to strokes and emphysema have been relatively weaker.

The findings, which appeared in the medical journal Chest, cannot definitively prove that secondhand smoke is the culprit, but the researchers were able to account for some other key factors, such as a person’s age, education, job, and blood pressure and cholesterol levels. “This study has shown dose response relationships between secondhand smoke and major tobacco related mortality,” wrote lead researcher Yao He of Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, and colleagues.

The findings are based on 910

adults who were followed over 17 years. At the start, 44 percent said they lived with a smoker, while 53 percent said they inhaled secondhand smoke at work. Over the following years, 249 study participants died. The risks of death from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and emphysema were all two to three times higher among people exposed to secondhand smoke.

Among men, for example, 11 percent of the 271 men exposed to secondhand smoke died of strokes. That compared with 6.5 percent of the

168 men who lived and worked in smoke-free surroundings. The numbers of people who died of each specific cause were fairly small, which is a limitation. But Joanna Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the results support evidence that secondhand smoke may boost the risks of not only heart disease and certain cancers, but strokes and emphysema as well.

In the United States, the most recent Surgeon General’s report said

there was “suggestive” evidence that secondhand smoke might boost people’s risk of stroke and emphysema but the evidence was considered insufficient to say there was a “causal relationship”, Cohen noted.

“This type of study is important for adding to evidence of a causal relationship,” she said. Cohen said it was “huge” that the information was coming from China. “It’s the country with the most number of smokers,” she said, adding that it is trailing other nations in anti-smoking education and tobacco control.—Reuters

Lake, ponds detected near equator of Saturn’s Titan Discovery completely unexpected

SATURN: This image provided by NASA shows Titan with Saturn’s rings in the background. A new study being released on June 14, 2012 suggests the dark areas near Titan’s equator indicate the presence of a hydrocarbon lake and several ponds, a surprise to scientists who thought lakes only existed at the poles. —AP

LOS ANGELES: In a surprise find, scientists say they have spotted hints of a methane-rich lake and several ponds near the equator of Saturn’s biggest moon. Lakes were previously spied near Titan’s polar regions. It was long thought that bodies of liquid could not exist at Titan’s midsection because energy from the sun at those latitudes would cause methane pools to evaporate.

“This discovery was completely unexpected because lakes are not stable at tropical latitudes,” said planetary scientist Caitlin Griffith of the University of Arizona, who led the discovery team. By measur i ng re f l e c te d s unl i ght f rom Titan’s surface and atmosphere, the international Cassini spacecraft detected a dark region near the landing site of Huygens, a

companion probe that parachuted to Titan’s equator in 2005.

Scientists said further analysis of the dark feature suggests the presence of a 927-square -mile hydrocarbon lake - twice as big as Lake Champlain, a freshwater lake that borders upstate New York and Vermont.

Near the equatorial lake were hints of four shallow ponds similar in size and depth to marshes on Earth. The findings were detailed in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature.

Titan is among the few bodies in the solar system with a dense atmosphere, but scientists have wrestled over the source of the t hi c k b l a nke t of ni t roge n a nd m e t ha ne. M e t ha ne ga s i n t he atmosphere is constantly broken up by sunlight and falls to the sur-

face where it is transported back to the poles, condensing to form lakes.

S cientists do not think this process is driving the presence of mid-latitude lakes and ponds.

Rather, they think there may be an underground source of methane that periodically vents to the surf a ce to fo r m t h e hyd ro c a r b o n bodies of liquid.

“Titan may have oases,” Griffith said. David Stevenson, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology, said the latest find was interesting, but noted that the evidence was indirec t. If a subterranean source of methane is confirmed, it’s a step toward understanding the persistence of methane in Titan’s atmosphere, said Stevenson, who was not part of the research team.—AP

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

WHAT’S ON olumnist and board member of the Businesswomen and Professionals Club, Najat AlHashash, is visiting Jeddah, Saudi Arabia based on an invitation by legal advisor Bayan Al-Zahran to discuss topics pertaining with improving participation of female citizens in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the economic and social fields.

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Embassy holidays The British Embassy will be closed today 17 June on the occasion of the Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) Ascension. The Consular Section will also be closed on the same date above.

The Spain Embassy will be closed today the 17th June, on the occasion of the Prophet’s (Peace be Upon Him) Ascension and will re-open Monday, June 18.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia will be closed on the occasion of Al-Isra.

Announcements ‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts reduces green house gases reen Globe Certification and Movenpick Hotels & Resorts yesterday announced major reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and significant water savings by all Movenpick properties across the Middle East. After the first year of Green Globe certification of hotels in UAE, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, analysis of energy and water consumption reveals the reduction of 11,765 tons of CO2e and savings of 129,346 m3 of potable water in the last 12 months.

Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said, “This is absolute proof that certification by Green Globe leads to great outcomes for the environment as well as utility savings for hotels and resorts.”

“These reductions are equivalent to saving one Olympic

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pool of water per week, each week for a year. The GHG saved by Movenpick hotels is the same as the emissions of five non-stop round-trip flights from Dubai to London.’

Green Globe Certification has been contracted by Movenpick to certify all their hotels and resorts worldwide.

The certification process covers all sustainability criteria including the key environmental indicators of energy and water. Green Globe Certification’s preferred partner in the Middle East, Farnek Avireal provides third party verification of the sustainability achievements of Green Globe members including Movenpick properties.

Avireal’s online environmental monitoring system Hotel Optimizer has tracked the improved performance of the hotels throughout this first

year of certification.

Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Vice President of Operations in the Middle East and India, Gerard Hotelier said, ‘The energy savings we have achieved in the last 12 months are equal to powering a 200-room hotel for one and half years”. “The total savings on utilities in this period are AED 2.5 million which is almost $700,000 and this represents a 4% savings in water and electricity costs, while at the same time we have seen a 8.3% increase in occupancy across the properties”. Green Globe Certification and its preferred partner Farnek Avireal will continue to monitor the reduction of environmental impacts across the Movenpick properties in the Middle East along with all Green Globe members in this region.

IOC celebrates UDF victory ndian Overseas Congress members gathered in Abbassiya and celebrated the marvelous victory of UDF in Neyyantinkara by-election. They exchanged sweets and shouted slogans to celebrate the victory. The victory shows that violent politics is totally hat-

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ed by the people of Kerala and UDF Govt’s rule is accepted by the people, Said Somu Mathew, Gen Secretary of IOC. Raju Zakarias and Geevarghese Abraham spoke on the occasion.

Free Arabic course IPC is opening an Intensive Basic Arabic Course for ladies commencing from June 3 to July 8, 2012. The class will be from 5-7 pm for three days a week. Registration is on! For information, call 22512257.

IMAX film program Effective: from today 17th June until 23rd June 2012 Today Space Junk 3D 10:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm The Last Reef 3D 11:30am, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 1:30pm, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Journey to Mecca 2:30pm Arabia 3D 3:30pm Monday: 18.6.12 ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm Space Junk 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 12:30pm, 10:30pm Journey to Mecca 6:30pm

Diplomatic visit to ESF SF Chairman and owner Ibrahim Shuhaiber, Vice Chairman Jasmin Shuhaiber and members of the management and staff of the English School Fahaheel were honored to welcome His Excellency the ambassador of Holland to the State of Kuwait Ton Boon Von Ochssee on a special visit to the school. His Excellency Von Ochssee was thoroughly impressed with The English

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School Fahaheel’s modern school premises offering all the latest technological and educational amenities to the students from Kindergarten to year 13. He also spoke to many staff members and watched ESF in action as end of year exams took place.

Congratulations

Tuesday: 19.6.12 ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Space Junk 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 11:30am, 7:30pm Fires of Kuwait 12:30pm The Last Reef 3D 5:30pm, 9:30pm Wednesday: 20.6.12 ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Born to be Wild 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm Space Junk 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm The Last Reef 3D 12:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm Thursday: 21.6.12 ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Space Junk 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm The Last Reef 3D 11:30am, 7:30pm Journey to Mecca 12:30pm Arabia 3D 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm Friday: 22.6.12 Space Junk 3D 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Journey to Mecca 3:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm, 8:30pm The Last Reef 3D 6:30pm, 10:30pm

Hussein Abul celebrated his graduation from Mu’atah Kindergarten with family and friends in a ceremony held by his parents.

Meshari Ali Al-Samhan’s parents held a ceremony to celebrate his outstanding record at Fahad AlAskar School.

Sulaiman Ali Al-Samhan celebrated his graduation from the Damascus Kindergarten with family and friends in a ceremony held by his parents.

Saturday: 23.6.12 ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Space Junk 3D 10:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm The Last Reef 3D 11:30am, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 1:30pm, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Journey to Mecca 2:30pm Arabia 3D 4:30pm Notes: - All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request.

- “Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request.

- Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

For information call 1 848 888 or visit www.tsck.org.kw

India International School’s name emblazoned on swimming pennant Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

ndeed it’s a matter of immense pride for IIS as our students have excelled in swimming competition held at DPS, Ahmadi on 26th May 2012. Five of our outstanding students participated with sheer will power, determination and swimming prowess. It is impressive to proclaim that our students once again brought laurals and enlightened the glory of the school by achieving gold, silver and bronze medals. It was a remarkable

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achievement for Sahaj Bafna of class XII who won 3 gold medals in breast stroke and two gold medals in free style. It is amazing to know that he was declared the individual champion in swimming competition but also the longest and fastest swimmer in the gulf.

Adil of class XII secured second position in 50mts in Breast stroke and won silver medals, 100mts free style and won bronze level. Mustafa Mal of class XII

secured 3rd position in 100mts breast stroke and won bronze medal. In the medley relay comprising of five students namely Sahaj Bafna, Adil, Mustafa Mal, Asad Moidu & Saad Moidu our school secured third position and won bronze medal. It is exciting to know that IIS is not only grooming the students in terms of academics but also coaching them relentlessly in terms of sports under the auspices of sports teacher Prajeesh.

Director Malayil Moosa Koya and Principal F.M Basheer Ahmed congratulated the winners for their tremendous performance and instilled motivation and confidence in the budding swimming champions to hone their potentials and display a sturdy resistance.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

WHAT’S ON

IES keeping it ‘Green’ ommemorated each year on June 5, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment. Indian Educational School, Kuwait has always played a pivotal role in spreading awareness among the community about various issues of global concern. Once again IES has demonstrated its genuine and complete support to the efforts of the United Nations through the commemoration of World Environment Day on the 5th June and 6th June, 2012.

To make this possible the kindergarten and the primary wings of IES and Jack and Jill, Bhavans organized a host of enlightening programs. The 41st World Environment Day was observed with zeal to create awareness amongst the students. The tiny tots staged a skit on the ill effects of cutting down trees and thereby reducing greenery. They propagated that we all must save trees, our valuable and benevolent friends since our existence depends on them. Everyone should plant one tree. The only solution to the innumerable environmental problems is the protection of trees.

The occasion was well ordinate with various programs to kindle the feeling of an immediate need to save the environment. The young and bright students of Class 2 I presented a very informative skit based on the need to stimulate awareness of the environment among kids and enhance political attention and public action. They emphasized on the importance of planting trees and living in a green environment, preserving and saving trees to strike a balance in our eco system. The kids presented a beautiful song. It conveyed the message to fight deforestation.

This was followed by an entertaining dance and a fashion show. Class 1 F put up a very educative skit on how a seed grows into a fine tree withstanding the bitter climatic conditions, to make this world go green!

Lalitha Premkumar the Vice Principal briefed the children on the importance of the day. “World Environment Day is hosted by a different country and this year the host is Brazil with the theme “Green Economy: Does it include you?” She asked. A Green Economy, according to the United Nations Environment Program, is one that results in improved human wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risk and ecological scarcities.

This profound message was emphasized by the students of class 3 through a melodious song. The graceful dancers of class 3 presented a scintillating dance based on the three elements of life - the air, the water and the land. This was followed by a skit based on the famous story - The Kapok Tree. The fabulous actors of class 4 did not only put on an enchanting performance but also evoked a feeling of responsibility towards Mother Earth.

An informative short film was shown to accentuate the consequences of not taking care of this beautiful world that we live in. The clear message of World Environment Day was that everyone has a duty to push for a Green Economy. The students of Indian Educational School took a pledge to follow it through.

They left the auditorium with a sense of responsibility to make a change and a special adoration for lush environment.

At Jack & Jill, Bhavans, Mangaf, the Environment week ,’Go Green Day’ or ‘World Environment Day’ inspired the children and the teachers to turn up with fun-filled, eco-friendly projects to create a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere in the school. The assembly became ingenious with a beautiful skit presented by the little ones on the importance of plants and trees in human life. The Principal Rathi Ravindran appraised them about the different stages of the growth of a plant and the dangers of depleting the resources through a power point presentation and urged the students to save Mother Nature in their own way.

With an earnest desire to protect and beautify the environment, the Pre KG children along with their

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Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA Change of contacts of the Australian Visa Facilitation Service Office in Kuwait (VFS).

Client Telephone Contact: +971 4 355 1958 (AVAC) Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Australian Visa Office in Dubai) Email Contact: Info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com, Immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Australian Visa Office in Dubai) Website: www.vfs-au-gcc.com www.immi.gov.au/overseas/dubai/index.htm (Australian Visa Office) Kuwait City: Australian Visa Application Centre, 4B 1st Floor, Al Banwan Building, Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al Salem Street, Opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working Hours and Days: 09:30 - 17:30, Sunday-Thursday ■■■■■■■

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.

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus would like to inform the public that from 3rd June 2012 the Consulate section located at the premises of the Embassy has started issuing Visas. Address: Salwa-Block 3, Al-Mutanabbi Street Building No. 35, Tel : (965)25620350, Fax: (965)25620470, Email : info@cyprus-embassy.org.kw Working hours 9:00am till 12:00pm everyday except Friday & Saturday Hence, The Honorary Consulate of Cyprus in Kuwait city will stop issuing Visas from the same date.

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EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm ■■■■■■■

teachers came up with a constructive idea of making a sand castle. LKG children along with their Art Teacher were indulged in paper craft activity, tearing and sticking papers creatively to make beautiful butterflies, flowers, birds as per the environment related themes given to each class. The teachers demonstrated the various process of germination of seeds by planting the seeds brought by the students in different containers and watering them every day. Children were indulged in various activities spreading the message to protect the environment on the occasion of World Environment Day.

By way of this distinguished effort, IES continuously aims at giving a human face to environmental issues.

Further IES also empowers our future global citizens to become active agents in stimulating worldwide awareness about environmental problems by giving messages of environmental protection to the community.

The message to the society is loud and clear - “Trees are silent and selfless servers that work non-stop 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without a single second’s break.

Protect them.”

Sheraton, Four Points raise money for Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice heraton Kuwait and Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait raised money from the proceeds made from the sale of the culinary book “Passion with Perfection” that was launched during a press conference last year which is dedicated to Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice. The book consists of 50 recipes in English and Arabic prepared by Chef Dirk Heinen, Culinary Director of the Sheraton Kuwait. The recipes vary from starters to main dishes and desserts. All the recipes are designed in a way that they can be easily prepared at home by simply following the detailed method of preparation. What’s more, to complement the recipes, photos are provided for each delicious dish.

For those who are interested to contribute to this noble activity, the book is being sold at the Sheraton Kuwait Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait and at all That Es Salasil branches around Kuwait.

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The book which is a combination of senses, taste and passion continues to support the children of Bayt Abdullah whose project has opened its door recently to allow children with terminal conditions to be looked after at home or in the hospice itself.

Sheraton Kuwait has long been famed for its exceptional service and in portraying the true heritage and culture of the Gulf since its inception in 1966, making Sheraton Kuwait a leader in the world of hospitality and this would not have been possible without the continued contribution of the hotel to the social community that has always been a primary objective of Sheraton Kuwait. Last but not least, this work wouldn’t have been done without the help and support of all those who have contributed to this initiative and continue to do so.

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform Kenyan residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that with effect from June 1, 2012 the Embassy has moved from its current location to a new location in Surra Block 1, Street 8, Villa 303. Please note that the new telephone and fax numbers will be communicated as soon as possible. For enquiries you can contact Consular Section on mobile 90935162 or 97527306.

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EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, AlSalaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal has moved to a new location in Jabriya, Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective from 15th April, 2012. Till the new telephone connections are installed, the Embassy may be contacted by email: info@nepembku.org ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

The only gift is a portion of thyself blood donation camp was conducted by Orthodox Christian youth movement of Kuwait St Gregorios Indian Orthodox Maha Edavaka, on Friday, June 8, 2012, at the central blood bank premises in Jabriya.

The initiative behind this campaign was to commemorate the blessed memory of late Augen Mar Dionysius metropolitan who passed away 5 years ago in an accident. OCYM members under the leadership of vicar Rev Fr Jose Mathew and associate Vicar Rev Fr George C Varughese had contributed well for the success of the noble cause for humanity, displaying great initiative and dedication.

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

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 03:55 04:25 04:50 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 08:15 09:10 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 13:45 14:40 15:35 16:00 16:30 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Untamed & Uncut Into The Pride Whale Wars: Viking Shores Up Close And Dangerous Up Close And Dangerous Karina: Wild On Safari Karina: Wild On Safari Great Ocean Adventures Cats 101 Escape To Chimp Eden Crocodile Hunter The Planet’s Funniest Animals Growing Up...

The Really Wild Show Breed All About It Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Project Puppy Cats 101 Wildest Arctic Wildest Arctic Wildlife SOS Safari Vet School Safari Vet School Must Love Cats Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Max’s Big Tracks Austin Stevens Adventures Great Ocean Adventures Wildest Africa Wildest Arctic Monster Bug Wars Animal Cops South Africa

00:15 01:55 02:20 02:50 03:15 05:25 06:15 06:35 07:00 12:25 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:15 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:40 18:30 19:20 20:10 21:00 22:50 23:20

Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA MasterChef Australia MasterChef Australia 10 Years Younger 10 Years Younger Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix DIY SOS DIY SOS Holmes On Homes Holmes On Homes What Not To Wear Gok’s Clothes Roadshow Gok’s Clothes Roadshow Celebrity MasterChef Celebrity MasterChef Gok’s Clothes Roadshow

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 08:55 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:30 23:00 23:20 23:45

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 Wacky Races Pink Panther And Pals Dexter’s Laboratory Bananas In Pyjamas Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies The Garfield Show The Looney Tunes Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Yogi’s Treasure Hunt Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Wacky Races Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley New Yogi Bear Show

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:25 Casper’s Scare School 07:00 The Powerpuff Girls 07:15 Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi 07:40 The Amazing World Of Gumball 08:05 Adventure Time 08:55 Regular Show 09:20 Evil Con Carne 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:05 Thundercats 10:35 Hero 108 11:00 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 11:25 Grim Adventures Of...

12:15 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:05 Generator Rex 13:30 Powerpuff Girls 14:20 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 14:45 Thundercats 15:10 Best Ed 16:00 Fantastic Four...

16:25 Ben 10 16:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:15 Adventure Time 17:40 Regular Show 18:05 Powerpuff Girls 18:55 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 Ed, Edd n Eddy 20:35 Grim Adventures Of...

21:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 21:25 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 21:50 Cow And Chicken 22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

00:00 Mainsail 00:30 World Sport 01:00 World Report 01:30 Talk Asia 02:00 World Report 02:30 Amanpour 03:00 CNN Marketplace Europe 03:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 03:30 The Brief 04:00 CNN Presents 05:00 CNN Newsroom 06:00 Business Traveller 06:30 Inside Africa 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Inside The Middle East 08:00 World Report 08:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 08:30 Talk Asia 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Europe 09:30 Eco Solutions 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Living Golf 11:00 African Voices 11:30 The Brief 12:00 World Report 12:30 News Special 13:00 CNN Presents 14:00 World Report 14:30 Cnngo 15:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 16:00 State Of The Union With Candy Crowley 17:00 International Desk 17:30 Inside Africa 18:00 Global Exchange 18:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 18:30 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Mainsail 20:00 International Desk

20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

African Voices International Desk Inside The Middle East Fareed Zakaria Gps World Report News Special

00:40 Nothing Personal 01:35 Kidnap And Rescue 02:30 How Do They Do It? 03:00 How It’s Made 03:25 How Do They Do It? 03:55 How It’s Made 04:20 How Do They Do It? 04:50 How It’s Made 05:15 How Do They Do It? 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 How Do They Do It? 06:35 How It’s Made 07:00 How It’s Made 07:25 How Do They Do It? 07:50 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:45 Wheeler Dealers Revisited 09:40 X-Machines 10:30 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 11:25 When Fish Attack 12:20 How It’s Made 14:10 How It’s Made 14:35 Auction Kings 15:05 Auction Kings 16:25 Auction Kings 16:55 Border Security 17:20 Border Security 17:50 Border Security 18:15 Border Security 18:40 Border Security 19:10 Soul Food Family 20:05 Unchained Reaction 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Curiosity 22:50 Curiosity 23:45 Unchained Reaction

00:35 01:00 01:25 02:15 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:05 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:30 17:20 18:10 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50 23:40

Stuck With Hackett Stuck With Hackett Powering The Future Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Sport Science Sport Science Sport Science Sport Science Sport Science Mega World Brave New World How Does That Work?

How Does That Work?

Engineered Alien Encounters Mega World Catch It Keep It Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Scrapheap Challenge Weird Or What?

Patent Bending Patent Bending Future Weapons Sci-Fi Saved My Life Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Brave New World Prophets Of Science Fiction The Science Of Star Wars Stuck With Hackett Stuck With Hackett Prophets Of Science Fiction The Science Of Star Wars Dark Matters

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00

Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

ARCHNOPHOBIA ON OSN ACTION HD

06:25 06:40 Cody 07:05 07:30 07:40 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 11:45 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:35 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 22:05 22:30 22:55 Cody 23:20 Cody 23:45

Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Suite Life Of Zack And So Random Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Jessie A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Twitches So Random Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place So Random Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Twitches Too A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Jessie Twitches So Random Fish Hooks The Suite Life Of Zack And The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Incredible Hulk 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 08:00 Iron Man Armored Adventures 08:25 Rated A For Awesome 08:50 Mr. Young 09:15 Kickin It 09:40 Lab Rats 10:05 Pair Of Kings 10:30 Scaredy Squirrel 10:55 Zeke & Luther 11:20 I’m In The Band 11:45 Phineas And Ferb 12:10 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 12:35 Pair Of Kings 13:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place The Movie 14:35 Kickin It 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:10 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Kick Buttowski 15:50 Pair Of Kings 16:15 Iron Man Armored Adventures 16:40 Zeke & Luther 17:05 Mr. Young 17:30 I’m In The Band 17:55 Rated A For Awesome 18:20 Kickin It 18:45 Lab Rats 19:10 Scaredy Squirrel 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Phineas And Ferb 20:25 Rekkit Rabbit 20:50 Kick Buttowski 21:15 Pair Of Kings 21:40 Phineas And Ferb 22:05 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:30 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:55 Style Star 01:25 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 05:30 Then And Now 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 09:45 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 E!es 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 11:35 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 E! News 13:05 Style Star 13:35 Style Star 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Kendra 19:25 Giuliana & Bill 20:25 Ice Loves Coco 20:55 Khloe And Lamar 21:25 Khloe And Lamar 21:55 Ice Loves Coco 22:25 Fashion Police 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 Jones 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20

Mysterious Journeys Ghost Lab The Haunted A Haunting Mysterious Journeys On The Case With Paula Zahn Mystery Diagnosis Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn

16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared American Greed American Greed Scorned: Crimes Of Passion

00:25 Go Fish 01:50 The January Man-PG 03:30 Cop 05:20 Number One Fan-PG 06:55 Police Story: The Freeway Killings-PG 09:25 Flight From Ashiya-PG 11:10 Smile-PG 13:05 Rockula 14:35 Killing Mr. Griffin-PG 16:10 Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM 16:25 In His Life: The John Lennon Story-PG 17:55 Three-PG 19:40 F.I.S.T-PG 22:00 Rocky Marciano-18 23:40 Rollerball (1975)-PG

00:00 Geo Sessions 00:30 Geo Sessions 01:00 Wedding Crasher: The Real Deal 02:00 Food School 02:30 Food School 03:00 Somewhere In China 04:00 Racing To America 05:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 05:30 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 06:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 06:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 08:00 Racing To America 09:00 One Man & His Campervan 09:30 One Man & His Campervan 10:00 Which Way To 11:00 The Frankincense Trail 12:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 13:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 16:00 Racing To America 17:00 A World Apart 18:00 Geo Sessions 19:00 Around The World For Free 20:00 Departures 21:00 Banged Up Abroad 22:00 Adventure Wanted 23:00 Into The Drink

00:00 Geo Sessions 01:00 Wedding Crasher: The Real Deal 02:00 Food School 03:00 Somewhere In China 04:00 Racing To America 05:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 06:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 06:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 08:00 Racing To America 09:00 One Man & His Campervan 10:00 Which Way To 11:00 The Frankincense Trail 12:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 13:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 13:30 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 16:00 Racing To America 17:00 A World Apart 18:00 Geo Sessions 19:00 Around The World For Free 20:00 Departures 21:00 Banged Up Abroad 22:00 Adventure Wanted 23:00 Into The Drink 23:30 Into The Drink

00:00 Situation Critical 01:00 Taboo 02:00 Megastructures 03:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 04:00 Shark Men 05:00 Banged Up Abroad 06:00 Light At The Edge of The World 07:00 Departures 08:00 Situation Critical 09:00 Taboo 10:00 Megastructures 11:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 12:00 Shark Men 13:00 Banged Up Abroad 14:00 Light At The Edge of The World 15:00 Departures 16:00 Situation Critical 17:00 Taboo 18:00 Megastructures 19:00 Megastructures 20:00 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 20:30 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos 21:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 22:00 Sea Patrol 23:00 Air Crash Investigation

00:00 Wild Chronicles 00:30 Wild Chronicles 01:00 World Wild Web 01:25 Savannah 01:55 World’s Wildest Encounters 02:50 Amazonia’s Giant Jaws 03:45 Strike Force 04:40 Triumph of Life 05:35 Rescue Ink 06:30 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

ICE AGE ON OSN CINEMA 07:25 Strike Force 08:20 Monkey Thieves 08:45 Monkey Thieves 09:15 Snake Wranglers 09:40 Snake Wranglers 10:10 I, Predator 11:05 The Living Edens 12:00 Built For The Kill 13:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 14:00 Monster Fish 15:00 Wild India (aka Secrets of Wild India) 16:00 The Real Serengeti 17:00 Python Hunters 18:00 Animal Superpowers 19:00 Wild India (aka Secrets of Wild India) 20:00 The Real Serengeti 21:00 Python Hunters 22:00 Animal Superpowers 23:00 Built For The Kill

00:30 Kalifornia-18 02:30 Gridlock’d-18 04:15 Kingdom Of Heaven-PG15 06:45 Behind Enemy Lines-PG15 08:30 Fatal Secrets-PG15 10:00 Blank Slate-PG15 12:00 Ladder 49-PG15 14:00 Fatal Secrets-PG15 16:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 18:00 Ladder 49-PG15 20:00 The Killer Inside Me-18 22:00 Arachnophobia-PG15

01:00 I Am Number Four-PG15 03:00 Ice Age-FAM 05:00 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 07:00 The LXD: Secrets Of The RaPG15 09:00 I Am Number Four-PG15 11:00 Waiting For Superman-PG15 13:00 Spud-PG15 15:00 The Cry Of The Owl-PG15 17:00 The Making Of Plus One-PG15 19:00 Love And Other Impossible Pursuits-PG15 21:00 Red Riding Hood-PG15 23:00 Roadie-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 02:30 Angry Boys 03:00 Parks And Recreation 03:30 Bent 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Til Death 06:00 Dharma And Greg 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 Parks And Recreation 09:00 Til Death 09:30 The Office 10:00 Breaking In 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Til Death 14:00 Bent 14:30 Breaking In 15:00 The Office 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Dharma And Greg 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Friends With Benefits 20:00 Whitney 20:30 Napoleon Dynamite 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 23:00 Angry Boys 23:30 Whitney

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00

Criminal Minds C.S.I. New York Law & Order: Criminal Intent C.S.I. Lights Out The View

06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Good Morning America The Practice Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martha Stewart Show The View Criminal Minds C.S.I. Law & Order: Criminal Intent Live Good Morning America The Practice Emmerdale Coronation Street Covert Affairs Bones Burn Notice Top Gear (US) Lights Out

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Psych Law & Order: Criminal Intent Criminal Minds C.S.I. New York C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Law & Order: Criminal Intent Criminal Minds C.S.I. Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Covert Affairs Bones Burn Notice Top Gear (US) Treme

01:00 03:00 05:30 07:00 09:15 18 11:00 13:00 15:00 18 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Grudge 3-18 Kingdom Of Heaven-PG15 Carriers-PG15 X2-PG True Justice: Dark VengeanceHurricane Season-PG15 Attack On Leningrad-PG15 True Justice: Dark VengeanceWild Bill-PG15 Blood Out-18 Arachnophobia-PG15 Mirrors 2-18

00:15 Unmade Beds-18 02:00 Out Cold-PG15 04:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG 06:00 The Lightkeepers-PG15 08:00 The Dukes-PG15 10:00 Little Secrets-PG 12:00 Hanging Up-PG15 14:00 Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale-PG15 16:00 Little Secrets-PG 18:00 Lottery Ticket-PG15 20:00 Killing Bono-18 22:00 How To Be A Player-18

02:00 Gal-18 04:00 Munich-18 07:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 09:00 Inside Job-PG15 11:00 Don’t Look Back-PG15 13:00 Across The Sea Of Time-FAM 14:30 Inside Job-PG15 16:30 Dead Poets Society-PG15 18:45 Eat Pray Love-PG15 21:00 Random Hearts-18 23:15 L’armee Du Crime-18

00:00 01:30 03:15 05:15 PG15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00

Extract-PG15 Due Date-PG15 Oranges And Sunshine-PG15 My Girlfriend’s BoyfriendEasy A-PG15 A Soldier’s Love Story-PG15 Lord Of The Dance-PG Call Of The Wild-PG15 Jumping The Broom-PG15

17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

A Soldier’s Love Story-PG15 Grown Ups-PG15 Soul Surfer-PG15 Roadie-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:15 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Life In A Day-PG15 The Spy Next Door-PG Real Steel-PG15 Quest For Zhu-PG Slipstream-PG15 The Spy Next Door-PG Battle For Terra-PG15 Relative Stranger-PG15 Slipstream-PG15 Thor-PG15 The Birth Of Big Air-PG15 Get Him To The Greek-18

00:00 ODI Cricket 07:00 Live NRL Premiership 09:00 International Rugby Union 11:00 International Rugby Union 13:00 International Rugby Union 15:00 NRL Premiership 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 Live IRB Junior World Championship 20:15 Live IRB Junior World Championship 22:30 International Rugby Union

00:00 International Rugby Union 02:00 Rugby Match Day 02:30 Rugby Match Day 03:00 International Rugby Union 05:00 Rugby Match Day 05:30 Trans World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 Live NRL Premiership 10:00 NRL Premiership 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 Darts 17:00 NRL Premiership 19:00 NRL Premiership 21:00 WWE Bottom Line 22:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 22:30 Futbol Mundial 23:00 IRB Junior World Championship

00:00 ATP Tennis Aegon Championships 01:30 ATP Tennis Aegon Championships 03:00 NRL Premiership 05:00 Rugby League International Origin 07:00 IronMan 07:30 Total Rugby 08:00 Live Rugby Union Pacific Nations Cup 10:00 Live AFL Premiership 13:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 13:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 14:00 Live ATP Tennis Aegon Championships 16:00 Live Rugby Union Nations Cup 18:00 Live Rugby Union Nations Cup 20:00 Live Rugby Union Nations Cup 22:00 ATP Tennis Aegon Championships

00:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:30 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:30 22:30 23:30

WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Live V8 Supercars WWE Bottom Line WWE Experience WWE This Week V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Mobil 1 The Grid WWE SmackDown WWE Experience WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars UFC UFC Unleashed V8 Supercars Extra

Classifieds SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR ETH RJA KAC GFA UAE ETD THY DHX JZR FDB MSR RBG QTR KAC THY JZR CLX KAC DHX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC IRA FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR MEA FDB IRA ETD GFA IRC MEA JZR MSR MSC JZR JZR AFR SYR KAC MSR GFA KAC FDB KAC KNE KAC JZR QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR QTR JZR FDB ETD UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC QTR KAC KAC KAC FDB MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC JZR JAI KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK KAC JZR KLM JZR UAE ETD KAC ABY QTR DHX KAC JZR AIC FDB GFA UAL JZR DLH MSR THY JAI PIA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 17/6/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 108 GENEVA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 370 BAHRAIN 189 DUBAI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 154 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 615 SHAHRE KORD 53 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 408 BEIRUT 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 6801 AHWAZ 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 6708 PARIS 341 DAMASCUS 742 DAMMAM 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 472 JEDDAH 538 SOHAG 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 213 DEIREZZOR 8053 DUBAI 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 502 BEIRUT 144 DOHA 542 CAIRO 166 PARIS 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 624 SOHAG 405 SOHAG 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 175 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 102 NEW YORK 562 AMMAN 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 514 TEHRAN 481 SABIHA 417 AMSTERDAM 135 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 172 FRANKFURT 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 678 MUSCAT 539 CAIRO 981 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 574 MUMBAI 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 0:50 1:45 2:10 2:15 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:00 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 4:10 4:35 4:55 4:55 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:30 7:35 7:45 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:10 9:20 9:25 9:30 10:00 10:15 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:00 12:25 12:30 12:35 12:35 13:25 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 13:45 14:15 14:20 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:15 15:30 16:20 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:50 23:55

Airlines AIC FDB UAL DLH MSR JAI THY ETH THY UAE FDB DHX RBG ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC CLX BAW FDB IRA KAC JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC UAE JZR QTR FDB MEA ETD IRA KAC KAC GFA IRC KAC MEA KAC JZR MSR KAC MSC KAC JZR JZR SYR AFR GFA FDB MSR KAC KAC JZR KNE JZR KAC KAC SVA RJA JZR QTR KAC FDB ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA JZR QTR FDB MSR MSC JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY ETD UAE KAC QTR KAC KAC DHX JZR QTR AXB FDB GFA KAC KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Sunday 17/6/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 52 DUBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 573 MUMBAI 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 537 SOHAG 792 GIALAM 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 614 SHAHRE 171 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 117 NEW YORK 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 212 DEIREZZOR 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 409 BEIRUT 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 741 DAMMAM 773 RIYADH 214 BAHRAIN 6802 AHWAZ 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 176 DUBAI 342 ALEPPO 6708 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 174 DUBAI 677 MUSCAT 617 DOHA 503 MADINAH 641 AMMAN 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 8054 DUBAI 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 621 ALEXANDRIA 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 373 BAHRAIN 554 ALEXANDRIA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 60 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:10 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:50 2:15 2:45 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:25 8:35 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:25 10:45 11:15 11:30 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:35 14:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:25 15:25 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 17:00 17:20 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:05 19:25 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:50 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SITUATION WANTED English speaking maid Indian, Keralite looking for good job, transferable residence. Contact: 99921269/ 99433167. (C 4046) 16-6-2012 Accountant M.Com, PGDCA with 9 years experience (4.5 years in UAE) looking for a suitable job, with residence visa (Transferable) and UAE driving license. Contact: 50295386, Email: jijojamesa@gmail.com (C 4042) Australian man just arrived in Kuwait, speaks Arabic, looking for a senior job in Automotive, Restaurant, Hotel, Overseas buyer building. Contact: 60976100.

(C 4043) 12-6-2012

ACCOMMODATION Spacious bedroom with separate bathroom available for sharing accommodation from June last onwards for Keralite couples in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat near United Indian School, Abbasiya.

Contact: 66846299.

(C 4045) 14-6-2012 A decent bachelor needs accommodation with Pakistani family room.

Contact: 90926037.

(C 4044) 13-6-2012 Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non-smoking, Amman Street, opposite to AlRashid Hospital. Contact: 66232356 / 50223132.

(C 4041) 11-6-2012 Sharing accommodation available for decent Kerala bachelor in Abbasiya near German Clinic. Contact: 66941892. (C 4039) 10-6-2012

SITUATION VACANT Required English speaking nanny/maid. Please Contact: 99824597. (C 4040) 11-6-2012

REQUIRED A company is looking to hire Air Condition Technicians and A/C Maintenance Technicians - 5 years experience minimum - Transferable Residency Tel: 99017122 / 99020110 MATRIMONIAL Financially-sound ex-NRI parents invite proposals for their son 28/180, fair, B.Com and MBA (Finance) from a respected institution, employed in a reputed bank in Kuwait, from parents of professionally qualified, God-fearing girls, preferably MBA (Finance), M.Com or engineers.

Contact: dr.matt32@gmail.com 13-6-2012

CHANGE OF NAME Gnanasegaran Rajendiran, son of Rajendiran and Rajendiran Jothi bearing an Indian passport No. G7703114 having an address 23, N.No. 18, Asanampattu Bethlegam, I street MU College RD Reddy THOP, Ambur Vellore 635 802, Tamilnadu had embraced Islam and changed the name as Muhammed Abdullah.

(C 4038) 9-6-2012

No: 15481

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:13 11:49 15:23 18:50 20:22

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station

22434064

Al-Murqab Police Station

22435865

Al-Daiya Police Station

22544200

Al-Fayha’a Police Station

22547133

Al-Qadissiya Police Station

22515277

Al-Nugra Police Station

22616662

Al-Salmiya Police Station

25714406

Al-Dasma Police Station

22530801

34

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 708

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) This morning’s activities could result in taking some time out for some rethinking. Your mental faculties are enlivened, making you readily receptive to others. It’s best to rely on facts rather than feelings during this time, particularly when an expensive or emotional mistake might be the outcome.

Tensions could be high, so perhaps some form of exercise, chores or becoming involved with a hobby would be best. There are opportunities to have an understanding and a deeper bonding with those you love. This afternoon you may have the opportunity to be a tremendous help to a friend, though you may not realize it immediately. This is a most favorable time to be out-of-doors with family or friends. A gathering to watch the stars would be fun.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your spare time today may be spent in deep discussions and the enjoyment of literature. Today may mark a time of changing philosophies and mental states. There is likely to be an emphasis on reading, writing, studying and all forms of exchanging information with others. Later this afternoon you will find that interaction with friends and family are free of complication—much good can come about through spending time with people you have not seen in a while. This may mean a trip to a nearby city or a group get-together at a park near you.

You truly desire the opportunity to have fun and should not hesitate to connect with people and perhaps form new acquaintances. Also, you enjoy demonstrating your affection to loved ones.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

5. (Philippine) A dish of marinated vegetables and meat or fish.

10. The compass point that is one point north of due west.

13. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

14. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

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

16. Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit.

18. Something that hinders as if with bonds v 1.

19. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

20. Of people.

22. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 24. Lower in esteem.

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

27. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

30. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

31. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

32. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

33. An angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions.

36. A small cake leavened with yeast.

40. Fiddler crabs.

42. Legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity.

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

46. Fallow deer.

49. Island country in the Atlantic east of Florida and Cuba.

51. Resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy.

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

55. Being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time.

59. A form of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain that registers blood flow to functioning areas of the brain.

60. Food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing.

62. How long something has existed.

63. 100 toea equal 1 kina.

64. A city in central New York.

65. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

DOWN 1. The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable.

2. (Norse mythology) Goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match.

3. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

4. A Dravidian language spoken in southern India.

5. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

6. Give a nickname to.

7. Of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive n 1.

8. A decree that prohibits something.

9. The cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one.

10. Supreme Teutonic god.

11. Visionary British poet (1757-1827).

12. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

17. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

21. Committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates.

23. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

25. Bourbon with bitters and Pernod and sugar served with lemon peel.

28. The last (12th) month of the year.

29. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

34. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

35. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

37. By bad luck.

38. The cry made by sheep.

39. A pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes.

41. Tall feather palm of northern Brazil with hard-shelled nuts yielding valuable oil and a kind of vegetable ivory.

42. Give a nickname to.

43. Small genus of Asian evergreen trees having columnar crowns and distinguished by leaves lacking a midrib.

45. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

47. The mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico.

48. The basic unit of length adopted under the System International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards).

50. A Dravidian language spoken in south central India.

53. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

54. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

56. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

57. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

58. An enclosed space.

61. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are independent, confident and more than likely a little self-centered today. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any group or event. Some accept you—for they sense you are a leader and admire your regal manner. Some may have to keep their distance, however. As much as you love attention and the crowd, you are also fiercely protective of your independence, your sense of freedom and above all, your privacy.

You may require some solitude this afternoon. You may seek solace from your family or loved one(s). Refurbishing your energy is important and you create these times alone to do just that. You will enjoy all forms of music this evening—some music you may create yourself.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) If you are working today, you will find it easy to work with others. You tend to pour a lot of time into those around you. Your home and surroundings reflect your tender loving care. Other than your loved ones, you may have birds or animals that keep you company as well. When it comes to teaching or coaching young people, you are a natural. You may want to become more involved in this area. You are always able to motivate and inspire others. Your social life seems to have increased and because you are able to get along well with all sorts of people, you may find yourself learning about another country through a new acquaintance. It is easy for you to express yourself to others; you always manage to create a positive interaction.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Not a great starter today, you may be slow going as you try to initiate things and then move forward. You may need help from friends or others in learning how to be more aggressive and outgoing. A get-together with friends may be in order—watch and learn. After you get your motor going, however, it could be hard to hold you back. After you are motivated, it is easy for you to see which path to take. Garage sales, home repairs, talk of investing and visiting with neighbors make up most of this day. You are very communicative, flexible, mental and other-oriented. You will probably exhibit your ability to be a good communicator today. Entertainment outside the home is enjoyed this evening. There is time to study the stars.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may find yourself unrealistic, in a dreamy mood and at odds with your more pragmatic duties. One can continue with just so much stress before one wants to break away. You have been able to accomplish quite a lot lately—giving up would be a defeatist attitude. Pace yourself. Enjoy your friends this afternoon, perhaps a meal together or a time of group sports could be enjoyed. It just may be the best time to listen to others and gain some new energies as well as new insights. Stability and permanence satisfy a deep emotional need. Music is likely to play a more important role for you than usual—perhaps a play or concert can be enjoyed this evening. A good conversation with those you love is possible.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You may be sought after for your advice and counsel regarding some very emotional issues today. You will be able to be understanding and handle this sensitive material. You are able to cut through the red tape and get at what is real and significant. This is a great time to be with others and to play together. Success is indicated in education, politics or the law. You are able to attack and solve problems, whether personal or public. Chances are that your social skills mean that you are popular with almost everyone. Your energies run effectively toward making yourself felt in the material, tangible outer world. You are a highly motivated person who gains the attention of others and seems to get things moving. Social gatherings of all types can be enjoyed tonight.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may be very forceful in what you say and think. With all of this emotional enthusiasm, you could speak or exchange a few words. You have a lot of mental drive. However, there could be problems with getting your own needs met. Learn to use your good intuitions and feelings. Lend a helping hand today—it will be repaid tenfold. This is a great time for you and a friend to become involved in a volunteer program. There is a lot to talk about, fuss over and enjoy—your spirits are lifted. Emotions in particular or the feelings of those around you are very clear at this time. While it is difficult for you to approach your own sensitive areas, it is of great importance that you be able to help others—helping others is helping yourself. A loved one offers guidance.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have great insight into matters of personal freedom. You will come up with brilliant ways to express, emote or act things out.

New methods of lovemaking, raising kids and caring for animals are yours. You are outspoken, dramatic, impressive and even regal. Your sense of responsibility is so well developed that you may end up managing whatever situation with which you become involved. You are disciplined, work hard and are good at getting others to work with and for you. Perhaps a little too serious, you enjoy getting along on less.

Essentials are what count. Be prepared for some good surprises today as this is a time of celebration. You could be graduating, getting an award or announcing a new addition to the family—a special time.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Overtime may be in order part of this day. There are challenges and you will want to weigh alternatives with care. Truth is power!

Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful. Generally, this is a good time to project your image. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high point. Consider leading or mentoring others through business or volunteer opportunities; you can make a positive difference. Save a piece of time for solitude this afternoon because this evening a social event may have your attention.

Relationships that start this summer will probably be long lasting and existing relationships will deepen.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may have to repeat your ideas in different words today— perhaps the people you are explaining things to do not have your technical education. Balance and moderation are keywords for you. The key planets at this time point toward the positive and it seems that your efforts will have positive results. You are able to teach or help others as well. You are untiring. In the future, your techniques will be studied by many of your followers—you set the example. As young people grow they will not forget who taught them. Soon, you will have visitors that just want to express their appreciation for your teaching ability. You and a friend may enjoy a shared hobby this evening. Insight into your romantic life is possible as well as positive today.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You could be an excellent student in areas requiring discipline and organization. You like to get down to the bare bones, to what is essential. Whatever is most practical is best and you appreciate things that are durable and long lasting. You love truth, philosophy, law and the like. You can perform with the imagination as others work with durable things. This is because you understand what is behind and connecting things. Much of your own self-image is wrapped up with your ability to work with images—dreams and the imagination. This is a good time to be around close friends and relatives. Your energies could be applied out-of-doors.

Engage in activities that are both carefree and pleasant. Any creative effort can be enjoyed this evening.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

112 GOVERNORATE

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

website: www.moi.gov.kw

Sabah Hospital

PHARMACY

Hawally

ST TATE T OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY Y: Saturday

Ext.: 2627 26 - 2630

16/06/2012

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

19:00

Issue Time

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y NIGHT:

Relatively hot and Humid weather especially over coastal areas with light to moderate south easterly to southerly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h

BY Y DA AY:

Veery hot with light variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly later on wind, with speed of 15 - 38 km/h

WA ARNING

No Current Warnings arnin a

ST TAT TION

MAX. REC.

MIN. N. EXP P.

KUW WAIT A CITY

44 °C

32 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

47 °C

29 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

43 °C

27 °C

WAFRA A

48 °C

26 °C

SALMI

47 °C

30 °C

ABDAL LY

50 °C

31 °C

JAL ALIY YAH A

48 °C

31 °C

FA AILAKA

43 °C

30 °C

AHMADI POR RT

38 °C

32 °C

UMM AL-MARADEM

37 °C

30 °C

WARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

41 °C

27 °C

SFC. CHART

16/06/2012 1200 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA AT THER

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

17/06

very hot

49 °C

30 °C

VRB-SE

15 - 38 km/h

18/06

very hot + blowing dust

48 °C

32 °C

NW

20 - 40 km/h

24772608

Tuesday

19/06

very hot

49 °C

30 °C

VRB-NW

10 - 32 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Weednesday

20/06

very hot

49 °C

29 °C

VRB-NW

10 - 32 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Fajr

03:13

MAX. Temp.

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

04:49

MIN. Temp.

46 °C 29 °C

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:49

MAX. RH

21 %

Asr

15:23

MIN. RH

Al-Omariya

24719048

Sunset

18:49

MAX. Wind

N.Kheitan

24710044

Isha

20:22

TOT TAL AL RA AINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

3900322

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

PRA AYER Y TIMES

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

04 % SE 32 km/h 00 mm

16/06/12 15:13 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

3729596/3729581

Neurologists Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Al-Shohada’a

Fax: 24348714

Monday

Psychologists /Psychotherapists

22418714

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Sunday

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36

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Madonna

requested 20 phone lines in her MDNA dressing room tour

he has insisted on the high number of international telephone connections so she can keep in touch with her loved ones.

While daughter Lourdes, 15, is working in the wardrobe department for her gigs and son Rocco, 11, features on stage, she also has adopted children David and Mercy, both six. Madonna has been travelling with a 200-strong entourage including 30 bodyguards, personal chefs, a yoga instructor and an acupuncturist on the sold out dates. The 53-year-old also has a portable dry cleaner and has asked for her space to be decorated with lilies and roses - with their stems trimmed to exactly six inches - plus the area must be draped in a special fabric. Her team have also removed the furniture from the rooms and filled them with the singer’s own property to give it a homely feel. A source told the Daily Star: “Madonna has probably the longest list of requirements of any of the world’s music stars. She expects things to be just right or it puts her off her stage show.”

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Brand

blasts Norton for bringing up failed marriage

fter the 49-year-old presenter made the query, Russell refuted the claim that the issue “just came up”. He said: “It did not come up, mate. You brought it up.”

Talking to fellow guests Emily Blunt, 29, and Paloma Faith, 26, the comedian claimed Graham had betrayed him. He continued: “He upped the stakes and stabbed me in the back.” The host of ‘The Graham Norton Show’ was criticised for mentioning the sensitive subject in front of the ‘Rock Of Ages’ star’s parent. He complained: “My mum is here. She got upset earlier when you dragged up my marriage. I saw her cry.

“That’s reality because it’s real people, Graham, that’s my real mum. That’s why I was a little bit embarrassed when I saw my mum crying. I came here to promote a film and you made my mum cry. I don’t see you as that sort of person, Graham.” Russell protested that Graham should have warned him before filming that he would mention his divorce after just 14 months with the pop star. He said: “What I would have done mate is come up to me before the show and gone: ‘Eh, listen. It’s a bit odd that your ex-missus was on last week. I might mention it. Is that OK?’ And I would have gone: ‘Of course it is.’ “But in all of the chatting and the research, no-one mentioned it.” Graham retorted: “If I had not asked anything it would have been weird because Katy was on the show last week. That’s the only reason.”

A

Kim K’s

72-day marriage led her to a life changing epiphany he reality TV star wed Kris Humphries in a fairytale ceremony last August, but although their union broke down within three months, she has been a changed person since. Referring to her sister in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Kim said: “It’s like how Kourtney had this epiphany when she had her baby and she changed into a different person, I feel like I’ve had an epiphany over the last year. “For what I’ve been through and I am that changed person, just from my own experiences.” Kim, 31, is now dating rapper Kanye West, 35, and said one of the things that attracts her to him is the fact he is older than her. She added: “I always dated five years younger. My whole thing was completely different, and now I just love that I’m with someone that’s a couple years older than me.” During the interview, Kim, who is of Armenian descent, says she is proud to represent Middle Eastern women in modern society.

When asked by Oprah if she thinks the Kardashian’s reality TV show would be as successful if they weren’t pretty, she replied: “I don’t think it would have happened if we were all skinny pretty models. I think it has to do with us, the curves, the dark hair - I think it was a combination. “I remember when the wave of Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek and these beautiful Hispanic women came into light, and I looked up to them and I loved them, but I was like, ‘Where are Middle Eastern women?’ I think we took that category or helped broaden that.”

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Hudgens

loved taking on ‘darker, deeper’ role for ‘Spring Breakers’

he 23-year-old star - who shot to fame in Disney’s squeaky clean ‘High School Musical’ series - plays a college student turned bank robber in her latest movie, and is enjoying getting to show a different side to herself on film. She told Glamour magazine South Africa: “I’ve been recently doing a few projects that are darker, deeper and heavier. “Reading these situations in the movie where our characters rob people, which has such a harsh and hard element, was something that I just liked.”

Vanessa - who is dating hunk Austin Butler - is proud of her past, appearing in ‘High School

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Musical’, as it helped to cure her of her shyness.

She said: “I was a very shy and quiet kid until my parents took me to see my first Disney movie, ‘Snow White’. After that I would always hum and sing the songs and dress up as Snow White.

Funny how dressing up and singing songs in ‘High School Musical’ actually made me apart of the Disney family.” ‘Spring Breakers’, which also stars Selena Gomez and Rachel Korine, is set for release next year.

Usher

named his son in memory of his father

he ‘OMG’ singer - whose full name is Usher Raymond IV - chose to follow family tradition when naming Usher Raymond V, now four, after reconnecting with his estranged dad shortly before the boy was born, only for his parent to pass away soon after the baby’s arrival. Usher - who also has three-year-old Naviyd with ex-wife Tameka Foster - said: “I think my father’s death had a lot to do with my decision to name my son Usher. He was born and he died months apart. And I had become reacquainted with my father in the last year of his life. Prior, I didn’t have any conversation, dialogue, with him. “As a child I saw him a few times, but [it was] not the type of relationship or rapport that a man should have with his children. So it was an ode to the lineage of who we are.” Usher’s father - who battled addictions - walked out on his family when the singer was just a year old, and the ‘Scream’ star admits he struggled growing up without his dad.

He said: “It hurt me not having a father - certain adolescent issues would have been easier to cope with if I’d have had my father there.”

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Cheryl Cole

‘flirted’ with Prince Harry when they met

he ‘Call My Name’ hitmaker is said to have told friends she wants a dinner date with the royal following their encounter at the afterparty for the Diamond Jubilee concert - where Cheryl performed for Harry’s grandmother - Queen Elizabeth - in Buckingham Palace. A source said: “They were definitely flirting and Cheryl said afterwards she’d love a dinner date with Harry.” Cheryl - who has admitted in the past to having a crush on the royal - reportedly made the first move, approaching Harry for a chat. The source added to heat magazine: “Cheryl wasted no time sidling up to Harry in the swanky Long Gallery. She spotted Harry and made a beeline for him. He was standing with a couple of friends and his brother Prince William and his wife Kate weren’t far away. Cheryl had arrived with her manager will.i.am , who looked like he was encouraging her to go over so she did.” The witness revealed that Cheryl looked “flushed” when she was chatting to the hunky royal - who is an army helicopter pilot - and he greeted her with the joke “I hear you like a man in uniform”, a cheeky reference to her flirtation with soldier Andy Baker who she met in Afghanistan.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones

loved

playing a ‘baddie’ in ‘Rock of Ages’ he 42-year-old actress stars in the new movie based on the Broadway musical of the same name - which is set during the 80s glam metal era - playing conservative Patricia Whitmore who tries to close down the Bourbon Room and Catherine jumped at the chance to portray an unpopular character. She said: “It’s just a movie that lends itself to having a blast. It’s larger than life and we got to sing all these 80s songs. I had a lot of fun with my character because she’s like the odd one out in a way and I got to play the baddie. She’s a nightmare of a woman; absolutely horrible.” While she took time out to raise her kids Dylan, 11 and Carys, nine, Catherine has lots of new projects in the pipeline and is delighted to be back at work. She said: “I do enjoy working, I love the camaraderie of being on a set. I love being in the theatre. I just love what I do. “I feel like at this time in my career, I’m 42, I’m not going to be the ingÈnue for the rest of my life. So I’m happy with the type of roles that are coming my way.”

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37

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

LIFESTYLE F a s h i o n

British menswear puts its best suit forward rom high-end to high-street, Britain’s fashion designers are trying to lift men’s clothes, the fastest growing fashion sector, out of the shadow of the more glamorous womenswear collections. The fashion bloggers, at least, seem enthusiastic about the male models in sharp suits, colourful socks, studded loafers and necktie details posing outside London’s Royal Opera House.

London Collections Men, which runs

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for three days, will see a mixture of haute couture and high-street men’s designers showcase the best of British menswear with fashion luminaries such as Tom Ford, Burberry and Paul Smith hosting dinners, talks and presentations. British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush told Reuters it was time that menswear hosted its own event.

“We’ve seen an incredible growth in the emerging talent from the brands and

Savile Row ... and it was about time. We have this incredible heritage here in London in British menswear and we’ve got a huge amount to shout about.” The event started with Hackett presenting sharp three-piece tailored suits in soft creams, blues and beiges teamed with baker boy hats inspired by “The Great Gatsby”. Topman presented a eclectic mix of vivid prints, slouchy jumpers and neon sportswear pieces. Models sported

long dip-dyed hair, mesh tops and silky trench coats.

Topman design director Gordon Richardson said he wanted to focus the collection on clothes that evoked an energetic mood alongside a blend of interesting surface-style prints. “We tried to throw all those elements together, which is the outcome of the show, you’ve got all of those handpainted prints, you’ve got the surfer-

skate kind of story ... it’s always that big melting pot of stuff that we work on,” he said. Model David Gandy, who attended both shows, said he hoped the event would grow in time to take on Milan and Paris.

“It’s all eyes on Britain at the moment, so it’s perfect timing. I think we just have such a heritage here and I think the rest of the world is demanding that heritage and that history and British style.” —Reuters

Sao Paulo Fashion Week

A model presents a creation by Gloria Coelho.

A creation by Alexandre Herchcovitch.

A model presents a creation by Lino Villaventura during the 2013 summer collection of the Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday. —AFP photos

A model wears a creation from the Alexandre Herchcovitch summer collection.

A model strikes a pose wearing a creation from the Lino Villaventura summer collection.—AP A creation by Alexandre Herchcovitch.

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

lifestyle

A man walks by an economic-crisis related graffiti depicting a man in crutches holding a sign reading“ ”Health Kaput”, a reference to the disrepair of the Greek public health system, on a wall in Athens on Friday.

A view of an economic-crisis related mural in Athens on June 14, 2012. From political slogans scrawled on the walls to works of street art in run-down neighbourhoods. —AFP photos

Social fallout inspires an art wave on Greece’s streets

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rom political slogans scrawled on the walls to works of street art in run-down neighborhoods, Greece’s economic crisis is inspiring graffiti that probe acute social themes ahead of today’s elections. Ghoulish drawings of gas masks, portraits of suffering Greeks and invectives against the International Monetary Fund or Germany now plaster many walls in Athens alongside more fantastical images of monsters and gang-style tags.

“Every work I do is a statement,” one of the most prominent artists of this new wave, who prefers to keep his anonymity and goes by the name “Bleeps”, said on a night-time tour of areas now heavy with drug dealers and petty thieves. A recent topical work he drew on a street corner is of a saintly female figure clutching a bag of euros-representing Greece’s international bailout.

In a reflection of the wider impact of his work, someone has since written on the figure in a black marker: “You keep your jewellery, but still you bow.” Another work on a wall in the Psyri market district shows a man with an animal head in a cage which bears a resemblance to the Greek parliament.

“It’s called ‘Rage in the Constitutional Cage’,” said Bleeps-a bearded 30-something who left behind a career in dentistr y to devote himself to art. The figure wears a shirt with the anarchy symbol because “from my point of view Greece at the moment is on the edge of going into anarchy.”

In a parking lot in the area, Bleeps has drawn a beautiful woman in a bikini with an amputated leg alongside the slogan: “Greece Next Economic Model.” One of his works shows a classical Greek statue holding a placard reading “Vote for No One”. In another, which has been scrawled over by neo-Nazi

graffiti, a woman holds a sign reading: “Knowledge is Powerlessness”.

Street art has flowered in recent years in neighborhoods like Psyri and Exarchia, which has a large student population and has seen violent clashes over the shooting of a 15-yearold in 2008 and protests on social and politi-

cal issues.

One large composition which covers the side of a house in the area shows an angry mob against an army of robots with portraits of US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel watching from clouds in the sky.

Cannot afford spray cans-”After they cut the breath of one country, they now ask for the rest: death,” reads a slogan alongside the drawing. “Graffiti was always a popular means of expression in Athens,” said Kostas Kallergis, a freelance journalist who documents some of the most striking slogans and street art on

Photo shows an economic-crisis related graffiti on a wall in Athens on Friday.

‘Angel of the dump’ I

transforms lives in the Philippines

n the midst of the Philippines’ most notorious slum, British expat Jane Walker transforms lives by turning rubbish into top-end fashion items.

A unique four-story building houses the Philippine Christian Foundation, an organization Walker founded 16 years ago to help scavengers at the Smokey Mountain garbage dump in Manila’s chaotic bayside Tondo district.

Walker teaches mothers to make colorful bags, purses and jewellery using items commonly discarded by the public - from toothpaste tubes, plastic bottles and lollypop wrappers to magazine pages and soft drink cans. “It’s inspiring when you realise such a simple project helps so many families,” Walker, 48, told AFP during a recent visit to the school. “We design things from laptop bags and iPod cases, computer cases, all ranges of dif-

ferent handbags, shopping bags, clutch bags, fashion accessories and even place mats made from waste paper.”

The products are sold in the country’s biggest department store chain, as well as to high-end and specialty shops in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, the Middle East and Singapore, with price tags ranging from 10 to 100 dollars. A portion of the proceeds goes to the mothers and the staff, while the rest is used to finance the foundation’s operations.

Apart from teaching livelihood skills, Walker’s foundation also runs a primary school where up to 500 slum children are enrolled at any given time free of charge. The building in itself is remarkable and true to the foundation’s recycling mantra. It is made from shipping containers welded and cemented together in what Walker says is the first such structure housing a school anywhere in the world.

Walker first came to the Philippines in the mid1990s on a soul searching holiday expecting to soak up some sun in a tropical paradise. Instead she found herself lost in a cab that drove her across Manila’s bayside Tondo district and its teeming slums. She was both amazed and repulsed by Smokey Mountain, a sprawling open

his blog whenthecrisishitthefan.com. “The last two years have seen a boom as part of the social anger is excluded from the mainstream media and is rather expressed on Athens’ walls,” he said. That was the case for Bleeps, who returned to Greece in 2008 after a spell living in Britain and said he found a country already in tumultuous change.

“Social issues are more intense so I have more things to discuss,” he said, pointing to another of his works on the side of an abandoned public health building showing a man on crutches with a sign saying: “Health No Good”. While his work has been acclaimed by academics and the media, Bleeps complained that sometimes it is unappreciated by ordinary Greeks. “The truth is sometimes something you don’t like to watch or hear,” he said.

At the spray can and skateboard shop “Revolt” tucked away in a basement on a back street in the bustling Monasteraki district, owner Mikos Aivalis said social street art is only a small part of a movement which began a decade ago. “ There are some writers that can pass political and social messages through graffiti but it is not a very big percentage of the whole,” he said. The economic crisis has had one big effect on his graffiti business, however: “Writers cannot afford spray cans. We are about 35 percent down.” Bleeps’s latest work is a complex composition combining a traditional Greek scene with a table and a vase of flowers against a deep-blue background alongside a young man wearing a shirt with the American and British flags.

In his hands he holds a placard stamped with the German eagle symbol and a famous line of verse from the Nobel-winning Greek poet George Seferis. It reads: “We lived our life: a mistake! So we changed our life.” — AFP

CBS buys game show pilot based on Draw Something

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orget big-screen movies based on board games; television shows based on digital games are the new hotness. CBS has purchased a pilot for a game-show adaptation of the mobile app Draw Something, TheWrap has confirmed. The game, which was purchased by Zynga in March 2012 after it had racked up more than 50 million downloads less than two months after its release, centers around two players taking alternate turns drawing a picture to convey a guessword to his partner.

The series will feature teams of celebrities and regular users of the game competing in

the drawing competition. The series is a joint production of Sony Pictures Television, Ryan Seacrest Productions and Embassy Row, with Ryan Seacresst, Michael Davies and Ryan Seacrest Productions CEO Adam Sher executive producing. No air date for the pilot has been set yet. Though the “Draw Something” pilot will bring a contemporary twist to the genre, it won’t be the first game show to revolve around drawing. “Win Lose or Draw” aired from 1987 to 1990, while the drawing game Pictionary had two small-screen iterations, a children’s version in 1989 and an adults’ version in 1997. — Reuters

Paramount delays Ninja Turtles film reboot

A worker shows finished products, hand bags composed of push-tabs from aluminum beverage cans, that sells 50 USD each at the Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF) building in Manila. —AFP dump known for its constantly billowing black to expand her work, including construction of the smoke that once symbolised everything wrong in new school in 2009 at a cost of one million dolthe Southeast Asian country known for corrup- lars. In 2006, Queen Elizabeth made her a tion and crushing poverty.

Member of the Order of the British Empire in “It was the most shocking scene for someone recognition of her work. The foundation now has coming from the West,” Walker said. “Many slept about 80 full-time staff, including teachers and on the ground, there was no running water, no social workers, while about 150 mothers regularly electricity. They had absolutely nothing. They turn up for work, according to Marcel Clado, the scratched a living off the garbage.” centre’s project manager.

‘I’ve made a difference’- She returned to her A sponsorship program also sees private indinative Southampton haunted by what she saw viduals in the Philippines and abroad pay for chiland was determined to do something about it. dren’s education at the foundation’s school or She subsequently quit her high-paying job as a other nearby institutions. Smokey Mountain was publishing executive and relocated to Manila. closed in the late 1990s, with an embarrassed Using her own money and donations from government putting up low-cost housing in the friends, she took over an abandoned warehouse area. near the dumps and converted it into a school.

But those who still couldn’t afford paying for Money, however soon dried up, forcing her to the homes simply moved across the road where look for alternative sources of funding. “I thought, another garbage site opened, and Tondo continwhy not make garbage into something we can ues to house tens of thousands of Manila’s poorprofit from,” she said. “And that’s how it began.” est. Charlita Carceno, a 51-year-old mother whose Walker tirelessly scoured the dumps with the three children are enrolled at the school, said mothers, and encouraged their children to enrol Walker enabled her to dream of one day finally in her school. leaving the dumps. “I realised there is life beyond She became known to slum folk simply as our existence and that you can improve your lot if “Ma’am”, but the sight of her trudging barefoot you work hard enough,” said Carceno, who sews through stinking black mud earned her the scraps of material into cloths for kitchen use. For moniker ‘angel of the dump’ from the local press Walker, reflections such as those by Carceno are and much needed publicity for her cause. There the reasons she keeps on going. “They are the was an overwhelming response to her appeal for most inspiring group of people,” she said. “They recyclable materials from schools and private are so poor, yet they have the most positive outcompanies in the Philippines and abroad. look in life. When I see children starting to learn As word of her work spread, corporate spon- and families beginning to leave the dumps, I sors also lined up to donate cash that enabled her realise I’ve made a difference. —AFP

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aramount Pictures has delayed its planned “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” reboot, TheWrap has learned. The film was set to be released in December 2013, and pre-production was under way in Vancouver. Shooting would have started in the fall. An individual with knowledge of the project said the delay is due to issues with the script, and the studio did not want to further inflate the budget given its dissatisfaction.

A spokeswoman for the studio said the film is now slated for a May 16, 2014, release and declined to comment further. The core team, including director Jonathan Liebesman (“Battle Los Angeles”) and the writers, are still slated to remain on the project. Platinum

Dunes, the production company of frequent Paramount collaborator Michael Bay, is producing.

With a budget well north of $100 million and an indefinite delay, Ninja Turtles is just the latest in a string of major projects Paramount has pushed. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” initially was set to bow June 29, but will not hit screens until March 2013 because of a crowded summer schedule and the need for more Channing Tatum, among other reasons.

The studio has also pushed “World War Z,” starring Brad Pitt, to next summer so it could rework the script and stage reshoots. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news of Ninja Turtles as well, the budget for “Z” has spiraled to $170 million.— Reuters

Lohan treated for exhaustion after film shoot Lindsay Lohan continued to bring drama to the production of her latest film, receiving treatment for exhaustion and dehydration a week after she was involved in a car crash that sent her to the hospital. Lohan’s publicist Steve Honig says producers of the Lifetime film “Liz and Dick” summoned paramedics to Lohan’s hotel room Friday morning after she did not respond for a shoot. The incident occurred after the actress completed an all-night shoot and had kept up a grueling schedule in recent days, Honig said.

The actress was not transported to the hospital and will likely return to the set of the film Friday afternoon. The film focuses on the love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Lifetime declined comment. And it was unclear whether the incident led to any delay in the film’s production. Fire officials confirmed they were summoned to a hotel in Marina del Rey on Friday morning around 10:15 am, but said they did not transport anyone to the hospital. They also said they could not identify the patient. —AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

lifestyle

Philosophy:

From armchair to marketplace

Alain de Botton’s documentary brings treatises to the ordinary places the food on the table and asks, ‘would you like to join me to share this international dish?’. To the curious diners, it is a goat’s head from Turkey and some plant leaves from elsewhere. Alain then says Seneca was not a blind multiculturalist but asked us to accept whatever good the world holds.

Accept the ordinary in us. We don’t have many role models.

Documentary review

By Sunil Cherian

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eople of all kinds came to Socrates in then Athens, narrates Alain de Botton, Swiss born British philosopher in his 6-part documentary, Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. But his wisdom trotting camera also shows that Athens now is visited only by tourists. Alain interviews people on the road, shopping malls and cafes, often well-received but ignored by some. He also interviews professionals like the ballerina to explain Nietzsche’s philosophy of no pain no gain, and he has people who enact certain points that six of his favorite philosophers preached and exceptionally practiced.

Each segment in the documentary is a visual treatise on philosophers who are seen today in their own birthplaces, with changes of matter but retaining the spirit of the thinkers. The 2 and a half hours documentary tries to enliven the ideas that are perhaps in dogmatic slumber. After watching this mix of thoughts on well being against the backdrops of philosophically important places sprinkled with onlooker opinions, life’s problem is still unresolved.

But our frame of mind may have a pep up.

Part 1: Socrates on self-confidence In one of the scenes the camera follows a flock of sheep before cutting into some people walking aimlessly while Alain voices over: we like to follow some people because we think they know where they are going. We horror the idea of breaking away from the group. Socrates wanted us to challenge by urging us to think logically about the nonsense the so called leaders often come out with.

So Alain asks Andrew Miller, a clinical researcher at the British Biogas who had an opinion problem in his company once. ‘Socrates died for truth. How far can you go’, asks Alain. I’ve a family, says the loner who went against the majority holding only on reason.

Alain shows us a potter shaping a pot. Socrates compared thinking to pottery, Alain reminds us. You have to go over and over to shed the discrepancies of a statement.

Part 2: Epicurus on Happiness Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BC), an advocate of “friends, freedom and thought” is still misunderstood by many people who think that Epicureanism means pleasure and consumerism.

Alain says the happiness seer was a simple man who preferred water to wine. “Send me a pot of cheese so that I can have a feast”, Epicurus said to a friend.

What we want is not necessarily what we need. The ingredients of happiness come pretty cheap. A philosopher can help you find happiness, Alain says, more than a credit card.

Alain takes us to the town where Diogenes, the disciple of Epicurus inscribed his master’s thoughts on a wall on a mountain, opposite to an ancient market where people gathered at least once a week.

Now the market is gone. The inscribed stone pieces are scattered on the ground.

The camera also goes to the garden where Epicurus lived with his friends as a commune. The

Alain de Botton brings a spectacle of multiculturalism in his 6-part documentary, Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness. The 2 and a half hour documentary shot in locations ranging from Athens to the Alps pans the philosophical musings on happiness by 6 philosophers: Socrates, Seneca, Epicurus, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.

Part 5: Schopenhauer on Love The 19th Centur y German thinker Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) believed that love was the most important thing in life because of its powerful impulse towards ‘the will-to-life’. The philosopher who liked to keep dogs as companions named one of his poodles Atma, the Sanskrit term for soul.

Alain interviews Michelle, a young lady who is ditched by her boyfriend through a letter. Alain pacifies her by quoting Schopenhauer: Michelle’s boyfriend denied only her biological self, not her psychological self. The young lady, shrunk to her own bed’s comfort zone smiles without much admiration for the philosophical prescription. Alain then invites her for a dinner.

Part 6: Nietzsche on Hardship “To my friends, I wish desolation, suffering, proBritish philosopherdocumentarian Alain de Botton narrates the life and times of Friedrich Nietzsche in front of the church where Nietzsche’s father was a pastor.

Alain’s docu also explores the nearby house where the German philosopher lived and the Alps which he loved.

Magnet relics are on sale in Athens where Socrates lives in tourist paraphernalia. An unexamined life is not worth living, Socrates famously said and Alain de Botton’s documentary examines Socrates in today’s leader dominated and opinionated world. friend seeker had this dictum: who you eat with is more important than what you eat. The garden is now a taxi graveyard.

Part 3: Seneca on Anger Roman philosopher Lucious Annaeus Seneca refused to see anger as an irrational outburst over which we have no control. Instead he saw it as a philosophical problem and amenable to treatment by philosophical argument. The philosopher was the tutor to a boy who would become Emperor Nero, who was infamous for throwing whoever displeased him to lions, crocodiles and wolves. Alain shows us the underground chamber where people were thrown to become pieces.

We are like dogs tied to moving chariots, unleashed not long enough to move around. Anger is the result of our expectations. We think the world

will go our way. We are not ready for the surprises when things happen against our expectations.

Seneca’s advice is to be pessimistic. We have reason, dogs don’t. We cannot change events, but we can change our attitude towards them. Seneca is not of the opinion, things will be fine, don’t worry. Be prepared, bad things are bound to happen.

Part 4: Montaigne on Self-Esteem The French philosopher singled out three main reasons for feeling bad about oneself - bodily inadequacy, failure to live up to social norms, and intellectual inferiority - and then offered practical solutions for overcoming them.

Alain shocks us, perhaps for the first time, by carrying a covered food item at a restaurant. He goes to a table where some women are seated, dining,

found self-contempt, sickness, ill-treatment, indignity, torture and the wretchedness of the vanquished”, exhorted the German philosopher, who said overcoming hardships is life all about.

In the beginning of the concluding part, we see Alain ascending a mountain with a backpack. The documentarian then goes to a garden where he shows the ugly roots of a plant to prove the toil in the soil beneath the beautiful surface. The beauty is not in the hardships alone but the manner in which failures have been met. We are like the gardener who cultivates the plants.

After a trip to Nietzsche’s house and graveyard, we see the documentarian back in the mountains.

This time clouds move away to reveal the panoramic scenery. The scene from the top is worth the climb.

Winslet, Branagh top Film returns Travolta to British honors list spotlight, amid bad press

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scar-winner Kate Winslet, acting great Kenneth Branagh and the designer behind Kate Middleton’s wedding dress were decorated by Queen Elizabeth II yesterday in her birthday honors list. “Titanic” star Winslet was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition for her services to drama, while Branagh becomes Sir Kenneth after being made a knight in the chivalry order.

Winslet said: “I feel deeply proud to receive this, as a part of an ever-expanding community of British actors and film-makers who are fortunate enough to be able to contribute to an international industry.

“This makes me very proud to be a Brit,” the 36-year-old said. Branagh, the Shakespearian actor-cum-film director, was given the higher rank of knight commander and joins the pantheon of British actors who have been made a sir. Belfast-born Branagh, 56, was made a KBE for his services to drama and to the community of Northern Ireland. “I feel humble, elated and incredibly lucky,” he said. “When I was a kid I dreamed of pulling on a shirt for the

In this Jan 15, 2012, file photo showing Kate Winslet arriving on the red carpet before the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, USA. —AP

Northern Ireland football team.

“I could only imagine how proud you might feel. Today it feels like they just gave me the shirt and my heart’s fit to burst.”

Sarah Burton-who designed the Duchess of Cambridge’s dress for her wedding to Prince William last year-was made an officer in the order for her services to the fashion industry and can now add OBE after her name. Take That songwriter Gary Barlow, who organized the diamond jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace earlier this month marking the queen’s 60 years on the throne, was given the OBE for his services to the entertainment industry and to charity.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and feel very privileged to be in the company of so many brilliant people,” the pop star said.

“Growing up, I never dreamt that one day I’d be getting one myself. I enjoy every minute of the work I do, with a lot of it being a reward in itself.” Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, who designed the Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park, which has a distinctive, wave-like roof, was knighted.

She has won the Stirling Prize-Britain’s top architecture award-for the last two years running. Former culture secretary Tessa Jowell, who played a key role in bringing the 2012 Games to London, was also made a dame, for her services in support of the event, which gets under way on July 27. Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd and Charles Dunstone, the founder and chairman of Europe’s biggest mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse, were both knighted.

“In The Loop” director Armando Iannucci, the Scot behind many of Britain’s best comedy shows in the last 20 years, was given an OBE for services to broadcasting.

Motorcycle stuntman Eddie Kidd, left wheelchair-bound after an accident in 1996, received an OBE for services to charitable giving. April Ashley, 77, who in 1960 became the first Briton to undergo a sex change operation, becomes an MBE, a member of the order, for services to transgender equality. Honours lists are produced twice a year, at New Year and to coincide with the queen’s official birthday in June.

She turned 86 in April. —AFP

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ohn Travolta will soon be back on the big screen, but weeks of negative headlines have focused on his personal life and not on the return of one of Hollywood’s top stars.

Travolta plays a corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent in “Savages,” an Oliver Stone film about a war between marijuana growers and a Mexican drug cartel. It’s the charismatic bad guy role that has kept Travolta popular in his later career, although he is not considered one of the film’s lead actors.

This weekend, the two-time Oscar nominee is expected to face the media for the first time since the headlines broke as he begins doing publicity for the movie with selected TV outlets.

A source familiar with the production of “Savages” told The Associated Press that Travolta’s recent PR-difficulties have not altered his publicity schedule or marketing of the film.

The source, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Travolta was doing the same amount of interviews as the film’s other stars, which include Benicio del Toro and Salma Hayek.

Travolta’s first film since 2010 comes less than two months after the actor was accused in a lawsuit of groping two masseurs. The case quickly unraveled after Travolta’s attorney discredited one of the anonymous accusers by showing the actor was across the country on the day of one of the alleged incidents.

Yet the suit was widely reported by both mainstream and tabloid media and subsequent stories have focused on Travolta’s sexuality. The actor hasn’t directly addressed the claims, but his representatives have steadfastly denied them. Whether any of this impacts “Savages” remains to be seen, but several experts said the allegations are unlikely to hurt the film or Travolta’s career. Robert Marich, author of “Marketing to Moviegoers,” said the murky nature of the allegations against Travolta means he’ll probably get the benefit of the doubt. “In those situations the public is very forgiving to stars,” Marich said. “I don’t see any negative reaction.”

He said the film’s publicity may be fragmented as a result of the allegations, which doesn’t benefit the studio, but he noted publicity is a film’s most unpredictable element. News outlets “can go off the studio script,” he said, creating a difficult situation. “Savages” is being distributed

by Universal Pictures, which, like most studios, seeks to closely manage media coverage of its

In this April 12, 2011 file photo, actor John Travolta participates in a news conference for the film “Gotti: Three Generations,” in New York. —AP debuting films. The Travolta-”Savages” situation isn’t unique in Hollywood. Mel Gibson’s last film, “The Beaver,” was released while he was battling domestic violence allegations and embroiled in a bitter custody battle. In 2010, Lindsay Lohan missed the publicity period - and red carpet - for her supporting role in the film “Machete” due to problems with her probation.

Hugh Grant’s arrest for lewd conduct with a prostitute a couple weeks before the release of the 1995 film “Nine Months” was especially dicey. Grant surprised many by keeping his previously scheduled appearances, apologizing and appearing humbled. It preserved his fledgling career in the United States. Veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman said studios can avoid PR-mishaps in two ways: They carefully select outlets they trust, and they prepare a star on how to handle a difficult question.

He said Travolta’s supporting role provides him some cover. “You let other people do more of the heavy lifting,” Bragman said. As for Travolta’s strategy if he is asked about the scandalous headlines, “I would suspect what he doesn’t want to do is make any news about it.”

Bragman predicted Travolta’s troubles wouldn’t hurt “Savages.” “I don’t think it’s going to affect anything,” he said. The nature of the allegations about Travolta puts him in a different - and better - position than Gibson, said Matthew Le

Veque, an associate professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Gibson, who was caught on leaked recordings engaging in racist and sexist rants, had actually offended a lot of moviegoers by the time “The Beaver” was released, Le Veque said.

The legal fight limited Gibson’s ability to do press for the film, but Travolta’s situation hasn’t gotten to that point, he said. “John Travolta’s side is doing a very good job of casting doubt on the accusers’ story,” he said.

Travolta’s career has seen its share of struggles, including the 2009 death of his son Jett, as well as comebacks. He has two other film projects in the works after “Savages,” making it unlikely he’ll disappear from the public eye or from venues where uncomfortable questions will be asked.

“Moviegoers think they have their personal relationship with the talent that’s based on what’s on screen,” said Marich, adding they hold movie stars in a different esteem. “They don’t expect Hollywood figures to be saints,” he said.

Oliver Stone agrees.

“He’s fun to watch, and he enjoyed it,” the director said of his star. “To me, a movie is about the fun you have. It doesn’t matter, your personal history. Somebody can be a son of a bitch, and I know a few, but if you enjoy the movie, you enjoy the movie.” — AP

Philosophy: From armchair to marketplace

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 2012

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, center, watch a Royal Air Force fly pass with their family from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Trooping The Colour at the Horse Guards Parade in London yesterday. —AP

Queen marks 86thwithbirthday husband at her side B

ritain’s Queen Elizabeth II officially celebrated her 86th birthday yesterday, with her husband Prince Philip back at her side after he was hospitalized during her diamond jubilee festivities. Philip wore the scarlet tunic and heavy bearskin hat befitting his honorary rank of colonel in the Grenadier Guards as they reviewed the troops at the Trooping the Color military parade in central London.

The couple also watched a flypast by Royal Air Force planes and helicopters before the Red Arrows aerobatics team left trails of red, white and blue smoke overhead. The Olympic beach volleyball competition will be held on the historic Horseguards Parade ground during the 2012 Games that start next month. Philip, who himself turned 91 tomorrow, was released from hospital one week ago after he was taken ill with a urinary tract infection. He had to miss the last two days of celebrations marking the queen’s 60th year on the throne.

For the Trooping the Color, he and the queen arrived in a glass coach. They were due to travel in an open carriage but changed due to the “unpredictable nature of the weather ”, a Buck ingham Palace spokesman said. As regimental colonels,

with the Army Air Corps.

Trooping the Colour-a hangover from preparations for battle when colors or flags were “trooped” down the rank so soldiers could recognise them-marks the queen’s offi-

cial birthday. Her actual birthday is on April 21 but traditionally the monarch has another in the summer months, because the weather is supposed to be better for open-air celebrations. — AFP

Members of the public watch a fly-past outside Buckingham Palace following the Queen’s Birthday Parade, ‘Trooping the Colour’ at Horse Guards Parade in London yesterday.—AFP their eldest children, heir to the throne Prince Charles and Princess Anne, rode on horseback alongside Charles’s eldest son, Prince William, all wearing ceremonial uniforms.

Charles’ wife Camilla and William’s wife Catherine were both dressed in blue and rode in a carriage with Charles’s younger son Prince Harry. The queen appointed Charles

to top rank in all three British military services-Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Air Force-earlier yesterday. Charles, 63, the Prince of Wales, served in the Royal Navy and the RAF throughout the 1970s. His sons are both military helicopter pilots-Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, in a search and rescue role with the RAF and Prince Harry on attack choppers

A royal supporter, wearing a hat made of models, stands outside Buckingham Palace following the Queen’s Birthday Parade, ‘Trooping the Colour’ at Horse Guards Parade in London yesterday.— AFP

Nik Wallenda walks on tightrope over Niagara Falls C

heered on by thousands of spectators, US tightrope walker Nik Wallenda late Friday fulfilled his childhood dream of walking over the Niagara Falls and into the history books.

Crowds packed the US and Canadian sides of the border to watch the 33-year-old brave strong winds and heavy spray to walk on a cable suspended around 200 feet (60 meters) above North America’s biggest waterfall.

After a brief prayer with his wife and children, Wallenda climbed onto the cable and headed from New York to Canada.

With the aid of a long balancing pole, Wallenda carefully found his footing and maintained a laser-like focus on his task throughout. The hair-raising walk took around 25 minutes, less than the expected 35 to 40 minutes. He jumped down from the high wire on the Canadian side at 10:40 pm (0240 GMT).

The event was televised by the US network ABC with a five -second delay.

Wallenda wore a waterproof outfit and suede-soled slippers pecially designed by his mother. Powerful TV lights focused on him the whole way, as millions of people around the world followed the event on television. The acrobat had a two-way radio and a small earpiece, and was able to communicate with his father, identified by ABC as Terry Troffer.

“My God, it’s incredible, it’s breathtaking,” Wallenda said soon after starting his quest. He later reported being “very wet.”

“This is so physical, not only mental but physical,” Wallenda said. “Fighting the wind isn’t easy. I feel my hands are going

numb.”Wallenda’s father gave him words of encouragement throughout the walk.”You’re doing good. Take your time,” said Troffer, whom ABC described as the event safety coordinator. The crowd went wild when Wallenda reached the Canadian side of the Falls. Still on the high wire, Wallenda kneeled briefly on the cable and waved to the roaring crowd.

At ABC’s insistence, Wallenda was attached to a harness that would have allowed him to climb back onto the high wire if he slipped and fell. Soon after arriving in Canada, Wallenda called his 84-year-

old grandmother on a mobile phone. “Hey Oma, I love you,” he told her. Wallenda said he had promised to call as soon as he completed the feat because she could not be there. Any attempt to cross the falls is usually forbidden, but an exception was made for Wallenda, who comes from a long line of acrobats and circus performers.

Fourteen daredevils attempted the stunt and occasionally succeeded in the 19th century before further attempts were banned. However, they were in a much calmer section of the waterfall. Wallenda

Aerialist Nik Wallenda tighropes over the Niagara Falls June 15, 2012 in Niagara Falls, New York. — AFP

crossed Niagara Falls at a rim that had never been traversed before. A smiling but fatigued Wallenda told a news conference he was especially challenged by the mist and the wind. “The mist was worse than I thought,” he said. “The winds were pretty wild out there.”

And yet “it’s been worth every minute and every penny,” Wallenda said. “I loved every minute of it.” Wallenda also said that he plans to cross the Grand Canyon-a distance three times longer than Niagara Falls-for his next high-wire act. He said he already has a permit, and that he would make the bid “within three to five years if not sooner.” Throughout the walk Wallenda’s children, aged nine, 11 and 14, were watching. The acrobat’s achievement adds to the lore and legend of the Wallenda family, famous for astonishing audiences around the world with their jaw-dropping stunts executed at dizzying heights.

Their fame really took off in 1978, when they were made the subject of a popular made-for-TV movie, “The Great Wallendas.”

Nik Wallenda paid tribute at the event to the family patriarch, his great-grandfather Karl Wallenda, the German-born founder of the Flying Wallendas.

Karl Wallenda died aged 73 in 1978 while attempting to walk between two tall buildings in Puerto Rico. The Niagara Falls, the most powerful in North America, were formed by receding glaciers at the end of the last ice age, with an average four million cubic feet of water from the Great Lakes flowing over the crest each minute. — AFP