5 Mar 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU 40 PAGES

NO: 15738

150 FILS

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

www.kuwaittimes.net

RABI ALTHANI 23, 1434 AH

Ummah Party pulls out of opposition coalition Islamist party suspends two • Shamali shuns panel meet

Max 27º Min 14º High Tide 05:29 & 16:20 Low Tide 10:42

By B Izzak

Kerry talks Syria, Iran on Gulf tour RIYADH: US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Riyadh yesterday that Washington will work to “empower” Syria’s opposition, while warning arch-foe Iran that time for talks on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions could run out. Kerry, on his first tour to the region since taking up the post, also met over lunch with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, who flew in to Riyadh unannounced late on Sunday. Kerry stressed that there was no question of arming the Syrian opposition, even as his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al-Faisal insisted on the right of Syrians to selfdefence.

The United States will continue to work with its “friends to empower the Syrian opposition,” Kerry told reporters during a joint press conference with the Saudi foreign minister. Asked about reports of arms being sent to Syria’s rebels from countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Kerry replied: “The moderate opposition has the ability to make sure that the weapons are getting to them and not to the wrong hands.” However, he added, “there is no guarantee that one weapon or another might not fall in the wrong hands.”

The US has so far refused to arm rebels locked in a two-year war against President Bashar Al-Assad’s loyalists. Several oil-rich monarchies of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, notably Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have supported the rebellion against Assad, a staunch ally of their regional arch-foe Iran. The GCC members are dissatisfied at the refusal of President Barack Obama’s administration to arm Syrian rebels and its perceived lenient attitude towards Tehran, analysts say.

Continued on Page 2

Arbitrator sets PIC’s payout to Dow at $2.48bn NEW YORK: Dow Chemical Co said an arbitrator has ruled it is owed $2.48 billion by a Kuwaiti firm that scuttled a 2008 joint venture, though it is not clear when the funds will be paid. The company had expected at least $2.16 billion, and yesterday the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce ruled at least $318 million in interest and other fees should be added to the amount, Dow Chemical said in a statement. In late 2008 Dow planned a $17.4 billion joint venture with Petrochemical Industries Co (PIC) of Kuwait, spinning off its basics plastics business into a standalone company called K-Dow. PIC pulled out of the deal in Dec 2008, citing a deteriorating global economy. An arbitrator ruled last year that PIC was at fault and owed Dow Chemical $2.16 billion, plus interest and costs. Dow said the decision finalizes the amount in interest and fees Dow Chemical can expect, but it is unclear when the company will receive payment. PIC, a unit of the Kuwait Petroleum Corp, was not immediately available to comment. “We are resolved to take appropriate action to ensure timely payment,” Dow spokeswoman Nancy Lamb said. She would not elaborate on what action Dow Chemical could take. — Reuters

RIYADH: US Secretary of State John Kerry meets Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlSabah at a hotel in the Saudi capital yesterday. — AFP

HIV cured in baby for first time

WASHINGTON: Researchers say they have, for the first time, cured a baby born with HIV - a development that could help improve treatment of babies infected at birth. There is an important technical nuance: researchers insist on calling it a “functional cure” rather than a complete cure. That is because the virus is not totally eradicated. Still, its presence is reduced to such a low level that a body can control it without the need for standard drug treatment.

The only fully cured AIDS patient recognized worldwide is the so-called “Berlin patient ”, American Timothy Brown. He is considered cured of HIV and leukemia five years after receiving bone marrow transplants from a rare donor naturally resistant to HIV. The marrow transplant was aimed at treating his leukemia. But in this new case, the baby girl received nothing more invasive or complex than commonly available antiretroviral drugs. The difference, however, was the dosage and the timing - starting less than 30 hours after

her birth.

It is that kind of aggressive treatment that likely yielded the “functional cure”, researchers reported Sunday at the 20th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Oppor tunistic Infections (CROI) in Atlanta, Georgia. What researchers call dormant HIV-infected cells often re-start infections in HIV-infected patients within a few weeks after antiretroviral treatment stops, forcing most people who have tested HIV-positive to stay on the drugs for life or risk the illness progressing.

“Prompt antiviral therapy in newborns that begins within days of exposure may help infants clear the virus and achieve long-term remission without lifelong treatment by preventing such viral hideouts from forming in the first place,” said lead researcher Deborah Persaud, of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Mar yland. I t appears to be the first time this was achieved in a baby, she said.

Continued on Page 12

UAE tries 94 over ‘coup’ plot Kuwaiti lawyer denied entry ABU DHABI: The trial of 94 Islamists accused of plotting to seize power in the United Arab Emirates kicked off yesterday in the absence of rights activists and foreign reporters, who were barred from the court. The state security court, part of the Federal Supreme Court, convened in Abu Dhabi to tr y the activists arrested between March and December last year, the justice ministry said in a statement carried by WAM state news agency. Ten of the defendants are being tried in absentia, while 13 are women, it said, adding that the first hearing was “procedural”, and was attended by representatives of local press and Emirati civil society groups.

The accused are said by prosecutors to be linked to the Al-Islah group, which has ties with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. UAE attorney general Salem Kobaish last month said the defendants would be tried for “having created and led a movement aimed at opposing the basic foundations on which the state’s political system is built and at seizing power”. The group had formed a “secret organisation” which was in contact with individuals and organisations “abroad”, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Kobaish said. The attorney general said they had also created or invested in Continued on Page 12

KUWAIT: Less than a few hours after the official launch of the Opposition Coalition, the Ummah Party, which initially said it was joining the new alliance, pulled out and suspended two senior officials who took part in the opposition meetings to form the new body. The Islamist party said in a statement that it had suspended its president Awwad Al-Dhafeeri and senior official Faisal AlHamad, who agreed to the party’s joining of the coalition, and then elected Hakem Al-Mutairi as new president.

The party had maintained that it is not willing to join the opposition coalition because it wanted more radical reforms, especially the emphasis on an elected government and accused parts of the opposition of being too complacent towards the government. The Ummah Party was the first political party to be publicly established in Kuwait several years ago, although the government has refused to recognize it. It had no MPs in the previous assemblies but only a number of sympathizers.

The Opposition Coalition was officially launched late Sunday night following weeks of negotiations between the various components who included Islamists, liberals and nationalists in addition to trade and student unions, youth activists, former MPs and well-known opposition figures. The coalition said it will work to achieve a full parliamentary system in Kuwait under which the government will be formed in accordance with the outcome of the elections and on the basis of a multiparty system. It also called for dissolving the existing National Assembly, scrapping the controversial single-vote law and holding fresh polls on the basis of the old electoral constituency law. The coalition will later appoint members of its general assembly and political bureau.

Separately, the Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee yesterday agreed to a new formula for the debt relief scheme that according to some Continued on Page 2

CAIRO: In this Jan 14, 2013 file photo, a Muslim Brotherhood supporter stands in front of a banner that reads “What did the Egyptians do in order to arrest them?

Freedom for the honorable men” during a protest in front of the UAE embassy. — AP

BALTIMORE: Dr Deborah Persaud is seen at the Johns Hopkins’ Children’s Center. — AP

Oman orders retrial for 8 jailed activists MUSCAT: Oman’s Court of Cassation ordered yesterday a retrial in the case of eight out of 11 activists sentenced to between six and 12 months in prison for taking part in protests in 2011. The court ordered the appeals court, which had upheld the jail sentences, to reexamine their cases, but with a new panel. The top court rejected appeals lodged by the other three activists, citing “procedural mistake”, lawyer Qais Al-Qassimi told AFP. He said their appeals will be filed again soon.

Qassimi said he will request bail for the eight defendants.

“It is a victory and we hope there will be a dismissal after the review,” said another lawyer, Khalifa Al-Hinai. No date has been set for the retrial, he said.

The 11 activists, including writers, bloggers, a female lawyer and a female journalist are jailed in a prison outside Muscat. They were part of a group of activists who staged last month a 15-

day hunger strike until the supreme court agreed to examine their appeals.

Several groups of activists and bloggers are facing trials for taking part in proreform protests or defaming Sultan Qaboos, who has ruled the Gulf state for 42 years.

The usually calm Oman was hit by a wave of protests in 2011 demanding political reforms. Riot police dispersed the demonstrations with force. Sultan Qaboos responded by reshuffling the cabinet and increasing the powers of the consultative assembly. Oman, which sits astride the Strait of Hormuz where some 40 percent of the world’s sea-borne oil exports pass, has sought to placate demonstrators by pledging to create tens of thousands of public sector jobs. But delays in implementing the promises have kept the protests simmering and some popular anger was directed against the once-sacrosanct figure of the sultan. — Agencies

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LOCAL

News

in brief

No abuse of power KUWAIT: Minister of Health Dr. Mohammed Al-Haifi stressed that escorting his own family on his recent official trip to Germany and the UK on board an Amiri flight did not involve any legal violations or abuse of power. Responding to a parliamentary inquiry filed

by MP Sa’doun Hammad Al-Otaibi in this regard, AlHaifi said there was no law against a minister escorting a family member or a ministry staffer. He also said such an inquiry might be unconstitutional. Notably, Al-Otaibi had filed his inquiry last week pointing out that instead of escorting his accompanying official delegation during his visit to Germany and UK, the minister took his family aboard the Amiri flight and made the delegation fly by another airline at the ministry’s expense.

Nursing sector privatization KUWAIT: The council of ministers is considering privatizing the nursing and pharmaceutical sectors and will send proposals in this regard to the National Assembly council for a discussion and final approval by the health committee. The council of ministers discussed the Audit Bureau report for retiring a number of assistant undersecretaries in ministries and government organizations who have served for more than 30 years, and replace them with young persons.

Menace of private tutoring KUWAIT: Sources in the education ministry revealed that Minister of Education Dr Nayef Al Hajref has asked ministry leaders to study appropriate steps to end the menace of private tutoring and come up with a mechanism to arrest teachers who deployed this method to make a quick buck and have turned it into a business. Sources said that the minister was surprised at the large sums being spent in the sector.

The annual budgetary spending on teaching has reached around KD 1.3 billion as per a study, the figure almost touching the total budget allocation for the ministry which is pegged at KD 1.6 billion.

Sources said Al-Hajref asked ministry leaders to study the real reasons behind the all pervasive culture of private tutoring even when the ministry provides all necessary facilities for education.

KUWAIT: The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Gen Ghazi Al-Omar, honored a number of outstanding personalities in security and traffic department as well as in legal affairs department. These outstanding people were honored in the presence of General Director of Traffic Department Lt. Gen Mustafa Hussain AlZaabi, General Director of legal affairs administration Col Nabeel Fahad Al-Aslawi, and public relations director Col Adel Ahmad Al-Hashash.

Kuwait, India to cement economic cooperation High level delegation to visit India KUWAIT: A high-level delegation from Kuwait is going to visit India later this month, which would pave the way for further economic cooperation, India’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Satish C Mehta, has said. The visit will be followed by the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission of the two nations in Kuwait. Mehta said India and Kuwait enjoy friendly relations and presence of a large number of Indian expatriates continues to sustain this relationship. Mehta was addressing a gathering on behalf of a Indian delegation which was visiting Kuwait Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) to interact with Kuwait’s

Saudi dies in accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Saudi youth died in a tragic accident around midnight last Monday at Taima when two vehicles collided head on, security sources said. The Saudi man was driving one of the vehicles while a bedoon was driving the other. The Saudi man’s car turned turtle as a result of the impact and he was thrown out of the vehicle. He died on the spot.

Missing boy found A Kuwaiti woman came forward at the Maidan Hawally police station to claim the four-year-old Jassem who was found lost at the Hawally Park, security sources said. They said the child’s parents were involved in a family dispute, as a result of which she left the child alone at the Hawally Park. Sources said that necessary procedures will be initiated against the child’s mother.

MOE tours schools under disguise KUWAIT: Notwithstanding his promise at the time of assuming power about transparency, the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, recently ordered that the ministry’s media center be shut down. The centre was allocated to journalists covering the ministry news. The minister gave strict orders to ministry officials not to issue any unautho-

rized statements. He has also been visiting various schools in disguise and without informing the media about his visits beforehand. Meanwhile, at the beginning of this week which also marked the beginning of the second semester, over 80 per cent of public school students attended school on Sunday, the capital educational zone director, Yosra Al-Omar, said.

Govt mulling full health insurance for firefighters KUWAIT: The Cabinet, in its weekly meeting yesterday, assigned the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to consider a full health insurance for firemen and to report back with a full study as soon as possible. The Cabinet highly appreciates great role of firemen and sacrifices they have been doing in fire accidents, Minister of State for Cabinet affairs and minister of state for municipal affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said in a statement after a Cabinet meeting chaired by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The Cabinet then took note of a message

by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who thanked Kuwait for approving the Doha amendment for the Kyoto Protocol regarding the UN climate change framework agreement, as well as for Kuwait’s hosting of the international humanitarian pledging conference for Syria and its donation of $300 million for the Syrian people. The Cabinet members then took note of letters to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

from Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Senegalese President, Japanese prime minister, former US secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding bilateral relations.

They took note of a letter to Sheikh Sabah from prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Arab intellectual institute whose objective is to preserve the Arabic Language. They took note of a letter from Mikhail Gorbachev, the founding president of the international Green Cross organization, who invited His Highness the Amir to the 7th meeting of the Earth Dialogue, due next September in Geneva.

Regarding housing issues, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said the ministers were briefed about ready-to-be-distributed houses and future housing projects in Sabah Al-Ahmad city, Jaber Al-Ahmad city, northwest of Sulaibikhat, Al-Khairan city, AlMutlaa city and North Subbiya city. The Cabinet members urged the public housing authority to speed up execution of the projects in order to honor growing housing applications, said Sheikh Mohammad.—KUNA

Ummah Party pulls out...

Continued from Page 1 members will not cost the government more than KD 300 million. The meeting was again boycotted by Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali, who is opposed to any scheme to waive interest on bank loans taken by Kuwaiti citizens between Jan 2002 and April 1, 2008. Shamali had also refused to attend a similar meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue.

The government maintains that any writing off of interest on loans will be harmful to the Kuwaiti economy and the banking system. The scheme requires the government to purchase the principal of the loan, waive all interest on it and then debtors repay the principal in east installments to the government. Previously, the government said that the total cost of the scheme, which also called for paying KD 1,000 for citizens who do not benefit from the write-off, was KD 3.2 billion.

Head of the committee MP Youssef Al-

Zalzalah said the panel will finalize the new law and submit it to the Assembly today whether the government attends or not.

In a related development, the Assembly is due to discuss postponing the debate on two grillings against Shamali over bank loans and Oil Minister Hani Hussein over a variety of alleged violations including the cancellation of a multi-billion-dollar venture with US giant Dow Chemical. The two grillings are expected to be postponed for several months, like two previous grillings against the communications and interior ministers which were postponed two weeks ago until the next term which starts in late October. The grilling against Shamali was filed by MP Nawaf Al-Fuzai while the one against Hussein was filed

by MP Saadoun Hammad and Fuzai. The Assembly is expected to agree to a government request to delay the debate for several months.

business community.

“Historically, India-Kuwait relations have always had an important trade dimension.

India’s total trade with Kuwait during 201112 was $17.56 billion, an increase of about $5.4 billion (which is 44.3 per cent) over $12.16 billion during 2010-11.

Out of the total trade of $17.56 billion, non-oil trade accounted for approximately $1.9 billion (approximately). India’s exports to Kuwait during 2011-12 were $1,181.41 million. For the second consecutive year, India’s exports to Kuwait were over $1 billion mark,” he said.

CAPEXIL (Chemical and Allied Products

Export Promotion Council), an apex organisation setup by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has been sponsoring the visit of Indian delegation to Kuwait regularly for many years.

CAPEXIL deals in mineral and non-mineral sectors.

The 11-member Indian delegation, comprises of Indian manufacturers and exporters. They seek to enter into mutually beneficial trade deals with their counterparts in Kuwait.

“With India’s petroleum imports from Kuwait of approximately $15.67 billion, Kuwait is the second largest supplier of oil

from the GCC countries after Saudi Arabia and meets 10-12 per cent of India’s energy needs,” Mehta said. “ We have sent a draft to KCCI on Partnership Agreement between FICCI, the apex Chamber of India and KCCI. We hope this would be finalised soon. This would facilitate more exchange of business delegations between our two countries,” he said.

A number of Indian companies both private and public sectors are present in Kuwait, including LIC, Telecommunications Consultants India (TCIL), Tata Consultancy Services and Shapoorji Pallonji.

Parliament stays: Hameed Dashti KUWAIT: MP Abdul Hameed Dashti said with the cour t rejecting the case involving a demand for compensation for the losses suffered due to annulment of the 2012 parliament, it was now clear that the current parliament would complete its four-year tenure.

“It is good news for those who believe in the continuity of this parliament to know that this verdict was based on several cassation ones made by the constitutional court,” he stressed and urged his fellow MPs, whom he accused of being in a hurry to file grilling motions merely

to propel their own careers, to calm down.

“The government should also deal with this parliament as one that will stay and those seeking reconciliation will not have it at the expense of the parliament...See you in 2016,” he concluded.

ABK participates in Al-Gayla radio show KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait recently participated in the Al-Gayla radio show broadcast on ‘Kuwait FM’. During the program radio listeners and followers of ABK’s webpage and Twitter handle tuned in to an interesting quiz.

Sahar Al Therban, Public Relations Manager at ABK mentioned the CSR Excellence Award which ABK won recently for their CSR initiatives in Kuwait.

The Public Relations team at ABK launched several new plans in the beginning of 2012 as par t of their Corporate Social Responsibility under the slogan “Our Society...

Our Responsibility.” These plans involved projects based upon giving back to the community. Through the radio program Mr. Ali Ibrahim Al-Baghli, Assistant Manager, Public Relations spoke about the latest products and services that ABK offers its valuable customers.

Winners of the Quiz were awarded prize money at the end of the show. The lucky winners were Nour Mouhammad Hliwah who won KD 100 and Talal Zaidan, Saoud Jaber Sanan, Mouhmmad Siwan Alsuleiman and Abdul Rahman Al-Motairi who won KD 50 each.

The history of indigo, the best kept secret

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: Indigo is a magical dye that has regained its lost glory as ‘the King of Dyes’ today as a result of growing environmental concerns and the need for ecofriendly colors, said Anjana Somany, an artist and a specialist in craft and textiles from India here yesterday.

Tracing the many phases in indigo’s chequered history over centuries, Anjana elaborated how the hallow dye that was so precious in the ancient world, became the dye of slavery in the colonial era.

“It is fascinating to know the journey of indigo. Because, many people know very little about the color,” she told Kuwait Times.

A revered and valuable dye of antiquity, indigo got associated with slavery and oppression during the colonial expansion from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Before the colonial era, the trade was controlled by Arabs who traded it for spices in India. Indian indigo ‘indigofera innctoria’ was the most sought after commodity as it gave the brightest color.

“Material evidence suggests that since pre-historic times, indigo has been the most important of all textile dyes. It was also valued for

its medicinal and cosmetic properties and for its use in ar t,” she explained.

Anjana Somany, who is the director of Mango Tree, has arrived in Kuwait as a member of the trade delegation from India.

KUWAIT: Anjana Somany talks during the interview at the Indian Embassy, Kuwait yesterday.

“Indigo had a connotation in ever y culture even Herodotus mentioned it in his writings.

Remember the expressions like blue blood, blue army, royal blue

etc,” she said. From the ancient to the modern world, from the orient to the west, indigo was considered sacred and has enjoyed a special place in many cultures across the world. It was used by the nobility and was an ingredient for sacred ceremonies. In some societies, to make the mysterious journey from this world to another, indigo clothing and rituals connected to indigo were essential.

“Arabs continued the trade until they were challenged by the Europeans who wanted to trade in indigo because it was a very lucrative business,” Anjana said.

Eventually, Arabs were dethroned by Europeans who began to control the indigo trade.

The demand for indigo was at its height during the colonial era and its labor intensive production resulted in slavery and oppression across many parts of the world.

“As a result, Indian textiles became world famous. The Europeans took ‘indgofera tinctoria’ to all the tropical colonies resulting in slavery of indigo farmers and subsequent revolutions. As a result of gross exploitation of the farmers and abject slavery, indigo soon lost its mystique. British poet William Wordsworth describes the plight of

indigo farmers in his autobiographical poem, she said.

“In India, it had come full circle, because there was slavery, but it became the cause for independence.

Mahatma Gandhi’s call for Satyagraha for indigo farmers in Champaran was a success story,” Anjana mentioned.

“With the advent of synthetic indigo in the early twentieth century, it appeared that this unique dye would lose its significance forever. However, such is the uniqueness of the plant, its manufacturing processes and the stunning colors it produces, that it has continued to remain both useful and sacred in many cultures.

Moreover, rising concern for environmental safety and the need for ecofriendly colors have increased the demand of indigo in textiles and art.

“You see the magic when the dye comes in contact with oxygen,” she pointed out. Anjana, also the Art Director of Somany Ceramics Ltd, has studied Islamic art and development of mosque architecture. She has published books and presented several papers on craft and textile art in various conferences across the world.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LOCAL

Expats await scrapping of sponsorship system Many employers favour old system

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Expatriates in Kuwait are eagerly waiting for the much-criticized sponsorship system to be scrapped, particularly because the government promised to end it soon. As per the Kuwaiti sponsorship system, expatriate workers need a sponsorship from their Kuwaiti employers, thus leaving them at the mercy of their bosses. The system came in for some harsh criticism by many including international human rights groups. Bahrain is the only country in the Gulf that has scrapped the sponsorship system.

“How I wish Kuwait would really stick to its plan. They have been promising us expats for long about scrapping the Kafeel system and replacing it with a new one, but it remained only an idea and never materialized. I hope it does so this time,” one expat commented.

Kuwait is home to 2.5 million expatriates who comprise more than two-thirds of the country’s population. In 2010, the sponsorship system was softened when workers were permitted to find a new employer without having to obtain prior approval of their sponsors, but only after they completed three years of service.

However, few sponsors follow the new provisions and many expats are forced to work under the hugely effective and constraining ‘sponsorship system.’ “We are aware of many cases...and

even with the new provisions under the new labor law (that after three years they can transfer without prior approval from their sponsors), this is not being honored because employers still prefer the powerful sponsorship system clauses,” said a consultant at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MSAL) who wished his name be withheld.

He mentioned several labor related cases in Kuwait in which employers favored citing sponsorship system clause.

“If you want to make the life of an expatriate worker miserable as a sponsor, you can do so easily. Just imagine the fate of those workers who have already rendered five years of service but cannot be transferred because the employers refuse permission and threaten to get them booked under a case by showing them as absconders at the MSAL. This is illegal but an employer under the sponsorship system can play games with the hapless employees and hold the workers responsible for what they have not done.

It is a flaw all too common under sponsorship system,” he admitted.

Under the new system, however, the tactics employed by the unscrupulous employers can be eliminated.

The proposal is to allow private sector employees to be employed directly by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. “I think it is a brilliant proposal

but is yet far from reality. I would rather wait and hope they would allow self sponsorship although it is unlikely to happen any time soon. The problem in the MSAL is that maybe they require a lot of studies and lot of manpower time and again. That is why implementing it will take time. We, however, want the change at the earliest,” another expatriate commented.

The MSAL sources explained that companies can still hire expatriate labor forces and issue visas to them but the employer would own the residency for one year before it is transferred to the MSAL. They further indicated that employees can still choose to have their residency registered with his employer after the one-year deadline. The proposed system is similar to a proposal currently being studied by the parliament for establishing a state-owned company to oversee the recruitment of expatriate labor forces and retaining residencies of foreign workers in the Gulf state.

“After the parliament approved amendments to the labor law with regards to article 125 that allowed for the establishment of the Public Authority for Organizing Expatriate Labor Forces, establishing the recruitment company became unnecessary,” the sources said.

Kuwait Relief Society to support development efforts in Sudan KUWAIT: Kuwait Relief Society Chairman Youssef Jassem Al-Hajji affirmed here yesterday that Kuwait would not hesitate in supporting development and construction efforts in Sudan, and in providing all types of financial and moral support for Sudanese people.

Kuwait has a major and supportive role in the success of East Sudan International Donors Conference through organizing of

non-state organizations conference, through which charitable societies pledged to provide $130 million, Al-Hajji said in a press conference following his meeting with a high-level Sudanese governmental delegation, presided by Dr. Mustafa Othman Ismail, in presence of number of Kuwaiti charitable leaderships.

Al-Hajji added that the Kuwaiti support came on official and public levels via the Kuwait Fund for

Arab Economic Development (KFAED), as well as the public stance that was embodied in Kuwaiti charitable societies, which had a major role in the success of the donors’ conference.

On his part, Ismail said Kuwait spares no efforts in providing support and aid to Sudan especially in Darfur and East Sudan regions, where the Kuwaiti model village was inaugurated in the city of Fasha in South Darfur. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Seif Palace Minister of Communications and Minister of State of Housing Affairs Salem Mutheeb Al-Utheina and the new board of Kuwait Airways Corporation. Al-Utheina introduced to HH the Amir the KAC Board Chairman Sami Abdullatif Al-Nasif and the board members.

Pollution index ‘below average’ KUWAIT: The pollution index in Kuwait is often below average, but sometimes rises due to emissions from oil facilities, a local newspaper repor ted yesterday quoting Environment Public Authority insiders.

While noting that the measurement results differ from one monitoring station to another, the sources indicated that pollution rates tend to increase in southern areas such as Ali Sabah Al-Salem, Ahmadi and Fahaheel due to the

presence of factories which fail to honor regulations aimed at reducing pollution levels.

In the meantime, the sources mentioned that the pollution rates in these areas have dropped compared to earlier readings.

The sources who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity also noted that high pollution readings were usually recorded in highly populated areas such as Rumathiya, Salmiya and Salwa. This was attributed to traffic jams. Meanwhile, they

predicted an increase in pollution levels in the future “as power plants continue to depend on heavy fuel for operation.”

In other news, the director of the EPA’s Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment, Sameerah AlKandari, announced that the EPA soon planned to contact the World Bank for carrying out a consultative study for establishing a regional center for environmental impact assessment. The study would cover Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Compensation for Kuwaiti woman KUWAIT: A court ordered compensation for a Kuwaiti woman who could not vote in an election in the recent past because her flight was delayed. The woman had booked a round trip ticket to perform Umra in Saudi Arabia.

While the departure was on time,

her return was delayed. Her departure flight was scheduled for Feb 2, 2012, which was also the voting day.

She reached the Jeddah Airport two hours before the scheduled departure time, but at the time of the flight, she was told that it has been delayed. She eventually arrived

in Kuwait five hours after the scheduled arrival time.

By then, the ballot boxes had already been sealed and she was unable to vote. The court ordered that the GCC Airline pay the woman a compensation amounting to KD 500.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LOCAL

Driver held for sexually assaulting six-year-old Teens held for harassment KUWAIT: A driver who ferried a boy to school on a regular basis assaulted him sexually in Firdous, according to a case filed recently. The suspect was paid to drive the six-year-old boy to school and back home every day, but one fine day while on his way back home, he suddenly pulled over and molested the child. The boy later told his father about the incident who, in turn, immediately reported the case to the local police. Police lured the driver, letting him believe that someone wanted to hire his services to take his child to school, and then arrested him. He was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah yesterday welcomed researcher Dhari Al-Eyadah who presented him with a copy of his Master’s thesis about applying total quality management standards in order to improve performance in the public sector.

‘Together’ project matches national development KUWAIT: “Together”, a Kuwaiti development youth project, serves Kuwait’s state development drive and targets the 17-30 year-old age group, the chief of the project Nawal Al-Muhaini said here yesterday.

At a press conference to launch the project, she said the initiative included three stages: evening sessions, knowledge academy and development projects. They will start as of March and continues throughout the year.

The youth development project depends on the productive youth group which makes up over 63 percent of the society.

It aims to create young professionals who can establish societal values and consecrate the identity of the Kuwaiti citizen, the principle of shouldering responsibility

and decision-making, she elaborated.

It is also meant to tap the human capabilities of the Kuwaiti youth and to develop their skills through training, behavioral, administrative and technical counsel, AlMuhaini added.

The project will further train the Kuwaiti youth in teamwork spirit in all development projects with a view to supporting the role of development partners, she pointed out.

There are over 30,000 young male and female graduates whose capabilities should be invested in an effective manner, the chief of the “Together” project said.

Forty males females have been registered for the project only on the first day of launching the ambitious initiative, she concluded. —KUNA

Maid harassed Two teenagers accused of sexual assault admitted to harassing a domestic worker, as per a case filed in Farwaniya recently. According to the police report, the Ethiopian maid was alone at home with her Egyptian employer’s teenage son. The boy asked his Syrian friend living nearby to come over. In her statements to officers, the woman said she fled the house after the two sexually assaulted her. The teenagers, who were summoned for investigations, denied the sexual assault charges but admitted to sexual harassment. They were taken to the Juveniles Prosecution Department for further action.

Difficult customer A middle aged man accused a woman matchmaker of indulging in a scam while she

argued that he set such difficult conditions which made it hard for her to find a match. The Kuwaiti man approached officers at the Adan police station and presented receipts showing payments he said he had made to the woman to help him find a bride. He added that the matchmaker requested additional payments every time a marriage prospect failed to come through, leading him to believe that he was being set up. Police summoned the woman who confirmed that she did receive the payments which the man had willingly made, as proven by the receipts. She further explained that all her efforts to help him find a match failed because of his conditions, including that the bride should be in her twenties. She added that she could not find a woman in that age group willing to marry someone in his fifties.

Investigations are on. (Rai) Failed theft A thief tried to break into a jewelry shop in Fahaheel but was thwarted by the security system installed there. Police were called to the scene after the shopkeeper discovered a hole in the back wall that the thief had punched in.

Preliminary investigations indicated that he probably gave up on the heist after failing to break open the safe or any of the jewels on display. Investigations were on.

Offensive posters Kuwait City police arrested a Gulf national

who was seen distributing posters that carried pictures deemed offensive to leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council states. The suspect was caught red handed at Arraya Center and objectionable posters were found from his possession shortly after the case was reported. He was taken to the State Security Services to face investigations.

Visa fraud A man was arrested on charges of indulging in human trafficking after he fraudulently registered labor forces in the name of his brother’s company. The case was discovered by the public trading company owner when an Asian worker approached him, pleading for renewal of his visa despite the fact that he did not work for him. After learning that the worker’s passport carried a valid residency issued in his company’s name, the Kuwaiti man realized that his company was a victim of fraudulent transactions. Such transactions help labor forces enter Kuwait illegally. He escorted the worker to the Hawally police station where the Asian man gave the officers a photo of the person he said had given him the visa in lieu of money. The suspected man turned out to be none other than the company owner’s brother who was then summoned for investigations. He admitted to stealing stamps and documents from his brother’s office and using them to endorse the illegal transactions. The man, who is unemployed, will remain in custody pending trial.

WCSS forum to discuss advancement of society KUWAIT: As part of its golden jubilee celebrations held under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, the Women Cultural and Social Society (WCSS) is bringing together leading local and regional activists in a forum to discuss four main topics related to the role of NGOs in the advancement of society.

The forum intends to foster dialogue on topics related to the economy, and society.

President of the Mother and Child Care Society in Bahrain, Maryam Bint Hamad Al Khalifa will speak on Microstart, a microlending project founded in Bahrain Development: Gender researcher, Nimat Koko Mohamed will shed light on Women’s rights and roles in the development of society; Representative of the Palestinian Red Crescent, Mona Al Farra on the role of Palestinian civil work institutions in development and President of YTTO, Moroccan Women’s Domestic Abuse Rehab Institution, Najat Ikhichon the role of NGOs in the advancement of societies WCSS celebrates its golden anniversary on March 5, alongside 25 local and international activists from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Palestine, and Libya. The celebration marks 50 years of char-

itable endeavours Kuwaiti women have embarked on in the political, cultural and educational sphere.

WCSS, that is bestowed the status of a consultant in the Economical and Social Council in The United Nations was the first NGO society to be established in Kuwait in 1963 by pioneering Kuwaiti female graduates. WCSS’s main objectives are to defend women’s cultural, intellectual, economical and political rights in Kuwait. Since its establishment, it has worked to raise the awareness levels amongst women towards their political and social rights, whilst encouraging the Kuwaiti community as a whole to recognize these rights.

The 50 year celebration has been supported by giants from Kuwait’s private sector: Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons, National Bank of Kuwait, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Alghanim & Sons Automotive, Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar & Sons, Salhiya Real Estate Company, Zain Telecom, Kuwait Banking Association, Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa, Gulf Cable & Elect., SAVECO Industries, IFA International Financial Advisors, Alghanim Express for Travel and Tourism, Kuwait Airways, and Al-Babtain Group.

Gulf Bank sponsors KOC annual camp KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently sponsored Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) annual employee camp, which was held at KOC desert camp on Feb 22.

The event provided Gulf Bank with an opportunity to showcase its range of dedicated b ank i ng ser vi ces fo r KO C

employees, s u ch a s the KOC salary package, as well as the general benefits of being a Gulf Bank customer. Adding to the day’s enjoyment, the Bank also distributed gifts and mementos to all attendees.

The KOC salary package provides a non-interest bearing cur-

rent account specially designed to fulfill KOC employees’ banking needs. KOC employee account holders are also entitled to a range of exclusive benefits such as vouchers from X-cite by Alghanim Electronics, special discounts at over 100 outlets in Kuwait when they use their Gulf

Bank cards, and no charges for the issuing of Gulf Bank Visa and MasterCard credit cards.

For more information about Gulf Bank’s special salary package for KOC employees, as well as Gulf Bank’s broad range of products and services, just visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches.

Kuwait participates in Muscat book fair MUSCAT: Kuwait is taking part in 18th Muscat International Book Fair held between Feb 27 and March 8, along with more than 500 Arab and foreign publishing houses. The Kuwaiti participation includes Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation (KAPF), “Dar Al-Fekir

Al-Hadeeth” Company, The Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait (CRSK), Suad Al-Sabah Publishing House, Al-Manar Islamic Bookshop, Nadia Mohammad Ali from Kuwait University Academic Publication Council said yesterday.

The Academic Publication Council is working to improve the KU magazine, and plans to enter new fields comparable to prestigious scientific universities, she added. Muscat International Book Fair is considered as one of the most important exhibitions in the

Gulf and Arab region, witnessing an increasing number of visitors each day, Nadia Ali and Nadia AlBassam from KAPF affirmed.

Kuwaiti publications are highly popular, as many visitors annually approach the Kuwaiti pavilion in Muscat Book Fair. — KUNA

Kuwait hails deep-rooted relations with US RIYADH: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah praised deep-rooted relations with the US yesterday.

Kuwait appreciates US stand on liberating Kuwait and continuous efforts of keeping peace and stability in the region, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said after his meeting with the US Secretary of State John Kerr y currently visiting Saudi Arabia.

The meeting dealt with bilateral relations in the fields of politics, military, security, trade, financial, investment, education, health and culture.

ABU DHABI: Muhalhal Al-Mudhaf, a Kuwaiti date palm planter, won the first place for the category of distinguished producers of date palm trees in Khalifa International Date Palm Award in the United Arab Emirates.

Al-Mudhaf is the founder and general manager of Al-Baraka international food (Baraka Dates) and achieved the first place for best production of dates. He was cited for setting up private farms that grow several varieties of palms, establishing a factory for processing and producing dates, establishing a company whose primary function is spreading palm cultivation and provide special services for amateur farmers.—KUNA

It also discussed stability and peace in the region through GCC and US cooperation.

He highlighted the importance in presenting the regional issues to US Secretary of State in his first visit to the region.

They conversed on the peace process, the US role in Syria through talks, as well as humanitarian coordination in aid of this crisis. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled and his accompanying delegation are scheduled to depart Riyadh after their participation in the 126th meeting of the GCC ministerial council. — KUNA

GCC countries united behind Syrian people RIYADH: Bahraini foreign minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa said yesterday the GCC countries were united in supporting the Syrian people.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries agree on offering full support for the Syrian people, Sheikh Khaled told a news conference following a one-day GCC foreign ministers’ meeting. He said the foreign ministers discussed the Syrian conflict and its impacts on the region, as well as importance of reaching a peaceful solution that would honor aspirations of the Syrian people.

They also discussed outcome of the meeting of the Friends of Syria that was recently held in Rome, Italy, said Sheikh Khaled, in addition to the situation in Yemen and GCC countries’ participation in the London meeting over Yemen.

The Bahraini minister said the GCC rejected Iran’s interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain, and agreed to confront any Iranian attempt to undermine security and stability of regional countries.

He said the US assistant secretary of state for political affairs rejected an Iranian proposal to include Bahrain and Syria in the agenda of the nuclear talks between the P5+1 and Tehran.

The US, added Sheikh Khaled, also expressed commitment to supporting the GCC countries and protecting sea routes in the Arabian Gulf.

Sheikh Khaled reiterated desire to see a peaceful resolution for the Iranian nuclear file.

He said US Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived here earlier, would hold bilateral meetings tomorrow on Syria, Iran’s nuclear file, and Iranian threats against the GCC countries and Bahrain in particular.

Sheikh Khaled said he would discuss with Kerry the Iranian armament and training of “terrorist cells” in addition to hostile statements regarding the closure of Hormuz Strait.

Asked about the armament of the Syrian opposition, Sheikh Khaled said this issue was to be discussed within the Arab League not the GCC.— KUNA

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait, Oman plan to boost cooperation Al-Rashed meets top leaders SALALAH: Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Ali Al-Rashed departed Oman yesterday following his three-day official visit to the Sultanate.

During his visit, Al-Rashed held talks with senior Omani officials, in which they addressed ways of bolstering aspects of joint cooperation between Kuwait and Oman in all areas, as well as reviewing a number of current developments on regional and international arenas and subjects of mutual interest.

Also, he discussed and reviewed with Omani Shura Council Speaker Khalid bin Hilal bin Nasser Al-Mawali the march of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ways of supporting Kuwaiti-Omani relations in various areas, especially in parliamentary and legislative fields. Al-Rashed’s visit to

Oman was the last leg of his tour in GCC states.

Earlier, Al-Rashed met with Dhofar Governor Mohammad bin Sultan Al-Busaidi, and discussed with him ways of boosting relations between the two countries. Al-Busaidi welcomed the Kuwaiti official and affirmed that such meetings reflect the deep interdependence and continuous communication between the two countries, according to Oman News Agency (ONA).

It added that Al-Rashed praised Oman’s keenness to enhance its relations with others at all levels under the wise leadership of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. The meeting between the two officials was attended by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Oman Salem Ghassab Al-Zamanan, Omani Ambassador to Kuwait Salem bin Suhail Al-

Ma’shni. Al-Rashed also visited a number of Omani cultural and tourist sites. Al-Rashed met a host of Omani officials “to discuss means to bolster cooperation in all fields, and in the field of parliamentary work in particular,” during this stop of a GCC tour. The speaker said the two countries share strong and constantly developing relations that span decades and the two sides view this as a reflection of the social, religious, linguistic, and other bonds that tie the two brotherly peoples.

Al-Rashed said the two leaderships consider bilateral relations from an integrated and allinclusive viewpoint, and all political, economic, developmental, social, trade, and cultural aspects of interaction are addressed simultaneously. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The General Director of Fire Department, Lt Gen Yousuf Al-Ansari, received in his office Lt Col Ahmad Ben Nasser Al-Ghamdi and Lt Col Nasser Al-Dawsari, representing civil defence administration in Saudi Arabia, to exchange experiences and be acquainted with new developments in this field. The meeting was in keeping with the annual tradition of similar interactions in the month of March in which falls the “International Day for Civil Defence and Fire.” — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Death threats to Kuwaiti relief activists KUWAIT: Kuwaiti relief activists in Jordan received death threats from elements believed to be loyalists of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. They managed to sneak into refugee camps located near the joint border, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

Al-Rai spoke with a number of activists who said that the recent threats prove that the donations coming from Kuwait and other Gulf states for Syrian refugees have “angered the regime and its mercenaries.”

In addition to death threats, the activists said they were being subjected to a defamation campaign carried out inside the camps as well as on social networks.

The activists who preferred not to reveal their identity confirmed that they reached out to Jordanian authorities “for providing protection to volunteers supervising the process of distributing of relief directly to Syrian refugees.”

The relief operations were being carried out in cooperation with Jordanian charitable and humanitarian organizations, they further explained.

Session of AL permanent delegates kicks off CAIRO: The 139th session of the Arab League permanent delegates kicked off yesterday at the pan-Arab organization headquarters here under the chairmanship of Egypt’s permanent delegate Ambassador Amr Abul-Atta.

Kuwait is represented in the session by its permanent delegate and Director of Arab World Department at Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry Jamal Al-Ghonim.

The meeting agenda includes over 22 key topics related the developments in the Arab countries.

Top on this agenda, comes the latest developments in occupied Palestinian territories, worsening situation in Syria and neighboring countries, humanitarian situation of displaced Syrian inside and outside their homeland and political developments in Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The participants will also discuss a Libyan request for help to secure its borders and restore Libyan money which were smuggled abroad by former regime. — KUNA

News

in brief

Compensation claims rejected KUWAIT: The civil court rejected compensation claims filed by former MPs and candidates who had demanded damages after a Constitutional Court order last June led to the dissolution of the parliament that was elected four months before. The court argued that decisions released by HH the Amir can only be reviewed by members of parliament, and that the issue at hand pertained to political works ìunder matter of sovereignty that courts cannot deal with according to article 2 of decree number 23 of the year 1990 with regards to organizing the judiciary.î Former candidates Mohammad Hayef, Adel Abdulhadi, Abdurrahman Al-Anjari, Mohammad Fulaiteh and Abdullah Hadrous had demanded compensation for financial losses suffered due to the dissolution of the parliament shortly after spending on their election campaigns. Al-Abdulhadi confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the group plans to appeal the ruling.

CBK closes Abu Hlaifa branch KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced closing of its Abu Hlaifa branch located in the Kuwait Magic complex. It said the move was part of its plan to reconsider the geographical distribution of its network of branches. All clients and accounts have been shifted to a new branch opened in Al-Fahaheel (block 1) where all banking transactions can be carried out accordingly.

Salmonella contamination KUWAIT: Sources revealed that a team of inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce discovered three restaurants belonging to the same company which were selling chicken contaminated with Salmonella.

Sources said that the ministry will refer this case to the public prosecutor and has already ordered the closure of the restaurants for selling chicken unfit for human consumption. Inspectors took samples of the chicken and sent these to the Ministry of Healthís labs where it was found that these contained Salmonella bacteria.

Health Ministry to organize 27 conferences KUWAIT: The Ministr y of Health announced yesterday that it will organize up to 27 conferences in different medical and related technical disciplines, to benefit from the best international expertise in all specialties. Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Quality Affairs Dr. Walid AlFalah said, in a press release, that the permanent committee for medical conferences has adopted a new mechanism for

organizing conferences, effective this year.

The changes relate to committeesí membership and nature of their operation.

The official added the ministry is seeking to improve its services and to benefit from the international experts who are taking part in these conferences, and is also interested in an objective assessment of its standard of service and suggestions as to improvements. — KUNA

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LOCAL

Letters to Muna

kuwait digest

Investments in education

Religious coexistence

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

I

t goes without saying that the more funds are spent on education, the better indicator this is about the attention paid to this field and the desire to develop human resources commensurate with productivity levels and needs of the labor market. People consider education as a mixture between consumption and saving. People seek knowledge and experience, eventually to garner advantages in the form of salary and improved living conditions.

The better educated a person is, the better the pay that he is entitled to in the job market. Meanwhile, going in for applied studies increases a person’s chances to qualify for an even better paying job in this era of industry and technology. Japan has one of the world’s most advanced educational systems because it believes that a state’s economy cannot improve unless it takes care of human resources and prepares enough labor force in the fields of science, industry and technology. In order to make sure that such a project is implemented properly, it is obligatory to update the curricula every five years.

Japan, much like the United States of America and European countries, understands the importance of spending on education in order to keep pace with the requirements of the modern era and utilize resources by spending more funds on human development.

The extent of spending on education varies from one country to another. European countries spend more, something obvious from the improvement in the quality of education that they have achieved. On the other hand, developing countries with high population growth rates tend to sustain ever deteriorating levels of education regardless of how much funds are spent on improving the sector. This shows that the quality of education does not necessarily have a direct correlation with the level of spending. Examples of countries with high education budgets yet subpar levels of education abound. This mainly indicates lack of policies to ensure parity between spending and the outcome.

Kuwait’s education scenario is an example of that.

According to official statistics, the share of education in the state’s general budget increased by 22 percent between the years 2000 and 2010. Despite that, Kuwaiti students continue to finish last in international tests when it comes to mathematics and science. There is no doubt that there is a clear mismatch between education and spending, and that there are reasons behind the inverse relationship between high spending on and low quality of education. Economic studies about the Arab World reveal that Kuwait has one of the highest spending rates on education in the region; a rate that continues to grow despite the lack of efforts made by the state to stem the plunging levels of education.

Kuwait’s educational system faces a great challenge to reduce spending on education while at the same time improve its level. This requires more efforts than exceeding budget cuts.

Such measures need to be coupled with plans to address the true requirements of the educational process which ultimately can lead to improved outcome. — Al-Rai

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net Hello Muna, This is my first email to you. I am a Japanese woman living in Hokkaido in Japan. I have met some very nice Kuwaiti people when I studied English in Britain, and since then, I sometimes read Kuwait Times to know about your country. I am very interested in Kuwait and Kuwaiti people and I am hoping to visit your country in the near future. I am always looking forward to reading your articles. Please take care of yourself and enjoy your life.

Thank you for reading this mail.

Much Love, Masami Japan

kuwait digest

Save your children

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

ost parents in Kuwait undoubtedly realize the severe effect of retrograde educational policies on the mindset and thought process of their children. Such regressive educational policies are being controlled by certain orthodox groups. However, most parents feel that irrespective of such policies at a younger age, their children’s future is safe. They think that they will, in any case, send their children to colleges abroad where their future will eventually be determined.

However, I disagree with this notion that it is the higher education or the final results that will determine the fate or the future course of younger generations. It is actually determined by the education in younger age which is currently following an approach forced upon the students by the orthodox groups. While there could be some exceptions, the fact remains that the mindset of a majority of students in Kuwait will be moulded forever in accordance with the principles and beliefs of these groups. Their target is to catch impressionable young minds at an early age and instill in them their own values and prejudices. It becomes evident when many students, whose parents send them col-

leges in the west, return home sporting long beards and other conspicuous symbols of religion.

The influence of the early indoctrination is also evident in their cautious and sometimes aggressive reaction to the western society where they go to study. Therefore they often find themselves isolated and end up creating their own ghettos and ‘hideouts’. In reality, they do not even need such isolation as the fundamentalist groups by then succeed in raising walls in their minds that shield them not just from the western culture but also the knowledge that they now see as ‘a product and tool of western societies.’

That is why a child subjected to such regressive notions of education can never adapt himself to scientific theories which he views as being part of a ‘cultural invasion of infidel systems.’

Therefore, we need to free our innocent children from the control of fundamentalist and orthodox groups. Parents would be committing a major crime against their children if they let them become an easy prey for these groups who want to mould them as per their own narrow perspectives and to eventually reap their unconditional loyalty. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

When laws become unrespectable

By Arwa Al-Waqian

M

an-made laws followed institutionalized religion, both of them regulating people’s lives.

Without them both, we would have been living in a framework of jungle law where each would have fought for his or her own rights. The mighty would have then subjugated the weak, the weak would have always served the strong and our lives would have been lawless, primitive, random and brutish.

The funny thing is that despite all the laws meant to regulate and organize our life, we are still living just like we would have in that jungle I described, only in a modern way. We formulate so many beautiful and humane laws to achieve justice but none of them are actually imposed when a crime takes place.

No wonder, Kuwait has become one of those states where Wasta (favoritism) is considered mightier than any law. Laws are merely instruments tucked nicely inside drawers, to be used only to serve personal interests.

Kuwait is a country where former MPs commit the largest number of violations. Somehow or the other, they mediated and helped many rapists, bandits and assailants walk free by either ‘kissing some noses’ or threatening to file interpellations. This happened because the government was either too weak, indecisive or lenient in enforcing the law.

A large number of illegal practices are being committed even now by members of the ruling family, citizens or even expatriates without any deterrence from the government’s side. Killings, violence and homicides are being committed without the fear of any real punishment or enforcement of the death penalty. People kill or torture others and go unpunished. Some expatriates and domestic laborers kill their sponsors or bosses without facing the might of the law. An Ethiopian housemaid killed citizen Ayesha Al-Failakawi in 2011 and confessed to her crime. What happened after that? Where is she?

She is in a prison enjoying free sustenance, and has not received any punishment even though two years have passed since the ghastly crime.

Justice dispensation is so slow that one forgets about the crime itself, which by itself further complicates the issue as the delay encourages many irresponsible people, as happened in case of the murderer of the young dentist at the Avenues Mall and many others over the past three years, to commit even more violence and killings.

If we really wish to develop as a nation and fight the menace of corruption, laws must regain their power and prestige. Unfortunately, wolves are sometimes guarding the sheep and, instead of doing their job honestly, some policemen are promoting crimes and corruption instead of enforcing laws equally and impartially regardless of tribe, doctrine or nationality.

Finally, the murder of a Kuwaiti young man, Mubarak Mesh’al, by his friend, Yousif Hamad Bader Al-Sabah, in Sharjah was an awful crime. Kuwait’s embassy in the UAE did not respond adequately to it. In fact, there was an attempt to brush the matter under the carpet. But the whole story spread through social media networks and, luckily for the victim’s family, the crime took place in the UAE where laws are enforced without Wasta. This is the basic reason why the UAE has achieved so much when it comes to architecture. The strict law enforcement has made everybody respect the law there. That is in sharp contrast to the kind of chaos and barbarism that we see happening here in Kuwait. — Aljarida

Dear Muna, I felt so extremely blessed to read your article in Kuwait Times titled ‘No Religious Tolerance.’ I do not know whether in your country you will have to face consequences of writing such an article since it is a country where Muslims outnumber others. I am an Indonesian Christian. As you may have known, Indonesian Muslim population is equal to one-third of all Arab countries’ population. We do face an increasing religious intolerance in the country. I am not going to mention which religion violates the rights of which other religions. Not all areas of Indonesia are dominated by Muslims. The majority, everywhere, is prone to violating other religion’s right to survive, often even resorting to violent attacks. However, many cases in Indonesia also show that even the minority groups breach majority’s rights when they can. As I said earlier, the Muslims do not necessarily make for majority in all areas in Indonesia.

So what we need to address is different. We cannot blame the group that has the largest population. Our governments have to play their role in maintaining peace and tolerance among the diverse religious groups in the country. We often witness that religious education does not always teach the peaceful doctrines. People do not always learn about sending messages of peace “loving your neighbors” to their respective congregations.

In one of your articles, you wrote about a Christian mother seeking an opportunity for her ten-year-old son to attend the class about Islam. Unfortunately, her demand was rejected. It is a pity that the community denied a willing person from a different religion to know more about Islam. It will be such a wonderful blessing if one religion’s teachings peacefully permeate among individuals or groups belonging to a different religion.

The governments in the world should take into account that education is the best way to inculcate religious tolerance. As has been stated by some international human rights bodies regarding proactively advocating religious freedom and religious tolerance, education is the best way to ensure that common religious teachings about peace are spread. It is fully recommended that teaching about religious tolerance can start from a very early age. Finally, I feel so blessed while reading the Kuwait Times today. Your article provides meaningful teaching to millions of people throughout the world. Just yesterday, a Muslim mother living next to my house helped my mother in preparing food for a Christian fellowship event in my house. She showed no hesitation to eat from our plates and using our spoon or drinking from our cup. We even built a very strong relationship despite our different faiths. They send their children to Catholic schools.

We actually do not have any problem in coexisting with people living next to us who have a different faith. It is not us who create religious tensions. There are many groups who use the religion to serve their own interests. Our government must play its role in continuing the peace initiatives built by their citizens. I am sure that people in Kuwait have no interest in any religious tension or conflict. Only irresponsible people create that tension.

Thanks for your blissful article and please keep professing the cause of peace in the future also.

Fernando Indonesia

kuwait digest

Instrument of injustice

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

O

n National Day, I was stuck in a traffic jam at the Arabian Gulf Road, Shuwaikh Coast, for two hours. I noticed that National Day revelers have replaced foam spraying with water pistols and I believe that within a year or two, the transition will further evolve till our National Day resembles the well known water day in Thailand. There is nothing strange about that, as we are a people capable of skirting around any ban imposed by the government. We will find innovative substitutes to beat such obstacles. We are proving once again that we are a people who are simply beyond solving their problems.

The last word heard on the loans waiver issue is that April 1, 2008 has been decided as the cut off date and only loans availed before that could be considered for a waiver.

Presume that someone borrowed money a day after April 1, 2008. What will become of him? What about the citizen who rescheduled his debt after that date and borrowed a larger loan than the previous one? What about the interest that he paid in full which the lenders had no right to charge?

There are no official statistics available, but many of those who borrowed before April 1, 2008 rescheduled their loans.

Therefore, I believe that less than one-fourth of those who availed of the loans will benefit from the latest formula since anyone who rescheduled his loan after the suggested date, repaid it in full, shifted to another bank or borrowed after that date does not fall within the proposed time zone. Therefore, logically, the proposed resolution of the loans issue will largely prove to be an instrument of injustice as it will not benefit even 25% of the affected borrowers. It restricts the number of beneficiaries to a great extent. No wonder, some MPs have said that the government will not have to absorb any huge losses as a result of this suggested resolution. A few thousand will benefit while tens of thousands of borrowers will be left high and dry. In short, the suggestion will solve the problem of some of the borrowers, not the problem of loans. In Kuwaiti language, this suggestion amounts to a new insolvent fund, nothing more and nothing less.

As I said about the revelers too, we are a people beyond the reach of any solutions.—Al-Anbaa

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Kenya votes in tight polls after police gunned down

Malaysian troops sent to Borneo after police slain Page 11

Page 9

Pakistanis mourn as death toll hits 45 Karachi shut down for a day of mourning KARACHI: Shiite Muslims in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi demanded government protection yesterday from a wave of violence that has targeted the minority sect, a day after a massive bombing in the city killed 45 people.

The bomb exploded on Sunday evening as people were leaving a mosque in this port city, and underlined the increasing threat Shiites face as Sunni militant groups target them in ever-bolder attacks. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Sunni militant groups who do not consider Shiites to be true Muslims have carried out such attacks in the past.

At least 146 people were also wounded in the explosion and 32 of them remain in seri-

ous condition, said Dr Jalil Qadir, a Pakistani surgeon. Thousands of people thronged a main road in Karachi yesterday for a funeral service for 15 Shiite Muslims killed in the attack. Many beat their chests and heads and chanted “Stop the brutal attacks!” They called on the government to take action against militant groups responsible for the attacks.

“Terrorists are killing us everywhere, but the state is nowhere to be seen,” said Intizar Hussain, whose father died in the bombing. It was the third mass casualty attack since the beginning of the year against Shiites. The first two killed nearly 200 people in the southwestern city of Quetta, which is home to many Hazaras - an ethnic group comprising mostly Shiite Muslims who migrated from

KARACHI: Pakistani Shiite Muslim women mourn during a funeral ceremony for bomb blast victims in Karachi yesterday. Thousands of Pakistanis attended funerals yesterday for victims of a bombing that killed 48 people in a Shiite Muslim area of Karachi, the latest in a series of devastating attacks ahead of elections. — AFP

North Ireland police foil IRA-style mortar attack BELFAST: Northern Ireland police foiled an attempt to fire mortar bombs at a police station overnight in what would have been the first attack of its kind in the United Kingdom since a peace deal ended the Irish Republican Army’s campaign of violence.

Officers said they were working on the assumption smaller Irish nationalist militant groups were behind the planned assault, though no group claimed responsibility. Police said they intercepted a white van on the outskirts of Londonderry on Sunday at 20.15 GMT carrying four mortar bombs that were minutes from being deployed. After 100 homes were evacuated, army sappers disarmed the bombs.

“We could have been looking at mass murder today if those devices had exploded and hit their intended target,” Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargan told journalists. “It was certainly sophisticated and worrying in terms of the capability,” he said.

A 1998 peace deal largely ended more than three decades of violence in the Britishcontrolled province between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists seeking union with Ireland and predominantly Protestant unionists who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

But dissident nationalists, who include former operatives who split from the Irish Republican Army after it declared a ceasefire, still stage sporadic gun and bomb attacks. The threat has intensified in the past four years as frustration with the power-sharing government established under the 1998 peace deal has grown on the fringes of the nationalist community.

Irish nationalist militants have used mortars before, most spectacularly when the Irish Republican Army in 1991 fired a shell into the garden on Downing Street,

exploding within 50 feet (15 metres) of then British Prime Minister John Major and his cabinet.

The thwarted attack would have been the first by dissident nationalist using multiple mortars, a police spokesman said.

While police described the mortars as “crude home-made devices,” they said they could have caused extensive damage.

Police in Belfast last week seized an RPG 7 rocket launcher and warhead, a weapon more associated with the IRA than the dissidents, who have largely relied on homemade explosives. “ This sends out message they are increasing their capacity, which is a worrying development,” Doctor Jonny Byrne, a lecturer in criminology and politics at the University of Ulster.

“It raises the question of how much of this is coming from former IRA operatives who may be passing that on to a new generation,” he said. Police said they believed the van, which had a hole in its roof to allow the mortars to be fired from inside, had crossed the border from neighbouring county Donegal in north-west Ireland.

It was stopped close to the main police station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second city. Police arrested three suspects, one in the van, one on an accompanying motorbike and a third in a separate a raid soon after. The attack was condemned by mainstream Irish nationalist politicians, including Sinn Fein which was once the political wing of the now defunct Irish Republican Army. While support for the militants is relatively weak in the nationalist community, Monday’s attack will renew concerns about the security at a meeting of world leaders at a G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June. — Reuters

LONDONDERRY: Police forensic officers examine the scene where four live mortar bombs, far left, of picture, were intercepted by police in Northern Ireland in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, yesterday. A van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police believe the target was a Londonderry police station. Three men have been arrested in the operation linked to dissident republicans. — AP

Afghanistan more than century ago.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni militant group known for its virulent hatred of Shiite Muslims, claimed responsibility for the two attacks. Last year was one of the most deadly for Shiites in the country’s history. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 400 Shiite Muslims were killed in targeted attacks across Pakistan in 2012. This year could turn out to be even more dangerous with nearly 250 Shiites already killed in the three attacks.

Pakistan’s intelligence agencies helped nurture Sunni militant groups like Lashkar-eJhangvi in the 1980s and 1990s to counter a perceived threat from neighboring Iran, which is mostly Shiite. Pakistan banned

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in 2001, but the group continues to attack Shiites.

After the most recent attack in Quetta, the government launched a number of operations against the militant group and detained the founder of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Malik Ishaq.

In an apparent attempt to deflect criticism, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has repeatedly lashed out at government officials in Punjab province where the group is based and said that they had failed to crack down on militant groups in the province.

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf condemned the bombing late Sunday and ordered an inquiry into how the bombing was carried out. But for many Pakistanis, these phrases ring hollow after so many attacks.

“Go ask the sleeping government to wake up. Our brothers and sisters are dying every day. But the government is doing nothing.

This government is sleeping,” said Shagufta Rasheed, a resident of Karachi.

Karachi shut down yesterday for a day of mourning to honor the dead. Markets, gas stations and transportation were closed as security officials patrolled the streets. At the site of the blast, family and friends looked through the rubble for family members missing since the explosion.

“I am here to look for my relative,” said Farzana Azfar. “People say he was here. But people say they have no idea about him. It appears that some bodies are still in the rubble.” — AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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Syria rebels secure big victory of revolt 42 Syrian soldiers killed in Iraq DAMASCUS: Syrian rebels overran the northern city of Raqa yesterday, securing their biggest victory since the outbreak of a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad almost two years ago.

In central Syria, insurgents battled a major army offensive to capture rebel-held areas of the city of Homs, a watchdog reported, as the US said it would work to “empower” the opposition.

Reflecting the regional spillover from the conflict, dozens of Syrian soldiers and seven Iraqis were killed in western Iraq as gunmen ambushed

pened to your father’s statue!” cried an unidentified cameraman, as he filmed young residents beating the fallen statue with their shoes, while others fired celebratory shots into the air. The air force then deployed warplanes to bombard an area near the city’s presidential palace, according to the Observatory. The watchdog reported that rebels killed a police chief and captured two senior security officials. “Rebels took the state security chief to Turkey,” Abdel Rahman said, noting that the road linking Raqa to Turkey, including

ALEPPO: A Syrian rebel aims his weapon during clashes with government forces in the streets near Aleppo international airport in northern Syria yesterday. Syria is locked in a nearly twoyear-old conflict in which the United Nations estimates that more than 70,000 people have been killed. — AFP a convoy that had crossed the border to escape weekend fighting, a group of Iraqi army officers said. After days of fierce fighting, the rebels were now in “near-total control” of Raqa, the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“This is the first provincial capital in Syria where rebels have made such progress,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. “They now have near-total control of Raqa city, except for some regime positions, including the military security and Baath party headquarters.” The Observatory said Al-Nusra Front jihadists fought alongside other rebel groups in the battle for the northern city, strategically located on the Euphrates river near the Turkish border. In Raqa, residents destroyed a statue of Assad’s father and predecessor Hafez, according to amateur video footage distributed by activists.

“Come here Bashar (al-Assad) and see what hap-

the border crossing at Tal al-Abyad, was under rebel control.

Raqa was once home to 240,000 residents, but some 800,000 people forced to flee violence in other parts of Syria have sought shelter there ever since the start of the conflict, which has claimed more than 70,000 lives, according to the UN. In the central city of Homs, insurgents fought a fierce army onslaught a day after at least 264 people were reportedly killed across the country, among them 115 regime soldiers and 104 rebels.

The fighting in Homs “is the worst fighting in months and there are dozens of dead and wounded among the assailants,” said the Observatory, which relies on a network of medics and activists on the ground for its information.

Regular troops backed by pro-regime militiamen attacked the centre of Homs where rebels are holed up, including the Old City and neighbour-

hoods of Jouret al-Shiah, Khaldiyeh and Qarabees, it said. “On Sunday, the highest number of troops and rebels combined were killed since the start of the conflict,” said the Observatory’s Abdel Rahman. “We were able to document a death toll of 219 for fighters from both sides for Sunday alone, but we are certain the actual toll is even higher.”

In the northern city of Aleppo, the army tried to take back the historic Umayyad mosque, days after rebels seized it. And in Iraq, security officers said unidentified armed men ambushed a convoy carrying Syrian soldiers who had entered via the Yaarubiyeh border crossing, the site of weekend fighting, killing 42 Syrians and seven Iraqis.

The violence come as US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Riyadh that Washington will work with its “friends to empower the Syrian opposition,” though he stressed there was no question of arming the rebels. Asked about reports of arms being sent to Syria’s rebels from countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Kerry replied: “The moderate opposition has the ability to make sure that the weapons are getting to them and not to the wrong hands.”

However, he added, “there is no guarantee that one weapon or another might not fall in the wrong hands.” In December the United States listed Al-Nusra Front as a “terrorist” organisation.

Meanwhile, unidentified armed men yesterday ambushed a convoy carrying Syrian soldiers who crossed into Iraq from the site of weekend fighting, killing 42 Syrians and seven Iraqis, army officers said. The soldiers crossed into Iraq from the Yaarubiyeh border crossing, the scene of fighting on Saturday between rebels and troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, army Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Khalaf alDulaimi told AFP. The soldiers were first transported by the Iraqi authorities to Baghdad from the northern Nineveh province, which borders the crossing, and they were on their way back to be handed over to Syrian authorities on the border with Anbar province in western Iraq when the attack took place, Dulaimi said.

Armed men attacked the convoy from two sides with mortar rounds, automatic weapons and mines, killing 42 Syrian soldiers and seven Iraqis. Eight Syrians and four Iraqis were wounded, and three vehicles in the convoy destroyed, he said. Major Ali Juwair al-Dulaimi from Iraq’s Anbar Operations Command confirmed the toll.

The Monday attack comes after defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said an Iraqi soldier was killed and three people including a soldier wounded at the Yaarubiyeh crossing in Nineveh province on Saturday in clashes between Syrian rebel and regime forces. — AFP

PORT SAID: Thousands of residents join a funeral procession for civilians killed overnight during street battles with police forces, in Port Said, Egypt, yesterday. The fighting on Sunday prompted the military to intervene to break up the clashes, the first such intervention by the army since the military was deployed in Port Said in late January when tension between protesters and police first erupted. Arabic on the poster reads, “ the people want the army.” — AP

Five Egyptians killed in Port Said clashes CAIRO: Five people including two policemen were killed in overnight clashes between security forces and protesters in Egypt’s restive canal city of Port Said, the health ministry said yesterday.

Hundreds were also injured in the clashes which began on Sunday after authorities decided to move prisoners awaiting a verdict over alleged involvement in a deadly football riot last year.

The two policemen died from gunshots to the head and neck, an interior ministry official said. Of the 586 people were injured in the confrontations, 16 had been shot with live bullets and 27 from birdshot, according to Ahmed Sultan, head of emergency services.

A security official said earlier that protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at the police station in Port Said, where a general strike entered its third week. Police responded with tear gas. Traffic in the Suez Canal, a vital waterway for global commerce, has not been disrupted, the canal authority said.

The interior ministry said it decided to move prisoners from Port Said, starting with the 39 remaining defendants over the February 2012 football violence, because it wanted to avoid unrest.

The court verdict, expected next Saturday, is for the 39 defendants in a case which resulted in death sentences in January for 21 other defendants, sparking

clashes that killed at least 40 people.

Residents of Port Said and other canal cities have long complained that Cairo marginalises them. Last year’s football riot which killed 74 people, mostly supporters of a visiting Cairo team, exacerbated Port Said’s isolation, residents of the city say.

Overnight clashes also erupted in Cairo between police and protesters near Tahrir Square. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd as they approached a luxury hotel on the banks of the Nile which was damaged in clashes last month, a security official said.

Officials say calm has since been restored to the area. Egypt has been gripped by nationwide unrest in recent months, with protesters taking to the streets to denounce Islamist President Mohamed Morsi for failing to address political and economic concerns.

Opponents accuse Morsi-elected in June last year after a turbulent period of military rule-of failing the revolution that brought him to the presidency and of consolidating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood movement.

The Nile Delta has also seen its share of unrest, with a civil disobedience campaign declared in the province of Daqahliyah.

One person was killed and dozens injured in clashes over the weekend between police and protesters in Mansura, the province capital. — AFP

IAEA chief presses Iran on military base access VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog chief sought yesterday to crank up pressure on Iran to finally address suspicions that it has researched how to build an atomic bomb, calling for immediate inspector access to a key military site.

Signalling growing frustration at the lack of progress in his agency’s investigation, Yukiya Amano told its 35-nation board that negotiations with Iran must “proceed with a sense of urgency ” and be focused on achieving concrete results soon.

Because Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation with inspectors, the International Atomic Energy Agency “cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities”, said Amano, the IAEA’s director-general.

His message that Iran must act now was echoed by the United States and its top Gulf ally Saudi Arabia. They said yesterday that separate but related talks between Tehran and world powers on a wider diplomatic solution to the nuclear dispute could not go on indefinitely.

Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy and convinced Tehran is secretly trying to develop a nuclear weapon, has grown impatient with the protracted talks and has threatened pre-emptive war against Tehran if it deems diplomacy ultimately futile.

“There is a finite amount of time,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Riyadh, said of the talks between a group of six world powers and Tehran, Saudi Arabia’s main regional adversary.

Iran was upbeat last week after talks with the powers in Kazakhstan about its nuclear work ended with an agreement to meet again. But Western officials said it had yet to take concrete steps to ease their fears about its atomic ambitions.

The United States, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany offered modest relief from economic sanctions in return for Iran scaling back its most sensitive nuclear activity, but made clear that they expected no immediate breakthrough.

The IAEA has been trying separately for more than a year to persuade Iran to cooperate with a long-stalled agency investigation into suspected nuclear weapons research by Tehran, which denies any such activity.

Iran says it first needs to agree with the IAEA on how the inquiry is to be conducted before allowing any Parchin visit. But Amano underlined that access should be granted in any case, even before a deal on investiga-

tion ground rules was reached.

Amano said he was “once again unable to report any progress on the clarification of outstanding issues, including those relating to the possible militar y dimensions to Iran’s nuclear programme”.

Some diplomats and analysts say Iran is using the meetings with the IAEA merely for leverage in its negotia-

tions with world powers which, unlike the IAEA, have the power to ease sanctions that they have recently tightened on the major oil producer. The IAEA’s priority is to be able to inspect Parchin, a sprawling site southeast of the capital Tehran, where it believes Iran built an explosives chamber to carry out tests, possibly a decade ago. Iran denies this. — Reuters

VIENNA: Japanese General Director of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano addresses a press conference as part of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting at the UN atomic agency headquarter in Vienna yesterday. The head of the UN atomic agency called on Iran to grant access to a military base where Tehran allegedly conducted nuclear weapons research. — AFP

Ex-Libyan rebel offers to settle with UK govt LONDON: A Libyan military commander who is suing the British government over its alleged role in his detention and rendition has offered to settle for 3 pounds ($4.50) and an apology, saying he is seeking justice, not personal enrichment.

Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his wife are suing the British government, former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and the former head of the MI6 spy agency, Mark Allen. Belhaj, a former fighter in the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group that had opposed the late dictator Moammar Gaddafi, claims that both British and US intelligence may have played a role in his 2004 detention in Thailand and his transfer to Tripoli, where he spent years in prison.

He said yesterday he has sent an open letter to the British government offering to drop the case in return for a token 1 pound compensation from each defendant along with an apology and an admission of liability.

“It is certainly true that my wife and I suffered deeply during our kidnap and in Libya,” Belhaj said in a statement issued by his supporters, the Reprieve charity. “But we have come to court in Britain because we believe your courts can deliver justice.”

The Foreign Office confirmed it has received Belhaj’s letter and said it is cooperating fully with investigations into allegations made by former Libyan detainees about UK involvement in their mistreatment by the Gaddafi regime.

Information about the renditions emerged after Gadhafi’s overthrow in 2011. Documents were discovered that disclosed the cozy working ties between Gadhafi’s spies and Western intelligence officials. — AP

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Austrian far-right loses power in stronghold state VIENNA: Austria’s far-right has lost power in its late leader Joerg Haider’s stronghold of Carinthia after a drubbing in a state election, five years after the charismatic figure’s drink-driving death.

The election in Carinthia and in a second state on Sunday also marked the arrival as a political force of a new eurosceptic party created in 2012 by 80-year-old Frank Stronach, an AustroCanadian auto parts and horseracing billionaire.

Following a string of corruption cases, the far-right Freedom Party saw its share of the vote in Carinthia more than halve to around 17.1 percent from 44.9 percent at the last election in 2009, final results showed.

And in a boost to federal Chancellor Werner Faymann ahead of national elections later this year, his Social

Democrats (SPOe) looked set to regain Austria’s southernmost state for the first time since 1999, coming on top with 37.1 percent of the vote, up 8.4 percentage points.

Faymann’s coalition partners, the centre -right People’s Par ty (OeVP), meanwhile scored a good result in Sunday’s other election, retaining an absolute majority in the largest state Lower Austria with 51 percent, projections on national television showed.

The Freedom Party also saw its score fall two percentage points in Lower Austria to 8.5 percent, relegating it to fourth place behind Stronach’s new party. The SPOe fell 3.9 percentage points to 21.6 percent there.

Haider sent shockwaves through Europe in 2000 when his far-right party became part of the Austrian federal government, and even after support fell

and his movement split, he remained hugely popular in Carinthia.

After Haider ’s death in 2008, Carinthia remained his movement’s main bastion, but a number of damaging corruption cases, as well as a lacklustre economic performance in the state, have eroded support since 2009.

The scandals have also added to accusations that Haider, along with making light of Nazi concentration camps and praising the Waffen SS, was extremely keen on using his power to line his pockets.

Heinz-Christian Strache, the national leader of the Freedom Party who is hoping for a repeat of Haider’s 2000 triumph in upcoming federal polls, on Sunday called the result in Carinthia “personally very disappointing”.

“If Carinthia is run by a Social Democrat then he will bring to

Carinthia all the asylum cheats,” the 43year-old told a party rally in the state capital Klagenfurt on Saturday, saying the left-wing wanted to “spit into (Haider’s) grave.”

The two state elections were for the first time contested by Stronach’s new party, formed only last September.

Team Stronach won 11.3 percent of the vote in Carinthia and around 9.7 percent in Lower Austria, enough to make it into the state parliaments.

Stronach had left Austria six decades earlier with a few dollars in his pocket, bound for Canada, where he made his fortune from horseracing and auto parts giant Magna. He says European leaders were “stupid” to have created the euro.

His policies remain vague for now, talking only of slashing bureaucracy, reducing the national debt, imposing a

flat income tax rate and a new “Marshall Plan” for the battered economies of southern Europe.

“Team Stronach’s focus is on the federal elections. State elections... are pure test runs for us,” the octogenarian told the Oesterreich daily on Sunday.

Faymann meanwhile Sunday put a brave face on Stronach’s challenge.

“I think that people who vote for Stronach are protest voters,” Faymann said. “I have met Frank Stronach and he strikes me as someone who will not stick around if he is not successful. He is not someone who should shape the future of Austria.”

“You can buy lots of things with money,” agreed Michael Spindelegger, head of Faymann’s coalition partners the OeVP. “Yes, it was a successful election result for him (Stronach), but it wasn’t that brilliant either.” —AFP

Kenya votes in tight polls after police gunned down Tensions high in port city of Mombasa

DAVEYTON: Joesph (C) father of Mido Macia, and other family members leave the Benoni Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mido Macia, the 27-year-old taxi driver who lived in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, died on February 26, 2013 after being severely beaten by police officers and dragged behind their van after they accused him of obstructing traffic.— AFP

S Africa police bail postponed over death of Mozambican man BENONI: Eight South African police officers suspected of the murder of a Mozambican man who had been dragged to custody behind a police van had their bail hearing delayed yesterday.

The eight officers had been expected to appear in court and apply for release after being formally charged with the murder of 27-year old Mido Macia.

But the case was delayed without the defendants appearing in the dock, amid fears of them being photographed and identified.

Magistrate Samuel Makamu agreed the case will resume on Friday, once state witnesses have confirmed the identities of the accused.

The Mozambican taxi driver was filmed being manhandled, handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged hundreds of metres to the Daveyton police station, east of Johannesburg, last Tuesday.

Just over two hours later he was found dead in custody. A post mortem found he died from head injuries and internal bleeding.

Jossefa Macia, the victim’s father, told journalists after Monday’s hearing that he was grateful the court process “has now started”.

“We will get to the bottom of this,” he said outside the court in the city of Benoni outside Johannesburg, flanked by a son and another relative.

A small crowd of around 50 people protested, singing “A Luta Continua”, a rallying cry which means “The battle continues” in Mozambique’s national language Portuguese.

The group, mostly women dressed in

brightly-coloured fabric typical of Mozambique, brandished placards saying “No bail”. Sofia Machabane, 39, who said she grew up with Macia, insisted the men “should stay in prison”.

“If we let them go this time, it’s going to happen again. They’ll kill and kill and kill.”

Footage of Macia’s last hours spread quickly online and sent shockwaves throughout the country, shining a spotlight yet again on the conduct of South Africa’s much maligned police force.

In it Macia, lying on his back, can be seen kicking and struggling to avoid the tarmac as the police van picked up speed. High tensions between police and locals were evident outside the court on Monday, when the crowd chased after police who had arrested a pickpocket, thinking the officers had detained a protester.

The police had actually detained a man accused of stealing a journalist’s cellphone. “A case as serious as this, if it’s managed correctly, will have a heavy sentence too,” said Jose Nascimento, a lawyer appointed to represent the Mozambican government’s interests.

Besides the criminal case, there would also be a lawsuit to claim damages for the family, he said outside court yesterday. Around 50,000 Mozambicans legally work on South African farms and mines, though tens of thousands of undocumented workers are also thought to live in the country. President Jacob Zuma and the chief of police have condemned the latests incident. —- AFP

Pre-conclave talks begin in Vatican VATICAN CITY: Catholic cardinals began talks yesterday ahead of a conclave to elect a new pope after Benedict XVI’s resignation, as an absent British cardinal admitted to sexual misconduct with priests.

The Vatican meetings will set the date for the start of the conclave this month and help identify candidates among the cardinals to be the next leader of the world’s

1.2 billion Catholics.

“We’re going to take as much time as we need to think about what sort of pope the Church needs now,” French cardinal Andre VingtTrois told reporters as he arrived for Monday’s meetings.

“I’d be keen to have a polyglot, a man of faith, a man of dialogue... The new pope will certainly have to confront problems within the

Curia,” the government of the Catholic Church, he said.

Benedict’s eight-year pontificate was often overshadowed by Vatican intrigue and scandals in Europe and North America over sexual abuse by paedophile priests going back decades and the coverup of those crimes by senior prelates.

A total of 115 “cardinal electors”-cardinals aged under 80 — are expected at the conclave after Britain’s Keith O’Brien opted out and an Indonesian cardinal said he was too sick to attend.

O’Brien had already recused himself from the conclave and resigned as head of the Scottish church after allegations of misconduct surfaced.

“My sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

The field for next pope remains wide open after Benedict became only the second pontiff to step down by choice in the Church’s 2,000-year history and the first to do so since the Middle Ages. The Vatican says it expects a new pope by Easter, the most important date in the Christian calender which this year falls on March 31.— AFP

NAIROBI: Long lines of Kenyans queued from way before dawn to vote yesterday in the first election since the violence-wracked polls five years ago, with a deadly police ambush hours before polling started marring the key ballot.

The tense elections are seen as a crucial test for Kenya, with leaders vowing to avoid a repeat of the bloody 2007-8 post-poll violence in which over 1,100 people were killed and observers repeatedly warning of the risk of renewed conflict.

Voters standing for hours in snaking lines several hundreds of metres (yards) long-and several people thick-crowded peacefully outside polling stations to take part in one of the most complex elections Kenya has ever held.

People began lining up outside polling stations from as early as 4:00 am (0100 GMT) to cast their votes, two hours ahead of the official opening of the polls.

In middle-class areas of Nairobi, parked cars blocked the streets around polling stations, with progress slow in some centres due to delays due to malfunctioning electronic registration equipment.

Ahmed Issack Hassan, I ndependent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, said he was “aware of the challenges faced in various parts of the country” and were addressing them, appealing for voters to “be patient”. Tensions were high on the coast including in the port city of Mombasa where six policemen killed in two separate attacks, including an ambush by some 200 youths armed with guns and bows and arrows, hours before the opening of polling stations.

“Six policemen and six attackers were killed during the confrontation,” Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo told reporters, adding that 400 officers were being sent to the coastal province to beef up security.

Kimaiyo said the attackers were suspected members of the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), a group seeking the secession of the coastal region popular with tourists. Police have blamed the MRC for a string of attacks last year, and the group had threatened to boycott the polls.

Despite the attack , voters packed the streets in the city. “We are not worried, we are voting,” said architect Said Said, waiting to cast a ballot at a primary school.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said the attacks “were coordinated and aimed at interrupting voting in these areas.” A remote-controlled bomb was also set off in the northeastern town of Mandera-a town on the border with war-torn Somalia where Kenyan troops are battling Al-Qaeda linked insurgentsbut resulted in no casualties, police said.

Polling stations were supposed to close at 5:00pm but anyone in the queue by closing

time will be allowed to vote. A polling station that opened one hour late will stay open for an extra hour, electoral officials said.

Neck-and-neck rivals for the presidency, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta, have publicly vowed there will be no repeat of the bloodshed that followed the disputed 2007 polls.

Crimes against humanity trials later this year at The Hague -based I nternational Criminal Court (ICC) for Kenyatta and running

dent, parliamentarians, governors, senators, councillors and special women’s representatives, with some 14.3 million registered voters and more than 30,000 polling stations.

Preliminary results are expected within 48 hours but could take up to seven days, officials have said. Around 100,000 police have been deployed to ensure the election is peaceful, and about 23,000 observers, including 2,600 international monitors, are watching the vote, officials say. In the western town of Kisumu -

NAIROBI: Kenyans queue to collect their ballot papers in a school in Karen, a district of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, yesterday during the nationwide elections. Long lines of Kenyans queued from way before dawn to vote yesterday in the first election since the violencewracked polls five years ago, with a deadly police ambush hours before polling started marring the key ballot. — AFP mate William Ruto have raised the stakes: should they win the vote, the president and vice-president could be absent on trial for years.

Both front-runners have said they are confident of winning the absolute majority needed to avoid a second round run off vote. “We can win these elections in the first round... At the end of the day we will definitely be declared the winner,” Odinga said af ter voting in Nairobi’s Kibera shanty town, the scene of some of the worst ethnic clashes after the 2007 poll.

Kenyatta, voting in his hometown of Gatundu some 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of Nairobi, said he was “ready and prepared for whatever outcome” Kenyans chose. Kenyans are casting six ballots, voting for a new presi-

the heartland of Odinga supporters who went on the rampage in 2007-2008 after he was controversially pipped to the top job by President Mwai Kibaki-people blew whistles and sang as they waited to vote.

“We slept here last night because we want real change and we want our candidate-Raila,” said Susan Morell, 30. “We want real change but we want peace. We will accept the result as it comes out because we are sure of winning.”

The 2007-2008 violence exposed wide spread disenchantment with the political class, deep tribal divisions and shattered Kenya’s image as a beacon of regional stability.

More checks are in place this time to limit vote rigging, while a new constitution devolving powers has made the poll less of a winnertake-all race. —AFP

Islamist chief Abou Zeid ‘likely’ killed in Mali PARIS: Top Islamist militant leader Abdelhamid Abou Zeid has “likely” been killed in Mali as reported by Chadian forces, the French army’s chief of staff, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, said yesterday.

“It is likely, but it is only likely,” Guillaud said when asked on Europe 1 radio about the killing, adding that French authorities cannot “have any certainty right now because we have not recov-

ered the body.”

On the reported killing of another Islamist rebel leader, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Guillaud was more sceptical, saying: “I am extremely cautious.” He also said the army did know know where French hostages being held in the Sahel region were currently located but that it believed they were not in areas being hit by French air strikes. “We do not know where the hostages are,” he

This image released on December 25, 2012 by Sahara Media, shows one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelhamid Abu Zeid in an undisclosed place. Al-Qaeda’s branch in northern Africa yesterday confirmed that one of its senior leaders, Abdelhamid Abu Zeid, had been killed in northern Mali, a report said. —AFP

said. “We think the hostages are not there (where air strikes are taking place), otherwise we would not be carrying them out.”

Guillaud said French forces in Mali had uncovered an “industrial terrorist organisation” in the northeast, where French and Chadian troops are hunting down Islamist rebels driven from northern Mali’s main cities by a lightning French-led offensive launched in mid-January.

French forces have so far found more than 50 weapons caches, a dozen workshops and 20 improvised explosive devices, he said.

“It shows that this goes beyond... Mali, beyond even the Sahel, it was expansionist,” he said. “We have cleaned out one of the valleys, a main valley where Chadian and French forces moved in about 10 days ago,” he said. “We searched all night and from today (Monday) we will move into the other valleys.”

Guillaud said the military operation was dealing a fatal blow to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the leading militant group in the region.

“We are breaking the back of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, that was the goal set by the president,” he said. He

said the French military was not surprised that fighting had intensified in recent days as Islamist rebels have been cornered in mountain hideouts.

“We knew this would be the hardest part of this campaign,” Guillaud said. “We knew that we were dealing with fanatics.”

He said he believed there were

“several hundred” Islamist rebels remaining in the region at most. “We estimate that there were between 1,200 and 1,500 fighters in northern Mali when we intervened on January 11 and we think today more than a quarter of them are in the Ifoghas” mountains, he said. — AFP

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Expectant parents die in US crash, infant survives Woman’s body lands under parked truck

ALBUQUERQUE: In this Feb. 13, 2013 photo, statues of La Santa Muerte are shown at the Masks Mas art store in Albuquerque, N.M. La Santa Muerte, an underworld saint most recently associated with the violent drug trade in Mexico, now is spreading throughout the US among a new group of followers ranging from immigrant small business owners to artists and gay activists. —AP

Underworld saint becoming more popular in America ALBUQUERQUE: A follower in New Orleans built a public shrine in her honor.

An actor in Albuquerque credits her with helping him land a role on the TV show “Breaking Bad.” She turns up routinely along the US-Mexico border at safe houses, and is sighted on dashboards of cars used to smuggle methamphetamine through the southwest desert.

Popular in Mexico, and sometimes linked to the illicit drug trade, the skeleton saint known as La Santa Muerte in recent years has found a robust and diverse following north of the border: Immigrant small business owners, artists, gay activists and the poor, among others - many of them non-Latinos and not all involved with organized religion.

Clad in a black nun’s robe and holding a scythe in one hand, Santa Muerte appeals to people seeking all manner of otherworldly help: From fending off wrongdoing and carrying out vengeance to stopping lovers from cheating and landing better jobs. And others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

“Her growth in the United States has been extraordinary,” said Andrew Chesnut, author of “Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint” and the Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Chair in Catholic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Because you can ask her for anything, she has mass appeal and is now gaining a diverse group of followers throughout the country. She’s the ultimate multi-tasker.”

Exact numbers of her followers are impossible to determine, but they are clearly growing, Chesnut said. The saint is especially popular among MexicanAmerican Catholics, rivaling that of St. Jude and La Virgen de Guadalupe as a favorite for miracle requests, even as the Catholic

Church in Mexico denounces Santa Muerte as satanic, experts say. Her image has been used on prayers cards citing vengeance and protection, which are sometimes found at scenes of massacred bodies and on shipments of drugs. US Marshal Robert Almonte in West Texas said he has testified about La Santa Muerte in at least five drug trafficking cases where her image aided prosecutors with convictions. Last year, Almonte testified that a Santa Muerte statue prayer card, found with a kilogram of methamphetamine in a couple’s car in New Mexico, were “tools of the trade” for drug traffickers to protect them from law enforcement. The testimony was used to help convict the couple of drug trafficking.

Almonte has visited shrines throughout Mexico, and given workshops to law enforcement agencies on the cult of the saint. “Criminals pray to La Santa Muerte to protect them from law enforcement,” Almonte said. “But there are good people who pray to her who aren’t involved in any criminal activity so we have to be careful.”

Devotees say La Santa Muerte has helped them find love, find better jobs and launch careers. Gregory Beasley Jr., 35, believes he landed acting roles on “Breaking Bad” and the 2008 movie “Linewatch” after a traditional MexicanAmerican healer introduced him to La Santa Muerte.

“All my success ... I owe to her,” he said.

“She cleansed me and showed me the way.”

Some devotees pray to the saint by building altars and offering votive candles, fruits, tequila, cigarettes - even lines of cocaine in some cases - in exchange for wishes, Chesnut said. A red La Santa Muerte, her best-selling image, helps in matters of love.

Gold ones aid with employment and white ones give protection. A black Santa Muerte can provide vengeance.—AP

NEW YORK: A young couple, married for just a year, were looking forward to welcoming their first child into their tight-knit community of Orthodox Jews. Now, relatives and neighbors are left to raise their infant after the couple was killed when a hit-and-run driver struck their car and doctors managed to save the unborn baby.

The driver of a BMW slammed into the liver y cab carr ying Nachman and Raizy Glauber, both 21, in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Sunday as they headed to a hospital, said Isaac Abraham, a neighbor of Raizy Glauber’s parents who lives two blocks from the scene of the crash.

The engine of the livery car ended up in the backseat, where Raizy Glauber, who was seven months pregnant, was sitting before she was ejected, Abraham said. Her body landed under a parked tractor-trailer, said witnesses who came to the scene after the crash.

Nachman Glauber was pinned in the car, and emergency workers had to cut off the roof to get him out, witnesses said.

Both of the Glaubers were pronounced dead at hospitals, where doctors performed a cesarean section on the mother to deliver the baby. Both parents died of bluntforce trauma, the medical examiner said.

Their son was in serious condition, Abraham said. Neighbors and friends said the boy weighed only about 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms). The Glaubers’ liver y cab driver was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and was later released.

Both the driver of the BMW and a passenger fled and were being sought, police said. On Saturday, Raizy Glauber “was not feeling well, so they decided to go” to the hospital, said Sara Glauber, Nachman Glauber’s cousin. Abraham said the Glaubers called a car ser vice because they didn’t own a car,

NEW YORK: In this photo provided by VosIzNeias.com, a first responder works at the scene shortly after a car accident in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood took the lives of an expectant couple Sunday, in New York. The young couple who had taken a car service to a hospital were killed en route in a hit and run, but their baby boy survived, authorities said.—AP which is common for New Yorkers.

The Glaubers were married about a year ago and had begun a life together in Williamsburg, where Raizy Glauber grew up in a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbinical family, Sara Glauber said.

Raised north of New York City and part of a family that founded a line of clothing for Orthodox Jews, Nachman Glauber was studying at a rabbinical college nearby, said his cousin. Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultraOrthodox Jews outside Israel, more than 250,000. The community has strict rules governing clothing, social customs and interaction with the outside world. Men wear dark clothing that includes a long coat and a fedora-type hat and often have long beards and ear locks.

laws have largely been supported by Republicans who insist they are needed to prevent voter fraud. Democrats contend such laws suppress minority voter turnout because a higher percentage of blacks and Latinos than white lack the governmentissued documents such as a driver’s license or passport that some states require to cast a vote. “We will never give up or give in,” Lewis told marchers. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a prominent civil rights leader, said Sunday’s event had a sense of urgency because the U.S. Supreme Court heard a request Wednesday by a mostly white Alabama county to strike down a key portion of the Voting Rights Act.”We’ve had the right to vote 48 years, but they’ve never stopped trying to diminish the impact of the votes,” Jackson said.

Referring to the Voting Rights act, another civil right activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, said: “We are not here for a commemoration. We are here for a continuation.” The Supreme Court is weighing Shelby County’s challenge to a portion of the law that requires states with a history of racial discrimination, mostly in the Deep South, to get approval from the Justice Department before implementing any changes in election laws. That includes everything from new voting districts to voter identification laws.—AP

you, my daughter!” said Yitzchok Silberstein, Raizy Glauber’s father.

Afterward, the cars carrying the bodies left and headed to Monsey, where another service was planned in Nachman Glauber’s hometown.

“You don’t meet anyone better than him,” said his cousin. “He was always doing favors for everyone.”

She said Nachman’s mother herself just delivered a baby two weeks ago. “I’ve never seen a mother-son relationship like this,” Sara Glauber said. “He called her every day to make sure everything was OK. He was the sweetest, most charming human being, always with a smile on his face.”

She added that, of him and his bride, “if one had to go, the other had to go too because they really were one soul.” — AP

Pakistani teen, Colombia prez among Nobel prize nominees

Biden leads re-enactment of voting rights march SELMA: More than 5,000 people followed Vice President Joe Biden and black leaders across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the notorious 1965 beating of rights marchers, an event that galvanized the civil rights movement and pushed Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act the same year.

The marchers on Sunday followed Biden and US Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, across the bridge in Selma’s annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee. In March 1965, the marchers - including a young Lewis - were beaten by state troopers as they began a march to Montgomery. The 50-mile (80-kilometer) march shocked the country and led to the Voting Rights Act that struck down impediments to voting by African-Americans and ended all-white rule in the South.

Biden, the first sitting vice president to participate in the annual re-enactment, said nothing shaped his consciousness more than watching TV footage of the beatings. “We saw in stark relief the rank hatred, discrimination and violence that still existed in large parts of the nation,” he said. Biden said marchers “broke the back of the forces of evil,” but that challenges to voting rights continue today with restrictions on early voting and voter registration drives and enactment of voter identification laws where no voter fraud has been shown. Voter identification

Jewish law calls for burial of the dead as soon as possible, and hours af ter their deaths, the Glaubers were mourned by at least 1,000 people at a funeral outside the Congregation Yetev Lev D’Satmar synagogue. Men in black hats gathered around the coffins in the middle of the street, while women in bright headscarves stood on the sidewalk, in accordance with the Orthodox Jewish tradition of separating the sexes at religious services.

The sound of wailing filled the air as two coffins covered in black velvet with a silver trim were carried from a vehicle. A succession of men and women delivered eulogies in Yiddish, sobbing as they spoke into a microphone about the young couple. “I will never forget

BIRMINGHAM: A handout picture taken January 3, 2013 from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham shows injured 15 year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai waving as she is discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. A record 259 nominees are in the running for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The list is known to include Malala Yousafzai, the shot Pakistani schoolgirl-turned-icon of Taleban resistance. —AFP

OSLO: A Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taleban for advocating girls’ education is a wild card entry for this year’s Nobel Peace prize, with the leaders of Colombia and Myanmar among likely candidates for the award.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was certain to be on the list for his efforts to end half a century of conflict with the FARC guerrillas, alongside Myanmar’s Thein Sein, who has led a transition from decades of dictatorship, people familiar with the committee’s deliberations said.

Former US President Bill Clinton was once again a possible candidate for his charitable work. However, Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot, which gained international notoriety when three of its members were jailed for performing a “punk prayer” against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral, were not seen as likely winners.

The Nor wegian Nobel Committee, which announces its decision on Oct. 12, received a record number of nominations for this year’s award. “The prize keeps gaining importance and attention,” said its Director Geir Lundestad. “Presidents, prime ministers, former laureates submitted many of the nominations ... and we have plenty of new names as well as ‘old’ ones on the list.” The 15-year old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai has become an internationally recognised symbol of resistance to the Taliban’s efforts to deny women education and other rights.

“The youngest winners tend to be in their 30s and a 15-year old will be a tough one for them to handle,” said Kristian Berg Harpviken, the Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, which tracks the Nobel committee’s work.

Yemeni peace and women’s rights activist Tawakkol Karman is the youngest winner, having received the 2011 prize at

the age of 32. The committee, led by former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjoern Jagland, has drawn protest and extra publicity for the prize in recent years by awarding it to the European Union and US President Barack Obama.

Harpviken said it would not choose a more conventional candidate such as a peace or democracy activist simply because its past decisions were questioned. “They’ll pick a candidate with high moral integrity, a high profile and a global reach,” said Harpviken, who listed Yousufzai among his favourites. “These choices have weakened the reputation of the prize because they resonated very poorly with current sentiment... but Jagland doesn’t mind controversy.”

Other candidates are likely to include Russian dissidents Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the founder of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Svetlana Gannushkina, a long-time rights activist, and Liliya Shibanova, the head of an independent Russian election watchdog. The Committee never reveals its list of candidates but a wide range of officials and organisations from all over the world have the right to submit nominations and many reveal their choices publicly.

The peace prize is one of five awards instituted by Alfred Nobel, the late Swedish industrialist and inventor, and is given to those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

First awarded in 1901, the prize includes 8 million Swedish crown ($1.24 million) in cash. It will be presented on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

The committee received 259 nominations by last week’s deadline, including for 50 organisations, beating a 2011 record of 241 candidates. — Reuters

US abortion doctor goes on trial in 8 deaths PHILADELPHIA: Three years after drug agents searching a suspected “pill mill” at a Philadelphia clinic instead found a medical “house of horrors,” an abortion doctor is going on trial on eight counts of murder.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, the clinic owner, is charged with killing a pregnant refugee and seven viable newborns. He also faces a separate federal trial on prescription drug charges.

Gosnell, who has pleaded not guilty, saw himself as a medical missionary in the blighted neighborhood where he worked and lived for 40 years. His Women’s Medical Center treated the poor, immigrants, teens and women with late-stage pregnancies who could not get abortions elsewhere.

“I feel in the long term I will be vindicated,” Gosnell told the Philadelphia Daily News in a March 2010 interview, a month after the federal drug raid. “I

aspire to perfection, certainly for my patients.”

But some of those patients were left with infections, perforated bowels and other injuries after barbaric abortions were performed by untrained, unlicensed staff, according to numerous lawsuits and a lengthy 2011 grand jury report. And 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar lost her life there in 2009. Jury selection started yesterday in the death penalty case. All but one of the nine clinic workers arrested with Gosnell have pleaded guilty, three of them to third-degree murder, which carries a potential 20- to 40-year prison sentence.

Unlicensed doctor Steven Massof of Pittsburgh told the grand jury that he used scissors to snip the spines of more than 100 babies born alive. He worked for Gosnell for a few hundred dollars a week. He pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the deaths of two babies

allegedly stabbed by Gosnell while Massof assisted with the abortions.

Gosnell’s third wife, Pearl, a cosmetologist, pleaded guilty to performing an illegal, late-term abortion and other charges. She does not have to testify, but other co-defendants have said they will.

It’s not clear if Gosnell plans to testify, because a gag order has been issued in the case. But it’s possible, given his posture in the Daily News interview.

“Many times people have not been able to fully pay me for my services,” Gosnell said. “As a principle, I have not refused to provide them care.”

Yet he made millions over the years, both from abortions and a thriving side practice where staffers allegedly dispensed his pre-signed prescriptions for OxyContin, Percocet and other highly addictive painkillers.

Related federal drug charges await

Gosnell after the murder trial, which is expected to last several weeks. Opening statements are scheduled for March 14.

It’s not clear if Pennsylvania jurors have ever been asked to send a man of Gosnell’s age or occupation to death row. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams called Gosnell’s macabre medical clinic - where agents found fetal body parts in glass jars and staff refrigerators, and patient rooms filthy and blood-stained - a “house of horrors.”

“Dr. Gosnell is never going to get the death penalty,” defense attorney Jack McMahon said early on, noting his client’s age and the cost of protracted capital cases.

The gag order now prevents McMahon from commenting about the case. But he met with Gosnell at the courthouse on Thursday, with prosecutors and the trial judge nearby, in what some viewed as late-hour plea discus-

sions. Mongar’s family has a civil suit pending over her death. The woman from Bhutan - who did not speak English - died after allegedly receiving lethal doses of sedatives and painkillers from Gosnell’s untrained workers.

She and her husband and three children had survived 20 years in refugee camps before settling in rural Virginia.

She was referred to Gosnell’s clinic to seek a second-term abortion.

Medical technician Sherry West, during her plea to third-degree murder and other charges, admitted she may have administered drugs to Mongar while Gosnell was off-site.

“She’s very sorry about the death of that young lady,” defense lawyer Michael Wallace said after her plea. “She got caught up in a series of things that probably she did not realize the significance of.” — AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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

Myanmar oppn party to hold party congress YANGON: In another sign of political reform and reconciliation in Myanmar, the country’s biggest party led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will hold its firstever congress in the country’s former capital this week.

“This will be the NLD’s first party congress since the party was formed more than 24 years ago,” National League for Democracy senior leader and parliamentarian Ohn Kyaing said Sunday.

About 900 party members from 260 townships will attend the three-day conference starting Friday in Yangon to choose the party’s new leadership and to

lay down future policies and programs, said Ohn Kyaing, one of the organizers of the party assembly. “Party leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had said earlier that party central executive committee members had to be democratically elected but was unable to do so in the past because of an unfavorable political environment,” Ohn Kyaing told The Associated Press. Suu Kyi, 67, co-founded the National League for Democracy party amid massive prodemocracy protests in 1988 and officially registered it on Sept. 27, 1988, after the demonstrations were violently suppressed by the then-ruling military junta.

The party won national elections in 1990 by a landslide, but the results were not recognized by the military government.

Suu Kyi has been jailed or under house arrest for more than 15 of the past 21 years and hundreds of party members imprisoned, and the NLD was unable to hold a general assembly because of government repression.

“We had been unable to hold party assemblies because it was illegal to assemble under the previous regime. The upcoming party congress demonstrates the changing political landscape and openness in the country,” said party

spokesman Nyan Win. The ability of the NLD to hold such a meeting comes after Thein Sein was elected president in 2011 and instituted political reforms after almost five decades of repressive military rule. He has freed hundreds of political prisoners, abolished direct media censorship and allowed public protests as part of a democratic transition that has surprised the outside world though many in Myanmar remain skeptical.

Nyan Win said the party will elect 120 Central Committee members from various townships which will then elect a leadership to guide the party through the

2015 general elections. Suu Kyi is currently the party’s chairman.

Many NLD leaders are in their 70s or 80s and the general assembly is likely to inject fresh blood in preparation for the elections. The NLD had encountered unrest and splits party during grass-root level elections in the run-up to party congress, with complaints of lack of transparency and fairness.

The largest opposition party, the NLD won 43 of the 44 seats it contested in byelections last April and will be the largest party to challenge the ruling party in 2015. — AP

Malaysian troops sent to Borneo after police slain

BEIJING: In this May, 2012 file photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning cruises for a test on the sea. Newly installed Chinese leader Xi Jinping faces a key test of his campaign to end corruption and reduce extravagance when outlays for the politically influential military are announced today, after two decades of whopping defense budget increases. — AP

China defends massive growth in military spending BEIJING: China defended its booming military spending yesterday, saying vast investments in the armed forces have contributed to global peace and stability, despite concerns among the US and Beijing’s Asian neighbors over sharpening territorial disputes. However, in a break with previous years, no figure for this year’s defense budget was presented at a news conference held Monday on the eve of the annual legislative session. Spokeswoman Fu Ying said the figure would appear in the overall budget to be released today.

Approving the budget is among the key tasks of the session, which this year will see new leaders placed into top government positions after they were elevated at November’s Communist Party congress.

Party leader Xi Jinping will take over from Hu Jintao as president, as well as head of the government’s Central Military Commission, as

part of China’s once-a-decade power transition. In addition, the session approves top Cabinet appointments such as the defense minister.

Chinese defense spending has grown substantially each year for more than two decades, and last year rose 11.2 percent to 670.2 billion yuan ($106.4 billion), an increase of about 67 billion yuan.

Only the United States spends more on defense. Fu said China maintained a strictly defensive military posture and cited UN peacekeeping missions and anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden as examples of Beijing’s contribution to world peace and stability. “As such a big country, China’s inability to ensure its own security would not be good news for the world,” Fu said. “Our strengthening of our defense is to defend ourselves, to defend security and peace, and not to threaten other countries.”—AP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia sent hundreds of soldiers to a Borneo state yesterday to help neutralize armed Filipino intruders who have killed eight police officers in the country’s bloodiest security emergency in years.

Nineteen Filipino gunmen have also been slain since Friday in skirmishes that shocked Malaysians unaccustomed to such violence in their country, which borders insurgency-plagued southern provinces in the Philippines and Thailand.

The main group of intruders comprises nearly 200 members of a Philippine Muslim clan, some bearing rifles, who slipped past naval patrols last month, landed at a remote Malaysian coastal village in eastern Sabah state’s Lahad Datu district and insisted the territory was theirs.

Public attention focused yesterday on how to minimize casualties while apprehending the trespassers, who are surrounded by security forces as well as an undetermined number of other armed Filipinos suspected to have encroached on two other districts within 300 kilometers (200 miles) of Lahad Datu.

Army reinforcements from other states in Malaysia were being deployed to Sabah and would help police bolster public confidence by patrolling various parts of the state’s eastern seaboard, Sabah police chief Hamza Taib said.

“The situation is under control now,” Hamza said. “There will be cooperation” between the military and the police. He declined to elaborate on specific strategies or on a call by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for lethal action.

“There is no way out other than launching a counter-attack to eliminate” the intruders, Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama quoted Mahathir as saying Sunday. “Although many of them will be killed, this cannot be avoided because they had attacked Sabah, and not the other way round.” Malaysia’s current leader, Prime Minister Najib Razak, declared over the weekend that secu-

SEMPORNA: An unidentified family member cries while paying her last respects in front of the coffin of Superintendent Ibrahim Lebar, the Malaysian policeman who was killed in an ambush in Semporna, after its arrival at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. — AP rity forces were authorized to “take any action deemed necessary.” The Philippine government yesterday requested Malaysia exercise maximum tolerance to avoid further bloodshed.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario headed to Kuala Lumpur for talks on the crisis with his Malaysian counterpart, said his spokesman Raul Hernandez. Among the Philippine requests are a full briefing by the Malaysian government and a clearance for a Philippine navy ship with medical and social workers to proceed to Lahad Datu to care for the wounded and take them and others

back home, Hernandez said in Manila.

Some activists say the crisis illustrates an urgent need to review border security and immigration policies for Sabah, where hundreds of thousands of Filipinos have headed in recent decades - many of them illegally - to seek work and stability.

Groups of Filipino militants have occasionally also crossed into Sabah to stage kidnappings, including one that involved island resort vacationers in 2000. Malaysia has repeatedly intensified patrols, but the long and porous sea border with the Philippines remains difficult to guard.— AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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

Strike cripples Bangladesh, death toll rises to 80 Petrol bomb near India president’s hotel

NEW DELHI: India’s Irom Sharmila, center, who has been on a hunger strike for 12 years to protest an Indian law that suspends many human rights protections in areas of conflict, poses with supporters before a press conference, in New Delhi, India, yesterday. — AP

Indian woman vows to continue 12-year fast NEW DELHI: Irom Sharmila has not eaten a meal in 12 years. The 40-year-old has been on a hunger strike - and force fed through a tube by authorities - to protest an Indian law that suspends many human rights protections in areas of conflict.

Sharmila was charged yesterday with attempted suicide in a case likely to bring major attention to her quiet protest in the tiny northeastern state of Manipur against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Under the law, in effect in Indian-ruled Kashmir and parts of the country’s northeast, troops have the right to shoot to kill suspected rebels without fear of possible prosecution and to arrest suspected militants without a warrant. It also gives police wide-ranging powers of search and seizure. Dubbed the “Iron Lady” by her supporters, Sharmila has become a rallying point for those demanding the law’s repeal.

Sharmila had her last voluntary meal Nov. 4, 2000, in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, one of several northeastern states facing insurgencies. She was arrested three days later and has been force fed through a tube in her nose ever since. Under law, she has to be released once a year to see if she will start eating.

When she doesn’t, she is taken back into custody and force fed. The current charges stem from a 2006 protest she attended in New Delhi. Police took her from the protest venue, hospitalized her and registered a case of attempted suicide against her. Magistrate Akash Jain charged her Monday with attempted suicide. Appearing in court with her nose tube in place, she pleaded not guilty.

“I love life. I do not want to take my life, but I want justice and peace,” the Press Trust of India quoted her as saying in court, which she attended after flying in from Manipur over the weekend.

Jain set her trial for May 22. If convicted, she faces one year in prison. She remained unbowed as she left the courtroom. “I will continue my fast until the special powers act

is withdrawn,” she said. Sharmila’s supporters held a demonstration outside the court demanding the repeal of the act. “The Indian army should leave Manipur state and authorities should withdraw all the cases against her,” said one protester, Sucheta Dey. Human rights workers have accused Indian troops of using the law to detain, torture and kill rebel suspects, sometimes even staging gun battles as pretexts to kill.

The army opposes any weakening of the act, saying it needs extraordinary powers to deal with insurgents. Indian Law Minister Ashwini Kumar defended the act, saying it is needed for conflict zones where the onus and burden of proof were not easy to resolve.

“Therefore, the opinion of the defense establishment and intelligence agencies was critical in such matters,” Kumar was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper yesterday.

Student activists in Manipur said they disagree and complain the Indian army misuses these extraordinary powers and treats civilians as insurgents. Kennedy Sanabam, a member of the Manipur Students Association, said military has failed to contain the insurgency despite these powers. “The number of insurgents has gone up.”

The arrest last week of an army officer with illegal drugs worth millions of dollars in Manipur suggests the special powers are misused to carry out extortion and drug trafficking, said Pranshu Prakash, a research scholar in a New Delhi university.

The law has come under fire amid India’s reevaluation of its sexual violence laws following the gang rape and killing of a student on a bus in New Delhi in December. Women’s rights activists have said the law allows troops to rape women without fear of arrest or punishment. A panel appointed by the government recommended in January that the law be re-examined and that protections be removed for soldiers accused of sexual violence. The government declined to amend the law when it approved new measures to protect women.—AP

DHAKA: Schools and businesses were shut yesterday across Bangladesh on the second day of a general strike called by Islamist protesters, as three more demonstrators died in the deadliest violence since independence.

Police said the three were killed in clashes in the south and northwest in continued protests over the conviction of Islamist leaders for war crimes, raising the overall toll to 80 since January 21.

Sixty-four of the total have died since the vice-president of Jamaate-Islami, the nation’s largest Islamic party, was sentenced to death Thursday. Paramilitary border guards in the southern town of Kolaroa shot dead two people as a group of around 1,000 protesters tried to attack them with sticks and bricks, local government official Hossain Shawkat told AFP. In the northwestern town of Ullapara, a protester died on the way to hospital after police fired on hundreds of Islamists demanding a halt to the war crimes trials.

Violent clashes erupted across the impoverished country after Jamaat’s vice-president and firebrand Islamic preacher Delwar Hossain Sayedee became the third Islamist to be sentenced by a domestic tribunal.

Sayedee was found guilty of murder, religious persecution and rape during the 1971 independence war against Pakistan. Jamaat says the process is an attempt by the ruling party to settle scores and not about delivering justice.

The verdicts and the ensuing violence prompted Jamaat to call a two-day nationwide strike that began Sunday and has virtually crippled the country.

Schools and businesses were shut nationwide on the second day of the strike. The main road between the capital Dhaka and the second city Chittagong was virtually deserted, as were other inter-city highways. Security has been strengthened throughout the countr y, particularly in Dhaka where around 10,000 police and members of the elite Rapid Action Battalion were on duty yesterday.

As part of their protests, the Islamists have blockade a highway

Afghanistan president lashes out at Pakistan KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai lashed out once again at his supposed ally, Pakistan, saying yesterday that a statement by a Pakistani cleric endorsing suicide bombings in Afghanistan shows the neighboring country is not sincere in efforts to fight terrorism.

“Afghanistan wants a real struggle against terrorism and wants the Pakistani government to realize that both our nations are burning in the same fire,” the Afghan leader said, speaking at a press conference with visiting NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

“The Pakistani government has an essential and important role in putting out this fire,” Karzai added.Karzai made the comment in

Kerry talks Syria, Iran on Gulf...

Continued from Page 1 Kerry said his discussions with Gulf officials had also covered ongoing talks between world powers and Iran on its nuclear program. Talks with Iran “will not go on for the sake of talks,” he said. “Talks cannot become an instrument for delay that in the end makes the situation more dangerous. So there is a finite amount of time.

Obama has made it clear that Iran will not get nuclear weapons,” said the top US diplomat. “There is a huge danger of proliferation.”

World powers negotiating with Iran to rein in its nuclear program concluded another round of talks in Kazakhstan last week, after putting forward a proposal to ease biting sanctions if Tehran halts the sensitive work of enriching uranium. “Saudi Arabia supports the efforts to resolve the crisis diplomatically,” said the Saudi foreign minister. “We hope that the negotiations will result in putting an end to this problem... the negotiations cannot go on forever.”

World powers accuse Tehran of masking a weapons program under the guise of a civilian atomic drive. Iran denies these charges. During his flurry of meetings in Riyadh on Monday, Kerry also held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, but had no plans for a meeting with King Abdullah, officials said. He also met Abbas in a luncheon meeting which had not been scheduled. “Well, Mr. President I have been waiting for this meeting and I think you have too,” Kerry told Abbas.

“That’s right, that’s right,” replied Abbas.

Prior to their meeting, Palestinian envoy in Riyadh, Jamal Al-Shawbaki, told the official Voice of Palestine radio that Abbas “will present the Palestinian point of view to the new US administration ahead of Obama’s visit”. Obama is due to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and Ramallah during a visit on March 20-22. After winding up the Saudi leg of his tour, Kerry headed to Abu Dhabi. He will then head to Qatar. — AFP

UAE tries 94 over ‘coup’ plot Continued from Page 1 real estate companies to finance their organisation. The hearing was adjourned to March 11, the ministry said.

Obaid Al-Zaabi and Omar Al-Mansoori, relatives of some of the detainees, said several defendants - one crying and asking the judge for protection - testified about being repeatedly punched, denied medical treatment, blindfolded and forced to take unknown medications. After their testimony, the judge agreed to transfer the defendants from an undisclosed location to a general prison and allow several to get medical treatment. Some relatives posted pictures on Twitter of representatives of human rights organisations standing outside the court building after allegedly being denied entry as observers. Authorities bused in relatives authorised to attend the hearing, banning them from driving on their own to the court building, as security measures were very tight, activists said on Twitter.

Amnesty International said a Kuwaiti lawyer representing it as an observer was denied entry into the UAE. “By denying access to observers from human rights groups, the UAE authorities are blatantly trying to manage what information is made available about the trial to the outside world,” Amnesty International said. The Kuwaiti lawyer, Ahmad Nashmi Al-Dhafeeri, wrote on his Twitter account that he was sent back from the airport. “I was prevented today from entering the UAE to monitor the trial of those accused of

DHAKA: Bangladeshi Islamist activists vandalise motor bikes in Barisal, some 142 kms south the capital Dhaka yesterday during a nationwide strike called by Jamaat-e-Islami and protesting the war crimes verdicts. Schools and businesses were shut yesterday across Bangladesh on the second day of a general strike as huge numbers of police were deployed to put a halt to the deadliest bout of violence since independence. — AFP leading to the popular Cox’s Bazaar accusing the government of stag- office said nobody in the delegation had heard the “minor explotourist region, where several hun- ing a witch-hunt.

The government, which says the sion”. “Bursting of such cocktails are dred holidaymakers have been 1971 war claimed three million common in Bangladesh during hartrapped including some foreigners.

District police chief Azad Miah lives, rejects the claims and accuses tals (shut-downs) and cannot be told AFP that while more than Jamaat leaders of being part of pro- described as a bomb,” said the 3,000 tourists had been able to Pakistani militias blamed for much statement.

Local policeman Apurba Hasan leave since Thursday, mostly of the carnage during the war. through the local airport, around Independent estimates put the told AFP that officers had heard “a death toll from the war at between loud noise about 200 metres (650 700 remained stranded. feet) outside the hotel”.

Police said the latest clashes 300,000 and 500,000.

The Indian president is on a Meanwhile, protesters threw a were fuelled by rumours that images of Sayedee’s face were home-made petrol bomb near the three-day state visit to Bangladesh, reflected off the sur face of the hotel of Indian President Pranab which has coincided with the worst moon, leading many Islamists to Mukherjee in the Bangladesh capi- violence in the country since indetal yesterday amid new deadly pendence in 1971. assert that he was innocent.

The country’s main Islamic party “Some imams have used this protests in the country, an Indian has enforced a two-day strike over rumour to mobilise villagers official said.

The foreign ministry official, the conviction of three of its top against police,” said police inspecspeaking on condition of anonymi- leaders for war crimes. tor Shamsul Haq. Sixty-four people have died The government has banned ral- ty, said “protestors threw a crude lies and gatherings in at least four cocktail bomb near the gate of the since the vice-president of Jamaattowns in the north to quell vio- hotel where the Indian president is e-Islami was sentenced to death last Thursday. In an apparent falllence, police said. The war crimes staying in Dhaka”.

The official said nobody was out of the domestic political standtrials of a dozen leaders from Jamaat and the main opposition injured and the president would off, opposition leader Khaleda Zia Bangladesh Nationalist Party have continue his three-day state visit, cancelled her meeting with Mukherjee that was scheduled for opened old wounds and divided which is set to finish today.

A statement from the president’s yesterday.— AFP the nation, with the opposition

plotting to overthrow the government as a delegate for Amnesty International,” Dhafeeri wrote on his Twitter account late Sunday. Human Rights Watch urged visiting US Secretary of State to “raise fair trial concerns” during his stop in the UAE as part of a regional tour.

Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, an Emirati political scientist, said the scale of the trial was unprecedented and that the authorities had to be careful to conduct proceedings properly. “For the UAE, this is all very new so ... the more they stick to the book, the better,” he said. The UAE, a federation of seven emirates led by oil-rich Abu Dhabi, has not seen any of the widespread pro-reform protests which have swept other Arab countries, including fellow Gulf states Bahrain and Oman. But authorities have stepped up a crackdown on voices of dissent and calls for democratic reform. Dubai police chief General Dahi Khalfan has accused the Muslim Brotherhood which came to power after the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia - of plotting against Gulf monarchies.

In January, local media announced that UAE authorities had arrested 11 Egyptian residents suspected of links to the Brotherhood. Human Rights Watch later spoke of 13. The case has sparked a sharp deterioration of relations between Abu Dhabi and Cairo, already under strain since Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi’s election as Egyptian president last June. The Gulf country, where membership of political parties is banned, has rejected a request from Egypt for the release of its nationals. — Agencies

response to a question about a statement last week by the head of the Pakistani clerics’ council who had been scheduled to travel to Afghanistan for a meeting of the two countries’ religious leaders.

The cleric, Tahir Ashrafi, said in a television interview that suicide attacks in Afghanistan are lawful because NATO troops are invaders that have occupied the country. Karzai noted that Ashrafi was appointed to the delegation by the Pakistani government, implying that the government in Islamabad was backing his views.

“We see that practical steps are not being taken to fight terrorism,” Karzai said, and added that a series of recent attacks in Pakistan show

that the neighboring country is falling into chaos. Neither Ashrafi nor Pakistani officials could be immediately reached for comment.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have long been tense friends. Afghanistan has been deeply suspicious of the motives of a government that long backed the Taleban regime and has since seemed unable or unwilling to go after militant leaders taking refuge inside its borders. The killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan only strengthened Afghan wariness of the neighboring country “The situation is getting out of control for everyone now. This is not to the benefit of Afghanistan, Pakistan or the region,” Karzai said.— AP

HIV cured in baby for first time Continued from Page 1 The baby was infected by her HIV-positive mother, and her treatment with therapeutic doses of antiretroviral drugs began even before her own positive blood test came back.

“I just felt like this baby was at higher-than-normal risk, and deserved our best shot,” Dr Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi, said in an interview. “We can’t promise to cure babies who are infected. We can promise to prevent the vast majority of transmissions if the moms are tested during every pregnancy,” Gay stressed. In Mississippi, Gay gives the child a check-up every few months: “I just check for the virus and keep praying that it stays gone.” The mother’s HIV is being controlled with medication and she is “quite excited for her child”, Gay added.

The typical protocol for high-risk newborns is to give them smaller doses of the drugs until results from an HIV blood test is available at six weeks old.

Tests showed the baby’s viral count steadily declined until it could no longer be detected 29 days after her birth. The child was given follow-up treatment with antiretrovirals until 18 months, at which point doctors lost contact with her for 10 months. During that period she was not taking antiretrovirals. Researchers then were able to do a series of blood tests - and none gave an HIV-positive result.

Baffled, Dr Gay turned to her friend and longtime colleague, Dr Katherine Luzuriaga of the University of Massachusetts, and she and Persaud did a series of sophisticated lab tests on the child’s blood. The first looked for silent reservoirs of the virus where it remains dormant but can replicate if activated. That is detected in a type of immune cell known as a CD4 Tcell. After culturing the child’s cells, they found no sign of the virus. Then, the team looked for HIV DNA, which indicates that the virus has integrated itself into the genetic material of the infected person. This test turned up such low levels that it was just above the limit of the test’s ability to detect it.

The third test looked for bits of genetic material known as viral RNA. They only found a single copy of viral RNA in one of the two tests they ran. Because there is no detectible virus in the child’s blood, the team has advised that she not be given antiretroviral therapy, whose goal is to block the virus from replicating in the blood. Instead, she will be monitored closely. There are no samples that can be used by other researchers to confirm the findings, which may lead

skeptics to challenge how the doctors know for sure that the child was infected.

Persaud said the team is trying to use the tiny scraps of viral genetic material they have been able to gather from the child to compare with the mother’s infection, to confirm that the child’s infection came from her mother. But, she stressed, the baby had tested positive in two separate blood tests, and there had been evidence of the virus replicating in her blood, which are standard methods of confirming HIV infection.

Dr Anthony Fauci, direc tor of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said although tools to prevent transmission of HIV to infants are available, many children are born infected.

“With this case, it appears we may have not only a positive outcome for the particular child, but also a promising lead for additional research toward curing other children,” he said.

Natural viral suppression without treatment is an exceedingly rare occurrence, seen in fewer than half a percent of HIV-infected adults, known as “elite controllers”, whose immune systems are able to rein in viral replication and keep the virus at clinically undetectable levels. Experts on HIV have long wanted to help all HIV patients achieve elite-controller status.

Researchers say this new case offers hope as a gamechanger, because it suggests prompt antiretroviral therapy in newborns indeed can do that.

Still, they said, their first priority is learning how to stop transmission of the virus from mother to newborn. ARV treatments of mothers currently stop transmission to newborns in 98 percent of cases, they say.

“Our next step is to find out if this is a highly unusual response to very early antiretroviral therapy or something we can actually replicate in other high-risk newborns,” Persaud pointed out.

The Mississippi case shows “there may be different cures for different populations of HIV-infected people”, said Dr Rowena Johnston of amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. That group funded Persaud’s team to explore possible cases of pediatric cures. It also suggests that scientists should look back at other children who’ve been treated since shortly after birth, including some reports of possible cures in the late 1990s that were dismissed at the time, said Dr Steven Deeks of the University of California, San Francisco, who also has seen the findings. “This will likely inspire the field, make people more optimistic that this is possible,” he said. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. — Agencies

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

ANALYSIS

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Issues

HIV ‘cure’ in infancy

By Mariette Le Roux IDS experts cautioned yesterday against hype of a cure after doctors in the United States suppressed HIV in a child born with the virus by administering a potent drug cocktail shortly after birth. The possible breakthrough may hold promise for about 330,000 children the World Health Organisation (WHO) says are born every year with the virus that causes AIDS. While cautiously optimistic, experts stressed that much remained unclear - including whether this may have been a freak result.

“The world needs to see this as a proof of concept, but we are not anywhere near implementation” of similar treatment for all newborns at risk, said Harry Moultrie, a paediatric HIV researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, which has a high share of infants born HIV-positive.

“One case does not make an intervention that you can just roll out,” said Moultrie, even as he hailed the result “a compelling description of a cure”.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland, earlier reported they had cured a baby born with HIV. This was a “functional cure” rather than a full one, as traces of the virus were still present in the child’s cells, but at non-dangerous levels. The baby girl was given a cocktail of three anti-AIDS drugs within 30 hours of being born. Normally, babies born to HIV-positive women are given a lower, preventative dose of drugs for several weeks, after which full treatment starts upon HIV diagnosis. In this case, the child remained on antiviral treatment for 18 months. Ten months after treatment was stopped, no HIV was detectable in her blood with standard tests.

“They (the researchers) need to keep a close eye on this child to check that the HIV isn’t going to reassert itself further down the line,” said Genevieve Edwards of the Terrence Higgins Trust, a UK-based AIDS charity. She warned the girl may be one among a handful of people whose immune systems don’t need drugs to keep the virus from replicating.

Moultrie added it remained to be seen whether the treatment would work on all strains of the virus.

“This was one child and we are not sure of the generalisability or reproducibility of the result,” he told AFP. “If we give the same intervention to 100 children we do not know what proportion of them will give the same result; it may be five percent, it may be 80 percent.” UNAIDS welcomed the development which “gives us great hope that a cure for HIV in children is possible and could bring us one step closer to an AIDS-free generation.” But it cautioned that more study was needed.

“The important thing to concentrate on is to prevent children getting HIV in the first place,” said Oxford University AIDS researcher John Frater. This is best done through screening pregnant women and putting those with HIV on antiviral treatment to prevent transmission. Frater stressed that parents must not interpret the news as meaning they can take their children off AIDS drugs. “It is important not to extrapolate from one single case to others.

Plenty of children who would stop therapy would rebound.”

If confirmed, however, the American research would be a massive breakthrough in the fight against a disease that has claimed some 35 million lives. “Up until two or three years ago, the general scientific belief was that a cure for HIV was impossible: that we shouldn’t research it or invest in it,” said Frater. “Cases like this tell us that a cure for HIV is not impossible... that this is an area of research that we should concentrate on.” WHO statistics show that the bulk, 299,000, of children born with HIV were in sub-Saharan Africa - about a tenth of them in South Africa in 2011. —AFP

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The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Without Belmokhtar, Qaeda would suffer

By Myra MacDonald early two years after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the death in Mali of Algerian commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, if confirmed, would be a serious blow to Al-Qaeda’s efforts to recover its cohesion as a force for global jihad. Official sources question how far Al-Qaeda’s leadership is able to influence its branches in farflung North Africa, arguing that an intensive US drone campaign on its presumed haven in Pakistan’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan has severely damaged its ability to exercise command and control.

But Belmokhtar - whom Chad said its forces had killed in northern Mali on Saturday - nonetheless represented an important link to the jihadi organisation’s roots, having trained in Afghanistan in the early 1990s, where according to two former mujahideen commanders he was close to Al-Qaeda. The presumed mastermind behind a hostage-taking at an Algerian gas plant in January, he had also staked a claim to represent core Al-Qaeda causes when the hostage-takers demanded the release from US prisons of Egyptian Sheikh Omar AbdelRahman and Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui. Abdel-Rahman, the blind cleric jailed for involvement in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and Siddiqui, whose uncle by marriage was Sept 11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammad, are highly sensitive cases in Egypt and Pakistan, used to win support for Al-Qaeda’s cause

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and draw in recruits and funding.

“If confirmed, his death would definitely be a blow for the jihadi networks in North Africa and the Sahel,” said Camille Tawil, a journalist at Al Hayat newspaper and a leading authority on North African jihadism. “He is for sure one of the oldest recognisable figures in the region with a wide and strong network of cells made up of locals as well as foreigners.” A jihadist quoted by the SITE monitoring service rejected reports that Belmoktar had been killed, saying he was alive and would soon release a message.

There has been no confirmation of his death outside of Chad. Chad’s President Idriss Deby said on Friday his soldiers had also killed Al-Qaeda commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid in an operation in the same area Mali’s Adrar des Ifoghas mountains near the Algerian border. An Algerian security source said it was “very likely” Belmokhtar had been killed. Others were more sceptical, noting his experience and knowledge of the desert terrain could have helped him escape after French-led military operations were launched against the Islamist militants in Mali this year.

The killing of the two commanders, if confirmed, would also not be death blow for Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Before being driven out of towns in northern Mali, the militants had dug deep roots among the local population and won many new recruits who are expected to continue the fight. Belmokhtar’s death - far more so than that of Abu Zeid - would nonetheless

break a chain linking those dedicated to AlQaeda’s ideology from Mauritania in the west, eastwards through Mali to Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen and Pakistan.

It would also come at a time when bin Laden’s successor, the Egyptian Ayman AlZawahiri, has to prove his credentials to keep the different parts of Al-Qaeda together. Zawahiri has neither the iconic stature nor the background as a former Saudi national that allowed bin Laden to act as a unifying force before he was killed by US forces in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad in May 2011. “One of the major challenges which Zawahiri will have to face is to reassure members of Al-Qaeda that as its leader, he will not follow an Egypt-centric strategy,” said Arslan Chikhaoui, a security analyst and chairman of a consultancy firm based in Algiers. “He will have to work particularly hard to keep Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on the side of the Al-Qaeda network and convince them of their interest in being inside the organisation and not on the outside,” he said in a report released last month.

And while support for Al-Qaeda’s ideology will be carried forward by younger recruits, Belmokhtar was, or is, the last in the Sahel connected to the early days of global jihad. According to two former mujahideen commanders who knew him, he was 19 years old when he reached Afghanistan in 1991. He spent 1-1/2 years there, losing an eye during a bomb-making class, before

returning to Algeria to join its bloody civil war. A statement on his reported death, released by US Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described him as “one of the most elusive and deadly terrorists in North Africa”. Underscoring his importance, the statement added that, “Belmokhtar has been tracked by the Central Intelligence Agency since the early 1990s.” Belmokhtar, along with many other Algerian Islamists who fought in the civil war, officially joined Al-Qaeda when his group became Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2007. Before the attack on the Algerian gas plant at In Amenas, in which more than 60 people were killed, some experts had suggested Belmokhtar had drifted away from jihad in favour of kidnapping and smuggling weapons and cigarettes in the Sahara, where he earned the nickname “Mr Marlboro”. Yet in a video released last year he had publicly pledged his loyalty to Zawahiri and Afghan Taleban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar. Rather than drifting away from jihad, he appeared to be combining it with smuggling and kidnapping to raise funds. Underscoring his geographical reach, he had support in Mauritania, an old base of operations for him. He had also been reported to have bought weapons from jihadis in Libya - part of the huge cache which also found its way into the hands of Islamist militants in the Sinai in Egypt after the overthrow in 2011 of Libyan dictator Muammar Al-Gaddafi.— Reuters

China’s next inner circle

By Irene Jay Liu and Chris Ip ven as Xi Jinping gets ready to assume the presidency of China this month, jockeying has begun for 2017 when rising stars of the ruling Communist Party move into top leadership posts. China’s first and second generation Communist Party leaders, such as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, ruled as single paramount leaders. But over the past two decades, Chinese leaders have tried to institutionalise governance with an emphasis on collective leadership - except when it comes to choosing leaders.

The process is highly secretive and influenced by faction leaders who jockey to get their allies on the 25-member Politburo and its apex body, the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee. “In certain areas the rules and the norms of institutionalisation continue, but in certain areas they are subject to manipulation, in particular with regard to the selection of the Politburo,” said Cheng Li, director of research at the John L Thornton China Center in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution.

China’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition last November installed a largely caretaker leadership in the Standing Committee. In 2017, five of the seven members will reach retirement age after one term in office. Only China’s top two leaders, president-in-waiting Xi Jinping and premier-inwaiting Li Keqiang, will remain on the powerful body in 2017.

Two main factions are competing for power within the Standing Committee. Members of the “Shanghai Gang”, headed by former Party chief Jiang Zemin, have connections to China’s commercial capital. The other main faction, the “Tuanpai,” is led by outgoing President Hu Jintao. Its members, like him, cultivated their careers in the Communist Youth League.

Most of the Politburo members and provincial Party secretaries eligible for promotion in the next term in 2017 have experience in the Communist Youth League, according to data from “Connected China”, a Reuters site that tracks the careers and connections of China’s top leaders. Although the Politburo appointed in November shows strong ties to Jiang Zemin, analysts say outgoing President Hu Jintao’s Communist Youth League faction will gain the upper hand over the longer term.

A third group has also ascended rapidly - the princelings, or privileged children of revolutionary leaders. Key princelings include Xi and Politburo Standing Committee members Yu Zhengsheng, Wang Qishan and Zhang Dejiang.

Xi is the first Communist Party General Secretary to take power while his two predecessors are both still alive. That puts

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him in the role of cautious consensus-builder between factions allied to his two predecessors, rather than an agent of reform, political analysts said. “I don’t think can push much because it’s still a Jiang (Zemin) Politburo Standing Committee,” said David Zweig, a Chinese politics scholar at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Six of the seven members on the Standing Committee have ties to Jiang, who relinquished the top Party position over a decade ago. Premier-in-waiting Li, whose ties with Hu go back to the 1980s, is the only Standing Committee member considered to be a Hu protÈgÈ and a member of his Tuanpai faction.

But the 86-year-old Jiang is 16 years Hu’s senior. Few of his proteges are expected to stay on when the Standing Committee members are scheduled to retire in 2017. Factions of this kind rarely survive the death of its leader, said Jiangnan Zhu, a Hong Kong University associate professor specializing in Chinese politics.

“Usually, when a patron dies, his followers can’t hold together for very long, and his faction will eventually fall.

This was basically the case for Mao, the most powerful patron in CCP history,” Zhu said.

The Tuanpai could be the exception. It traces its origins to former Communist Youth League leader Hu Yaobang, who promoted many Tuanpai officials, including Hu Jintao, during his tenure as Party General Secretary in the 1980s. The Tuanpai’s influence expanded under Hu when he became General Secretary in 2002. Under Hu the number of Tuanpai leaders in top provincial top posts increased from five in 2002 to 13 in 2005, and rose to 21 in 2010.

Connections to the Communist Youth League are a common denominator for many figures seen as the next generation of leaders, data from Connected China shows.

Of the 14 members in the 25-member Politburo eligible for another term in 2017, nine have worked in the Communist Youth League and are considered to be protÈgÈs or allies of Hu. Only five are known to have ties

with Jiang. Communist Youth League experience is even more prevalent among provincial-level Party chiefs. Provincial Party leadership has become almost a prerequisite for a top leadership post. Among the 29 eligible for Politburo membership next year, 19 have experience in the Communist Youth League, and 11 are considered to be members of the Tuanpai faction, the data from Connected China shows.

The promotion of so many Communist Youth League members is largely credited to Hu protÈgÈ, Li Yuanchao. As head of the Party’s Organisation Department, he promoted many of his mentor’s allies. Three of the top contenders for seats in the 2017 Politburo Standing Committee are linked to Hu Jintao - Li Yuanchao, former Guangdong provincial Party chief Wang Yang, and the current Guangdong boss, Hu Chunhua. If promoted, those three along with premier-in-waiting Li, would occupy more than half of the Standing Committee seats in 2017.

“Hu Jintao has been very successful in nurturing future leaders amongst the fifth and the sixth generation from the youth league,” said Willy Lam, a scholar on Chinese history and politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. But the Tuanpai also has a problem, he said. Except perhaps for Wang Yang and Li Yuanchao who are seen as experienced leaders, few other leaders from the Tuanpai have a strong track record.

Xi’s power base is in the military where a number of princelings have made their careers, according to Lam. The data from Connected China shows Xi has far fewer ties to other contenders in the Party and the government. Of the 14 members of the Politburo eligible for another term in 2017, only two are known to have close ties with Xi - Li Zhanshu and Xu Qiliang. As director of the Central Committee General Office, Li is Xi’s chief of staff. Xu is a military official seen as unlikely to be promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee.— Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

S P ORT S Doha Diamond League meet DOHA: Jamaica’s 100 metres world champion Yohan Blake is the first highprofile athlete to sign up for the opening Diamond League event in Doha, organisers said yesterday. The meeting on May 10 in Qatar is the first of the 14 Diamond League fixtures.

“This will be my first time in Qatar and I am looking forward to going to Doha, for my first Diamond League appearance on the Asian continent,” Blake said in a IAAF statement. “I have heard about the fast track in Doha and I hope to break the meeting record (9.85 seconds, Olusoji Fasuba, 2006). I always want to surprise the audience, everywhere I go.

“I am the second fastest man in the world at the moment. My ambition is to become the best. I have to continue working very hard for that. Anything is possible.” Blake, 23, won silver in the 100 and 200 behind compatriot Usain Bolt at the London 2012 Olympics and was part of the world recordbreaking 4x100 gold medal-winning Jamaican quartet. —Reuters

Sri Lanka pay row ends

Sent off for celebration

COLOMBO: A pay dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and its 23 centrally contracted players ended yesterday with the cricketers signing new contracts and making themselves available for the two-test series against Bangladesh starting on Friday.

The SLC and Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had threatened to drop the 23 senior players if did not sign the new contracts by late yesterday. “Twenty two out of 23 players have signed the contracts which makes them available for the selection for Bangladesh test series,” SLC chief executive officer Ajith Jayasekera told Reuters.

Former captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is abroad, was the only player who did not sign his contract. “The selection committee met and the team is in the process of approval,” Jayasekera added.

The contracts expired at the end of February but the players refused to sign a new contract by Saturday’s deadline. The SLC extended the deadline to late yesterday. SLC officials and Aluthgamage have said the players were demanding a pay of 75 percent of the board’s total earnings, while a senior cricketer said they were merely opposing SLC’s move to cut their terms.— Reuters

BERNE: FC Basel defender Aleksandar Dragovic scored twice only to be sent off for a provocative goal celebration in their 2-1 win at Servette on Sunday. After heading the winning goal, Dragovic ran along the touchline making an aggressive gesture with his arm before celebrating with the Basel bench.

The Austrian, given a second yellow card after the referee interpreted his behaviour as a provocation to the home supporters, was sent off amid chaotic scenes, with his team mates having to restrain him.

“I had a bet with our assistant coach. If I scored with my head, I would have to run around the field,” he told reporters. “The gesture was aimed at him, not the Servette fans.” Servette had Omar Kossoko dismissed for throwing the ball down in disgust at a decision and getting a second yellow card. Last year, Dragovic had to apologise for playing a schoolboy prank on a Swiss minister during the medal ceremony at the end of the domestic Cup final.

Dragovic gently slapped the balding politician on the back of the head as he was handing out medals to other Basel players. Sunday’s win took second-placed Basel, champions for the last three seasons, within two points of Swiss Super League leaders Grasshoppers who drew 0-0 at LausanneSport.—Reuters

Lee tip-toes towards atonement BIRMINGHAM: The world’s best and unluckiest player returns to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs at the AllEngland Open in the national indoor arena in Birmingham this week, while the mystery surrounding his greatest rival deepens.

Lee Chong Wei, twice the former champion, aims to regain the venerable title currently held by the legendary Lin Dan, who won just about everything he wanted until he disappeared from view after last year’s London Games.

If Lee does achieve this it may feel like an early step towards the atonement he seems to feel necessary for losing two of the greatest matches of all time by the narrowest of margins.

The man who inflicted them, Lin, still for the time being the Olympic, World, and All-England champion, is missing here from the draw of the tour’s oldest tournament, which starts on Wednesday.

Lin has not competed since his sensationally brilliant win over Lee in the final of the Olympics six months ago, triggering talk of semi-retirement or even that he might quit.

The Chinese player’s lengthy absence means that the Malaysian will be an even stronger favorite. If Lee does win the AllEngland a third time it may also help him feel he can go on to win the world championships in Guangzhou in August, a title Lin denied him after saving two match points last time.

It may even help firm up Lee’s embryonic ambitions to win the Olympic gold medal Lin denied him in similar fashion after Lee was within two points of it last year. This cruelly heroic loss more than any other created his dream of atonement. That though will require Lee to retain much of his exceptionally lightfooted movement until he is 33, and do so in a sport which tends to write players

off when they reach 30 years old. Lee’s reached that age in October.

Even his own coach found a need to make reference to it, while paying tribute to Lee’s abstinence during Chinese new year celebrations and commending the effects of his wedding four months ago with Wong Mew Choo, the Commonwealth silver medallist.

“Chong Wei is showing a greater maturity after his marriage; with his positive attitude and his maturity he will not make it easy for his opponents despite hitting his 30’s,” Tey Seu Bock said.

Lee knows too much to be distracted by any of these issues. “I really don’t know why Lin Dan is not playing,” he said. “He may not be ready but I don’t want to be distracted by that.

“I have already won the Korea and Malaysia Opens (this year) and the players will be aiming to beat me in the AllEngland. I just have to prepare myself well to face them . Chen Long, the winner of BWF World Super Series finals, is seeded second and is therefore in the other half of the draw.

However Du, who beat Lee when he was injured and exhausted at the Super Series finals in Shenzhen in December, is seeded to meet him again in the semis this week.

Before that, Lee could have a second round matchup with Wang Zhengming of China, and may eventually need to consider that also lurking in his half is Taufik Hidayat, the former world and Olympic champion from Indonesia, who is unseeded. China is seeded to win four of the five titles, with Li Xuerui favorite to retain the women’s singles.

If Cai Yu and Fu Haifeng find their Olympic gold medal winning form in the men’s doubles, the sport’s leading nation could complete the full hand of five titles, as they did four years ago. — AFP

CALGARY: Christopher Tanev No. 8 of the Vancouver Canucks passes the puck during their NHL game as Curtis Glencross No 20 of the Calgary Flames forechecks at the Scotiabank Saddledome. — AFP

Blackhawks clip Red Wings DETROIT: Patrick Kane kept the Chicago Blackhawks’ record streak alive. Chicago extended its NHL-record, season-opening points streak to 22 games Sunday when Kane scored the tying goal on a power play with 2:02 left in regulation and had the only goal in a shootout. That lifted Chicago to a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Corey Crawford was perfect in the shootout and finished with 32 saves to help his team win a ninth straight game. The Blackhawks (19-0-3) have earned at least a point in 28 straight games - dating to a March 25, 2012, loss in regulation to Nashville - to tie the second-longest streak in league history. They’ve matched Montreal’s multi-season points streak from the 1977-78 season and trail only Philadelphia’s run of 35 straight games with at least a point during the 1979-80 season.

It looked as if the streak of success might end when Detroit’s Tomas Tatar broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Jimmy Howard stopped every puck that came his way. The Red Wings, though, were called for delay of game for putting the puck out of play twice toward the end of regulation.

Chicago took advantage of the first of two late power plays with forward Viktor Stalberg getting more of the puck than Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey did, pushing the puck to Kane to set up a one-timer that made it 1-1.

Canadiens 4, Bruins 3 In Boston, David Desharnais scored the winner with his second goal of the game less than four minutes after Max Pacioretty tied it earlier in the third period, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a comeback win over Boston in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens, who jumped two points ahead of Boston for first overall in the conference. Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron and Dougie Hamilton had Boston’s goals.

Peter Budaj made 31 saves for Montreal, which played the first of five straight road games. Tuukka Rask stopped 22 shots for the Bruins, who had a six-game winning streak halted.

FUKUOKA: China’s starter Xin Li delivers a pitch against Cuba in the first inning of their World Baseball Classic first round game. — AP

Cuba crushes China 12-0 at World Baseball Classic FUKUOKA: Cuba clobbered China 12-0 yesterday to improve to 2-0 in Group A of the World Baseball Classic and advance to the second round. Infielder Jose Abreu drove in five runs, including a grand slam in the fifth inning at Fukuoka Dome. The game was called under the tournament’s mercy rule after the seventh inning.

Throughout the game, Cuba displayed the type of firepower that makes it one of the title contenders. “We’re very happy to have two wins from two games,” Cuba manager Victor Mesa said. “But we are not 100 percent yet, we have some minor issues and I feel we are lacking something but we are happy to be 2-0.”

Alexei Bell hit a towering two-run homer to left to make it 4-0 in the fourth and Alfredo Despaigne put the result beyond doubt in the same inning when he doubled on a sharp ground ball to left, scoring Jose Fernandez and Frederich Cepeda to make it 6-0.

Fernandez singled in two more runs in the fifth before Abreu’s grand slam. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game because Cuba is so good,” China manager John McLaren said. “They are so powerful and we had limited pitching today. I see a lot of major league talent on that Cuban team.”

Cuba starter Danny Betancourt picked up the win after striking out eight and giving up only one hit in 4-2/3 innings.

China starter Li Xin gave up five runs on eight hits over 3-1/3 innings to take the loss. Cuba next faces Japan on Wednesday. Cuba’s win over China also means that Japan advances to the March 8-12 second round at Tokyo Dome.

Bell said it will be a lot tougher to score runs against Japan’s solid pitching staff. “Japan is always competitive,” Bell said. “Their pitching is at a very high level so it will be a lot tougher to hit against them.” —AP

Rangers 3, Sabres 2 In New York, Rick Nash had a goal and assist and also scored in the shootout to lead New York over Buffalo. Ryan Callahan also scored for New York in the shootout. Derek Stepan added a goal, and Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves. New York has won two in a row.

Drew Stafford and Nathan Gerbe scored for Buffalo. Ryan Miller stopped 26 of 28 shots. The Sabres’ season-high three-game winning streak was ended. New York received a scare 3:28 into the third when Brad Richards was shoved from behind into the half boards by Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta. Kaleta was assessed a five-minute major for checking from behind and was given a game misconduct.

Richards was on the ice for nearly two minutes before being helped to the bench. He returned to the game. Nash and Callahan scored in the shootout while Jason Pominville and Tyler Ennis missed for Buffalo. It was Buffalo’s third straight game that ended in a shootout. The Sabres had won the previous two.

Wild 4, Oilers 2 In Minneapolis, Mikko Koivu made up for a frustrating stretch without a goal by Minnesota, scoring 9 seconds into the third period to snap a tie and spark the Wild over Edmonton.

The Wild had an astounding 18-0 advantage in shots on goal in the second period, and the Oilers went 23:35 without a shot after Magnus Paajarvi’s goal tied the game late in the first period. Minnesota outshot Edmonton 43-21 for the night, and goalie Niklas Backstrom raised his career record at home

against the Oilers to 17-0. The Wild have won 19 of their last 20 games here against their orange-andblue division rivals. Jared Spurgeon and Charlie Coyle each had a goal and an assist, and Koivu contributed two assists. The 43 shots were a season best for the Wild.

Flames 4, Canucks 2 In Calgary, Jarome Iginla continued to have a hot hand, scoring the winning goal at 12:36 of the third period to lead Calgary over Vancouver. Iginla has five goals in the past four games after scoring just once in his first 16 games of the season.

Mike Cammalleri added a pair of goals for the Flames, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Lee Stempniak finished with a goal and an assist. Jannik Hansen had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who have lost three of their last four. Chris Higgins also scored for Vancouver, which beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 at home on Saturday night. Danny Taylor stopped 29 shots to earn his first win in his second NHL start. Roberto Luongo made 21 saves for Vancouver.

Blue Jackets 2, Avalanche 1 In Columbus, Artem Anisimov scored on a hard wrist shot on an overtime power play, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 18 saves to lead Columbus over Colorado.

Vinny Prospal had the other goal for the Blue Jackets, thanks to Ryan O’Reilly, who inadvertently tapped it in while making his Avalanche season debut after a contract dispute. PA Parenteau scored for Colorado, but also had the hooking call that led to the decisive power play for Columbus.

Anisimov, acquired in the deal last summer that sent Rick Nash to the New York Rangers, had the puck near the right circle. Teammate R.J. Umberger was backed up to the crease and goalie Semyon Varlamov was struggling to get a view. Anisimov played with the puck for a moment before firing a high, hard shot just inside the near goal post that barely missed Umberger at 2:26.

O’Reilly, last season’s leading scorer for Colorado, had missed the first five weeks of the abbreviated season in a dispute that ended when the Avalanche

matched an offer sheet he signed with Calgary.

Hurricanes 3, Panthers 2 In Sunrise, Jordan Staal, Alexander Semin, and Justin Faulk scored in Carolina’s win over Florida, giving the Hurricanes their second victory over the Panthers in as many nights. Dan Ellis made 19 saves for Carolina after replacing Cam Ward with 11:04 left in the second. Ward stopped all 15 shots he faced before leaving the game with what appeared to be a leg injury. Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals for Florida. Scott Clemmensen stopped 21 shots for the Panthers.

Stars 4, Blues 1 In Dallas, Derek Roy had a goal and two assists and Kari Lehtonen made 25 saves to help lead Dallas over St. Louis. Loui Eriksson, Jaromir Jagr and Erik Cole also scored for Dallas.

For Cole, it was his first goal with Dallas in his second game with the team since he was acquired in a trade with Montreal last week. David Perron scored for St. Louis and Brian Elliott made 23 saves for the Blues.

Islanders 3, Senators 2 In Uniondale, John Tavares and Frans Nielsen scored in the shootout, lifting New York Islanders over Ottawa. Evgeni Nabokov made 29 saves as the Islanders earned their third win in 12 home games this season. He also stopped Jakob Silfverberg and Daniel Alfredsson in the shootout.

The Senators have lost three in a row. Nielsen scored to open the shootout against backup Robin Lehner. Tavares’ goal came after Nabokov made his two stops. Michael Grabner’s unassisted goal late in the third period put the Islanders up 2-1. Grabner intercepted a clearing attempted by the Senators and rifled the puck past Lehner for this eighth goal of the season at 16:31.

Defenseman Patrick Wiercioch’s first career goal caromed off the stick blade of Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic and eluded Nabokov with 1:09 to go.

Brad Boyes scored a first-period goal for the Islanders, and Mika Zibanejad responded midway through the second. — AP

NHL results/standings Chicago 2, Detroit 1 (SO); NY Islanders 3, Ottawa 2 (SO); Columbus 2, Colorado 1 (OT); Dallas 4, St. Louis 1; Carolina 3, Florida 2; Montreal 4, Boston 3; NY Rangers 3, Buffalo 2 (SO); Minnesota 4, Edmonton 2; Calgary 4, Vancouver 2.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF Pittsburgh 14 8 0 77 New Jersey 10 6 5 52 Philadelphia 11 11 1 66 NY Rangers 10 8 2 51 NY Islanders 9 11 2 64 Northeast Division Montreal 14 4 4 68 Boston 14 3 2 57 Ottawa 12 7 4 52 Toronto 13 9 0 64 Buffalo 9 12 2 60 Southeast Division Carolina 12 8 1 63 Winnipeg 10 10 1 55 Tampa Bay 9 11 1 73 Washington 8 11 1 55 Florida 6 11 5 55

GA 64 56 68 51 75

PTS 28 25 23 22 20

53 42 44 55 73

32 30 28 26 20

59 64 67 59 82

25 21 19 17 17

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 19 0 3 70 41 41 St. Louis 11 8 2 60 61 24 Detroit 10 8 4 61 59 24 Nashville 9 8 5 46 54 23 Columbus 6 12 4 49 66 16 Northwest Division Vancouver 11 6 4 61 58 26 Minnesota 11 8 2 49 51 24 Calgary 8 8 4 57 68 20 Colorado 8 8 4 50 60 20 Edmonton 8 9 4 51 58 20 Pacific Division Anaheim 15 3 2 71 55 32 San Jose 10 6 4 47 44 24 Dallas 11 9 2 61 63 24 Phoenix 10 8 3 62 59 23 Los Angeles 10 7 2 49 47 22 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

S P ORT S

Thompson overcomes gusty winds, Ogilvy for Honda win

Kieron Pollard

Windies defeat Zimbabwe NORTH SOUND: A bludgeoning innings from Kieron Pollard and career-best figures from Samuel Badree spearheaded West Indies’ 41-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final T20 international on Sunday.

Responding to the hosts’ total of 158 for seven, the visitors were restricted to 117 for six with only veteran Hamilton Masakadza offering any sort of resistance with an unbeaten 53 off 51 deliveries with six fours.

However, the damage was already done with Badree making amends for his comparatively ordinary effort in the first match the previous day, dismissing the top three in the Zimbabwean order to finish with three for 17.

With their second consecutive comprehensive win-after Saturday’s eight-wicket triumph-the world champions took the series 2-0 following a 3-0 whitewash of the Zimbabweans in the one-day matches in Grenada.

Both sides now turn their attention to the Test matches, the first of two beginning March 12 in Barbados. Pollard crashed three sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 46 off just 24 deliveries to lift the West Indies to a competitive total, dominating a

56-run fifth-wicket partnership with Darren Sammy, the captain contributing 19.

“We’ve got good depth in our batting and Pollard played the right sort of innings for us today,” said Sammy. “Lendl Simmons (41) also set us up well at the top and that’s the sort of contribution all the way down that we want to see.”

All the Zimbabwe bowlers had shown greater discipline in limiting the home team’s early progress. Tendai Chatara accounted for Johnson Charles, who lost his middle stump in missing an ugly swipe.

The spinners then came to the fore with leggie Natsai M’Shangwe removing Dwayne Bravo and man of the series Simmons, who perished for 41.

Experienced off-spinner Prosper Utseya disposed of Christopher Barnwell, the returning all-rounder attempting one cut shot too many to be bowled for just seven.

It was the former captain’s only wicket, but his four-over spell, which cost 22 runs, was the most economical. “Today was our best opportunity to win a match on this tour,” said a rueful Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor. “But we don’t seem to get all departments of our game right. Today the batting again let us down.” — AFP

SCOREBOARD NORTH SOUND, Antigua and Barbuda: Scoreboard in the second and final T20 international between West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday: Zimbabwe West Indies C. Chibhabha b Badree 13 L. Simmons c Ervine b M’Shangwe 41 V. Sibanda c Bravo b Badree 5 J. Charles b Chatara 10 H. Masakadza not out 53 Dwayne Bravo c Taylor b M’Shangwe 24 B. Taylor c Sammy b Badree 4 C. Barnwell b Utseya 7 C. Ervine c & b Bravo 15 K. Pollard not out 45 M. Waller run out (Simmons/Ramdin) 7 D. Sammy c Sibanda b Mutombodzi 19 T. Mutombodzi c & b Bravo 1 A. Russell c Ervine b Mutombodzi 0 P. Utseya not out 11 D. Ramdin b Mpofu 0 Extras (lb4, w4) 8 S. Narine not out 1 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 117 Did not bat: T. Chatara, N. Mushangwe, C. Extras (2lb, 8w, 1nb) 11 Mpofu Total (20 overs, 7 wickets) 158 Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Chibhabha), 2-25 Did not bat: S. Badree, S. Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Charles), 2-61 (DJ (Sibanda), 3-33 (Taylor), 4-68 Bravo), 3-79 (Barnwell), 4-92 (Simmons), 5- (Ervine), 5-91 (Waller), 6-94 (Mutombodzi) Bowling: Gabriel 3-0-12-0, Badree 4-0-17-3 148 (Sammy), 6-149 (Russell), 7-155 (1w), Sammy 2-0-13-0, Narine (Ramdin) 4-0-22-0, Dwayne Bravo 3-0-15-2 (1w), Russell Bowling: Mpofu 4-0-28-1 (2w), Chatara 4-0- 2-0-21-0 (1w), Pollard 1-0-5-0 46-1 (2w, 1nb), Utseya 4-0-22-1 (3w), (1w), Barnwell 1-0-8-0 M’Shangwe 4-0-33-2, Mutombodzi 4-0-28-2 Result: West Indies won by 41 runs Series: West Indies won by 2-0 (1w)

PALM BEACH GARDENS: American Michael Thompson kept his head in gusty winds to win the Honda Classic on Sunday by two shots from Australian Geoff Ogilvy.

In testing conditions, the 27-year-old Thompson, the joint overnight leader, held firm for his first win on the PGA Tour, ending with a birdie on the 18th for a one-under par 69 which left him nine-under for the tournament.

Thompson, who finished tied second in last year’s US Open, will look back gladly on the eagle he made on the par-five third that gave him some breathing space before the inevitable bogeys came.

The Arizona-born golfer had four bogeys and three birdies in his round but never let the dips disturb him in what was a cool display for a first time winner. “This is everything, this is a childhood dream come true. I dreamed of playing out here since I was seven years old and to win, it’s just unbelievable,” said Thompson, who was making his 61st tour start.

He is the first American to win the Honda Classic since Mark Wilson in 2007. Foreign players have won in seven of the last nine editions. “I just can’t put it into words,” Thompson said. “The whole day was awesome. My ball-striking was way better today than it was yesterday. I just enjoyed the ride.”

Ogilvy also shot a one-under par 69 to secure a second place that will boost his chances of getting into this year’s Masters after missing the cut in his last four tournaments.

The Australian chipped in from 41 feet for a birdie on the 16th that raised the prospect of a late twist in the tale and added a birdie on the 18th. But after his poor performances before the start of the Florida swing, Ogilvy was delighted to be back in contention with a finish that earns him a spot in next week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship.

“It was going pear-shaped on the West Coast so I kind of had to view this is my first week of the year, it was ‘let’s just kind of start again’.” he said. Tiger Woods had a disappointing final round, shooting four-over par and making two double bogeys.

Woods lost a ball for the second straight round but remained upbeat about his form.

“I’ve just got to clean up my rounds,” he said after ending the tournament four-over fol-

PALM BEACH GARDENS: Michael Thompson kisses his trophy after winning the final round of the Honda Classic golf tournament. — AP

lowing even-par rounds of 70 in each of the first three rounds.

PGA Tour rookie Luke Guthrie, who had shared the overnight lead with Thompson, finished third after shooting a three-over 73 to finish on five-under. Erik Compton, who has had two heart transplants, earned his best ever PGA Tour finish with a tie for fourth after shooting an even-par 70. Americans Lucas Glover and Keegan Bradley were also six shots back along with England’s Justin Rose and David Lynn.

Bouhanni wins Paris-Nice stage NEMOURS: French champion Nacer Bouhanni, riding for FDJ, won the opening stage of the Paris-Nice yesterday, taking the 195km race from Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Nemours in a sprint finish.

Bouhanni saw off previous race leader and prologue winner Damien Gaudin to take the yellow jersey and also outpaced Italian Alessandro Petacchi and Belgian Jens Debusschere to add to a Tour of Oman stage success earlier this season. Today’s second stage is a 200.5km ride from Vimory to Cerilly.

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong was facing two more lawsuits spawned by his admission that all seven of his Tour de France victories were fueled by banned drugs.

The Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance Company sued Armstrong and Tailwind Sports Corporation claiming he committed fraud by concealing his use of performance enhancing drugs during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tours.

“By his cheating and deception, Armstrong committed fraud. This suit seeks repayment of $3 million in undeserved an unearned pay Lance Armstrong obtained by fraud,” stated the lawsuit filed in Travis County Court in Austin, Texas.

The payment cited was a $3 million bonus paid to Armstrong for his first three Tour victories. Acceptance claims that Armstrong’s lies void the policy under which the money was paid out. In October, Armstrong was stripped of his Tour titles as well as all other results from August 1998 and banned for life after the US AntiDoping Agency determined he was the key figure in a sophisticated doping program on his US Postal Service team.

He finally made a belated admission of doping in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January, in which he said he used a combination of blood-doping transfusions, blood-boosting EPO and testosterone throughout his career.

PARIS: Team FDJ French cyclist Nacer Bouhanni (second left) sprints to win the first stage of the 71st Paris-Nice cycling race between Saint Germain en Laye and Nemours. — AFP Armstrong was also sued Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles in a class-action lawsuit claiming Armstrong and FRS-maker of nutritional supplements-engaged in false advertising.

Armstrong spokesman Mark Fabiani said the Texan and his advisers had no comment on the suits, which are just the latest legal woes to spring from Armstrong’s disgrace.

The US government has joined a “whistleblower” lawsuit seeking help the US Postal Ser vice recoup “tens of millions” paid to Armstrong when it sponsored his team with more than $30 million-a lawsuit that could deliver a triple-damages blow costing Armstrong

New Zealand must find answers to England’s pace WELLINGTON: England’s pace bowlers James Anderson and Steven Finn are likely to be crucial determinants in the Test series against New Zealand when the first of three matches begins at University Oval in Dunedin tomorrow.

Both Anderson and Finn were rested in the four-day match against the New Zealand XI, which the hosts won by three wickets with less than two overs remaining, but proved more than destructive in the limited overs series prior to the tests. Apart from the opening one-day match which New Zealand won, Anderson and Finn provided a masterclass in hostile fast bowling, giving the New Zealand batsmen little to hit on the small grounds while creating pressure and taking wickets. Anderson’s control of the seam position and the swing he extracted created doubt for New Zealand’s batsmen, while the tall Finn bowled back of a length and was menacingly accurate at top pace. As such, the duo, to be supported by Stuart Broad and possibly one of Graham Onions or Chris Woakes, should prove a headache for New Zealand’s batsmen, whose frailties against elite fast bowling were ruthlessly exposed by the South African attack earlier this year.

Brendon McCullum’s side slumped to innings defeats in both tests on their tour of South Africa, and were skittled for 45 in Cape Town with

England’s Lee Westwood, who began the day just two strokes off the lead, shot a fourover to end in a tie for ninth, two-under for the tournament. After making a promising start with a birdie on the third, Westwood made five bogeys.

American Rickie Fowler, who was also in position for a Sunday charge, struggled to a four-over 74 making bogeys on three of his last five holes. South Africa’s British Open champion Ernie Els ended the tournament two-over after shooting a 72. — Reuters

Proteas paceman Vernon Philander taking five wickets for seven runs.

South Africa seamer Dale Steyn did the damage in the second test in Port Elizabeth, taking eight for 65. New Zealand’s batsmen have also had trouble occupying the crease for long periods to tire out opposing attacks, while giving their own bowlers a rest. Even century-making batsmen have scored their runs in a hurry and not lingered to post truly big scores to anchor their team’s innings.

The Mike Hesson-coached side will also bring a re-jigged top order to Dunedin, with the recalled Peter Fulton expected to partner debutant Hamish Rutherford.

Left arm spinner Bruce Martin is also expected to make his debut at the age of 32, while allrounder Doug Bracewell will undergo a late fitness test after he cut his foot on a glass while clearing up following a house party.

While England team director Andy Flower bemoaned a “sloppy” defeat in the four-day tour match, which saw the top order struggle in both innings, the visitors have enjoyed a relaxed buildup, marvelling at coastal Queenstown’s natural beauty and undertaking touristy excursions.

Captain Alastair Cook leads a strong and settled lineup galvanised by their breakthrough

series win away to India, with only a minor selection headache over who should be the skipper’s opening partner.

Pundits have clamoured for 22-year-old talent Joe Root to earn his second test cap after an impressive 73 on debut against India in Nagpur, but Flower gave strong backing to four-test opener Nick Compton, albeit without confirming his spot in Dunedin. “You’ve got to remember Joe Root has played one test match,” Flower said after the Queenstown warm-up. “I think everyone should keep a little calm about his prospects.”

Following Dunedin, New Zealand host England in the second test in Wellington from March 14, with the third and final test in Auckland starting March 22.

Teams: New Zealand (possible): Brendon McCullum (captain), Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Dean Brownlie, BJ Watling, Doug Bracewell, Bruce Martin, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.

England (possible): Alastair Cook (captain), Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, James Anderson. — Reuters

more than $90 million. That lawsuit was first filed

by Armstrong’s disgraced former teammate Floyd Landis, who claims Armstrong and team manager Johan Bruyneel defrauded taxpayers and the government by having Armstrong and other riders use performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong is also being sued by Texas insurance company SCA, which paid him $12.1 million in bonuses for multiple Tour victories. In Britain, he is being sued by the Sunday Times, which is seeking repayment of the £1 million ($1.6 million, 1.2 million euros) libel settlement Armstrong won against the newspaper in 2006 after it printed allegations that he doped. —AFP

IOC begins inspection of Tokyo’s 2020 plans TOKYO: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed IOC inspectors to Tokyo yesterday and said the Japanese capital’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics was “second to none.”

Bid organizers are hoping to win over the International Olympic Committee after Tokyo failed in its bid for the 2016 Games, which went to Rio de Janeiro. The IOC’s evaluation commission began a four-day inspection of Tokyo’s bid on Monday. IOC vice president Craig Reedie is leading the visit, which will be followed by trips later this month to Madrid and Istanbul, the other two cities vying to host the Olympics.

Abe, Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose and bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda all welcomed the IOC panel at an official reception. Abe offered the full support of the central government to host the games and recalled the powerful impact the 1964 Tokyo Olympics had on Japan and the region. “The Olympic spirit was the same spirit with which Japan grew to its height,” he said in remarks to the visitors. “For the Japanese, the Olympic spirit became a mission that we must help the rest of Asia to grow.”

Abe said it was time for the Olympic torch to return to Tokyo. “You will hear a lot about our infrastructure,” he said. “Yes, our preparedness is second to none.”

As Japan now faces the challenges that other countries will face - how to rejuvenate an

aging society and keep the air clean - hosting the Olympics in 2020 will “inspire many others, just as Tokyo did before in 1964,” he said. Tokyo organizers want to highlight the city’s safety and advanced infrastructure, while emphasizing that 28 out of the 33 competition venues will be within eight kilometers (five miles) of the Olympic Village, which is to be built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay. Yesterday, the IOC commission visited 16 different venue locations — some yet to be built — and the proposed site of the Olympic Village. The team visited the Ariake tennis arena, where they watched Gov. Inose rally with Shingo Kunieda, a three-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair tennis. The facility’s main stadium would be renovated under the bid plans. The commission members were also invited to meet Crown Prince Naruhito, who took time to chat with each member, Takeda said. “We completed the first day without a hitch. I’m satisfied. But we still have three days to go,” Takeda said.

Tokyo’s previous bid was hurt by a demonstration against hosting the Olympics during the evaluation commission’s visit, and organizers are hoping there will be no repeat this time.

Public support is much higher this time around thanks in part to Japan’s strong showing at the London Olympics. — AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

S P ORT S

The hurt is over at last for Nadal ACAPULCO: Rafael Nadal’s fist-pumping comeback reached a new high with his victory at the Mexican Open on Sunday, giving tennis fans hope the 11-times grand slam champion can return to the top of the game. In an unexpectedly one -sided match, Nadal blew away three-times defending champion David Ferrer 6-0 6-2 in little over an hour.

But the relatively minor claycourt event in the picturesque Pacific resort city of Acapulco took on far greater significance as the sport’s attention focused like a laser on Nadal’s left knee and the injury that had forced him to take a seven-month hiatus from the tour.

Few top players have taken that much time off and been able to reclaim their former glory, but Nadal was not focusing on the history books following his latest win.

“I don’t know if it’s happened before, but what I do know is this has been the most emotional week of my career after such a difficult time,” the world number five said in an interview with Reuters.

While there were moments during the week when Nadal visibly limped, he said his knee fared much better than during his earlier comeback events at the VTR Open in Chile and the Brazil Open, both last month.

“There were days in Brazil when it was really bad, and in Chile, during one match as well. But here, it didn’t hurt. It just bothered me some,” he said. “This was the first week where I could run with complete freedom and no limitations.”

Nadal, 26, suffers from chronic knee tendinitis and last September discovered he had a partially torn left patella tendon. He had been absent from tournament tennis since his upset loss in the second round of Wimbledon last year to little-known Czech Lukas Rosol.

Former American tennis pro Brad Gilbert noted that Nadal’s latest victory came on the heels of wins over some of the sport’s top competitors, including world number four Ferrer.

“Ferrer is playing arguably the best tennis of his career,” said Gilbert. “I mean, the guy has been on fire.” Gilbert is perhaps best known for coaching top players Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, and Andre Agassi. He adds that dealing with injuries can be very tricky.

“Andre used to tell me that if you are nursing something that’s sore, and you try to play through it, that’s the easiest way to hurt something else,” he said.

Fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo, who also was forced to take seven months off the tour following a thigh injury last year, emphasises the physical strain of top flight tennis.

“You have to push your limits every week, every match, for so many weeks back to back,” said Robredo, a former top-five player who lost in the Acapulco second round. “We always have something hurting here or there.”

Tennis historian Steve Flink points to past comeback efforts of top players to stress the exceptional nature of Nadal’s current run. “The example I think of is John McEnroe after the 1985 season,” said Flink. “He decided to go on a sabbatical. He was gone closer to six months and frankly it did not work out. He was really never the same player he had been when he left.”

Flink notes that McEnroe won all of his major titles prior to taking the time off, and he was only in his mid-20s. Agassi was also sidelined from the tour for several months at the end of 1993 due to wrist surgery, Flink adds, but his absence was not as long as Nadal’s.

“His was quite a successful comeback,” said Flink, pointing to Agassi’s triumphs at the US Open and Wimbledon. Whether or not Nadal, follows the example of McEnroe or Agassi remains to be seen, but early reviews are encouraging.

“If his knee isn’t hurting, if it’s solid, I think we have Nadal back in the hunt for everything,” said Miguel Angel Zubiarrain, a tennis analyst for Spain’s Cadena SER radio network.

Nadal is scheduled to play an exhibition match against Juan Martin del Potro at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Monday, and will then test his knee further at the California’s Indian Wells hardcourt tournament.

“In a sense he’s reminiscent of Jimmy Connors in the 70s and 80s,” said Flink.

“It’s not necessarily his game that wins the public over, although his game is electrifying at times, but it’s his professionalism and his fighting spirit,” said Flink.

“I t doesn’t matter whether its Acapulco or Wimbledon,” he added, “he gives it absolutely everything he’s got.”

Asked what keeps him going, Nadal smiled and paused. “My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?” he said. “I’ve just got to keep working to be able to do what I enjoy, which is play.” — Reuters

AVONDALE: Mark Martin (55) and Kasey Kahne (5) lead the field out of Turn 4 at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race. — AP

Edwards ends long drought AVONDALE: Carl Edwards climbed from his car, stood on the door and landed a backflip near the finish line. He then hopped up on the wall in front of the grandstand, grabbed the checkered flag and waded into the crowd, trading highfives with fans.

After a miserable week at Daytona, Edwards had plenty to celebrate. That it came at Phoenix International Raceway only seemed fitting.

Coming through on his promise to dominate after his Daytona disaster, Edwards pulled away on a late restart and snapped a 70-race winless streak on Sunday, the second long drought he’s ended at Phoenix. “This win feels as good or better as any win I’ve ever had,” Edwards said.

Edwards had a rough 2012 season, missing the Chase for the championship. His downward spiral continued at Daytona, where he wrecked five cars. On his way out of Florida, Edwards said he was ready to dominate and win at Phoenix.

He did just that, leading the final 78 laps on the 312-lap race around PIR’s odd-shaped oval in the first non-restrictor-plate race with NASCAR’s new Gen-6 car. Edwards got a good push from defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski on the restart with two laps left and pulled away from there, winning for the first time since Las Vegas in 2011.

After parking his car at the finish line, Edwards landed his first backflip in nearly two years and celebrated with the fans - just like he did at PIR after ending another 70-race winless streak in 2010.

“I’m sure it’s a relief for someone like Carl,” said Denny Hamlin, who finished third and had a long winless streak end at Phoenix last year. “He’s now relevant again, he really is and it’s a good sign for their race team for things to come.” The big duel came behind Edwards.

Despite struggling with his car most of the day, Hamlin made a bold move on the last lap with a pass on the apron below the dogleg. He popped up alongside Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and the two drag-raced to the finish, where Johnson edged him by a few inches.

Keselowski, who was outside Johnson during Hamlin’s move, finished fourth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended up fifth. “As far down as I was, I was committed, there was nothing that I was going to do where I would back out,” Hamlin said. “I just hoped I would have just slid in front of the 48, then you risk getting punted and spun, and your whole day you’ve worked every-

thing for is taken away in a corner. I held my line and thought I really did the right thing and gave those guys room to pass me back - and one of them did.”

The last Phoenix race, in November, set up Keselowski for his first Sprint Cup title after Johnson blew a tire. It also featured quite a sideshow.

A running feud between Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon boiled over late in the race, setting off a brawl in the pits and Bowyer on a WWEstyle dash to Gordon’s hauler.

Carl Edwards The drivers tried to downplay the confrontation after arriving in the desert this week, but it’s been hard to avoid, with video of the scrap-anddash being shown all over in promos for the race and replays.

Ryan Newman had the only dash this time around, running across the track and away from his car after it blew a right-front tire for the second time in 140 laps. Inside his car, Mark Martin failed in his bid to become the oldest Sprint Cup winner.

The 54-year-old became the second-oldest

driver to start on the pole in a Sprint Cup car, a few months short of Harry Gant’s mark. Martin led the first 49 laps and 26 more later on, but couldn’t sustain it in his bid to become the oldest Sprint Cup winner, finishing 21st.

“Obviously, it’s a disappointing result for a great effort on the weekend,” Martin said. “The car was pretty fast, but we had multiple problems today.” So did Danica Patrick, who had a rough follow-up to her breakthrough week at the Daytona 500.

Patrick became the first woman to win a pole and lead green-flag laps during NASCAR’s season opener, sending her popularity to a new level. But she couldn’t stay with the leaders at Phoenix, ending her day with one of the hardest hits of her career. It happened with about 100 laps left, when the right-front tire on Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet went down and slammed her into the wall.

Patrick’s car careened back into David Ragan, flipping her hood over the windshield and shredding the left front fender as protective foam from the driver’s side door flew onto the track.

She came to a stop along the inside wall with a trail of debris covering about half the home straightaway behind her. She climbed from the car and was quickly cleared by the medical center.

“Whenever those right-fronts go, they always hit hard because you don’t broadside, you hit more straight on,” said Patrick, who finished 39th. “It took a hard hit both sides and I’m fine, so NASCAR is doing a good job at safety. But no real good warning. The car wasn’t all that tight and most of the (problems) were in the rear, so there was no real vibration that told me that was going to happen.”

Edwards set himself up for this victory with a late-night call to new crew chief Jimmy Fennig, knocking on his door around midnight Saturday to go over some last-minute details. For race morning, Edwards went for a hike to clear his mind and focused.

It paid off, ending two years of frustration and self-doubt that grew as the streak grew. “Last year we didn’t even make the Chase,” Edwards said. “For me to sit home while everybody was at the Chase stuff and in Vegas, that was a little bit of a shock to me and I did not like that at all. To get a victory puts us in better position to be in the Chase, it just feels good to win and I’m just very glad to be here.”— AP

China ropes in Beckham to revive soccer image

NEW YORK: (Left to right) Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams pose for a photo prior to the BNP Paribas Showdown press conference at Essex House in New York City. — AFP

Hingis, Long among five elected to Hall of Fame NEWPORT: Former World No. 1 Martina Hingis and Australian legend Thelma Coyne Long were among five people named yesterday as 2013 inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Two ATP co-founders, Americans Cliff Drysdale and Charlie Pasarell, and Romanian star Ion Tiriac, were also elected to the sporting shrine by a selection panel.

A person needs 75 percent support from the group for election.

All five will be enshrined on July 13 during ceremonies at the ATP Hall of Fame Championships grass-court event, joining 224 previous honorees from 19 nations.

“Being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor,” Hingis said. “It is truly a privilege to be part of such an exclusive group of tennis icons.”

Retired Swiss star Hingis, 32, topped the rankings for 209 weeks and won 43 career WTA titles and five Grand Slam singles crowns, including Wimbledon, US and Australian Open titles in 1997 and the 1998 and 1999 Australian Opens.

Hingis, who went 548-133 in WTA singles matches, also won nine Grand Slam women’s doubles titles and one mixed doubles title. She retired in 2003 at age 22 due to injury, made a comeback in 2006 and won three titles before retiring for good in 2007.

She became the youngest Grand Slam champion at 15 years and nine months when she joined Helena Sukova to win the 1996 Wimbledon women’s doubles crown and the youngest World No. 1 in 1997 at 16 years, six months and one day.

Only Hingis, Martina Navratilova, Kim

Clijsters, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Lindsay Davenport have topped the WTA singles and doubles rankings at the same time.

“Martina Hingis is undoubtedly one of the world’s elite tennis players and we’re glad to pay tribute to her among the legends of the sport,” Hall of Fame President Stan Smith said.

Long, 94, played from 1935 to 1958. She won the 1952 and 1954 Australian Open women’s singles titles and was a runner-up in the event four other times. In 1952 she also won women’s and mixed doubles titles at the Australian event.

During World War II, Long became a captain in the Australian Women’s Army Service and was awarded the Australian War Medal and Australian Service Medal.

“During the Australian Open, we had the opportunity to notify Thelma Coyne Long of the good news of her enshrinement and she was delighted,” Smith said.

South African-born Drysdale, 71, played in the 1960s and 1970s and won 35 career singles titles. After helping form the ATP and serving as its first president, he has worked as a tennis commentator for ESPN. Puerto Rican-born Pasarell, 69, is the past director and managing partner of the ATP and WTA event in Indian Wells, California.

He won 18 singles titles and helped the US win the Davis Cup in 1968 before becoming a tennis executive.

Tiriac, 73, paired with countryman Ilie Nastase to form a formidable 1970s doubles partnership but as more recently served roles ranging from coach to player management to tournament promoter. —AFP

BEIJING: China has named former England captain David Beckham as its first global soccer ambassador to revive the game’s image which has been hit by a match-fixing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country’s premier league.

In his new role, Beckham, who joined French club Paris Saint-Germain in January, is expected to help bring Chinese Super League (CSL) to the world stage and promote the game in the world’s most populous country.

“I am honoured to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history,” Beckham said in a statement released by IMG. “I’m excited by the prospect of promoting the world’s greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I’ve seen firsthand the growing interest in football there.

“This is a wonderful sport that inspires people across the world and brings families together, so I’m relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game.” China grabbed eyeballs when players such as Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba and highprofile coaches including Italian Marcello Lippi chose the big-spending CSL as their preferred destination to continue their careers.

However, just after a season, both Drogba and Anelka ended their Chinese sojourn, accepting that the desire to play at a higher level was more important for them.

A bigger blow came earlier this month when the Chinese Football Association (CFA) sanctioned 58 people in total, including two soccer chiefs, concluding a three-year long push to clean up rampant corruption in the sport.

One of the most recognisable footballers across the globe, 37-year-old Beckham served as a special ambassador for last year ’s London Olympics.

Chinese officials expect his popularity and influence to restore the game’s credibility in the country.

“2013 marks the 20th anniversary of professional football in China and the special ambassadorship of David Beckham will attract global attention to Chinese football and the CSL,” an unidentified CFA official was quoted in the statement.

“While in China, he will attend the CSL and visit Clubs to get a deeper insight into football in China.

“He will also help us to inspire and motivate many children to participate in this beautiful game.” This year’s CSL kicks off on Friday. —Reuters

Asif Bajwa

Pakistan to play hockey in India after 7 years LAHORE: Pakistan’s hockey team will tour India next month after a nod from New Delhi for the first five-match series between the South Asian rivals in nearly seven years, official said yesterday.

The tour is expected to improve sporting relations between both nations following the Pakistan cricket team’s India visit in December-the first series after a gap of five years.

India had suspended all sporting ties with arch-rival Pakistan after the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai blamed on Pakistan-based militants, which left 166 people dead.

Officials from Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and Hockey India met on the sidelines of an Asian Hockey Federation meeting in Malaysia last week before finalising the tour. PHF secretary Asif Bajwa hailed the revival of the series as “a big step”.

“It will help field hockey of both countries and will give fans of both countries a good opportunity to witness exciting hockey,” he told a press conference. Pakistan will cross the border next

month and play matches in the cities of Ranchi, Lucknow, Delhi, Mohali and Jalandhar between April 5-15.

The Indian team will pay a return visit and play five matches in Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi and Sialkot from April 23, said Bajwa. The two teams are also due to face each other in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament to be played in the Malaysian city of Ipoh from March 9-16.

Pakistan and India last played a bilateral hockey series in 2006 — three matches in each country. Pakistan won three and lost one while the remaining two were drawn. Both countries have won 11 Olympic hockey titles between them and ruled the Games arena for decades, with India winning eight and Pakistan three.

But both have slumped at the international level in the last few years as Pakistan finished a poor seventh at the London Olympics last year where India ended at their worst 12th and last.

India’s snooker team is also due to visit Karachi to play a series from March 710. — AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

S P ORT S

Duaij Al-Otaibi, Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud and Obaid Al-Osaimi during the ASF meeting.

ASF board members in a group photo with Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud.

Otaibi, President of Arab Shooting Federation again by acclamation Kuwaiti shooters excel on opening day

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The General Assembly of the Arab Shooting Federation elected Engr. Duaij Khalaf AlOtaibi president and Obaid Al-Osaimi Secretary General for the second time by acclamation during its meeting Sunday evening.

President of the Egyptian Shooting Federation Colonel Hazim Hosni Ahmad was elected as first Vice President and President of Morocco’s Shooting Federation Dr. Abdulazeem Al-Hafi both were selected by acclamation for four years.

Secretary General of the Saudi Shooting Federation Brigadier Riyadh bin Dawood AlRashid, UAE’s Shooting Federation President Ahmad Nasser Al-Reesi, Iraq’s Shooting Federation President Zahid Nouri, Qatar’s Shooting Federation Secretary General Abdullah Al-Hammadi, Jordan’s Shooting Federation Secretary General Brigadier Ghassan Shaaban and member of Sudan’s Shooting Federation Dr Saifuldeen Mighani were selected as members of the board.

The General Assembly meeting was attended

by President of Asian and Kuwait Shooting Federations, Vice President of ISSF Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and Secretary General of the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees Abdulaziz Saud.

Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah said the meeting reflected the true Arab brotherly spirit that joins the Arab shooting community under the leadership of Engr. Duaij Al-Otaibi.

He said the Arab Shooting Federation enjoyed significant development during the past period through plans and continued seminars for the Arab shooters through championships or training courses in a brotherly atmosphere.

He said the ASF is moving in the right direction, and the selection of the president and board members by acclamation is a good evidence on the success of the board of directors and their harmony in taking decisions that serve the sport.

Sheikh Salman congratulated Al-Otaibi and AlOsaimi for the confidence the General Assembly put in them for the second time along with the rest of the board members and wished them success. He said the shooting sport in particular and Kuwait’s sports enjoy significant support from HH the Amir, HH the Crown Prince and HH the Prime

Shooters during practice.

Sheikh Salman with the skeet event winners.

Minister. Meanwhile Engr. Duaij Al-Otaibi, who is also Vice President of Kuwait Shooting Federation and member of ASC and ISSF said in his opening speech said that the Arab Shooting Federation organized several quality championships, specialized technical courses in officiating and training through the support and cooperation by presidents of the Arab federations.

Al-Otaibi spoke about the Arab achievements at the London 2012 Olympics winning medals which show the development of the sport in several Arab countries. He said “we are hopeful that we will continue our efforts to provide all possible chances to strengthen cooperation between brothers and contribute to the advancement of Arab shooting”.

Al-Otaibi lauded the efforts of President of Asian and Kuwait Shooting Federations Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah as well as KSF board members for facilitating the activities of the ASF as well as the material and moral support to enable it implement

Obaid Al-Osaimi with the skeet team winners. its plans.

Kuwait shooting continued its successful achievements and made a winning start to HH the Amir Second International Shooting Grand Prix by winning a gold medal, and two gold in the Arab Shooting championship.

Kuwait’s Afrah bin Hussein won the skeet gold medal in HH the Amir Grand Prix as Qatar’s Reem Al-Sharsheni won silver after a shoot of round.

Qatar’s Shooter Dina Al-Tubashi won the bronze medal. In the 50m rifle prone, women Alexandra Malinovskaya clinched the gold medal while Malaysian Muslifah Zulkifli and Nur Ayuni Farhana grabbed silver and bronze.

In the Arab Championship , Kuwait’s Eman AlShamma won the skeet gold medal followed by her compatriot Afrah bin Hussein while Qatar’s Reem Al-Sharshani took the bronze after a shoot off with Sheikha Al-Rashidi. Eman Al-Shamma said the skeet event witnessed strong competition between the shooters and that is why she was

really happy to win for Kuwait’s shooters.

Al-Shamma said she expected to win as she was successful in several competitions both at the Arab and international levels, adding that she is looking forward to compete at the international and Olympic levels.

Meanwhile Shooter Afrah bin Hussein said competition was at its peak between Kuwaiti and Qatari shooters, but she along with her teammates were able to win first and second places in the Arab championship.

Bin Hussein said her achievement is just the beginning and dedicated the medals to HH the Amir whose support is without limits. She also thanked Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah who removed all obstacles that faced the shooters.

Kuwait’s shooter Sheikha Al-Rashidi who won the team’s skeet medal along with Eman AlShamma and Afrah Hussein in the Arab championship said Kuwaiti shooters were outstanding which reflects the care and attention they receive

Kuwait’s Abdulaziz Al-Saad.

Spanish football wasn’t always beautiful Tiki-Taka MADRID: The two goals that finally confirmed Spain’s rise as a football superpower, scored a couple of years apart, were demonstrations of a system that has become a buzzword on the lips of fans around the world: Tiki-Taka.

The first goal, hailed as a mixture of anticipation, ferocious pace and delicacy of finish, saw Spain striker Fernando Torres race past Germany’s defense to secure the 2008 European Championship crown. The second — rifled into the Netherlands’ goal by an adroit and artistic Andres Iniesta — enabled Spain to lift the 2010 World Cup. Leading up to each goal, vast television audiences had witnessed the subtle yet ruthlessly effective one-touch, rapid passing artistry labeled Tiki-Taka, a system developed by Barcelona and eventually adopted by Spain’s national team to help it finally shrug off the label of being the sport’s eternal underachievers.

But Spanish football was not always so attractive. There is another moniker that better tells the story of Spain’s footballing past — “La Furia” or “The Fury” — as the team was once known.

“In the old days — not least when (dictator Francisco) Franco was around — it was ‘La Furia’ that defined Spanish football — tough and uncompromising but lacking style or consistency,” said Jimmy Burns, the author of the book “La Roja” — named after the team’s current nickname. As one of the first countries on the European continent to adopt football, which took root in the late 1890s with the arrival of British miners and traders to the mineral-rich southwestern region of Rio Tinto, Spain also initially adopted the more physical English style of play. For decades, Spanish football followed in

the fast-charging, busy British mold, dominated by an overwhelming urge to win. The third-oldest club in Spain even took on English spelling: Athletic Bilbao.

The “La Furia” name stems from a historic 2-1 comeback against Sweden at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Before scoring the equalizer, gruff midfielder Jose Maria Belauste was heard shouting: “Pass me the ball, I’m going to steamroll them.”

However, even “La Furia” eventually began to acquire some South American flair thanks to the arrival at Real Madrid of exceptionally talented players such as Uruguayan defender Jose Santamaria and Argentine forward Alfredo Di Stefano, both of which ended up switching nationality and playing for Spain. But the real revolution was triggered by Hungary, Santamaria said. The Hungarian national squad known as the Mighty Magyars had dominated world football for years and were on a record unbeaten run going into the 1954 World Cup, winning with an attack-minded and high-scoring style of play that no team at the time could match. The heavily favored Hungarians lost 3-2 in the final to host West Germany — a result the Germans still call “The Miracle of Bern” — but Santamaria said the team left a mark that’s still visible in today’s football. “I played that championship with Uruguay,” Santamaria told The Associated Press in an interview. “It was an almost perfect team. Their football was so beautiful and the Hungarians had such great players — a sensational team. Their tactical systems influenced the evolution of modern football, the famous Tiki-Taka.”

Among those who took note of Hungary’s style was then 26-year-old Rinus Michels, a Dutch striker playing for Ajax who went on to become

one of the world’s top coaches.

Michels refined Hungarian coach Gusztav Sebes’ on-field single-touch tactics and something Santamaria defined as “a consciousness among players, and a belief in themselves that what they were doing was good.” “It became a team effort with mental and physical preparation,” Santamaria said.

While Hungary’s top player Ferenc Puskas played for Real Madrid, it was archrival Barcelona that would foster Tiki-Taka, largely thanks to the arrival of Michels as coach. The Dutchman gave birth to the concept known as “Total Football,” which was later further refined by his disciple Johan Cruyff.

When Spain lost at the 1982 World Cup to lowly Northern Ireland, Santamaria said a decision was taken to adopt a youth policy similar to that which Cruyff had persuaded Barcelona to adopt three years earlier with La Masia — which in turn was based on Michels’ Ajax Academy.

With football constantly evolving, it is perhaps no surprise that the Tiki-Taka style is now more intricate and impressive than ever — arguably perfected by the Barcelona teams led by Lionel Messi and Spain’s national team, which shows no signs of slowing down.

By the time the Euro 2012 final ended, not even Italian fans were surprised that Spain had thumped an un-answered four goals past Gianluigi Buffon, one of the world’s best goalkeeper playing for a team traditionally known for its defensive solidity. “If the best team doesn’t win we usually say, ‘that’s football,’” Santamaria said, pointing out that neither Hungary nor the Netherlands have ever won the World Cup. “With Spain that hasn’t happened.”—AP

Duaij Al-Otaibi awarding Eman Al-Shamma. from KSF. Qatari shooter Reem Al-Sharshani said she was happy with the medals adding that the new ISSF rules restricted her from achieving best results she is capable of. She said she wouldl attend a special course on those new rules.

Meanwhile international judge UAE’s Hassan AlShahi said the tournament’s technical level is good but the implementation of the new ISSF rules caused minor problems for shooters and referees alike, bearing in mind that judges went through courses on the new ISSF rules and shooters should go through the same. Sweden’s Olympic double trap silver medal winner in the London 2012 Olympics Hakan Dhalby said he was happy to participate in HH the Amir Grand Prix for the first time.

He lauded the facilities he saw in Kuwait and the importance of the grand prix at the international level. He said this championship is the best preparation for several upcoming competitions including the European championship in Germany and the world championship in Peru.

Kuwait’s National Team Double trap coach Tom Aldren hoped efforts of Kuwaiti shooters result in good outcome in the Grand Prix and the Arab Championship, especially that they exert great efforts during training to adapt to the new laws.

He expected the Grand prix to witness fierce competitions due to the presence of highly skilled international shooters including the Olympics medal winners.

Jordan’s Manal Al-Fares

Neymar hints he could move to Europe this year SAO PAULO: Neymar may make his much-anticipated move to European football before his contract with Brazilian club Santos ends after next year’s World Cup. The Brazilian forward reiterated that he is happy at Santos but said he may leave any time he wants. He said all the talk about his future is being made by people “who don’t know anything” about his life.

“If I feel that it’s time to leave, I’ll leave,” Neymar said after Santos’ match in the Sao Paulo state championship on Sunday. “If I feel it’s the right thing to do, why not? This is personal. I will make this decision, nobody else.”

Until now, Neymar had constantly said he will not move to Europe before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, dismissing constant reports in Brazil and abroad of his impending transfer.

Brazil teammate Daniel Alves recently told Spanish media that the striker has already reached a deal to join him at Barcelona later this year, but Neymar downplayed the statements as rumors.

“What if I say that (Lionel) Messi is coming to Santos?” Neymar joked. “I thank Daniel for what he said, he is a good friend, but I’m happy at Santos right now.”

Many in Brazil have been saying that

Neymar needs to move to European football to gain experience and reach his full potential. Among those favoring his transfer are assistant Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, former Brazil star Zico and former Brazil coach Mano Menezes.

But the player said he is happiest when playing at home, close to his relatives and friends. The 21-year-old Neymar has a young son in Brazil, although he is not married.

Neymar has been struggling in recent matches and had another lackluster performance in Santos’ 0-0 draw with rival Corinthians on Sunday. He was not a factor throughout the match, making several mistakes and receiving a yellow card that suspended him from the next match.

“It wasn’t good,” he said briefly of his performance, while being mobbed by journalists after the final whistle. Neymar is touted as the future of Brazilian football but has been criticized for disappointing performances in key matches with Santos and Brazil. He was attacked by critics in Brazil and abroad after playing poorly in Brazil’s 2-1 loss to England in a recently friendly.

He is a celebrity in Brazil and some local media have linked his poor play to the recent announcement that he is officially dating a local soap opera star. —AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

S P ORT S Preview

Preview

United to welcome Ronaldo while plotting his goodbye this season

GERMANY: Donetsk’s teammates warm up during a training session ahead of the second leg round of the last sixteen Champions League soccer match against Borussia Dortmund.—AP

Dortmund look to rescue season against Shakhtar BERLIN: German champions Borussia Dortmund hope to rescue their season when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in a Champions League last16 second leg yesterday having lost out on all the other titles so far.

After winning back-to-back league titles in 2011 and 2012, as well as the German Cup last year, Dortmund are now left with only Europe’s premier club competition to fight for.

Rivals Bayern Munich have all but secured their first Bundesliga title since 2010 with a huge lead and eliminated Dortmund from the German Cup last eight last Wednesday.

“We have never said this is a bad season for us,” said midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski. “Obviously we want to win the championship but this season Bayern are very strong.

“The German Cup elimination is also a fact but we still have a chance to make the Champions League quarter-finals so I hope that by 11 o’clock today evening we will all be happy.”

Dortmund carved out a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Ukraine last month and look to have an advantage going into today’s game. Coach Juergen Klopp’s team bounced back in style after their defeat to Bayern as they cruised past Europa League hopefuls Hanover 96 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski struck twice and looked unaffected by the swirling speculation regarding a possible transfer to Bayern. Klopp is also hopeful that central defender Mats Hummels, who missed the last two games due to influenza, could be back.

“At the moment I am assuming that Mats could still make it,” Klopp said. “He is supposed to start running again and we will have to wait and see how it goes.” Shakhtar kicked off their season on Friday after a three-

month break by demolishing FC Volyn 4-1. Oleksandr Kucher, who was suspended in the first leg, is likely to pair up with Yaroslav Rakytsky in the central defence, replacing Dmytro Chygrynsky who has been struggling to get back into shape.

The 30-year-old centre back headed in the second goal on Friday.

Brazilian attacking midfielder Douglas Costa, who also scored against FC Volyn, might be another starter today.

Costa came off the bench in the second half of the first leg against Dortmund and needed only six minutes to restore Shakhtar’s lead on 68 minutes before Hummels headed in an equaliser three minutes from the final whistle.

“Everything will depend on players’ conditions, we will analyse it,” coach Mircea Lucescu told reporters. “A goal is a solid boost to (Costa’s) competitive spirit. I really push Douglas hard urging him to go into the penalty area and finish our attacks. “This is our problem, par ticularly with the Brazilians; I mean entering the penalty area and converting opportunities into goals,” he said.

MANCHESTER: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo can expect a rousing Old Trafford welcome today before his former Manchester United team mates use a newfound defensive solidity to tr y to make those the last Champions League cheers he hears this season.

The last-16 tie between the two European giants is balanced on a knife edge after last month’s 1-1 draw in the first leg and with United holding the tiniest of advantages in the shape of an away goal this week’s glamour match could be a tight affair.

United go into the game looking a lot more secure at the back than earlier this season with four successive league clean sheets coming at just the right time before being faced with the all-too-familiar talents of fan favorite Ronaldo.

“Early on in the season we were conceding too many goals,” United striker Wayne Rooney, who forged a lethal partnership with Ronaldo before the Portuguese left northwest England in 2009, told MUTV. “We seemed to have coped with that, we’re not conceding and we’re scoring goals so we’re in a great position at the minute. So, hopefully we can continue for today.”

United warmed up with a 4-0 victory over Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday to go 15 points clear at the top of the table. The trouble for them is that Real are enjoying their own good run after two moraleboosting results against arch-rivals Barcelona last week, a 3-1 win in the King’s Cup and 2-1 victory in La Liga.

United manager Alex Ferguson said his team’s focus had been on trying to stifle Real’s threat on the break. “We know that Madrid are one of the best counter-attacking teams in Europe,” he told reporters. “That is what we will be up against on Tuesday and that is why our preparations are centred around making sure their counter-attack doesn’t kill us.”

Real’s preparations for the big game have been taking place a stone’s throw away from United’s with Jose Mourinho’s side using Manchester City’s training facilities after arriving in England a day earlier than usual for a European game.

Mourinho, who enjoys sharing a bottle of wine with Ferguson, will be without goalkeeper Iker Casillas who has fractured his hand but otherwise has a full squad to chose from and one that is bursting with confidence.

“We are very going through a good streak.

We have shown that we are a group and we fight until the end,” centre back Pepe told

Probable teams: Borussia Dor tmund: 1-Roman Weidenfeller; 26-Lukasz Piszczek, 4Neven Subotic, 15-Mats Hummels, 29Marcel Schmelzer; 8-Ilkay Guendogan, 5-Sebastian Kehl; 16Jakub Blaszcz ykowski, 10-Mario Goetze, 11-Marco Reus; 9-Rober t Lewandowski Shakhtar Donetsk: 30-Andriy Pyatov; 33-Darijo Srna, 44-Yaroslav Rakitskiy, 5-Oleksandr Kucher, 26Razvan Rat; 3-Tomas Hubschman, 7Fernandinho, 29-Alex Teixeira, 22Henrikh Mkhitar yan, 20-Douglas Costa; 9-Luiz Adriano.

Referee: TBA

who drew 2-2 at home to city rivals Levante on Saturday.

“A draw was a fair result,” Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini told a news conference. “ We have secured a point against a great team who are having a great season,” added the Chilean. “They are second in the league, they are in the Cup final and have a lot of individual quality.”

European qualification hopefuls Real Sociedad and Real Betis played out an entertaining 3-3 draw in San Sebastian in Sunday’s late kickoff. The Basques fought back from two goals down to take a 3-2 lead before Colombian Dorlan Pabon scored his second of the night to level in the 66th minute.

Sociedad are sixth on 41 points, while Betis, who play on the other side of Spain in Seville, are one behind in seventh. Real Mallorca gave their bid to survive the drop a boost when Israel striker Tomer Hemed nodded a 94th-minute winner in a 2-1 comeback victory at fellow strugglers Granada. Mallorca have 21 points in 19th and Granada are 16th on 26.

Espanyol and Real Valladolid drew 0-0 at Espanyol’s Cornella El Prat stadium in Barcelona and are 13th and 11th respectively.—Reuters

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League Man United v Real Madrid 22:45 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Aljazeera Sport +4 Dortmund v Shakhtar Aljazeera Sport +5 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

22:45

reporters. “We have got two important consecutive wins, both because of how we played and because of who they came against, which is a great motivation for the match against Manchester United. “We are going into (the United game) at the best time.” Ferguson has no new injury concerns but has been presented with a selection headache after midfielder Shinji Kagawa presented a good case with his hat-trick against Norwich, while Ryan Giggs is on the verge of a 1,000th professional appearance. Whoever he picks, he might have a moment of nostalgia when Ronaldo - who scored Real’s equaliser in the first leg - makes his first Old Trafford return. “He’ll get a good reception,” Ferguson said on the club’s website (www.manutd.com). “All our former players

who come back, who have been great players, get a good reception. “I’ve seen that all the time. I think, at the start of the game, he’ll get that.”

Probable teams: Manchester United: 1-David de Gea; 2Rafael, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 6-Jonny Evans, 3Patrice Evra; 16-Michael Carrick, 23-Tom Cleverley; 10-Wayne Rooney, 26-Shinji Kagawa, 19-Danny Welbeck; 20-Robin van Persie.

Real Madrid: 41-Diego Lopez; 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 3-Pepe, 4-Sergio Ramos, 5-Fabio Coentrao; 14-Xabi Alonso, 6-Sami Khedira; 22Angel Di Maria, 10-Mesut Ozil, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo; 9-Karim Benzema.

Referee Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)

Maradona’s dream — to coach Barca

Atletico held by Malaga MADRID: Atletico Madrid squandered a chance to cut the gap to stuttering La Liga leaders Barcelona to nine points when they were held to a 0-0 draw at fourth-placed Malaga on Sunday.

With two of the meanest defences in the Spanish top flight on display, goals were always going to be at a premium and neither side were able to seriously trouble the opposing goalkeeper in a tight game at the Rosaleda.

Malaga captain Weligton sent a header narrowly wide with around 15 minutes left and the home side just managed to clear their lines after a scramble in the penalty area in the dying minutes but both teams appeared content to settle for a draw.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone praised his players for another strong performance after they saw off Sevilla and clinched a place in the King’s Cup final tomorrow.

“After playing an extremely important match four days ago, with a lot of pressure and a significant mental effort, today the team responded with the 90 minutes we needed to remain near the top of the league,” he told a news conference.

“We just lacked the final pass to convert our play, which was very positive for the whole match, into a goal,” added the Argentine, who has transformed the club since taking over midway through last season.

The result left Barca 11 points clear of Atletico with 12 games left after they were beaten 2-1 at third-placed champions Real Madrid on Saturday. It was their second defeat by their arch-rivals in five days after Real dumped them out of the King’s Cup 4-2 on aggregate on Tuesday and only their second reverse of the league campaign following January’s loss at Real Sociedad.

Barca have 68 points from 26 matches with Atletico on 57 and Real 55. Malaga trail on 43 points, one ahead of Valencia,

LONDON: Manchester United’s English forward Wayne Rooney (right) and Manchester United’s Welsh midfielder Ryan Giggs participate in a training session at the Carrington training complex on the eve of their UEFA Champions League first knockout round second leg football match against Real Madrid. —AFP

Diego Maradona

MADRID: Argentine legend and former Barcelona star Diego Maradona has revealed he dreams of coaching his compatriot Lionel Messi at the Catalan club. “My little dream would be one day to coach Leo at Barca,” Maradona told Marca in an interview published yesterday.

Maradona, world champion in 1986, has already coached Messi during a two-year spell in charge of the national side culminating in a disappointing 2010 World Cup. The 52-year-old meanwhile defended Messi, who has come in for some rare criticism in recent games - including a Champions League loss at AC Milan and a pair of reverses to Real Madrid. “I don’t think you have the right to ‘kill’ Messi on the basis of two poor games given all his goals across the season,” said Maradona.

Although Barca have a healthy lead atop La Liga, their

2-0 loss to the Milanese threatens to end this season’s European ambitions and Maradona said he regretted their mini slump and also the departure of Pep Guardiola as coach at the end of last season.

“Barca have lost it totally with his departure. Instead of three touches of the ball and then a shot on goal they are now doing something else. They indulge in senseless touches,” opined Maradona, who himself had mixed fortunes in Catalonia.

He won a Spanish Cup but stayed only for two injury-hit seasons before going on to find greater success and acclaim with Napoli. Maradona said in his view Barca appeared “tired,” perhaps because of poor preparation for the season. “Barca had a very bad pre-season. They went off to play friendlies for which they were paid a small fortune in China, Malaysia, or wherever,” he sniffed.—AFP

Union win for first time in 27 league matches ARGENTINA: Juan Roman Riquelme’s return for Boca Juniors amid joyous celebrations at La Bombonera turned to disappointment after a shock 3-1 defeat by relegation candidates Union on Sunday.

Union, the team against whom the 34-year-old Riquelme made his Boca debut 17 years ago, ended a run of 26 Argentine league matches without tasting victory in the most unlikely of places.

Riquelme made his highly anticipated comeback after taking a seven-month break from football following their defeat in the 2012 Libertadores Cup final. The former Argentina playmaker captained a Boca side let down by defensive blunders as coach Carlos Bianchi rested several first choice players for Thursday’s Libertadores Group One clash at home to Uruguayan champions Nacional.

Union were denied an early goal by an offside decision, which television replays showed may have been an error, but went on to score through Damian Lizio, Bruno Bianchi and Pablo Magnin between the 26th and 60th minutes.

“We needed this because we’ve been working hard and the team have been playing well without getting the breaks,” said Union’s coach Facundo Sava. “We’re going to fight (to avoid relegation) until the numbers say otherwise. We played a great game from the first minute,” he told broadcasters Futbol Para Todos on the pitch.

Santiago Silva pulled one back with a spectacular diving header in the 89th minute but it was too little too late for out-of-sorts Boca Boca are in the bottom half of the “Final” championship table with four points after four matches.

Their fans’ sole consolation will have been bitter

rivals River Plate’s 2-0 defeat away to San Lorenzo.

River, who had won their first three matches, were toppled from the top of the standings as San Lorenzo ended a run of three draws. River are now in second place, a point behind leaders Lanus, who were held 0-0 at Racing Club. River’s coach Ramon Diaz, the last man to steer San Lorenzo to a league title in 2007, was given a good reception by the Saints’ faithful but not by referee German Delfino, who immediately sent him to the stands because his team came out late for kickoff. “What the refer-

ee did was lamentable ... We arrived late because the police brought us a roundabout way. I asked (Delfino) to delay the start ...(Referees) with no class shouldn’t officiate,” an angry Diaz told reporters. Striker Denis Stracqualursi stunned River by giving the home side the lead after 41 seconds, scoring with a low drive from outside the box.

Central defender Mauro Cetto increased the lead with a header in the 19th minute as San Lorenzo lived up to their Ciclon (cyclone) nickname in the first half.—Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: Union’s Nicolas Correa (top) and Boca Juniors’ Guillermo Burdisso (third from left) go for a header during an Argentina’s League soccer match. —AP

Thompson overcomes gusty winds, Ogilvy for Honda win

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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United to welcome Ronaldo while plotting his goodbye this season

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Pakistan to play hockey in India after 7 years

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LOS ANGELES: Lakers center Dwight Howard (left) and Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague go for a rebound during the second half of their NBA basketball game. The Lakers won 99-98. — AP

Heat and Thunder roll Four nominated to be Asian football president “The past two years has seen enough bad KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand’s Worawi Makudi will run against West Asian nominees Sheikh publicity and it just gave us a bad image. We Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, have to clear this up and have a wind of Yousef Al Serkal of the United Arab Emirates change and a new beginning,” Salman said in and Hafez Al Medlej of Saudi Arabia for the a recent interview with The Associated Press. vacant position as president of the Asian “The big advantage is that people know me and I know lots of people and the relationFootball Confederation.

China’s Zhang Jilong, who has been act- ships are ongoing. I have to convince them I ing president since Qatar’s Mohamed bin am the right candidate.”

Salman said that the ongoing political Hammam was suspended by football’s world governing body in May 2011, told China’s unrest in Bahrain and the reports of national official news agency over the weekend that team players being placed under arrest shorthe would not put himself forward to be presi- ly after participating in pro-democracy demonstrations in dent and has declined February 2011 is not relerequests for further comvant to his bid. ment. The election will be “We’d like to keep sport held May 2 in Kuala as it is and the political side Lumpur. we never talk about,” he “The nominations will said. “There is progress in now be scrutinized and the political situation with the list of candidates will negotiations still going on be sent to the Member with the opposition and Associations one month government but ... I want prior to the Congress in to talk about football.” accordance with the AFC Having multiple candiStatutes,” the AFC said in a dates from the Middle East statement issued yestercould dilute the support day, more than 18 hours for all three of them. It is after the deadline for Worawi Makudi widely expected AFC vice nominations. president Al Serkal, Salman Salman has also been nominated for a position on FIFA’s executive and Al Medlej, chairman of the AFC’s marketcommittee along with Hassan Al Thawadi, ing committee, will meet in the coming the secretary-general of the Qatar 2022 World weeks.

Worawi, a long-time member of the FIFA Cup organizing committee.

Bin Hammam, who became AFC presi- Executive Committee, is the only candidate dent in 2002, was found guilty of attempting from the eastern side of the 46-member conto buy votes during his failed challenge federation. He was endorsed last week by the against FIFA President Sepp Blatter in 2011 11-nation regional body representing South and the FIFA ethics committee suspended East Asian football, a nomination the group him from all football activity for life. The says comes with the backing of Australia. FIFA Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned last December cleared Worawi of suspicion that decision but bin Hammam remained that he profited from soccer development under provisional suspensions by both FIFA projects in Thailand.

He had been suspected of breaching conand AFC as investigations continued into allegations of financial irregularities during flict-of-interest ethics rules after the Football Association of Thailand used $860,000 of his tenure.

The Qatari official’s life ban was FIFA funding to build fields and offices on imposed again by FIFA after he resigned land his family was believed to own. FIFA from all football positions on Dec. 17. He closed the investigation after saying that has denied wrongdoing. Salman, a mem- Worawi had provided documents that ber of the Bahrain ruling royal family and showed he donated the land in question to head of the national football association, the association. The AFC also opened nomicame within two votes of defeating bin nations for a female vice president, two Hammam for a seat on the FIFA executive female members on the AFC executive comcommittee in 2009 after a bitter battle that mittee and one position on the FIFA Executive Committee. — AFP widened divisions in Asia.

NEW YORK: LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and the Miami Heat tied a franchise record with their 14th straight victory, rallying to beat the New York Knicks 99-93 on Sunday.

Dwyane Wade added 20 points for the Heat, who had to overcome a 16-point deficit to beat the Knicks for the first time in three tries this season.

Chris Bosh bounced back from a dismal first half to finish with 16 points.

The defending NBA champions won their sixth straight on the road by controlling the final minutes against a team that had a pair of 20-point victories over them this season and looked ready to run them out of the building again.

But James shook off a third-quarter leg injury and was back in top form by the finish, putting it away by coming up with a steal and throwing down a dunk with 23 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points for the Knicks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Thunder 108, Clippers 104 In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant scored 35 points, Russell Westbrook had 29 points and 10 assists, and Oklahoma City held off a late rally by Los Angeles in a matchup of two of the West’s best teams.

Serge Ibaka added 16 points as the Thunder ended a three-game road skid, bouncing back less than 48 hours after losing at Denver. They also completed a season sweep of Los Angeles, which is chasing Oklahoma City and NBA-best San Antonio out West.

Chris Paul scored 26 points, and Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford added 20 apiece for the Clippers, whose four-game winning streak ended with their third loss to the Thunder this season.

Lakers 99, Hawks 98 In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and hit the go-ahead layup with 9 seconds left, leading the Lakers back to .500 for the first time in more than two months.

Steve Blake stole Josh Smith’s final pass in the waning seconds for the Lakers (30-30), who blew a 16-point lead in the second half before Bryant scored their last six points.

After Bryant scored the Lakers’ final basket while driving directly at Smith, Blake swiped Smith’s desperation pass from underneath Los Angeles’ basket. Bryant threw the ball high in the air to run out the clock on Los Angeles’ seventh straight home victory over the Hawks since 2006. Al Horford scored 24 points and Smith had 19 for the Hawks.

Pacers 97, Bulls 92 In Indianapolis, David West scored 31 points and George Hill added 21, leading Indiana past Chicago in a Central Division showdown. The Pacers (38-22) have won seven of their last eight games, going 6-1 since the All-Star break, and hold a four-game lead over second-place Chicago.

The Bulls were led by Marco Belinelli and Jimmy Butler, who each had 20 points for a team that was missing four important players with injuries. Chicago fell behind late in the first quarter and spent most of the rest of the game trying to play catch-up. The Bulls finally tied the score at 72 on Luol Deng’s 8-footer early in the fourth and

again at 80 when Butler made two free throws with 7:04 left.

Spurs 114, Pistons 75 In San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 17 points, Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and San Antonio routed Detroit despite playing without All-Star point guard Tony Parker.

Danny Green added 16 points and Kawhi Leonard had 14 for the Spurs (47-14), who rolled to their most lopsided victory of the season in their first game since Parker was injured. Greg Monroe scored 16 points and Jose Calderon 14 for Detroit, which has lost five of six.

The Spurs had 35 assists on 45 field goals.

Making his first start of the season, Cory Joseph had eight points, four assists and one turnover in place of Parker, who sprained his left ankle in Friday’s win over Sacramento and is expected to

NBA results/standings Miami 99, NY Knicks 93; Oklahoma City 108, LA Clippers 104; Washington 90, Philadelphia 87; Memphis 108, Orlando 82; Sacramento 119, Charlotte 83;Houston 136, Dallas 103; San Antonio 114, Detroit 75; Indiana 97, Chicago 92; LA Lakers 99, Atlanta 98.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB NY Knicks 35 21 .625 Brooklyn 34 26 .567 3 Boston 31 27 .534 5 Philadelphia 23 35 .397 13 Toronto 23 37 .383 14 Central Division Indiana 38 22 .633 Chicago 34 26 .567 4 Milwaukee 29 28 .509 7.5 Detroit 23 39 .371 16 Cleveland 20 39 .339 17.5 Southeast Division Miami 43 14 .754 Atlanta 33 25 .569 10.5 Washington 19 39 .328 24.5 Orlando 16 44 .267 28.5 Charlotte 13 46 .220 31 Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 43 16 .729 Denver 38 22 .633 5.5 Utah 32 27 .542 11 Portland 27 31 .466 15.5 Minnesota 20 36 .357 21.5 Pacific Division LA Clippers 43 19 .694 Golden State 33 27 .550 9 LA Lakers 30 30 .500 12 Phoenix 21 39 .350 21 Sacramento 21 40 .344 21.5 Southwest Division San Antonio 47 14 .770 Memphis 39 19 .672 6.5 Houston 33 28 .541 14 Dallas 26 33 .441 20 New Orleans 21 39 .350 25.5

miss about a month.

Rockets 136, Mavericks 103 In Houston, Chandler Parsons scored a careerhigh 32 points on 12-for-13 shooting and Houston snapped a nine-game losing streak to Dallas.

Jeremy Lin and James Harden added 21 points apiece, and Lin had nine assists for the Rockets.

OJ Mayo scored 18 points and Shawn Marion had 14 to lead the Mavericks, who dropped six games behind Houston for the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference. Houston broke open a close game in the third quarter, outscoring Dallas 44-17.

The Rockets hit 14 of 20 shots and converted six Mavericks turnovers into 14 points.

Grizzlies 108, Magic 82 In Orlando, Tayshaun Prince had 14 points and Marc Gasol added 12 points and 11 assists as Memphis cruised to a victory over Orlando. The Grizzlies, who have won nine of their last 10 games, led by as many as 32 points and had six players in double figures. It was their first of five straight games against teams with losing records.

Memphis played without forward Zach Randolph, who rested the left ankle he sprained in last Friday’s loss to Miami. Arron Afflalo and E’Twaun Moore each scored 12 points to lead a Magic team that has lost 17 of 19 on its home floor.

Orlando is 4-31 since Dec. 20.

Wizards 90, 76ers 87 In Washington, John Wall scored the final six points of the game after teammate Bradley Beal left the court with an apparent injury, leading Washington past Philadelphia.

Beal went down with a sprained ankle with 2:08 left in the fourth quarter. After being attended to by a trainer, he was carried off the court and through the tunnel by two teammates, keeping weight completely off both his legs.

Wall scored the next four points to give the Wizards an 88-87 lead, blocked Evan Turner’s shot with 53 seconds left and added a jumper with 4.4 seconds left. Wall finished with 16 points and six assists as the Wizards snapped a two-game skid and avoided their longest slide in the last month.

Dorell Wright scored 15 points to lead the 76ers, who have lost eight of nine.

Kings 119, Bobcats 83 In Sacramento, John Salmons scored 22 points and Jason Thompson had 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead Sacramento over slumping Charlotte. Marcus Thornton also scored 18 points for the Kings, who made 13 3-pointers in halting a stretch of seven losses in eight games. DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points, Tyreke Evans added 13 and Isaiah Thomas had 10 points and seven assists.

The Kings closed the first half with nine straight points, then opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 64-40. The advantage exceeded 40 points several times in the second half and was Sacramento’s most lopsided victory this season.

Byron Mullens and Gerald Henderson each scored 12 points for the Bobcats. Charlotte, which has lost five straight, was outrebounded 60-31 and shot 36 percent.— AP

Business

HSBC bank annual net profit slumps Page 22 What puts the Swiss in a ‘Swiss Made’ watch?

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Page 25 Ferrari is the world’s most powerful brand

Slim world’s richest for 4th year in a row Page 23

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DUBAI: An aerial view shows Dubai international airport, home to the national carrier Emirates, in this May 27, 2012 file photo. — AFP

Middle East is new global travel crossroads Qatari govt building $15.5bn airport in Doha DUBAI: It’s 1 am and the sprawling airpor t in this deser t cit y is bustling. Enough languages fill the air to make a United Nations translator ’s head spin. Thousands of fliers arrive every hour from China, Australia, India and nearly everywhere else on the planet. Few venture outside the terminal, which spans the length of 24 football fields. They come instead to catch connecting flights to somewhere else.

If it weren’t for three ambitious and rapidly expanding government- owned airlines - Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways - they might have never come to the Middle East. For generations, international fliers have stopped over in London, Paris and Amsterdam. Now, they increasingly switch planes in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, making this region the new crossroads of global travel. The switch is driven by both the airports and airlines, all backed by governments that see aviation as the way to make their countries bigger players in the global economy.

Passengers are won over by their fancy new planes and top-notch service. But the real key to the airlines’ incredible growth is geography. Their hubs in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are an eighthour flight away from two-thirds of the world’s population, including a growing middle class in I ndia, China and Southeast Asia that is eager to travel.

In the past five years, the annual number of passengers traveling through Dubai I nternational Airport - home to Emirates - has jumped from 28.8 million to 51 million, a 77 percent increase. The airpor t now sees more passengers than New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“Everybody accepts that the balance of global economic power is shifting to the east. The geographic position of the Gulf hubs makes them much more relevant today,” says Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways and Iberia. Persian Gulf carriers are already chipping away at some US and European airlines’ most lucrative business: long-haul international flights. But it’s what’s ahead

that really has other airlines worried.

Gulf carriers hold one-third of the orders for the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 - two of the world’s largest and far thest-flying jets.

Th a t ’s e n o u g h p l a n e s to p u t 70,000 passengers in the air at any given moment. “They’re being very a g gre s s i ve,” s ays Ad a m Weissenberg, who heads the travel and hospitality consulting group at Deloitte. “These airlines are not going away.”

Modern day air routes can be traced to the post-World War II era when airlines such as Pan Am and British Airways built the first global networks. Flights from New York would cross the Atlantic, stop in Europe’s capital cities to refuel and then head on to Africa, India and eventually Asia. Two generations later, those routes mostly remain.

Th e G u l f c a r r i e r s a re t r y i n g to change that. And they have a lot going for them. Their hubs are in warm climates with little air-travel congestion and cheap, non-union workers.

That means runways never shut down because of snow, planes don’t circle waiting for their turn to land and flights aren’t canceled by labor strikes as they often are in Europe. “ These guys are making the connection as seamless as possible,” says John Thomas of LEK Consulting.

Top-paying passengers are given over-the-top service that bolsters the airlines’ reputations. On some Emirates planes, first-class passengers get private suites with doors, a 23-inch television, minib a r a n d a p h o n e to c a l l f l i g h t attendants. If that’s not enough, a “ D o N o t D i s t u r b” s i gn c a n b e switched on. There are spa-like restrooms with heated floors and a s h owe r. B u t w h a t re a l l y m a k e s these Persian Gulf airlines unique is their focus on direct flights to smaller cities. The hub system they are developing is similar to what US airlines did a generation ago, which allowed passengers to fly f ro m , s ay, K n ox v i l l e, Te n n . to Sacramento, Calif. with just one connection. “Forget Mumbai and New Delhi. There’s another 40 secondar y cities in India that I can take advantage of,” says Etihad CEO James Hogan.

Airlines and governments in North America and Europe have been fighting back where they can. In Canada, the government has limited the number of planes that Etihad, Emirates and Qatar can land at its airports. The move protects Air Canada, and its partner Lufthansa, which have a good business flying Canadians to India, Africa and Asia.

Separately, Lufthansa has tried to block the Gulf carriers’ access to German airports. Etihad responded by purchasing 29 percent of rival Air Berlin, gaining entry to key European cities. It also owns 40 percent of Air Seychelles and smaller stakes in Virgin Australia a n d I r i s h c a r r i e r Ae r L i n g u s.

“Working against us or trying to isolate us will not succeed because there is a very clear vision behind these airlines and we will keep on expanding,” says Qatar’s CEO Akbar Al Baker.

There has been a recent thaw.

Emirates struck a 10-year deal with Australian airline Qantas; Etihad partnered with Air France-KLM on some routes; and Qatar is joining a global airline marketing and frequent flier partnership headed up

by American Airlines and British Air ways. Still, there is plenty of worry given the size of the Gulf airlines’ jet orders and concerns that they are deeply subsidized by their governments.

European airlines have suggested that the Gulf carriers benefit from access to discounted oil, a favorable tax climate and nonunion labor, particularly low-wage immigrant workers from India and Pa k i s t a n . B u t t h e b i g g e s t p e r k comes from Middle East governments who are investing heavily in attractive, efficient airports.

The Qatari government is building a $15.5 billion airport in Doha, d e s i gn e d to h a n d l e 2 4 m i l l i o n people each year, nearly six times the capacity of the existing facility.

In Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the government is building a sprawling terminal twice the size of The Mall of America. And construc tion was just completed in Dubai of a concourse designed exclusively for Emirates’ fleet of Airbus A380s. The new building has entire floors dedicated to first and business class

c u s to m e r s w h o b o a rd d i re c t l y from lounges, never interacting with coach passengers.

“Governments here understand the power of connectivity to drive economies,” Tony Tyler, CEO of the I n te r n a t i o n a l A i r Tra n s p o r t Association said in a recent speech in Abu Dhabi. The airlines deny getting special t re a t m e n t .

Emirates got $10 million in startup cash from the government in 1985.

The airline’s president, Tim Clark, says his airline has had no assist a n ce s i n ce a n d b e n e f i t s f ro m economies of scale. The airline reported a net profit of $628 million in its last fiscal year.

“People keep saying we’re cheats,” he says. “What they can’t understand is that something could be as good and profitable as it has been without subsidies. You know why? Because they’ve all had subsidies themselves and they still can’t make it.” Clark says the US government subsidizes airlines by allowing them to wipe out debt in bankruptcy court. All three of the largest US airlines - American, Delta and United - have used the courts in the past decade to restructure.

European airlines stand to lose the most business because of their geography, but that doesn’t mean that US carriers aren’t watching closely. The three Gulf airlines already fly to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington and are adding flights at breakneck pace. The airlines aren’t just dipping their toes into these markets; they are diving in, in some cases with giant double - deck Airbus A380s that can seat 489 passengers.

“I think they are a clear threat, much more so to our European and Asian colleagues, but nonetheless a threat to U.S. airlines as well,” Jeff Smisek, CEO of United Continental Holdings Inc, said at an investor conference last March. “They have a very good product. And they have the total and absolute support of their governments.” The airlines are not household names yet, but they will be soon, analysts say. United was a key sponsor of the US Open tennis tournament for more than a decade. But last year, Emirates took over with a seven-year deal reported to have cost $90 million. —AP

Egypt tumbles on Sawiris travel ban DUBAI: Egypt’s bourse suffered its biggest one-day loss in three months yesterday after the chief executive of its largest listed firm was banned from leaving the country on charges of tax evasion - a fresh blow to business confidence in the country. The public prosecutor ordered that Nassef Sawiris, chief executive of Orascom Construction Industries, and his father Onsi Sawiris be barred from travel, state news agency MENA reported late on Sunday. The order was part of an investigation into accusations they evaded about 14 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.1 billion) of taxes during the sale of Orascom Building, an OCI subsidiary, to French firm Lafarge, it said. A banker and friend of the family told Reuters that the men were out of the country. In a statement to the bourse yesterday, OCI said that beyond a previous request by the Egyptian Tax Authority for the company to pay 4.7 billion pounds related to the Lafarge deal, which it had appealed, it had not received any additional claims from the government. Shares in OCI sank 3.6 percent to 250 Egyptian pounds as investors feared legal problems would put its buyout offer from Dutch-listed subsidiary OCI NV in jeopardy.

OCI NV offered in January to acquire all the ordinary shares of its parent through a swap offer for its shares in Amsterdam, and gave investors an option to sell at 280 pounds per share. “The execution of the exchange offer will most likely be delayed as the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority will refrain from taking this responsibility until the claim is resolved,” Pharos Holding said in a note.

All except two stocks fell in Cairo’s main index. The index retreated 2.3 percent to 5,375 points in its heaviest one-day loss since Dec. 6; it reached a nine-week low. The index’s break below major support on the late January low of 5,489 points was technically bearish, triggering a double top formed by the January and February highs; the pattern points down to around 5,200 points in coming weeks.

Beyond the immediate impact on OCI, the Sawiris news fuelled concern about poor relations between Egypt’s post-revolution government and senior members of the pre-revolution business community, which could fuel capital flight from the country. “Criminally pursuing the CEO of Egypt’s largest listed company after the government drafted a law to reconcile with businessmen sends a very contradictory signal,” said Mohamed Radwan, director of international sales at Pharos Securities.

Saudi banks In Saudi Arabia, banks led declines as investor sentiment continued to weigh on the sector in the wake of last month’s fourth-quarter earnings, which mostly showed weak growth. Al-Rajhi Bank and Samba Financial Group each slipped 1.1 percent. The kingdom’s benchmark dropped 0.5 percent to its lowest close since Jan 2.

Elsewhere, United Arab Emirates markets declined with propertyrelated stocks the main drag. Dubai builder Arabtec plunged 10 percent to a 13-month low of 2.17 dirhams as investors dumped the stock ahead of a planned capital increase that will be dilutive to shareholders. The stock has fallen 27 percent in three sessions since the company announced plans to raise $1.8 billion in capital. Analysts said it could continue to fall until it reached around 1.50 dirhams, a price at which the rights issue would be factored in.

Dubai’s benchmark retreated 1.9 percent to a two-week low. In neighbouring Abu Dhabi, shares in Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate, which plan to merge, tumbled to two-week lows as investors booked recent gains. The pair dropped 5.2 and 3.7 percent respectively. Both stocks have more than doubled in price over the past year in anticipation of the state-backed merger. Sorouh is still up 43.7 percent in 2013, while Aldar has gained 14.8 percent.— Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BUSINESS

BoJ nominee vows to overpower deflation Japan’s long struggle with deflation ‘abnormal’

LONDON: This picture shows the UK headquarters of HSBC at Canary Wharf in London. — AFP

HSBC bank annual net profit slumps LONDON: Asia-focused bank HSBC said yesterday that net profits sank 16.5 percent to $14.03 billion in 2012, hit by US moneylaundering fines, mis-selling scandals, rising taxation and a huge accounting charge.

Profit after tax fell to the equivalent of 10.78 billion euros last year, compared with $16.8 billion in 2011, London-headquartered HSBC said in a results statement. Pretax profits meanwhile slid six percent to $20.65 billion.

HSBC’s performance was hit by a $1.9billion fine to settle US allegations of money laundering that were said to have helped Mexican drug cartels, terrorists and Iran. The bank had admitted in December to having “inadequate” controls in place and accepted responsibility for the group’s past mistakes, as part of an agreement with several US authorities including the US Department of Justice.

HSBC’s annual results were also dented by a vast $5.2-billion charge against the value of its own debt. And it set aside

another $1.4 billion to cover compensation in Britain for mis-selling scandals. However, the lender’s capital position improved following a string of asset sales, including its stake in Chinese insurance giant Ping An. As a result, the bank pledged to pay out more in shareholder dividends this year.

And bad debts-or consumer loans that have turned sour-fell to $8.31 billion from $12.13 billion last time around. Underlying profits, stripping out exceptional items, climbed by 18 percent to $16.4 billion, with strong growth in Hong Kong and Asia and a sharp turnaround in Europe.

“HSBC made significant progress in 2012. First and foremost, we grew our business. We increased revenues, performed well in most faster-growing markets and enjoyed a record year in commercial banking,” said chief executive Stuart Gulliver.

“We’ve made the business easier to manage and control by disposing of non-core businesses and surpassed our sustainable savings target. — AFP

TOKYO: Tokyo’s choice to lead the Bank of Japan vowed yesterday to do “everything possible” to reverse years of growth-sapping deflation, and criticised previous BoJ management for not doing enough to fix the problem. Haruhiko Kuroda, a finance veteran who has announced his resignation as head of the Asian Development Bank, is widely expected to be confirmed by parliament as Japan’s top central banker in the coming weeks. The 68-year-old has long criticised the central bank for doing too little to lift the world’s third-largest economy, and is likely to lead a fresh drive for more spending and aggressive monetary easing.

“I want to make it clear that we will do everything possible to get rid of deflation,” Kuroda told a parliamentary committee, adding that his plans included launching “drastic monetary easing”. Japan has been beset by deflation since the 1990s. It hurts the economy because falling prices lead consumers to delay purchases in hopes of paying less later and cut into corporate profits, leading firms to slash jobs and put off growth-generating capital investment.

Following his nomination last week, Kuroda called Japan’s long struggle with deflation “abnormal”, adding that “the duty to stabilise prices rests with central banks. The BoJ could not

Tokyo, including by Kuroda yesterday. He also applauded the new inflation target, seen as more explicit than the bank’s previous “goal” to raise prices, calling it “utterly unprecedented”. “If appointed, I think that achieving the (inflation) objective at the earliest time is my most important duty,” Kuroda said yesterday. But he added that the BoJ’s 101 trillion yen ($1.08 trillion) asset-buying programme fell short, calling it “not enough”. Masatoshi Sato, senior strategist at Mizuho Securities, said the comments from Kuroda, an Oxford University graduate, showed he was “in tandem with the Abe administration” on economic policy. “The market is seeing his remarks in a positive light,” Sato told AFP. “But now we are looking to his first policy meeting (next month) and what he is going to do. The focus is going to gradually shift to results.”

Kuroda’s proposal to buy longer-maturity assets and bring the unlimited asset-purchase plan forward had underwhelmed markets, said Chris Tedder, research analyst at Forex.com in Sydney. “The comments didn’t tell us anything we didn’t know already,” he said. The dollar and euro were mixed on the yen in late Tokyo trade yesterday at 93.63 yen and 121.83 yen from 93.59 yen and 121.92 in New York on Friday. —AFP

Italian worries, growth fears send shares lower LONDON: European shares, the euro and oil all edged lower yesterday as political stalemate in Italy and the US and China’s plans for tighter controls on its property sector exacerbated worries about the global growth outlook. The lack of progress in forming a new government in Rome over the weekend put the focus on Italy where the main share index tumbled 1.24 percent and Italian 10-year bond yields gained six basis points to 4.85 percent. Analysts said there were growing concerns that the political stalemate made it difficult for the European Central Bank to provide support to Italy if the government were to struggle to fund itself.

“If the Italians don’t have a government (ECB president Mario) Draghi, who said he would do whatever it takes, can’t help them,” said Alastair Winter, chief economist at Daniel Stewart. The uncertainty in Italy has caused investor sentiment across the euro zone to fall sharply in March according to the latest Sentix index, ending a six month trend of improvement which had fuelled hopes of a region-wide recovery.

While this also weighed on the single currency, traders said speculation that economic weakness across the euro zone will see the European Central Bank cut rates at its meeting on Thursday was mainly responsible for driving the com-

Investcorp completes sale of IPH Group BAHRAIN: Investcorp, a global provider and manager of alternative investment products, announced that it has completed the sale of IPH Group, a leading distributor of industrial supplies in Europe, to PAI Partners, a Paris-based European private equity firm in a deal that generated in excess of 210 million euros of realization proceeds for Investcorp and its clients.

During the period of ownership by Investcorp, IPH Group tripled its sales from 293 million euros to 860 million euros and grew EBITDA from EUR 12 million to over 62 million euros in 2012. Yusef Al-Yusef, Managing Director at Investcorp and regional head for Kuwait, said: “We are pleased to announce the successful sale of IPH Group, another milestone for our business. From the outset, we recognised the potential within the company, and worked closely with its management to help IPH realise its growth potential. To achieve such results at a time when the global economy continues along its slow path to recovery, is testament to the ability of the Investcorp

end deflation”. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose Liberal Democratic Party swept December elections, has vowed to stoke growth with big spending and aggressive monetary easing. That put him on a collision course with outgoing BoJ head Masaaki Shirakawa, who is stepping down on March 19, three weeks before the end of his term.

Abe had previously warned Shirakawa that he might change a law guaranteeing the bank’s independence if it did not follow his policies, stirring protest from central bankers abroad. The under-pressure central bank in January announced an unlimited easing programme to start from next year and a two-percent inflation target aimed at reversing deflation. The asset purchase policy is similar to the US Federal Reserve’s unlimited monthly bond-buying programme, known as quantitative easing.

Markets have cheered Abe’s efforts, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 index soaring and the yen weakening in recent months, good news for the country’s hard-hit exporters. But Abe’s prescription for the recession-hit economy has sparked criticism that Tokyo is intentionally pushing down the yen’s value and risking a global currency war as rival nations race to gain a trade advantage-claims repeatedly denied by

Yusef Al-Yusef team to grow businesses.” IPH Group distributes a large range of industrial supply products and is represented in Europe by strong national networks, namely Orexad and Anfidis in France, Zitec in Germany, Biesheuvel Techniek in the Netherlands, D’hont in Belgium, and Novotech in Romania. The strength of these networks, which comprise over 250 outlets across Europe, has enabled the IPH Group to become recognised as a valued supplier for its industrial clients.

mon currency lower. “Draghi could be more dovish and there could be a rate cut this week. If not, he could signal something is in the offing,” said Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank. The euro was down 0.1 percent at $1.2985, just above Friday’s 11-week low of $1.2966.

UK weakens Meanwhile Britain’s pound fell to near a 2-1/2 year low against the dollar just above $1.50 after a weaker-than-expected survey of British construction activity added to evidence the economy may be sliding into another recession. The data has increased the likelihood that Bank of England Governor Mervyn King will get his wish for additional monetary stimulus at this week’s policy setting meeting.

“The construction PMI today was quite weak, but the really big one is the services PMI which comes tomorrow and if that comes in weak as well it would increase the possibility of further action at this week’s BoE meeting,” said Ian Stannard, Head of European FX Strategy at Morgan Stanley. The latest slide left sterling just above Friday’s July 2010 low of $1.4998.

Currency markets are also looking ahead to rate-setting meetings being held by central banks in Japan, Canada and Australia as evidence mounts of weaker global

growth. The market’s fears have grown as broad US spending cuts that automatically kicked in on Friday threaten to dampen growth in the world’s largest economy, while China yesterday moved to slow activity in its property markets. MSCI world equity index was down around 0.25 percent yesterday at the start of its fifth consecutive week in the red. European shares opened around 0.35 percent lower with London’s FTSE 100 index, Paris’s CAC-40 and Frankfurt’s DAX around 0.5 percent lower. A fall in US stock futures also pointed to a weak Wall Street start.

The futures contract for the S&P 500 SPc1 fell 0.3 percent, while the Dow Jones DJc1 futures contract retreated 0.4 percent and Nasdaq 100 NDc1 futures shed 0.2 percent.

Risk retreat Recent weak economic data from Europe and China have been weighing on all the major riskier asset markets, which had gained sharply in the first two months of the year on hopes of a gradual global economic recovery this year.

“The worry is, given how much markets have rallied in January and February, we might now have an excuse to take money off the table,” said Alpesh Patel, a founder of fund managers Praefinium Partners.

The political stalemate in Italy, and the economic worries have

supported safe-haven German government bonds. Bund futures were slightly firmer yesterday at 145.50, having risen almost two full points last week.

Earlier MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 1.7 percent to a nineweek low after China said it was tightening rules over lending for property purchases. Data also showed growth in China’s increasingly important services sector expanded at its slowest pace in five months in February, reinforcing the view that the recovery in the world’s second-largest economy remains modest. China’s factory growth also cooled to multi-month lows in February. Meanwhile concerns about the negative economic impact from the US spending cuts weighed on US crude, which fell 0.15 percent to $90.50 a barrel.

Brent was little changed at $110.50.

President Barack Obama and Congress remain deadlocked over how to resolve the latest fiscal crisis although there were signs a compromise was being worked on. Republican leaders on Sunday promised moves to avoid a government shutdown on March 27, when funding runs out for most federal programs while President Obama raised anew the issue of cutting entitlements which has been a key stumbling bloc. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal - cash

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 Egyptian pounds

.2770000 .424000 .3660000 .2990000 .2730000 .2850000 .0040000 .0020000 .0769340 .7495490 .3920000 .0720000 .7348010 .0420000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2834000 GB Pound/KD .4260490 Euro .3688310 Swiss francs .3006100 Canadian dollars .2750120 Danish Kroner .0494710 Swedish Kroner .0440670 Australian dlr .2869000 Hong Kong dlr .0365420 Singapore dlr .2274840 Japanese yen .0030360 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0771890 Bahraini dinars .7520230 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0755930 Omani riyals .7363910 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.050 5.167 2.896 2.229 3.247 229.220 36.721 3.596 6.978 9.554 0.271

.2870000 .4400000 .3810000 .3130000 .2880000 .2980000 .0067500 .0035000 .0777080 .7570820 .4100000 .0770000 .7421850 .0480000 .2855000 .4292060 .3715640 .3028370 .2770500 .0498380 .0443930 .2890260 .0368130 .2391700 .0030590 .0052150 .0022470 .0029180 .0036350 .0777610 .7575960 .4038190 .0761540 .7418470 .0070550

0.273

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

GCC COUNTRIES 75.977 78.285 740.030 756.740 77.581

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 42.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.605 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.329 Tunisian Dinar 180.250 Jordanian Dinar 402.350 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.911 Syrian Lier 3.096 Morocco Dirham 34.026 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 284.800 Euro 371.950 Sterling Pound 419.480 Canadian dollar 277.310 Swiss Franc 302.980 US Dollar Buying 283.600 GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

CURRENCY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL SELL DRAFT 293.68 280.86 310.10 375.32 283.65 433.27 3.17 3.611 5.263 2.228 3.303 2.895 77.30 755.26 41.56 404.10 738.22 78.33 75.84

Selling Rate 284.550 279.480 430.420 373.110 302.285 753.350 77.450 78.105 75.845 401.120 41.542 2.229 5.172 2.893 3.601 6.973 698.015 4.045 9.645 4.020 3.335 91.895

Bahrain Exchange Company

298.000 150.000 77.500

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

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 295.000 288.000 311.000 379.800 283.500 445.000 3.150 3.750 5.350 2.520 3.450 2.860 77.500 750.800 42.500 409.500 734.000 78.500 75.900

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

BUY Europe 0.4209398 0.0061343 0.0456678 0.3656937 0.0454948 0.4225705 0.0401835 0.2965924

SELL 0.4299398 0.0181343 0.0506678 0.3731937 0.0506948 0.4300705 0.0451835 0.3035924

Australasia 0.2783615 0.2258143 0.0001095

0.2903615 0.2358143 0.0001095

America 0.2696310 0.0001482 0.2824500

0.2786310 0.0001662 0.2846000

Asia 0.0035653 0.0031569 0.0447120 0.0164400

0.0036203 0.0033869 0.0497120 0.0195400

Guinea Franc Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht

0.0000442 0.0341462 0.0051102 0.0000244 0.0028424 0.0029650 0.0032422 0.0879343 0.0030865 0.0028705 0.0065303 0.0000727 0.2249283 0.0019309 0.0091498

0.0000502 0.0372462 0.0051802 0.0000296 0.0038424 0.0031450 0.0034722 0.0949343 0.0032865 0.0029105 0.0070003 0.0000757 0.2309283 0.0022359 0.0097496

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.7484810 0.0396111 0.0129988 0.1481439 0.0000792 0.0001858 0.3958388 1.0000000 0.0001745 0.0217119 0.0012085 0.7282097 0.0775173 0.0753600 0.0499832 0.0031755 0.1791154 0.0760588 0.0012838

0.7569810 0.0416411 0.0194988 0.1499339 0.0000797 0.0002458 0.4033388 1.0000000 0.0001945 0.0457119 0.0018435 0.7392097 0.0783003 O.0760000 0.0505332 0.0033955 0.1851154 0.0775088 0.0013838

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 284.200 374.100 429.850 278.850 3.100 5.190 41.605 2.229 3.590 6.970 2.890 756.850 77.400 75.900

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BUSINESS

EU needs ‘who lost Italy’ debate on austerity now BRUSSELS: European policymakers should be asking themselves “who lost Italy” after a grassroots revolt against austerity, unemployment and the political elite caused an electoral earthquake in the euro-zone’s number three economy. Instead, most are insisting that their policy mix to fight the currency area’s debt crisis is right, even though the latest EU forecasts have pushed any prospect of meaningful economic recovery in southern Europe back into the middle distance. A surge in support for anti-euro populist Beppe Grillo and the surprise resurrection of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on an anti-austerity platform in last week’s election have plunged Rome into political deadlock.

Italy, which had been governed by respected technocrat Mario Monti for 15 months since Berlusconi’s last government fell, is far from the worst affected by the three -year-old debt crisis.

Unemployment there stands at 11.7 percent, less than half the rate of Greece and Spain, where one of every two young people is without a job. If a milder recession and less severe spending cuts and tax rises can cause such a social and electoral revolt in Italy, the risks of an explosion in Greece and Spain ought to

be greater. Yet the official reaction from Brussels and Frankfurt is to act as if nothing, or almost nothing, had happened.

“The crisis is not yet over and efforts must not be relaxed,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a joint statement with Monti two days after the election. At a Reuters Summit on the future of the euro-zone, Barroso appealed to European leaders to stay the course and “not give in to populism”. Despite the bleak growth forecasts, structural reforms were starting to bear fruit, he said. Barroso reeled off figures showing current account deficits in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece were shrinking and Ireland was back in surplus. Exports from Spain and Portugal were rising and the labour competitiveness gap between northern and southern Europe was narrowing. Those numbers have a flipside. Payments imbalances are down mostly because those countries’ imports have shrunk due to sinking demand. The labour cost gap has declined largely due to mass layoffs in southern states rather than productivity gains. Exports account for less than 20 percent of the Iberian countries’ output, less than half Germany’s ratio and too little to offer a fast track to recovery.

Social crisis While the European Central Bank removed the danger of a financial meltdown of the euro-zone with its bondbuying plan, there is now a growing risk of a social crisis that could lead to one or more southern countries leaving the currency area. “I absolutely think it can get a lot worse,” said Clemens Fuest, the incoming chief of Germany’s respected ZEW economic research institute. “There is really the current plausible scenario for a break-up of the currency union. It may very well be that in these countries at some point the population will say ‘we don’t believe things will get better’,” he told the Reuters Summit. The degree of despair would have to be high to risk leaving the euro area, “but if things continue, if unemployment goes up to 30 percent... in Spain, there certainly is a danger that might happen”.

Zsolt Darvas of the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels said southern European countries were trapped in a downward spiral of economic contraction and rising debt for an unknown duration but had no alternative to fiscal consolidation. The only way out was to alter Europe’s fiscal policy mix by stimulating demand in northern Europe, notably with tax cuts in Germany, and giving the European

Investment Bank a huge capital increase to lend to companies in southern Europe, he said.

Using the EIB to inject the equivalent of 2-3 percent of gross domestic product a year into south European economies for a limited number of years would be the most effective and politically feasible way to revive growth, Darvas said.

No such plans are under consideration in the European Union, and German, Dutch and Finnish voters remain deeply hostile to any fiscal transfers to southern Europe. With Germany facing its own general election in September, followed by the usual period of coalition negotiations, it is hard to imagine any major policy shift this year.

EU growth initiatives so far have been on a far more modest scale, including a small boost to EIB capital last year and a recently created 6 billion euro youth employment fund due to take effect next January to support job training and mobility.

Monti warned repeatedly last year that anti-European populists would gain ground in the south unless the eurozone did more to support his efforts and those of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy by bringing down borrowing costs. Those costs did fall significantly

after the ECB announced its bond-buying initiative in September, but Monti’s appeal for more financial solidarity from Germany fell on deaf ears.

Whether his election debacle, after European leaders encouraged him to enter the race, will sway minds in the EU remains to be seen.

For the moment, their key priority is to help Ireland and Portugal return to capital markets later this year to demonstrate success for their bailout and adjustment programmes.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, also speaking at the Reuters Summit, was one of the rare voices to say the Italian voter backlash showed that austerity had gone far enough and it was time to strengthen growth. His German counterpart, Wolfgang Schaeuble, a leading advocate of austerity during the crisis, drew no such lesson, saying European policies were not to blame for greater inequality and economic divergence between north and south.

“We need to continue on this path, but we will have setbacks,” Schaeuble said. It may take another, bigger jolt than I taly ’s elec tion to spur euro zo n e l e a d e r s to c h a n g e co u r s e, i f they ever do. — Reuters

Slim world’s richest for 4th year in row Record 1,426 billionaires made the list

SHANGHAI: A Ferrari 458 Spider sits in a showroom in Shanghai yesterday. — AFP

China property curbs may trigger home buying rush HONG KONG: China’s property-related shares fell by the most in nearly five years yesterday on plans to tighten curbs on the housing market, though some economists predict a near-term spike in existing home prices, at least until local governments work out how to implement the changes.

The plans, announced by the cabinet late on Friday, include the stricter implementation of an existing 20 percent capital gains tax on home sales, strengthening restrictions on home buying and increasing loan rates for those buying a second home in cities where prices are rising too quickly.

“More detailed measures will be announced by related ministries including the People’s Bank of China (central bank) and local governments, so markets should definitely take the edict seriously and be prepared for falling prices of related financial assets,” Bank of America-Merrill Lynch’s chief China economist Ting Lu wrote in a March 3 note. Lu said there could be a rush to buy existing homes before local governments say how they will levy the capital gains tax, but the number of deals would then slump, hitting property agencies.

Stocks battered A gauge of property-related stocks listed in Shanghai slumped 9.3 percent yesterday - its biggest drop since mid-June 2008.

The CSI300 index of leading Shanghai and Shenzhen stocks dived 4.6 percent, its steepest fall since November 2010. In offshore Chinese markets, China Resources Land slumped 8.6 percent, reversing gains so far this year, in its worst session for 17 months. The stock is now down 2.4 percent in 2013 after surging 69 percent last year.

The broader Hang Seng Index is down 0.5 percent this year.

“The actual impact of the new policy can be very severe or not severe at all, depending on implementation. But the wording is unexpectedly harsh,’ said Yao Wei, China economist at Societe Generale CIB. “In three months time, the impact may not be big at all. But it has stirred very high negative expectations.” Local governments are expected to release their property control targets and detailed implementation

plans by end-March, various Chinese media reported yesterday, citing Qi Ji, a vice-minister of housing and rural-urban development.

Leadership change Friday ’s announcement came amid speculation about rising house prices and what additional curbs Beijing may bring in in the run-up to annual parliamentary meetings that officially complete China’s leadership transition. Xi Jinping formally takes over as the country’s new president on Tuesday.

A private survey last week showed average home prices in China’s 100 biggest cities rose for a ninth straight month in February, although the pace of increase slowed. BofA-Merrill’s Lu said the measures - a “turning point” for China’s property sector - may shift demand for existing homes to new homes, and are independent of China’s overall monetary policy position, which should remain supportive in the first half. While it’s difficult to predict just how local governments will implement the changes, analysts said the moves would likely accelerate consolidation in the property sector over time, with larger developers cutting prices in a market with fewer home-buying deals. The 20 percent capital gains tax is not new, but home-owners had a choice between that and paying 1-2 percent of the property’s sale price. “While the aim of (the capital gains tax) will be to further disincentivise home purchasing for capital gain, the side-effect could be that secondary market transactions will dry up,” said Lee Wee Liat, head of Asia property research at BNP Paribas, adding he was more negative on those developers overexposed to so-called Tier 3 cities. Property prices have risen more sharply in the larger and more developed Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, but home buyers’ sentiment will likely be affected across the board, with Tier 3 cities facing over-supply of homes, Lee said. In an emailed response to Reuters, mainland China’s biggest developer by sales, China Vanke, said it would “follow the direction of the policy and keep supporting the demands of housing.” — Reuters

Spending cuts here to stay WASHINGTON: The spending cuts are here to stay if you believe the public posturing Sunday. The Senate’s Republican leader Mitch McConnell called them modest. House Speaker John Boehner isn’t sure the cuts will hurt the economy. The White House’s top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, said the pain isn’t that bad right now. So after months of dire warnings, Washington didn’t implode, government didn’t shut down and the $85 billion budget trigger didn’t spell doom. And no one has yet crafted a politically viable way to roll back those cuts.

“This modest reduction of 2.4 percent in spending over the next six months is a little more than the average American experienced just two months ago, when their own pay went down when the payroll tax holiday expired,” McConnell said. “I don’t know whether it’s going to hurt the

economy or not,” Boehner said. “I don’t think anyone quite understands how the sequester is really going to work.”

And Sperling, making the rounds on the Sunday news shows, added: “On Day One, it will not be as harmful as it will be over time.” Both parties cast blame on the other for the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts but gave little guidance on what to expect in the coming weeks. Republicans and Democrats pledged to retroactively undo the cuts but signaled no hints as to how that process would start to take shape.

Republicans insisted there would be no new taxes and Democrats refused to talk about any bargain without them. “That’s not going to work,” said Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH. “If we’re going to increase revenue again, it’s got to go to the debt with real entitlement reform and real tax reform when you actually lower rates. — AP

NEW YORK: Spain’s Amancio Ortega, the cofounder of the Inditex fashion group, leapt over Warren Buffett and France’s Bernard Arnault to become the world’s third richest person on Forbes’ 2013 annual ranking of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $57 billion. Mexico’s Carlos Slim, who has taken a hit from the slump in the share price of his America Movil telecoms group since the list was calculated as of Feb 14, remained the richest person with a fortune of $73 billion, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates held on to the No. 2 spot with a net worth of $67 billion.

Ortega’s fortune increased $19.5 billion, the biggest gain for any of the billionaires, from the report in 2012. He jumped two places and bumped Buffett, chairman and chief executive of conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc with a fortune of $53.5 billion, out of the top three to the No. 4 spot for the first time since 2000. “Warren had a great year, it’s just that Amancio Ortega had a better year,” Forbes magazine editor Randall Lane said of the co-founder of Zara. “He has one of the dominant apparel lines in Europe.”

Arnault, of the LVMH luxury goods group, dropped to 10th place with $29 billion. Slim, 73, made much of his fortune in telecommunications but also branched out into retail, commodities, finance and energy. “To see Carlos Slim again broaden his lead and certify himself as the richest man in the world is a statement that wealth truly is global and not an American monopoly like it sometimes felt for many decades,” Lane added in an interview.

Rising stock markets fueled in part by monetary stimulus by the US Federal Reserve, and robust consumer brands fortified the fortunes of those already on the list and drove many of the 210 new billionaires onto it. Oracle Corp’s Larry Ellison, with a fortune of $43 billion, rounded out the top five in the ranking that included a record 1,426 billionaires, with an average net worth of $3.8 billion.

Forbes’ 27th annual ranking is the biggest ever and has the largest jump in total number of people added in one year. “It is a very good year to be a billionaire, and a much easier year to be a billionaire.You have those economic forces and global markets going up and that is pushing

more people over the threshold,” Lane explained.

Brazilian mining, energy and shipping magnate Eike Batista, whose net worth fell $19.4 billion, was the biggest loser on the 2013 list. He dropped from No. 7 in 2012 to 100.The total net worth of the world’s billionaires is $5.4 trillion, according to Forbes, up from $4.6 trillion in the previous ranking.

America, China, Russia have most The United States led the list with 442 billionaires, followed by 386 from Asia and the Pacific region, with 122 in China alone. Europe was close behind with 366, including 110 in Russia.

The Americas, not including the United States, had 129 and the Middle East and Africa 103.

“There will be more Asian billionaires than American billionaires by the end of this decade, actually by the middle of this decade,” said Lane.

“That is a statement about where global growth is.” Americans captured five of the top 10 spots including brothers Charles and David Koch, owners of Koch Industries Inc, who tied for sixth place with $34 billion each. France’s Liliane Bettencourt, of the L’Oreal cosmetics empire, is the world’s richest woman, coming in ninth with a $30 billion fortune. Li Ka-shing, who controls the Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, is the wealthiest man in Asia with a $31 billion fortune, putting him in eighth place.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the

founder of financial data firm Bloomberg LP, a competitor of Thomson Reuters Corp , just missed the top 10, rising to 13th place from 20th with a net worth of $27 billion.

Women and young make greater strides, more money Thirty-four more women, including American fashion designer Tory Burch, made the list for a total of 138. The youngest billionaire was 28year-old Internet entrepreneur Dustin Moskovitz. The former college roommate of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and an early investor in the social networking site, came in at No. 353 with a net worth of $3.8 billion.

Another newcomer was GoPro’s Nicholas Woodman with a fortune of $1.3 billion. The privately owned company makes wearable cameras. Renzo Rosso of the Italian fashion company Diesel was also new to the list with a $3 billion net worth. “It’s a cultural sea change when you can come up with an idea, actualize the idea, monetize the idea and become a billionaire by your 40th birthday. That just didn’t happen in the pre-Microsoft era,” Lane said of the young billionaires. U.S. banker and philanthropist David Rockefeller, 97, was the oldest, placing 527th with $2.7 billion. Sixty people dropped off the list, including Mark Pincus of social gaming company Zynga Inc and Aubrey McClendon, the outgoing CEO and former chairman of natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy Corp. — AFP

This combination of file images shows Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim (right), Microsoft’s Bill Gates (center) and Zara fashion house boss Amancio Ortega of Spain. — AFP

Fiat CEO wants to take Alfa up-market GENEVA/DETROIT: Sergio Marchionne does not walk on water.

Nevertheless, it may require a miracle to pull off the Fiat chief’s latest gambit: Take his sporty Alfa Romeo brand global with more expensive models and triple its sales volume by 2016 - after years of losses. To add extra spice to the challenge, which takes place as European car sales plummet to 17-year-lows, the new Alfas will be built in Italy, where labour and material costs are far higher than in the United States, Asia or Eastern Europe.

The plan is however about far more than the fate of the Alfa brand.

It represents Fiat’s only real hope of combating a collapse in its home market and breathing new life into idled factories. Should it fail, and the new cars flop, the company that Italians view as a cornerstone of their economy will have little choice but to put thousands of employees out of work and tip entire communities into turmoil.

Marchionne has form where ailing brands are concerned. The outgoing 60-year old has been widely hailed for his 2009 acquisition and subsequent turnaround of bankrupt US automaker Chrysler. However his announcement late last year of a strategic overhaul of the 103-yearold Alfa Romeo brand - which Fiat acquired in 1986 and has since failed to revive despite repeated attempts - has been greeted with scepticism. “I wouldn’t write the plan

off,” said Bernstein analyst Max Warburton, noting the Alfa brand’s resilience despite years of neglect.

“But get it wrong, or find consumers aren’t interested, and it will be a financial catastrophe.”

Resurrection scheme Marchionne is betting on Alfa because he believes it can deliver the global profile that Fiat cannot and far greater sales volumes than Maserati. Alfa’s overhaul comes with a 1 billion-euro ($1.3 billion) pricetag to pay for the introduction of five new models by 2016, and a revamp of the brand’s two existing compact cars.

Leading the project is the limited-edition 4C sports car, a compact two-seater which makes its public debut at the Geneva auto show today and goes on sale later this year. US pricing is rumoured to be between 50,000 and 60,000 euros.

The 4C, competing with the Porsche Cayman and Boxster, will be joined in 2015 by the Spider roadster, co-developed with Mazda and priced from less than 23,000 euros ($30,000), and a new sedan expected to share underpinnings with Chrysler and Ferrari-sourced engines with the new Maserati Ghibli.

Another weapon will be the Giulia, which will be unveiled in 2015 and the first mainstream Alfa model to be sold in the United States since it quit that market in

1995. The Giulia sedan and wagon will be followed in 2016 by replacements for the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks. Marchionne believes this strategy will help Fiat raise Alfa’s annual sales to 300,000 cars by 2016. While that goal is down dramatically from a previous target of 500,000 cars by 2014, it still looks a stretch from the 92,000 Alfas sold in 2012 - the worst showing in more than 40 years - and the brand’s previous best of just over 200,000 sales in 2000. Barclays Capital is among those doubtful of the scheme. “It’s not the first time we have heard an ambitious volume plan for Alfa,” the investment bank said in a recent note to investors. “Volumes were supposed to be 400,000 in 2014 rather than the 70,000 that seems likely.” The top global auto forecasting houses are equally unconvinced.

Michigan-based IHS Automotive and LMC Automotive are projecting annual sales of around 230,000 Alfas by 2016.

“Alfa is going to have a fight on its hands in luring luxury buyers into its vehicles,” said LMC senior analyst Joseph Langley. “Charging a premium and leaning on heritage is not enough in the highly competitive luxury segments, as Cadillac (and) Lincoln have experienced.”

Marchionne himself has said Alfa’s task will be difficult. The division has had six bosses since his own 2004 appointment, and none of them have been able to move the needle

much. “I left Alfa because I couldn’t get the green light for a real product plan with the right motors for the right clients ... who are now driving BMWs,” said an executive who ran Alfa less than a decade ago. “It was clear to me there was a lack of resources. Alfa had become an empty box.”

Eye on Audi European car demand is expected to contract even further this year, squeezing mass-market brands still harder between excess product and cut-throat pricing, while a strong euro adds further complications.

Marchionne is also up against luxury buyers’ preference for well-established German premium brands such as BMW and Audi, each of which sells around 1.5 million cars a year. While Fiat has struggled to find cash for Alfa, its deep-pocketed rival Volkswagen has become the envy of the industry for its lengthy but surefooted transformation of Audi from a dowdy also-ran to a high-tech cash cow. The upscale VW brand’s rebirth may now serve as a role model for Alfa salespeople. VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech has made no secret he thinks Alfa would be a good fit within the group’s expansive portfolio of brands, where it could benefit from their pooled vehicle architectures and technology. But Marchionne has refused to sell Alfa, and observers think he is unlikely to change his mind. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BUSINESS

Incoming Hungary central banker takes new powers BUDAPEST: New governor Gyorgy Matolcsy tightened his grip on power at Hungary’s central bank on his first day in office yesterday, issuing new rules that curb the powers of the bank’s vice governors. According to new articles of Association posted on the bank’s website yesterday, signed by Matolcsy on Feb. 28 when he was still the government’s economy minister, the vice governors can represent the bank only jointly with a new chief director. Earlier the vice governors had the right to represent the bank in their own field of competence.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban put close ally

Matolcsy in charge of the bank in place of a critic of his go-it-alone economic policies on Friday, the latest move to increase his Fidesz party’s influence over independent state institutions. Two of the three vice-governors at the bank were appointed by a previous Socialist-dominated administration - in contrast to the rest of the bank’s policy council, who were nominated by the Fidesz majority in parliament. Matolcsy, the architect of government policy which has seized private sector assets for the state and taxed big business, will also have direct rights over the hiring, dismissal and pay of all central bank

employees and can delegate this power to the new chief director. Investors fear the new governor’s appointment will lead the bank to take risky steps with monetary policy to boost the recession-hit economy that could threaten the volatile forint currency.

The forint fell 0.5 percent to bid at 296.0 to the euro yesterday, near a five-week low.

At his questioning in parliament on Friday, Matolcsy said he supported “conservative, responsible” monetary policy and the bank would stay independent. But he added it must aim for a “strategic partnership” with the cabinet as long as it did not threaten

price stability and also said the bank would examine new tools to boost economic growth.

Orban nominated a third vice governor, Adam Balog, to the bank when he nominated Matolcsy on Friday. Parliamentary documents showed its economic committee yesterday will also hold a confirmation hearing yesterday for a new nominee to the rate-setting Monetary Council - Economy Ministry state secretary Gyula Pleschinger.

Pleschinger, 59, who runs tax and financial matters at the ministry, has financial market experience but no central banking

past. He was the head of OTP Securities, deputy CEO of Raiffeisen group’s Hungarian banking unit and led his own consultancy firm, before becoming head of the Government Debt Management Agency AKK for a year in 2011. He is widely regarded as one of the most cautious and market-sensitive members in the ministry. His hearing begins at 1030 GMT. He told Reuters in January that the central bank could use were corporate bond purchases, loan tenders for banks, while it could purchase government bonds on the secondary market only if the market suffers disruptions. —Reuters

NEW YORK: Stock trader Thomas Lyden works at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. — AP

UK gas hits five-year high LONDON: British gas prices rose more than 50 percent yesterday after unplanned outages at North Sea facilities left the UK gas market severely undersupplied, pushing prices to a five-year high. Within-day gas prices traded as high as 108 pence per therm yesterday morning as the system was undersupplied by around 60 million cubic metres per day (mcm/d). Prices were volatile in morning trading, moving between 96-108 pence.

Norway’s Nyhamna gas plant connected to Shell’s giant Ormen Lange field in the North Sea, which primarily exports gas to Britain, had an outage on Saturday after stormy weather, with production still down by around 53 mcm/d yesterday. The capacity of the plant is 70 mcm/d. “It’s the Nyhamna outage, Ormen Lange’s processing plant. With storage so low and Norway running 100 percent it’s gone mental,” said one British gas broker. In addition to the Norwegian outage, flows through Britain’s St. Fergus terminal were reduced by around 7 mcm/d yesterday, creating an extremely tight supply situation.

The St. Fergus terminal receives gas from the FRIGG pipeline, which transports

gas from the Cormorant Alpha field, among others, that experienced an outage due to a hydrocarbon leak over the weekend. At the same time, UK gas traders have been worried about very low gas storage levels, drained over weeks of below-average winter temperatures. Inventories at Britain’s largest storage site, Rough, were more than 60 percent below the lowest point reached last winter, National Grid data showed.

“With storage levels extremely low and supply from Norway falling from 70 mcm to 50 mcm, the system has become even more strained in the face of rising demand and more long positions as we struggle to meet demand with Rough outflows,” said Serge Mozadila, energy market analyst at LG Energy group.

The bullish prompt pushed up prices across the market, with front-month April adding 0.85 pence to 68.40 pence a therm and the benchmark front-season contract trading up to 66.65 pence, up 1.25 pence on Friday’s closing level. Power prices rose in line with the bullish gas market, trading up 10.75 pounds on the spot at 62.25 pounds per megawatt-hour (MWh), the highest in over a year. — Reuters

Latvia decides to apply for euro-zone entry RIGA: Small Baltic state Latvia decided yesterday to apply to join the eurozone next year, a sign of the faith in the currency which still exists in eastern Europe after three years which have threatened the project. Latvia pegged its currency to the euro after joining the European Union in 2004. It and Lithuania, which pegged in 2002, stuck with the links through two years of turmoil af ter 2008 which saw their economies shrink by up to a fifth.

Both have recovered strongly - in Latvia’s case helped by an EU and IMF bailout in 2009 - and have been on track to seal membership of the 17member club af ter neighbouring Estonia joined successfully in 2011.

Small and limber economies, Latvia and Lithuania should slide more easily into the currenc y bloc than larger states like Poland and the Czech Republic and have remained keener on joining throughout the banking and debt crises.

Many Latvians’ mortgage loans are in euros meaning a switch would decrease currency risk and most see the currency as a lesser long-term risk than the lat.

They are also keen to entrench their links with western Europe to keep former imperial master Russia at arm’s length. But while the country’s leadership is keen on the project, polls show much of the population are worried that a currency switch will drive prices higher and take control of the economy out of Latvian hands.

To join the euro-zone, Latvia needed to ask for an assessment by the European Commission and European Central Bank of its readiness to switch currency and the cabinet of ministers took this step yesterday.

“This is a day that will enter Latvia’s history,” Finance Minister Andris Vilks told reporters when he, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and central bank chief Ilmars Rimsevics signed the application.

The application will be handed over

in Brussels on Tuesday. A report on Latvia’s euro hopes will be prepared by the European Commission and the European Central Bank. Finance ministers are expected to take a final decision in July. Latvia says it meets all the economic criteria needed to be accepted into the euro -zone. The criteria relate to levels of debt, deficit, inflation, long-term interest rates and having a stable peg to the euro.

Dombrovskis said after the signing that the euro would benefit Latvia in terms of increased investment, lower currency exchange costs and would help ease social ills. He expects public opinion will swing behind euro accession as the entry date gets closer and has no plans for a referendum.

Fast growing, but poor Enthusiasm for the euro waned across much of eastern Europe after Greece’s problems emerged in 2009 and drove the currency bloc into a series of sovereign bailouts which has split its members economically and raised questions of its broader viability.

Much of those nerves have eased for now on the back of strong action by the European Central Bank last summer and membership has inched back onto the agenda in the region’s biggest economy, Poland.

The Czechs and Hungary remain far more sceptical while Romania and Bulgaria are still far from fulfilling the Maastricht criteria for joining. Latvia kept its peg to the euro even when some economists said a devaluation would have helped ease its downturn in 2009 and the government had to slash public sector wages and hike taxes instead. Despite its current relatively high growth rates, at 5.1 percent yearon-year and 1.3 percent quarter-onquar ter in the last three months of 2012, the country remains one of the poorest countries in the EU along with Bulgaria and Romania. Lithuania has said it was considering adopting the euro in 2015 or 2016. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BUSINESS

What puts the Swiss in a ‘Swiss Made’ watch?

Swiss debating ‘Made in Switzerland’ for all products

LONDON: Thousands of personalised cardboard characters are pictured outside Britain’s Houses of Parliament yesterday during a photocall organised by Fairtrade Foundation, calling on British Prime Minister David Cameron to put smallholder farmers around the world at the heart of its trade policy ahead of the G8 Summit in June. The cardboard characters are generated by those who have signed an online petition. — AFP

Starwood Hotels relocates global headquarters to Dubai DUBAI: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc announced the beginning of a month-long relocation of its global headquarters from Stamford, CT to Dubai.

From now until April 5th, Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen and the company’s top executives will conduct day-to-day business from Dubai, an increasingly important global destination and travel hub. Following the company’s successful relocation to China in June 2011, this second leadership move reflects Star wood’s innovative management approach to cultivating a more global culture by understanding, appreciating and leveraging different societal perspectives and approaches to business and hospitality.

“With 80 percent of Starwood’s pipeline coming from rapidly growing markets, it is simply not possible to lead a truly global business from a boardroom in Connecticut,” said van Paasschen. “Rising wealth and ever greater global connectivity are creating a once-in-a-lifetime growth opportunity for our business - by fueling new demand, changing travel patterns, and entirely new travel markets. Dubai epitomizes this changing face of travel, and we expect this relocation will deepen our relationships with partners, associates and customers. Just as with our one-month relocation to China in 2011, our time in-market will spark new ideas that will fortify our position as the most global high-end hotel company.”

During the course of the relocation, more than 200 Starwood executives and GMs from the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America will travel to Dubai as the company runs day-to-day operations almost 7,000 miles and a nine-hour time zone away from its usual HQ outside New York City. The team will meet with associates, customers, owners and prospective developers in the UAE and also take advantage of Dubai’s location for business travel to destinations including Mumbai, Addis Ababa, Jeddah, Dushanbe and Kuwait.

Dubai illustrative of ‘New Golden Age of Travel’ Dubai is a natural choice for Starwood’s second month-long senior leadership relocation as the city is situated eight hours from two-thirds of the world’s population and is a global gateway at the crossroads of East and West and the developed and rapidly growing economies. The Middle East continues to evolve as an international business and leisure travel hub with Dubai now home to many multinational corporations, consultants, banks and university campuses. In 2012, Dubai International Airport counted approximately 58 million visitors, a number which is expected to grow at annual rates above ten percent, and the airport is expected to be the world’s largest in terms of international passenger traffic by 2015.

“Globalization is accelerating new trade patterns, capital flows and wealth creation: this translates to more people from more places traveling to more destinations than ever before,” said van Paasschen. “We are on the cusp of a new Golden Age of Travel, and Dubai is at the epicenter of this sea change.”

Along with changing travel patterns, Starwood has seen a significant increase in

demand for luxury in all corners of the world, including the Middle East. As the most global high-end hotel company with nearly twice as many rooms as Marriott or Hilton in emerging markets, Starwood is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the record number of people entering the ranks of the very wealthy and developing a taste for luxury.

With the opening of W Doha in 2009, Starwood introduced a new luxury hotel category in the Middle East, and plans are underway to open new W hotels in Amman, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi as well as two W properties in Dubai. Following the W brand’s debut, Starwood introduced its St Regis brand into the Middle East with the 2011 opening of The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort (Abu Dhabi). St Regis has since opened in Doha and will this year unveil a second St Regis hotel in Abu Dhabi, located on the Corniche. Future St Regis openings in the region include The St Regis Cairo, The St Regis Amman, and The St Regis Dubai. Starwood also continues to grow its Luxury Collection brand in the UAE and will debut in the Emirate of Ajman in 2014.

Diverse viewpoints needed to succeed globally Starwood’s roots in the Middle East date back nearly 50 years. This first-mover advantage has put Starwood in a leadership position in the region, with 45 hotels and another 30 under development. In Dubai alone, Starwood has 14 hotels and another six in the pipeline. That makes Dubai Starwood’s second largest market in the world behind New York City. The company’s Middle East footprint is set to grow by about 70 percent over the next five years thanks to Starwood’s brand strength, local know-how and long-standing relationships.

“Working day-to-day in a different market allows you to see the world through a different lens,” said van Paasschen. “The insights that come from experiences like this move make us more agile in today’s rapidly changing world. As a company, we make better and faster decisions thanks to the diverse viewpoints of our leaders and associates. These trips allow us to listen firsthand to what our associates around the world have to say.”

Frits van Paasschen

ZURICH: How much is the “Made in Switzerland” marque worth to consumers increasingly vigilant about the provenance of everything from what they eat to what they wear? The answer, luxury watchmakers say, is “a lot”. Protecting the label is essential to the industry’s image, profitability and future growth, many luxury watchmakers say, and studies by St Gallen and Zurich universities do show the tag can almost double a luxury watch’s price.

But as with so many other products in a globalised world, there is a grey area around what makes a watch Swiss, and that lack of clarity has consequences for quality - and revenues. The issue is part of proposed new legislation before Switzerland’s parliament to regulate the use of the label for foods, services and industrial products. With politicians and lobbying groups fighting over designations on products as diverse as cheese, pocket knives and textile machines, the chances for passage this year are dimming, however, and many watchmakers are growing anxious at the delay in solving what they see as an urgent problem. “This law is (like the debate over) the Loch Ness monster,” said Richard Mille, whose ultra-light watches are worn by tennis player Rafael Nadal. “I’m not sure if there ever will be a solution.” In the first discussions in the two houses of parliament, the lower house has argued that 60 percent of the value of an industrial product must originate in Switzerland for it to be labelled “Made in Switzerland”, in line with the draft law proposed by the government, while the upper house holds that 50 percent is sufficient. If no compromise is found over the percentages and a myriad other issues, two more sets of debates may be held in each house over the next half year. If no agreement is reached, the bill fails. Both versions are stricter than the 40-year-old “directive” currently governing the use of the “Swiss Made” stamp used for watches, which says at least 50 percent of the value of only the watch movements must be made in Switzerland.

This means cost-conscious watchmakers in the lower-priced segment can import 100 percent of the cases, dials, hands and straps and still mark their watches “Swiss Made” as long as half of the parts of the watch movement are made at home. The directive also has little-to-no heft in international trade disputes, making it a blunt sword in the fight to protect the reputation of “Swiss Made”, luxury watchmakers say. “Thanks to current weak Swiss laws, watches produced almost entirely in China can be sold legally under the “Swiss Made” label,” Jean-Daniel

Pasche, chairman of the Swiss watch federation (FH), said in a telephone interview.

“This is going to harm the label over time as consumers nowadays want to know what they are buying. Some complain their Swiss watches are not as Swiss as they should be,” he said. Erich Mosset, head of movement maker Ronda, which makes some parts for its Swiss quartz movements in its factory in Thailand, said the new law meant a “massive tightening”. Stepping up pressure ahead of the next parliamentary debate on March 11, the Swiss watch federation announced last week it was leaving business lobby economiesuisse because of what it called its “lack of support” for the tighter rules, an unusual move in a country where consensus is the guiding principle of public life.

Economiesuisse decided only last year to back the 60-percent limit for the watch industry, which the federation said came too late to help them in their lobbying efforts.

Cheap China The debate over how high to set the threshold is partly due to concerns that producing more in Switzerland, where salaries and prices are high, could hurt small and mid-sized firms’ margins, already squeezed by a strong Swiss franc. Some watchmakers agree. Ronnie Bernheim, head of the maker of Switzerland’s railway clocks, Mondaine, said a threshold as high as 60 percent could compel makers of lower-priced watches to buy cheaper components abroad. “If you import a lower price component, also of lower quality, the Swiss percentage goes up ... Lower-quality products would qualify for ‘Swiss Made’. It is paradoxical,” said Bernheim, on behalf of some 25 watchmakers opposing stricter rules. The trend is likely to be accelerated by a move by watch industry major Swatch Group to get out of the business of selling movements and movement parts to other watchmakers, which will compel some players to source more parts from Asia, at least in the short-term.

LVMH’s biggest watch brand TAG Heuer has been one of the few to publicly admit buying movement parts from Japan’s Seiko while stressing this would not hurt its “Swiss Made” image.

Buying less crucial watch components such as cases, straps and dials from Asia, mainly China, has been common practice for decades. While luxury players and big groups can afford to make these parts in Switzerland at a higher cost, smaller and mid-sized firms in the lower-priced segment cannot, said one Swiss movement mak-

er who asked not to be named. “You can find these components in a very good quality in Asia,” he said. “They are not better if you make them in Switzerland.”

Jobs at stake Mondaine’s Bernheim said Switzerland would lose its competitiveness if it adopted rules that were too strict. But Pasche said the special reputation and value of Swiss watches justified tougher rules. Italy voted tighter rules for applying the “Made in Italy” tag to clothes, footwear and leather goods in 2010, asking that two stages of manufacture should take place in Italy.

But the new law is awaiting European regulation on the matter. The European Commission has proposed origin labels for both EU-made and imported goods, defining the origin as the country in which the last major step in the production process occurred. To better protect Swiss products abroad, the draft law proposes to extend an existing register for “geographical indications” for agricultural products to all goods. Interested groups will be able to win certification that their products meet strict technical and aesthetic rules and have qualities unique to their location, for example “Geneva” for watches, and register a geographical trademark which will help defend its holder’s rights abroad.

One of the first such geographical marking systems was France’s “appellation d’origine controlee” (AOC) applied mostly to cheeses and wines.“There are no such rules at the moment.

This makes it very expensive and often impossible to take legal action against free riders abroad and have them punished,” said Anja Herren of the Swiss federal institute of intellectual property (IGE). Mondaine’s Bernheim fears stricter rules will threaten his business and force him to cut jobs. But the watch federation says the rules will preserve jobs in the industry, which currently employs about 53,000 people, and make it impossible for foreign companies to buy watch firms for the “Swiss Made” label only to relocate production abroad.

Pasche says if parliament fails to pass the new laws, watchmakers will work on strengthening the industry directive, which it has held off doing while the legislation is debated. Julien Marchenoir, brand equity and heritage director at Richemont’s 260-year old Vacheron Constantin brand, said the “Swiss Made” label as well as the “Geneva hallmark” will help keep watchmaking knowhow in Switzerland. “There are lots of different economic interests involved but people shouldn’t be short-sighted.” — Reuters

Larger budget surplus despite higher spending in December NBK ECONOMIC BRIEF KUWAIT: Latest public finance data show that government spending levels continued to climb in December, though the rate of spending remains well below its historic trend. While current expenditures have provided the main engine of spending growth so far this year, investment spending has stayed relatively subdued. Soaring revenues have continued to outpace growth in spending - despite the recent acceleration - generating massive budget surpluses.

After remaining flat at around KD 14.7 billion in the previous month, the budget surplus for the first 9 months of the fiscal year jumped to KD 16.1 billion in December before allocations to the Reserve Fund for Future Generations. The surplus, equivalent to 33 percent of annual 2012 GDP, was lifted by a combination of soaring revenues and comparatively softer spending growth.

With reported spending likely to pick-up pace in the remaining three months of the year, the final budget surplus could close at up to KD 14.0 billion.

Total revenues climbed to KD 24.3 billion in the first 9 months of FY 2012/13, about KD 2.8 billion higher than a year ago. Oil revenues continued to rise rapidly by some 13 percent y/y despite declining oil prices - Kuwait Export Crude prices were down 1 percent y/y over the

same period. Additionally, non-oil revenues have also risen strongly by a large 26 percent y/y on the back of higher miscellaneous revenues and fees.

Government spending accelerated to KD 8.2 billion in December, only KD 0.1 billion below levels seen in the comparable period of the previous year. Total spending was up by some KD 1.2 billion from November, compared to a faster pick-up of around KD 2.7 billion a month earlier. With three-quarters of the current fiscal year already behind us, just 38 percent of the budget has been spent - lower than usual for this stage of the year.

Nevertheless, with spending typically accelerating in the final months of the year, there is still scope for expenditures to pick-up going forward.

Current spending, which was up year-on-year in December for the first time in FY 2012/13, reached KD 7.4 billion. Current expenditures continue to be driven by the ‘wages & salaries’ component, which was up by some 17 percent y/y. The remaining months are likely to see an acceleration in the larger ‘miscellaneous expenditures & transfers’ segment, supported by an expected rise in inter-governmental transfers - including large transfers to cover the actuarial deficit in the social security fund.

Capital spending, on the other hand, reached KD 0.7 billion in December - almost KD 0.2 billion lower than a year ago. Even more disappointing, the rate of capital spending reached just 27 percent of the full-year budget, compared to a 5-year historic average of 36 percent for a similar 9-month period.

The final quarter of the fiscal year could see an improvement in investment expenditure levels as the government accelerates spending on infrastructure. However, for the year as a whole, capital expenditure could register a small year-onyear decline.

Our estimate of demand-impacting spending* reached KD 5.9 bil-

lion in December, a respectable rise of 16 percent y/y, compared to 3 percent in the previous year. This spending excludes some transfers and other items that have minimal effect on economic activity. The strong rise indicates that fiscal policy is providing some much-needed support for the economy. In summary, the data show that despite a decent pick-up in government spending, soaring revenues have continued to generate a huge runup in the budget surplus. The surplus is likely to dip in the final quarter as spending accelerates.

Nevertheless, the government’s fiscal position is likely to remain extremely strong.

Green investors take fright at German bid to cap power prices Investors, advisers criticise uncertainty FRANKFURT: Germany’s plan to curb rising energy costs for consumers before a September election may backfire if it scares off the investors desperately needed to fund an ambitious shift from nuclear to renewable energy. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 550-billion euro ($714 billion) energy shift, dubbed “Energiewende”, was unveiled nearly two years ago after Japan’s Fukushima disaster and depends on the financial firepower of pension funds, infrastructure investors and utilities, including the likes of Allianz, Munich Re, E.ON and RWE. But they are taking fright at Environment Minister Peter Altmaier’s plan, presented in January, to curb consumer energy prices, in part by lowering support payments for power produced by new wind and solar power installations. Investors buy solar and wind parks to benefit from state-guaranteed returns on the

power produced, so-called feed-in tariffs, creating a stable investment opportunity that has made Germany the world’s largest market for solar power.

The proposal, which Altmaier has promised to turn into law before the federal vote, has been cheered by the public, but comes with a catch. Capping subsidy increases to renewable power producers for two years and allowing subsidies for new installations to be suspended risks destroying a big incentive for investors.

In the end, the proposals may be watered down. But the negative signals they have already sent to the industry have led some players to rethink their commitment to renewables.Stadtwerke Munich (SWM), the utility that delivers power to the 1.3 million inhabitants of the Bavarian capital, has said the plan creates uncertain conditions and regulatory

chaos. “(Altmaier’s plan) breaks taboos as it retroactively changes laws that were the basis for SWM’s entire planning and investment decisions in renewables,” Florian Bieberbach, chairman of SWM’s board, said last month. As a wealthy municipal utility, SWM has committed itself to no less than 9 billion euros of renewable investments up to 2025.

Bieberbach said while SWM would hold on to the sum, it would seek to identify alternative sites in other countries.

A safe place to invest?

Munich is not alone. Germany’s utilities, on the front line of the battle to exit nuclear and ramp up renewables, are also worried about the message Altmaier’s plan sends. “The new package of measures damages the expansion of renewables as well as Germany’s image as a safe place to invest,” Germany’s number three

utility EnBW said in an internal document seen

by Reuters. Surcharges under the existing structure for feed-in tariffs, a major component of the power price borne by consumers, are calculated once a year and jumped 40 percent last October, causing an outcry.

The surcharges are levied on consumers to fund the switch to renewables and away from fossil fuels. They have accelerated sharply as more new installations than expected have been built. The bill for supporting renewables rose to 20 billion euros in 2012 from 17.1 billion in 2011 and if the system remains unchanged, another huge increase is looming.

Criticism has also come from the financial sector, a vital player in the financing of the renewable shift. Until now, investors were willing to forego high returns because they could count on a reliable stream of income from renewable units and new networks. But this is

changing. “Large investments in offshore wind parks can only be made if returns are sufficiently reliable and known,” said Willi Mannheims, board member at buyout firm VMCap. “Changes, such as the power price break, are leading to uncertainty, scaring off investors as long as the consequences are not entirely clear.” Advisers to utility companies and other investors bristle at what they see as a hasty move by Altmaier to get a grip on consumer prices before the election.

“Our clients depend on long planning and execution times,” said Christian Marthol, a partner at law firm Roedl & Partner. “They have reacted very defensively to the Altmaier paper.” “Intended projects such as wind farms or biomass plants are being put on ice in no time as the plan has created a lot of uncertainty.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

BUSINESS

Zain to pilot ‘joyn’ platform

Ferrari is the world’s most powerful brand Brand Finance list puts Ferrari on top Ferrari is the world’s most powerful brand. And not simply in the opinion of millions of Prancing Horse enthusiasts all over the world or, indeed, the clients that continue to buy the cars built at Maranello year after year, but according to the annual list compiled by leading brand valuation experts, Brand Finance.

Ferrari took the number one spot of the top five most powerful brands in 2013 ahead of the likes of Google, Coca-Cola, PwC and Hermes on

a list that includes the 500 most famous companies in the world. Because of its size, the Maranello company cannot compete with the large multinational brands in terms of overall revenues. However, its brand rating takes into account other financial metrics, such as net margins, average revenue per customer, and advertising and marketing spend, as well as qualitative parameters, such as brand affection and loyalty.

“It is always a pleasure to top any list and still more so when the competition includes some of the world’s most famous companies. This achievement proves that even in very tough economic times, Italy can still offer the world businesses of excellence,” commented Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo. “Behind this acknowledgement are exceptional products made by equally exceptional men and women.

They made it possible and for that I thank them.”

Gulf Express Co honored with ‘Majestic Mogul Award’ KUWAIT: Gulf Express Co an AlBabtain Group, the exclusive agent of Total Lubricants France in Kuwait are pleased to announce winning the “Majestic Mogul Award” for the third consecutive year for its ‘Outstanding

Market Coverage” in Kuwait.

Commenting on this achievement, Saleh Al-Babtain- CEO Al-Babtain Group said: “It is a great honor to achieve the Majestic Mogul Award for the third consecutive year. It also signifies the strong effort and remarkable

performance of the work behind keeping the award, which is one of the most important awards presented

by TOTAL. “We are proud of this standard of performance. The growth achieved is

due to the joint efforts put in by our professional Sales & Marketing Team that helped us reach our desired goals. We appreciate their efforts in facing the challenges regardless of the aggressive competition in the local market. With this competition we are

working rigorously on our continuous improvement of services and of sustainable performance. We are always rigorously working to always improve our existing exceptional standards and will be always striving to achieve

more,” added Saleh Al-Babtain.

Ghazi Saleh Al-Babtain also said that the amazing improvement of company’s sales during the past period was beyond expectations.

“Reaching this standard helps us to better communicate with our clients

and strengthens the trust between them and the company. We look forward for a bright future.

He concluded his speech thanking the loyal customers for their trust in the services provided by Al-Babtain Group, which resulted in ranking the company on the top position in sales, which led to obtaining the Majestic Mogul Award.

From his side, Shakilur Rahman Vice President GCC Sales, Total Marketing Middle East noted that the consistent performance of the AlBabtain Group over the past four years was behind winning the award for the third consecutive year. “Al-Babtain Group has taken retail to another level, and this is the reason to award them for the third consecutive year.And this award is just a small recognition from Middle East office in that direction,” Shakilur Rahman further said.

Saleh Al-Babtain received the award from Shakilur Rahman- Vice President GCC Sales, Total Marketing Middle East, and the ceremony was held at Dubia, during which was announced that Gulf Express Co won the “Majestic Mogul Award” for the third consecutive year. All of Ghazi Saleh Al-Babtain- General Manager, Ahmed Shihadeh - Operations Manager, Hasan Ali - Lubricants Division Manager, Abdullah Siddiqi Export Manager, and Sachin Singh Marketing Manager represented the company during this ceremony.

KUWAIT: Zain Group, a pioneer in mobile telecommunications in 8 markets across the Middle East and North Africa, yesterday announced that it will pilot Rich Communications Services (RCS) under the ‘joyn’ initiative launched by the GSM Association, in Zain Kuwait, with other operations to follow. ‘joyn’is a global initiative to deploy interoperator RCS and Zain is gaining access to it through its relationship with Vodafone, with which it has a Partner Market agreement, making Zain Group the first operator to trial joyn in the Middle East.

‘Joyn’is a major advancement by the mobile operator community to compete more effectively with other internet services and content providers(over-the-top players like Skype, Whatsapp, Viber, etc...).

Joyn services enable customers to chat and enrich messaging or voice calls by exchanging images or video simultaneously during calls, in a private and secure manner, with any member of their contact list that has joyn, regardless of the user’s network or mobile device. Additional services such as voice over IP (VoIP) or IP-video call will be introduced in the near future. These services may be used on both the operators’ mobile networks and on Wi-Fi networks.

Zain is set to pilot joyn in the Middle East in order to assess its suitability and compatibility with local conditions. In so doing, Zain continues to highlight its innovation and technology leadership. joyn has been piloted and introduced by a number of leading mobile operators around the world, and Zain is keen to have the platform piloted in the Middle East as soon as possible.

Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said: “Our policy to innovate means we are always looking to trends and developments in other parts of the world that we think would also enrich the user experience

in the markets in which we operate. Our decision to pilot joyn reaffirms our commitment to allowing our customers access to leading-edge technology and services in the shortest period of time possible.”

Gegenheimer also added that once commercially launched across Zain operations, “Joyn will give customers a greater choice of communication possibilities with-

Scott Gegenheimer out compromising the quality and security they have come to expect from their mobile operator.” Joyn is a certification trade mark of the GSMA and the consumer facing-brand for Rich Communication Services. When consumers see the joyn brand they will know that the device is RCS enabled, which means it automatically ‘knows and shows’ ways to share with contacts via chat, video, call or files, at any moment in time, regardless of the network or device used.

KUWAIT: Malek Khalife, NBK’s General Manager, Private Banking Group receives the award from Euromoney.

NBK awarded ‘Best Private Banking Services 2013’ KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has been awarded the “Best Private Banking Services for 2013” in Kuwait in Euromoney’s Annual Survey on top global banks in wealth management and private banking services, for the fifth consecutive year.

Euromoney’s Annual Survey data was compiled from the industry’s experts and analysts worldwide. The “Best Private Banking services for 2013” award was presented to Malek Khalife, NBK’s General Manager, Private Banking Group, at a glittering dinner and awards ceremony recently held in London.

“Awarding NBK the prestigious title of “the Best Private Banking Services” in Kuwait for the fifth consecutive year, surpassing renown global banks and financial institutions, reflects the constant confidence the customers vest in NBK and their appreciation of the superb quality of its services and products,” said Khalife. “This award is another testimony of NBK’s leading position as the highest-rated bank in the Middle East and among the 50 safest banks in the world.”

Khalife added “the excellent, strong and

durable relationships NBK has always maintained with its high net-worth customers, enabled the bank to assume a unique and leading position in the field of wealth management and private banking on both local and regional markets. NBK also succeeded in maintaining the highest service quality standards while consistently endeavoring to provide the most innovative spectrum of investment and wealth management products and solutions to satisfy the increasingly changing needs of customers.”

“Thanks to its largest local and international network strategically located in the major world financial centers, NBK has always maintained a dominant and advanced position to provide the best banking and investment solutions that covers a wide range of international markets, taking into consideration the specific profile of each and every customer,” noted Khalife. “I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to both the trust of NBK clients as well as the invaluable efforts of the Private Banking team at NBK that enabled the bank to win such a prestigious title,” said Khalife.

FASTtelco sponsors P2BK exhibition

Boby Chemmanur opens showroom in Abbasiya KUWAIT: With a trusted tradition of 150 years, Boby Chemmanur International Group inaugurated their 27th showroom, in Kuwait at Abbasiya, on Sunday, February 24, 2013. The showroom was inaugurated by prominent South Indian Actor Fahad Fasil. The new showroom located on Block No. 4, Street No. 6, Building No. 102 showcases a wide assortment and range in gold jewelry.

On the happy occasion of their inauguration they are offering customers a whole lot of amazing offers, surprises and gifts, including 50 percent discount on making charge for gold jewelry all through the first week.

Adding to the delight is the unique facility of pre-booking gold jewelry, winning a gold pendant autographed

by Diego Maradona and selected customers winning free air tickets to their home town.

It was only two years ago since football legend Diego Maradona inaugurated the first showroom of Boby Chemmanur International Jewellers in Dubai at Karama Centre. Today, apart

from UAE, Bobby Chemmanur International Jewellers has outlets in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra in India, taking the total number of showrooms to 27.

Other than jewelry outlets the Group also owns Chemmanur Credits and Investments, a non-banking financial institution and Boby Chemmanur Airlines, a

novel stride in the aviation industry.

The man at the helm of the Group’s affairs is Boby Chemmanur, who is also world renowned for his philanthropic activities. His mission in life; Life Vision Charitable Trust takes care of the sick, orphans and destitute from the streets, providing them with the basic needs of life at Chemmanur Life Vision Homes and Life Saving Medicines. The work of the Chemmanur Blood Donation Forum with over 9,000 staff, free ambulance services, and many other philanthropic activities won Chemmanur many accolades and awards including the Mother Teresa Award. A humanist in all its senses, Chemmanur, envisions a world without orphans. Now absorbed in expanding his business empire to countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and many more countries, Chemmanur said, “I look forward to the help and support from my customers in all my activities, be it for the society or business”.

KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leading Internet Service Provider in Kuwait specialized in providing innovative Internet and data communication solutions, has sponsored Proud to be Kuwaiti (P2BK) exhibition for small projects, achievements and talents in Kuwait that will be held today till March 19, 2013 in “Heritage Village” located in Kuwait International Fair Grounds.

FASTtelco’s Public Relations Manager, Hamad Saleh AlSelmi, emphasized in a press statement the importance of the FASTtelco’s sponsorship of this exhibition as it is a national forum granting support for small projects and achievements of Kuwaiti youth. “We are taking part in this exhibition to share the best technological innovative solutions and help small companies reach success”.

He added that FASTtelco’s sponsorship of P2BK exhibition stems from its keenness to provide support for innovative and creative young minds that are looking for help to invest their ideas. FASTtelco always backs innovative activities that contribute to the development and to the implementation of projects in Kuwait. This is a strategy the company adopted as a result of its social responsibility to reinforce the youth.

AlSelmi also noted that FASTtelco considers its sponsorship of P2BK as an opportunity to meet creative minds and provide them with the support they need to carry out their constructive projects, and through the collaboration with other participants in the exhibition, FASTtelco achieves its national duty to lend a

hand serving and developing Kuwait and reinforce the creativity of its people.

On the other hand, he announced that FASTtelco will showcase during the exhibition its two Free Internet and Aloo Packages, that are designed to increase productive communications between individuals in particular and companies in general. FASTtelco is also set to present its Microsoft Office 365 package which would enhance companies’ productivity, in a cost effective and profitable manner.

AlSelmi added that P2BK’s philosophy is based on combining the different pillars of success, mainly the energy and the innovative capabilities of the youth in order to build a future of new ideas. The sponsorship of this exhibition aims at backing this productive energy since P2BK has become one of the most important and most awaited yearly events which target small to medium businesses. P2BK and other forums that support innovation offer FASTtelco the opportunity to interact with its clients and with the broader market. The sponsorship of this event proves the national commitment of the company towards the youth. It is also a platform to showcase the special internet packages FASTtelco is keen to offer for the youth and for small to medium businesses at competitive prices compared to the high quality and the developed efficiency of these services. At the end of the press statement, AlSelmi invited the audience to visit FASTtelco’s stand in the exhibition to benefit from the latest special offers.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

technology

Tablets, smartphones drive German IT market higher HANOVER: A booming market for smartphones and tablet computers was expected to drive the German IT sector higher this year, although growth was slowing slightly, said industry lobby BITKOM on the eve of the world’s top high-tech fair. BITKOM said it expected sales growth of 1.4 percent in the sector for 2013 to 153.3 billion euros ($199 billion), a marginal drop on the 2.2-percent gain seen last year.”With these figures, the IT market will again grow considerably faster than the wider economy,” said BITKOM president Dieter Kempf. “This is also good news for the jobs market.” The publication of the BITKOM forecasts is the traditional first event of the CeBIT high-tech fair, which was inaugurated by

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk yesterday.

The fair, which runs until March 9, throws open its doors today. Sales of tablet computers in Germany were expected to rise by 11 percent to 2.3 billion euros, the lobby forecast. “Sales of tablets should for the first time show the same sales levels as desktop PCs,” predicted Kempf. Cloud computing-the storing of data remotely-continues to be a major driver for the German IT sector, although the stellar growth was also expected to slow slightly. In 2013, firms expect some 4.6 billion euros in sales from cloud computing products, a gain of 53 percent, compared to a rise of 58 percent last year.

By 2016, cloud computing should bring in some 13.7 billion euros, BITKOM forecast. The past four years have seen a near-complete transformation from standard mobile phones to smartphones, the BITKOM figures showed. In 2009, smartphones accounted for just 17 percent of phones sold and 34 percent of the turnover. By 2013, they account for 81 percent of units sold and 96 percent of the sales in the 8.8-billion euro market. Global IT spending was expected to rise by 5.1 percent to 2.7 trillion euros, forecast BITKOM, with India (+13.9 percent), Brazil (+9.6 percent) and China (+8.9 percent) the biggest growth markets.

“There is a shift in the 2013 country

ranking: China has overtaken Japan and is for the first time the second biggest national market,” said Kempf. China holds 9.5 percent of the global IT market, now ahead of Japan with 8.3 percent.

Both Asian giants are still comfortably behind the United States, which enjoys a 26.8-percent share of the world’s technology market.

When the 27 countries of the European Union are lumped together, they represent 21.8 percent of the global market share but will grow at a mere 0.9 percent in 2013, according to the BITKOM survey.

Around 4,100 exhibitors from some 70 countries are expected in the northern German city of Hanover for the CeBIT

fair, including tech giants Microsoft, SAP, IBM and Google. This year’s theme is “shareconomy”, the increasing trend of users sharing data and things, with examples being “carsharing” and of course social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

But as ever with the CeBIT, it is not all work and no play as there will be the usual display of head-spinning gadgets and pointless but fun applications to entertain the punters. This year’s hits include a “3D printer ” that creates objects from a computer read-out, a chair for couch potatoes that turns into a rowing machine if you get too fat and a “smart” shopping trolley that does the supermarket run for you. — AFP

Samsung’s $1bn bill in Apple case reduced by $450M

JAKARTA: Hastings Singh, BlackBerry’s managing director for South Asia holds two Blackberry Z10 smartphones yesterday. The new BlackBerry Z10 was launched in Jakarta yesterday and will be available at all BlackBerry Lifestyle outlets across the country on March 15. —AFP

What’s on Amazon: The e-tailer’s quest to make TV hits NEW YORK: A new show called “Alpha House,” whose pilot filmed in New York late last month, has many of the ingredients necessary for television success. John Goodman, coming off notable roles in Oscar-winning movies “Argo” and “ The Artist,” is the star. Bill Murray did a cameo.

Stephen Colbert shot a teaser for the next episode of the series, which is written by “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau. Yet this is not the project of a big movie studio or a television network but rather of Amazon.com Inc, the world’s largest Internet retailer.

Amazon, along with Netflix, Google, Apple , Intel, Microsoft and others, aims to play a major role in the Internet-driven transformation of Hollywood. Like Netflix, it has decided that it must move beyond being a distributor of others’ shows to producing top-drawer programming of its own.

“I’m always worried I’m going to be in a YouTube video,” Goodman told Reuters during a break in filming at the cavernous Cine Magic Riverfront Studios in Brooklyn, New York. “But this is just the same as a TV set full production value, great director, good technical people.”

“I’m very interested to see where this is going to go - TV distribution over your computer,” he added. Amazon’s approach mixes the tactics of traditional network TV with innovations from the online world. It does not sell a stand-alone video subscription service like Netflix - instead, it bundles streaming video with its Amazon Prime membership program, in which shoppers pay an annual fee of $79 for two-day shipping on most of their purchases from Amazon.com.

Amazon hopes original shows will encourage more people to sign up for Amazon Prime. The online retailer says Prime members tend to buy more goods, but it does not give specifics. Unlike Netflix, which turned a lot of heads when it plunked down an estimated $100 million to produce two seasons of the drama “House of Cards,” Amazon is creating pilots for about a dozen shows.

Amazon has not disclosed how much money it is investing in original video production, but some media experts estimate it likely will cost more than $10 million to produce the pilots. It will pick the shows to develop into full seasons based on the feedback it receives about the pilots, which will be posted online.“If Amazon has a breakout hit, Hollywood will take them very seriously quickly,” said Dave Davis, founder of Arpeggio Partners, a boutique investment bank focused on entertainment. “With a hit, they will be able to attract subscribers to the only place they can get that show,” he added.

Chasing netflix The “Alpha House” set at Riverfront Studios was bustling last week with more than 100 makeup artists, set builders, camera operators and other crew members. A mock-up of the Senate floor dominated the scene, along with a large green screen used to superimpose actors alongside footage of real politicians. Trudeau said Amazon provided everything needed to get “Alpha House,” about four senators living together in a rented house in Washington, DC, done right. “They’re moving fast and big,” he said.

“They want to go out and make a lot of noise all at once.” Trudeau had been trying to make “Alpha House” into a TV show for several years. “In the last year, all at once there were new, serious players in this business, like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu,” he added. “The project would not have been possible a year ago.” The streaming video business has moved remarkably quickly from reliance on licensing of old movies and TV shows to head-on competition with long-dominant broadcast networks, cable

companies and movie studios.

Netflix broke new ground this year, making all episodes of the first season of “House of Cards” available only through its subscription video-streaming service. The political drama boasted A-list movie talent, including two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey. Netflix executives say it has been the most-watched show on the service in every country that it operates and critics gave it solid reviews.

Only-on-Netflix series coming later this year include the revival of onetime Fox comedy “Arrested Development” and murder mystery “Hemlock Grove,” directed by horror movie producer Eli Roth.

“Everybody wants to have originals so they can stand apart from their peers, as non-exclusive content becomes a commodity,” said Tony Wible, media and entertainment analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott.

“Originals have been very successful for traditional TV networks, and I don’t see why it won’t be successful for these emerging networks, too,” Wible said, citing AMC’s success with shows such as “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Walking Dead.” Roughly half the pilots Amazon is shooting are comedies and half are kids shows. They include “Browsers,” a musical comedy starring Emmy and Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth, and “The Onion Presents: The News,” based on the satirical news service.

Established TV and movie players seem unperturbed by Amazon’s efforts, considering the company just another entrant, among many, in the quest for original content. “We are not nervous. We are aware of the competition and we have reacted accordingly,” Eric Kessler, president of HBO, said during a technology industry conference in February. HBO, a unit of Time Warner, has thrived by producing high-quality TV shows of its own. It created HBO Go in February 2010, giving HBO subscribers access to its content from the Internet and mobile devices. This service has 6.5 million registered users now.

Democratic selection Producing original entertainment carries risks for Amazon; it’s expensive, and there’s no guarantee that hits will come. The company has spent millions of dollars developing feature-film scripts in recent years and has yet to green-light a movie. “They want to walk before they run, and TV is a less-expensive way to begin,” said Marty Weiss of Martini Shot Films who has a movie script, “The Alchemist Agenda,” on Amazon’s development slate. Weiss rewrote the script about five months ago and has not heard back from Amazon Studios since handing the revised version in. A network TV show costs $2 million to $4 million per hour to produce, depending on whether it is a cheap reality TV show or a more expensive scripted series like a drama, according to Janney’s Wible.

The first season of a new TV series can range from seven to 13 shows, so it would typically cost $7 million at the low end to $26 million at the high end, he said, stressing that these were very rough estimates. The price tag varies depending on whether it is a reality show or scripted, the time it takes to film and whether the project is co-produced or not. Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, would not say how much Amazon is spending on its pilots, which take about a week to film and run the standard 22 minutes. Price, who developed TV series at Walt Disney Co from 1995 to 2000, said the company is not cutting corners. Amazon has a market value of $120 billion and generated more than $4 billion in cash from operations last year. It spent $4.6 billion on technology and content, including video content, in 2012.

That is almost half the market value of Netflix. “Our process is different from what various other parties are doing,” said Price, when asked about Netflix’s big bet on “House of Cards.” —Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: A federal judge slashed nearly half of the $1 billion damage award a jury ordered Samsung Electronics to pay Apple Inc. after a high-profile trial over the rights to the design and technology running some of the world’s most popular smartphones and tablet computers. US District Court Judge Lucy Koh on Friday lowered the damages awarded to Apple Inc. by $450.5 million for 14 Samsung products including some products in its hot-selling Galaxy lineup, saying jurors had not properly followed her instruction in calculating some of the damages. She also concluded that mistakes had been made in determining when Apple had first notified Samsung about the alleged violations of patents for its trend-setting iPhone and IPad. Koh ordered a new trial to recalculate damages for those products. “We are pleased that the court decided to strike $450,514,650 from the jur y ’s award,” Samsung spokeswoman Lauren Restuccia said. “Samsung intends to seek further review as to the remaining award.”Apple declined to comment on the Koh’s ruling. The ruling reduced Samsung Electronics’ bill to just under $599 million. The judge said the tab will probably increase after the appeals of both companies are resolved.

Apple is seeking more damages and Samsung a complete dismissal of the case in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Washington, DC-based court that handles all patent appeals. The new trial to recalculate the damages could also increase the award.

Still, the ruling was the second significant setback in Koh’s courtroom since the headline grabbing verdict was announced. In December, Koh refused to order a sales ban on the products the jury found infringed Apple’s patents. She said Apple failed to prove the purloined technology is what drove consumers to buy a Samsung product instead of an Apple iPhone or iPad. Samsung says that it is continues to sell only three of the two dozen products found to have infringed Apple’s patents.

After a three-week trial closely followed in Silicon Valley, the jury decided that Samsung

ripped off the trailblazing technology and sleek designs used by Apple to create its revolutionary iPhone and iPad. Jurors ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion. Apple filed another lawsuit last year accusing Samsung’s newer line of products of continuing to use technology controlled

by Apple. Koh has scheduled trial in that case for early next year. She has implored both companies on several occasions to settle their difference with little success.

Apple filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged legions of America’s highest-paid patent lawyers to demand $2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor.

Samsung Electronics Co. fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million. The jury found that several Samsung products illegally used such Apple creations as the “bounce-back” feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the

ability to zoom text with a tap of a finger.

Samsung has mounted an aggressive post-trial attack on the verdict, raising a number of legal issues that allege the South Korean company was treated unfairly in a federal courtroom a dozen miles from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. Samsung alleges that some of Apple’s patents shouldn’t have been awarded in the first place and that the jury made mistakes in calculating the damage award. Samsung has emerged as one of Apple’s biggest rivals and has overtaken it as the leading smartphone maker.

Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones run on Android, a mobile operating system that Google Inc. has given out for free to Samsung and other phone makers. Apple and Samsung have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries, including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia. —AP

GERMANY: File photo shows an attorney holds an Apple iPad, left, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at the regional court in Duesseldorf. —AP

Winning in the Technology Industry - Capabilities, Coherence and the right ‘way to play’ DUBAI: The ever-evolving technology industry is punctuated by constant innovations and breakthroughs; moreover, communications and computational poweris becoming increasingly commoditized. As it does, success in the technology sector has grown more dependent on buildingthe right capabilities in support of the right way to play, and offeringtheproducts and services that best suit that strategy.The mobile handset sector is a case in point: in recent years, Research in Motion (RIM), has not kept up with the capabilities that were required to win in the new market landscape.

Now its very survival is uncertain.

On the other hand, an elite group of companies - including Apple, Google, and Microsoft, among others - have consistently outperformed their rivals. In line with this, Management consulting firmBooz & Company has assessed the pivotal role that capabilities have played in the evolution of the technology industry andhow coherence between a company’s key capabilities,its’way to play’and its portfolio of products and services is a crucial driver of success.

Innovations and industry evolution - the reality The evolution of the technology industry is often described as a series of unconnected innovations that shook the world, and that just somehow happened. This view, however, is simplistic: The technology industry is made up of distinct companies - including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, and Research in Motion (RIM) - and the evolution of the industry is determined by the strategic decisions these companies have made, the successes they’ve had, and the mistakes they’ve made.

“These companies, and others, have each set out a game-changing ‘way to play’ in the market -their value proposition -and built the capabilities system and developed the product portfolios needed to ensure that theywould win in the marketplace,” said Pierre Peladeau, a Partner with Booz & Company. “What matters isn’t simply creating the most inno-

vations; it’s being clear about how you want to add value, having the right system of capabilities needed to innovate in line with that value proposition, and then winning with those innovations inthe market.”

For many of the companies that have been marginalized or have disappeared altogether, their mistake wasn’t losing their respective technological battles. Some stuck to old ‘ways to play’ and focused on established forms of brand management or increasing scale rather than adding value in a way that remained attractive to customers. Others tried to shift and adapt their ‘ways to play’, but couldn’t build the capabilities they needed to turn their newstrategies into winners in the marketplace.

The hidden link All the builders of the great tech companies of the past 30 years have understood the factor that matters most: it is the oftenhidden link between rapid technological innovation and deep customer understanding. Indeed, the value of customer insight is often overlooked in technical circles. But had it not been for the prowess that the industry has developed over the decades in meeting customers’ needs and desires, one can imagine a world in

Pierre Peladeau

which the purely technological advances we have witnessed remained devoted solely to producing esoteric systems.

The importance of customer insight must not be underestimated.

It is not something that can be bought or installed on a stand-alone basis. The companies that succeed with it are those that have developed it as part of their overall business identity. “In this day and age, competition is becoming ever fiercer.

As a result, every company in the industry must look closely at exactly who it is competing with and in which sectors,” explained Roman Friedrich, a Partner with Booz & Company. “It must choose its ‘way to play’ accordingly, based on the unique capabilities that it can use to differentiateitself from competitors.

Then, it must further invest in these capabilities, and in the products and services that align with its selected’way to play’-in order to achieve the coherence that will make it a winner in the marketplace.”

The evolution of the mobile sector The transformation of the mobile handset sector clearly illustrates the interplay between technological change and business model innovation. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that the sector really took off and, soon after, a slew of new companies jumped into the business. In the 2000s, however, a number of early handset makers, including Alcatel, Siemens, and Sagem, already dropped out of the market. “These companies didn’t have the capabilities- proficiency in consumer marketing, ability to innovate, and the necessary understanding of how consumers actually use their devices - that most of the survivors had,” added Peladeau. Since then, the sector has gone through several rounds of disruption. Then came the first true BlackBerry. Released in 2003, the device combined a phone with a very effective e-mail client.

RIM had put together the right type of device-an easy-to-use e-mail and voice phone that functioned securely in corporate settings-and combined it with a capabilities system, generating the coherence that gave

it the right to win.

The most significant disruption after the BlackBerry occurred in 2007, when Apple introduced the iPhone, which combined a phone and e-mail with powerful Web-surfing and content features. The iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone, just the first truly successful one thanks not only to the product’s features but also to the very coherent system of capabilities that Apple built up to develop, distribute and sell it, and to link it to other devices and populate it with hundreds of thousands of mobile apps.

“Apple’s ability to understand the needs of the consumer, its obsessive attention to detail in both design and usability, and its understanding of the importance of creating an end-to-end controlled ecosystem all combined to make its new phone the most successful consumer electronics device to date,” said Friedrich.

In response to the success of Apple’s iPhone, a number of other handset manufacturers have followed suit.

So far, Samsung has been the most successful at this strategy. RIM, however, failed to adapt. It waited too long to build the differentiatingcapabilities needed to compete with the new market leaders.

Winning in the future As technology continues to evolve, industry players must keep seeking out and building new capabilities and ‘ways to play’ that will give them the right to win in everchanging markets. Not all capabilities deserve the same consideration, but there are at least five that every company in the technology industry needs now. The way that they are incorporated, and the relative emphasis they receive will vary by enterprise, depending on the company’s ‘way to play’.

The five key capabilities include: An understanding of what consumers want: gaining an intimate understanding of how customers interact with their mobile devices coupled with an understanding of the multitude of potential new uses offered by devices linked to each other and to sensors.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

US taxidermist preserves man’s best friend SLATER, Missouri: Growing up on the family farm, Anthony Eddy learned early on not to get too attached to animals, including household pets. His devoted customers are a different story. Pet lovers across the US count on the Saline County taxidermist to faithfully preserve Brutus, Fluffy and other beloved companions for posterity. Even if it means shelling out thousands of dollars and waiting more than a year for the pets’ return. “They’re very distraught, because their child has died. For most people, this animal is their life,” said Lessie “Les” Thurman Calvert, Eddy’s office manager.

“Some are kind of eccentric. But most of them are just like you and me. They don’t want to bury or cremate them. They can’t stand the thought ... It helps them feel better about the loss.”

The front showroom of Eddy’s Wildlife Studio in downtown Slater is a testament to pet owners’ perseverance.

Lifelike dogs and cats of all sizes are scattered along the floor, from a perky-looking Brittany spaniel to a regal Persian cat, a lone iguana and the stray cockatiel or two. Departed pets of all persuasions spend up to one year in hulking, freezedry metal drums before they are painstakingly preserved and returned to their owners. Eddy said his business is one of the few in the country to special-

SLATER, Montana: In this Feb 12, 2013 photo, receptionist Lessie Calvert sits behind her desk surrounded by freeze-dried animals at Anthony Eddy’s Wildlife Studio. — AP ize in pet taxidermy and has a twomonth waiting list.

A former high school chemistry and biology teacher, hog farmer and Air Force veteran, Eddy started out in traditional taxidermy, stuffing great horned owls and pheasants with the help of a local veterinarian. He originally used the

freeze-dry technique to preserve mounted turkey heads for hunters before realizing in the mid-1990s it could also work with pets.

Eddy, 64, compares his line of work to the mortician’s trade - he’ll share broad details about the process with customers, but likes to keep some mystery

to the process and steer clear of the gross-out factor. He’s quick to embrace the artistry of his craft, especially when it comes to the primping and prepping required once the internal organs and body fat are removed and the carcass is fully dry. Depending on the customer’s preference, pets can be posed with a skyward gaze, an extended paw or with eyes closed, seemingly asleep. “You just have a knack for it,” he said. “It’s like an artist painting a picture.”

The degree of difficulty - and the scrutiny of demanding pet owners who can immediately detect flaws or imperfections in their loved ones - keep many traditional taxidermists from the domestic animal sector, said Steve Wolk, president of the National Taxidermists Association. “No matter how perfect your pet comes out, there can still be something wrong,” said Wolk, who owns Little Creek Taxidermy in Festus, Missouri. “When you go deer hunting, you don’t know what that deer looks like. Everybody knows exactly what their pets look like.”

Debbie Rosa, a 59-year-old teacher who splits her time between southern Maine and Port Charlotte, Florida, had her 17-year-old fox terrier Lexi preserved

by Eddy when the dog died just before Christmas 2005. She said the choice was

an easy one. “I could stare at an urn, or I could stare at the ground in the cemetery, or I could hold and pet her,” Rosa said. “Her spirit is in heaven, but her body is here on Earth.” Eddy and Calvert estimate they receive two to three pets each week, ever y week. The studio charges $850 for pets under 10 pounds (4.5 kg) and another $40 per additional pound (450 gm).

Allen McConnell, a psychology professor at Miami University in Ohio who studies pet owners’ behavior, said those who opt for animal preservation can be motivated by grief, a need for belonging and anthropomorphism - the act of ascribing human attributes to animals or even inanimate objects. “It’s very common for people to memorialize important members of their family,” he said. “ We often visit relatives in family gravesites on birthdays. ... It’s part of an extended connection that people have.”

Eddy said he is no longer surprised by unusual requests from customers. It seems that as long as humans embrace animals as four-legged friends, those bonds will continue past the pet’s expiration date. “It runs the whole gamut,” he said, mentioning turtles, guinea pigs, snakes and more. “If you’ve got a pet of some kind, somebody’s going to want you to preserve it.” — AP

Myriad languages, cultures challenge US health reform OAKLAND, California: Set on a gritty corner of Oakland’s International Boulevard, the nonprofit Street Level Health Project offers free checkups to patients who speak a total of 22 languages, from recent Mongolian immigrants seeking a doctor to Burmese refugees in need of a basic dental exam. It also provides a window into one of the challenges for state officials who are trying to implement the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s sweeping health care overhaul.

Understanding the law is a challenge even for governors, state lawmakers and agency officials, but delivering its message to non-English speakers who can benefit from it is shaping up as a special complication. That is especially true in states with large and diverse immigrant populations. For Zaya Jaden, a 35-year-old from Mongolia, getting free care for her sister’s persistent migraine was a much higher priority than considering how the expansion of the nation’s social safety net through the Affordable Care Act might benefit her.

The sisters crammed into the clinic’s waiting room, sandwiched between families chatting in the indigenous Guatemalan language Mam, and discussed whether enrolling in Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would work for the family’s finances. “It was a good idea that Obama had, but I don’t know if it will work for me,” said Jaden, who gets private insurance for her family through her job as a laundress at an Oakland hotel and currently makes too much money to qualify for Medicaid. “If I make less than what I make to try to qualify for the government program, how could I pay my rent?”

Jaden’s ambivalence demonstrates the cultural and language hurdles that California and several other states are facing as they build exchanges - or health insurance marketplaces and try to expand coverage to ethnic and hard-

to-reach populations. California has the largest minority population of any state, about 22.3 million people. That’s followed by Texas with 13.7 million, New York with 8.1 million, Florida with 7.9 million and Illinois with 4.7 million.

In Illinois, where nearly 1.2 million residents don’t speak English well, the task of translating information about the health care overhaul into other languages has fallen to nonprofit groups and community organizations. “So far it’s fallen to us, and we don’t know what (the state’s) capacity will be to go beyond Spanish,” said Stephanie Altman of Health and Disability Advocates. The state intends to submit an outreach plan to the federal government this spring. Illinois officials expect federal grant money eventually will be available to help reach non-English speakers, said Mike Claffey, a spokesman for Democratic Gov Pat Quinn.

The US Census estimates that more than 55 million people speak a language other than English at home. Nearly 63 percent of those are Spanish-speakers, with the highest concentrations in Texas, California and New Mexico.

Chinese was the third most commonly spoken language, with large populations in California, New York, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Five other languages have at least 1 million speakers: Tagalog, French, Vietnamese, German and Korean. In California, two-thirds of the estimated 2.6 million adults who will be eligible for federal subsidies in the health care exchange will be people of color, while roughly 1 million will speak English less than very well, according to a joint study by the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the University of California, Berkeley Labor Center.

With such diversity in cultures and language, the authors said the success of health care reform “hinges in large part on how well the

OAKLAND, California: Laura Lopez checks the blood pressure of Santos Aguilar on Jan 23, 2013 at the Street Level Health Project. — AP

state conducts culturally and linguistically competent outreach and enrollment efforts.” “If the exchange did no targeted outreach, there could be 110,000 fewer limited-English proficient individuals enrolled,” said Cary Sanders, director of policy analysis for CPEHN, an Oakland-based multicultural health advocacy group. Even the relatively mundane task of developing a brand for California’s new health care exchange has prompted some angst. The exchange’s staff tried to come up with a name that signified health insurance and would translate well into Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and other languages commonly used in California.

The exchange’s five-member board settled on “Covered California” and is currently testing tag lines to see which words resonate best in focus groups. Advocates disappointed by the name are hoping the board selects a tag line that will be simple to understand and translate.

Jaden, for instance, said she had no idea how “Covered California” would translate to Mongolian. More impor tantly, they want Covered California to launch an inclusive marketing and outreach campaign in a place where a majority of the population is not white and nearly 7 million residents speak limited English. “‘Covered California’ translates to California Cubierto in Spanish, but what exactly does it mean?” said Laura Lopez, Street Level Health Project’s executive director, who immigrated to the United States from Peru years ago. “It’s not just providing a piece of paper that says this is what is covered. It’s really having people on the ground talking with the community.”

California’s exchange isn’t shying away from the challenges. Its executive director, Peter Lee, recently announced that new federal funding will be used to support a multi-language campaign, build a network of community-based assistants who can guide people to the right health plan and multilingual call centers. The exchange is making $43 million available for community-based organizations, faith-based groups, nonprofits and local governments to compete for outreach and education grants.

“California is unique from every other state not only geographically because our population is spread out, but you have multiple ethnic populations that are traditionally hard to reach, and they need their own custom way to be reached,” said Oscar Hidalgo, the exchange’s communications director. The exchange estimates that 5.6 million Californians are without health insurance, or 16 percent of the population under age 65. Of that number, 4.6 million are eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, while the rest are not because of their immigration status. Advocates say California should refine its efforts to reach non-English speakers.

Doreena Wong, who promotes health access for immigrants at the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific American Legal Center, is among those urging the exchange to build a website that is not just in English and Spanish, but to offer translations in other languages prevalent throughout the state: Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi (Persian), Hmong, Khmer (Cambodian), Korean, Russian, Tagalog and Vietnamese. — AP

Exercise, less sitting linked to better sleep NEW YORK: Insomniacs looking for a good night’s sleep may want to hit the treadmill, take a walk or play a game of golf or tennis because a new report released yesterday shows exercise promotes good sleep and the more vigorous the workout the better. Just 10 minutes of exercise a day could make a difference in the duration and quality of sleep, the survey by the non-profit National Sleep Foundation showed. “We found that exercise and great sleep go together, hand in hand,” Max Hirshkowitz, a sleep researcher and the chair of the poll task force, said in an interview. “We also found a step-wise increase in how vigorous the quality is, in terms of how much you exercise. So if you say you exercise a lot, we found better sleep quality. For people

who don’t exercise at all we found more sleep problems.”

Earlier research studies have shown the impact of exercise on sleep, but Hirshkowitz, who is a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said the survey is the first to detail the benefits of exercise in a nationally representative poll of this size. People who described themselves as exercisers reported better sleep than their more sedentary counterparts, although the amount of sleep, an average of just under seven hours on weeknight, was the same.

More than 75 percent of the 1,000 people questioned in the Internet and telephone poll who described themselves as exercisers said they slept well, compared to just over half of people who did no exercise. Very active people report-

ed fewer sleep problems, dozed off quicker and needed less shut eye a night to function at their best during the day. Sitting, more than eight hours daily also had a negative impact on sleep, according to the poll.

Nearly half of Americans report experiencing insomnia occasionally, and 22 percent suffer from the condition, which can be caused by stress, anxiety, pain and medication, every or almost every night, according to the foundation. In addition to poorer sleep, non-exercisers also were less likely to report good or excellent health compared to active people and had more trouble staying awake while driving and eating. Nearly three times as many sedentary people said they have trouble keeping awake during the day than exercis-

ers. They also took more naps and had more symptoms of sleep apnea, a disorder that causes shallow breaths or pauses in breathing during sleep, than exercisers, More than 44 percent of nonexercisers were at a moderate risk for sleep apnea, a higher percentage than active people questioned in the poll. The survey also seemed to debunk the idea that exercising early or late in the day would adversely impact sleep because it showed that being active at any time of the day was better than being sedentary. “Exercise is beneficial to sleep,” Dr. Barbara Phillips, a member of the poll task force, said in a statement. “It’s time to revise global recommendations for improving sleep and put exercise any time - at the top of our list for healthy sleep habits.” — Reuters

BOGOR, Indonesia: In this photograph taken on Feb 11, 2013, wild frogs are prepared at a restaurant located in the western outskirts of Jakarta. — AFP

Frogs leap from Indonesian swamps to France tabletops BOGOR, Indonesia: The Indonesian frog vendor closes her eyes, asks Allah for his blessing, and with one swift strike of a cleaver beheads the trembling creature.

Though diners in white table-clothed French brasseries may not know it, their frogs legs most likely come from the murky swamps of tropical Indonesia, caught by hunters in the dead of the night to be slaughtered and sold at local markets. As mechanically as a factor y worker, Sri Mulyani rips off the frog’s skin, pulls out its innards with her bare hands and flings the amphibian onto a mountain of others that have suffered the same fate.

“If I feel disgusted and sick of frogs, I just think about the money,” the smiling 41year-old told AFP at an early-morning market in Bogor, on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta. Mulyani and her frog-hunter husband, Suwanto, 48, make up to 500,000 rupiah ($52) a day - well above the local minimum wage of around $200 a month chasing and selling frogs to restaurants or middlemen for export.

Devoured for their fleshy chicken-like taste, frogs legs are a known delicacy in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, but are also prized in Indonesia and China.

Indonesia has become the world’s biggest exporter of frogs, providing more than 80 percent of Europe’s imports, almost all caught in the wild by village-style frog hunters like Suwanto. But conservationists are concerned the lucrative trade may see the end to certain frog populations that help keep ecosystems healthy by preying on pests. Their tadpoles also help stabilise aquatic environments.

Much of the demand comes from France, where an estimated 80 million frogs are consumed every year. France was forced to place a ban on commercial frog hunting and farming in 1980. The trade moved mostly to India and Bangladesh, but those countries too banned exports in the late 1980s as their frog populations drasti-

cally depleted. “We fear that over the years the frog population, at least the large body of frogs in Indonesia, will collapse,” said Sandra Altherr from German group Pro Wildlife, which co-authored a report on the frog trade last year. “History has given us a lesson and we should learn from it.”

But for Suwanto the work is too lucrative to give up, and frog hunting, he said, is in his blood. “I’ve been hunting frogs since 1992, and my father before me was a frog hunter,” Suwanto said, adding he was unsure if the tradition would continue in his family as he only had daughters, explaining frog hunting was men’s business. From behind his home, Suwanto and a group of fellow frog hunters set off into the darkness each night at 8:00 pm, tiptoeing through the rice paddies and streams.

The men often hunt into the early hours of the morning, with no talking in case the noise scares the slippery creatures away.

Their modus operandi looks simple - barefoot and armed with small handlamps, they use nets attached to long wooden poles to scoop up the frogs they find in the muck of the fields and riverbanks. But beyond their basic tools, the frog hunters seem to have a sixth sense for the amphibians, gathering dozens in just minutes from what would otherwise be an indistinguishable patch of dark swamp.

The men catch 50 to 70 kg of Asian brackish (a crab-eating frog) and giant Javan frogs each night, much of which will feed the domestic market, estimated to be two to seven times the export volume.

While the thought of eating frogs from the unregulated Indonesian wild may make some shudder, Chinese-Indonesian Ferdian Zhang, 37, wouldn’t have it any other way, buying all his frogs legs from Mulyani for his Bogor restaurant. “They’re free-range frogs, caught in the wild like free-range chickens. You just can’t compare the taste,” he said. — AFP

Nearly 3,000 wild great apes ‘stolen’ each year BANGKOK: Almost 3,000 great apes are killed or captured in the wild each year because of rampant illegal trade, according to a new UN report released Monday that voiced fears for their survival. More than 22,000 great apes are estimated to have been lost to the illicit trade between 2005 and 2011, according to the study by the UN Environment Programme, which oversees the Great Apes Survival Partnership (Grasp).

“This trade is thriving and extremely dangerous to the long term survival of great apes,” said Grasp coordinator Doug Cress, describing the illegal trade as “sophisticated, ingenious, well financed, well armed”.

“At this rate, apes will disappear very quickly,” he said.

Capturing a single chimpanzee alive can require killing 10 others, said Cress. “You cannot walk into a forest and just take one.

You have to fight for it. You have to kill the other chimpanzees in the group,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a major con-

ference on endangered species in Bangkok.

The fate of captured gorillas was even more bleak as they die quickly from stress, he added.

International trade in chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas - the three African species of great apes - as well as orangutans, the only Asian species, is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) whose member countries are gathering in the Thai capital this week. But in reality great apes are sold as exotic pets for wealthy individuals who see them as status symbols, bought by “disreputable zoos” and exploited by the entertainment and tourist industries, the report said. “Great apes are used to attract tourists to entertainment facilities such as amusement parks and circuses.

They are even used in tourist photo sessions on Mediterranean beaches and clumsy boxing matches in Asian safari parks,” it said. — AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Fitness experts separate folklore from fact NEW YORK: Can crunches create six-pack abdominal muscles? Do weight-lifting women risk bulging biceps? Is stretching always a good idea? Experts say disentangling folklore from fact is not easy in fitness, where misconceptions are as pervasive as push-ups and as stubborn as love handles. Jennifer Burke, a fitness manager at a Crunch gym in West Hollywood, California, said many women still worry that weight training will create big and bulky muscles. “Women say ‘I don’t want to get bulky,’ but unless you take in extra calories or testosterone supplements, that’s just not going to happen,” said Burke, who eases reluctant clients into resistance training gently, with body-weight exercises. “When they see their bodies getting long lean muscles, getting toned, they trust you a little more and you can start

adding in dumbbells and machines,” Burke said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults engage in muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups - legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms - two or more days a week. “A lot of people think if they want to lose a lot of weight they should do cardio, but the best thing is to add in resistance training as well,” Burke said. “You’ll get bigger, faster results because you’re working on lean muscle tissue which burns more calories in the long run.”

While it’s true that muscle weighs more than fat, it’s also more compact. “Five pounds (2.3 kg) of muscle is the size of your fist. Five pounds of fat is the size of your forearm” she said. Burke added that another misconception is that lower-intensi-

ty exercise such as the fat-burning setting on most cardio machines is better for burning calories. “That’s absolutely not true,” said Burke. “If you increase the intensity you’ll burn more calories.”

The CDC’s rule of thumb is that one minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as two minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Stephanie Huckabee, a South Carolina-based fitness instructor, said people who believe it is necessary to exercise every day are setting themselves up for failure. “I tell my clients to expect days when they don’t exercise,” said Huckabee.

“That’s just being realistic.” Another fiction, Huckabee said, is that you can move fat away from a problem area. “When I wanted to reduce my stomach, I had to do an all-over conditioning program to get that fat tissue to shrink,” she said.

“Cardio will burn the fat over all. After that, you can work on sculpting an area with resistance training.”

Burke said one of the biggest fitness myths is that crunches can banish belly fat. “You build your six-pack in the kitchen,” she said, while noting that no one will see even the most developed abdominals if they’re hiding under a layer of fat. Moira Merrithew, co-founder of Merrithew Health & Fitness, said one of the most common misconceptions is that it’s always good to stretch before a game of football or a run. “For some athletes probably the worst thing they can do is stretch before they run,” said Merrithew, who is based in Toronto, Canada.

“There’s simply no hard and fast rule,” said Merrithew, a former dancer. “Pilates is good for

dancers before they go out, because it mobilizes the joints. There are so many effects that stretching can and cannot have. There are limits to really pushing that stretch.”

And even the most dedicated couch potato cannot turn muscle to fat, according to Carol Torgan, a consultant exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine.

“Muscles and fat are two different types of cells. It would be like turning apples into oranges,” she said. More troubling is the fallacy that one can never drink too much water. “It can result in a condition known as hyponatremia, in which there is an imbalance of water to salt,” Torgan said. “This is also known as water intoxication or over-hydration, and can be extremely serious.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements St Patrick Day Kuwait Irish Society presents our St Patrick’s Day celebration at Hilton Hotel, Al-Dorra Ballroom, Friday March 15, 2013. Dress Code: Black tie.

Musical extravaganza with Dr Yesudas

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rend setter Udupi Restaurant, Kuwait proudly present “Gandharva Nadamritham”, a live classical musical extravaganza featuring the living legend & maestro Padmabooshan Award winner Dr. K.J. Yesudas with his troupe from India, on March 22 at American International School, Maidan Hawally, Kuwait.

Goan Culinary Club

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he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012.

Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

Al-Mulla Exchange opens new branch in Abbasiya

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l-Mulla Exchange, the premier exchange company in Kuwait, opened their 43th branch in the country in Abbasiya on Friday, March 1.

The new branch was inaugurated by Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and world famous cricketer and presently Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jaysuriya, in front of a large gathering of customers, well-wishers and Al-Mulla Exchange officials.

The first 100 customers were rewarded with free T-shirts autographed by the cricket legend and additionally 25 lucky customers had the opportunity to dine alongside the cricketer at a luncheon hosted by Al-Mulla Exchange.

Since its inception in 2001, Al-Mulla Exchange has revolutionized the exchange industry in Kuwait by continuously offering innovative, customer-centric remittance solutions. Al-Mulla Exchange has made investments in modern technology and enabled Server to Server facilities where credit is made to the account of the beneficiary in Sri Lanka within 3 seconds in a completely secure manner. The initiative to invite Jaysuriya to Kuwait is part of Al-Mulla Exchange’s customer engagement program, which in the past has witnessed several free cultural and social events organized by the Exchange for their patrons.

Basketball Academy he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah AlRujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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Air India Valentine ‘Ladies Special’ offer he Maharaja is pleased to offer the “Ladies Special” on his flights from Kuwait to Indian Gateway Points of Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad and Chennai as a special gesture to kick start the International Women’s day Celebration falling on 8th March 2013, with the following features: You will get a 10% discount on the base fare if you are an adult lady passenger and you are purchasing your ticket in February 2013 for travel between Kuwait/India/Kuwait on AI 975/976/981/982 for destinations Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad and Chennai. You can avail it for your one way or return journeys. You may start you travel anytime between now and 31st Mar’13 We welcome all our valued Women passengers on board Air India to fly the Maharani way!

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Seva Darshan’s Bharat Vikas 2013 a grand success

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he much-awaited day long mega event organized by Seva Darshan, Kuwait was conducted on February 25, 2013. The majestic ceremony was inaugurated by the chief guest H K Mohan, First Secretary, Community Affairs and Education Wing, Indian Embassy by lighting the traditional lamp. The day was blessed with the presence of eminences Mohana Warrier (Vikas Project Trustee & All India Secretary of the 150th Swami Vivekananda Jayanthi Celebrations Committee), Subrahmanyan Viswananda (Deputy General Manager, Karoor Vaisya Bank), Dr T A Ramesh (Country Head, Gulfmart), and Dr Subramaniyam Neelamani ( Sn Research Scientist, KISR).

The keynote address delivered by Mohana Warrier highlighting Swamiji’s speech delivered at Chicago Conference threw light on the significance and importance of being a proud citizen of India. He emphasized the need for upholding our tradition and culture in front of the whole world. Shri.

Subrahmanyan Viswananda congratulated the members for taking up such projects for human cause and expressed his whole hearted support. Under the patronage of Seva Darshan, Vichar Bharathi’s project to donated books on Swami Vivekananda for 150 school libraries back in India was announced. The endeavor was inaugurated by Dr.S.Neelamani handing over his contribution to Mohana Warrier. The 100 page souvenir was handed over to Dr T A Ramesh by Vibheesh Thikkodi (Souvenir Committee Convenor and Vichar Bharathi Kuwait Coordinator) and dedicated to the public.

The function was presided by Sevadarsan president Krishnakumar Paliath who outlined the activities of Seva Darshan. T G Venugopal (General Convenor) extended a warm welcome to the gathering. Mohan Kumar (Advisory member of Bharat Vikas committee & Coordinator of the Nationalist Media Forum, Kuwait) delivered the word of gratitude. The signature program presented by the Seva Darshan members and children, ‘Vivekamrutham’ showcased the life of Swami Vivekananda highlighting the milestones of his life. It was indeed unique in its presentation and quality providing a spectacular extravagance for the audience.

The next session of the day witnessed a visual treat presented by the talented artists from Kerala, ‘Cochin Guinness’.

The three hours of performances by the team included comedy skits, dance, music and an exciting piece choreography with rope balancing. The event concluded with the raffle draw which was the biggest in participation and prize value.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

BSK students perform First Kids in Space

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he Junior Department at The British School of Kuwait put on a fantastic performance of The First Kids in Space for parents and friends. It was a musical adventure which explored the emotions and experiences of not fitting in. There were many lessons to be learned for the young performers who were aged from 8 to 10 years of age. The students thoroughly enjoyed their performances and their singing and dramatic performances were exceptional. The costumes and set design enhanced the performance. It was team work all round from the staff and students to put this show together. Over the past couple of months they had learned their lines to perfection and mastered the intricacies of staging this science fiction musical which had something for everyone. The students performed to a full house on two evenings and the audiences were left in no doubt that a first class interpretation of this challenging script was staged at the Shakespeare Theatre at the BSK campus.

McDonald’s Arabia posts nutrition labeling directly on food packaging

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cDonald’s Arabia announced that more than 360 of its restaurants in the GCC will carry nutrition labelling directly on food packaging, as part of the company’s commitment to promoting balanced lifestyles. McDonald’s is the first Quick Service Restaurant in the Middle East to provide this information directly on food packaging, putting food labels in the hands of its customers.

Already being rolled out across all restaurants in all GCC markets, nutrition information will be displayed on the majority of McDonald’s food packaging on easyto-read labels. The move is designed to make the information more accessible and visible, and to help customers make informed choices about the food they eat. Nutrition information has been available in McDonald’s restaurants and to its customers since2002 on tray-mats and fliers, and is also posted on its website.

Yousif Abdulghani, Managing Director, McDonald’s Middle East and Africa, commented: “This is an exciting step for McDonald’s in the GCC, and we’re delighted to step in as the first Quick Service Restaurant in the region to proactively post nutrition information on its packaging.

“Telling our customers about our food is not something new for McDonald’s in the region. We have always been committed to helping consumers make informed choices about the food they eat, and this is just one of many ways we’re making our information more accessible to them.

Put very simply - we’re proud of the food we serve, and want customers to under-

stand what goes into it.”

The labels on McDonald’s packaging include five key nutrition components, which are calories, proteins, total fat, carbohydrates, and sodium; additional nutrition components can be found on McDonald’s Arabia’s website. Packaging has been formatted in a clear and easy-to-read format to allow customers to understand the nutrition breakdown of the products they’re enjoying.

The majority of McDonald’s packaging will include nutrition information. For example, packaging used in limited time

nutrition information on its food products.

In 2012, the company introduced a nutrition calculator hosted on the website, allowing customers to calculate nutrition content for McDonald’s meals. The website was also further developed to function on smartphones through a customized mobile web interface, where information on nutrition, menu and store locations is made available.

In a growing digital world of smartphones, McDonald’s Arabia has now launched a mobile app that provides customers with on-the-go nutrition informa-

promotions, and wrappers and containers used for multiple products will not feature product specific nutrition information due to logistical limitations. In these instances, customers will be directed to McDonald’s Arabia website or to in-restaurant traymats and fliers for the nutrition information they need.

tion. The Nutrition Information App is available for Apple iOS and will be available for Android formats in April this year.

Nutrition information and McDonald’s Arabia Nutrition information was first made available to customers inMcDonald’s Arabia restaurants on tray-mats and informative fliers in 2002. In 2005, this information became available on the official McDonald’s Arabia website. Three years later, in 2008, McDonald’s updated the

Balanced-Choices Sharing nutrition information with customers is an initiative that has taken place in tandem with and complements changes and additions to McDonald’s menus region wide. All GCC restaurants will always accommodate and encourage individual requests to help customers tailor their food orders to personal health requirements.

For example with McDonald’s Arabia’s ‘Made for You’ customers can choose to have their burgers without sauces.

In 2004, a range of fresh salads was introduced to McDonald’s menus in the

region;all of its salads are served with the dressing on the side, allowing customers to use as little or as much as they would like.In 2011, McDonald’s introduced 100 percent tropical and orange pulp juice to its menu.

McDonald’s world famous Happy Meal features balanced choices for children; across all GCC markets these include juices, wholesome milk, and added fresh apple slices in 2012.

Transparency and the Open-Door program Since 2006,McDonald’s Arabia has been opening the doors of its kitchens to all customers interested in taking a closer look at the quality standards of staff, products and procedures. The Open Door Program is a chance for customers to learn about McDonald’s commitment to the high quality, safety and cleanliness measures that are implemented in food preparation.

Anyone who is interested just needs to go to McDonalds Arabia.com to schedule a visit at a restaurant near them.

Halal and food trust McDonald’s is committed to serving the very best, and does not compromise on food quality. All products served at all McDonald’s restaurants in the Middle East are Halal, inspected and approved by local authorities and Halal officers at the countries of export and customs officials at the port of entry. Meat used in McDonald’s restaurants can be traced back to a trusted supplier that shares its dedication to the highest quality standards. All McDonald’s suppliers are subject to third party audits.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

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Embassy Information

Nissan Al-Babtain sponsors spectacular Red Bull X-Fighters Jams

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the 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. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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A

lways keen to take part in Kuwait’s biggest and most attractive events, Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Co the sole distributer of Nissan Motors, announced that it has sponsored the first Red Bull X-Fighters Jams event ever hosted in Kuwait.

Mohamed Shalaby, Al-Babtain Group’s COO, said the company is very proud to sponsor Red Bull X-Fighters Jams show. We have always been in the vanguard of participating in big ceremonies held in Kuwait, he added, we believe it is our duty to make this country a regional hub for such international events. He confirmed that Al-Babtain would not miss any opportunity to hold big events to support the youth, and Kuwait will definitely witness other big shows like the Red Bull X-Fighters Jams.

Al-Babtain always devoted to provide the best for its clients and to be the

main sponsor of big events that would offer the young people a space to practice their hobbies.

Around 15,000 spectators crowded Kuwait Towers, the country’s most prestigious landmark, to attend one of the most exciting motorsport events performed by the world’s best riders: Martin Koren from Czech Republic, Nick Franklin from New Zealand, Daniel Boudin from Sweden and Chris Brosk from the United Kingdom.

The riders first surprised the crowd when they arrived to the show in Nissan 370Z cars, and after they greeted their fans and they announced the beginning of the show. Michel Azzi, the Lebanese TV presenter known as Micho, was there to introduce the event and add more fervor to the buoyant atmosphere.

On the other hand, Nick Franklin said he was very happy to perform in front of

such an amazing cheering audience. The German Chris Pfeiffer, a four-time World Stunt Riding Champion, also participated in this show with his daring moves that the crowd saw live for the first time.

I’m glad to be here in Kuwait, the hospitality was great, and people were friendly and excited as they filled the location hours before we started, he said. At the end of the show, Nissan AlBabtain’s Marketing Manager, Bilal AlKharroubi, said in an interview with Al Rai channel, that this event was the first one ever held in Kuwait and this large audience proves its success. We are very proud for having sponsored this show and brought happiness and passion to those young people who have dreamt of seeing their champions, he added. AlBabtain Group offered memorial shields to the five riders and to the event presenter Michel Azzi for their amazing performance.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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IDF Desert Spring Camp 2013

T

he Indian Doctors Forum, affiliated to the Kuwait Medical Association, held their first Desert Spring Camp at the Al-Mulla Desert Camp at Wafra on Friday, Feb 22 amidst a gathering of around 350 IDF members along with their families exclusively.

The day started off to a sumptuous breakfast. After getting all charged, members then headed to the main Activity Tent where they were divided into four different teams. The teams were Salmiya (S-Team), Riggae (RTeam), Mangaf (M- Team) and those who came by their own cars (X-Team).

There were frequent Lucky Dips & Spot Prizes for each category that was

announced at regular intervals to add excitement & surprise.

Dr Amir Ahmed, President of IDF then inaugurated the event by requesting all for their whole hearted participation irrespective of their age or gender. Dr Jaganath then described the entire venue to the audience with essential briefing of facilities available for relaxation or sleeping.

The fun kicked off with a variety of games catering to teens, children and toddlers of different ages. Games were conducted by Anson (Master of Ceremony) assisted by Michael and DJ Marlon, who kept the crowd melodiously engaged with a range of Hollywood to Bollywood hit songs.

The lunch break then ensued with a delicious spread of veg to non-veg and South Indian to North Indian dishes.

Then highlight of the event was the Bingo game which had to its credit loads of luxurious and expensive prizes for the winners. This was again followed by a set of games for adults and children culminating in the most awaited event which was the Tug-OWar. This game was held separately for men and women. This game witnessed some excellent show of strength and power from our IDF members. The day came to a memorable end with hot & freshly prepared snacks catered to all.

The entire event was captured by

the roving lens of Gafoor Moodadi and will be translated to memorable DVDs

by Drishya Digitals. IDF is greatly indebted and grateful to Al-Mulla Exchange for providing the remarkable venue to IDF and making this event see the light of the day. IDF is also appreciative to City Bus for all the assistance rendered in providing IDF spacious and comfortable buses to and fro from the venue.

Irrespective of the performance, each child was awarded special gifts with special reference to their age and sex, hence every child went home a winner. The entire day came to an end with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Dr Vinod Grover (Vice President IDF).

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on shortstay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes.

Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database.

Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, firsttime applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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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, Al-Salaam 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.

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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.

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EMBASSY OF TURKEY The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey announces that a new classes of Turkish language for beginners will start at the Embassy’s Tourism, Culture and Information Office on 17 February 2013. The lessons will be two times in a week for six weeks, for further details and registration please contact. Or fill the application form on http://kuveyt.bemfa.gov.tr and send it to the email: embassy.Kuwait@mfa.gov.tr

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:20 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:25 18:50 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 21:35 22:05

Animal Cops Phoenix Human Prey I’m Alive Wildest Africa Karina: Wild On Safari My Cat From Hell Call Of The Wildman Animal Battlegrounds Clinically Wild: Alaska Wildlife SOS The Really Wild Show Too Cute!

Cats 101 Crocodile Hunter Wildest Africa Animal Cops Phoenix Call Of The Wildman Wildlife SOS Shamwari: A Wild Life Animal Precinct Wildest Africa Animal Battlegrounds The Really Wild Show Cats 101 Animal Airport Animal Airport My Cat From Hell Bondi Vet Safari Vet School Call Of The Wildman Animal Battlegrounds Wildest Africa

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 02:10 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 03:05 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:50 Ty’s Great British Adventure 04:35 Bargain Hunt 05:20 Living In The Sun 06:10 House Swap 06:55 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 07:25 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 07:50 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 08:15 Homes Under The Hammer 09:05 Bargain Hunt 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 12:00 MasterChef 12:55 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 13:50 New Scandinavian Cooking 14:15 Holmes On Homes 15:05 Bargain Hunt 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:30 06:45 07:30 07:45 08:30 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:30 14:00 14:30

Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News GMT With George Alagiah Impact With Mishal Husain Hardtalk BBC World News BBC World News

15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 BBC World News 16:30 BBC Focus On Africa 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 20:30 Hardtalk 21:00 BBC World News America 22:00 Newsday 22:30 Asia Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Newsday

00:05 Taz-Mania 00:30 Pink Panther And Pals 00:55 Moomins 01:20 Tom & Jerry Kids 01:45 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 02:10 Puppy In My Pocket 02:35 Wacky Races 03:00 Looney Tunes 03:25 Duck Dodgers 03:50 Dastardly And Muttley 04:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 04:30 Wacky Races 04:55 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 05:20 Tom & Jerry 05:45 The Garfield Show 06:00 Bananas In Pyjamas 06:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 06:45 Jelly Jamm 07:00 Ha Ha Hairies 07:25 Baby Looney Tunes 07:50 Lazy Town 08:15 Krypto The Superdog 08:40 Jelly Jamm 09:05 Gerald McBoing Boing 09:30 Cartoonito Tales 09:55 Bananas In Pyjamas 10:20 Ha Ha Hairies 10:45 Lazy Town 11:10 Krypto The Superdog 11:35 Baby Looney Tunes 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 12:50 Cartoonito Tales 13:15 Krypto The Superdog 13:40 Lazy Town 14:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 14:25 Tom And Jerry Tales 14:50 Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries 15:20 Johnny Bravo 15:45 Tom & Jerry 16:10 Pink Panther And Pals 16:35 The Garfield Show 17:00 What’s New Scooby-Doo?

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Mucha Lucha 08:25 Johnny Test 08:45 Adventure Time 09:05 Total Drama Action 09:55 Ben 10: Omniverse 10:20 Young Justice 10:45 Thundercats 11:10 Regular Show 12:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 12:50 Foster’s Home For...

13:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 14:30 Powerpuff Girls 15:20 Angelo Rules 16:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold

16:35 Young Justice 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:20 Transformers Prime 17:40 Johnny Test 18:00 Level Up 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Adventure Time 19:15 Regular Show 19:40 Mucha Lucha 20:05 Total Drama Action 20:30 Total Drama Action 20:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 21:20 Hero 108 21:45 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 22:10 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:35

Gold Rush Gold Divers Around The World In 80 Ways Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Border Security Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made American Guns Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Life On A Wire Finding Bigfoot Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Gold Rush Gold Divers Around The World In 80 Ways Border Security Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Finding Bigfoot Mythbusters American Guns How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Auction Kings

00:10 Hannah Montana Forever 00:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:25 Replacements 02:15 Emperor’s New School 03:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:55 Replacements 04:45 Emperor’s New School 05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 06:00 Phineas And Ferb 06:15 Suite Life On Deck 06:40 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 07:05 A.N.T. Farm 07:30 Phineas And Ferb 07:55 Jessie 08:20 Good Luck Charlie 08:45 Doc McStuffins 09:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:35 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 09:45 Mouk 10:00 Jonas Los Angeles 10:25 So Random 10:50 Hannah Montana 11:15 Sonny With A Chance 11:40 Kim Possible 12:05 Shake It Up 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Austin And Ally 13:45 Art Attack 14:10 A.N.T. Farm 14:35 Suite Life On Deck 15:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 15:25 Shake It Up 15:45 Minnie And You 15:50 Austin And Ally 16:15 Jessie 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Good Luck Charlie 17:25 Minnie And You 17:30 Gravity Falls 17:55 Suite Life On Deck 18:20 Austin And Ally 18:45 Phineas And Ferb 19:10 A.N.T Farm

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Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Phil Of The Future Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Forever

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:00 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 01:55 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:20 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:20 Handy Manny 04:30 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 04:50 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 06:50 Special Agent Oso 07:05 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Imagination Movers 08:40 Cars Toons 08:45 Handy Manny 09:00 The Hive 09:10 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Zou 10:20 Zou 10:35 Doc McStuffins 10:50 Doc McStuffins 11:00 Lilo And Stitch 11:30 Cars Toons 11:35 Timmy Time 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:10 Doc McStuffins 13:25 Handy Manny 13:40 Jungle Junction 13:55 Timmy Time 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Zou 14:30 Zou 14:40 Timmy Time 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 The Little Mermaid 16:25 Lilo And Stitch 16:55 Imagination Movers 17:20 Handy Manny 17:35 The Hive 17:45 Lilo And Stitch 18:10 Doc McStuffins 18:25 Doc McStuffins 18:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 Zou 21:25 Zou 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Almost Naked Animals 08:15 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 08:40 Slugterra 09:05 Scaredy Squirrel 09:30 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:55 Zeke & Luther 10:20 Kick Buttowski 10:45 I’m In The Band 11:10 Rekkit Rabbit 11:35 Rated A For Awesome 12:00 Iron Man Armored Adventures 12:25 American Dragon 12:50 Kick Buttowski 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Scaredy Squirrel 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:25 Kickin It 15:50 Rekkit Rabbit 16:15 Pair Of Kings 16:40 Almost Naked Animals 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Slugterra 18:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 18:25 Scaredy Squirrel 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:40 Mr. Young 20:05 Slugterra 20:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 20:55 I’m In The Band 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Rekkit Rabbit 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Ultimate Spider-Man 23:05 Kick Buttowski 23:30 Scaredy Squirrel

THE DESCENDANTS ON OSN CINEMA

00:00 Scouted 00:55 Style Star

01:25 E!es 02:20 THS 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 THS 12:05 Married To Jonas 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es 16:30 Behind The Scenes 17:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:00 THS 20:00 Married To Jonas 20:30 Giuliana & Bill 22:30 Fashion Police 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:15 World Cafe Asia 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 02:20 Unwrapped 02:45 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:35 World Cafe Asia 04:20 Kid In A Candy Store 04:50 Unique Sweets 05:15 Charly’s Cake Angels 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Kid In A Candy Store 09:15 Unwrapped 09:40 United Tastes Of America 10:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 11:45 Easy Chinese 12:10 Mexican Made Easy 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Unique Sweets 15:05 World Cafe Asia 15:30 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 15:55 Easy Chinese 16:20 United Tastes Of America 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 19:40 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Chopped

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 Jones 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 Jones 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 Jones 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab I Married A Mobster Blood Relatives I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Murder Shift Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Deadly Affairs Deadly Women

00:15 One Man & His Campervan 00:45 Adventure Wanted 01:40 Bondi Rescue: Bali 02:05 On Surfari 02:35 Danger Beach 03:00 On Surfari 03:30 Racing To America 04:25 Market Values 04:50 The Best Job In The World 05:20 A World Apart 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 06:40 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:10 One Man & His Campervan 08:05 Adventure Wanted 09:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali 09:25 On Surfari 09:55 Danger Beach 10:20 On Surfari 10:50 Racing To America 11:45 Market Values 12:10 The Best Job In The World 12:40 A World Apart 13:35 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Delinquent Gourmet 15:25 Adventure Wanted 16:20 Bondi Rescue: Bali 16:45 On Surfari 17:15 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00

Crimes Against Nature Brutal Killers Wild Mississippi Swamp Men Caught In The Act Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Restless Planet Wild Mississippi Swamp Men Caught In The Act Maneater Manhunt Shane Untamed Animal Underworld The Pack Expedition Wild Swamp Men Caught In The Act Maneater Manhunt

FRIGHT NIGHT ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Shane Untamed Animal Mega Moves Fish Warrior Swamp Men Caught In The Act Maneater Manhunt Shane Untamed

00:00 Monsters-PG15 02:00 Fright Night-PG15 04:00 Reign Of Fire-PG15 06:00 Metro-PG15 08:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 10:00 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 12:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 14:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 16:00 Boiler Room-PG15 18:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 19:45 13 Assassins-18 22:00 Sultanes Del Sur-PG15 23:45 Dread-18

01:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 03:00 Soapdish-PG 05:00 The National Tree-PG15 07:00 The Descendants-PG15 09:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 11:00 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage-FAM 13:00 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 15:00 Little Big Soldier-PG15 17:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2-PG 19:00 Footloose-PG15 21:00 A Little Bit Of Heaven-18 23:00 After Life-18

00:00 Wilfred 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 The League 02:00 Unsupervised 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Last Man Standing 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Less Than Perfect 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Til Death 06:00 Samantha Who? 06:30 Seinfeld 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Less Than Perfect 08:30 Last Man Standing 09:00 Til Death 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 10:30 Samantha Who? 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 12:30 Less Than Perfect 13:00 Til Death 13:30 Hope & Faith 14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 New Girl 18:30 Raising Hope 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00

Justified Banshee Breakout Kings Six Feet Under Good Morning America The Bachelor Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show House The Bachelor Breakout Kings House Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show

00:00 Monsters-PG15 02:00 Fright Night-PG15 04:00 Reign Of Fire-PG15 06:00 Metro-PG15 08:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 10:00 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 12:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 14:00 Warriors Of Heaven And Earth-PG15 16:00 Boiler Room-PG15 18:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 19:45 13 Assassins-18 22:00 Sultanes Del Sur-PG15 23:45 Dread-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 12:00 14:00 18:00 20:00

Girl Walks Into A Bar-PG15 28 Days-PG15 Wayne’s World-PG15 Joe Dirt-PG15 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG Wayne’s World-PG15 Cheaper By The Dozen 2-PG It Could Happen To You-PG Tamara Drewe-18

00:15 02:30 04:15 07:15 09:00 PG15 10:30 PG15 12:00 14:15 15:45 PG15 17:15 19:15 21:00 23:15

25th Hour-18 Square Grouper-18 Gandhi-PG Personal Effects-18 Ike: Countdown To D-DaySunny And The ElephantSunshine State-PG15 Backwash-PG15 Sunny And The ElephantThe Conspirator-PG15 Ducoboo-PG15 An Officer And A Gentleman The Adjustment Bureau-PG15

01:00 Ceremony-PG15 03:00 Les Miserables 25th Anniversary-PG15 06:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 08:00 Muhammad And Larry-PG15 09:00 Hop-PG 10:45 The Tourist-PG15 12:30 Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon-PG15 15:15 The Conspirator-PG15 17:15 Hop-PG 19:00 Super 8-PG15 21:00 Safe House-PG15 23:00 Horrible Bosses-18

01:00 Rainbow Valley Heroes-FAM 02:45 Princess Sydney: The Legend Of The Blue Rabbit-FAM 04:15 The Great Bear-PG 06:00 Valentina-PG15 08:00 Emilie Jolie-PG 10:00 The Proud Family Movie-FAM 11:45 Cats Don’t Dance-FAM 13:00 Ploddy Police Car-FAM 14:30 Princess Sydney: The Legend Of The Blue Rabbit-FAM 16:00 Return To Halloweentown-PG 18:00 The Proud Family Movie-FAM 20:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins-FAM

00:30 ICC Cricket 360 01:00 Anglo Welsh Cup 03:00 PGA Tour Highlights 04:00 European PGA Highlights 05:00 Rugby Union 07:00 Super League 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Futbol Mundial 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 European PGA Highlights 14:00 PGA Tour Highlights 15:00 ICC Cricket 360 15:30 Rugby Union 19:30 City Centre Races 20:00 Trans World Sport

Tour

Tour

00:00 PGA Tour Highlights 01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 Futbol Mundial 02:30 Dubai World Cup Carnival 07:00 ICC Cricket 360 07:30 City Centre Races 08:00 PGA Tour Highlights 09:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 10:00 The Ryder Cup Official Film 11:30 City Centre Races 12:00 Anglo Welsh Cup 14:00 World Cup of Darts 17:30 ICC Cricket 360 18:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:00 PGA Tour Highlights 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 21:00 WWE Bottom Line 22:00 WWE SmackDown

00:00 ICC Cricket 360 00:30 Super League 02:30 Spirit of Golf 03:00 Spirit of Golf 03:30 World Pool Masters 04:30 World Cup of Pool 05:30 Golfing World 06:30 Top 14 Highlight 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Trans World Sport 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 Top 14 Highlight 11:30 Rugby Union 13:30 Golfing World 14:30 World Pool Masters 15:30 World Cup of Pool 16:30 Dubai World Cup Carnival 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 23:00 World Pool Masters

00:00 WWE Experience 01:00 NHL 03:00 Ping Pong World Championships 04:00 US Bass Fishing 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE Bottom Line 09:00 Ping Pong World Championships 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE Experience 14:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 16:00 Prizefighter 19:00 NHL 21:00 UAE National Race Day Series 22:00 UFC TUF 23:00 UFC Unleashed

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30

American Restoration Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Cajun Pawn Stars American Restoration Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars American Restoration Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Storage Wars Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Cajun Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars American Restoration Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars Cajun Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars American Restoration Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars Storage Wars

Classifieds TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 PARKER (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) APARTMENT 1303 (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) APARTMENT 1303 (DIG-3D) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 VEHICLE 19 (DIG) 12:30 PM FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) 2:15 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 4:15 PM VEHICLE 19 (DIG) 6:15 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 8:00 PM A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 10:15 PM VEHICLE 19 (DIG) 12:15 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 PARKER (DIG) 12:45 PM PARKER (DIG) 3:00 PM PARKER (DIG) 2:00 PM MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 4:15 PM PARKER (DIG) 5:15 PM 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 7:30 PM PARKER (DIG) 9:45 PM PARKER (DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED MUHALAB-2 MAMA (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-1 PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-2 VEHICLE 19 (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:00 PM 11:45 PM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (28/02/2013 TO 06/03/2013)

MARINA-1 MAMA (DIG) PARKER (DIG) MAMA (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 1:45 PM 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3:45 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 6:00 PM 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 8:00 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 10:15 PM A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 12:15 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED AVENUES-1 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2 BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 1:15 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 3:30 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 5:45 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 8:00 PM PARKER (DIG) 6:00 PM PARKER (DIG) 8:15 PM PARKER (DIG) 10:30 PM PARKER (DIG) 12:45 AM 360ยบ- 1 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360ยบ- 2 MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1 PARKER (DIG) APARTMENT 1303 (DIG-3D) PARKER (DIG) APARTMENT 1303 (DIG-3D) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-1 BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 12:45 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 2:45 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 4:45 PM BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (DIG) 6:45 PM 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 9:00 PM MAMA (DIG) 11:30 PM BAIRAQ-2 SNITCH (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) VEHICLE 19 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

PLAZA 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3:30 PM FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) 5:45 PM MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:30 PM NO THU 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 7:45 PM MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:30 PM NO THU 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 10:00 PM LAILA SNITCH (DIG) PARKER (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) PARKER (DIG) AJIAL.1 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG)

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM

AJIAL.2 AADHIBHAGAVAN (DIG) (TAMIL) 4:00 PM AADHIBHAGAVAN (DIG) (TAMIL) 7:00 PM AADHIBHAGAVAN (DIG) (TAMIL) 10:00 PM METRO-1 MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 3:30 PM MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:30 PM MR. PELLIKODUKKU (DIG) (TELUGU) 10:00 PM METRO-2 AADHIBHAGAVAN (DIG) (TAMIL) 3:45 PM AADHIBHAGAVAN (DIG) (TAMIL) 6:45 PM JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:45 PM

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant 2009, black color (4 clr) excellent condition, 33000 km, KD 2,250/-. Contact: 66729295.

(C 4334) Lancer - car for sale 2010 model, GLX, 1600 cc, beige color, 4 cylinder, engine, gear, chassis ver y good condition, interior & exterior neat and clean, 105,000 km run, price KD 2,200/-.

Broker excuse. Contact: 99072651. (C 4335) 4-3-2013 MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for a RC boy 32/180 cm, graduate, Pala Diocese, currently working in an Insurance Company in Kuwait. Invites proposals from girls work-

ing in Kuwait. Email: proposalskwt81@gmail.com (C 4333) 3-3-2013

transferable residence, males only, full time.

Contact: 94088822.

(C 4332)

SITUATION VACANT

A lady maid is needed to work for 2 to 3 days a week in a flat located in Salmiya.

Working hours is between 12 pm to 6 pm and the salary is negotiable. Please call 66417504. (C 4330) 2-3-2013

A family is looking to hire a cook who can prepare dishes from the Arabic and Chinese Cuisines. Contact: 99006777. (C 4337) 5-3-2013 A lady maid is needed to work for 2 to 3 days a week in flat located in Salmiya.

Working hour is between 12 pm to 6 pm and the salar y is negotiable.

Contact: 66417504.

(C 4331) 4-3-2013 Required cook for local family, know both international and local dishes,

CHANGE OF NAME I, Posina Lakshmi Prasanna D/o Posina Venkata Ratnam holder of Indian Passport No. H5961214 converted to the Islam do hereby change my name to P. Zareena Begum. (C 4338) 5-3-2013 I, Mrs. Annie Cristine Kuriakose, holder of Indian

Passport No. F5417121 changing the name to Mrs. Annie Cristine Pinto.

(C 4336) 4-3-2013 I Patricia GEORGINA NGOZI CHALOKWU, holder of Nigerian passport number A00889231, do hereby change name to PATRICIA GEORGINA NGOZI WILLIAMS. 3-3-2013

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI KLM THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA PIA UAE ETD OMA FDB MSR RJA RBG QTR DHX THY JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA TMA JZR MEA MSR UAE KAC KAC FDB KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 5/3/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 3555 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 416 JAKARTA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 362 COLOMBO 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 213 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG

Time 0:05 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 1:55 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:25 3:45 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:40 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:45 9:55 11:00 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50

KAC QTR JZR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL SYR KAC JZR RBG KAC ETH FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY IRA QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR QTR DHX FDB KLM AIC KAC JZR GFA JZR UAL DLH

562 134 325 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 341 542 177 3553 786 3718 63 166 618 742 104 674 774 647 61 572 393 618 129 619 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 6130 372 59 415 981 678 239 217 185 981 636

AMMAN DOHA NAJAF DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES DAMASCUS CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH LIEGE DUBAI PARIS DOHA DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH LAR DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI AMSTERDAM CHENNAI MUSCAT AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

14:55 15:30 16:25 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:45 18:45 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:55

Airlines AIC PIA KAC AXB BBC JAI UAL DLH KLM ETH THY PIA FDB UAE OMA ETD RBG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA IRA KAC KAC JZR TMA MEA JZR KAC MSR JZR UAE FDB KAC KNE

Departure Flights on Tuesday 5/3/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 283 DHAKA 390 MANGALORE 44 DHAKA 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 411 AMSTERDAM 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 240 SIALKOT 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 3556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 101 LONDON 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 223 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 324 AL NAJAF 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH

Time 0:05 0:10 0:10 0:15 1:00 1:05 1:10 1:20 1:45 2:45 2:55 3:10 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 15:05 15:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SVA KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR SYR RBG JZR UAL FDB FDB OMA ETH KAC JAI AXB ABY KAC MSR IRA DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC KAC FDB JZR UAE DHX KAC KLM QTR QTR GFA JZR KAC

501 617 677 141 773 741 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 342 3554 134 982 64 62 648 3718 351 571 394 120 343 607 618 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 381 60 554 860 373 205 415 147 6131 218 528 411

JEDDAH DOHA MUSCAT DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI MUSCAT ADDIS ABABA KOCHI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH CHENNAI LUXOR LAR BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DELHI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA DOHA BAHRAIN ASSIUT BANGKOK

15:45 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:25 23:50 23:50 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 119

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) A strongly spiritual and creative influence of the Planets continues to impact your inner life. You are full of creative energy. Unless you find time to express your creativity you may feel very dissatisfied with the way things are going.

Make sure you’re allowing enough time for number one. Energy of similar minds and hearts gravitate toward you today and together you could make some very positive changes. Use this smooth energy to make big strides and conquer new ground so you’ll be in ever better position when the situation is less ideal.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your friendly concern for others and your willingness to meet people half way benefits your career, reputation, or public image at this time. This is a favorable time to socialize with people you have professional ties with, as the positive feelings you generate now are likely to be an aid to you in the future. A personal contact which will be quite beneficial for you today may happen, this could be someone that you connect with on an emotional or romantic level. You want to be seen and noticed. You receive appreciation and a positive response from your ideas.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates.

4. Relating to the abomasum (the fourth compartment of the stomach of ruminants).

12. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

15. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.

16. Capital and largest city of Botswana in the extreme southeast.

17. An ancient Hebrew unit of capacity equal to 10 baths or 10 ephahs.

18. The second great battle of the American Civil War (1862).

20. An honorary arts degree.

21. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

22. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

23. (biology) Of unlike parts or organs.

26. The Japanese art of folding paper into shapes representing objects (e.g., flowers or birds).

28. The forest trees growing in a country or region.

30. The sixth month of the civil year.

31. Broken into sharp pieces.

35. English actor noted for his portrayals of Shakespeare's great tragic characters (17891833).

38. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

41. Any taillike structure.

42. Mild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adults.

44. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

46. Two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts.

47. A metal-bearing mineral valuable enough to be mined.

48. Pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance.

50. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

51. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

54. A steep descent of the water of a river.

56. A state in east central United States.

57. Valuable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation.

59. The cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one.

62. An eight-sided polygon.

65. An island state in the West Indies in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. 68. (formerly) A mound earth inside a fort from which heavy gun can be fired over the parapet.

70. Having a small pointed chin beard.

71. English essayist (1775-1834).

72. Of or relating to or supporting Hinduism.

74. An Italian woman of rank.

75. An inflammatory disease of connective tissue with variable features including fever and weakness and fatigability and joint pains and skin lesions on the face or neck or arms.

78. Dignified manner or conduct.

79. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

80. The science of mountains.

81. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN 1. An active volcano in southeastern

Colombia in the Andes.

2. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

3. Tropical American trees with palmately compound leaves and showy bell-shaped flowers.

4. Gone by.

5. Island country in the Atlantic east of Florida and Cuba.

6. A Russian river.

7. An utterance expressing pain or disapproval.

8. A wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs.

9. Given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol.

10. Italian Benedictine monk who was archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109.

11. Having leadership guidance.

12. A town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean.

13. United States physiologist (born in Germany) who did research on parthenogenesis (1859-1924).

14. (informal) Exceptionally good.

19. An atom or molecule or radical or ion that forms a complex around a central atom.

24. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

25. Melon having yellowish rind and whitish flesh.

27. A public promotion of some product or service.

29. British informal term.

32. A violent throw.

33. A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge).

34. (Mesopotamia) God of agriculture and earth.

36. A genus of Mustelidae.

37. Chief port of Yemen.

39. A popular vacation spot in the Canadian Rockies.

40. Type genus of the Amiidae.

43. A social unit living together.

45. (trademark) Nylon fabric used as a fastening.

49. Preventing movement.

52. Jordan's port.

53. Distinctly separate from the first.

55. The function or position properly or customarily occupied or served by another.

58. An artificial language related to Ido. 60. Place in a grave or tomb.

61. A narrow headband or strip of ribbon worn as a headband.

63. South African plant widely cultivated for its showy pure white spathe and yellow spadix.

64. One (as a judge) who examines and settles a case.

66. The brightest star in Cygnus.

67. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

69. An organic compound that contains a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom which in turn is doubly bonded to another carbon atom.

73. Two items of the same kind.

76. An artificial language for international use that rejects rejects all existing words and is based instead on an abstract analysis of ideas.

77. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

You mustn’t overcompensate for a basic incompatibility between you and another person. At times it is a fact of life that certain personalities just don’t click. Don’t bend over backwards for something that is probably only going to be short-lived anyhow. Emotions, prejudices, or unresolved issues from the past come up in your interactions with others now, and you may not be very objective. This is a good time to speak up and clear the air of any grievances you have been holding on to for some time. Personal subjects are the topic of discussion now. Reminiscing, remembering, daydreaming about and reflecting on the past is likely.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This is a time when you should get an extra boost of physical energy, from your ego on out. This allows you to carry yourself farther and ride the crest of the wave that extra distance. Things play in your style, so you don’t have to strain.

For a couple of days, you’ve got extra cards, so play them. Your need for approval is strong today. You want those close to you to affirm your value and confirm that you are a part of something special. Of course they may not realize you have these needs, so drop a few hints and you’ll get the affirmations you need.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a time of personal beginnings, when you find yourself shot into the limelight and all eyes turn toward you to see what you’re going to do next.

This may be somewhat startling, as it’s rather different than what last month brought, and you will need to step up and display your self-confidence in a way that wasn’t called on before. In a volatile situation you will need to have your wits about you as you will have a particularly high profile. The trick is to handle it with grace and not let it go to your head, as this too shall pass and you’ll want to look back on a performance that maximized the opportunities dropped into your lap.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your helpful side will come to the surface today and you will be willing to collaborate and cooperate with everyone who needs it. Although you’ll concentrate mostly on business achievements, you won’t entirely neglect your personal life. Work or business related to administration, organization, detail work, and the sciences are very favorable just now. Close relationships take on more emotional depth, power, and importance now. Feeling cared for and needed is comfortable and the lack of these things can cause an instinctive feeling of uneasiness. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. Listen to your intuition and follow it at this time.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Whistle a different tune, because too much complaining about something you cannot change, could become irritating to someone you really want to make a good impression on. It’s value for your dollar when you make an effort to attend a recommended sale. Be sure to return all calls you miss today, as one may hold the path to future opportunities. Lots of advice and attempts to influence you can end up being shoved in your direction, but hold your own only if you really think it’s truly appropriate, the other side might be right, and now’s the time to try it out without long term commitment. If you don’t’ take a risk you’ll never know now will you.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Don’t let negative thinking get you down criticism for its own sake is a waste of time. Lack of confidence can take the wind out of your sails, so believe in yourself even when others don’t. Sail straight and true through the currents of selfdoubt and ignore the sometimes jealous remarks of others who would see you give up.

Small, multiple moves are favored over big leaps, they mount up and you go just as far.

It is a good time for social activities and for getting in touch with friends. There is a friendly, cooperative, harmonious tone to the interactions you have now. You avoid heavy discussions and do not want to focus on dry, practical matters. Simply sharing a pleasant time with someone you like is more in tune with your feelings now.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Wow what a day to make headway towards attaining your goals! It may not seem like it, but everything is in place for you to make a major career or personal life move. You can expect help from unexpected sources, so be open to it.

Opportunity is everywhere if you look for it. If something just isn’t working for you in your relationships, don’t give the situation or this person ‘just one more’ chance. It’s time to show them the door or at least tell them how you really feel. Backing down from what your intuition tells you is not what today is about. You know what’s best for you.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) At this time you enjoy emotional satisfaction and harmony in your home life. Relationships run smoothly. If you have a solid emotional base in your life, you will receive the benefits of that. If not, this is a good time to begin making connections with people and also to discover what gives real emotional nourishment and fulfillment.

Refinement and relationships are the issues to emotional satisfaction for you now. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying to you on both an emotional and spiritual level. And the lack of them can be emotionally unsettling. Close personal ties to other people are a focal point for your feelings, intimate relationships and other partnerships could be a what it’s about.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This transit is valid for several weeks. Creative thinking and innovative ideas are key issues now. You are mentally alert and keen, able to absorb new ideas very quickly, and less resistant to new information than usual. This is a time to explore scientific and technological ideas and inventive, progressive, innovative perspectives in any area. Your amorous feelings and passions are strong and compelling at this time, and you tend to be very demanding of a lover’s energy and affection.

Ask before you demand and you just may get the answer you want, and so will they.

A win win situation if handled with care.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You have a special magnetism and attractive power now, and you are feeling intensely loving also. Your relationships, particularly sexual or romantic ones, intensify and have a deep, compelling, urgent quality. Your inner feelings and needs for love and closeness emerge very strongly. You may also channel some of these feelings into creative or artistic, work, something that evokes and expresses your deepest self. Your intuition is what the energy is about for you today. Let your sweetie in on how you feel rather than to assume they already know. And if you’ve been keeping your eye on someone that you’d like to have in your life, it might not be so bad to take a risk and let them know, but do follow your intuition.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya Jabriya

PHARMACY

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

Hawally

ST TATE T OF KUW K WAIT A

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY Y: Monday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Issue Time

BY Y DA AY:

Mostly sunny with light to moderate freshening gradually south easterly wind, with speed of 15 - 40 km/h causing raising dust over open areas

BY Y NIGHT:

Fair with moderate to fresh south easterly wind, with speed of 20 - 40 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear No Current Waarnings arnin

WA ARNING

KUW WAIT A CITY

26 °C

19 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

28 °C

17 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

26 °C

16 °C

WAFRA A

33 °C

16 °C

SALMI

29 °C

18 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

31 °C

14 °C

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

28 °C

15 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

25 °C

17 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

20 °C

19 °C

Mishref

25381200

QARUH ISLAND

21 °C

19 °C

W Hawally

22630786

UMM AL-MARADEM

22 °C

19 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

04/03/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

New Jahra

24575755

Tuesday

05/03

clouds to increase + scattered light rain

30 °C

19 °C

SE-NW

10 - 32 km/h

West Jahra

24772608

Weednesday

06/03

clouds to decrease + scattered rain

27 °C

17 °C

NW-N

20 - 40 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Thursday

07/03

sunny + raising dust

25 °C

15 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

Friday

08/03

Mostly Sunny

24 °C

14 °C

NW

15 - 40 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:52

MAX. Temp.

27 °C

24884079

Sunrise

06:11

MIN. Temp.

17 °C

24892674

Zuhr

12:00

MAX. RH

90 %

Asr

15:20

MIN. RH

44 %

Sunset

17:49

MAX. Wind

E 28 km/h

Isha

19:06

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

Fintas

00 mm

04/03/13 02:55 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

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

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

Kaizen center 25716707

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

Dr. Salem soso

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

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

07:00

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. REC.

Firdous

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MAX. EXP P.

Ardhiya

22418714

Fax: 24348714

04/03/2013

ST TAT TION

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Weiland responds to STP firing

S

Jude Law not ‘fulfilled’ by films so far

J

ude Law is “proud” but not “fulfilled” by his career so far. The ‘Side Effects’ star turned 40 at the end of December and is looking forward to taking his acting to a new level as he enters a new decade of his life. He said: “I [am] optimistic about my 40s. The roles should get more complex. I look back and I’m proud of the work I’ve done but not fulfilled by it. I feel in some areas I’ve only scratched the surface.” Jude is glad he got to play Hamlet on stage in London before he reached the landmark age, and although he didn’t

quite make it before 40, he’s looking forward to ticking off another of Shakespeare’s characters, Henry V, at the end of this year. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, he explained: “I wanted to play [Hamlet] before I was 40.

My feeling is always commit and do it. You don’t want to get to 50 and have not played Hamlet. I wanted to play Henry before I was 40 too, but I just missed it. He died when he was 37 so he has got to be played as a young king and I think I can get there with a little help from prosthet-

inger Scott Weiland said he learned that he’d been fired by the Stone Temple Pilots when the band released a one-sentence statement to the media Wednesday.

“I learned of my supposed ‘termination’ from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press,” he wrote in a statement. “Not sure how I can be ‘terminated’ from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that’s something for the lawyers to figure out.” The statement by the band said: “Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland.” No other information was provided.

Weiland said he’s focusing

on his solo tour, which kicks off Friday in Flint, Mich. Stone Temple Pilots’ 1992 debut, “Core,” has sold more than 8 million units in the United States. Their hits include “Vasoline,” “Interstate Love Song” and “Plush,” which won a Grammy in 1993 for best hard rock performance with vocal. Weiland was also in the supergroup Velvet Revolver with Slash and other musicians. The 45 year-old has dealt with drug addiction, run-ins with the law and two failed marriages. He released his memoir, “Not Dead & Not for Sale,” in 2011. The Stone Temple Pilots’ latest album is their self-titled 2010 release.

Lohan’s ex-aid to testify against her

L

Mel C named Mum of the Year

LeAnn Rimes: I won’t encourage my children into fame

L

eAnn Rimes wouldn’t “encourage” her children to enter showbusiness. The 30-year-old singer - who is stepmother to husband Eddie Cibrian’s sons Mason, nine, and Jake, five, who he had with ex-wife Brandi Glanville - insists she will be honest about fame if she was to have children of her own with the ‘CSI’ star as she wouldn’t want them thinking the journey to stardom is a “fairy tale”. She explained: “I’d let [my own child] develop their talent but it’s important to let kids be kids. I wouldn’t encourage them to enter the industry at a young age. “I’d be honest with them about what goes on - it’s not a fairy tale. Wanting to be a superstar is all very well but don’t believe the facade. Especially because it’s getting harder to get into the industry anyway.” LeAnn has been in a bitter

feud with ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star Brandi ever since she married Eddie in 2011, but the blonde beauty - who was married to Dean Sheremet when she struck up a relationship with Eddie - tries to look at the positive outcomes of the situation and is confident of her true talent. She told the Metro newspaper: “It has been an ongoing story for [the US tabloids]. At least I sell magazines for them - I guess that’s the positive - but it’s involved some very wrong information. “Sometimes I comment on it, sometimes I don’t. They’re going to write what they want to write anyway. I just read I bathe in Evian water - some of the stories are so insane. “I try to let it roll off my back but it’s gone on for a long time. I have a talent, I can sing. I don’t earn my money from trying to hurt people.”

M

el C has been named Mum of the Year. The former Spice Girl picked up Tesco’s Celebrity Mum of the Year Award accompanied by her own mother, Joan O’Neill at the awards ceremony at The Savoy Hotel in London on Sunday. The 39-year-old star - who raises four-year-old daughter Scarlet - was “really chuffed” to be awarded the prize alongside five other inspirational women, but admitted she sometimes struggles to successful balance her work life with her parental responsibilities. She stated: “Going to work sometimes is like a little bit of a break.

Nothing is as hard as entertaining children

all day long and taking care of them. “It brings a whole new set of problems with the jigsaw puzzle of childcare and the guilt you feel from being away. “So that’s interesting and it’s something you’re constantly working on, getting the balance right.”

Michelle Heaton, Louis Smith and Denise Van Outen joined Mel at the star-studded event, with Michelle and Louis proudly linking arms with their own mothers on the red carpet. ‘The Only Way Is Essex’s loveable matriarchs Carol Wright and Nanny Pat were also in attendance and were joined by fan favorite co-star Debbie Douglas, who posed with her daughter Lydia Bright.

indsay Lohan’s former assistant has reportedly agreed to give evidence against the star. The troubled actress is facing a series of charges relating to a car accident last June - including resisting, obstruction, providing false information to a police officer and reckless driving - and her former employee Gavin Doyle has agreed to co-operate with prosecutors and confirm Lindsay was behind the wheel when the crash occurred. A source told RadarOnline.com: “Gavin was formally subpoenaed by prosecutors last month. He was the passenger in the Porsche Lindsay was driving when the car accident happened last summer. “Gavin has been cooperating with prosecutors and will testify that Lindsay was driving the car that day. He will tell the truth, because he has nothing to hide. He has been extremely concerned for her health and well-being.” The ‘Liz & Dick’ star - who has rejected a plea deal that would see her avoid jail time in return for a 60day stint in rehab because she doesn’t have an alcohol problem - is expected to be shocked by Gavin’s willingness to help prosecutors but he believes it is in his famous exemployer’s best interests as it will help her “get her life together”. The source added: “Lindsay will likely be stunned at Gavin’s willingness to cooperate with the case against her. Gavin just wants Lindsay to get her life together. If Lindsay doesn’t reach a plea deal in the case, Gavin will testify against her, and he won’t be forced to do it.”

Adele is still ‘thrifty’

T

he 24-year-old singer - who earns around £41,000 a day from sales of her 2011 album ‘21’ - may have splashed out on a £7 million mansion in West Sussex, South England and £800,000 on a home in London’s Notting Hill, but her aunt Anita Adkins insists she hasn’t changed with her new-found wealth. Anita said: “She hasn’t changed with her success, she is who she is. What you see is what you get, the package. “Apart from a few expensive ballgowns, why would she change because she’s earning £41,000 a day.

“She’s quite thrifty with her money, she knows not to throw it around. She’s not a waster, she wasn’t brought up to waste. “She’s got a nice house - course you would have a nice house, that’s the first thing you’d buy. But what’s the difference between her house and mine? Only it’s a bit bigger.” Anita insists Adele - who has six-month-old son Angelo with partner Simon Konecki - is still treated exactly the same as she always was when she visits family and is expected to do her share of the chores. She added in an interview with The Sun newspaper: “She doesn’t get any special treatment, of course not. Why would she?

“There’s plenty of nieces, nephews and grandchildren in this family so no one gets any special treatment, I can tell you. They’re all treated the same. “Adele comes round and she’s still got to go and make her nan a cup of tea.”

Cheryl to buy house with boyfriend

C

heryl Cole is buying a house with boyfriend Tre Holloway. The Girls Aloud singer and her dancer beau - who have been dating since last August - are taking their romance to the next level and have put a bid on a luxurious three-bedroom Beverly Hills mansion to use as a second home. A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “They had contemplated renting but decided it was more sensible to buy. They are both ready for that commitment. Tre has insisted on paying his share and it will be their lovenest. “Cheryl is looking forward to furnishing the pad as soon as the Girls Aloud tour ends.” The lavish property boasts four bathrooms, four reception rooms, a first-floor balcony and a veranda, as well as a garden with a swimming pool and barbecue so the singer and her American man can enjoy the sunny weather whenever she’s over in the US for work. The ‘Call My Name’ hitmaker appears to have finally moved on from her past heartbreak thanks to Tre. The 29-year-old star took to Twitter yesterday (03.03.13) after the news broke her love rate ex-husband Ashley Cole had slept with Playboy model Melissa Howe in the couple’s former marital home in Surrey. She ranted: “I’ve been divorced for years. Stop involving me in stories on my ex-husband. It’s lazy and boring ... Please get over it FFS.” —Bang Showbiz

KT Tunstall is getting divorced

T

he ‘Suddenly I See’ singer has decided to split for good from her musician husband Luke Bullen after four years of marriage following being separated from him for “several months”. The singer’s spokesman Dave Woolf wouldn’t comment on the reason for the split but told The Sun newspaper: “They are now going to proceed with a divorce. I don’t know any more details.” KT, 36, met Luke in 2003 and married the 39-year-old backing musician in a lavish ceremony on the Isle of Skye in north west Scotland in 2008. She previously said that tying the knot helped her stay grounded amidst the craziness of a career in the music business. KT said: “I’m glad he’s there to keep me on the straight and narrow when we’re on the road. You can’t be a mess in front of the person you love.

“Being married has been brilliant. It’s been hugely liberating. You can waste a lot of energy wondering whether you’re with the right person. Once you get married, that disappears.” The Scottish songstress shot to fame in 2004 with her debut album, ‘Eye to the Telescope’ which featured the hit single ‘Other Side of the World’. The album eventually sold four million copies around the world and was certified platinum in the UK and US.

37

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Miss Universe Japan

Rasasi salutes mother’s love with a unique gift collection

Newly selected 25-year-old Miss Universe Japan Yukimi Matsuo delivers her winning speech during the 2013 Miss Universe Japan beauty pageant in Tokyo yesterday. Matsuo will participate in the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant.—AFP

Newly selected Miss Universe Japan, Yukimi Matsuo, 25, smiles during the photo session.

2013 Mr Japan Takayuki Suzuki poses during the photo session of the first Mr Japan contest held as part of the 2013 Miss Universe Japan beauty pageant. —AFP

Finalists of the pageant dance during the 2013 Miss Universe Japan beauty pageant.

M

others are something very special for everyone! She is a unique person in our lives; she has inspired us, she has loved us and she has made us what we are today. Love, compassion, tenderness and more importantly sacrifice are traits that embody motherhood.

So what kind of gift would be appropriate to celebrate and salute a mother’s selfless love and sacrifice, all through her life. Rasasi Perfumes - one of the leading names in the regional retail landscape offering a wide range of fragrances - yesterday announced a unique collection of perfumes to celebrate the love of mothers on her special day.

The Rasasi special gift collection for Mother’s Day celebrates all the traits of motherhood - from elegance to royalty. Among the Rasasi perfumes for the occasion are Attar Al-Thameen and Tagreed with Abeer coming complimentary; Insherah Gold and Insherah Silver with Maa Arwaak complimentary; and Ashar Women and Folklory Al-Ward (Pink) coming with a complimentary Feelings range for mothers.

Salim Kalsekar, Managing

A

his recent mythological fantasy “The Oath of the Vayuputras”-the final book of his last trilogy —- fly off the shelves within a day of its release last week, local media reported. Other acclaimed Indian writers, such as Vikram Seth and Amitav Ghosh, have garnered bigger advances in the past but their deals have included rights for countries such as Britain and the United States. “The advance we have paid is the largest by an Indian publisher for South Asian rights alone,” Padmanabhan said. Padmanabhan said the deal has given Westland, part of the tea-to-steel Tata conglomerate, and access to Tripathi’s “pool of various plot ideas”.

Rasasi also unravels a Mother’s Day special collection of Insherah Gold - an expression of pure joy and undiluted, untouched love perfectly suited for mothers, and Insherah Silver, another exotic joyful expression of love for mothers.

This comes with a complimentary Maa Arwaak, a delicate oriental perfume that captures the love and magic of Arabia and offering a soothing experience for mothers.

In another unique gift hamper this Mother’s Day, Rasasi Perfumes unravels Ashaar for women - a captivating and classic perfume that extends an understated sense of luxury and pride, making the mother’s feel like a star, coupled with the Folklory Al-Ward (Pink) a unique range that gives that feeling of pride and perfect adornment for mothers on her special day. This, with the complimentary Feelings - an exciting epitome of compassion and tenderness, makes this collection the perfect ensemble for mothers, making the gift truly memorable.

The Mother’s Day Collection, a gift hamper to make mothers feel special, exclusive and important, is available across all Rasasi showrooms across the region.

Celebrate music with ‘American Idol’ and ‘GLEE’ exclusively on OSN DUBAI: On Friday, March 8th, prepare for an evening of music exclusively on OSN First HD/OSN First that kicks off with a special 90-minute episode of American Idol (8 PM KSA) when America’s votes are tallied and the Season 12 finalists are revealed. Then, in a special extended prime, GLEE (7 PM KSA) takes center stage and celebrates “Animal House”-style, when the members of New Directions perform the classic R&B hit “Shout,” marking the hit series’ 500th musical performance.

In the super-sized 90-minute episode of American Idol, America’s votes will be announced and fans will finally find out who will advance to the finals and who will go home. Don’t miss the reactions of judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Randy Jackson and Keith Urban, along with host Ryan Seacrest, when the results are revealed LIVE from Los Angeles.

In the “Girls (And Boys) on Film” episode of GLEE, the glee club’s latest assignment is to choose a song from a movie and the members of New Directions sing the hit series’ landmark 500th musical performance with their rendition of the “Animal House” anthem “Shout.” Meanwhile in New York, Santana (Naya Rivera) makes herself at home in the loft a little too quickly for Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt’s (Chris Colfer) comfort. Tune in to OSN First HD/OSN First on Friday, March 8th and watch it First as OSN screens all the action exclusively and at the same time as the US.

India writer wins record $1m advance for SAsia rights best-selling Indian author has won a $1 million advance for the South Asian rights to a new trilogy, the biggest such deal ever struck, his publishers said yesterday. India’s Westland Press has paid 50 million rupees to Amish Tripathi, a bankerturned-writer, as an advance for the South Asian rights to his next series of three books. “The offer was made on the basis of not only the past sales record but also in our belief in Tripathi as a writer and his ability to deliver another blockbuster trilogy,” Gautam Padmanabhan, chief executive of Westland, told AFP. Tripathi saw half a million copies of

Director, UAE & GCC region at Rasasi Perfumes, said: “Much like a mother’s love, which is a lifelong commitment to selflessness something that requires much more giving than receiving, Rasasi has always believed in spreading its charm and fragrance all around.

We at Rasasi have designed different fragrance classifications for Mother’s Day - from flowery to citrus to fruity and spicy, each for different tastes and preferences. For the Mothers, who have always wanted the best for us, Rasasi gives you a chance to say thank you.”

Attar Al-Thameen is an exclusive oriental exotic eau de parfum spray - a distinct range that reflects gentleness, serenity and purity of mind. Attar Al-Thameen comes with a unique combination with Tagreed, a niche oriental perfume that provides a unique combination of notes as well as looks and maintains the freshness for a long time. This Mother’s Day, the duo is offered with a complimentary Abeer collection, which symbolizes the essence of the noble Arabian tradition and dedicated to mature ladies who find their inspiration in rich oriental fragrances.

Tripathi’s trilogy is based on the premise that the Hindu gods were not mythical beings but creatures of flesh and blood. It has notched up gross retail sales of $4 million since the first book was published in 2010. The deal was welcomed by the publishing industry in a country which has increasingly become a lucrative market for English-language books. “The success of his books is empowering for other Indian authors. They need to create their own success story and the deals will follow,” Shobit Arya, founder of Wisdom Tree, another publishing house, told AFP. “Even for Tripathi, money followed success, and not the

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Givenchy, Kenzo, Chloe get tough, Celine delights T

here was a toughness in the air on the Paris catwalks Sunday. But it wasn’t just in the black or the more grown-up styles that continued to dominate fall-winter shows. Even designer Clare Waight Keller of normally gamine

Chloe felt it. Calling the mood “attitudy,” she used aggression on London night buses as the muse for a show that featured rings in ears and big metallic zippers. The attitude continued in the severity of John Galliano’s knife pleats and leather

Celine

straps; while, Kenzo’s temple guard sleeves and wrap fastenings added a ferocity that the designers compared to “ancient Asian warriors.”

In the last show of the day, Givenchy ’s Riccardo Tisci - continued his signature exploration of dark gothic elements, following on from a combatorial menswear show. But this womenswear season, the floral-themed show came with an unusual metaphor: Can the clothes we wear in fact protect us?

CELINE

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fter last season’s slouchy-chic, Celine’s Phoebe Philo upped the elegance to deliver a beautiful play of lines, but one that lost none of her soft touch. For those with a penchant for loose, structured geometry the show had plenty to offer: wide horizontal bands of fabric, streamlined plunging lapels and triangular wide sleeves. Relaxed was the word - like a series of clever, knee length sleeveless dresses, with belt-like faux sleeves wrapped around the torso. The arms were folded in dishabille resignation, as if to say: I know I’m stylish, but I don’t need to prove it. Philo has a quick eye for trends that are always handled in her own distinct way. This season’s fashion for blown-up checks, for instance, came as the multicolored canvass on beach mats. The collection shows the influential London designer at the top of her game.

GIVENCHY

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isci unzipped, exposed and unfurled depths and transparencies in the Givenchy collection - which was as original, as it was thought-provoking. Just like the opening flowers that graced tops, frilly boho skirts and jackets as graphic prints, Tisci experimented with unfurled layers in clothing using zippers. They came on bombers and on pencil skirts in gothic black.

Sometimes separate half zippered tops were wrapped around the midriff, with a lapel hanging down limply, like a petal on a half open bloom. As the collection progressed, see-through organzas with floral detailing, made the backs of skirts visible through the front. It evoked a petal’s translucent fragility. The other side of the coin, strength and protection, came in voluminous layer ensembles that completely hid the natural body shape. This collection’s only downside was an occasional overkill of frills, graphic prints, zippers and leathers which made the silhouette hard to discern. Some sublime rounded-shoulder fur coats were some of the fall-winter show’s best looks. In this context, fur both natural skin and protection added beautifully to Tisci’s floral metaphor.

GIVENCHY

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

lifestyle F A S H I O N

CHLOE

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hloe makes ready-to-wear that’s ready to wear and doesn’t pretend otherwise. This honest attitude was on full display in Clare Waight Keller’s collection of 41 highly wearable looks. If the ensembles seemed disparate, it’s because a cohesive “concept” is perhaps not needed when much is said in the quality of each individual, saleable garment. There were some neat ideas in blue and neutral black, white and gray. A multicolored thick-striped silk dress had a geeky, graphic look. Elsewhere, a gray jumpsuit played on the shape of overalls with long straps and deep-scooped collars. There were rings in the model’s ears, shiny zippers and buttons - what the designer called “hardware elements.” But then - to end the show - two diaphanous skirts, in billowing black and white tulle, looked anything but hard.

JOHN GALLIANO

D

Chloe

Spanish fashion retailer apologizes for ‘slave style’ necklace

raping and geometry peppered Bill Gayten’s show for John Galliano, delivered on-trend in a dark winter palette including plum, black and shots of white. “A strong woman with a disciplined silhouette,” the muse as per the program notes, saw the idea of severity evoked in leather straps around waists and some stiff paneling. For instance, the show’s opener in deep blue, a structured jacket, mid length skirt and pants, sported a strong look with jagged tectonic knife pleats. Halfway through, however, the teal series featured some rather clumsy shapes; and the creative message was elusive on several white ensembles with rather unflattering speckled prints. But Gayten saved the best until last, with a series of fantastic column silhouettes that plunged down in shredded silk or in draping. —AP

S

panish fashion retailer Mango yesterday apologized on Twitter for a necklace advertised on its website as “slave style”, blaming a translation error. “We regret the translation error. The relevant services have been alerted and will make the correction immediately,” the company said on its official Twitter account. The gold chain with the offending caption was priced at 24.99 euros ($32). An online petition organized by French actresses Aissa Maiga and Sonia Rolland and columnist Rokkaya Diallo, entitled “Slavery is not fashion”, had yesterday attracted 1,604 signatures.

“This jewellery is meant to make an object of fantasy and fashion out of slavery,” they said in the petition addressed to Mango’s public relations department.

“Mango is trivializing tragedies... that still today have an impact on millions of human beings across the world,” they added. The caption in French read “collier (necklace) style esclave”. However, in Spanish “esclava”, means a simple bangle or bracelet and does not have negative connotations. — AFP

The one certainty about next pope? He’ll wear Gammarelli

N

obody knows what the measurements of the next pope will be so Gammarelli-tailors to the papacy since the 18th century-have produced vestments in small, medium and large just in case. “We have prepared three vestments in white wool, a stole, red loafers, a skullcap, as well as a red velvet cape with a white fur border since it’s winter,” Lorenzo Gammarelli told AFP at the store in Rome. The job presents some very particular challenges. “We can always adapt the vestments and the skullcap doesn’t change but it’s tricky with the loafers. The next pope cannot wear shoes that are not his size so we will offer all sizes,” he said.

It’s a delicate mission that Gammarelli’s expert tailors have been long accustomed to-as shown by the framed images of all the popes they have worked for on the walls of the old-worldy shop.

Proudly displayed in the store on a side street near the Pantheon in central Rome are also certificates that say the tailor is an official supplier to the Vatican. “The fabric for the cassocks is pure wool. There is no special wool for the Holy Father.

It’s the usual fabric that we use for all our clients who want to wear white,” Gammarelli said.

The shop appears like it has been unchanged for decades-from the old wooden counter to the stacks of rolls of fabric accessed by shopkeepers on wooden ladders. A little spiral staircase leads

Vestments for the new Pope to be elected are displayed in the window of Italian ecclesiastical tailor Gammarelli yesterday in Rome.—AFP photos

Dressmakers look from a window as vestments for the new Pope to be elected are displayed in the window of Italian ecclesiastical tailor Gammarelli.

up to the shop’s holy of holies-a workshop on the first floor where ordinary mortals are not allowed to go. Gammarelli explained that between three and five tailors have worked on the papal vestments this time around-working in record time after Benedict XVI made the shock announcement on February 11 that he would step down. “The conclave is an exceptional time,” he said. “This time around it is even more so since we were not expecting at all. The resignation of the Holy Father really took us by surprise,” he said.

Benedict XVI, who now goes under the title of “pope emeritus”, stepped down as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics last Thursday. “To be honest, when I first heard it, I couldn’t believe it. It seemed absurd,” Gammarelli said. But the tailor did not add more on his views-a certain discretion is part and parcel of the job.

Asked how the delivery to the Vatican is made or who will put the finishing touches to the papal robes, Gammarelli offered only an enigmatic smile. The conclave to elect popes is held in strictest secrecy in the Sistine Chapel. No date has been set but it is expected in the first half of March.

There is just one certainty: when the next pope emerges in front of the crowds in St Peter’s and with millions around the world watching, he will be dressed head to toe in Gammarelli. — AFP

The one certainty about next pope?

Heíll wear Gammarelli

39

TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013

A Kuwaiti girl poses with a fan displaying the colors of the national flag during celebrations marking the Gulf state’s 52nd Independence Day and the 22nd anniversary of the end of the Gulf war with the liberation ofKuwait from Iraqi occupation, in Kuwait City on February 28, 2012.—AFP

for Singapore’s pampered pets

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he guests lean over the side of the boat to catch the morning breeze as their catamaran eases off from a jetty in Singapore. A typical cruise, except for the fact that the passengers are dogs.

“Actually, this is their third cruise,” said Andy Pe, 43, the doting owner of two Black Labrador Retrievers, a Yellow Labrador, a Golden Retriever and two mongrels. “They enjoy the sea breeze and water so much.” From boat cruises and spas to their own obituary section in the leading newspaper, pets are pampered in a big way in Singapore, a city-state with one of Asia’s highest standards of living.

Boat owner Joe Howe, 48, started the Pet Cruise company last July. His 26-foot (7.8-metre) motor catamaran, which comes with a swimming deck, has a fullystocked cleaning station and life jackets for dogs. On weekends, a basic cruise lasting two hours costs Sg$40 ($32) per guest human or pet-or Sg$400 to book the entire boat. Howe, a retired broker who now leads an average of two cruises every week, has even had people bring pet tortoises on board. “Young couples are having pets before they have children, it’s a stand-in, and at times even a replacement (for kids),” Howe said.

Owners concur. “They are very much like my kids because I’m single and I have some time on my hands,” said Pe as the vessel made its way to Seletar island, where his dogs went for a splash in the sea. According to official data, there were 57,000 registered dogs in 2012 in Singapore. A densely populated island of 5.3 million people, the majority of its inhabitants live in high-rise apartment blocks with little room for dogs to run.

There are more than 250 licensed pet shops in the city-state, many of them operating in shopping malls, offering everything from hamsters priced at Sg$10 to pure breed dogs costing thousands.

Marcus Khoo, the executive director of Petopia, a shop which offers dog grooming services as well as board and lodging, said owners are willing to pay a premium for their pets’ well-being.

The shop’s modern interior has a wall of doggy collars and glass panels through which owners keep an eye on pets undergoing various treatments. “People now understand that quality canine lifestyle is not just a roof over their heads and food,” Khoo told AFP. These services offering the best in canine comfort don’t come cheap.

A 20-minute microbubble bath treatment for an odour-free coat can cost anywhere between Sg$64 to Sg$119, depending on the breed and size of the dog. Dog yogaor Doga-is also catching on in Singapore after becoming popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“Pets are left at home for hours, so Doga is a way for owners and dogs to bond,” said Rosalind Ow, 42, the owner of Super Cuddles Clubhouse, which started offering Doga classes last August. Luxury options extend to the departed. Owners can publish tributes to their deceased pets in the classified ads section of the city-state’s leading daily The Straits Times on Sundays. At the suburban Pets Cremation Center, niches can be rented at a columbarium after the funeral services.

“Most owners treat their pets as part of their family. (A pet’s passing) is a very sensitive issue. When that happens, a pet that usually sleeps with them is suddenly

Andy Pe feeding his dogs on a boat tour.

gone from their lives,” said the firm’s owner Patrick Lim, 60. A simple cremation for a dog costs anywhere from Sg$150 to Sg$500, depending on its size. Owners can opt for express cremation-extra charges apply, of course-and then pay Sg$300 to place an urn in the columbarium for one year, after which the rent falls to Sg$180 annually. That excludes a yearly “maintenance fee” of Sg$180 for the upkeep of the premises.

But there is a darker side to the growing fondness for pets in Singapore-some of the animals end up being dumped after the novelty wears off and the reality of long-term caring sets in. Abandoned dogs and cats, even guinea pigs, await adoption in steel enclosures at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals (SPCA), which takes in up to 600 unwanted or abandoned animals each month. “A lot of people wouldn’t bat an eyelid on spending several thousand dollars on a dog. The litmus test is whether the dog stays with them for the rest of its life or not,” said the SPCA’s executive director Corinne Fong. “Society at large is not quite there yet,” she added.—AFP

Japanese pet stylist grooming an English Cocker Spaniel .—AFP photos

Daphne Teo feeding dogs on a boat tour in Singapore.

Photo shows Petopia’s Japanese pet stylist grooming an English Cocker Spaniel in Singapore.

Pet owner Andy Pe walking his dogs before a boat tour in Singapore.