6 Mar 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

RABI ALTHANI 24, 1434 AH

www.kuwaittimes.net

Fiery Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez dies at 58

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

‘El Comandante’ succumbs to two-year battle with cancer conspiracy theories

Khalas red tape!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

S

ince the honourable gentlemen in parliament agreed to postpone the grilling season, be it for the good or bad for Kuwait, they now have a lot of time to look into other matters which concern and affect our lives. As ordinary citizens we will thank the honorable gentlemen to help reorganize many rules and procedures in various ministries.

Apropos, many of the rules are Stone Age-archaic and need a serious revision.

However, such mundane problems might not interest them as they are not related to any mega projects of the likes of Dow Chemical and Silk City or the construction of giant stadiums and hospitals etc, etc. This is understandable because there is so much interest in these mega projects. There are handsome amounts of money and purchases involved. But for us, the simple citizens, we are not bothered by who wins the tenders and how much he puts in his account. It is common knowledge that there is a cartel that handles such big issues.

Gentlemen, solve for us those things which concern us, such as licenses. Recently I heard two very frightening stories. The first victim, a young girl in her 20s, went for a hair removal treatment with laser in a good clinic in Kuwait. She left with legs like a zebra that were permanently damaged because the laser-handler who was doing the procedure had only a crash course on how to use the laser machine.

The laser attendant was not a dermatologist or a doctor and didn’t know that darker skin or suntanned skin reacts differently to the laser strength.

So, she burnt the girl’s legs and her zebra tattoo will be permanent now.

The second victim was a lady who found an electrician advertising his services in a local newspaper.

After she almost got electrocuted because of the wrong wiring in the socket, she found out the man took the job of an electrician as a hobby. He was self-taught too. Who checks and licenses people who offer their services online? Who licenses garages, bakeries, butcheries and so many other places that directly affect our lives? Who licenses and checks those people who advertise various services online?

Could also the honorable gentlemen look at the old rules at the ministry of commerce and update them to modernize the legislation a bit. Updating means reacting to the new business environment of which online takes up a big part. If they do that, they will make our life easier. Why do we need all the bureaucracy to establish a business? Why do we have to run around for one month and collect hundreds of stamps in order to get just one thing done.

Why do we need many stamps on a single paper if we simply lack the knowhow?

I think we should then ask the neighbours.

This file picture shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez saluting the crowd during a military parade to commemorate the sixth anniversary of his return to power after a failed coup d’etat on April 2002, at Fort Tiuna in Caracas on April 12, 2008. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez passed away yesterday in Caracas after a long fight with cancer, Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced. — AFP

Max 25º Min 15º High Tide 07:01 & 17:16 Low Tide 00:12 & 11:42

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer yesterday, silencing the leading voice of the Latin American left and plunging his divided oilrich nation into an uncertain future. “We have received the toughest and tragic information that... comandante President Hugo Chavez died today at 4:25 pm,” a tearful Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced on television, directly from a Caracas military hospital. “Long live Chavez,” the officials surrounding him shouted.

Chavez, who was 58, had been checked into the hospital on Feb 18 to continue chemotherapy after two months in Cuba, where in December he had undergone his fourth round of cancer surgery since June 2011. After 14 years under the charismatic former paratrooper, Venezuelans now face the prospect of snap elections, with Maduro handpicked to succeed him. The once ubiquitous symbol of Latin America’s “anti-imperialist” left had disappeared from public view after flown to Cuba on Dec 10, an unusual absence that fueled rumors about his health.

He has only been seen in a few photos released last month, which showed him in his Havana hospital bed, smiling with his two daughters at his side. The government had sent mixed signals about the president’s health for weeks, warning one day that he was battling for his life, yet insisting as recently as last weekend that Chavez was still in charge and giving orders. But the opposition repeatedly accused the government of lying about the president’s condition.

“El Comandante”, as Chavez was known, will be mourned by many of the country’s poor, who revered the self-styled revolutionary for using the country’s oil riches to fund popular housing, health, food and education programs. And like-minded Latin American leaders like Cuba’s Raul Castro, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa and Bolivia’s Evo Morales have lost a close friend who used his diplomatic muscle and cheap oil to shore up their rule.

Chavez died five months after winning an October election, overcoming a resurgent opposition and public frustration over a rising murder rate, regular blackouts and soaring inflation. He missed his swearing-in for a new sixyear term on Jan 10, but the Supreme Court approved an indefinite delay. Under Venezuela’s constitution an election must be held within 30 days of the president’s death.

Continued on Page 12

Kuwait to slash subsidies for expats Govt plans to extend subsidy cuts to citizens later

Assembly delays grillings of oil, finance ministers

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday comfortably postponed the debate of the grilling of Oil Minister Hani Hussein for four months but needed some last-minute work to do the same for Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali. The postponements came two weeks after the Assembly agreed to a government request to delay grillings against the ministers of communications and interior until the next Assembly term starting late October and after several MPs protested that it might be unconstitutional to delay grillings indefinitely. Thirtynine MPs approved the postponement for the oil minister, 19 opposed while four lawmakers abstained.

But the finance minister narrowly escaped from being grilled yesterday after only 32 MPs voted in favour of the

delay, just one vote short of the required number of 33 votes. While Speaker Ali Al-Rashed was calculating the outcome of the voting and was ready to announce the result, deputy speaker Mubarak Al-Khrainej entered the chamber and voted in favour of the postponement, thus completing the required legal number.

But a number of MPs protested against allowing Khrainej to cast his vote after voting had finished.

Rashed then adjourned the session. When he came back, he said his legal advisers gave two conflicting views one saying Khrainej’s participation was legal and the other insisting it was illegal. As a result, Rashed asked MPs to vote on the issue on whether to count Khrainej’s vote or not and the Assembly agreed to count it, delaying the finance minister’s grilling.

Continued on Page 2

KUWAIT: The government is studying a mechanism to reduce subsidization of products and services available to expatriates before carrying out similar steps for citizens as the state looks to organize expenses in the state’s budget, Al-Jarida daily reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the subject.

Most of the governmental subsidization that foreigners in Kuwait benefit from pertain with electricity and water services, in addition to gasoline. “The mechanism is based on finding new ways to change the pricing of services available to citizens and expatriates so that the government can obtain the fees accordingly,” the sources said.

They explained that the state plans to study “similar experiences followed by other Gulf states” to apply them in Kuwait.

The issue is currently being studied by government committees “that are also assigned to set plans for reducing subsidies for Kuwaitis after the end of the first step”, said the sources who did not provide a timetable for when a reduction in subsidization is expected to be approved.

The state’s budget for the fiscal year 2012/2013 lists the total government subsidization for consumer services at KD 6.3 billion, KD 3.1 billion of which goes towards electricity and KD 1.1 billion for fuel.

in the

news

Alwalid accuses Forbes of undervaluing fortune DUBAI: Saudi tycoon Prince Alwalid bin Talal has severed his ties with Forbes magazine’s annual billionaires’ list, which he accused of undervaluing his fortune, his office said yesterday. In its 2013 list published on Monday, Forbes ranked Alwalid 26th in the world with a fortune it estimated at $20 billion. The prince’s office and his Kingdom Holding investment group “have ended their long-standing relationship with the Forbes Billionaires List,” a statement said.The statement accused Forbes of “intentional biases and inconsistencies” in its valuation process over the past six years as it refused to accept share values as listed by the kingdom’s stock exchange, Tadawul. Forbes team has considered “rumors that stock manipulation ‘is the national sport’ in Saudi Arabia because ‘there are no casinos’” in the kingdom during their valuation process, it said. (See Page 22)

Saudi Arabia delays execution of 7 men

Tehran rejects Gulf ‘interference’ claims

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has granted a last-minute stay of execution to seven men who were due to die yesterday for their part in an armed robbery committed when most of them were juveniles, relatives and family friends said. The seven were sentenced to death in 2009 for robbing a jewellery store in the southern province of Asir in 2006, but Amnesty International quoted the men as saying they were tortured into confessing. Mohammed Al-Rabhan, a family friend of some of the convicts, said King Abdullah’s eldest son Prince Miteb, who commands the Saudi Arabian National Guard, yesterday ordered a one-month stay of execution while the royal court looked into a request for a retrial. Friends and family members said news of the prince’s order came soon after the governor of Asir Faisal bin Khaled Al-Saud province ordered a 10-day delay to the execution, originally scheduled for 9 am yesterday.

TEHRAN: Iran rejected yesterday claims by the Gulf Cooperation Council that it is interfering in the grouping’s internal affairs, insisting that Tehran stays away from domestic issues of other countries. “Iran’s intervention in Bahrain’s affairs is a claim contrary to reality and it is made in order to escape from the real problems and will bear no results,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly press conference. “We have not, are not, will not interfere in the domestic issues of any country.” Bahrain, one of the six Arab monarchies making up the GCC, at the weekend urged the council to stand united against Iran’s “interference”. Bahrain in February accused Iran of having formed a “terrorist cell” to foster violence in the kingdom. Mehmanparast said Bahrain should listen to its own people. He urged Bahrain “to seek correct solutions for its problems - which is listening to the legitimate demands of their own people instead of taking military and security action.”

OSAKA: The world’s oldest woman Misao Okawa celebrates her 115th birthday at the Kurenai nursing home yesterday with her favourite mackerel sushi dish on the menu. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LOCAL

News

in brief

Cold weather forecast KUWAIT: Weather forecast expert Essa Ramadan predicted that temperature will fall suddenly starting today.

Ramadan said noticeable warmth as a result of an increase in temperature was seen in the state during the last two days but will not continue effective today. There will be more cloudy weather and north western winds may heighten chances of rain with a concomitant drop in mercury. Cold wind speed will increase relatively, accompanied with sand storm and temperature will continue to be low for several days. On Thursday, it will drop to 8-10 degrees.

Weather will continue to be cold till Saturday. Thereafter, temperature will start rising and a warm climate will prevail once again starting beginning of next week. He concluded that this was a rather unstable month as far as weather conditions went.

Undersecretary investigation KUWAIT: The secretary of the committee investigating Jaber Bridge and Al-Zour Power Station, MP Yacoub AlGanie, said that the panel will hold two meetings on Sunday and Monday to hear the testimony of municipal council member Ashwaq Al-Mudhaf on the issue. Apart from calling representatives of Audit Bureau in respect of Al-Zour Power Station, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works will also attend the two meetings. He added that the committee will confront the Undersecretary about what has been said in the investigation committee formed by the previous council, now scrapped, and the related documents and affidavits received by the committee from the MPs who have reservations about the two projects.

KUWAIT: KUNA is taking part in the Kuwaiti embassy in Riyadh’s national celebrations with a pavilion of photos, which reflects strong relations between the two neighboring countries. Kuwait’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Thamer Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, took a tour in KUNA’s section in the pavilion which includes the agency’s publications. The ambassador was accompanied by several local figures and officials, including Governor of Riyadh, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz. The celebration was attended by a delegation from KUNA, headed by KUNA Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij AlIbrahim Al-Sabah. — KUNA

MEW to replace meters KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water is planning to replace 24238 old electricity and water meters which were installed in 1996 and were not replaced even once.

Sources said new meters would be installed to ensure accurate calculation of electricity and water consumption and prevent any leakages of revenue. Sources said that the new meters will be linked to an automated system in the Consumers Affairs department of the ministry which will help the ministry in determining the exact amount due to the ministry. This can then be settled through the new payment system without requiring a visit to the ministry.

‘A positive message from parliament’ KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah said that Kuwait’s executive and legislative branches of politics were together working “in the best interests” of the country after the parliament earlier approved a four-month delay of a minister grilling session. Speaking to reporters immediately after attending a parliamentary session, he described the approval to postpone the grilling of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali as “a message from the National Assembly that it is keen on accomplishment and development.” It also highlights the parliament’s keenness “on not busying itself with grilling motions that take too much of its time - I think the message is a clear one,” he added. In response to a question regarding plans to drop the interests of loans for Kuwaitis, he said that the matter was currently in the hands of the parliament’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, calling to wait for the committee’s verdict and that in any case “we will be working in the best interests of the Kuwaiti people”.

National Assembly voted yesterday in favour of delaying for four months the grilling of Oil Minister Hani Hussein upon

the minister’s request. The approval came after a majority of 39 out of 62 lawmakers passed the verdict for the grilling, sanctioned by MPs Saadoun Hammad and Nawaf Al-Fuzai in a regular session.

Speaking to the parliament the minister said “We ensure and have no qualms with the constitutional right as it is one of the parliament’s most important tools of scrutiny of the government’s affairs.”

By this, he said “ministerial responsibility in the government’s administration of the country’s affairs is revealed - within efforts taken in the best public interests.”

“The constitution has been enveloped in a fence of assurances and procedures that prevent its misuse - some these assurances require lawmakers to conform to legal and constitutional regulations regarding grilling while recognizing the rights of the other, which is of no less importance than the right of lawmakers in their scrutiny,” he added.

He also noted that the timing of these grilling should be taken into account, in that they should accommodate the right of the minister, allowing the minister in question ample time to prepare for such an endeavour and correcting whatever errors their ministry could be affected with. —KUNA

Stage set for GCC traffic week KUWAIT: The Society Growth Center working under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor organized a lecture by Lt Col Othman Mohammad Ghareeb about traffic in Abdullah Al-Mubarak area. Lt. Col Othman underlined the importance of the GCC unified

Lt Col Othman Mohammad Ghareeb

traffic week for the safety of road users. He said it was crucial to abide by traffic rules and regulations to ensure the safety of the road users.

He said information placards, traffic signs and road markings were meant to be respected and implemented for the protection of road users, and emphasized the dangers arising from crossing red traffic signals that can lead to deadly accidents.

Lt Col Othman pointed to the dangers that use of mobile while driving poses and said many accidents happen because of such practice. He said apart from being a traffic violation, over speeding endangers the life of the driver as well as other road users. He explained that traffic department would continue to check all traffic violators.

He said that security media has prepared several informative campaigns concerning traffic. He said the slogan of the unified GCC traffic this year was “Our Aim is Your Safety.” At the end of the lecture, Lt Col Othman AlGhareeb was given a memorial shield.

Assembly delays grillings of oil...

Continued from Page 1 The two MPs who filed to grill the oil minister Saadoun Hammad and Nawaf Al-Fuzai strongly rejected attempts to delay the debate of the grilling, saying it contained issues that cannot wait. The grilling is based on allegations that the minister is responsible for the huge fine Kuwait must pay to US giant Dow Chemical, allegations of a partnership with an Israeli company, in addition to alleged financial and administrative violations.

Hammad charged that what he had warned of happened regarding the Dow issue as the International Arbitration Court raised the compensation to Dow Chemical from the original $2.16 billion to $2.48 billion, after adding $318 million in costs and interest. He said that Kuwait is paying a daily interest of $250,000 to the penalty until it pays the com-

pensation. The Arbitration Court had ordered Kuwait to pay the compensation in May last year, almost four years after the Cabinet scrapped the $17.4 billion joint venture between Kuwait’s Petrochemicals Industries Co (PIC) and Dow Chemical.

Regarding the Israeli partnership, Hammad charged that Kuwait Petroleum International, which has huge holdings in Europe, has become a partner with an Israeli company in an energy investment in Europe after the original shareholder sold its stake to the Israeli company. Hammad claimed Kuwait knew of the change but did nothing to leave the investment. The lawmaker warned that a number of suspected violations are taking place in several overseas oil projects Kuwait is taking part in and he mentioned the oil complex in Vietnam where Kuwait is at risk of paying a fine worth $3 billion.

Praise for women’s role in rights advocacy WCSS celebrates 50th anniversary

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Women Cultural and Social Society (WCSS) celebrated its 50th anniversary yesterday at the Al- Raya Ballroom. This event showcased the women’s role in rights advocacy that has completely changed Kuwait’s political spectrum over the years, and recognized the charitable work that Kuwaiti women did in cultural, political and social domains in the last five decades.

The event marking the golden anniversary of the forum was held under the patronage of HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, and was attended by leading women activists across the globe. The event also included various lectures and workshops related to women issues and role of NGOs in the advancement of society. The celebration also included an artistic show of sand painting by Arab origin artist Diana Rosa from Spain who depicted Kuwaiti women’s accomplishments.

Ever since its establishment in 1963, WCSS has strived towards empowering women in Kuwait and stands as a torchbearer in defending equal political rights for women as per Kuwait’s constitution which guarantees gender equality. Since its inception, WCSS has raised awareness among women in Kuwait about their fundamental rights, aiding them in their quest to realize their full potential and make their mark through influential roles within the country and beyond. In the 1970s, WCSS assumed a more focused role in striving for Kuwaiti women’s political rights by holding conferences and seminars, and organizing demonstrations for political rights until the objective was achieved in 2005.

Thereafter, WCSS started the “Raise Your Voice” campaign encouraging women to run for parliament and participate in the political circuit, and provided several training sessions to achieve that.

In the last five decades, WCSS also played a vital and influential role in the political and cultural arenas in Kuwait and around the world. It included charitable work to help the hearing impaired in Kuwait and war victims regionally and internationally, educating women about their political rights and encouraging them to pursue careers, fostering and caring for Kuwaiti children, aiding those with special needs, supporting youth activities, and establishing a successful physical education program in Kuwait.

WCSS played a vital role in philanthropy, helping the less fortunate in Kuwait by establishing the “Zakat Committee” and organizing several charity campaigns and exhibitions for

Speakers at the forum

needy people in Kuwait, as well as in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. It also held similar events for the victims of war, natural disaster and hunger worldwide. As an example, during the late 1960s and early 1970s, WCSS supported the Palestinian cause, setting up the “Kuwaitis for Jerusalem” commit-

established in Kuwait by the first batch of graduate women with an objective to defend women’s cultural, intellectual, economical and political rights in Kuwait. Since its establishment, it has worked to raise women’s awareness about their political and social rights, and has encouraged the Kuwaiti com-

KUWAIT: WCSS members Lulwa Al-Mulla, Shaikha Al-Nusf, Lulwa Al-Qatami and Fayza Al-Awadhi with their guests. tee in collaboration with the Kuwait Graduates Society, as well as “Jasmine’s Call” last month to help victims in Syria.

The Women Cultural and Social Society Chairperson, Sheikha Al-Nusf, said: “We celebrate today 50 years of giving and hard-work for the benefit of local and international communities. WCSS’ story is like that of a growing plant watered by its belief in God, our nation, human rights, and women’s rights in particular. These beliefs enabled us to grow to emerge as a healthy tree able to provide comfort to the needy. We remain strong today in our commitment and a sense of belonging to Kuwait. We continue to work in fields of education, health, human and women’s rights in Kuwait and beyond in the region and the world.”

On her part, Lulwa Al-Qatami, President of WCSS noted that the Society has become today a leading civil organization and a window to Kuwaiti women’s faith in doing good for their communities, overcome barriers and obstacles in doing so. “What started as a dream has become a long-term and international reality, thanks to the efforts of ambitious women in Kuwait. These women were driven by their love for their country, by the goal of development. Hope is their weapon, as is the ability to see light at the end of the tunnel,” she pointed out.

WCSS was the first NGO society to be

munity as a whole to recognize these rights.

In 2004, the efforts made by WCSS for the benefit of Kuwaiti women and the society were recognized when WCSS gained the status of a consultant in the Economical and Social Council in the United Nations.

The event concluded with members of WCSS-established “Al Bustan Nursery” for hearing impairment who took the platform to thank the Society and its members for the help they provided by chanting “Thank you. If it weren’t for WCSS, we wouldn’t have been able to say it.”

“Al-Bustan Nursery” opened its doors in 1974, and the idea stemmed from the need of Kuwaiti women who joined the workforce which prompted the Society to respond to their need for a secure and safe place for their children. With the mounting demand and the success of this nursery, the Society expanded by opening two more branches in Al-Sawaber and Al-Shuwaikh areas, which had to be closed down during the 1990 invasion.

As part of its golden anniversary celebrations this week, WCSS is hosting 25 activists from 14 countries. These activists are known for their influential roles in cultural, political, human and women’s right domains in countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Palestine, and Libya.

Some of the WCSS guests

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LOCAL

James Baker

Andrew M. Baker

KUWAIT: Some of the attendees during the signing ceremony. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

James Baker law firm inks strategic alliance with ILG Dr Rashid Al-Anezi

‘Very strong and productive’

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: James Baker, the former US State Department Secretary and the man behind the success of a coalition of nations to repel Saddam Hussein’s aggression against Kuwait in the 1990s, is currently in the country. This time, he came to Kuwait to represent Baker Botts, a law firm, in signing a major alliance with the International Legal Group (ILG).

Baker is a senior partner in the globally respected law firm, Baker Botts, founded in 1840 in the United States.

Speaking at a ceremony held at Sheraton Hotel on Monday night, Baker recalled his stint as the 61st US Secretary of State and how he successfully created the coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait in 1991.

“Kuwait has a special place in my heart and so have the state and its people. The first time I came to Kuwait was just right after the liberation. The oil field fires were

still burning. The country was in a bad shape. I last visited during the 20th anniversary of liberation from Saddam Hussein’s troops,” he recalled.

“During the time of negotiations and creating the coalition of nations to repel Saddam Hussein and his troops out of Kuwait, I often visited Taif, KSA, where the Kuwaiti government in exile was then based. I often used to meet the then Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed and the then late Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber. At that time, Sheikh Sabah was already dubbed as the longest serving Foreign Minister in the world. Sheikh Sabah had already mastered and adopted the art of foreign policy and diplomacy, something that helped him play a particularly effective role in helping us win the Gulf War,” he quipped.

Baker said Sheikh Sabah did a tremendous and magnificent job for his country and it was evident if one simply looked around Kuwait. As regards the partnership,

Baker noted that he himself was very excited. “My law partners and I have high regard in this partnership and we expect that this arrangement will be very strong and productive for both our organizations. I think that our alliance will continue the tradition of prosperity, professionalism, intelligent legal work and high ethics that characterize the law firm,” he said.

Andrew M. Baker, Managing Partner of Baker Botts, said their partnership marks the beginning of a new era in legal services as they serve their Middle East clients.

“Kuwait is a very important and strategic market for us. We work throughout the Middle East countries and we believe that our decision to work with the ILG makes us stronger, both of us. We believe this alliance will help the clients to better serve them, whether they are foreign based and active in Kuwait, or Kuwait based companies,” he told those in attendance.

Participants at the event comprised mostly lawyers and other invitees.

“I was particularly overwhelmed by the hospitality here. We are optimistic about the business plan in Kuwait and looking forward to many visits in the future,” he added.

Introducing the ILG, Dr Rashid Al-Anezi, ILG Partner/Council Lawyer, said that their strategic alliance with Baker Botts was a giant step forward in the quality of legal services available to their clients in Kuwait.

“The wealth of experience that Baker Botts brings to the table along with the experience of ILG will set the stage in this alliance to become a legal powerhouse in Kuwait in the years to come,” he noted.

According to Anezi, ILG was founded by four lawyers, namely, Dr Adel Tabtabae, Dr Ahmad Samdan, Dr Abdullah Al-Hayyan, himself (Dr Rashid Al-Anezi). Each of them was a respected academic professor at Kuwait University School of Law. “Our backgrounds can be traced back to 1984 which gives us a reputation of high professionalism, reliability and success.”

MOH approves KD7.5m allowances

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission allocated KD7.5 million for paying allowances to Ministry of Health employees who scored highly in their job assessment report, a senior MOH official announced in a recent statement. Undersecretary Dr. Khalid AlSehlawi said this following a meeting of the ministry’s Council of Undersecretaries chaired by Minister of Health Dr. Mohammad Al-Haifi. “[The meeting] discussed ways to facilitate the mechanism for paying the expenses to patients sent for treatment abroad and their companions,” Dr. AlSehlawi said, adding that the ministry’s periodic maintenance plan was also discussed.

The senior official also indicated that the council discussed the feasibility of the air ambulance project, as well as the planned media office which is set to be established to cover the ministry’s activities.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait paying great attention to culture Al-Arabi Magazine Forum

KUWAIT: The Director General of Fire Department, Lt Gen Yousuf Al-Ansari, paid an inspection visit to Farwaniya Fire Center and Kuwait Air and Military Air Base Fire Centers. He exchanged views with the leaders and employees at these centers. AlAnsari listened to their views and suggestions and also acquainted himself with their problems in order to find solutions to them. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Sharp increase in Kuwait crime rates KUWAIT: Crime rates saw a seven percent increase last year compared to 2011, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting official statistics which also indicated an increase in the use of firearms in fights reported in 2012.

The statistical report released by the Criminal Evidence General Department indicated that 5983 crimes were reported in 2012, including 3391 felonies and 2592 instances of misdemeanors. These included 55 murders, 30 attempted murders, 23 cases of shooting and injury, 8 kidnappings at gunpoint, as well as 147 muggings and 3097 theft and armed robbery cases.

Meanwhile, the statistics indicated that evidence of foul play was found in 185 deaths reported last year, while 86 deaths were caused by drug overdose.

Out of 1993 deaths reported last year, forensic department examination ruled out foul play in 1808 cases. In the mean-

time, the report showed an increase in the number of suicides with 76 reported last year, a majority of which were committed by domestic workers according to security sources who provided the statistics to Al-Qabas.

Other cases mentioned in the report included 16 regarding manslaughter, 22 forgeries, 22 cases of possession of unlicensed firearm, and 24 arson cases. The statistics also indicated that 4667 theft cases were reported last year by property owners (homes, cars, etc), while 90 battery assault cases were filed including 19 classified as felonies.

Regarding the demographic distribution of crimes in 2012, the report showed that the Farwaniya governorate topped the dubious list with the most number of cases at 1815, followed by Al-Jahra with 1723, Hawally with 1659, Al-Ahmadi with 1441, the Capital with 1178 and Mubarak Al-Kabeer with 435.

Kuwait dive team wins Saudi award

Prince Terki

Waleed Al-Fadhel

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Dive Team won the international award for environmental administration in the field of leading practices for nongovernmental organizations in national environment protection projects, the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) in Saudi Arabia announced.

The announcement was made by PME President, Prince Terki Bin Nasser Bin Abdul-Aziz, while chairing the fifth meeting of the higher department for Saudi Arabia’s international award for environ-

mental administration, held recently in Jeddah. Meanwhile, Kuwait Dive Team President Waleed Al-Fadhel released a statement in which he expressed gratitude for the award which he said was “a testimony to the fact that the team’s activities in rehabilitation of the marine environment are characterized by quality in planning and execution.”

The Kuwait Dive Team is set to receive the $20,000 prize money during a ceremony to be hosted by the higher department next month in Cairo, Egypt.

KIMS offers scholarships to France KUWAIT: The Secretar y General of Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization (KIMS), Dr. Ibrahim Abbas Hadi, said yesterday that KIMS offered 10 scholarships to France as part of KIMS deployment plan for 2012-2013 via the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

This comes as part of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health and KIMS plan to improve the level of health services offered in Kuwait through developing doctors’ skills.

Dr Hadi called on doctors willing to study in France to visit KIMS website and fill up the online application and

hand them to the student supervisor in KIMS during official working hours between March 10-31.

A committee will be formed to look into applications and conduct personal interviews with doctors to choose to top 10. Then a joint French-Kuwaiti committee will choose only 10 doctors by next June, he affirmed.

Scholarships only include Kuwaiti physicians aged below 33 years old, and it includes all specialties, excluding (Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Forensic Medicine and Occupational Medicine). — KUNA

Lunch meals project may be scrapped KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education is currently awaiting results of a study to assess the lunch meals project that was introduced at public elementary schools three years ago amid perception that it was leading to financial losses for the ministry.

According to ministry insiders who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, principals of some schools have already sent letters to their superiors in the ministry calling for the project to be scrapped because their students do not prefer the type of food served.

‘Many students do not eat their meals which results in large amount of leftovers that are distributed everyday to cleaning workers, nearby co-operative societies and sometimes even carried back home by some teachers,’ the sources said. The complaining schools reportedly asked the ministry to replace the current system with a project to improve the quality of food items sold at school canteens, or at least reconsider the items included in the meals and replace the ones that students avoid eating.

KUWAIT: Information Minister and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah said Monday Kuwait was keen on paying a great attention to culture and that “it is keen to be a house of the Arab culture.” Kuwait has always been supporting culture, arts and literature in order to convey a civilized image of “its local, regional and Arab culture for the whole world,” Sheikh Salman said in an opening speech of AlArabi Magazine Forum, held under the theme of “the Peninsula and Arabian Gulf .. Half Century of Cultural Development.”

The three-day Forum is held under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah.

Sheikh Salman said Kuwait was proud to host the elite Arab men of letters, adding that “culture means the rejection of wars and an attempt to understand, enforces constructive dialogue and enlightens important aspects of history and civilization.” Within globalization, he noted, the Gulf youth should be attached more to their language and cultural identity which would contribute to better economic development, political stability and social cohesion.

“Our job is to link the youth with their cultural roots ... to build a modern society and to provide for their sons a better future that is prosperous, secured and stable,” said Sheikh Salman.

Sheikh Salman underlined important role of media in shaping out “our life styles.”

He called for increasing the media and cultural messages to the youth. Al-Arabi Magazine Chief Editor Dr. Sulaiman Al-Askari commended the “exceptional” development in the Arab Gulf countries over the past five years, through the establishment of a giant infrastructure.

“This generous, mobile and lively cultural surrounding in the region was not only created by oil but human before and after oil,” said AlAskari.

He said the cultural and intellectual production of participants in the forum has gone beyond the Arabian Peninsula to the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmad AlFeefi, in a speech on behalf of participants, said Kuwait was the beacon of Arabism and culture.

He said Al-Arabi Magazine contributed to knowledge, culture and enlightenment in the Arab region.

At the end of the opening ceremony, Gulf actors, actresses and artists were honored by the organizing committee. Former informatio minister Mohammad Al-Sanousi told KUNA Al-Arabi Magazine was a “huge cultural institute,” hoping it would grow to be a cultural center in the Arab

world. UAE poet Saif Al-Marri thanked the State of Kuwait for the service of culture and literature in the Gulf region for the past 50 years. Qatari actor Ghanem Al-Sulaiti said being honored by Al-Arabi Magazine has a special taste. Kuwaiti writer Laila Al-Othman expressed joy for being honored by Al-Arabi Magazine.

She said she has been writing for 45 years and it was “a small payback for Kuwait.” —KUNA

Child abandoned in Kuwait park ‘born out of wedlock’ KUWAIT: The three-year-old boy found alone in a park in Kuwait on Sunday was abandoned by his single mother because he was born out of wedlock.

Police issued calls to help identify him after they were able only to establish his name, Jassem. On Monday, his mother walked into a police station and demanded to be reunited with her son, explaining that she had no other option than abandoning him after his father refused to recognize him, local Arabic daily Al Rai reported.

The mother told the police that Jassem was born out of wedlock and had no identity papers.

She however showed them a document stating that she was his biological mother.

She was allowed to be reunited with Jassem, but the police chief ordered an investigation into the case and possibly charging her with negligence towards her child after she left him alone in the park “to get rid of him.”

The mother said that she had a relationship with his father, but he refused to recognize the son. The case she filed at a local court was pending, she said.

The mother added that Jassem had lived with her for three years in a flat where she was forced to move after her family, shocked by her pregnancy, “kicked her out of their home.”

According to the police, the mother, who was not named, said that she thought about aban-

doning Jassem in a public place, but she did not expect the police investigation, the media attention and the social outcry.

She reportedly said that she was afraid that the focus on the case would enable the police to trace Jassem to her and she opted to claim her son. Sources told the daily there were “serious concerns about the logic of leaving Jassem with a mother who took the strange step of abandoning him in a park.”

“The excuse presented by the mother to explain the reason for walking away from her three-year-old son is appalling,” the sources that the paper did not identify said. “The problem is that she told the police that she did not care about him because he had no identity documents.” Online comments condemned the mother for her act and called for action against her.

“She is not a fitting mother and she should be given her son back,” Al Shimmiriya posted on the daily site. “Jassem should be placed in a care home because she does not deserve him and cannot look after him.”

Another blogger said that both the father and the mother should be punished for having the child out of wedlock, and for not caring about him. “You are not a mother or even a human being,” Om Saleh wrote. “I am sure you are mentally deranged for what you have done. What has this boy done wrong to have you? You should think of God in whatever you think or do.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LOCAL the column

Letters to Badrya

K-Dow deal gone sour

Honest, genuine Observation badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter:@fouadalobaid

I

n light of the recent court ruling by the ‘International Chamber of Commerce’ arbitration in the case filed by Dow Chemicals against Petrochemical Industry Company (PIC) and the subsequent ruling in favor of Dow Chemical, one is to wonder how is the government even serious in its desire to diversify the economy, adding insult to injury, how does it justify increasing the ‘Future Generation Reserve Fund’ allocation from its normal 10% to 25% in light of the increased revenue!

What pains the casual observer is the lost opportunity to truly start diversifying the local economy pushing towards the creation of add-value industries that have petrochemicals as prime raw materials. The deal had it gone through would have ensured that Kuwait embarked to add manufacturing finished goods that generate higher revenue streams to its export pool. As of now what we reaped from such a deal is nothing more than a sour pill, one that is set to cost at least $2.48 billion and could rise with interest accumulating. Any delay in payment will result in more money being squandered, as already the interest have reached $318 million.

At the time of the deal though put at a staggering $17.4 billion ($9 billion would have been invested by PIC) would have propelled the new formed entity to become a leading global petrochemical supplier. In the contract signed by both parties, a stiff penalty clause locked both parties to the deal with grave financial consequence in case of a contract breech. Despite signing in good will, a pathetic excuse of ‘Parliamentary’ pressure to scrap the deal in what was then a rather messy media confusion that left most parties under the impression that it was not too late to do so!

The government despite all of its advisors at the time erroneously believed that it was still a possibility to scrap the deal as if nothing happened without consequence once. This grave negligence needs to be traced. The person in charge of the technical aspect of the contract as well as the person that took the decision to scrap the deal need to be held accountable for an actual loss based on the latest figure from the arbitration panel, as well as the potential profit had the project gone through.

In essence the price to be paid thus so far in reaching the $6billion mark!

More than costing the country a major loss in monetary income, the image tarnishing of Kuwait on the global business level will prove hard to be undone. Honoring arbitration is not an option for a country that is so intrinsically linked to the global markets in both trade and investments. Failing to pay will lead to various assets being seized! Every day that passes we are wasting more money on a done deal, wasting public money! The only way out of this deadlock would be to renegotiate a KDow 2 deal salvaging the money that would be wasted to be at least considered as a down payment on restarting the old project in that way we could account for it as initial set-up cost!

kuwait digest

MPs’ sudden change of heart

By Waleed Al-Ghanim

kuwait digest

Govt knows everything

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

I

Our government does not keep it eyes open but f you believe that the government does not know where the corruption happens and the names of keeps a hawk’s eye trained at the poor people. The the corrupt, you are sorely mistaken. The govern- simple citizens can be arrested and brought to the police. Those expressing any opinion can be tracked ment knows all about it.

It is evident from the fact that the government down, but the ones who cause a loss of a billion through the same offices that you find frustratingly Kuwaiti Dinars find that their “signal is green.” Nothing inefficient and using the same computers that you happens to them.

A government knows that a certain citizen called find out of order when you need to get some files finalized, comes to know that you still owe it a measly Mohammed who lives at Saad Al Abdullah has raised the walls of his house sum of KD 90 on account exceeding the permitted of an unpaid telephone The government knows down to the height by a meter or a half, bill for your home, and not only it suspends the minutest detail about even the traffic and then rushes to demolservice but also slaps a violation citations against you, ish the wall completely. It cuts down trees without travel ban on you till you amounting to say KD 300, and then also warning. You cannot ride clear your dues.

What makes you knows the micro details about two cita- even old motor cycles believe that the govern- tions being for crossing red traffic sig- since their “validity has expired.” The same government does not know who made millions in the nals, two for over-speeding, three for ment cannot do anything name of huge projects not buckling up, one for ignoring orders against a hospital which and did not execute any to pull over, and the exact time and violates the law by constructing 18 storeys. of these?

Dear Sir, laws start The government date for each of these. And you believe knows down to the that the same government would not becoming applicable from top down, not upwards minutest detail about know where KD 37 billion went? from the base of the pyraeven the traffic violation mid. Justice can prevail citations against you, amounting to say KD 300, and then also knows the only then and only then can political or economic micro details about two citations being for crossing reforms start.

So long as we are walking in the opposite direcred traffic signals, two for over-speeding, three for not buckling up, one for ignoring orders to pull over, and tion, there will be no growth. It is not going to hapthe exact time and date for each of these. And you pen today nor tomorrow. You can spend another $125 believe that the same government would not know billion but real growth will happen only in a matrix of actual justice, end of discrimination and proper where KD 37 billion went?

The government knows that you sponsored a implementation of the law.

Note 1: Tomorrow, the government will move to domestic laborer under article 20 of the constitution a year back and did not renew his residency. Is it possi- postpone the grilling of the Minister of Finance, and ble that it does not know the names and addresses of will succeed for a simple reason that there are certain MPs who see themselves more as employees of the companies which trade in residencies?

Of course, it is not possible. Clearly, the govern- government and not decision makers or law makers.

Note 2: At times, I feel like walking up to some MPs ment can only chase the poor citizens while those who walk away with tenders worth multi millions carrying a copy of the holy Quran in my hand and remain outside its clutches. When it comes to big time swear in front of them that “I swear in the name of corruption, the government’s strategy is to close its Allah that you are an MP; why you don’t you believe so?” —Al-Anbaa eyes and swear that it is blind.

I

t is perplexing to see politicians undergoing a complete change of heart on an issue all of a sudden.

How can something permitted at one point later become prohibited? How can priorities turn into marginal issues? What is the reason behind this sudden shift in principles? And how can someone attack a person and then suddenly become one of his allies later?

While tracking the performance of some members in the current parliament, I found shocking levels of inconsistency pertaining to certain cases where members displayed a complete change in their attitude without any convincing justification. I would certainly love to hear an explanation from any of them about why they suddenly changed their minds.

One of these MPs is Nawaf Al-Fuzai’. He filed a grilling motion against the finance minister and also co-filed another against the oil minister less than two months after the parliament was elected. But what was Al-Fuzai’s earlier stance about early interpellations? Would you believe that Al-Fuzai’ had said during an interview a few years ago that if elected, he would “suggest a truce with the cabinet to halt the grillings in order to give the government an opportunity to carry out its program?” I wonder how the same man who called for a truce during his election campaign would file two simultaneous grillings within a couple of months after being elected.

Another example is of MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan who became ‘furious’ when the parliament voted to delay the debate on his grilling motion against the interior minister. He even described the decision as “undermining the representatives of the nation.” A strong statement indeed, but let us take a look at how Al-Duwaisan responded when grilling debates took place during the 2009 parliament. It turns out that Al-Duwaisan was among the lawmakers who voted in favor of the cabinet’s request to postpone all interpellations for an entire year. It would be appreciated if Al-Duwaisan explains to us how delaying grillings in 2009 was equivalent to “respecting the will of the nation,” while the same action in 2013 was akin to “undermining the representatives of the nation.”

Inconsistency is a trait common to many members of parliament, including Speaker Ali Al-Rashid. In a recent statement, Al-Rashid described Kuwait’s relationship with Qatar as “brotherly” and “historic.” That is a fact that Kuwaitis do not argue with, but let us look back at AlRashid’s stances as a lawmaker only a year ago. Back then, he strongly rejected the parliament’s decision to approve a request to delay a probe into accusations about Qatar supporting Kuwaiti lawmakers. Can you, Mr. Al-Rashid, explain where all the talk about the “brotherly” and “historic” relations was only a year ago?

I am not asking for answers for myself, but for the voters who elected these MPs. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Demanding rights, ignoring duties

By Misfer Al-Nuais

T

he Kuwaiti Constitution guarantees citizens traffic laws, polluting public streets, divesting oththe right to access best quality living condi- ers of their rights through bribe or wasta (unlawful tions that the state has to provide, including mediation), stealing public funds and corruption proper education, healthcare, safety, security, and are unacceptable. It is important to avoid such job opportunities appropriate to their academic practices so that the people can return the favor and professional qualifications. Moreover, the con- that their country does them.

I know that what I am saying sounds utopian stitution guarantees the right of the citizens to and impractical, especially freedom of expression, justice and equality, as The main dut y that the countr y at a time when corruption has unfortunately seeped well as providing child care and protec tion to expects and deserves its citizens to in and affects all aspects the Kuwaiti family per form is to work hard and with of our lives. But would it through proper housing. d e d i ca t i o n a t t h e i r wo r k p l a ce. hur t to star t with ourselves and help fight corWe can say that these demands in general are Regardless of the profession, every ruption in any shape? No what politicians, activists, citizen and resident living in this matter how much corrupc ivil soc iet y groups, country must realize that they are an tion spreads, the country should never be lef t to column ists an d media figures advocate, and important factor in building it, and s uf fe r b e c a us e of t he rightfully so because the are required to protect it and honor actions of certain officials.

Calls for civil disobedistate is under obligation its laws. There is no doubt that many ence because of corrupto fulfill them. However, I want to point out the fact practices such as violating traffic tion, political disputes or that while making these laws, polluting public streets, divest- any other reasons are in demands, many of them ing others of their rights through my opinion unacceptable because it would be a true fail to mention the duties that citizens have to fulfill bribe or wasta, stealing public funds example of people forfeiting their duties towards towards their count y, and corruption are unacceptable. the country. Such actions including making contrihave a direct effect on the butions towards the state’s institutions. Constitutional rights or solucountry’s development.

In my humble opinion, the main duty that the tions to political problems cannot be found by country expects and deserves its citizens to per- forcing the country into a dark tunnel and damagform is to work hard and with dedication at their ing its reputation internationally.

We can all agree that there is a problem which workplace. Regardless of the profession, every citizen and resident living in this country must realize leads to citizens not being able to avail of their that they are an important factor in building it, and rights.

But let us be honest with ourselves: have we fulare required to protect it and honor its laws. There is no doubt that many practices such as violating filled all our duties towards our country?— Al-Rai

Dear Mrs. Badrya, Asalamaleikkum.

This email is in response to your column Conspiracy Theories dated 4 March, 2013, that was headlined ‘Stop Weeping and Wailing over Expats.’

As an expatriate myself who was born and brought up in Kuwait since 1971, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation and support for your honest and genuine observation. You stated the truth and presented facts relating to the dependence on expatriates for life running smoothly and Kuwait’s wheels moving across Kuwaiti economy. What you expressed was absolutely correct and unbiased and you deserve the full appreciation and praise on behalf of all the selfless and dedicated expatriates of Kuwait who have put in decades or in some cases half a century’s worth of toil and hard work into building this great country that we call Kuwait. It is very saddening and disheartening for a resident of Kuwait to see ingratitude and disrespect meted out by certain Kuwaiti folks who look down on non-Kuwaitis as being inferior or low class. I only ask such people this one question - Who are they in the eyes in Allah? Are they any different from the garbage collector from Bangladesh who roams the streets of Kuwait to earn KD 20 as his remuneration every month? I don’t think so. All are equal in the eyes of Allah the Great. Therefore, is there any point in us having a different perspective from that of our Creator Allah? Again, I don’t think so. Expatriate or citizens, all are human beings created by Allah and are there for a purpose and that purpose is good. Are the expatriates in Kuwait given the right to citizenship like that given to those in the US or Europe or Australia after five years or more of stay? No. Isn’t Kuwait a developed country like these countries quoted above? But thousands of illiterate and unproductive socalled Bedouins or stateless persons (a questionable term) are given free citizenship by the Kuwaiti government thereby putting further strain on the exchequer and Kuwait’s finances. They all have to be rehabilitated and given houses, jobs, health care, insurance, family welfare payments, education, etc. etc. How do these Bedouins fare in comparison with the educated, hard working and sincere expatriate population in Kuwait who are the very life blood by which this nation was built over the past decades? But no Kuwaiti is opposed to any so-called Bedouin whose only objective in mind is to bask in the shade and comfort of a luxurious country like Kuwait by becoming its citizen. Therefore, I urge the Kuwaiti population to be wise and prudent in this aspect because it can have serious and long term negative ramifications regarding the growth and stability in all areas, be these political, economic or social. I would like to also thank you for expressing your discontent about the other columnist who had expressed anti-expat opinions earlier in the Kuwait Times. And I humbly encourage you to continue to be vocal in stating the right from the wrong and paving a way to open the eyes of the people, be they Kuwaitis or nonKuwaitis, Arabs or non-Arabs, men or women, black or white, rich or poor, and so on.

May Allah always be with you, guide you and provide you with wisdom, strength and good health.

Yours truly, Yaqub Dear Ms Badrya, It was an excellent and timely article but I wonder how many Kuwaitis will read it and realize the role of expats in Kuwaitis society. It will be a good idea to circulate it in Arabic newspapers as a majority of Kuwaitis prefer Arabic papers.

Thanks for raising your voice.

Regards, Qaseem PIFSS Dear Badrya, Good job with the excellent article. We hope to have more people who think like you and I sincerely wish your articles make a difference.

God bless you and keep up the good work.

Regards, Leona Rangel Paul Dear Badrya, It is very heartening that someone is raising a voice for the expats who have very limited options to voice their opinion.

Your email gave voice to more than a million expat workers. I would like to add certain points to your article regarding those expats who are highly skilled. Even employers fail to find comparable talent among the locals. I heard many times from my local colleagues that they are paid less than us but they totally ignore the fact that we work harder and longer and with responsibility. We are earning our bread and butter because of our skills, education, experience and efforts.

Thank you for being the voice of millions of voiceless.

Regards, S. Faisal Nice writing on Expats!

Salam, I enjoyed your powerful writing on expats. Obviously it is all true.

Dr Shahzad Dear Badrya, ‘Stop Weeping and Wailing Over Expats’ was one of the best articles I have ever read. Hats off to you. It was absolutely to the point and bluntly told the truth to people who can understand.

Masha Allah!

Mohammad Junaid Madam, I am a expat living in Kuwait. I really appreciate the fact that you have written about this topic. The article you have written in Kuwait Times on communications is a hundred percent correct and I have many a times felt that even while sitting in a group, we feel that we are miles apart from each other. Now, for the last few months, I have started to follow some simple rules. I now no more use a phone unless it is very urgent when I am having my food or when I am in a group or traveling with my friends. This has actually resulted in some changes as my friends are also doing the same and we are having more and more meaningful conversations.

Regards Mohammed Saj Subair Madam, I salute you for bringing up certain real facts about expatriates in Kuwait. You have boldly written about these and I hope it should open the eyes of those trying to bring down the number of expatriates in Kuwait. One more thing I would like to add is that these expatriates did not come to Kuwait by themselves; they had either local or national sponsors for them.

Best regards, S. Kuriakose Dear Badrya, First of all I want to thank you for your positive view about us expats here in Kuwait. I myself have been a victim of racism here at work or while shopping. Only yesterday my family and I was sitting after lunch to watch some news when we came across this very disturbing man in a dishdasha and sporting a long beard discussing how expats polluted this country. He said traffic jams were happening because of expats who drive cheap old cars, and more blah blah. It infuriated us. I told myself that if I could speak to them in English, will they even understand me? They may not appreciate us but at least we deserve respect.

I hope that Kuwait will become a better place for both expats and its own nationals.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Two people sustained minor injuries in a three-way car collision reported yesterday at the Airport Road near Shuwaikh. The injured were administered first aid on the spot by paramedics who arrived at the scene along with police shortly after the accident was reported. A case was filed for investigations. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Four in police custody in Funaitees homicide case Man charged in alcohol poisoning death KUWAIT: Four suspects were arrested in connection with a case of murder reported on Monday in Funaitees. Police and crime scene investigators found a decomposed corpse from a farm there. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, a Nepalese man, had died a week before as a result of fatal blows to his head from some sharp object. Four marks of beating were there. After finding enough evidence from the scene that foul play was involved, the case filed at the area’s police station was classified as a homicide. Four Asian men identified as the deceased’s coworkers were arrested after investigations revealed that they were involved in certain disputes with him.

Commercial Bank Announces Lexus Vehicle Offer in Cooperation with Mohamed Naser Al Sayer Co.

C

ommercial Bank of Kuwait announced the launch of special offer to its customers in cooperation with Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons Co. Lexus dealers in Kuwait and Sahara Kuwait Golf Resort. This offer entitles CBK customers to two days in Sahara Resort including breakfast, lunch and dinner when purchasing Lexus vehicle and financed by the Bank during the period from 14/2/2013 till 15/4/2013.

The Bank announced this offer in a glittering ceremony held on Wednesday evening in Lexus’s showroom in Shuwaikh in the presence of a large number of Premier banking customers.

During the ceremony, Mr. Paul Daoud, Acting General Manager Retail Banking Division at the Bank

delivered a speech asserting the Bank’s efforts and endeavors to prioritize the best services provided to its customers for their satisfactory. Further, Mr. Antoni Welson, GM - Lexus Group had a speech focusing on seven stars service offered by Lexus Group to its customers.

On this occasion, Mr. Bader Musad Al Sayer, Deputy GM, Al Sayer Group delivered a speech getting the attendants familiarized with Lexus Group’s powerful and environment friendly Hybrid vehicles which witness outstanding success and rising demand.

At the end of the ceremony, the offer was announced with draw made on three modern digital Samsung cameras under super vision of Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s representative.

Alcohol poisoning After a man died of alcohol poisoning in Hawally recently, police pressed manslaughter charges against a person who confessed giving him the alcoholic drinks. The deceased, an Ethiopian man, was found dead inside an apartment in the area. Tests revealed that he died after consuming alcoholic drinks laced with some toxic substances. Police later arrested a Kuwaiti man after investigations revealed that he had hosted the victim along with some other people at the apartment where the man died. The man confessed that he did offer homebrewed liquor to his guests but did not know it would prove fatal. He will remain in custody pending legal procedures.

Three arrested Patrol police arrested a fugitive wanted for defaulting on a KD 30,000 payment besides succeeding in nabbing two suspects for possessing jewelry whose source they could not explain. The arrests took place on Monday in Sulaibiya where special task forces were on duty on a patrol mission. They first stopped a male driver who raised suspicions, and soon arrested him after it was found that he was a defaulter. The same patrol officers soon stopped another car carrying two people and searched it when they noticed that the duo was nervous. They found diamond jewelry which one man claimed belonged to his mother and then said it

KUWAIT: A military band from the US Army in Afghanistan visited Kuwait this week and performed for the National Guards to show outstanding relations between the two bodies.

Arab League to set up teams for peace talks CAIRO: The Arab League Council, which held its 139th session on the permanent-delegate level here yesterday, adopted a draft resolution to form an Arab ministerial delegation for contacting the world’s major power to resolve the Syrian crisis and re-launch the Middle East peace talks.

The draft suggests holding consultations with the UN Security Council, the US Administration, Russia, China and the European Union on the agenda of the substantive peace talks within a specific and viable timeframe; it was referred to the Arab Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, due here tomorrow. It envisages forming a ministerial delegation, led by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani and insisting of representatives of Egypt, Jordan and Palestine as well as the League’s Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi, to explore the executive steps vis-a-vis the conflict in Syria.

On the Arab-Israeli conflict, the draft resolution reaffirms commitment to fair, permanent and comprehensive peace as a strategic option for stability in the Middle

East. Such a settlement can be reached only through complete Israeli pullout from the Palestinian, and other Arab, territories occupied by Israel since June, 1967, and solving the problem of the Palestinian refugees who were forced to leave their homes as a result of the 1948 Middle East war, according to the document.

It also envisages establishing an independent fullysovereign state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital city in consistency with the relevant UN resolutions. It urges stepping up the lobbing for Palestine’s full membership in the UN and its affiliated agencies.

The draft calls for holing, as early as possible, the second Paris meeting on the ministerial level to lobby for helping the Palestinian people in the West Bank and enhancing the reconstruction of Gaza Strip.

It tasks the Arab group of states to lobby for sending a UN fact-finding mission to the Palestinian occupied territories to verify the illegitimate Jewish settlement expansions there. The group should also lobby for another UN Security Council resolution to condemn the settlement constructions in the occupied territories, the draft suggests, condemning the US for vetoing a similar Arabsponsored text before.

A ministerial delegation should be formed to assess the possibility of re-launching the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks within a specific timeframe and review the viability of the International Diplomatic Quartet which failed so far to make headway in the peace process, according to the draft.

The draft welcomes the concord deal, hammed by the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas movements on May 4, 2011, and the subsequent Doha and Cairo declarations, and appreciates the mediation efforts made by Qatar and Egypt. It denounces as “provocative, racist and extremist” the remarks made recently by Israeli acting foreign Avigdor Lieberman against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It calls for a special session by the UN General Assembly to discuss the suffering of the Palestinian, and other Arab, detainees at the Israeli jails.

It suggests providing an Arab financing for the faltering Palestinian economy at a rate of $100 million per month in addition to the USD 500 million for the Aqsa and Jerusalem funds.

The draft commends Qatar for hosting an international conference under auspices of the League in support of the Palestinian residents in Jerusalem against the Israeli attempts to evict them of their home and Judaize the holy city. —KUNA

belonged to his girlfriend. They were arrested based on their inconsistent testimonies as police suspected the jewels could have been stolen. The three, all of them Bedoons (stateless), were referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Shooter at large Investigations are on in search of a suspect who shot a domestic worker outside her employer’s home in Surra recently. According to the police report, the Asian woman was walking back home when the suspect fired a gunshot which hit her in the abdomen, and then escaped. The woman was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital and admitted to its intensive care unit. Her employer headed to the area’s police station after she was hospitalized to report the case. Investigations are on to determine the circumstances behind the case.

Suicide case A man was found dead inside his Sabah Al-Nasser home on Monday in what appeared to be a suicide.

Police headed to the scene following an emergency call by a family member who found the Kuwaiti man hanging from the ceiling of his room. The body was taken to the forensic department after investigations were carried out on the scene. A case was filed for investigations to determine the circumstances behind the man’s death.

Prisoner’s escape A prisoner escaped from the northern Jahra police station amid suspicions that a number of officers could have facilitated his escape. The 28-year-old Bedoon (stateless) man was arrested for assaulting police officers on duty when he resisted arrest and attacked policemen after he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. Even as officers were briefing the director of the police station where he was taken to face charges, he managed to escape from the back door meant exclusively for the use of detectives. Police failed to track down the suspect but managed to arrest his brother waiting outside. Investigations are on.

Bedoon back in custody

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The Jahra security personnel rearrested a bedoon who had escaped from Northern Jahra police station. The fugitive was found hiding at his relatives’ place, security sources said. In the meantime, Jahra security director, Lt Gen Ibrahim Al-Jarrah, ordered that the police station officer be detained on charges of negligence in keeping a prisoner confined.

Earlier, the Bedouin had smashed the window pane of a patrol vehicle while he was being arrested for having consumed alcohol. He was kept at the police station from where he scaled the rear door and escaped.

In another incident, Jahra security personnel

arrested a Bedouin youth and recovered from his possession drugs, a bottle of liquor and a toy gun. He claimed that he was playing with these during the National Day celebrations. The accused was sent to the concerned authorities.

A soldier in the Ministry of Defence reported to police that his car jeep Safari of 1993 vintage was stolen from the parking lot of MoD at AlJiwan. A case of theft was recorded.

Two Kuwaiti citizens dealing with a local Islamic bank reported that their account in the Al-Fahaheel branch was hacked into and money stolen. While one of the men said he found his balance depleted by KD 250, the other claimed a loss of KD 150. Two separate cases with the same title were recorded.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

Police search Bolshoi dancer’s home, quiz acid attack suspect

Syria ‘victorious’ as rebels overrun Raqa Page 9

Page 10

MANILA: Filipino Muslims are joined by other protesters while demonstrating against the military assault launched by Malaysian forces against nearly 200 Filipino followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram of the southern Philippine province of Sulu, who were occupying a Borneo seaside village, during a rally at the Malaysian Embassy at the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines, yesterday. — AP

Malaysia unleashes military on Filipino invaders At least 27 killed in standoff FELDA SAHABAT: Malaysia’s military yesterday launched a fierce assault including jet fighters on up to 300 Filipino intruders after a deadly three-week standoff, but the militants’ supporters said they had escaped and were alive and well.

Earlier Malaysia’s national police chief had also raised doubts about the success of the air and ground attack, saying “mopping up” operations had yet to find any bodies and suggesting at least some of the militants might have slipped away.

Malaysian premier Najib Razak said as the raid was under way that he had no choice but to unleash the military to end Malaysia’s biggest security crisis in years after the interlopers refused to surrender and 27 people were killed. A day after the Philippines called for restraint, Malaysia launched a dawn assault on the estimated 100-300 gunmen on Borneo island, who invaded to claim Malaysian territory on behalf of a former Philippine sultanate. Fighter jets bombed the standoff village of Tanduo in Sabah state on the northern tip of Borneo island, followed by a ground assault by troops. The area is set amid vast oil-palm planta-

tions. “The longer this invasion lasts, it is clear to the authorities that the invaders do not intend to leave Sabah,” Najib said in a statement. But Abraham Idjirani, spokesman for the sultan Jamalul Kiram III, told AFP the attack had occurred “away from where” their men were, saying he spoke with the leader of the armed group about eight hours after the assault was launched. Malaysian federal police chief Ismail Omar told reporters in a press conference hours after the initial attack that soldiers combing across a wide area of hilly plantation country were yet to find any dead militants. “I have instructed my commanders to be on alert because we believe the enemies are still out there,” Ismail said.

He added Malaysian forces had suffered no casualties.

But if even some of the invaders had escaped a tight police and military cordon, it would likely fuel perceptions of incompetence by security forces in the affair, and sow fears that armed and dangerous gunmen were loose. The crisis comes just as Malaysia’s 56-year-old ruling coalition is bracing for what are widely expected to be the country’s clos-

est-ever election against a formidable opposition, which has harshly criticised handling of the incursion. Jamalul Kiram III, 74, a self-proclaimed sultan and leader of the insurgents said earlier yesterday in Manila that the invaders, which had included his younger brother “will fight to the last man”.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has been shocked by the spectacularly bold stunt by the Islamists, who claim to be asserting Jamalul’s ancestral control of Sabah as heir to the now defunct Sulu sultanate. The invaders had been holed up in Tanduo village since landing by boat last month, highlighting lax Malaysian security in the region and the continuing threat from southern Philippine Islamists.

After the assault began, Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman blamed the intruders for the assault.

“We’ve done everything we could to prevent this, but in the end, Kiram’s people chose this path,” said the spokesman, Ricky Carandang. After a lengthy standoff, violence first erupted in Tanduo on Friday with a shootout that left 12 of the gunmen and two police officers dead.

Another gunbattle Saturday in the town of Semporna, hours away by road, killed six police and six gunmen, raising fears of a wider guerrilla infiltration and leading to yesterday’s military operation. Police had already said at the weekend they were hunting for a group of “foreign” gunmen in yet another town, but have provided no further updates. Meanwhile, followers of Kiram, have repeatedly warned that yet more militants were poised to land in Sabah. The mayhem has triggered panic in Semporna, where many residents were witnessed by an AFP reporter fleeing the town on Monday, fearing more violence. The Sulu sultanate, based in the southern Philippines’ Sulu islands, once controlled parts of Borneo including Sabah.

Its power faded about a century ago but its heirs continue to insist on ownership of resource-rich Sabah and still receive nominal Malaysian payments under a lease deal originally struck by Western colonial powers.

Sabah has seen small raids by Islamic militants and criminals coming by boat from the Philippines before, but nothing on the current scale. — AFP

Police, protesters clash anew in Egypt’s Port Said PORT SAID: Fresh clashes broke out yesterday between police and protesters in the restive Suez Canal city of Port Said, where six people were killed at the weekend, an AFP journalist said. Tension was running high around the main security building, which was set ablaze yesterday for the second day in a row, with anti-riot police firing tear gas at protesters hurling petrol bombs.

“We hate the police. We don’t want them around anymore!” Shaaban, 25, shouted, as the building was set on fire. The unrest in Port Said, fuelled by January death sentences handed down to football fans over deadly rioting, boiled over again on Sunday night when clashes killed six people, including three policemen.

Clashes also broke out yesterday near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo between police and demonstrators, who gathered for the funeral of an activist killed during protests in January and whose body took several weeks to identify.

In Cairo, protesters also smashed the windows of building housing former interior minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who headed police in February 2012 when a deadly football riot in Port Said killed 74 people, witnesses said.

The protesters aimed fireworks at the building as police fired shots in the air to keep them away,

the witnesses said.

Meanwhile, rumours swirled that soldiers had clashed with police in Port Said and that President Mohamed Morsi would withdraw police and leave the restive city in military hands.

The presidency denied that, saying “the police are doing their job, and the military is supporting them in full coordination,” in a statement to AFP. Hundreds of people were also injured in the fighting overnight on Sunday, which broke out after the authorities decided to move prisoners awaiting a verdict over alleged involvement in last year’s deadly football riot.

The city has witnessed unrest since January when a court sentenced Port Said residents to death over the football stadium riot, triggering a series of protests and eventually a civil disobedience campaign.

Traffic in the Suez Canal, a vital waterway for global commerce, has not been disrupted, the canal authority said.

The interior ministr y said it decided to move the prisoners from Port Said because it wanted to avoid unrest. The court verdict, expected on Saturday, is for 39 defendants in a case that has already resulted in death senCAIRO: An Egyptian protester runs with a teargas canister during clashes with riot police, unseen, after protesters closed down a tences for 21 others, sparking clashes that main street and jammed the traffic flow, in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. In Cairo, skirmishes erupted yesterday between street protestkilled at least 40 people. — AFP ers and riot police in a main street overlooking the Nile, a day after protesters set fire to police vehicles in the same area. — AP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

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

Syria ‘victorious’ as rebels overrun Raqa Opponents playing a game of survival: Assad DAMASCUS: President Bashar alAssad said his regime has conquered the “conspiracy” against it, even as rebels overran the capital of Raqa province and captured its governor in the biggest success of their revolt.

Assad in comments published yesterday in pro-Damascus Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, also said his opponents, backed by foreign powers, were “playing a game of survival” and that his forces were winning on the battlefields.

“The conspiracy against Syria is nearing its end,” the newspaper said, citing unnamed politicians who met with Assad in the Syrian capital.

“Significant successes have been made, whose strategic importance is clear even to those in the region and the rest of the world who are

making useless plans against Syria’s security,” the report cited Assad as telling his Arab nationalist visitors.

The politicians described Assad as “very comfortable” with military developments in Syria and had raised “contradictions in the exiled opposition groups’ stance... as proof of their failure”.

Assad’s regime has frequently referred to the revolt that broke out in Syria in March 2011 as a foreignbacked plot against the country, refusing to recognise as genuine the movement calling for his downfall.

Assad’s remarks were published a day after Syrian rebels fighting the regime overran the provincial capital of Raqa province in the north, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Yesterday, the Observatory distributed a short amateur video

filmed by rebels showing provincial governor Hassan Jalili, and Suleiman Suleiman, the ruling Baath party’s secretary general for Raqa province, captured by rebels.

“All we want is to get rid of the regime,” an unidentified rebel tells the captives, who can be seen sitting in silence, wearing dark suits and pale blue shirts. The veracity of the video could not immediately be verified.

“This is the highest profile capture by rebels of a regime official.

Raqa has suffered a lot because of the governor ’s corruption,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. Though insurgents took most of Raqa on Monday, troops and proregime militia fought on during the night near the military intelligence headquarters in the city, said the Observatory.

MAARET AL-NUMAN: In this Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013 file photo, Free Syrian Army fighters, take their positions as they observe the Syrian army forces base of Wadi al-Deif, at the front line of Maaret alNuman town, in Idlib province, Syria. The rebels’ capture of this strategic city was a key success in their advances in northern Syria against regime forces. — AP

“New army reinforcements are on their way to Raqa,” Abdel Rahman said. Pro-regime newspaper Al-Watan meanwhile described the takeover as “terrorism spreading in Raqa”.

“The army and security services are fighting fierce battles in the city of Raqa where thousands of armed men have arrived” from the countryside, said Al-Watan. “This city was one of the calmest (in Syria) and was considered a refuge for many Syrians who had fled their cities,” the daily added.

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 since the start of the conflict.

“Armed men are looting homes as well as public and private institutions amidst the city’s chaos,” said Al-Watan. Elsewhere, fresh clashes broke out on Tuesday pitting rebels against troops in insurgent enclaves of the city of Homs, said the Observatory.

The battles come three days into a fierce army and pro-regime militia campaign to reclaim rebel belts in the heart of Homs, dubbed by antiAssad activists as “the capital of the revolution”.

An activist in the rebel-held Old City district of Homs, which has been under army siege for eight months, compared Tuesday’s round of fighting to “a war of attrition”, as rebels fought off the onslaught and both sides sustained heavy casualties.

“Everywhere you look, it’s raining bullets,” said Abu Bilal.

“Everything in the Old City is burning. This is the army ’s fiercest onslaught on Homs since the outbreak of the revolt” in March 2011.

The Syrian Revolution General Commission, a grassroots network of activists, meanwhile reported “heavy rocket shelling and tank fire on the (nearby) district of Khaldiyeh, while loud explosions shook the neighbourhood and fierce clashes raged”. Some 70,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict, the UN says. — AFP

Biden, Netanyahu set tone on Iran for Obama visit WASHINGTON: US Vice President Joe Biden insisted on Monday that President Barack Obama was not bluffing about using force to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions if all else fails, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a “credible military threat” against Tehran.

Seeking to reassure Israel and its US supporters just weeks before Obama visits the Jewish state, Biden cautioned that all options, including sanctions and diplomacy, must be exhausted to ensure that the international community will be supportive if military action is deemed necessary. But Netanyahu, speaking moments later via satellite from Jerusalem, used his address to America’s largest proIsrael lobby to underscore Israeli impatience with US strategy on Iran, a message that could foreshadow his talks with Obama.

“Words alone will not stop Iran.

Sanctions alone will not stop Iran.

Sanctions must be coupled with a clear and credible military threat if diplomac y and sanctions fail,” Netanyahu said to loud cheers at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington.

Despite the tough rhetoric, the hawkish prime minister gave no indication that Israel was ready to act precipitously at a time when world powers have re -engaged with Iran in new negotiations and he himself is caught up in the delicate task of forging a new government after January’s elections.

Netanyahu’s remarks showed that the latest round of international talks with Iran in Kazakhstan last week had done little to soothe Israeli concerns. It is message he is likely to deliver face-to-face when he meets Obama, with whom he has had a notoriously testy relationship. Despite that, Biden honed in on Obama’s assertion in his 2012 AIPAC speech that he was ready to use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies it is seeking one.“President Barack Obama is not bluffing,” Biden said to a standing ovation. “We are not looking for war. We are looking to and ready to negotiate peacefully, but all options, including military force, are on the table.”

Netanyahu, who has hinted at Israeli plans to strike Iran’s nuclear sites if it deems peaceful options to have failed, said Tehran was moving ever-closer to bomb capability and was using the negotiations to “buy time.”

He has pressed the Obama administration to set strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear development that would trigger a US militar y response, a demand that has fueled tensions between the two close allies. Obama has resisted setting such an ultimatum.

Biden urged caution to avoid losing international solidarity against Iran, which faces possibly the toughest sanctions ever assembled. “If, God forbid, the need to act occurs, it is critically important for the whole world to know we did everything in our power, we did everything that reasonably could have been expected to avoid any confrontation,” Biden said.

He said there was still time for a diplomatic solution, though he warned “that window is closing.”

After Biden’s speech, AIPAC which has not always seen eye-toeye with the Obama administration - praised him for a “a very important statement today that the president is not bluffing.”

Iran will top the agenda on Obama’s first presidential visit to Israel, which Biden said would take place just before the Jewish holiday of Passover, beginning on March 25.

Netanyahu said Iran had not yet crossed a “red line” he set at the United Nations in September, when he said Tehran should not be allowed to amass enough mediumenriched uranium that, if purified further, would be enough to power a single warhead. He gave a rough deadline at the time of spring or summer 2013.

But he told AIPAC: “Iran is getting closer to that red line and it’s putting itself in a position to cross that line ver y quick ly once it decides to do so.” However, Netanyahu stopped short of any explicit threat of Israeli military action.

Netanyahu’s calculus on Iran is complicated by Israel’s unsettled domestic politics. He is still struggling to forge a new coalition government after a surprisingly strong

showing by centrist par ties in January’s elections.

In Kazakhstan, the United States and five other powers offered Iran modest sanctions relief in return for curbing its most sensitive nuclear work. There was no breakthrough but the sides agreed to further talks in early April.

Netanyahu has insisted that Iran, whose leaders have frequently threatened Israel, is using the negotiations to stall for time to develop a nuclear bomb capability.

Israel is assumed to be the Middle East’s only nuclear-armed power.

“The latest efforts at conciliation and some kind of agreement with the Iranians have failed,” Republican U.S. Senator John McCain told the audience earlier.

“It’s very clear that they are on the path to having a nuclear weapon.”

Obama has repeatedly pledged to keep pressure on Iran, but his refusal to take an even stronger stance has contributed to tense dealings with Netanyahu. Even so, the situation has calmed considerably since Obama addressed AIPAC last year and issued a pointed warning against “loose talk” of war with Iran.

A senior Israeli official said that while the Netanyahu government had hoped for a tougher line at the negotiations by the so-called P5+1 - made up of the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany - it was resigned to awaiting the results of the next round of talks.

Iran may have lessened Israel’s immediate sense of urgency by turning some of its 20 percent-pure uranium - which is considered to be only a short technical step away from weapons-grade uranium into fuel rods for a research reactor.

Netanyahu also made clear Israel’s concern about where Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons and other advanced arms might end up in the midst of civil war.

“As the Syrian regime collapses, the danger of these weapons falling into the hands of terrorist groups is very real. Terror groups such as Hezbollah and al Qaeda are trying to seize these weapons as we speak,” he said. “We have a common interest in preventing them from obtaining these deadly weapons.” — Reuters

Netanyahu: Iran closer to nuclear ‘red line’ WASHINGTON: Faced with “faster and faster” centrifuges spinning in Iran, Israeli Prime M inister Benjamin Netanyahu warned M onday that Tehran’s nuclear program was getting closer to crossing a crucial “red line.”

Speak ing via satellite link from Jerusalem to an influential pro-Israel lobby group, the remarks reiterated Netanyahu’s apparent impatience with the policy of leading nations to use sanctions to suppress Iran’s atomic ambitions.

Instead, the comments seemed to underscore Netanyahu’s desire to see Tehran face a more robust military threat, in the wake of talks last week between the world’s top powers and Iranian negotiators on the disputed nuclear program.

“Iran enriches more and more uranium, it installs faster and faster centrifuges,” Netanyahu told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States.

“We have to stop its nuclear enrichment program before it’s too late,” he said, asserting that Iran is “running out the clock” on the international community’s efforts to prevent the country from obtaining an atomic weapon.

The Israeli prime minister warned that leaders in Tehran had opted to “just grit their teeth” through punishing international sanctions and pursue their plans, come what may.

“It’s still not crossed the red line I drew with the United Nations last September,” Netanyahu said, referring to the point at which Israel believes arch foe Iran would be able to build a nuclear bomb.

“But Iran is getting closer to that red line, and it is putting itself in a position to cross that line very quickly once it decides to do so.” Last week’s talks in Almaty saw the UN Security Council’s five permanent membersBritain, China, France, Russia, and the United States-and Germany offer Iran a softening of non-oil or financial sector-related sanctions. In return, the P5+1 powers asked Iran for concessions over its sensitive uranium enrichment operations.

A senior US official said I ran “appeared to listen carefully to the offer” and its chief negotiator Saeed Jalili issued rare praise for the world powers, noting that the Almaty meeting may later be viewed as “a milestone.” However, ahead of his talks

with US President Barack Obama later this month, Netanyahu stressed that Iran’s leaders have “used negotiations, including the most recent ones, to buy time to press ahead with its nuclear program.”

There must be “a clear and credible military threat if diplomacy and sanctions fail,” the Israeli leader said.

Netanyahu won re-election earlier this year but has so far struggled to stitch together a coalition. He told the AIPAC audience that “I intend to form a strong and stable government in the days ahead.” One of its first duties he said would be hosting Obama on an official visit his first as US commander in chief. The two leaders would discuss Iran as well as Syria, where a civil war is raging nearly two years after the start of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Netanyahu said his own struggle to cobble together a government prevented him from traveling to Washington for AIPAC, as he has done in the past. Ahead of his visit to Israel, Obama sent Vice President Joe Biden to the AIPAC conference Monday to assuage concerns among Israel’s backers that the US administration was not as closely allied with Israel as previous presidents.

“Israel’s legitimacy and our support for it is not a matter of debate. There is no light” between the two countries, Biden insisted. Republican critics including Senator John McCain, who also spoke at AIPAC, have criticized the administration for appearing weak on Iran.

“The latest efforts at conciliation... have failed,” McCain said, referring to last week’s talks in Kazakhstan. “It’s very clear they are on the path to having a nuclear weapon,” McCain said of Iran. “I don’t think it’s a question of whether, it’s obviously a question of when.” But a stern-faced Biden was insistent that Washington’s aim was “to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Period, end of discussion.”

“President Barack Obama is not bluffing,” Biden added, pointing at the crowd of several thousand. Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry said after talks with officials in Gulf states that the P5+1’s discussions with Iran “cannot become an instrument for delay that in the end makes the situation more dangerous.” “ There is a finite amount of time,” he added. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

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

Russia divided on Stalin 60 years after his death MOSCOW : About 1,000 devotees of Josef Stalin laid flowers yesterday at his tomb by the Kremlin wall to mark the 60th anniversary of his death, while experts and politicians pondered the reasons for the Soviet dictator’s enduring popularity despite his purges that killed millions.

Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov led zealots who lined up at Stalin’s grave, praising him as a symbol of the nation’s “great victories” and saying that Russia needs to rely on this “unique experience” to overcome its problems.

Stalin led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. Communists and other hardliners credit him with leading the country to victory in World War II and turning it into a nuclear superpower, while critics condemn his repressions.

Historians estimate that more than 800,000 people were executed during the purges that peaked during the Great Terror in the late 1930s, and millions more died of harsh labor and cruel treatment in the giant Gulag prison camp system, mass starvation in Ukraine and southern Russia and deportations of ethnic minorities.

The liberal Moskovskie Novosti’s cover Tuesday read “Stalin. Farewell” with the dictator’s face scribbled over with childish graffiti, while staunch Communist daily Sovetskaya Rossiya ran a cover story on Stalin headlined “His time will come.”

An opinion survey commissioned by

the Carnegie Endowment found Stalin has remained widely admired in Russia and other ex-Soviet nations despite his repressions. Its authors noted that public attitudes to the dictator have improved during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 13-year rule, as the Kremlin has found Stalin’s image useful in its efforts to tighten control.

In particular, Putin, whose professed ideology draws heavily from Soviet statism, has made efforts to give Stalin a more positive historical evaluation.

School history textbooks have been released stressing Stalin’s role as an “effective manager” of the 1930s Soviet industrialization campaign, though historians express far greater skepticism about his supposed economic achievements.

Liberal newspaper Vedomosti dismissed “the crazy dichotomy of achievements and losses” in an editorial Tuesday. “You can’t put economic achievements and human losses side by side, but even if you try, you won’t find any justification for the Stalin myth,” it said.

Pro-Kremlin lawmakers campaigned this year to rename the city of Volgograd to Stalingrad in commemoration of the battle against Nazi Germany there, widely considered both World War II’s bloodiest and its turning point. Most Russians, however, oppose the move and see Stalin’s death primarily as the end of an era of political repression, according to a poll by the independent Levada Center

published Monday.

Opposition politicians have criticized the government for failing to clearly condemn Stalin’s repressions. Grigory Yavlinsky, a liberal former presidential

popularity owes itself to nostalgic perceptions of him as a strong leader in line with Russian traditions, rather than a longing to reinstate Communist dictatorship. One old woman made the sign

TBILISI: Georgians carry a portrait of former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and red flags during a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Stalin’s death in his home town of Gori, some 80 km (50 miles) west of the Georgian capital Tbilisi, yesterday. — AP candidate, demanded Tuesday that the government “recognize what happened as a crime” and compensate Gulag prisoners who built some of Russia’s biggest industrial enterprises, including metals giant Norilsk Nickel.

Much of the resurgence in Stalin’s

of the cross after laying flowers at his grave; another carried a drawing of him in the style of Russian Orthodox Christian icons.

A surprisingly large number of Russians even believe that Stalin had mystical powers. As recently as 2003,

about 750,000 people voted for a party that aimed to continue what it said was Stalin’s attempt to battle the ancient Egyptian priesthood of Ra, which supposedly runs the world from its base in Switzerland. Zavtra, a newspaper run by a popular novelist and columnist, frequently runs pieces like one from about the same time predicting that Stalin would return from the dead and saying that “if you put your ear to the Volga steppe outside Stalingrad you can hear his footsteps.”

In 1989, at the peak of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts to liberalize the country and expose Stalinist crimes, only 12 percent of Russians polled described Stalin as one of the most prominent historical figures, while in the Carnegie poll last year, 42 percent of Russian respondents did so.

The poll revealed that the dictator also has continued to enjoy wide popularity in his native Georgia, where 45 percent of respondents expressed a positive view of him. Efforts to shed the nation’s Soviet legacy by Georgia’s pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili have failed to change public perceptions of Stalin.

Georgian communists, who flocked to Stalin’s hometown of Gori for the anniversary yesterday, hope that the government of Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose bloc defeated Saakashvili’s party in parliamentary elections last fall, will restore the Stalin monument torn down on Saakashvili’s orders. — AP

Police search Bolshoi dancer’s home, quiz acid attack suspect Ballet chief badly burned by masked assailant

Handout photo released yesterday by the ECPAD shows arms and munitions recovered by French forces in the mountains in northern Mali. France said yesterday that dozens of Islamist militants have been killed in the bloodiest phase of the Mali conflict to date, but it remained unclear if key commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar was among them. — AFP

Mali conflict in bloodiest phase PARIS: France said yesterday that dozens of Islamist militants have been killed in the bloodiest phase of the Mali conflict to date, but it remained unclear if key commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar was among them.

Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno on Monday reiterated his belief that Belmokhtar had been killed during fierce fighting in recent days in the Ifoghas mountains, on Mali’s northeastern border with Algeria.

Deby said his government had only refrained from displaying his body out of respect for Islamic principles. Radio France International (RFI) has published a picture, taken by a Chadian soldier, of what it believes to be the corpse of Belmokhtar, the mastermind of the January assault on an Algerian gas field that left 37 foreign hostages dead. But French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday it was not clear the Algerian commander, a one-eyed Afghanistan veteran, had been killed. “We can’t be sure it is him,” Le Drian said. “If the Chadian president can bring us proof, so much the better. If it is true it would be very good news but it would not resolve everything.”

An Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) source who on Monday confirmed the death of another prominent militant, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, insisted that Belmokhtar was still alive and fighting.

France continues to regard reports of the deaths of Abou Zeid and Belmokhtar as unconfirmed and officials have been careful to avoid any statement smacking of triumphalism that could further endanger French hostages being held in the region.

The families of four French hostages believed to be held in the Ifoghas region have called for a pause in military action to allow for negotiations on their possible release. Le Drian said he had reason to believe all 15 French hostages held in various parts of Africa were still alive. “We have had indications to that effect but I don’t want to say any more about that. “Suffice to say, if the kidnappers had killed any of them, they would have made it known. We understand the anguish of the families but we are doing everything we can to secure the release of their relatives.” Le Drian said dozens of militants had been killed in recent days, including 15 overnight.

Chad, which has lost 27 of its own troops in the fighting, put the toll of Islamist fighters slain in the Ifoghas at 70 and has said eight fighters have been taken prisoner.

Three French soldiers have been killed since the intervention was launched in January in response to a push south by hundreds of AQIM and other fighters who took control of northern Mali last year.

The French forces met relatively little resistance as the Islamist groups were pushed back from central Mali. Malian officers have said dozens of the rebels were slain during the opening weeks of the campaign but those claims have not been verified. Le Drian said French and Chadian troops were now involved in a “pincer movement” against rebels based in the Ametettai valley. He warned the high-risk operation in the rugged terrain was likely to go on for some time because of the need to secure neighbouring valleys.— AFP

MOSCOW: Russian police searched the home of one of the Bolshoi Ballet’s top dancers yesterday over an acid attack that nearly blinded the troupe’s artistic director, and detained a man suspected of carrying it out.

The coordinated police action was the first sign of progress towards solving a crime that left Sergei Filin, 42, with severe burns after a masked attacker threw a jar of sulphuric acid in his face outside his apartment on Jan. 17.

The attack has shocked a country used to violent settling of scores and put the spotlight on infighting at one its top cultural institutions. The involvement of any of the artistes would deepen the sense of crisis at the Bolshoi.

Police said the Moscow home of Pavel Dmitrichenko, a Bolshoi soloist who has been performing the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev’s Ivan The Terrible, had been searched but did not say whether the search indicated he was being treated as a suspect.

It also said an unnamed suspect had been detained in the suburbs of the capital early on Monday and taken in for questioning. Police sources told Russian media that the man was suspected of throwing the acid at Filin.

“This is good news for us,” Katerina Novikova, the Bolshoi Theatre’s spokeswoman, said of the suspect’s detention.

“The Bolshoi Theatre hopes that this detention today shows that this crime will be solved because it is very important for us all and we are really hopeful that the mastermind as well as the perpetrator of this crime will be identified.”

But she looked irritated and became defensive when addressing the possibility of divisions in the troupe, saying: “I think the Bolshoi Theatre troupe is waiting for Sergei’s return, and loves him and wishes him a speedy recovery.”

She said she did not know the reason for the search of Dmitrichenko’s apartment and did not know of any dispute between him and Filin.

Filin was left writhing in agony in the snow for about 20 minutes after the attack. As artistic director of the theatre’s ballet company, he had the power to make or break careers in the fiercely competitive world of ballet.

He said before heading to Germany last

MOSCOW: A file picture taken on February 4, 2013, shows the Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director Sergei Filin speaking to journalists as he leaves a hospital in Moscow. Moscow police said yesterday they had detained and questioned a suspect in January’s acid attack on Sergei Filin. — AFP month for treatment that is expected to save his sight that he believed he knew who was behind the attack and hinted it might be connected to his work, but refused to give a name.

Dmitrichenko could not immediately be reached for comment. He has been with the troupe since 2002. The theatre has been no stranger to intrigue since it was built under Empress Catherine the Great in 1776 and the ballet troupe has gone through five artistic directors since 1995.

In 2003, Bolshoi bosses were heavily criticised for trying to fire ballerina Anastasia Volochkova for being too heavy. In 2011, deputy ballet director Gennady Yanin, then seen as a candidate for the artistic director post, quit after pornographic images of him appeared on the Internet.

The theatre, near Moscow’s Red Square, reopened to great fanfare in 2011 after a sixyear, $700-million renovation that restored its tsarist opulence but was criticised for going far over budget. It has frequently been under fire over its artistic programme since then.

Leading Russian cultural figures wrote to President Vladimir Putin last November calling for the dismissal of the Bolshoi’s general manager, Anatoly Iksanov. Among his critics are veteran dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who challenged him for his job. The Bolshoi dismissed the criticism, saying it failed to take into account the troupe’s latest performances. A prominent current affairs television show, Post Scriptum, blamed the management last month for failing to prevent scandals. — Reuters

Kenyans await tense presidential poll results NAIROBI: Kenyans nervously eyed results Monday trickling in a day after they turned out peacefully en masse for critical presidential elections, the first since disputed polls five years ago triggered a wave of bloodletting.

Throughout the night results slowly filtered in from the polls-seen as key to the regional powerhouse’s stability-with almost a third of polling stations posting results by mid-morning yesterday.

The two front runners are Prime Minister

Raila Odinga, who says he was robbed of victory in 2007, and Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces crimes against humanity charges over the violence that killed more than 1,100 people and forced over 600,000 to flee their homes.

Voters standing for hours in snaking lines several hundred 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.

Hours before polling stations opened,

bloody clashes erupted on the Indian Ocean coast in which six policemen and six attackers were killed, as well as several bombs that wounded one person in Mandera, a northeastern town on the border with war-torn Somalia.

Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo blamed the coastal attacks on suspected members of the secessionist Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), and said that 400 officers were being sent to beef up security in the popular tourist region.—AFP

Cardinals seek pope to tackle Vatican bureaucracy

VATICAN: Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino walks on St Peter’s square after a meeting on the second day of pre-conclave yesterday at the Vatican. The next pope’s ideal profile began to take shape yesterday as cardinals held a second day of pre-conclave talks — a man with pastoral experience, missionary energy and few ties to the Vatican’s unruly government. — AFP

VATICAN CITY: The next pope’s ideal profile began to take shape yesterday as cardinals held a second day of preconclave talks-a man with pastoral experience, missionary energy and few ties to the Vatican’s unruly government. Cardinals waved cheerfully to journalists at the gates of the Vatican but declined to divulge details of the closed-door debate on who among them could be the best candidate for the papacy following Benedict XVI’s sudden resignation.

Vatican experts say one of the hot-button issues now uniting many of the cardinals is the need to chose a new leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics capable of putting his stamp on the Roman Curia, the central government of the Church.

Secret papal documents leaked to the press last year alleged corruption and intrigue in the Vatican administration and unearthed infighting

which many hope the new pope will tackle. “What began as a trickle has become a torrent in the last 24 hours of cardinals insisting that the number one issue is governance,” said expert John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter.

This might mean choosing someone who has no previous ties to the opaque Vatican bureaucracy, such as Italian Angelo Scola, who could appeal because “he knows the lay of the land but has never been a Vatican official,” Allen said.

He also has much more extensive pastoral experience than Jospeh Ratzinger did before he became pope-but so does Brazilian Odilo Scherer, “an old Vatican hand (who) brings together concrete pastoral experience and strong governor skills,” Allen said.

The “winning ticket” according to many watchers would be a pope with

strong pastoral skills-such as the popular Luis Antonio Tagle from the Philippines or South African Wilfrid Napier-whose right-hand man, the Secretary of State, could be Italian.

Although over a quarter of the cardinal electors are Italian, many prelates have been pushing for leadership of the Church to be distanced from the hugely embarrassing Vatileaks scandal in Rome. “ The ability to govern is very important. It would appear that substantial problems have been identified through Vatileaks, these need to be addressed,” Australian cardinal George Pell told the Vatican Insider newspaper, calling for a pope who can “improve the morale of the Curia.”

“We need somebody who is a strategist, a decision-maker, a planner, somebody who has got strong pastoral capacities already demonstrated so that he can take a grip of

the situation and take the Church forward,” he said.

US cardinal Francis George said the electors would be asking “those cardinals involved in the governing of the Curia as to what they think needs to be changed,” adding that the frankest debating took place over the coffee breaks between the official talks.

Among other voices, there are those who insist parts of the world which have been under-represented so far should have a shot at the papacy, including candidates from Latin America, the world’s most Catholic continent. Should one of their own not be favoured, experts say Latin American cardinals could back Canadian Marc Ouellet, who has spent part of his career as a missionary in Colombia and is a keen pastoral figure who also has experience within the Vatican.— AFP

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American lawmakers push for tougher N Korea sanctions US, China reached agreement on new draft sanctions

WASHINGTON: Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) speaks during the final day of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) annual meeting at the Washington Convention Center yesterday in Washington, DC. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ) spoke to the group about the US Israeli relationship, Mideast issues and the possibility of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons. — AFP

Senator Menendez says he looks forward to vindication WASHINGTON: Sen Robert Menendez, who has maintained all along that he never paid prostitutes for sex, said he is looking forward to whatever evidence emerges from courts in the Dominican Republic to vindicate him.

A Dominican lawyer on Monday released an affidavit from a 23-year-old woman saying she fabricated a story about Menendez paying her for sex.

“I’ve always said that these are false, they’re smears,” Menendez, D-N.J., told reporters at the Capitol, referring to published reports that he paid prostitutes for sex in the Dominican Republic. “And, so, I look forward to seeing whatever the Dominican courts have that prove what I’ve said all along.” Vincio Castillo Seman, a Dominican lawyer, told reporters at a news conference Monday in the Dominican Republic that a woman identified as Nexis de los Santos now claims both that she “never went to bed with” Menendez and never actually met him.

Castillo, the son of a Dominican presidential adviser and the brother of a member of the country’s Congress, has been entwined in the scandal himself, accused of hosting outings on his yacht in which Menendez used the services of prostitutes.

Like Menendez, he has strongly denied the allegations. Castillo said he would seek a criminal probe into the source of the reports. On Monday, Castillo distributed copies of the woman’s sworn statement to reporters. The woman did not attend.

Castillo said de los Santos claims she and a friend were approached by another Dominican lawyer, Melanio Figueroa. The two women recited the accusations on a video that was recorded without their consent, he said.

In an interview with The Miami Herald, Figueroa denied orchestrating the accusa-

tions against Menendez. “It was a case that I handled for these women and faithfully represented them for what they said,” he said. Just before Menendez’s successful reelection in November, The Daily Caller, a conservative website, published a story that included a video interview with two women who claimed to be prostitutes. The women - whose faces were blurred in the video - said Menendez paid them $100 for sex after agreeing to a fee of $500.

On its website early Tuesday, The Daily Caller said neither of the women in the video identified herself as Nexis de los Santos. The website also said both women consented to the presence of a video webcam. In the video released last year, the two women also claimed they had sex with Castillo and Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor of Dominican descent who is a prominent Democratic campaign contributor and a major supporter of Menendez. De los Santos claims those allegations are also fabricated.

Melgen said in a statement that he is pleased Dominican authorities are investigating the prostitution claims, which he says are false. Menendez’s ties to Melgen have come under close scrutiny after an FBI raid last month at the doctor’s West Palm Beach, Fla., offices. Menendez has acknowledged flying on Melgen’s private jet to the Dominican Republic twice and was compelled to reimburse $58,000 for the two flights that he had previously failed to report.

A watchdog group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has said it had received emails starting in April 2012 alleging that Menendez used the services of prostitutes in the Dominican Republic. The emails came from someone identified as “Peter Williams,” though that may be a pseudonym. — AP

Gunmen kill online reporter in Mexico CIUDAD JUAREZ: Gunmen shot dead an online journalist while he ate at a taco stand in the Mexican town of Ojinaga, which lies across the border from Presidio, Texas, authorities said Monday.

Jaime Gonzalez Dominguez’s news website, Ojinaga Noticias, reported that the 38-year-old journalist was shot at least 18 times with an assault rifle Sunday afternoon. The gunmen stole his camera and a woman who was with him was not wounded in the attack, it said. “ This attack against journalism is a real shame,” the article said, adding that the story about the attack would probably be the last one it published.

Minutes later the website was taken down. Ojinaga Noticias covered stories ranging from local sports to education, and on Monday it didn’t have any major reports about crime or drug trafficking.

Chihuahua state prosecutors’ spokesman Carlos Gonzalez said authorities have yet to determine a motive in the killing and that prosecutors don’t know if Gonzalez Dominguez had received threats.

The Association of Journalists of Ciudad Juarez, another border town in Chihuahua state, demanded a thorough and fast investigation. “Chihuahua state can no longer be one of the states where

practicing journalism is a high risk,” the association said in a statement. The killing comes days before the InterAmerican Press Association was to meet in the central Mexican city of Puebla. The group has several times expressed concern about the risks faced by journalists in the country.

Press advocates have long called Mexico one of the most dangerous nations for reporters. But there isn’t a single figure on crimes against journalists.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says in its latest report published in February that 12 Mexican journalists went missing between 2006 and 2012 and that in the same period 14 were killed because of their work.

Mexico’s human rights commission lists 81 journalists killed since 2000.In July, Mexico’s special prosecutor for crimes against freedom of expression Laura Borbolla said 67 journalists have been killed and 14 have disappeared in the country since 2006. Borbolla testified at a congressional hearing that her unit has identified 74 suspects in reporters’ killings, but she didn’t say if any of them had been detained. She also told lawmakers that she is aware of only one case involving the slaying of a journalist that reached sentencing. — AP

WASHINGTON: Lawmakers are pushing for tougher US financial restrictions on North Korea even as the UN Security Council moves closer to a new resolution tightening international sanctions in response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test. The US is expected to present a draft resolution to the council today, after reaching agreement with China following three weeks of deliberations on how to respond to the North’s third atomic test, UN diplomats said.

That’s a sign of Beijing’s disapproval of its troublesome ally’s behavior and will be welcomed in Washington. The text of the resolution has not been made public, but there has been speculation the UN’s most powerful body could move to toughen financial restrictions and cargo inspections, as well as blacklisting more companies and individuals.

Earlier yesterday, North Korea’s military vowed to cancel the 1953 Korean War cease-fire, saying Washington and others are going beyond mere economic sanctions and expanding into blunt aggression and military acts. The Korean People’s Army Supreme Command also warned that it will block a communications line at the border village separating the two Koreas.

In the U.S., the foreign affairs panels of both houses of Congress will consider the Obama administration’s next policy options to impede Pyongyang’s development of missile and nuclear weapons that are increasingly viewed as a direct threat to the United States.

Yesterday, the Republican-led House foreign affairs panel examined how criminal activities support North Korea’s authoritarian regime. That could buttress the case for leveraging the vast reach of the US financial system to pressure international banks that deal with the North.

North Korea long has been believed to have derived hundreds of millions of dollars a year from criminal activities such as counterfeiting of cigarettes and US currency, drug trafficking and insurance scams. Its sales of missiles and conventional weaponry are also outlawed under existing UN resolutions.

Targeted US financial sanctions have been tried before and have had a significant impact but upset China, the North’s main source of economic support and the country where it conducts most of its trade and financial transactions. The US wants Beijing to exert more pressure on North Korea, and China’s willingness to agree to more U.N sanctions shows its patience is wearing thin. It remains to be seen, however, whether diplomatic action on more sanctions translates into their implementation on the ground.

There is deep frustration in Congress over the international diplomatic efforts aimed at persuading Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid. The talks, hosted

by China, have been stalled since 2009. A US attempt to offer food aid in exchange for nuclear concessions last year fell flat.

New North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has adopted a confrontational approach toward

BEIJING: US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, center, walks away from the journalists as he arrives for the opening session of the annual National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. The United States and China have reached agreement on a new draft sanctions resolution to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test, UN diplomats said late Monday. — AP Washington, although he did deign to meet last week with former professional basketball star Dennis Rodman. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said that since the Bill Clinton administration, U.S. policy toward North Korea has been a “bipartisan failure” based on the hope that North Korea would do the right thing. The California Republican said yesterday’s hearing “will identify the best strategy for cutting off North Korea’s access to hard currency in order to see real change.”

Sung-Yoon Lee, professor of Korea studies at Tufts University, who was scheduled to testify, said the North’s “shadowy palace economy” makes the Kim regime vulnerable to actions targeting money laundering. He suggests the Treasury Department require American banks to restrict their dealings with foreign individuals, banks, entities and even entire governments that are linked to North Korea’s government.

“The Obama administration has apparently not decided on this approach, but the political climate is conducive to trying something like it,” Lee said. Marcus Noland, an expert on North Korea’s economy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the North’s illicit activities continue, although their overall importance for the North’s economy has declined as its international trade, particularly with China, has grown sharply. China accounts for 70 percent to 80 percent of North Korea’s trade and totaled more than $7 billion in 2011.

In a rough estimate, Noland estimated that arms and illicit exports accounted for just under

10 percent of the merchandise the North traded in 2011, compared with more than 30 percent in 1999, when the economy was at a low point after years of famine. International interdiction efforts have also impeded the illicit trade, he said. The North’s improved financial standing could help explain its recent provocative behavior in conducting rocket and nuclear tests.

“If you are running a surplus and China is in your corner and won’t implement UN embargos, then you can be provocative,” Noland said. “But North Korea is heavily dependent on China, particularly for energy, and if China changes policy and literally cuts off the pipeline, then they’re in real trouble.”

In 2005, the US Treasury sanctioned Banco Delta Asia, a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau which held about $25 million in North Korean funds. Treasury accused the bank of introducing counterfeit notes and laundering funds on behalf of North Korean enterprises linked to weapons of mass destruction programs.

The 2005 action caused a ripple effect among other banks worried about being closed out of the international financial system. Yet the sanction annoyed Beijing - as well as enraging Pyongyang - and proved complicated to undo when nuclear negotiations with North Korea finally got back on track.

The US could also target the North’s shipping by declaring the country a criminal enterprise, making vessels carrying its goods difficult to insure and subject to search and seizure, Noland said. — AP

Defendant won’t testify at NYC cannibal-plot trial NEW YORK: The defense team for a New York City police officer charged with conspiring to kidnap, kill and eat women is making its case to a Manhattan jury after the government finished presenting evidence by showing what it found on the officer’s computer - images including a video of a chained woman screaming as the flame of a torch lashes her body.

Defense attorneys presented evidence yesterday beginning with the

videotaped testimony of a Russian man who runs a fetish website where the government says Officer Gilberto Valle, 28, met co -conspirators interested in capturing, raping, killing, cooking and eating women.

The defendant will not testify.

Sergey Merenkov, 34, said in testimony videotaped Feb. 19 that he started the website with partners in 2010 to create a Facebook-like environment for people with kinky fantasies to

NEW YORK: In this Feb. 25, 2013, courtroom sketch, former New York City Police Officer Gilberto Valle, second right, is seated at federal court in New York. An FBI agent says a New York police officer accused of conspiring with others on the Internet to kill and eat women was cooperative and willing to help the agency catch dangerous people on the Internet, not just those role playing, when he was arrested in October. — AP

communicate. He said the majority of the 4,500 active users, 25 percent of which he estimates to be women, are in the United States or Europe.

According to a transcript already in court records, the Moscow who says his primary job is to distribute Spanish ice cream will testify people commonly engage in role play on the website, such as when a woman poses as a witch and a mob of 10 or more angry villagers prepare to hang her.

“The girl could write, ‘I’m shivering from fright. They’re pulling me to the noose. I can feel the rope already on my neck,’” he testified. Merenkov’s testimony is aimed at supporting defense arguments that Valle was role playing when he spoke in dramatic details with others on the Internet about killing and cooking at least six women he knew, including his wife.

Valle was arrested in October after his wife discovered the chats on his computer and fled their Queens home, turning a computer over to the FBI in Reno, Nev. In a final flourish Monday, prosecutors revealed the contents of two computers Valle used, including disturbing images from websites devoted to torturing and eating women.

FBI computer forensics examiner Stephen Flatly testified Valle frequently visited several websites showing women in various stages of forced duress, including one that offered images of women who did not sur-

vive. “Some are dead. ... A couple of them appeared to have been strangled,” he said. As Flatly described the images displayed on video monitors in federal court in Manhattan, some jurors put hands to their mouths. One shook her head.

Another wiped his brow. One cannibalism website allegedly visited by Valle promised customers they would “only receive the highest quality human beef.” The jury also heard how the officer allegedly looked up “how to tie up a girl,” “human meat recipes,” “how to chloroform a girl,” “I want to sell a girl slave,” “how to cook a girl,” “death fetish” and “huge cooking tray” among other topics.

The FBI analysis of Valle’s laptop yielded an apparently staged video of a naked, screaming woman hanging over an open flame that came close to her skin. There also were several photos of women with bright red apples stuffed in their mouths.

Two images of naked women roasting on a giant spit were discovered in a computer file of several dozen photographs Valle kept on a former college friend whom prosecutors have identified as a target of the alleged plot. The face of one woman prosecutors say he targeted was cut out and pasted onto a cartoon of a woman being boiled in a pot. His browsing history also revealed an article titled “Cannibalism can be addictive, expert says.” —AP

Italian president mulls new technocrat government ROME: President Giorgio Napolitano is considering appointing a new technocrat government led by a non-politician as one way out of Italy’s political stalemate, sources said yesterday.

Such a solution would come into play if centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani failed to form a government after receiving an initial mandate from Napolitano, as is expected, they said.

Bersani won a majority in the lower house of parliament and says he has the right to be the first to try to form a government, although he has no workable majority in the Senate.

However, 5-Star Movement leader Beppe Grillo, who holds the whip hand after winning a huge protest vote, responded to speculation about a technocrat government in Italian media on Tuesday by saying he would not support such an administration.

“Technocrat governments don’t exist in nature but only political governments supported by parliamentary majorities.

The Monti government was the most political government since the war,” he said on his blog.

He said a technocrat premier would just be a “fig leaf” to cover the responsibilities of the traditional parties.

Napolitano is charged with finding a way out of the impasse but does not begin formal consultations until around March 15 for constitutional reasons, which encourages both speculation and manoeuvring by politicians in the limbo before then. With no party able to control the upper house, the options for forming a government depend on an agreement between at least two of the three main rival forces in parliament, Bersani’s centre-left, the centre-right bloc led by Silvio Berlusconi and the anti-

establishment 5-Star Movement.

Grillo has expressed repeated hostility to overtures from Bersani and is considered unlikely to support a government led by him. On Monday, Vito Crimi, newly appointed leader of the 5-Star Movement in the Senate, said his group would not give a confidence vote to any government led by one of the main parties but could back an administration “alternative to the party system”.

However, on Tuesday he said his remarks had been misinterpreted and the movement would not support a technocrat government. He said the 5Star Movement’s aim was to lead a government itself. Grillo spent much of the election campaign making fierce attacks on Monti’s unelected government, which Napolitano appointed at the height of the financial crisis in 2011.

Monti, the outgoing prime minister,

invited the heads of the three main blocs to meetings to discuss next week’s European Council meeting in Brussels, the first opportunity for the main party chiefs to meet since the election. The leadership of Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD) is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss its next steps and to approve a core programme of reforms in areas including corruption and party finance, which he has said he will present to parliament.

He has ruled out an alliance with Berlusconi and has called on Grillo’s party, the third most powerful force in parliament with 163 members in the two houses, to back his proposals.

However, Bersani’s own position has been badly weakened by the election, which the PD had been clear favourite to win, and speculation has grown that he may be replaced, possibly by the 37year-old mayor of Florence, Matteo

Renzi. The political stalemate in Italy has caused alarm among its European partners because of concern that instability could reignite the market crisis that brought the euro zone to the brink of collapse before Monti was appointed in November 2011.

On Monday, finance ministers from the 17-member currency bloc meeting in Brussels said they were optimistic that whatever government was formed in Italy would show responsibility.

Monti remains in charge of day-today government business until a new government is formed, but cannot introduce any major legislation.

His own involvement in the election, in which he led a centrist grouping that won just over 10 percent of the vote, is thought to have ruled him out for another term as a non-partisan head of government. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

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Triumph and regret as China’s Wen bows out BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao gave his last major political speech yesterday after overseeing a decade of blistering economic growth, but failing to close a yawning wealth gap or make major political reforms.

China’s achievements during his tenure include its first manned spaceflight, developing the world’s largest high-speed rail network, strengthening the military and hosting Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games.

As the country’s top economic official, Wen oversaw years of double-digit growth that saw it overtake Japan to

become the world’s second largest economy and a key player on the world stage.

But inequality grew during his tenure according to official statistics, despite his pledges to reduce the income gap between China’s cities and the impoverished countryside.

He also failed to transform the country’s growth model, which has slowed in recent years and, analysts say, is dangerously reliant on investment and exports.

Wen started his career as a geologist in China’s remote western provinces and worked his way up through Party ranks,

to emerge as the public face of the government.

Avuncular and down-to-earth, he cultivated an image as a people’s champion and won praise for his baby-hugging visits to victims of natural disasters, such as the 2008 Sichuan earthquake which killed at least 70,000 people.

Seen as a liberal within the Communist party-a protege of reformist official Hu Yaobang whose 1989 death sparked the Tiananmen Square proteststhe 70-year-old raised hopes of political reform in the Communist country.

In one interview with foreign media

he stated “the people’s wishes for, and needs for, democracy and freedom are irresistible”. But such terms often have different meanings in China than in the West, and Communist officials regularly say a Western-style democracy is not suitable for the country.

Under his leadership notions of reform stalled as the government put more resources into cracking down on dissidents and tightening controls on the Internet, while the country’s online population became the world’s largest.

As China’s ruling party continued to be blighted by corruption scandals,

Wen’s own reputation was tarnished by reports, suppressed in China, that his family had amassed huge wealth, having controlled assets worth $2.7 billion.

Winding up his closing speech Wen struck a triumphant chord, vowing the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”, to thunderous applause. Recent remarks, however, appear to exhibit a tinge of regret.

“Although I did my best, I still think I fell short in some tasks,” he said during a February visit to a Muslim district in Beijing. “In my heart I feel guilty and constantly blame myself.” — AFP

Maldives ex-prez arrested in abuse of power case

RAWALPINDI: In this photograph taken on February 12, 2013 Pakistani plastic surgeon Hamid Hassan (R) talks with acid attack survivor, Naziran Bibi prior to her eye surgery at the Hassan Surgical Clinic in Rawalpindi. — AFP

Conviction rate for acid attackers triple in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Few have much faith in the Pakistani courts, but campaigners say the conviction rate for acid attacks has tripled since tough new penalties were signed into law in late 2011.

Dozens of people, mostly women, but also men and children, are disfigured every year by one of the most brutal forms of domestic violence in a country where women are often treated as second-class citizens. Campaigners have praised the government, which will this month become the first in Pakistan to complete a full-term in office, for passing legislation in support of human rights, even if immense challenges remain in implementation.

Parliament outlawed domestic violence last year. In 2011, it introduced a minimum sentence of 14 years in jail and a fine of one million rupees ($10,000) for those found guilty of throwing acid.

Statistics are patchy but Valerie Khan Yusufzai, chair of the Pakistan branch of the Acid Survivors Foundation, says the conviction rate rose from an average of six percent before the amendment to 18 percent in 2012.

Lawyer Sikander Naeem said: “It has become much easier to get a conviction because the Supreme Court has (also) taken a special interest in such matters. The statement of a victim alone is sufficient for the conviction of any accused.”

But victims, left with horrendous injuries and often blind, say the penalties are still too light. Sidra Javed was attacked in June 2011 for spurning the advances of a son of her boss at a factory, where she earned $46 a month making water dispensers. Her family sacrificed almost everything to get her attacker jailed in July 2012.

“I was very relieved and happy for my father, that his efforts paid off given everything he did. But when I think about how I’m living, how disfigured I am, I think it (the punishment) should have been much

worse.” Her father repairs television sets, but distracted by the case and with Pakistan gripped by crippling power cuts his business dried up. “Sometimes there wasn’t even enough money for one meal a day,” she says.

Now 15 years old, clumps of her hair are burnt to the scalp. Half her arm, her chest and her leg are burnt. There are splash burns on her feet. She is blind in her right eye and partially sighted in the left.

She has had six operations, needs reconstruction work on her lips and ears, and requires a hair transplant.

Javed hates meeting new people, despises talking about the attack and feels weak if she exerts herself too much. Apart from travelling for medical treatment, she never leaves home in the eastern city of Lahore. Lawyers and campaigners admit challenges remain. Naeem wants a special court set up to deal specifically with acid crimes, to make the legal process easier and he says compensation needs to be paid more quickly to help the victims get treatment.

Awareness can be another problem. Last December, a couple who confessed to murdering their 15-year-old daughter with acid in Pakistan-administered Kashmir later insisted she committed suicide and with no witnesses or evidence, the judge released them on bail.

Pakistan’s leading human rights group said nearly 1,000 women and girls were murdered in 2011 after being accused of bringing shame on their families. It was extreme family pressure that ultimately led Naziran Bibi, a mother of two, to accept an out of court settlement for $4,000 in 2009.

Her tale underlines the difficulties faced by many victims, particularly those who are poorly educated in rural areas and who are dependent on relatives and terrified of their husband’s families taking away their children.—AFP

COLOMBO: The former president of the Maldives was arrested yesterday on charges of abuse of power during his tenure, setting off violent protests in the capital which saw seven policemen hurt.

Police spokesman Hassan Hanif said Mohamed Nasheed was arrested at his home in Male, the capital, and will be produced in cour t on Wednesday. He said Nasheed failed to appear for a hearing and evaded two arrest warrants.

He said Nasheed’s supporters turned violent soon after the arrest, attacking police and burning a motorbike. Ahmed Zahir, president of Maldives’ Journalists Association, said two reporters covering Nasheed’s arrest were beaten up.

“Assaulting my brother Ali Waheed will not help Nasheed escape justice,” President Mohammed Waheed Hassan tweeted after mobs tried to attack his brother.

Nasheed is charged with illegally ordering the arrest of a senior judge, a move that led to his fall from power in Februar y 2012.

Hassan, his vice president, replaced him. Nasheed says he was forced out at gunpoint in a coup, though a commission of inquiry dismissed that claim last year.

Nasheed says the charges against him are intended to keep him from tr ying to reclaim the presidency in elections set for September.

He avoided two arrest warrants last month by taking refuge at the Indian Embassy for 10 days. He was

MALE: Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed (C, in white) walks while surrounded by police personnel following his arrest in Male yesterday. Police in the Maldives detained opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed yesterday, defying pressure from regional power India which had called for him to be free to campaign for elections. — AFP arrested in October, also for avoiding a cour t summons, but was released after being brought before a court.

The Maldivian Democratic Party, which Nasheed leads, said police did not produce a court warrant when they carried out the arrest.

Party spokesman Abdul Gaffoor

said Nasheed was being detained at a prison island and that the party was concerned about his safety.

Hassan “has proven that he can’t be trusted to hold a free and fair election despite his assurances to the international community,” Gaffoor said.The party was meeting yesterday evening to decide its

next step.

Nasheed was elected president in the Indian Ocean archipelago’s first democratic elections in 2008, ending a 30-year autocracy. He resigned after weeks of public protests against the judge’s arrest and losing support from the military and police. — AP

Kabul Bank bosses jailed for five years KABUL: An Afghan court yesterday sentenced 20 people, including two senior Kabul Bank executives, for their roles in a staggering $900 million fraud that caused the country’s largest bank to collapse in 2010.

Judge Shamsul Rahman Shams jailed the executives for five years and ordered them to repay $808 million of the total, stolen in a sophisticated operation that saw cash used to buy homes in Britain, Dubai, Switzerland and the United States.

The bank’s former chairman, Sher Khan Farnoud, and its former CEO Khalilullah Ferozi, were both in court to hear the verdicts.

Eighteen other former Kabul Bank and central bank officials were ordered jailed for between six months and four years.

It was the first time anyone has been sentenced for the scandal, but anti-corruption

campaigners immediately criticised the verdicts and said it was unclear how much time those convicted would actually spend behind bars.

The scandal also touched a brother of President Hamid Karzai and a brother of Vice President Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim.

Both the brothers were shareholders in the bank and there has also been criticism that neither of them were charged.

“In comparison to the depth of the crisis, five years is far too little,” former deputy foreign minister Mahmoud Saikal told AFP. “This cost Afghanistan its credibility, caused enormous losses, and the court verdicts only came after huge international pressure.”

Kabul Bank was seized by the government in 2010 after the exposure of the fraud, which led the International Monetary Fund temporarily to halt its hundreds of millions of dollars of loans

to Afghanistan. Renamed New Kabul Bank, it was later bailed out by the government. The criminal proceedings have been watched closely by Western donors for signs that the country is finally tackling rampant government corruption. Donors have pledged billions of dollars in aid after NATO combat troops withdraw in 2014, but have demanded that corruption is brought under control.

The findings of an inquiry published in November found that top Afghan politicians dictated who should face prosecution. It detailed how money had been smuggled abroad in airline food trays.

“Today was a disappointment,” the inquiry report’s authors said after the sentences were announced. “International standards require sanctions that are proportionate, dissuasive and effective.”—AFP

Fiery Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez dies...

Continued from Page 1

An Indian forestry worker walks past the body of an elephant after it was struck by a train at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, some 12 km from Alipurduar yesterday. The adult tusker was killed by the speeding Guwahati-bound Somporkkranti Express inside the reserve in West Bengal. — AFP

A new election could offer another shot at the presidency to Henrique Capriles, the opposition leader who lost to Chavez in October.

Until picking Maduro, 50, as his political heir, Chavez had never allowed other leaders to emerge within his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). He used the ballot box to consolidate his power and push through policies that drove a wedge into Venezuelan society, alienating the wealthy with expropriations while wooing the poor with social handouts. Chavez won re-election in October vowing to make his self-styled 21st century revolution “irreversible”.

The opposition had accused Chavez of misusing public funds for his campaign and dominating the airwaves while forcing government workers to attend rallies through intimidation.

Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias was born on July 28, 1954, in the rural town of Sabaneta in Venezuela’s western plains. He was the son of schoolteacher parents and the second of six brothers. Chavez was a fine baseball player and hoped he might one day pitch in the US major leagues. When he joined the military at age 17, he aimed to keep honing his baseball skills in the capital. But the young soldier immersed himself in the history of Bolivar and other Venezuelan heroes who had overthrown Spanish rule, and his political ideas began to take shape.

Chavez’s death will particularly affect Cuba’s communist regime, whose moribund state-run economy has relied heavily on Chavez’s oil generosity. Chavez received much of his treatment in secretive Cuba, away from prying Venezuelan media, and had a cancerous tumor removed from his pelvic area in June 2011. The exact nature and location of his cancer was never revealed. Under Fidel Castro’s mentoring, Chavez became the face of the radical left in Latin America, with regular diatribes against US “imperialism” and the forging of ties with regimes at odds with Washington in Syria, Libya and Iran.

But despite tense relations with the United States, Chavez continued to export one million barrels of oil per day up north. Before cancer slowed him down, Chavez was known for rousing speeches peppered with religious references, songs and quotes from South American independence hero Simon Bolivar. The then lieutenant colonel gate-crashed the

political scene in 1992 when he led a failed coup against president Carlos Andres Perez. After two years in prison, he decided to take power through democratic elections, winning in 1998 to become Venezuela’s youngest president at age 44.

After reforming the constitution to increase presidential terms to six years and reducing the powers of Congress, he easily won the 2000 election. Chavez survived a short-lived coup in 2002 that lasted just 47 hours after popular protests restored him to power. A 2004 attempt by the opposition to oust him in a recall referendum was defeated. His presidency was marked by growing economic interventionism, with a wave of nationalizations in strategic sectors such as cement, steel, food, electricity, telecommunications and banking.

With the slogan, “oil now belongs to all”, Chavez used proceeds from the state-run PDVSA oil giant to fund his revolution. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

Elected to a second six-year term in 2006, Chavez then won a 2009 referendum that abolished the two-term limit and enabled him to run indefinitely. Now, for the first time in 14 years, Venezuelans will not see his name on the next election’s ballot.

Throughout his presidency, Chavez said he hoped to fulfill Bolivar’s unrealized dream of uniting South America. He was also inspired by Castro and took on the aging revolutionary’s role as Washington’s chief antagonist in the Western Hemisphere after Castro relinquished the presidency to his brother Raul in 2006. Supporters saw Chavez as the latest in a colorful line of revolutionary legends, from Castro to Argentine-born Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Chavez nurtured that cult of personality, and even as he stayed out of sight for long stretches fighting cancer, his out-sized image appeared on buildings and billboard throughout Venezuela. The airwaves boomed with his baritone mantra: “I am a nation.” Supporters carried posters and wore masks of his eyes, chanting, “I am Chavez.”

Chavez saw himself as a revolutionary and savior of the poor. “A revolution has arrived here,” he declared in a 2009 speech. “No one can stop this revolution.” Chavez’s social programs won him enduring support: Poverty rates declined from 50 percent at the beginning of his term in 1999 to 32 percent in the second half of 2011. But he also charmed his audience with sheer charisma and a flair for drama that played well for the cameras. — Agencies

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

14

ANALYSIS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

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Issues

We need guns!

By Michel Stors el Rif’at, Syria. Ibrahim Haddad was unmoved by the news. Syrians returning from Turkey were reporting that the United States planned on funding rebels fighting President Bashar Al-Assad and his regime. “The money means nothing. Where are the weapons? Where are the missiles we need?” the 39 year old technician asked The Media Line. “As long as America withholds these things from us, this war will not end.”

Though Beltway pundits were abuzz about Washington’s new pledges of support, in northern Syria they did not elicit much more than a few curious questions. The pessimists declared the aid will amount to no more than a few humanitarian shipments with no military weapons. The forlorn have lost all hope that the international community will save them from a war that has cost more than 60,000 lives in less than two years.

At a Rome conference gathering Western nations and the Syrian opposition group known as the National Coalition, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the United States would provide the organization with $60 million in non lethal aid. The assistance will include items such as prepared rations for fighters on the front and medical supplies for wounded rebels. The announcement was a reversal for an administration that has done everything to avoid entangling itself in a conflict it views as a Gordian knot. President Barack Obama has bucked the counsel of his Western and Arab allies that have urged it to back rebels seeking to depose Assad. Although the United States is now officially wading into the Syrian civil war, it is still avoiding giving the rebels the arms they need to topple the regime. “This aid is just peanuts,” complained Shukri Adil, a fighter with the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) to The Media Line.

“We don’t need food. We need weapons. But Obama is worried about Israel and doesn’t want Assad to fall.”

Many here believe the chief reason Washington is withholding weapons stems from Israeli security concerns.

They argue Jerusalem fears that Assad’s demise will bring jihadists to positions overlooking the Galilee in northern Israel, and that the Israeli government has persuaded Obama to keep the Syrian regime in power.

“Obama and Israel will never give us weapons because they don’t want us to win,” explained 31 year old Fathi Tikbali, a truck driver from the city of Tel Rif’at.

Though more level headed politicians appreciate Washington’s shift, like their constituents they still believe it is not enough. “It’s symbolic and a start,” a member of the National Council who asked to remain anonymous told The Media Line. “But in the long run what do we really get? Not much more than what we have now. Without weapons we can’t take much more than baby steps.” For their part, the Americans are stressing that the aid is much more than symbolic. “We are, for the first time here, albeit with non lethal means, explicitly supporting the needs of the Supreme Military Council and vetted members of its fighting force,” an unnamed senior State Department official told reporters.

FSA fighters argue what they need is surface to air missiles (SAM) to bring down regime aircraft that bomb them daily without fear of being struck down. Their supremacy over the skies allows Assad’s forces to retain isolated bases in areas surrounded by rebels. Controlling these remote outposts allows the regime to harass the rebels, thus depriving them of the slightest security they need to plan operations. “The planes slaughter us every day, an FSA commander known as Abu Kamil told The Media Line. “Missiles are what will give us an advantage.

They will let us challenge the planes and scare the pilots.” But Washington fears that SAMs will fall into the hands of jihadists who will be able to use them against civilian aircraft. The United States distributed thousands of SAMs known as Stingers to rebels fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the 1980s. After the war ended, the missiles made it onto the international arms markets. One such SAM was used by Al-Qaeda in an unsuccessful attempt to bring down an Israeli plane over Mombassa, Kenya in 2002. FSA fighters scoff at the suggestion they would use American supplied SAMs to attack Israel. “Our war is against Asad,” noted Samir Yaqin from the village of Anadan. “When that is over we will go home.” Assurances such as these have done little to alleviate Washington’s concerns. And as long as they do not, the United States will prevent Syrian rebels from receiving the weapons they desperately need to topple Assad. — Media Line

T

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

Mortar shells, chemical weapons and apples

By Linda Gradstein hen three mortar shells hit the southern Golan Heights near the Israeli farming community of Ramat Magshimim this week, it reignited Israeli concerns that the current Syrian civil unrest may spill over into Israel. These shells, which fell in an open area and caused no damage, were unintended collateral damage from the ongoing struggle bet ween Syrian rebels and the ruling regime. However the explosions did ser ve as a reminder that the traditionally quiet Syrian border could become a casualty to the fighting in Syria.

Despite the fighting, Israeli Druze farmers in the Golan Heights are set to begin exporting apples after a year’s hiatus because of the civil war. The apples will go across the Kuneitra border under the supervision of the Red Cross. Officials say a total of 18,000 tons will make the trip.

The Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967 during the Six Day War, are currently inhabited by 20,000 Israelis and 20,000 Druze, some of whom have accepted Israeli citizenship. In 1973 Syria attempted to reconquer the area but since then the border has been the quietest of Israel’s borders as the ruling Bashar Al-Assad regime kept tight control over the area. “Under Assad Israel did not have to worry about

W

the border because he was risk averse,” Dr. Benedetta Berti of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) told The Media Line. Now, however, as various rebel groups, including some with ties to Al-Qa’ida, try to overthrow the Assad regime Israelis seem to almost miss their former enemy’s iron-fisted rule. “I think the biggest concern is that as the war continues there will be a prolonged lack of a central government making Syria a weaker state with negative consequences for Israel such as a porous border,” Berti said.

Drawing a parallel with Egypt, Berti expressed concern that this could lead to a situation on the Golan Heights similar to that on Israel’s southern border with Egypt. Since the start of the Arab Spring this border has become of increasing concern to Israel as gunmen have launched several cross-border strikes against Israel. “We are carefully tracking everything that happens along the Syrian border and we’re prepared for any eventuality,” Israeli army spokesman Captain Eytan Buchman told The Media Line. “The few incidents that have occurred across the border in the past few months is accidental spillover into Israel.

We haven’t identified it as anything intentional. We are trying to stay out of the internal affairs of Syria.”

The Israeli foreign ministry said more openly that it’s time for Assad to move on. “We’ve said repeatedly

that it’s time for Assad to go - that’s no secret,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson told The Media Line. Yet Israeli officials worry that the end of Assad means chaos on its northern border. Israel’s biggest concern is Syria’s large stockpile of chemical weapons. These are believed to be secure for now, but Israeli officials worry that if Assad believes his demise is imminent, he could transfer some weapons to his ally, Hezbollah guerillas in south Lebanon, that could be used against Israel. Another Israeli concern is the regional instability brought on by the continued Syrian fighting. There are indications that the fighting is destabilizing the Lebanese government and more importantly the Jordanian government.

The fighting, however, does not have only negative consequences for Israel. “In the long-term a Syria not ruled by Assad should be welcomed by Israel,” Berti said. “I think the new Syria will have different regional alliances. I doubt they will be close to Hizbullah and Iran but the process will be very long.”

But Israel may not see these benefits for quite a while. “For better or worse, I don’t think we’re all that close to a resolution of this thing,” an Israeli official who asked to remain anonymous told The Media Line. “It is not inconceivable that a year from now we’ll be in the same place except that it will be 140,000 dead instead of 70,000.” —Media Line

Will Jordan become the next Dubai?

By Adam Nicky here’s more to the Red Sea city of Aqaba than pristine waters and breathtaking coral reefs. The liberalized duty-free area is seeking to become the gateway of commerce in the region, Jordanian officials say. The Aqaba Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), which runs the port city independent of the government, has signed several agreements worth a total of some $500 million to expand the port’s handling capacity. To be completed in 2015, the port project is expected to pave the way for turning Aqaba into a solid transit hub serving the local market, Iraq, Syria and other Levant ports, ASEZA officials told The Media Line.

Aqaba is surrounded by several ports in the Red Sea area including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel, but officials are confident that the Jordanian port has the edge due to its direct borders with two major markets, Iraq and Syria. The adjacent Israeli port city of Eilat is hardly considered a competitor for Aqaba, according to Jordanian businessmen. “Eilat serves the local Israeli market. Iraqi or Syrian businessmen refuse to deal with Israel because of its occupation of Arab lands, therefore Aqaba is the natural choice,” said Mohammed Abu Jaber, who runs an Aqaba import-export business.

The port project will see the construction of 28 new terminals for fuel, phosphates, grains and other goods.

Ghassan A Ghanem, CEO of the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), said the new port is strategic in ensuring the kingdom’s food and energy supplies and will also serve regional markets. “Jordan’s stability boosted the confidence of investors in Aqaba, which aims to become a hub of imports and exports in the region,” Ghanem told The Media Line. “We are talking about a new group of terminals that will be expanded or constructed including terminals for natural gas at a cost of $50 million and another for fuel gas at a cost of $20 million,” he added.

Jordan hopes the new gas terminal will solve its chronic fuel crisis that has been exacerbated by the turmoil in Egypt, the main provider of the kingdom’s natural gas. The government reported a $1.5 billion loss due to the frequent disruption of Egyptian gas supplies since former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s regime was over thrown. Qatar will be the main provider of gas in Aqaba as the Gulf state targets new markets including Syria and Turkey, Jordanian busi-

T

nessmen said. Another key project is an agreement to build an $18 billion pipeline to export Iraqi oil from Basra through Aqaba. Iraqi Business Council (IBC) President Majid Saadi said that pipeline represents a significant improvement in trade ties between Jordan and Iraq. The pipeline will enable Iraq to export 2.25 million barrels of oil daily, generating some $2-3 billion for Jordan annually. “Jordan has proven time and again it is a reliable partner for Iraq, in times of peace and turmoil,” he told The Media Line. The volume of traffic in the port is up, with some 817,000 containers handled in 2012, serving Jordanian and Iraqi consumers. Over the past four years, the volume of traffic has nearly doubled, according to official figures. “The pipeline with Iraq is recognition of the strategic value of Jordan’s stability, Additionally the newly expanded port will also lead to a leap in trade volume between Jordan and Iraq and the rest of the region,” Saadi concluded.

Aqaba was transformed into a special tax free economic zone by Jordan’s King Abdullah in 2000, in a bid to turn the city into a commercial hub. It was granted administrative independence and all economic incentives, including passage of the tax-free zone law. While the commercial projects continue undisrupted, other ventures aim to bring in more dollars by turning the city into a major tourist attraction.

A $10 billion megaproject, Marsa Zayed, is dubbed the biggest real estate and tourism project in Jordanian history and promises to turn the city into a veritable wonderland. Funded by the United Arab Emirates government, it includes high-rise residential towers, retail, recreational, entertainment, business and financial districts and several branded hotels. With billions of dollars invested, Jordanian officials are confident Aqaba is destined to become the new Dubai of the Middle East. —Media Line

The sun sets on the King’s Highway, the 4,000 year old route between Damascus and Aqaba, Jordan’s port on the Red Sea. — MCT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

S P ORT S Samaraweera mulls retirement COLOMBO: Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera wants to retire from all forms of cricket but bosses are trying to persuade him otherwise. Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga confirmed that Samaraweera had handed a resignation letter to him yesterday.

“We requested Thilan to have a meaningful dialogue with the national selectors before finalising such a decision,” Ranatunga told reporters. “At a time like this when some of the senior cricketers are suffering from injuries, a cricketer of Thilan’s experience is vital to the national team,” he said.

Samaraweera was named as a replacement for the injured Mahela Jayawardene in the initial squad of 20 for the first test against Bangladesh starting at Galle on March 8 but was left out when it was cut to 16.

The 36-year-old right-hand middle-order batsman has played in 81 tests for his country since 2001 and scored 5,462 runs at an average of 48.76. He has also appeared in 53 one-day internationals. —Reuters

Klitschko to defend title BERLIN: Ukraine’s Vladimir Klitschko will defend his four world heavyweight title belts against former sparring partner German-Italian challenger Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim on May 4, his management said yesterday. Klitschko, who holds the IBF, IBO, WBO and WBA crown had used the 28-year-old Pianeta as a sparring partner last year.

The 36-year-old Ukrainian’s record stands as 59 wins and three defeats after his three successful title defences in 2012, including a November victory over Poland’s Mariusz Wach.

Pianeta, who at 1.93 metres is

Berdych to play at Queens

five centimetres shorter than his opponent, is still undefeated with 28 wins and one draw.

“I have a lot of respect for Pianeta because he is young and has a big fighting spirit,” the 36-year-old Klitschko said in a statement. Klitschko’s older brother, Vitali, holds the WBC crown.

“I was briefly his sparring partner last year and I noted where his weaknesses are and how best to exploit them,” said Pianeta. “I understand many see me as an outsider and that is fine but I will knock Klitschko out and turn the world of boxing on its head.” —Reuters

LONDON: World number six Tomas Berdych will play the traditional Wimbledon warmup event at Queens Club in June as he targets a repeat of his 2010 run to the final at the grasscourt slam.

The Czech confirmed on Tuesday that he would take part in the London event, now called the Aegon Championships, in a bid to sharpen his grasscourt skills after the European clay season. It will be Berdych’s first return to the club for eight years and comes on the advice of his new manager and former world number three Ivan Ljubicic.

“I think it could be a good advantage to be in London to get used to the conditions and to those great courts, and I think this is exactly what I need before Wimbledon,” Berdych, one of the most consistent players on tour last year, said in a statement from the organisers. “Even though it’s a long time since I played there (at Queen’s) I still remember that beautiful club very well.

I have to say that I have never played on a better grass court than at The Queen’s Club. “The experience of reaching the Wimbledon final was great. It showed me a lot of things - that I’m able to play really well through two weeks, which is very tough,” added the 27-year-old, who lost to Rafa Nadal in the 2010 Wimbledon final having beaten Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to get there. Ljubicic reckoned Berdych would benefit from arriving in London earlier than usual. “He only played Queen’s once before and I thought he should change that,” he said. —Reuters

Will NHL be a no-show at the Sochi Olympics?

NEW YORK: Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal to beat the United States and win gold for Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is one of the two or three most memorable moments in the history of the sport.

Nearly 35 million viewers were tuned in to watch it, roughly twice the average audience for the Masters, the Daytona 500 and the NCAA basketball finale. Yet that highlight has never been shown, even once, on a scoreboard inside a National Hockey League arena or the league’s website or its TV shows — even though Crosby and then-US goalie Ryan Miller are two of the NHL’s biggest stars.

The reason why is the beginning of the answer to a very touchy question: Will there be NHL players at the Sochi Olympics when the games begin less than a year from now?

After the NHL’s second work stoppage in less than 10 years, its fans have been so thrilled to get their games back - TV ratings are up, up, up across the board that most simply assumed the league would continue its participation in the games. Not so fast. The league met with the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation members some two weeks ago, and the best thing that can be said about the talks is that all parties have described them as “ongoing.”

Granted, the relationship got off to a rocky start at the 1998 Nagano Games, where members of Team USA threw some of the rickety furniture in their dorm room through a window, causing many to wonder whether pros used to living large would ever acclimate to the typical Olympian’s Spartan lifestyle. But the pros settled in nicely after that, giving hockey some much-needed exposure on the world’s biggest sporting stage and not coincidentally, adding to the IOC’s coffers.

And while NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is still thrilled with the first part of that deal, he’s increasingly uncomfortable with the second part this time around.

The NHL is the only pro league taking part in the Olympics in what constitutes the middle of its season. Compared to that, the NBA sending players to the Summer Games is practically a barnstorming tour. The NHL bundles up $2 billion worth of talent, figures out the tightest travel schedules it can come up with to minimize time away, and then keeps its fingers crossed.

Not only does the league forfeit nearly three weeks of regular-season games and the rights to replay any Olympic highlights, but if a star player gets hurt, he couldn’t be treated by an NHL team doctor.

He’d have to go to the same medical facility as the 50th-ranked biathlete in the world. Despite its public stance, the league is unlikely to sign the same deal it’s agreed to in the past.

“We need the hockey pros and we believe they need us,” is how longtime IOC member Gerhard Heiberg of Norway described the impasse in a telephone

conversation Monday. “We understand they sacrifice a lot, but it’s the same discussion every four years. So maybe we should be used to it by now.”

IIHF president Rene Fasel has said he wants an agreement completed before the federation’s World Championships in May. Fasel did not return a phone call Monday, but if he’s counting on the NHL to fall in line meekly, he could be waiting a long time. Bettman defied conventional wisdom in his last negotiation with the union, canceling the Winter Classic, the All-Star Game and nearly half the regular season to wring concessions from the league’s players. He’s unlikely to be in a more forgiving mode, even with the notoriously imperious IOC. As much as the Olympics lifted hockey’s profile at Salt Lake City in 2002 and Vancouver just three years ago — where Canada won the gold over the United States both times — it did very little of that at both Nagano and Turin in 2006.

Not only were the finals at both those Olympics lacking in star power 1998 featured the Czech Republic vs. Russia; 2006, Sweden vs. Finland - the games were played and televised at odd hours for North American audiences, which are the NHL’s bread and butter. The Sochi Games will be nine hours ahead of the US Eastern time zone.

On the plus side, NBC is the TV partner for both the NHL and the IOC, which may be the biggest reason former IOC vice president Dick Pound called it “cosmically stupid” for the NHL to even consider staying away. NBC has already announced it will televise every game Team USA plays live, though that seems like small consolation at the moment.

Yet Bettman may not be convinced to go along unless he can extract more rights to the product and better access at the games than the NHL received in the last deal.

The IOC recognizes the value the NHL brings to the games - hockey routinely ranks among the top three sports in Olympic viewership, along with figure skating and downhill skiing. But any concessions the IOC makes to the NHL likely will end up on the wish lists of all the other pro sports already in the fold.

The top league in hockey-mad Russia, the KHL, has already vowed to send its players to Sochi, but that, too, could change.

“Right now, we don’t have the same problems with any other sport, only hockey,” said Heiberg, who headed the organizing committee for the 1994 Lillehammer Games, the last Winter Games played without NHL pros.

“We’re very strict about some things, maybe too strict,” he mused, then added quickly he was not speaking on behalf of the IOC. “I think we will find common ground.”

Maybe so, but considering the parties involved, odds that this dispute will get settled quickly, let alone amicably, are about the same as a snowball’s chance in Sochi, where the average temperature in March is a relatively balmy 50 degrees. — AP

GLENDALE: Ryan Getzlaf No. 15 of the Anaheim Ducks skates in to score a shootout goal against goaltender Mike Smith No. 41 of the Phoenix Coyotes during the NHL game. — AFP

Penguins rally past Lightning LOS ANGELES: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored less than 2 minutes apart in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied past the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Monday.

Chris Kunitz added his 12th of the season for Pittsburgh and James Neal scored an empty-net goal in the final minute as the Penguins sent the struggling Lightning to their fifth straight loss.

Malkin, making his return after missing four games due to a concussion, tied it 5:38 into the third period on a pretty breakaway. Crosby put Pittsburgh in front moments later with a slap shot from the slot that zipped past Anders Lindback and into the net. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos scored twice to push his league-leading total to 17, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Lightning’s slide.

Maple Leafs 4, Devils 2 In Toronto, Nazem Kadri continued his points streak Monday with a goal and an assist against the struggling Devils. Clarke MacArthur, Jay McClement and Phil Kessel - with his first goal on home ice this season - scored in the third period for Toronto. Kadri connected in the first period and assisted on MacArthur’s goal to earn points in his fifth straight game.

The 22-year-old Kadri leads the Leafs with 23 points in 23 games. James Reimer, making his first appearance at Air Canada Centre since Feb. 11 after a mild knee ligament strain, made 28 saves for the win.

Marek Zidlicky scored twice for New Jersey, which hasn’t won in five games. Ryan Carter assisted on both goals and Johan Hedberg stopped 19 shots for the Devils.

Coyotes 5, Ducks 4 In Glendale, defenseman Oliver EkmanLarsson scored in the fifth round of the shootout and Mike Smith stopped Bobby Ryan to help Phoenix . Andrew Vermette, Shane Doan, Michael Stone and Keith Yandle scored for the Coyotes in regulation. Phoenix also beat the

Pacific Division-leading Ducks 5-4 in a shootout Saturday night.

Steve Sullivan also scored in the shootout for Phoenix, which has won three of four. Ryan Getzlaf had a goal, two assists and scored in the shootout, and Ryan, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey scored for the Ducks, who have lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

The teams traded four goals over a six-minute stretch of the third period.

Kings 5, Predators 1 In Los Angeles, Jeff Carter completed his fifth career hat trick with two goals in a 19-sec-

NHL results/standings Toronto 4, New Jersey 2; Pittsburgh 4, Tampa Bay 3; Phoenix 5, Anaheim 4 (SO); Los Angeles 5, Nashville 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTLGF Pittsburgh 15 8 0 81 10 7 5 54 New Jersey Philadelphia 11 11 1 66 NY Rangers 10 8 2 51 NY Islanders 9 11 2 64 Northeast Division Montreal 14 4 4 68 14 3 2 57 Boston Toronto 14 9 0 68 Ottawa 12 7 4 52 Buffalo 9 12 2 60 Southeast Division Carolina 12 8 1 63 10 10 1 55 Winnipeg Tampa Bay 9 12 1 76 Washington 8 11 1 55 Florida 6 11 5 55

Stars come out for Tirreno-Adriatico ROME: Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali will today begin the defence of his TirrenoAdriatico title, looking to hold off competition from 2011 winner Cadel Evans and Tour de France contenders Alberto Contador and Chris Froome.

The early season stage race, seen as a warm-up for the Milan-Sanremo on March 17, starts with a 16.9km team time -trial from San Vincenzo to Donoratico in the west before a sixstage race to San Benedetto del Tronto on the eastern Adriatic coast.

Astana rider Nibali finished third in last year’s Tour de France but Contador is out this season to add another first place in cycling’s most celebrated race after winning in 2007 and 2009 before serving a suspension for a doping violation.

Contador will also have to sweep aside his Spanish compatriot Joaquim Rodriguez, who finished top of the UCI World Tour rankings last year and was also second in the Tour of Italy and third in the Tour of Spain.

Vincenzo Nibali

ond span of the third period, and the Kings beat the Predators despite taking only 16 shots on net.

Jonathan Bernier made 18 saves and has won five consecutive starts for the first time in his NHL career, equaling his entire win total from last season in 16 games.

The five-year veteran didn’t play at all during the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship run as Jonathan Quick captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. Mike Richards and Dwight King also scored during a four-goal third period and defenseman Slava Voynov had a career-high three assists. — AP

Britain’s Froome will also provide a challenge on the back of his secondplace behind Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour de France. Team Sky rider Froome already has a psychological advantage having beaten Contador into second in the Tour of Oman.

The Spanish rider will also have to be wary of outsiders such as Moreno Moser, who won the Strade Bianche on Sunday in Siena ahead of Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara and Peter Sagan, of Slovakia, who also line up for the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Injury-hit Andy Schleck-awarded the 2010 Tour de France victory after Contador was stripped of the title-will also be on the start line after finishing his first race since April 2012, the GP Camaiore, in February.

Wednesday’s team-trial is followed by a number of stages tailor-made for sprinters such as Britain’s former world champion Mark Cavendish, US rider Tyler Farrar, Germany’s Andre Greipel and Matthew Goss, of Australia. — AFP

GA 67 60 68 51 75

PTS 30 25 23 22 20

53 42 57 44 73

32 30 28 28 20

59 64 71 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 9 5 47 59 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 3 75 60 33 Phoenix 11 8 3 67 63 25 Los Angeles 11 7 2 54 48 24 San Jose 10 6 4 47 44 24 Dallas 11 9 2 61 63 24 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not

India postpones snooker series in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: A snooker series between India and Pakistan has been postponed due to security concerns in the southern port city of Karachi. At least 45 people died Sunday from a blast in Karachi that targeted members of the city’s Shiite community leaving a mosque. At least 146 people were wounded in the explosion.

President of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association, Alamgir A. Shaikh, said “the Indian Travel Advisory Board has restricted the Indian team’s travel to Pakistan” for the March 7-10 event. Shaikh says new dates for the event will be announced in due course.

While the snooker series might not happen for some time, the Pakistan Hockey Federation announced a 10match series against the arch-rivals Indians next month.

PHF secretary Asif Bajwa said yesterday that Pakistan will play five matches in India in between April 5-15 at Ranchi, Lucknow, New Delhi, Mohali and Jalandhar.

The PHF has slated Karachi as one of the four venues for the return series between April 23-May 2, with Lahore hosting two matches. The other two venues are Faisalabad and Sialkot. — AP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

S P ORT S

Medard returns but not as France’s savior

MATARA: Bangladeshi cricketer Mohammad Ashraful (left) plays a shot as Sri Lanka Development Emerging wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella looks on during the third day of a three-day practice match between the Sri Lanka Development Emerging Team and Bangladesh. — AFP

Ashes loom large as England begin huge year against NZ DUNEDIN: The long shadow of back-toback Ashes series later this year crept on to University Oval yesterday as England captain Alastair Cook went through his final media conference ahead of their first test of 2013 against New Zealand.

Cook’s side will play 15 tests in the next 12 months, three in New Zealand, two against the same opposition in England in May, before the back-to-back Ashes series against Australia.

The unflappable Cook, like his imperious batting style, let a few of the questions whistle past him, preferring instead to focus on the more immediate future. It was obvious, however, that retaining the Ashes against Michael Clarke’s team was already in their thinking.

“Yes, we have got a huge year and yes, it’s great to be involved in such a big year of test cricket ... but as players we have to focus on tomorrow ’s game and worry about all the other stuff afterward,” Cook said.

“It’s quite exciting for us to look at what we can do with 15 test matches. “I don’t think any England side has had the opportunity to play two back-to-back Ashes series and play New Zealand as well. “So we have the chance to do something very special if we can perform to the way we can perform, but if we don’t, we will get found out.” Cook’s team were given a bit of a wake-up call immediately before the first test when they lost to the New Zealand XI, essentially an ‘A’ side, by three wickets in their only warmup before the series-opener at the tiny University Oval in Dunedin’s northern suburbs.

The 28-year-old, however, was more pleased with what he saw in the game than the result, with both Matt Prior and Ian Bell producing strong batting efforts and fast bowler Stuart Broad getting through an

impressive workload in Queenstown.

Twenty20 captain Broad was forced home from their victorious tour of India late last year with a recurrence of a heel injur y and doubts over his long-term future.

“To see Stuart Broad back, with his heel, he bowled quite a lot and got a bigger workload than we thought and pulled through with no effect on his heel at all, which is good news for us moving on to the summer,” a smiling Cook said.

“Yes, we were disappointed to lose but actually it really doesn’t matter. The important stuff starts tomorrow.” England had some “minor niggles” to check but Cook expected all 15 of the squad available for selection.

New Zealand, however, were forced to make at least one change with Doug Bracewell ruled out with a cut to his foot, sustained when he stood on a glass while cleaning up following a party at his house in Napier.

Left arm pace bowler Neil Wagner will come into the side as the first change option, with Ian Butler and left arm spinner Bruce Martin battling for the final place.

Captain Brendon McCullum said he would bat at six to give the lower middle order some experience and depth, and put the onus back on the top order to produce runs, something New Zealand teams have struggled to do in tests in recent years. “We have to make sure that we get the run production from our batters,” McCullum said.

“Adding a batter and shifting some of our experience to the middle order should give us an ability to score some runs later and add some better runs with the tail as well. “If we can do that, then I think we’ve got a young bowling lineup which has the ability on the day with enough runs in the bank to really test the opposition.” — Reuters

PARIS: Maxime Medard is set to make his first appearance for France in over a year in Dublin on Saturday but the exciting back says people must not expect miracles from him in the Six Nations clash with Ireland.

The 26-year-old Toulouse star - capped 30 times - admits he still carries the effects of the ruptured cruciate ligaments he suffered in the opening Six Nations match with Scotland in February last year.

However, he has earned his recall to the squad at the expense of wing Benjamin Fall because of the attacking possibilities he brings and which has seen him score 10 tries for his country so far, including six in the Six Nations.

The French are in dire need of some attacking spark after making their worst start to a Five/Six Nations since 1982 in losing their first three matches and are in danger of ending up with their first wooden spoon since 1957.

“Maxime is very interesting in terms of his style of play,” said French backs coach Patrice Lagisquet. “He is a creative player, he can bring danger in different parts of the pitch.

“He also has a physical dimension to him which is interesting,” added Lagisquet, himself a former star wing who earned himself the sobriquet the ‘Bayonne Express’.

Medard, a member of the French side that lost 8-7 to New Zealand in the 2011 World Cup final, admitted that having come through the two Top 14 games against Bayonne and then the defeat to leaders Toulon last Saturday things were coming together. I feel good, I have recovered my feel for the game. “I am taking it at stages, my kicking game is returning progressively, plenty of things are starting to work.

“I don’t pose myself too many questions in each match. At the beginning I was very apprehensive. I remember at one point I wanted to make a dummy on my right foot and that was tough, as the message didn’t filter through to my leg.

“I can’t bend my knee totally yet, but that is normal, one requires more than a year for that.

I’m feeling 99%.” Medard, a two-time European Cup winner with Toulouse and three -time French champion, said that he hoped too much wasn’t expected of him and that he would singlehandedly turn French fortunes round.

“There aren’t too many things missing from

Maxime Medard the team which can get us a win,” he said. “There is already a squad in place and it is for me to adapt. I prefer to stay discreet.”

Lagisquet too admits that Medard may not be at his best but that it was a gamble worth taking. “He is perhaps not at his best, but he is already at a very good level,” said Lagisquet.

“Against Bayonne, even if it was a relatively easy game, he produced some delightful moves.

Against Toulon, under pressure he succeeded in getting out of trouble. He was solid in support too.”

Lagisquet and France rugby fans will hope that the gamble on Medard pays off on Saturday otherwise they will enter their final match at home to Scotland a week later in a must win situation if they are to avoid the ignominy of the wooden spoon. — AFP

Netherlands reach second round FUKUOKA: Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer to lead the Netherlands to a 4-1 win over Australia yesterday, securing a place in the second round at the World Baseball Classic.

Pool B leaders Taiwan, with a 2-0 winloss record, were playing South Korea, who have a 1-1 record, later in the day in Taichung, Taiwan. But the Dutch will advance to the second round in Tokyo regardless of the outcome of that game.

“Robbie (Cordemans) pitched a great game. Five innings and no runs,” said Dutch head coach Hensley Meulens. “That was the key to our win today. The guys scored early to give him a bit of breathing room. The rest of the bullpen did a good job, too,” he added.

Outfielder Roger Bernadina earned the first run by hitting a single to the centre field in the first inning and the Netherlands stretched the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

Curt Smith led off with a single to the centre, followed by a single from Dashenko Ricardo before they advanced to the second and third bases on an error. Smith

came back after Andrelton Simmons grounded out.

Then Schoop launched a two-run homer to the left. Australia managed to pull one back when infielder Brad Harman hit a single to the left to welcome Stefan Welch from the second base in the seventh inning.

In the four-team Pool A round robin in Fukuoka, China gained a consolation win by beating Brazil 5-2, after two-time champions Japan and Cuba already qualified for the second round a day earlier.

Trailing 0-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, China pulled one back on a walk with the three bases occupied, and then fourth batter Ray Chang fired a two-run single to the left to take a 3-2 lead. By the end of the inning, Brazil’s pitchers had given up six walks, handing China three of their five runs.

Two teams will emerge from the fiveday Asian second round, starting Friday, and will fight it out with the top sides from pools C and D, held in Puerto Rico and Arizona, in the final series in San Francisco later this month. — AFP

FUKUOKA: China’s center fielder Xiao Cui fails to steal second base as he is tagged out by Brazil’s second baseman Marcio Tanaka in the fourth inning of their World Baseball Classic first round game. — AP

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Bank player Bashayer Al-Ajran won the women’s bowling championship, which is organized by Kuwait Banks Club for banking sector employees, as she collected 939 points, while NBK’s Mariam Al-Khalifa was second with 750 points and Ahli Bank’s Ghadeer AlSarraf was in third place with 729. Member of the board Khalid Al-Beloushi congratulated the winners, and wished them all success in upcoming activities.

McIlroy regrets decision to withdraw from Honda Classic PALM GARDEN BEACH: Rory McIlroy has admitted he was wrong to withdraw from the Honda Classic last week, saying he now regretted his decision to stop playing. The world number one was heavily criticized after he quit the tournament midway through Friday’s second round with what was initially a mysterious explanation.

The Northern Irishman was playing badly and appeared certain to miss the cut when he shook hands with his playing partners after just eight holes. Before leaving the course, McIlroy told reporters he was in a “bad place mentally.”

Shortly after he issued a statement blaming his early exit on a severe toothache while apologising for quitting, but now admits he should have kept playing. “It was a reactive decision,” he told Sports Illustrated about quitting after he hit his approach shot into the water on the par-five 18th, his ninth hole of the day.

“What I should have done is take my drop, chip it on, try to make a five and play my hardest on the back nine, even if I shot 85.

“What I did was not good for the tournament, not good for the kids and the fans who were out there watching me - it was not the right thing to do.” McIlroy has been struggling all year after switching clubs but reaffirmed his belief that his equipment was not to blame.

The 23-year-old said he needed to adopt a tougher approach and would do well to copy Tiger Woods, the man he is most often compared to. “He might be the best athlete ever, in terms of his ability to grind it out,” McIlroy said. “I could have a bit more of that, if I’m honest.” —Reuters

Rory McIlroy

Bridge Results KUWAIT: The game was played on Wednesday evening 27th February 2013.

First - Numan Turki - Mohammed Tawfik Second - Bianca Mousalli - Ahmed Tawfik Third - Dia - John Fourth - Ibrahim Al Qattan - Al Roumi

Fifth - Rana - Naela Sixth - Dr. Abdul Aiz Dashti - Khalid We conduct duplicate Bridge tournaments every Sunday and Wednesday at 20:00 hours; played at the Graduates Club, next to Kuwait Engineering society.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

S P ORT S

Report merely a road map for IndyCar NEW YORK: So, the Hulman & George Co. paid a consulting group to evaluate the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and now die-hard openwheel fans are screaming they could have done a better job for free.

Granted, there are ideas bandied about Internet message boards that are better than some proposed by the Boston Consulting Group in the 115-page ‘Hulman & Co. Motorsports Strategy’ report obtained by The Associated Press, which reported on a handful of the concepts last week.

But, Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles said in a statement that BCG prepared many documents and what was obtained by AP was an early version of “suggested elements” for the long-term strategic growth of the company.

Regardless, some of the suggestions were no brainers: • Improve television ratings by “avoiding TV competition with other sports, particularly NASCAR and the NFL.” • To avoid competition for viewers, “check for local event conflicts before setting dates.”

• Increase the value of sponsor partnerships by targeting “companies with large sports ad budgets and companies predisposed to motorsports (i.e. NASCAR levels).

• In scheduling international races, cut costs for teams by running multiple races on regional trips; maximize viewership by avoiding conflicts such as F1 and

Carnivale and target countries with a “high affinity for racing.” You don’t say!

Hulman & Co. is under no obligation to follow anything in the report, including BCG’s recommendation that the Hulman-George family hang onto IndyCar and the speedway. Where the consulting firm may have erred, though, is in declaring that IndyCar was “the best pure racing motorsports league in the U.S.” then offering a handful of ideas that essentially gimmick up the series. Among the most polarizing suggestions are a 15-race U.S. schedule held over 19 weeks, a three-race playoff at the end of the season and a finale on the IMS road course.

Purists don’t want a playoff. They don’t want a second IndyCar race at IMS, and they certainly don’t want Long Beach moved from its traditional April date to a mid-September playoff race.

According to the report obtained by AP, the top 15 drivers in points would automatically qualify for the 18driver field. The other three spots would be filled the day before the Texas event via a “sprint wildcard” race open to any driver who participated in at least one event during the season. The top three finishers would round out the field. Points would be reset to zero for the playoffs and would be awarded as usual for the first two races, Texas and Long Beach. The finale on the road course at Indy would receive double points, likely making it a winner-take-all race. Yeah, purists should love that. The 15-race hypothetical schedule, by the way, includes seven cities not currently on the IndyCar

schedule. It dumps Barber, the Alabama road course that’s been good to IndyCar, stalwart Milwaukee, which Michael Andretti rescued last year, and Iowa, where the passionate fans fill the stands every year.

Then there’s BCG’s marketing ploy of paying a “big personality” to join the series. Not only would that enrage the purists, it’s probably the most flawed idea in the entire report. The only way a paid A-list driver would have any long-term affect on the series is by being competitive, and there’s a pretty shallow pool of talent willing and capable of jumping into an Indy car and running up front.

Formula One drivers don’t really count because the key is getting a driver who moves the needle with the American audience. So that leaves who? The Busch brothers? Brad Keselowski? Remember, it’s got to be someone fans will tune in to watch and someone who will be competitive.

And there’s got to be an incentive for the driver to go to IndyCar. That’s going to cost the series money. A lot more money than the check BCG cashed. Let’s assume Kurt Busch took no salary from James Finch last season and agreed to drive for only 50 percent of his race winnings. That would have earned him $1.7 million driving for a low-budget team. Without a salary.

How many IndyCar drivers make $1.7 million a year, winnings and salary combined? Not many. None of that takes into account how dangerous having one big personality would be in marketing the rest of the drivers.

Perhaps nobody at BCG ever heard of Danica Patrick.

Still, not everything in the report is outlandish, and some of it makes sense. The ticketing structure at IMS probably does need to be overhauled. If the most expensive seats sell and the mid-priced tickets don’t, then raise the cost of the stuff in high demand and adjust the price of stalled inventory. The report contains pages and pages on restructuring team costs and sanctioning fees with tracks, diagrams on rewarding performance with purse money, observations on how to improve operating efficiency through eliminating redundant positions at IndyCar and IMS and targeting key sponsors not currently involved with the series.

In the end, the BCG report is just a road map Miles, the CEO, could choose to follow for two aspects of the Hulman & Co. businesses. He doesn’t have to do anything BCG suggested. He can tear the report up, use it to line the bottom of a bird cage, or, the more likely scenario, sit down with IndyCar’s key stakeholders and use portions of the report to kick-start discussions on what direction the series and the speedway should go.

That’s what he indicated he’ll do in his Friday night statement, saying: “The work BCG has done provides conversation points around several important areas of our business as we shape our thinking about the future, but our strategy has not yet been finalized.”

Hired in November to run the Hulman & Co. businesses, Miles’ most difficult task will be righting IndyCar. It’s going to be a monumental task that he won’t be able to do alone, he won’t be able to do this year and he won’t be able to do with a report. — AP

Heat, Knicks and Magic advance MINNEAPOLIS: Dwyane Wade had 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, LeBron James shrugged off a sore left knee to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds, and the Miami Heat earned their franchise-record 15th straight victory with a 97-81 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

Chris Bosh added 11 points and nine rebounds, and James played 35 minutes despite being listed as a game-time decision with a twisted left knee.

Derrick Williams had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Ricky Rubio had 14 points, eight assists, six steals and five rebounds for the Timberwolves. JJ Barea had four points on 1-for-11 shooting and was ejected in the fourth quarter after getting a Flagrant-2 foul for a hit on Heat guard Ray Allen.

Minnesota was down six points with eight minutes to play when Barea was ejected. The Heat then went on a 17-5 run to put away the game. Officials initially ruled it a Flagrant 1, but changed the call upon reviewing it, eliciting strong protests from Barea and Wolves coach Rick Adelman, who also picked up a technical foul.

CERILLY: Team Argos-Shimano German cyclist Marcel Kittel (left) sprints to the finish line to win the second stage of the 71st Paris-Nice cycling race. — AFP

Kittel wins Paris-Nice stage CERILLY: Germany’s Marcel Kittel won the second stage of the Paris-Nice race, a 200.5km ride from Vimory to Cerilly, yesterday. However, the overall lead is held by Italian Elia Viviani, who benefited from overnight leader French champion Nacer Bouhanni crashing out of the race when he came to grief 58km from the finish and suffered a mouth injury.

“He has a split lip, and maybe a damaged tooth, he is also complaining of a sore arm,” his team sporting director Frank Pineau told France Television, adding he had been taken to hospital in nearby Bourges.

The 24-year-old Kittel - who counts a stage win on the Tour of Spain in 2011 amongst his honours - overtook four riders, including Viviani, to take the stage in a sprint finish. Viviani finished second with Australian Leigh Howard taking the final place on the podium.

“I am very happy to have had this opportunity,” said Kittel. “After the first stage, I was

very disappointed not to have a chance to win because I had a puncture about 10km from the finish.

“It’s important for me to win a race on the WorldTour and also to do it so early in the season but it is probably the last chance for me to win on this year’s Paris-Nice,” he added.

Viviani has a seven second lead to protect over Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel with compatriot Damien Gaudin third overall and a further second adrift. “It gives me great satisfaction to have the yellow jersey which was my objective,” enthused Viviani.

“I didn’t win the stage but Kittel was very strong, too strong for me today. “I’ve taken a look at the profile for the next stage and it’s going to be difficult to retain the jersey but I have a good team and I’m going to try my best.” Stage three features a 170.5km ride from Chatel-Guyon to Brioude and includes a category two climb just 15km from the finish. — AFP

Pistorius’ dad lambasted for ‘racist’ gun comments JOHANNESBURG: The family of murder suspect Oscar Pistorius yesterday rejected his father’s claim that white South Africans need to own guns because the ANC government does not protect them.

Henke Pistorius had claimed his family’s 55 guns were for hunting and for protection amid high crime levels that “speaks to the ANC government.”

The sprinter ’s family said it was “deeply concerned” about comments Henke Pistorius made to British newspaper The Telegraph.

“The Pistorius family own weapons purely for sport and hunting purposes,” said uncle Arnold Pistorius, in a statement released by the family’s publicist. “The comments doesn’t (sic) represent the views of Oscar or the rest of the Pistorius family,” he added.

Prosecutors have charged the Paralympic and Olympic athlete with the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenk amp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day. Pistorius admits shooting Steenk amp repeatedly through a locked bathroom door, but says he mistook her for an intruder.

The incident happened at his house inside a high security housing estate, east of the capital Pretoria.

Police recovered a 9mm pistol at the scene of the shooting. His father’s comments were at odds with the carefully crafted messages from Pistorius’s high-powered “media liaison team,” which is led by former Sun editor Stuart Higgins and Vuma Reputation Management.

Pistorius’ media team did not approve his father’s interview. The comments also irked the ruling ANC and sparked an avalanche of com-

ment in a country still riven with racial politics 19 years after the end of white rule. Spokesman Jackson Mthembu said the ANC rejected Pistorius’s remarks “with contempt ” and described them as “racist.” “Not only is this statement devoid of truth, it is also racist. It is sad that he has chosen to politicise a tragic incident.”

Frans Cronje, deputy head of the South African Institute of Race Relations, said Henke Pistorius’s comments have touched off emotions stemming from anger about crime and the failure of policing.

“The perception is that the police are not interested in protecting minority groups in the country. The minority groups are correct. But they are not correct in thinking that is their fate alone.”

“In a safer society it would be easy to write off those comments as bigotry, but here so many families have been through so much trauma that the police have been unable to deal with and prevent.” Official statistics show that at least 42 people are killed per day in South Africa, and crime is rife in poor overcrowded areas.

According to Gun Free South Africa, there were 1.5 million licensed gun owners and 2.9 million registered guns in 2011. The population is around 52 million people. Several reports of Pistorius’s own fascination with guns have emerged since his arrest. In January the sprinter, who is a member of a firearm collectors association, accidentally discharged a friend’s pistol at an upmarket Johannesburg restaurant. The court also heard that he had pending gun licences for several firearms. — AFP

Knicks 102, Cavaliers 97 In Cleveland, Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points, J.R. Smith added 18 and New York overcame a 22-point deficit without All-Star Carmelo Anthony to beat Cleveland.

Steve Novak made three of New York’s seven 3pointers in the fourth quarter as the Knicks rallied and shook off a tough home loss on Sunday, when they blew a 16-point lead to Miami.

The Knicks trailed 52-30 in the second quarter of this one when Anthony injured his right knee. He stumbled and fell awkwardly after catching a pass and did not return. Kyrie Irving scored 22 points in his return after missing Cleveland’s past three games with a hyperextended right knee.

Magic 105, Hornets 102 In New Orleans, Arron Afflalo scored five of his game-high 26 points in the final 38 seconds, and Orlando snapped a three -game skid. Jameer Nelson, returning from a left knee injury that sidelined him six games, scored 15 points and Tobias Harris also scored 15 for Orlando, which trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half and erased a nine-point deficit during the final 3:15.

Afflalo scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, including an 11-foot turnaround over Eric Gordon in the lane that gave Orlando the lead for good at 101-100.

Afflalo hit two free throws soon after to make it 103-100, but found himself back on the free-throw line in a one-point game with 12 seconds left after Anthony Davis’ tip-in made it 103-102.

Afflalo missed his second of two free throws, but Harris got the offensive rebound and hit one of two free throws to make it a three-point game with 10.6 seconds left.

Bucks 109, Jazz 108 In Milwaukee, Monta Ellis scored 34 points, Brandon Jennings added 20 points and 17 assists, and Milwaukee beat Utah in overtime. JJ Redick scored 17 for the Bucks, including their first eight in overtime. Milwaukee won its fourth consecutive game after dropping three in a row following the All-Star break. Larry Sanders chipped in with eight points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots for Milwaukee. Derrick Favors tied a career high with 23 points and added 15 rebounds for Utah, which lost for the fourth time in five games. Paul Millsap had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Alec Burks added 19 points and Enes Kanter had 18 points.

Nuggets 104, Hawks 88 In Denver, Corey Brewer scored 22 points and Ty Lawson had 18 in Denver’s win over Atlanta. The Nuggets won their 11th straight game at the Pepsi Center and matched Miami’s NBA-best 26-3 home record, but for most of three quarters it wasn’t the cakewalk many expected against a banged-up, tired team playing the final game of a six-game trip.

Eventually, they ran out of gas and bodies, though.

Al Horford scored 18 points for Atlanta, and Josh Smith chipped in 15 points, becoming the 24th player in league history to collect 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. His milestone came on a night when many of his teammates were spectators as the Hawks were without Kyle Korver (toe), Zaza Pachulia (sore right Achilles) and DeShawn Stevenson, who skipped the second game of this back-to-back like he normally does because of balky knees.

Trail Blazers 122, Bobcats 105 In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Portland handed Charlotte its seventh straight loss. Nicolas Batum and Damian Lillard each finished with 20 points for the Blazers, who had seven players in double figures and shot nearly 60 percent from the field. Meyers Leonard, Portland’s 7-foot rookie center, came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points. Ramon Sessions had 18 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who have an NBA-low 13 wins this season. Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 17 points.

Warriors 125, Raptors 118 In Oakland, David Lee had 29 points and 11

NEW ORLEANS: Orlando Magic small forward Tobias Harris (12) battles under the rim with New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (left) point guard Greivis Vasquez (bottom) and Magic power forward Al Harrington (right) in the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP rebounds to back Andrew Bogut’s strong return, and Golden State snapped a four-game losing streak by outlasting Toronto.

Stephen Curry added 26 points and tied a season high with 12 assists, and Klay Thompson scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away with a 9-0 run late.

Bogut had four points and eight rebounds in a season-high 30 minutes after missing the last six

games because of a bad back.

Andrea Bargnani scored 26 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, and Amir Johnson added 23 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s fifth straight loss.

Kyle Lowry finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and Rudy Gay scored 26 points after missing the Raptors’ loss at Milwaukee on Saturday night with back spasms. — AP

NBA results/standings NY Knicks 102, Cleveland 97; Milwaukee 109, Utah 108 (OT); Orlando 105, New Orleans 102; Miami 97, Minnesota 81; Denver 104, Atlanta 88; Portland 122, Charlotte 105; Golden State 125, Toronto 118.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT NY Knicks 36 21 .632 34 26 .567 Brooklyn Boston 31 27 .534 Philadelphia 23 35 .397 Toronto 23 38 .377 Central Division Indiana 38 22 .633 34 26 .567 Chicago Milwaukee 30 28 .517 Detroit 23 39 .371 Cleveland 20 40 .333 Southeast Division Miami 44 14 .759 33 26 .559 Atlanta Washington 19 39 .328 Orlando 17 44 .279 Charlotte 13 47 .217

GB 3.5 5.5 13.5 15 4 7 16 18 11.5 25 28.5 32

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 43 16 .729 Denver 39 22 .639 Utah 32 28 .533 Portland 28 31 .475 Minnesota 20 37 .351 Pacific Division LA Clippers 43 19 .694 34 27 .557 Golden State LA Lakers 30 30 .500 Phoenix 21 39 .350 Sacramento 21 40 .344 Southwest Division San Antonio 47 14 .770 39 19 .672 Memphis Houston 33 28 .541 Dallas 26 33 .441 New Orleans 21 40 .344

5 11.5 15 22 8.5 12 21 21.5 6.5 14 20 26

Five global standouts lead top US college team WASHINGTON: Five players from outside the United States have helped spark tiny Gonzaga University to the top of the US college basketball multi-million-dollar universe after a stunning 29-2 regular season.

Gonzaga moved up to the No. 1 spot on Monday in the USA Today Sports coaches poll, the first time in school history the team had reached the pinnacle in the college system that serves as a top talent developer for the NBA. The Bulldogs have won 12 games in a row and if they run unbeaten through the West Coast Conference tournament as they did in the regular season, they will be a top seed in the US national tournament that opens later this month.

“March Madness” attracts huge television audiences and brings rights fees riches to US schools and nothing excites viwership like a fairy-tale run such as the one by this catholic liberal arts school in Spokane, Washington, with only 4,906 undergraduates.

Kelly Olynyk, a 7-foot (2.13m) junior center from Canada, leads the “Zags” with 17.7 points and has grabbed 7.0 rebounds a game while Canadian sophomore guard Kevin Pangos adds 11.7 points and a team-high 3.29 assists a game.

German senior forward Elias Harris averages 14.6 points and grabs a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game.

Coming off the bench for the Bulldogs are Polish 7foot freshman center Przemek Karnowski, who averages 5.7 points and 2.5 rebounds, and Ivory Coast senior swingman Guy Landry Edi, who averages 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds. The Bulldogs took over after losses this past week from prior No. 1 Indiana and fellow traditional collegiate hoops powerhouses Duke and Michigan. While the larger schools play a tougher schedule, Gonzaga’s schedule is ranked among the least difficult schedules for any team to ever reach the top spot. But the Bulldogs have not stumbled in dominating their rivals. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

S P ORT S

Fuhaid Al-Daihani in action. — Photo by Sherif Ismail

Hamad Al-Afasi

Kuwait shooters hit bulls-eye

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Kuwait shooters continued their winning ways in HH the Amir Grand Prix during the second day on Monday. They also dominated the Arab Shotgun Championship that are being held at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex.

Abdullah Torqi Al-Rashidi won the skeet’s gold medal in the Grand Prix while his teammate Saud Habib won the silver medal and Russia’a Valery Shomin took the bronze medal.

In the Arab Championship Kuwait has a total of four gold medals as two were won Monday by Nasser Al-Daihani who won the skeet gold followed by UEA’s Saif bin Futais and Kuwait’s Saud Habib. Kuwait won the teams skeet event through Abdullah Al-Rashidi, Saud Habib and Zaid AlMutairi.

Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee, president of the Arab Shooting Federation AlOtaibi said he was happy with Kuwait’s achievements of clinching the gold medals so far. Al-Otaibi said competition was very strong in both competitions, and lauded the developments enjoyed by the Arab shooting due to the keen interest of officials to enhance Arab shooting.

Kuwait’s shooter Abdullah Al-Rashidi said winning the skeet gold medal in HH the Amir Grand Prix is an important achievement in his carreer especially after the new changes on the ISSE rules.

He said this is the first gold medal this season and hope that it will be a good start, as “I won it after tough competition with world champion such as Valery Shomin.”

Commenting on the new changes on the law he said” I still need more time to get accustomed to them, and this championship is equal to one month of training. There were mistakes this time and I will work hard on correcting them in the future”.

Shooter Nasser Al-Daihani was happy with his gold medal under the new rules following fierce competition with shooters such as Zaid Al-Mutairi

Russia’s Vasily Mosin

Group photo of officials and team skeet winners. and Saud Habib. Al-Daihani thanked Kuwait him an opportunity to prepare for the new season.

He expected competition to be hard in this Shooting Federation under the leadership of Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and board championship, adding he was pleased to receive members for their support of shooters and help the invitation because he will participate in the them to make their achievements. About his adap- world championship in USA in May, followed by tation to the new rules he said it was a difficult task Munich, Spain, Europe and Croatia. He said he will do his best to make the best start this year, and “I and” I am happy to win under such rules”.

Croatia’s Giovanni Sernogoraz, who won the have the experience to do so”.

Meanwhile the Arab Shooting Federation new London 2012 Olympics trap gold medal said he is elated to participate for the first time in HH the board made several decisions for the coming periAmir Grand Prix. He said organization is excellent od. The meeting was chaired by President of ASF and the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Complex Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi.

Al-Otaibi appreciated during his speech at the is among the best in the world.

He said he came to compete with the best meeting, the confidence the General Assembly put shooters in the world under the new rules that in him, adding that this will bring more laurels and came into effect in January 2013. He said the new exert more efforts to further develop Arab laws are unfair in several aspects including the Shooting.

He said the general goals he looks in the comqualification system.

Meanwhile Slovenia’s Raymond Depivitsh who ing period is to strengthen the unity of the Arab won the 50m prone rifle in London 2012 Olympics Federation and coordinate with the ISSF in the said he was overjoyed to participate in HH the Amir fields of training, officiating, courses and camps.

Meanwhile ASF Secretary General Obaid AlSecond Grand Prix for the second time, as it gives

Osaimi said the meeting discussed the federation’s plans and concentrated on the importance of strengthening relations between the Arab Federations, and continue organization of quality Arab Shooting tournaments.

He said the board approved the Arab Pistol and

organize the Arab Pistol and Rifle Championship.

ASF Board Member Eng. Riyadh Al-Rashid said he was optimistic about the coming period and hoped to make more achievements. He hoped that the number of the Arab Shooters in the Olympics be increased and win more medals.

Abdullah Al-Rashidi with Kuwaiti flag.

North Korean 10m air pistol shooter in action.

Rifle Championship to be held on May 14th in Egypt and the Arab Comprehensive Championship in Qatar in 2014. The General Assembly approved Mauritania’s request to join the ASF. President of Egypt’s Shooting Federation and 1st Vice President of ASF Colonel Hazim Hosni said the meetings that were held in Kuwait were a total success. He said the ESF is looking forward to

Results of the Arab Shotgun Championship Men’s Double Trap yesterday were as follows: Kuwait’s Fuhaid Al-Daihani won Gold, while Qatar’s Rashid Al-Athba won silver and Kuwait’s Hamad AlAfasi won bronze.

In HH The Amir Grand Prix Men’s double trap, Hamad Al-Afasi won gold, Russia’s Vasily Mosin won silver and UAE’s Juma Al-Maktoom won bronze.

Shooters taking a moment of relaxation.

Basketball girls back on ‘Sharia Square’ in Mali’s Gao GAO: As night falls on “Sharia Square” in Gao in northern Mali, a score of youths are practising on a basketball court, closely watched by their coach. Now that armed extremists have left, several girls in shiny tracksuit bottoms and lownecked tops have joined the boys.

Oumar Tonko Cisse, a retired coach in his 60s, is the founder of the Centre for Training and Promoting Sports (CFPS) in Gao. He is also president of the centre and its trainer, he says with a laugh.

This tall man, wearing a jacket and a woollen hat, welcomes his “kids” with a broad smile and a cigarette in hand on the porch that opens on to the central pitch. The sign reading “Sharia Square” has still not been removed since it was put up by an armed movement that applied strict Islamic law.

Nevertheless, since the departure of the Islamists who occupied the town for nine months in 2012 before the arrival of French and Malian troops, Gao’s central square has been given back its old name, “Independence Square”.

During the months of Islamist occupation, the CFPS, set up in 2004, was able to pursue its

activities, “even competitions”, Cisse says. But there were no cigarettes for him, on pain of being whipped, and play above all took place “without the girls”.

“As soon as they were gone, we resumed activities as before,” Cisse says. “Of course, there are a lot fewer young people. Many girls fled the region.” His face suddenly hardening, Cisse tells how “one day, a group of girls was taken by members of MUJAO (the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa). They were beaten.

Some gave up and hid at home, others urged their parents to leave for the south and never came back here.”

“It was everyone for themselves... It’s tough, the girls here suffered a lot,” he added. “They are still traumatised. You see?” He points out groups of young girls on the edges of the square. “They are still wearing veils. Before, some women were veiled, but not all of them. It’s become traumatic.” Awa, a tall and pretty 15-year-old from the Peul ethnic group, discovered basketball two years ago. Like many women and girls, she has difficulty speaking in French.

“She says that she came to basketball

because she admired some girl players,” Cisse translates, “and her height gives her an advantage.” “Under MUJAO, we couldn’t play anymore, we couldn’t go to school any more, so I stayed at home, I did housework and prepared food for the family,” Awa says.

“Before, we signed people up (for the centre) by the book. Now, we don’t ask for anything. All that we want is to succeed in reaching out to young people and bringing them back.”

The football group used to include 26 players, all boys. But basketball drew in 20 girls for 30 boys. “In some categories, the little ones and juniors, the girls were more numerous than the boys,” Cisse said.

For the past month, Awa has turned up in the square every day. “I hurry after school closes,” she laughs. The young girl says she is happy to be able to play again, even though she does “not have (her) friends any more”. “Unfortunately, those who played the best have gone to the south. They have found clubs which have taken them in,” Cisse sighs. “We did all the work here, we sowed the seeds, and it’s them, down in the south, who reap the harvest.” — AFP

Kyrgyzstan shooter in action.

Gaza marathon cancelled after Hamas bans women runners GAZA: The main United Nations agency in Gaza has cancelled the annual marathon in the Palestinian territory after ruling Hamas Islamists banned women from the race.

Hamas said having women in the annual event, scheduled for April 10, contravened Islamic tradition even though dozens of Palestinian schoolgirls had started the two previous marathons.

“This disappointing decision follows discussions with the authorities in Gaza, who have insisted that no women should participate,” the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which sponsors the race, said in a statement.

This year’s field of 1,500 schoolchildren and 800 adults was to have included a record number of women — 260 Palestinians and 119 foreigners, UNRWA said. The children’s participation is symbolic — they begin the race but run only a few hundred metres, while the adults do the full 42 km (26 miles).

“The marathon was an annual event to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to raise funds for summer

camps organised by UNRWA which serve at least 250,000 schoolchildren,” said Adnan Abu Hasna, the agency’s media adviser in Gaza.

Relations between UNRWA and Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is shunned by the West over its hostility towards Israel, have been strained at times.

Some Hamas officials have accused UNRWA of failing to include representatives of the Gaza government when UNRWA has hosted meetings with international visitors. Several Hamas lawmakers have been critical of the curriculum in UNRWA-run schools.

Founded in 1949, UNRWA provides food and other emergency assistance to more than two-thirds of the 1.6 million population in the cramped, coastal territory.

Human rights groups have accused Hamas of pressuring women to cover their heads in public and using police to harass young couples in the streets and on beaches. Hamas has denied it is trying to enforce any modesty code. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

S P ORT S

As World Cup nears, public transport worries mount SAO PAULO: The public transport projects designed to modernise Brazilian cities for the 2014 soccer World Cup are being scaled back, delayed or cancelled as legal challenges, corruption and a lack of planning threaten to rob locals of the tournament’s most lasting legacy.

The 12 host cities, keen to use the event to overhaul aging urban infrastructure, laid out ambitious plans to build new metro lines, monorails and dedicated bus lanes but, with 15 months to go before the games kick off, it seems unlikely that all the projects will come to fruition.

“The much-discussed social legacy looks like it won’t get off the drawing board,” Romario, a former World Cup winner who is now a lawmaker in Brazil’s Congress, wrote last month in a newspaper column. “Almost all the transport projects are behind schedule, some have been put back and will be opened only after the World Cup and others have been cancelled altogether.”

Although exact numbers are still changing, at least a dozen of the 49 original projects have changed completely.

Five cities - Brasilia, Fortaleza, Manaus, Salvador and Sao Paulo - would not have

the promised tram lines, express lanes for buses or metro links ready for the opening match on June 12, said Valmir Campelo, an official with the Federal Audits Court who monitors World Cup planning.

Time was “extremely tight” on others, Campelo added. So many of the projects would not be ready that authorities in several cities were discussing closing schools and declaring public holidays on match days to avoid traffic jams.

“This definitely won’t leave the legacy it could or should have,” Campelo told Reuters. World Cup organisers play down the setbacks and say the host cities are still being transformed. Ronaldo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker who is a leading member of the local organising committee, said work was currently being done that might otherwise have taken years. Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo argues that other big sporting events, such as the 2012 and 2008 Olympics, had similar teething problems.

“Problems with transportation occurred in London, as well as in Beijing, but Brazil is seeking to undertake efforts so that all the host cities are the most comfortable possible in terms of transit

and traffic and, more important, much more comfortable than today,” Rebelo said in a January conference call with reporters.

Nevertheless, it seems clear that the situation is not as rosy as it was supposed to be. While Brazil is now the world’s seventh-biggest economy, it is still a developing nation that badly needs to add and modernise roads, airports, public transport links and other vital infrastructure. Sao Paulo, South America’s largest city and Brazil’s business capital, which will host the World Cup’s prestigious opening match, has no rail links to either of its two airports, leaving travellers to face notorious gridlock.

Authorities have long fallen short on promises to build a rail link to the international airport on the city’s outskirts and now acknowledge that the proposed monorail that would link the domestic airport to the metro will not be ready in time.

The situation is similar in the capital Brasilia, where work started on 18 km of tram lanes from the airport to the city but was halted in 2011 when a judge ruled the construction companies were involved in overpricing and other irregu-

larities.

In the jungle city of Manaus, authorities cancelled two major projects to build 20 km of monorail and 21.5 km of bus lanes. In Fortaleza, where six World Cup matches will take place, work has not begun on seven km of planned highways, tunnels and overpasses.

In Salvador, a city of three million people with no working metro, none of the roads or rail or metro links under construction will be ready for the tournament.

Experts point to common factors behind the delays. Either judicial investigators halted construction because of financial irregularities or initial feasibility studies and subsequent planning were so poor that funding was not approved.

Relocating families in the way of roads and rail lines has been a constant source of conflict and court cases, and Brazil’s strict environmental laws have also prompted legal injunctions.

Another factor is that things just seem to take a long time in Brazil, a country known for maddening bureaucracy and a laid-back approach to life. “We won the right to host the World Cup in October 2007 but we didn’t decide what needed

to be done until January 2010,” said Jose Roberto Bernasconi, who heads a trade association of local engineering and construction firms. “In 2008 and 2009 we did little or nothing. You can call it lack of money, or will, or competence but there was definitely a lack of something.”

Still, not everyone is discouraged. The public response to the delays and cancellations has been muted, perhaps because few governments have admitted they will not be doing all they promised.

Bernasconi said Brazil’s lack of decent public transport was so obvious that authorities could not avoid taking action, even if it was slow. So work would get done, he predicted, just not all of it in time for the World Cup. Even critics acknowledge the setbacks have contributed to widening the debate. “Before Brazil was confirmed as host of the World Cup, no one or hardly anyone spoke about urban transport projects,” said Campelo of the federal Audits Court. “Now the term is widely used. People k now what it means and talk about it. In that sense, Brazil has taken advantage of the opportunity.”—Reuters

Preview

Preview

We won’t take Celtic lightly, claim Juventus

PARIS: Valencia’s player attend a training session at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, on the eve of their second leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 match against PSG.—AFP

PSG look to back up Leonardo’s words PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain are under pressure to clinch their place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League at Valencia’s expense after their latest belowpar domestic performance.

The French club are top of Ligue 1 and lead Valencia 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie, but a 1-0 defeat away to Reims on Saturday came as a blow to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad before today’s game at the Parc des Princes.

Furthermore, bizarre comments by sporting director Leonardo-who spent two years as a player at Valencia in the early 1990s-will come back to bite PSG if they are unable to see off their Spanish opponents. “Maybe we are not made to play in games like these,” claimed the Brazilian after the defeat to a Reims side that had won just once in their previous 19 matches in all competitions. “Perhaps we have a team designed more for Europe than the league.”

The often tepid nature of their domestic performances this season and the contrast with their outstanding results in Europe would appear to back up Leonardo’s claims, but for a man in his position to say such a thing was still a major surprise. The massive investment in PSG’s squad by their Qatari owners has, after all, been made with domestic as well as European success in mind.

Nevertheless, attentions are now fully fixed on the continental scene, and vital away goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore mean that PSG have the edge coming into the return leg of this tie, even if a late Adil Rami goal in the first leg allowed Valencia to maintain hope.

“I don’t think the defeat to Reims will be a problem because everyone is focused on Europe,” said the former Barcelona fullback Maxwell. “This competition is very important and we will be giving everything to try and win it.”

All will be well in the French capital if Ancelotti’s side can progress to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition, but they will need to cope without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who begins a twomatch European ban handed down for his sending-off towards the end of the first leg.

Italian midfielder Marco Verratti is also banned, meaning a Champions League start could be in the offing for David Beckham, who failed to make an impression as a substitute at the weekend. “ They are two important players.

Ibrahimovic holds the ball up well and Verratti is young, good technically and controls the way his team plays,” said Valencia’s French left-back Aly Cissokho.

“They will miss them, but they have players who can replace them such as Beckham or (Jeremy) Menez.” Valencia come into the game on a run of just one defeat in their last ten outings in La Liga, even if that was a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of a Real Madrid side who, like PSG, are adept at tearing opponents apart on the break.

Ernesto Valverde’s men are fifth in La Liga, one point adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots for next season, although they could have been in an even better position had they not conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home against cross-town rivals Levante at the weekend.

The two-time Champions League runners-up have defensive problems with Ricardo Costa and French international Rami both missing due to injury, meaning another Frenchman, Jeremy Mathieu, will again partner Victor Ruiz in the heart of the back four, just as he did at the weekend. “We lost at home, but despite everything we have a chance of winning in Paris,” added Cissokho. “We need to score, so we cannot afford to just sit back, but nothing is impossible in football.”—AFP

Negredo lifts Sevilla to 4-1 win against Celta MADRID: Resurgent Sevilla boosted their chances of returning to Europe next season when captain Alvaro Negredo netted his first La Liga hat-trick in a 4-1 victory at home to struggling Celta Vigo on Monday.

The Andalusian side, UEFA Cup winners in 2006 and 2007, failed to qualify for continental competition last term for the first time in almost a decade, dealing the cash-strapped club a significant financial blow.

They started this season poorly but since the sacking of coach Michel in January replacement Unai Emery has revived their fortunes. Monday’s success lifted them to 10th on 35 points with 12 matches left, six below a Europa League berth and eight behind Malaga who occupy the fourth Champions League spot.

“It’s my first hat-trick in the league, the Cup and every other competition,” a smiling Negredo said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Marca TV. “We have to be

strong here at home and away too and it was important to win and keep climbing up the table,” added the 27-year-old, who was given a rousing ovation by the home fans when he was substituted with just over five minutes left. “This is the dynamic that we have to keep up now, we played very well tonight.”

Negredo fired Sevilla ahead in the 12th minute at a rain-soaked Sanchez Pizjuan stadium when he was perfectly placed to slot home after Celta goalkeeper Javi Varas had palmed away a Jesus Navas cross-shot. The pacy Navas was a constant threat down the right and another centre from the Spain international in the 29th minute ricocheted out to Negredo just inside the area and he blasted the ball into the net. Celta, who are 18th on 23 points, fought back strongly towards the end of the first half and a defensive error gifted them a goal five minutes before the break, Augusto Fernandez firing home after smart work from Iago Aspas.—-Reuters

MILAN: Juventus claim they are not taking the threat of Celtic lightly when the Scottish champions arrive in Turin hoping to pull off a Champions League miracle in their last 16 second leg today.

Antonio Conte’s side put one foot in the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since being ousted by Arsenal in 2006 thanks to a 3-0 first leg rout of Neil Lennon’s team in Glasgow last month.

While the fallout from that defeat landed mainly at the feet of Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose, who was guilty of errors before all three of Juve’s goals, there is no escaping the enormity of the task facing Lennon’s men.

The Champions League, however, has produced several shock results over the years, notably Manchester United’s comeback against Bayern Munich in the 1999 final and AC Milan’s defeat to Liverpool in the 2005 final despite holding a 3-0 half-time lead. With those in mind, Juventus said “the Bhoys’ desire to place a dent in Juve’s qualification hopes means Conte is leaving no stone unturned”.

That has meant “intensive tactical workouts” with a view to making sure Celtic do not score the early goal which could give the Scots the momentum needed to start working towards causing a huge upset. Defender Giorgio Chiellini said: “Nothing is in the bag yet. We still have a lot to do and need to approach this game believing that.”

While Conte could rest first team regulars including Stephan Lichsteiner, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal-all of whom played in Glasgow but are one yellow card away from suspension-he is not short on quality.

Conte could welcome back Ghanaian midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah, who should be fresh after missing Friday’s 1-1 Serie A draw away to Napoli, as well as French teenager Paul Pogba.

Since joining the Italians for free from Manchester United in the summer, Pogba has

TURIN: Celtic’s forward Giorgios Samaras controls a ball during a training session, on the eve of the Champions League match against Juventus.—AFP shown maturity beyond his years in midfield we would like to do is go there and compete and try and win the tie,” and scored some stunning goals to boot.

Lennon said. “We want to try and make it Reports in Italy suggest Conte’s usual 3-5-2 formation will be spearheaded by strikers look like the score-line at Celtic Park was a litFabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri, with tle bit flattering to Juventus. “We felt there Mirko Vucinic-who started in Glasgow with wasn’t that much between the teams although they did have a lot of class in their side as you Matri-on the bench.

Lennon admits Juve boast quality, but the would expect from Juventus.

“But, psychologically, today will give them a Northern Irishman is convinced his side’s Scottish Cup quarter-final win against St huge lift going into the game. I think it’s a Mirren will give Celtic a much needed boost game very much to look forward to. If we can go there and win it will be a tremendous way ahead of today’s tie.

He believes the Scots were hard done by in to end the campaign. “This is the Champions Glasgow, where they were ultimately handi- League and it’s the blue riband event. We have capped by Alessandro Matri’s early goal and had a marvellous season in it and we want to left playing catch-up for the remainder. “What end on a high.”—AFP

Mancini looks for perfect finish Aston Villa 0

Man City 1

BIRMINGHAM: Roberto Mancini was left admitting Manchester City need to win all 10 remaining Premier League matches if they are to snatch the title away from bitter city rivals Manchester United.

The City manager, who was speaking after his side had snatched a 1-0 win over struggling Aston Villa on Monday, added United, who hold a 12 point lead over them, would also have to lose several matches if they were to retain the title they won in thrilling fashion on the final day of last season. “It is difficult. We have 30 more points to play for and we need to try to win. We will see what happens at the end. Anything can happen in football,” said Mancini.

“We need to win all the matches and they lose four or five.” Mancini, whose best hope of silverware probably lies in the FA Cup which he won two years ago, revealed Jack Rodwell is set to face a month on the sidelines after hobbling off during the game. It was yet another blow for the talented Rodwell, which came just 25 minutes into the contest in

what was only his second start since September.

“We are very sorry for Jack, he is a good guy and player. He is unlucky. It is his hamstring,” said 48year-old Mancini. “I think it is impossible to resolve this problem in six or seven months when he has had it for five or six years. It will need more time. “I think he will be out until after the international break, it will be three or four weeks. He is young, he played very well against Chelsea and here.” Villa, meanwhile, remain in 18th and were once again left to rue a costly lapse of concentration from one of their players at a key moment. As the clock ticked down in added first-half time, Villa appeared to have survived the onslaught - but then came Ciaran Clarke’s moment to forget.

The defender, Villa’s last man, received a throwin but loitered in possession. With Edin Dzeko now upon him, he elected for a drag-back in a desperate attempt to get himself out of trouble only to slip.

Dzeko charged through before squaring to Carlos Tevez who, in typically clinical fashion, sold Guzan with a dummy before slotting past the beleaguered Clarke, by now desperately attempting to make amends on the line.

It was a feat of finishing at its most ruthless and, although harsh on Villa, they only had themselves to blame - Clarke’s furious protests were waved away - and correctly so - by referee Mike Dean.

Manager Paul Lambert admitted it was a mistake by Clark - but refused to condemn the defender.

Their forthcoming matches against fellow strugglers Reading and QPR now take on even further importance, but Lambert insists they can take heart from Monday’s display. “I thought we were well in the game. But that’s football. You pick yourself up and go again,” said Lambert. “The next two games are massive for us. If we play like that, we will give teams a fright that’s for sure.”—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League PSG v Valencia Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Aljazeera Sport +4

22:45

Juventus v Celtic Aljazeera Sport +5 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

22:45 BIRMINGHAM: Manchester City’s English goalkeeper Joe Hart eyes the ball over the net during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Villa Park.—AFP

Heat, Knicks and Magic advance

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

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We won’t take Celtic lightly, claim Juventus

19

Gaza marathon cancelled after Hamas bans women runners

Page 18

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Dutch striker Robin van Persie (center) is challenged by Real Madrid’s German midfielder Sami Khedira (right) during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match. —AFP

Real win clash of titans MANCHESTER: Cristiano Ronaldo scored the decisive goal as Real Madrid controversially came from behind to win 2-1 at Manchester United yesterday and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

In a breathless game, Nani forced Sergio Ramos to put through his own goal in the 48th minute to give United a 2-1 aggregate lead in the last 16 tie, only for the Portuguese winger to then be sent off for a foul on Alvaro Arbeloa.

Madrid immediately seized the initiative, equalising through substitute Luka Modric in the 66th minute and then earning victory through United old boy Ronaldo on his return to Old Trafford.

Madrid manager Jose Mourinho conceded his side had been fortunate to go through, telling ITV: “Independent of the (Nani) decision, the best team lost. We didn’t deserve to win, but football is like this.”

United’s defeat meant that Ryan Giggs’ 1,000th appearance in senior football ended in disappointment, while Madrid can dream of a 10th European title after reinvigorating their season in recent weeks.

United manager Alex Ferguson had sprung a major surprise by naming Wayne Rooney on the substitutes’ bench, but Giggs was included in the starting XI as he became only the third British outield player to play in 1,000 games.

A wave of applause for Ronaldo rippled around the ground at kickoff and the Madrid number seven unexpectedly found himself in direct opposition to Giggs, who started the match in an unfamiliar role on the right flank.

Giggs roused the home fans with a determined run down the wing in the 20th minute and from the corner he won, United came within a hair’s breadth of taking the lead.

Nemanja Vidic met Giggs’ inswinging corner with a typically emphatic header that came back off the right-hand post and goalkeeper Diego Lopez reacted well to smother Danny Welbeck’s instinctive follow-up.

Madrid then enjoyed a brief spell in the ascendancy, with Rio Ferdinand blocking from Ronaldo and goalkeeper David de Gea

thwarting Gonzalo Higuain before Ramos had a goal ruled out for a foul on Robin van Persie.

The action soon swang the other way, however, with Lopez doing brilliantly to divert a shot from Welbeck over the bar after he had allowed a stinging effort from van Persie to get away from him.

Despite shading the first half in terms of opportunities, United had nothing to show for their efforts, but that changed within three minutes of the second period.

After Welbeck and van Persie had both seen shots blocked, Nani picked up the ball wide on the left and played a low cross into the Madrid six-yard box that Ramos inadvertently poked into his own net.

The Portuguese celebrated the goal as if he had scored it himself, but moments later, his night was over.

In attempting to control a high ball, he caught Arbeloa in the chest with his studs and was shown a straight red card by referee Cuneyt Cakir, much to Ferguson’s evident displeasure.

United’s manager came to the touchline to rouse the home support but Madrid had the momentum and Rafael da Silva had to bravely clear a Higuain header from below his own crossbar.

Van Persie worked Lopez with a low shot, but Madrid were quickly back on the attack and in the 66th minute, they levelled. Mourinho had reacted to Nani’s dismissal by introducing Modric in place of Arbeloa and the Croatian had an immediate impact, darting into space and arrowing a superb 25-yard shot past de Gea via the right-hand upright.

The turnaround was complete three minutes later and with poetic inevitability, it was Ronaldo who put Madrid ahead, touching in Higuain’s low cross-shot and then pointedly apologising to the fans behind de Gea’s goal.

Ferguson turned to Rooney and United went for broke, but Lopez saved from Michael Carrick and van Persie in quick succession before Rooney volleyed over. Madrid substitute Kaka hit the post, before Lopez produced another stunning stop from Vidic to crown a decisive individual display.— AFP

United’s Giggs makes 1,000th appearance MANCHESTER: Ryan Giggs made his 1,000th competitive appearance when Manchester United kicked off their Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at Old Trafford yesterday.

The 39-year-old, whose record is made up of 932 appearances for his club, 64 for Wales and four for Britain’s Olympic team, made his senior debut as a 17-year-old substitute in United’s 2-0 defeat by Everton on March 2, 1991.

He is the seventh British player to make 1,000 first-class appearances but is some way short of the record 1,387 established by former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton between 1966-97.

Giggs has defied his age to carry on putting in top-class performances in some of the biggest games, with his last goal coming as recently as last month in a 2-0 Premier League victory at Queens Park Rangers.

On Friday, he signed a contract to carry on playing for another season, taking him past his 40th birthday as his recipe of yoga, hard work and healthy eating continues to work wonders.

United had not won a league title for nearly a quarter of a century when the slim and graceful Welsh teenager started his nifty runs up the left wing but now he is

the most decorated player in English soccer with 12 Premier League winner’s medals, four FA Cup winner’s medals and two Champions League winner’s medals among his collection.

Yesterday’s match was his 134th Champions League appearance and he has scored 28 goals. He holds the record of being the oldest player to score in the competition after netting in a 1-1 draw at Benfica in September 2011. United and Real started the match level at 1-1 in the tie following last month’s first leg in Madrid. — Reuters

Manchester United’s Welsh midfielder Ryan Giggs

Dortmund demolish Donetsk to book CL last eight berth

GERMANY: Dortmund’s Mario Goetze (right) and Shakhtar’s Yaroslav Rakitskiy challenge for the ball during the Champions League, round of 16, second leg soccer match. — AP

DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund booked their place in the Champions League’s quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years with a 3-0 win at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in yesterday’s last 16, second leg tie.

Having drawn 2-2 in Ukraine three weeks ago in the first leg, Borussia go through 5-2 on aggregate as goals by Felipe Santana, Mario Goetze and Jakub ‘Kuba’ Blaszczykowski capped the German champions’ dominant display.

Dortmund are in the last eight for the first time since 1998 when, as defending champions, they lost in the semi-finals.

“We knew we had a huge chance to reach the quarter-finals and we delivered a great performance,” said goal-scorer Goetze. “Obviously scoring two goals in the first half gave us a lot of confidence.”

On the eve of the match, Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu boldly predicted the winner of this tie would reach the final at London’s Wembley on May 25 and Dortmund gave his statement some credibility with an impressive performance.

Before his side crashed out at the hands of Real Madrid at home yesterday, Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson had tipped Dortmund to win the title, but Borussia coach

Jurgen Klopp played down rising expectations on his side.

“There are still lots of strong teams in the competition,” he said. “We are just delighted with the result and I am proud of the team.

“This is an exceptional performance, the whole Champions League campaign has gone like clockwork and this was an unbelievable 90 minutes from us.” This was their fourth straight home win in Europe this season at their Signal Iduna Park stadium and their fifth in all.

Germany defender Mats Hummels, who scored the late equaliser in Donetsk, missed his third straight match with flu, but Brazilian centre back Santana proved to be an able deputy.

The hosts started to get the upper hand early on with Goetze and defensive midfielder Ilkay Gundogan at the heart of several attacks when only the final shot was missing for a Dortmund goal.

It came soon enough when Santana’s bullet header on 31 minutes more than made up for his shaky performances in the last two games when he buried Goetze’s cross to claim his first goal since January.

The second followed six minutes later when Goetze added a touch of magic to a Robert Lewandowski cross and used his heel to flick the

ball into the far corner, with Donetsk keeper Andriy Pyatov stranded in the middle of his goal, to make it 2-0 at the break.

With their Champions League survival in the balance, Shakhtar came out fighting for the second half with Brazil’s Douglas Costa, on for compatriot Taison on the right wing, and Alex Texeira both going close.

But the game was effectively decided when Blaszczykowski profited after Pyatov parried Gundogan’s fierce drive, but the ball fell at the Poland captain’s feet and he dutifully tucked it away on 59 minutes.

Several Shakhtar defenders slumped on the turf and Pyatov was left prostrate while Dortmund celebrated at the left corner by mobbing the Polish goal-scorer. To their credit, Donetsk responded by pressing the Dortmund defence.

Borussia captain Roman Weidenfeller had to make a full-stretch save to block a fierce Yaroslav Rakitskiy drive from close range on 77 minutes, while Marco Reus squandered a clear chance at the other end in the final ten minutes.

Dortmund can be joined in the last eight by Bundesliga rivals Schalke 04, who host Galatasaray, and Bayern Munich, who are home to Arsenal, next week. — AFP

Business

Saudi billionaire accuses Forbes of undervaluing fortune Page 22 Nigeria staggers toward title of Africa’s biggest economy Page 23

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

Iberia cancels 239 flights due to strike

Dubai sees big IPO in 2014/15 Page 25

Page 23

GENEVA: A person takes a picture of cars on the press day of the Geneva car Show yesterday. The Geneva International Motor Show opens its doors under a dark cloud, with no sign of a speedy rebound in sight for the troubled European market. —AFP (See Page 25)

Egypt in for trouble with or without IMF Subsidies benefit rich but removal hurts the poor News

in brief

Korean Air confirms bid for Czech Airlines SEOUL: Korean Air confirmed yesterday it had made an official bid of “several million dollars” for a 44 percent stake in troubled Czech Airlines (CSA), in what would be its first investment in another carrier. The South Korean flag carrier said it would not be seeking managerial control of the state-run Czech airline.

“We submitted a bid for the stake last week. If successful, this will be our first investment in another airliner,” a Korean Air spokesman said. The bid reflects Korean Air’s efforts to strengthen its network in Europe, he said. Korean Air operates passenger flights to 11 cities in Europe. The Czech government has set a March deadline for bids for the airline, which Ernst & Young auditors estimate to be worth 148 million koruna (5.8 million euros, $7.5 million).

Iraq to supply Egypt with barrels of crude BAGHDAD: Iraq has agreed to supply Egypt with 4 million barrels of oil per month, during a visit by Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil to Baghdad, Iraqi government spokesman Ali Al-Moussawi said yesterday. Economic turmoil since a popular uprising unseated Hosni Mubarak last year has stretched Egypt’s finances and inflated the premiums the state petroleum company pays for fuel. Traders say the number of firms supplying fuel to the Arab world’s most populous country has shrunk and repeated shortages have angered motorists and disrupted industry and agriculture. “An agreement has been reached for Iraq to sell crude oil to Egypt with an amount of 4 million barrels per month,” Mousawi said, adding Baghdad would study a request to extend a planned oil pipeline from Iraq to Jordan on to Egypt. The Egyptian government is under pressure to rein in a deficit enlarged by energy subsidies that account for a fifth of the budget.

Two French unions protest labor law PARIS: Two French hard-left trade unions began nationwide protests yesterday against labor law reforms backed by mainstream unions to give firms more flexibility to weather economic downturns.

Low-level transport, port and power sector strikes had caused only minor disruption by midday.

Organizers expect hundreds of thousands to join an afternoon march in Paris, where the turnout will be seen as a barometer of opposition to a reform vital to Socialist President Francois Hollande’s battle to restore industrial competitiveness. Signed by mainstream unions in January after lengthy talks with employers, the “flexicurity” accord means more job security for workers on short-term contracts, but makes it easier for firms to put staff on shorter hours if orders dry up. It also gives them new rights to dismiss any who refuse to participate. The hardline CGT and FO, backed by two smaller unions, led protests in some 200 towns and planned a 2 pm march through Paris to the Socialist-controlled National Assembly, which is set to pass a law based on the accord next month.

CAIRO: Egypt is at risk of a “revolution of the hungry” two years after Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising, as food and energy prices will soar with or without an IMF deal. Failure to get the $4.8 billion loan or some other funding would have dire consequences: if Egypt keeps burning foreign currency at the rate it has done since the 2011 uprising, it will have none left in little more than a year.

But success would also stir Egypt’s boiling social and political cauldron. In return for a lifeline, the International Monetary Fund will demand reform of a subsidy system that long ago became unaffordable. The rich benefit most from the energy subsidies that exhaust state finances but the poor will suffer most if they go.

“Whether we have the IMF or not there will be difficulty ... the IMF requires certain economic reforms,” said Salah Gouda, an economics professor. “If we lift subsidies right away then you are looking at a revolution of the hungry.” The economic gloom has dragged Egyptians from the high of the “Arab Spring” revolution to deepening poverty. Constant feuding between the ruling Islamists of President Mohamed Morsi and the opposition over the future character of Egypt has heightened tensions and cast serious doubt on any hopes for a political consensus on reforming the economy.

The United States, the largest shareholder in the IMF, is worried about how the economic crisis could further destabilize a strategic ally in a turbulent region. “It is paramount, essential, urgent that the Egyptian economy gets stronger, that it gets back on its feet,” Secretary of State John Kerry said on a weekend visit to Cairo. “It’s clear to us that the IMF arrangement needs to be reached, that we need to give the market that confidence.”

The figures speak for themselves. The for-

eign currency reserves have slid to $13.5 billion at the end of February from $36 billion on the eve of the uprising. The dive slowed sharply last month. However, reserves have fallen roughly $865 million a month since the end of 2010, meaning the current levels would last only about 15 months if this rate were to continue unabated.

“Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves are still extremely low and below what the central bank previously called a critical minimum level,” said William Jackson of Capital Economics in London. “Our bigger concern is if there is a fresh eruption in political turmoil, and investors and Egyptians lose confidence.” If Egypt were to run out of money - both foreign and local currency - the subsidy system would probably collapse anyway, leading to shortages and price rises in a chaotic return to the free market. Such a scenario of upheaval in the Arab world’s most populous country supports those who say an IMF deal is vital.

SAFETY NETS Confidence is already in short supply. The central bank has spent more than $20 billion trying to prop up the Egyptian pound but it has still lost 14 percent against the dollar since before the revolution - more than half of this since the end of last year. This slide has added to the huge burden on the budget from the subsidy system which dates back to the rule of nationalist President Gamal Abdel Nasser who seized power in 1952. Its cost has been soaring for years along with the population, most of whom are squeezed into the five percent of Egyptian territory that is not desert.

Now the government is having to buy most of the oil and much of the wheat for subsidized energy and bread on international markets with a devaluing local currency.

Subsidized bread, which goes to the poor as better-off Egyptians prefer higher quality

loaves, consumes about five percent of the state budget. A far bigger problem is energy, which devours about 20 percent of the budget. Petroleum Minister Osama Kamal estimated last month that the energy subsidy bill would hit 120 billion Egyptian pounds ($17.8 billion) in the financial year to June.

Egypt cannot afford this kind of money. In an economic plan produced last month for the IMF, the government forecast the budget deficit would reach 189.7 billion pounds this financial year. That would equal 10.9 percent of Egypt’s total annual economic output and assumes that reforms will go ahead. Without such action, the deficit would reach 12.3 percent of GDP. By contrast Portugal, a country where living standards are at least three times those of Egypt, had to seek a bailout from the IMF and European Union in 2011 even though its deficit peaked below 10 percent.

INEFFICIENT Inevitably the IMF will be gunning for the subsidies in negotiations for the loan, which have yet to start. Masood Ahmed, who heads the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, says that blanket subsidies are an inefficient way of protecting the weakest in society. In an article looking at the Arab countries in general, he said that only about 20 to 35 percent of spending on subsidies reaches the poorest 40 percent of the population.

“Now that budgetary pressures make it all the more urgent to reform generalized subsidies, it has become equally urgent to develop better and more robust safety nets that target the needy,” he wrote in this month’s edition of the IMF’s online Finance and Development magazine. Two fifths of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day and while the poor don’t own cars a big rise in fuel costs due to subsidy cuts would feed through to higher transport costs which would push up the price of the food

they buy.

“When prices go up, there will be protests on the street as no one can afford the rising costs of living. The poor will suffer the most,” said Gouda, who works at Beni Suef University in the Nile Delta. Research by the African Development Bank backs him up. “Energy subsidies are often intended to support the poor but in practice benefit the rich,” Vincent Castel, a program coordinator at the bank, wrote in an article on Egypt. “Although the welfare loss is imposed on the entire population the poor and near-poor are most vulnerable because energy expenses account for a larger portion of their income.”

Already tension is high across much of Egypt. Violence erupted in November and December after Mursi temporarily gave himself sweeping powers. This has subsided but around 60 were killed in the Suez Canal city of Port Said in January and unrest flared there again this week. Such an explosive atmosphere will not make reform easy. “In my view, there will be massive popular protests should these austerity measures be implemented,” said Salwa Al-Antary, former head of research in Egypt’s National Bank who now heads the economic committee in the Egyptian Socialist Party. “Egyptians will feel squeezed with the rise in prices after having hope of improvement with the revolution.”

Removal of subsidies would have startling results. Petroleum Minister Kamal has promised that subsidised fuel would remain available for some Egyptians under a rationing system. This is due to start in July but few details have yet been announced. Costs outside this scheme would jump. According to projections compiled for the IMF, the commonly used 90 octane gasoline would leap to 5.71 Egyptian pounds ($0.85) a litre from 1.75, and diesel would go up to 5.21 pounds from 1.10. — Reuters

Spanish shirt-seller is the world’s third-richest man MADRID: The recession ravaging Spain’s economy has not held back Amancio Ortega, a railwayman’s son from Galicia, who has just leaped to third place in Forbes magazine’s listing of the richest people in the world. From his workshop in the rugged northwestern region of Galicia, Ortega has conquered the world with his Inditex retail empire and its flagship Zara brand.

Ortega, 76, has wealth now estimated at $57 billion (44 billion euros), rocketing from $37.5 billion a year ago, according to Forbes.

Only the Mexican magnate Carlos Slim and US tech titan Bill Gates rank above him on the mazazine’s list. Ortega left school at 13 to work as a salesman in a shirt store in the city of La Coruna. Four years later, he set up his own business, initially handling wholesale transactions. He opened his first Zara boutique in

1975, in La Coruna. More branches followed, and he expanded into Portugal in 1988, the United States in 1989 and France in 1990.

Now almost 40 years later, Zara has become the emblem of his lowcost fashion empire. Inditex is the largest fashion retailer in the world.

Aside from Zara, its brands include the youth-oriented label Bershka and the upmarket brand Massimo Dutti. The group has ridden out the economic crisis and in December it reported that net profit in the period from January to October had surged by an annualised 27 percent to 1.655 billion euros ($2.1 billion).

“Internationalised companies are suffering much less than others in the crisis, and Inditex is about the most internationalized there is,” Juan Ramis, a professor at Spanish business school ESADE, told AFP. It has 6,000 stores in 86 countries. The

company’s success has been attributed to a rapid turnover, with new designs constantly being dispatched to stores. “It can get new collections in its shops approximately every two weeks,” Ramis said. “The customers come back often to the store because they know the stock is constantly changing.”

Transport costs during production are kept low as more than half of the goods are produced in Europe and neighboring Morocco.

In 2011 Ortega gave up his post as chairman of Inditex to close aid Pablo Isla, but remains the main shareholder and retains a central role in the management. “Ortega works directly with people in the company’s operations. He is in the production plants,” Ramis said.

“Being so close to the ground he takes better decisions than others

WASHINGTON: 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. The three topped the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest billionaires. — AFP who stay in their office. As well as omnipresent clothing stores, being a brilliant and intelligent per- Spanish media have been hard put son, he is better at taking decisions to dig up any stories about him.

For years, few even knew what than others.” Married twice and the father of three children, Ortega is he looked like. Ortega agreed to said to eat often in the staff can- pose for an official photo only once teen. But to most Spaniards he is a when the company was officially mystery. He never gives interviews listed on the stock market in and despite his extreme wealth and 2001.— AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

BUSINESS

Saudi billionaire accuses Forbes of undervaluing fortune DUBAI: Saudi tycoon Prince Alwalid bin Talal has severed his ties with Forbes magazine’s annual billionaires’ list, which he accused of undervaluing his fortune, his office said yesterday. In its 2013 list published on Monday, Forbes ranked Alwalid 26th in the world with a fortune it estimated at $20 billion (15.4 billion euros). The prince’s office and his Kingdom Holding investment group “have ended their long-standing relationship with

the Forbes Billionaires List,” a statement said.

Alwaleed wrote to Steve Forbes, the magazines’s chief editor and chairman, “requesting that the prince be removed from the list and informing Forbes” that officials from Kingdom Holding would no longer work with its valuation teams. The statement accused Forbes of “intentional biases and inconsistencies” in its valuation process over the past six years as it refused to accept share values as

World stocks rise Earlier in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.1 percent to 22,560.50. The mainland’s Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.3 percent to 2,326.31. The Shenzhen Composite Index added 2.3 percent to 964.68.

Stocks in Tokyo rose on hopes that the Bank of Japan, which begins a two-day meeting on Wednesday, might demonstrate a shift in monetary policy to conform to the program championed by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Nikkei 225 index advanced 0.3 percent to 11,683.45, its highest close since September 2008. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.3 percent to 5,075.40 amid bargainhunting after a sharp sell-off the day before.

Among individual stocks, Japan’s Fast Retailing jumped 5.5 percent after the company said sales at its Uniqlo casual clothing stores jumped 9.6 percent in February from a year ago, Kyodo News Agency said. Wall Street stocks finished higher Monday as investors put aside the uncertainty over a budget battle in Washington. President Barack Obama and his political opponents have failed so far to agree on a way to roll back automatic spending cuts that took effect Friday.

Those cuts slash $85 billion from the nation’s budget, which could slow down the economy. Benchmark oil for April delivery was up 47 cents to $90.60 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract fell 56 cents to finish at $90.12 a barrel on the Nymex on Monday. In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3060 from $1.3022 late Monday in New York. The dollar fell to 93.01 yen from 93.42 yen. —AP

Dubai Islamic Bank to boost Tier 1 capital via sukuk sale DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank plans to boost its capital through the sale of a sharia-compliant debt instrument, which would become only the second such deal from a regional lender to shore up core capital ratios. DIB, the largest sharia-compliant lender in the United Arab Emirates by assets, said yesterday it would hold investor meetings in Asia, the Middle East and Europe starting on March 7 ahead of issuing the dollar-denominated, benchmark-sized hybrid sukuk, subject to market conditions.

Tier 1 capital is a lender’s core capital, and a key measure of its financial strength. The bank hopes to raise at least $500 million from the sale, but the final size will depend on demand. It follows a highly successful Tier 1 deal by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank in November, which attracted order books of over $15 billion from global accounts, despite the rarity of the deal structure and unfamiliarity among regional investors. The heavy demand allowed the issuer to price the deal at a profit rate of 6.375 percent, tighter than guidance.

The paper has tightened further in secondary trading, and was bid at about 105 cents on the dollar yesterday to yield about 5.3 percent.

Traders and market sources believe DIB will need

to price wider than ADIB because it is rated lower; Dubai entities often need to offer a higher premium than Abu Dhabi entities. “DIB is two notches below ADIB and I don’t expect the same kind of clamor for this issue,” said a regional debt trader, requesting anonymity. However, he added that more regional investors might participate this time. Demand is still expected to be sizeable in view of a lack of sukuk assets in the market and the hunt for ever-higher yields. A banker covering the region said that in current conditions, the deal could price between 5.75 percent and 6.0 percent, offering a substantial pick-up over ADIB’s trading level at present. “Where else can you get such yield?” the banker added. DIB’s hybrid sukuk will be structured similarly to ADIB’s issue. DIB had a Tier 1 capital ratio of 13.9 percent at the end of 2012, compared to 12.6 percent in 2007, according to an investor presentation. It will be classified as deeply subordinated and is callable at year six.

It will carry a fixed profit rate of six-year midswaps over the initial margin until first call, and then the profit rate will be reset to adjust for the then-prevailing six-year midswaps over the initial margin.

Roadshows conclude on March 12 in Switzerland, and a deal may follow. —Reuters

in the ultra-conservative kingdom during their valuation process, it said. But Kingdom Holding will continue to cooperate with the Bloomberg Billionaires valuation teams, which Alwalid “considers to use a more accurate method of calculating financial holdings.”

Bloomberg Billionaires calculated the wealth of Alwalid, a nephew of King Abdullah, as $28 billion. The prince, in his late 50s, has holdings in Citibank and Rupert

Murdoch’s News Corp. Forbes magazine listed him last year as the 26th richest person in the world with assets of $19.6 billion. Kingdom Holding, of which he owns 95 percent, has stakes in Four Seasons and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International. In December 2011, Prince Alwalid and Kingdom Holding announced a combined investment of $300 million in the social networking site Twitter.—AFP

Europe’s economic fractures widen

Stocks cheer Chinese growth target BANGKOK: World stock markets rose yesterday as investors registered approval for China’s spending priorities announced at its annual congress. Markets in Hong Kong and mainland China drew encouragement from a speech by outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao and presentation of the country’s budget at the opening of the annual National People’s Congress, a ceremonial legislature.

Wen promised deficit spending to meet a growth target this year of 7.5 percent that is enshrined in the ruling Communist Party’s latest five-year development plan. Wen mentioned subsidies for agriculture and energy conservation and said the country was committed to fighting corruption and improving the environment.

Wen also pledged to relax the credit supply, analysts said. “I think that is good news for the banks. Either they will increase their quota for new loans or reduce the deposit reserve ratio. So that means boosting the money supply to support economic growth,” said Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong. Lun also said he believes China’s leaders are aiming for something higher than the 7.5 percent growth target announced at the congress.

European stocks opened higher. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.7 percent to 6,389.41.

Germany’s DAX advanced 1.3 percent to 7,792.15 and France’s CAC-40 added 1.2 percent to 3,755.54. Wall Street was poised to open higher, with Dow Jones industrial futures rising 0.2 percent to 14,143 and S&P 500 futures advancing 0.2 percent to 1,528.10.

listed by the the kingdom’s stock exchange, Tadawul.

“Prince Alwaleed has taken this step as he felt he could no longer participate in a process which resulted in the use of incorrect data and seemed designed to disadvantage Middle Eastern investors and institutions,” it added. Forbes team has considered “rumors that stock manipulation ‘is the national sport’ in Saudi Arabia because ‘there are no casinos’”

France, Spain, Italy behind downturn; Germany prospers LONDON: France, Spain and Italy dragged the eurozone into a deeper downturn in February, according to business surveys that showed the chasm between these countries and prosperous Germany widening yet again. While British services companies had a slightly better month than expected, yesterday’s purchasing managers’ indexes (PMIs) showed deepening fractures running through the European economy.

The divide between Germany and France, the eurozone’s two biggest economies, grew to its widest since the currency union’s inception in 1999. The PMIs reflected how euro-zone businesses were faring mostly before the inconclusive outcome of Italy’s general election, which unsettled international financial markets.

“Two months into 2013, we’ve been somewhat disappointed with the euro-zone economy’s progress. The PMIs again reaffirm that,” said Victoria Clarke, economist at Investec in London. “Germany’s doing a bit better than the rest of the pack, but in general, there’s no real sign there of stabilization, or of the contraction at least bottoming out.” Markit’s Euro-zone Composite PMI, a broad gauge of activity at thousands of companies across the 17-nation bloc, fell to 47.9 in February from 48.6 in January.

Although that was a little better than a preliminary reading of 47.3, it was still well below the 50 mark dividing growth from contraction - as the index has been for just over a year. Euro-zone retail sales for January, showing a 1.2 percent rise, were much better than expected, although economists cautioned that the underlying picture was still very weak. British retail sales also grew at their strongest annual rate in almost two years last month. The euro rose slightly against the dollar in response to the data. European stock markets also rallied yesterday, although led by strong bank results.

Britain’s services PMI, which accounts for the bulk of its economy, hit a five month-high of 51.8 last month from 51.5 in January, beating the median forecast of 51.0 in a Reuters poll. Economists expect comparable data from the United States will show its non-manufacturing economy maintained a moderate rate of growth, slowing only slightly since January. Growth among Chinese services companies, which comprise a smaller proportion of its economy compared with Western peers, slowed from a four-month high in February.

BETTING ON THE BANK For the euro-zone, the outlook depends largely on whether Germany can keep up its economic growth and offset struggling France, Italy and Spain, according to Chris Williamson, chief economist at PMI compiler Markit. “(That) seems a tall order, meaning hopes of a return to growth for the region by mid-2013 are now looking too optimistic,” he said. Williamson said the lat-

Bank of England will act this month to help boost the economy is a tougher call, despite yesterday’s unexpectedly strong services PMI. Before the data, economists polled by Reuters put a 40 percent median chance on the Bank of England adding to the 375 billion pounds it has spent so far on its asset purchasing program.

However, the upbeat services number follows dire construction and manufacturing PMIs from the last few

ATHENS: Greek farmers shout slogans during a demonstration in central Athens yesterday. Over 2,000 Greek farmers gathered in Athens to demand lower taxes, arguing that the rising cost of fuel and electricity was driving them to ruin.—AFP est surveys were consistent with the euro-zone economy shrinking around 0.2 percent this quarter, with only German strength saving the bloc from a downturn as bad as the 0.6 percent decline at the end of last year.

The European Central Bank meets to decide monetary policy this week, although few economists expect any major announcements this month. Whether the

days. “Maybe a small glimmer of hope is showing through for the UK services sector amidst deepening gloom for the UK economy,” said David Brown from New View Economics. He said it was far too tenuous to suggest the services PMI means there was some uplift in economic activity this quarter, taken together with the poor manufacturing data.—Reuters

US to merge Freddie, Fannie securitization WASHINGTON: The regulator of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac detailed plans Monday to begin contracting their business while merging their securitization operations. Federal Housing Finance Agency acting director Edward DeMarco said the two, rescued by the government in 2008 in a $180 billion bailout after the housing market collapse, needed to begin reducing their dominance of the

market as private financing makes a comeback. DeMarco said the housing industry is strengthening, helped by record low interest rates, and that Fannie and Freddie are now generating operating profits.

That makes conditions ripe for the FHFA to begin moving to shrink them and help restructure the secondary market for mortgages and mortgage securities-thousands of

mortgages packaged into bonds and sold to investors. One effort planned for this year is to raise the fees they charge to mortgage lenders for guaranteeing their loans, to encourage private capital to return to that part of the market, reducing the market’s near-complete dependence on the two.

“The idea is that at some point the increases in guarantee fees will

encourage private capital back into the market. We are not there yet, but in conversations with market participants, I think we are getting closer.”

Secondly, Demarco wants to take the operations of the two-which package and market millions of mortgage loans as securities, making them the dominant players in that massive market-and combine them into one separate entity. —AFP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2770000 .424000 .3660000 .2990000 .2730000 .2850000 .0040000 .0020000 .0769340 .7495490 .3920000 .0720000 .7348010 .0420000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2834000 .4260490 .3688310 .3006100 .2750120 .0494710 .0440670 .2869000 .0365420 .2274840 .0030360 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0771890 .7520230 .0000000 .0755930 .7363910 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.058 5.203 2.895 2.227 3.256 229.370 36.703 3.594 6.989

.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

Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

9.559 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.937 78.244 739.640 756.340 77.540

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 284.650 Euro 372.460 Sterling Pound 431.810 Canadian dollar 278.520 Swiss Franc 303.460 US Dollar Buying 283.450 GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

SELL DRAFT 293.00 280.88 306.65 373.05 284.20 431.06 3.11 3.618 5.171 2.231 3.242 2.900 77.45 756.72 41.59 404.88

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 284.400 280.705 431.045 372.770 302.865 752.955 77.410 78.065 75.805 400.910 41.588 2.227 5.197 2.893 3.599 6.970 697.645 4.050 9.615 4.020 3.340 91.690

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL 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

738.000 78.500 76.500

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 42.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.569 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.328 Tunisian Dinar 180.160 Jordanian Dinar 402.130 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.910 Syrian Lier 3.094 Morocco Dirham 34.008

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

739.65 78.48 75.99

SELL CASH 293.000 280.000 307.000 372.000 285.000 430.500 3.300 3.740 5.350 2.500 3.450 2.870 78.000 755.500 42.000 415.000

COUNTRY 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

SELL CASH 0.4234114 0.0061269 0.0457286 0.3654980 0.0458185 0.4223448 0.0402980 0.2975573 Australasia 0.2811907 0.2281044 0.0001094 America 0.2702949 0.0001481 0.2823000 Asia 0.0035634 0.0031552 0.0446879 0.0164300

SELLDRAFT 0.4324114 0.0181269 0.0507286 0.3729980 0.0510158 0.4298448 0.0452980 0.3045573 0.29031907 0.2381044 0.0001094 0.2792949 0.0001661 0.2844500 0.0036184 0.0033852 0.0496879 0.0195300

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 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

0.0000441 0.0341269 0.0051320 0.0000244 0.0028406 0.0029732 0.0032405 0.0878852 0.0030959 0.0028689 0.0065352 0.0000727 0.2244393 0.0019288 0.0091445 Arab 0.7480832 0.0395739 0.0129906 0.1480651 0.0000791 0.0001857 0.3956266 1.0000000 0.0001744 0.0217614 0.0012076 0.7278199 0.0774761 0.0753200 0.0499566 0.0031738 0.1790192 0.0760179 0.0012831

0.0000501 0.0372269 0.0052020 0.0000295 0.0038406 0.0031532 0.0034705 0.0948852 0.0032959 0.0029089 0.0070052 0.0000757 0.2304393 0.0022338 0.0097445 0.7565832 0.0416039 0.0194906 0.1498551 0.0000796 0.0002457 0.4031266 1.0000000 0.0001944 0.0457614 0.0018426 0.7388199 0.0782591 O.0759600 0.0505066 0.0033938 0.1850192 0.0774679 0.0013831

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

BUSINESS

Older French face slow squeeze in pension reform Socialist Hollande eyeing nips, tucks to pension system PARIS: Anxious to avoid the fury that greeted his predecessor’s pension reforms, President Francois Hollande will ask more of old people to fix the hole in French retirement coffers but tread gently in doing so. Even a softly-softly approach will mark the first time a left-wing president has dared to tamper with a system which is one of the sacred cows of France’s model of generous welfare provision.

A plan in the works will likely leave intact the official retirement age of 62 but trim annual pension rises, buying Hollande time to try and coax people in their 50s and 60s to work a few more years, officials working on the project say.

Putting more of the burden on older people could stave off growing resentment among a younger generation who will otherwise spend their lives funding generous retirements, the like of which they will never enjoy.

A “reform by stealth” to nudge people to work longer could also spare Hollande the reaction that met former president Nicolas Sarkozy when he forced up the retirement age by two years in 2010, prompting street protests and strikes. “The French hate the idea of touching the retirement age, it’s sacred. And now is not the time for a ‘big bang’ structural reform-the system is too stretched to find any compromise,” one of Hollande’s aides told Reuters.

Pressed on the issue recently, government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem vowed people would not be made to work longer.

Instead, the aim will be to repair the short-term funding gap with nips and tucks that could save a few billion euros a year and study ways to end an entrenched early retirement habit that costs billions more in lost output and contributions. “It’s no good changing the

engine if you have no petrol. What we need is fuel for the system,” the aide said.

GENERATIONAL HOLD-UP Under the gaze of rating agencies and foreign investors, Hollande needs to fix a ballooning short-term pension deficit and prepare for a future where by 2060 the cost of each pensioner will be borne by 1.5 workers compared with 2.5 today. A widespread practice of letting workers go early actually offers an opportunity as it leaves a big pool of people who could be padding the pot if kept in work rather than draining it.

While 30-somethings struggle to save, three in five 55 to 64-yearolds already have their feet up, including many public sector employees whose pensions are close to their final pay. “It’s a generational hold up. Today’s 25-yearolds will pay all their lives for the fat pensions of others then find the pot is empty for them,” said Emmanuel Grimaud, a pension consultant who advises a stream of people nervous about their retirements. “If the youths out protesting in 2010 had any sense they’d have been shouting: raise the retirement age to 70 right now!” Influential government advisors such as industrialist Louis Gallois, who inspired Hollande’s 2012 competitiveness reforms, say persuasion is better than force. More needs to be done to stop companies paying people off in their late fifties with a cheque to tide them over until their pension kicks in. Despite reducing tax incentives, the practice is still common.

The average person stops working at 60 versus almost 64 in other rich nations. “The French leave the job market too early,” Gallois told a recent meeting with foreign media. “If we could add three years

we’d gain a huge capacity for wealth generation.” Given only 19 percent of 60 to 64-year-olds still work, the potential is high. A 2012 European Commission report concluded that even a small rise in oldage employment could substantially reduce France’s pension burden, currently 14.4 percent of GDP.

by the economic crisis and a surge in unemployment to above 10 percent.

Even if jobs and pay recover, the COR pensions advisory council sees today’s 14 billion euro ($18.18 billion) annual pension deficit hitting 20 billion by 2020 and swelling further through the 2030s as post-war baby boomer retire-

PARIS: French General Secretary of the Workers Force union (FO, Force Ouvriere) Jean-Claude Mailly (center left) and CGT union leader Bernard Thibault (center right) speak together in Paris as they walk ahead of a national demonstration called by CGT and FO unions to protest against last January 11’s interbranch agreement. —AFP PERSUASIVE France has a pay-as-you go pension system with a basic scheme for all and complementary company schemes. Unusually, all those schemes are state-funded. Workers pay large contributions relative to other countries to underwrite a system that is generous to lowearners and public sector employees. Very few invest in private schemes. Despite Sarkozy’s reform, which means people must be 62 to get a full pension or 67 if they have not worked the statutory 41.5 years, the pot has been depleted

ment peaks. The COR’s forecasts will be used by a panel of experts tasked with spending March to June drafting a reform that Hollande wants to present in July and pass into law for 2014. Faced with the same problem of greying populations, other countries are enforcing retirement at 68 or above, or have switched to systems that self-adjust when contributions drop.

In France, trade unions oppose increasing the retirement age or the contribution period, as employers would like. “We are see-

ing a social rift,” said Philippe Crevel, head of the Cercle des Epargnants (“Circle of Savers”) think tank. “For executives, it’s evident people need to work longer but for blue-collar workers it’s a ghastly thought. If we raise the age for all there will be a massive split in the country.” Not only did Hollande oppose Sarkozy’s reform, he partially rolled it back so that anyone working since before age 20 can retire at 60.

On his side though is a high birth rate which means France’s working-age population will remain stable over the next 50 years, limiting the demographic crunch, as the European Union average shrinks by 15 percent. His second weapon is a knack for easing through tough measures, as he showed when he convinced the nation to accept sales tax rises and spending cuts to bolster job creation. A January survey by the CECPOP think tank found that while only one in four respondents agreed with a retirement age of 65, two-thirds fear they will struggle financially in old age.

HAPHAZARD RULES While the cliches about lavish French retirements are not borne out by data showing the average person does worse than the developed-world average, rising youth poverty means old people are well off compared to the working generation. Partly because of penalties if people work less than the full 41.5 years, French pensions average 60 percent of working-age post-tax income versus 69 percent for OECD-bloc countries. Yet hardship among youths, one in four of whom is jobless, mean over-65s are relatively well off with incomes at 96 percent of the national average.

Trimming annual pension rises

to a percentage point below inflation could save some 2.5 billion euros a year with limited pain, and at a time when many workers face pay freezes. For the longer-term push to keep people working longer, the split between blue and white-collar workers, exacerbated by an archaic, complex and unfair pension system that pampers those who stay in one job for life, will come into focus.

Rooted in a time when more people worked in mines than in offices, a costly system of different regimes for haphazard groups of jobs like deep sea fishermen, midwives, bailiffs and sewage workers mean that for each 1,000 euros paid in, one person might get back 140 euros a year and another just 60. Bus drivers get a pension of 2,500 euros a month while a selfemployed farmer gets 900 euros.

People in tiring jobs have the right to retire earlier and are loath to give it up. “If they make me work longer it will kill me-we’re out here from 6 a.m. in all weathers,” said Marc, 51, a street cleaner hosing down a Paris food market.

On the other side, executives are starting second careers as consultants or starting small businesses. “I like to eat out and go to the theatre so I need to earn more money. Besides, I’m not ready to do nothing,” said purchasing manager Michel Le Borgne, 66, fingering his retirement gift, an alligatorskin watch. He tops up a pension that is half his old salary with odd jobs like managing piano recitals and buying and selling art. In a hint of where France is headed, the average age people quit work has crept up by a year since 2005, and Hollande has already put in place a job-shadowing scheme offering firms incentives to keep on older workers to train youth apprentices. —Reuters

EU delays bank bonus ban Britain offers hope of deal BRUSSELS: European Union governments yesterday delayed a decision on controversial bank bonus caps after Britain offered hope of an overall deal if given more time to negotiate. EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to take another look at plans to cap bonuses at the same amount as is paid in a fixed annual salary, or twice that sum if shareholders approved the

tre in Europe can support (an amended legislative text) wholeheartedly.” The European Parliament is planning to vote in April on the accord drawn up with the Irish EU presidency which introduces new internationally agreed legislation to strengthen banks and make them better able to withstand any future crisis.

Parliament insisted that a cap on bank bonus-

BRUSSELS: British Finance Minister George Osborne (center) speaks with Italian Economy Minister Vittorio Grilli (third left) during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels yesterday. —AP payment. British Finance Minister George Osborne told his peers during a public debate yesterday that “we can’t support the proposal currently on the table.”

However, he added, that “if we make progress in the next couple of weeks . I would hope that the finance minister of the largest financial cen-

es be included at the same time so as to satisfy public anger over the issue. After last week’s accord was worked out, Switzerland voted Sunday strongly in favour of sharp curbs on executive pay, widely blamed for the excessive risk-taking which contributed to the 2008 global financial crisis. The new regulations called Basel

III primarily tighten up bank capital requirements. They were due to take effect this January but next year now seems the most likely.

Britain is home to some three quarters of the EU’s finance industry and London has long maintained that bonus and salary caps would make Europe’s banking sector uncompetitive. Osborne said, however, that he accepted and understood public anger at exorbitant remuneration that brought banks and then governments to their knees in the last five years. He told his counterparts that Britain was “absolutely clear that more and more of the pay paid to bankers should be tied to long-term performance.”

He pleaded that banking excesses had already been curbed, arguing that “bonuses in London are today 80 percent less than at the height of the irresponsibility in the banking system.” And he warned that the plans agreed by the EU’s Irish chair and the Parliament would leave taxpayers exposed once more. “It will push salaries up, it will actually make it more difficult to claw back bonuses when things go wrong,” Osborne said. An official said negotiations would now centre on how to steer permissible incentives more towards the long-term, with extra safeguards enabling “clawbacks” when things go wrong.

Osborne won crucial backing during the meeting from Germany’s Wolfgang Schaeuble, who said the “broad concensus” of support around the table was adequate but not sufficient. “I think if we could achieve (an agreement) in the final decision, not only a qualified majority, it would be better” than isolating London in another backs-to-the-wall vote, he reasoned.

Ireland’s Michael Noonan, summing up, said officials and the European Parliament would work further on the proposed caps and timescales for banks to apply them. “We will try to iron these out in the coming weeks,” said Noonan.—AFP

MADRID: Iberia jets are seen in a parking zone at Barajas international airport in Madrid, Spain yesterday. —AP

Iberia cancels 239 flights due to strike MADRID: A strike by workers at loss-making Spanish airline Iberia against mass job cuts forced the cancellation of 239 flights yesterday, the company said. Iberia cancelled 76 flights yesterday, or 40 percent of the total number of flights that it had been scheduled to operate, because of the action, an Iberia spokesman said.

Three other carriers with whom Iberia shares services-Iberia Express, Air Nostrum and Vuelingcancelled another 163 flights because of the strike.

A minimum service operates during the strike under Spanish law. All affected passengers were put on other flights or got a refund, the Iberia spokesman said. The strike started on Monday, the second of three five-day stoppages scheduled by Iberia ground and flight staff. The company and the three other carriers have cancelled a total of around 1,370 flights overall from March 4-8, mainly to destinations in Spain and Europe. The airline’s staff carried out the first of three five-day strikes February 18-22 and plan another from March 18 to 22. The first strike cost Iberia 3.0 million euros ($3.9

million) a day, the Iberia spokesman said. It was too soon to tell what the cost to the company will be from the second five-day strike, he added. Iberia staff are furious at plans to cut 3,800 jobs, reduce salaries and cut back on flights after the airline merged with British Airways to form the IAG group. The head of Spanish pilots’ union Sepla, Justo Peral, said Iberia was being used to plug a deficit in British Airway’s pension scheme of over six billion euros. “The merger is damaging for Spain and Iberia, which is being infected by the serious structural deficit which BA’s pension fund has,” he said in an interview with Spanish public television TVE. “With the job cuts and the dismantlement of Iberia, we are paying for this structural financial deficit which BA has to pay its pensions and to face up to its plan to renew its fleet,” he added. IAG announced an annual net loss of 943 million euros ($1.2 billion) in 2012, citing financial strains at Iberia and a soaring fuel bill. Iberia executives say the airline accumulated 850 million euros in losses between 2008 and September 2012.—AFP

Nigeria staggers toward title of Africa’s biggest economy LAGOS: The ever-expanding moonscape that stretches out behind a wall holding back the Atlantic Ocean here will one day host a project designed to help anchor Nigeria as Africa’s biggest economy. But if the ambitious plan to construct a new city on land reclaimed from the sea represents Nigeria’s future, it is one that will be outsourced. Nearly every aspect of it will be privately run, from electricity supply to security.

Economists expect Nigeria, already the continent’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, to overtake South Africa in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) over the next several years, technically making it Africa’s biggest economy.

But the impressive-sounding title tells an incomplete story, and the Eko Atlantic new city project illustrates the contradictions in a country crippled by corruption and unable to provide basic services, but with vast potential that could indeed one day be realized. “The more important thing is, fundamentally, you have a population of 165 million” while South Africa’s is around 52

million, Bismarck Rewane, a respected economist and head of Lagos-based Financial Derivatives said. “So even if you are the same GDP, your GDP has to be four times more — 400 percent more than that of South Africa for you to have (roughly) the same income per capita.”

A recalculation of Nigerian GDP is the main reason it is projected to overtake South Africa. Nigeria’s economic output data is currently calculated using 1990 as the base year. In order to come up with more accurate data, the new figures will use 2008, greatly boosting overall Nigerian GDP, which the World Bank put at $244 billion for 2011 compared with South Africa’s $408 billion. The rebasing is expected to be complete in October, and economists are predicting a GDP boost of about 40 percent, which would put Nigeria within striking distance of South Africa.

Since Nigeria’s economy has been growing faster than South Africa’s-at an estimated rate of 6.6 percent for 2012 compared with 2.5 percent-the West African nation would then move ahead

of its southern rival in subsequent years.

Nigeria’s economy has been supported in particular by high oil prices and the rapid growth of the mobile phone industry. Agriculture accounts for some 40 percent of GDP and the country is trying to boost production in that sector. Estimates for when Nigeria will at least equal South Africa have ranged from as early as 2014 to around five years from now.

CORRUPTION FIGHTS BACK It is clear that certain Nigerian officials, including the finance minister and central bank governor, have made serious efforts to reduce corruption and put the country on sound financial footing. Progress has been made in areas including bank reform, and the government has been trying to create a sovereign wealth fund to better invest oil revenues.

But the often repeated line here is that when someone fights corruption, corruption fights back. Reformers often find themselves checkmated by powerful interests that profit from dysfunc-

tion. The country relies on the oil industry for some 80 percent of its revenue and most of the population still lives on less than $2 per day. Any visit to Nigeria reveals its woeful infrastructure, including repeated electricity cuts. Graft pervades all levels of society, helping to create a vast gulf between a corrupt elite and the millions of poor. Such inequality has been in part blamed for violence.

Islamist extremist attacks and the military’s response to them have left 3,000 people dead in the country’s northern and central regions.

Extremists in the mainly Muslim north have recently resorted to kidnappings of foreigners. Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a respected former World Bank managing director who has pushed hard for reforms, saw her own mother kidnapped in December and held for five days. She nonetheless appears determined to push on, and in her efforts to promote Nigeria and its potential, she has claimed progress in tackling violence and seeks to downplay continuing attacks.

“You will not say that because you had the Newtown, Connecticut shooting in the US, the US is now a risky place you don’t go into,” she told a recent investors’ conference in Lagos, referring to the December school shooting that killed 20 children and six adults. “So we will have these events. We are not minimizing them, but we have to fight them and are fighting them head on.” Nigeria’s potential can be seen in the Dubai-like Eko Atlantic project on the edge of Lagos, where sand dredged from the ocean is building a planned 10-squarekilometre new city.

While it may one day serve as a showcase, some residents and activists say that its steady electricity, clean water and private security will offer something still unavailable to the vast majority of Nigerians. Those who work and sometimes sleep on a nearby beach and who will eventually be evicted to make way for the project were resigned to the plan. “Most things that happen in Nigeria are not fair,” concluded Toyin Olajide, a 45-year-old mother of five who runs a food stall there.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

BUSINESS

TOYOTA grabs ‘Best Resale Value Awards’ KUWAIT: On the strength of 10 individual wins - six segment winners and four top 10 entries - this is the third time in four years that Toyota has taken home Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Award for Best Brand. With an unyielding commitment to quality, safety and value, Toyota has become an obvious choice for buyers focused on the practical considerations of car ownership. With that solid foundation in place, Toyota has recently begun with more expressive styling and richer interiors. Kelley Blue Book’s quoted :”If Toyota can make their cars even more appealing to even more people, we foresee many more Best Brand awards in its future”.

BEST BRANDS The Best Brand and Best Luxury Brand trophies are the most

coveted awards handed out at the Best Resale Value Awards presentation held annually in Los Angeles on the eve of the LA Auto Show. recognizing current and forthcoming vehicles for their projected retained value throughout the initial five-year ownership period, were announced November 26, 2012.

These awards, like all of KBB.com’s new and used vehicle information, are designed to help consumers make more informed car-buying decisions. Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards are based on projections from the Kelley Blue Book(r) Official Residual Value Guide, determined by a skilled staff of automotive analysts. These prestigious awards honor vehicles expected to maintain the greatest proportion of their original Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) after five years of ownership.

Nissan kicks off a new era for Nismo YOKOHAMA: Nissan Motor Co, Ltd yesterday kicked off a new era for Nismo, confirming it as Nissan’s exclusive global performance road car and motorsport brand and officially opening the new Nismo global headquarters and development center in Yokohama, Japan.

Nismo is already well-known to motorsports and performance car enthusiasts in Japan and to millions of global gaming enthusiasts.

Now, Nismo is poised for accelerated global impact, enhancing Nissan’s reputation for innovation and excitement with a new lineup of sporty Nissan road cars.

In a special ceremony today, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn declared the new headquarters open and explained how Nismo will play an even more prominent role for the company’s performance car and motorsport activities.

“Nismo will democratize performance and bring new excitement to the Nissan portfolio with a broader range of affordable and innovative performance models for more markets and more people,” said Ghosn. “Whether it’s a small car or a sports car, if it’s wearing the Nismo badge it offers something special quality, functionality, and efficiency, with Nismo’s distinctive styling, sporty handling and dynamic performance capabilities.”

The first new Nissan road car to get the Nismo treatment, the Juke Nismo, is already on sale in Europe and Japan and launches in the US in the second quarter of this year. A new version of the 370Z Nismo for European markets is the next Nismo road car, which made its world debut earlier this month and builds on the platform of Nissan’s most popular and accessible sports car.

Nissan is promising a rapid pace of introduction of even more Nismo models, at least one model every year during the Nissan Power88 period, encompassing the breadth of the Nissan road car range. This will include the flagship of Nissan’s performance and technology, the GT-R. “It would be unthinkable for us to develop a range of Nismo road cars without including the GT-R,” said Ghosn.

“The standard road car is a global supercar and the GT-R’s performance on track reflects the passion and talents of the Nismo team.

The GT-R Nismo will be special and I can’t wait to drive it.”

NEW HOME FOR NISMO Nissan has invested in an entirely new facility for Nismo’s operations, redeveloping a former production site to give it the resources for expanding beyond motorsport engineering to encompass performance road car development alongside Nissan. The new headquarters facility allows the Nismo team to be co-located in one place, bringing together the functional areas for Nismo’s key activities and technical and competition expertise under one roof.

The 180-strong team is now located inside Nissan’s Powertrain Engineering complex. The workshop, engine shop, rooms for fabrication, grinding and carbon composite processes are consolidated into the same floor space along with the parts warehouse. A new larger showroom allows up to eight vehicles to be displayed, while the retail area is now almost twice the size of the previous store in the Omori factory.

“This is a great move for Nismo as we can now shift gears to operate more efficiently and expand the brand globally,” explained Nismo President, Shoichi Miyatani. “Nismo is a key element in Nissan’s future global road car and motorsports strategy and we will quickly establish it as Nissan’s exclusive performance brand,” added Miyatani. “This is the first time that all of our team has been located together, and the entire facility will become a hothouse of passion and performance.”

THE NISMO SPIRIT At the heart of each new Nismo road car will be a consistent DNA focused on delivering quality, functionality, and efficiency in every day driving with Nismo’s distinctive styling, sporty handling and dynamic performance capabilities. Nissan’s new range of Nismo performance road cars will be built on the same production lines as their standard counterparts, which combined with inspiration taken from decades of racing and tuning expertise means that the Nismo brand ensures fully integrated performance

enhancements.

Every modification Nismo makes to a road car will be functional and targeted to improve on-road performance and presence. The spirit of Nismo relies on its proud motorsport heritage and a maverick engineering philosophy.

This spirit will be reflected in every new Nismo model with efficient performance, accessible and advanced technology, and bold, smart design, all of which embody Nissan’s philosophy of innovation that excites.

Nismo is known around the world by millions through the virtual world of driving simulation games. In fact, the first opportunity to drive a Nissan Juke Nismo was provided virtually through Gameloft’s Asphalt 7: Heat. Now, at the same time as Nismo is moving from race track to road, it is also moving from the virtual world to the real world as, for the first time in many markets around the world, a range of affordable Nismo-badged cars will be available from Nissan dealers.

“For many would-be Nismo customers, the only way to experience a Nismo performance road car has been through a game like Sony’s Gran Turismo(r) series,” said Simon Sproule, Nissan’s corporate vice president for Marketing and Communications. “Now we can bring them into the family of Nissan owners with an exciting, real Nismo car created by a dedicated and experienced team that is fully linked to the digital world and well aware of what these new customers are looking for in a performance road car.”

PERFORMANCE FOR THE ROAD The spirit and inspiration for Nismo started with a group of maverick Nissan engineers almost fifty years ago. In their efforts to boost car sales through racing success, they shoehorned a powerful engine into an ordinary Nissan saloon to create the first of a legendary line of sporty road cars with the Nissan Skyline 2000GT. What came next was a run of highly successful competition and performance road cars in Japan, culminating in the birth of Nismo itself in 1984. With the digital generation, Nissan realized the power of the Nismo legend by working with game creators to cre-

ate both real and virtual stars and expose a whole generation to the potential for tuning and winning in these cars. Last year alone, over 500 million virtual miles were driven in Nissan vehicles on Gran Turismo(r)5 for PlayStation(r)3.

Now, as Nismo accelerates to become a global performance car brand specializing in delivering affordable, exciting and innovative performance versions of Nissan cars, the lessons learned from almost half a century of racing can be applied consistently to give drivers a surprising and rewarding ownership experience.

NISMO EXPANDS ROLE IN MOTORSPORT Nismo’s new charter will also impact Nissan’s future motorsport activities, where it is expected to boldly enhance Nissan’s reputation for excitement and innovation. Nismo is taking on global responsibility for managing Nissan’s motorsport program which includes top level competition in every region of the world.

“Nissan’s continued commitment to a variety of motorsports programs around the world from the Altima in the Australian V8 Supercars to Super GT in Japan, but we also intend to surprise people by exploring advanced forms of motorsport,” explained Mr. Miyatani. “Our experience a spirit of pushing the boundaries even further helps us to raise awareness of Nismo around the world, but more importantly it means we can transfer the lessons we learn into tangible benefits for our customers, whether for Nismo road cars, race cars or tuning parts.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

BUSINESS

GENEVA: The new Mercedes Benz A 45 AMG edition is displayed in World Premiere at the German car maker’s booth during the 83rd Geneva Motor Show yesterday. —AFP

GENEVA: The new Subaru Concept Viziv is displayed in World premiere at the Japanese carmaker’s booth yesterday on the press day of the Geneva car Show. —AFP

In Geneva, end of tunnel nowhere in sight for carmakers GENEVA: The Geneva International Motor Show opens its doors yesterday under a dark cloud, with no sign of a speedy rebound in sight for the troubled European market. The 83rd edition of the show will be reserved for the media on the first two days, but tomorrow the floodgates will open to the public.

The event, which is considered one of the most important car shows of the year, will again be heavily marked by the crisis in Europe after an already catastrophic year in

2012. Last year, only 12 million new cars were sold in the European Union-the lowest number since 1995. And 2013 did not start off any better. In February, new car registrations in Spain slipped 9.8 percent, in France they fell 12.1 percent and in Italy they plunged 17.4 percent.

Even Germany, Western Europe’s leading car market which withstood the crisis last year, has not been spared, seeing new car sales shrink 10.5 percent last month. “The first months of the year have been marked

by weak demand in Western Europe,” Matthias Wissmann, the head of the German auto federation VDA, said in Geneva Monday. Volkswagen head of sales Christian Klingler agreed, insisting “the European market is still just as complicated.”

Japan’s Toyota also voiced pessimism when it came to sales in Europe, which most analysts think will fall between three and five percent this year.

Several carmakers are also undergoing far-reaching restructurings of their

European activities in a bid to cut back overcapacity and adapt to the new reality on the crisis-hit continent. French PSA Peugeot Citroen, for instance, has had a very bumpy ride and suffered a 5.0-billion euro loss last year. In July it announced the closure of its historic plant in Aulnay, near Paris. US carmakers Ford and General Motors, who lost billions of dollars in Europe last year, also decided to shut down plants, with Ford closing sites in Belgium and Britain and GM closing an Opel plant in Germany.

Volkswagen is doing better thanks to its heavy footprint outside of Europe with its 12 brands, allowing it to rake in a record net profit in 2012 of 22 billion euros. And on Monday, its new Golf won “car of the year” at a pre-show event in Geneva. Once the show gets underway, it will be the luxury market that will be most prominently on display, with for instance Lamborghini’s new multimillion dollar Veneno supercar among the headturners expected to draw big crowds.—AFP

Brent rises towards $111 China growth vow prompts buying SINGAPORE: Brent crude futures rose towards $111 per barrel yesterday, bucking a five-day losing streak on bargain buying after China pledged to keep its economy growing at 7.5 percent. Gains were modest as investors eyed a raft of medium-term concerns, including rising supplies, a fiscal crisis in the United States and the continuing crisis in the euro-zone. Frontmonth Brent crude futures rose 52 cents to $110.61 per barrel at 0810 GMT, while US crude added 45 cents to $90.57.

Brent tested its 2013 low in the previous session, dropping as low as $109.58, the lowest since Jan 17. US crude hit its lowest since Dec 26 at $89.33 per barrel. “I would call this move in the oil markets as bargain hunting rather than any change in the outlook,” said Ker Chung Yang, senior investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore. “But China is showing some signs of confidence which has resulted in the rebound today.” China will boost fiscal spending this year to deliver economic growth

at 7.5 percent, outgoing premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday ahead of the country’s annual parliamentary meetings.

The statement countered concerns about demand in the world’s No 2 oil market after purchasing manager surveys over the weekend suggested growth in China’s key manufacturing and service sectors may be slowing. China’s factory growth as well as services growth slowed to multi-month lows, two purchasing manager indexes (PMI) showed, suggesting moderating growth in the economy. PMIs in Europe also showed problems are ongoing there.

In the United States, about $85 billion of automatic spending cuts that came into effect on Friday threw a cloud of uncertainty over growth prospects in the world’s largest economy. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the cuts, if fully implemented, will shave 0.5 percentage points from the US growth rate. Markets are now awaiting the US non-farm payrolls data due this week for further clues to the health of the US

Dubai sees big IPO in 2014/15 Debts under control DUBAI: Dubai expects to offer at least one flagship asset to the public as early as next year to stimulate investment and shore up its role as a global trade hub, a senior government official said.

Mohammed Al-Shaibani, chief executive of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), told Reuters that Dubai had a plan to deal with debts maturing in coming years and would not see a repeat of the 2009 debt crisis. He declined to provide specifics.

“2014-2015 should be a fantastic time for IPOs. I can see potential for an IPO of one or two big government-owned entities,” said Shaibani, who also heads the Ruler’s Court of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. “Personally, I’d like to see one of our big companies offered to the public now, but the market is not ready yet.”

Shaibani, a member of the three-man Supreme Fiscal Committee tasked with steering Dubai out of the crisis, said however that there would be no fire sale of assets to meet upcoming debt obligations. These include those under conglomerate Dubai World’s $25 billion restructuring deal. ICD’s assets include Emirates airline, lender Emirates NBD and Emaar Properties. Other unlisted government assets include developer Nakheel, Emirates’ airline services arm Dnata, and Dubai Water and Electricity Authority.

Shaibani, speaking in his office in the Dubai International Financial Center, declined to name the likely IPO candidates. “It’s not hard to guess. The names are already out there,” he said, adding he also expected family-owned firms to list. A listing by a big Dubai name would give a jolt to a moribund IPO market. The last listing on the Dubai Financial Market index was in March 2009 while the Abu Dhabi bourse has seen only a couple of minor sales since 2008. Last year, Al Habtoor Group, one of Dubai’s biggest family-owned firms, postponed plans to raise as much as $1.6 billion.

UNDER CONTROL Dubai has regained its footing since its shock 2009 request for a standstill agreement to restructure Dubai World’s massive debt. It required a $10-billion lifeline from

Abu Dhabi to avoid an embarrassing debt default. A pick-up in its logistics and tourism sectors and its safe-haven status have helped. A $1.25 billion two-tranche issue by Dubai this year included a $750 million Islamic bond that was heavily oversubscribed, underlining the emirate’s recovery.

And while Dubai faces nearly $50 billion of debt maturing between 2014 and 2016, it is better equipped to handle redemptions than it was in 2009, Standard Chartered said in a report in November.

“There’s a plan in place and we’re looking at different options. We’re always in talks with banks,” Shaibani said. “Definitely we will not see another 2009 happening.” The emirate will face the first repayment in the Dubai World restructuring deal in 2015 and needs to raise $4.4 billion to meet obligations.

PRIZED ASSETS ICD, which controls assets worth about 108 billion dirhams ($29.4 billion), will not unload any of its assets hastily, Shaibani said. Dubai’s assets include stakes in the London Stock Exchange, US advisory firm Perella Weinberg, Canadian entertainment group Cirque du Soleil and US hedge fund Och-Ziff Capital Management. “We won’t see any fire sale of assets and we don’t need to do so. Asset values are recovering and banks have taken no risk,” he said. The technocrat, who began his career with Dubai Ports Authority before stints in Singapore and London, took the helm of the Ruler’s Court in 2008.

His authority and influence rose in the wake of the credit crisis as he set about cleaning up Dubai’s books and embarked on a bid to stamp out corruption. “As balance sheets get cleaned, companies need to generate more business. Banks will play a policing process. They’re smarter, more strategic and cautious now,” he said.

Recent plans for extravagant projects including the world’s biggest Ferris wheel, a replica Taj Mahal four times bigger than the original and 100 new hotels have prompted concern. But Shaibani said the emirate now had the maturity to achieve its goals sustainably. “We are much more sophisticated today than four years ago.” —Reuters

economy and the future of the Federal Reserve’s monetary easing program, analysts said.

“We expect the January Employment Report will be stronger than the December Employment Report, and that it will continue to support the notion of modest, continued improvements in the US labor market,” Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics, said in a report. At the same time, oil supplies across the world are rising. A survey last week showed that production from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increased in February for the first time in four months.

US crude inventories may have climbed last week for a seventh straight week, according to a Reuters survey ahead of the release of weekly inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute later in the day. Simmering tensions in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program as well as prolonged civil unrest in Syria and Egypt may underpin prices in the long run, traders said. —Reuters

Gold snaps 4-day fall LONDON: Gold prices rose yesterday, snapping four days of losses, as expectations that central banks would opt to maintain ultra-loose monetary policy this week helped push European stocks to a two-year high and weighed on the dollar. Successive rounds of quantitative easing and similar monetary stimulus measures have kept liquidity high and interest rates low in the United States, the euro zone and Japan in recent years, fuelling a rally in gold prices.

Hopes that stimulus would continue were boosted by comments from Federal Reserve official Janet Yellen on Monday, as well as expectations new economic forecasts in the euro zone could open the way to looser policy from the European Central Bank (ECB). “The Fed and its monetary policy actions are still the biggest issue day-to-day in the gold market, but you can see more discussion also about the possibility of looser monetary policy in Japan, or within Europe, or elsewhere,” Mitsui Precious Metals analyst David Jollie said.

“There’s more of a realization that economic growth is not yet at a level that any country is happy with, and that therefore we could see further easing.” Spot gold was up 0.5 percent at $1,581.84 an ounce at 1104 GMT, while US gold futures for April delivery were up $9.50 an ounce at $1,581.90. ECB policymakers meet in Frankfurt tomorrow as political deadlock in Italy fuels fears the euro zone crisis could reignite. The bank is likely to hold off quick-fire action, but could hint at looser policy in future.

The Bank of Japan and the Bank of England are also set to hold two-day monetary policy meetings from today. “Behind (Fed chief Ben) Bernanke’s dovish appearance last week, from the January minutes and from the end of last year, we know the hawks are getting louder, saying we need at least a contingency to pull out of (QE),” VTB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov said. “In Europe, we don’t even have that.

(ECB President Mario) Draghi maintains a dovish stance even without lowering the rate.”

SPDR SEES FRESH OUTFLOW Appetite for gold-backed exchange-traded funds remained soft, with the largest, New York’s SPDR Gold Shares, reporting a ninth straight daily outflow of metal on Monday, this time of 0.6 tons. The fund reported its largest ever monthly outflow last in February and has seen holdings fall by 97.5 tons since the start of the year, compared to a 39-tonne rise in the same period of 2012.

Buying in key Asian physical markets has also been hurt by recent price volatility, dealers said.

“We are not seeing as much buying as last week,” Brian Lan, managing director at GoldSilver Central in Singapore, said. “Most people... are now holding back, wondering whether prices will fall further, before they commit themselves to buy more.” Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch cut its gold price forecasts yesterday, saying it now sees gold at $1,680 an ounce this year, against a previous forecast of $1,805, and at $1,838 in 2014, against $2,038. It slashed its 2015 forecast by more than 10 percent to $1,675 an ounce, from $1,900. —Reuters

MELBOURNE: Britain’s Ben Southall sits behind a desk in a Melbourne laneway as Australia’s tourism industry resurrected its hugely popular “Best Jobs in the World” campaign, offering a chance to become a chief funster, taste master, or outback adventurer. —AFP

Australia tourism offers ‘best jobs in the world’ SYDNEY: Australia’s tourism industry yesterday resurrected its hugely popular “Best Jobs in the World” campaign, offering a chance to become a “Chief Funster”, “Taste Master” or “Outback Adventurer”. The marketing push is targeting the youth segment, which contributes Aus$12 billion (US$12.2 billion) annually in tourism spending and delivers nearly 1.6 million, or 26 percent, of Australia’s international arrivals.

It follows a similar campaign that attracted huge interest in 2009, won by Briton Ben Southall, who was paid to become caretaker on a picture-perfect island on the Great Barrier Reef for six months. This time six “best” jobs are on offer-each in a different Australian state and each coming with a six-month salary package worth Aus$100,000.

It is open to travelers aged between 18 and 30, with particular focus on international markets eligible for Australian working holiday visas including Britain, the United States, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

Hopefuls have until April 10 to upload a 30-second video explaining why they’re the best for the job. The event’s official Facebook page had almost 160,000 likes by yesterday and some 31,000 people had already thrown their hat in the ring, according to officials, with 8,000 applications flooding in in the first two hours alone.

The initiative was largely well received, but some Australians questioned why such plum jobs should be offered to foreigners when there were adequately skilled local people looking for work. “I’m pretty sure most

Australians would be against this publicity stunt... I would love this job, just like any other Australian, and paying some foreigners $100,000 to come here for 6 months! How about giving those jobs to Australians first!” wrote one unemployed Australian on the campaign’s Facebook page.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the competition was expected to appeal to youth travelers’ sense of fun and adventure. “The competition provides an excellent platform to entice more young people from around the world to come to Australia to holiday, but also to work, helping to fill many unfilled tourism jobs across Australia,” he said. The chief funster position is New South Wales-based and involves becoming a Sydney VIP, attending and reviewing festivals and events and tweeting thoughts.

The taste master in Western Australia will tour top restaurants, wineries, breweries and pubs while the outback adventurer will be tasked with uncovering the best experiences for Northern Territory working holidaymakers.

Other jobs include a park ranger in Queensland, a lifestyle photographer in Victoria and wildlife caretaker in South Australia, moving around by foot, kayak, bicycle, and boat. Previous winner Southall said the experience was life-changing.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be diving, or skydiving or cooking or bushwalking-and I did all of them,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve just got to go for it and see where it leads you.”—AFP

Proposed Indonesia central bank shuffle raises concern JAKARTA: Moves by Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to put his finance minister in charge of the central bank are leading to concerns that he may be seeking someone more malleable to run the state coffers ahead of next year’s elections. Yudhoyono made the surprise announcement on Feb 22 that he wanted Agus Martowardojo to run the central bank when the current governor’s term ends in May. He has given no explanation for not seeking to extend Governor Darmin Nasution’s term.

Nor has there been any explanation why the president wants to move Martowardojo out of the cabinet to take charge of monetary policy for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Yesterday night, parliament is due to take the first step by deciding whether Yudhoyono’s sole candidate for the five-year term is eligible to face the fit and proper test he must pass to take over the governorship of Bank Indonesia (BI) from late May. The president had proposed Martowardojo for the job before, in 2008, but parliament rejected him, in a decision seen then as more

related to politics than objections to Martowardojo. A member of parliament with Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle, the leading opposition party, said it would likely back Martowardojo this time despite reservations of some of its MPs. “Most probably we will accept his nomination,” the MP said, asking not to be identified because the party has yet to announce its position. Ruling coalition member party Golkar said it has not decided. That party has the second largest block of votes in the parliamentary finance commission that decides on the new governor.

Some MPs have asserted that Martowardojo lacks monetary policy skills and have questioned the integrity of the former banker, who is highly regarded by many analysts. Golkar’s Harry Azhar Azis, deputy head of the commission, said he wants to know why Martowardojo is being moved. Born in Amsterdam 57 years ago, Martowardojo has spent almost his entire career in the banking industry, culminating in his role as head of state-controlled Bank Mandiri, which he is widely credited as having turned around. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

BUSINESS

Trading cushions Glencore’s profit drop; Income down LONDON: A rise in profits from trading helped Glencore offset lower prices in 2012, with net income down by a quarter as the commodities group prepares to seal a $34 billion takeover of miner Xstrata.

The headline drop, modest relative to a bruised sector, was a vindication for former trader and Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg, who has long extolled the marketing arm’s ability to grow in tough conditions.

Trading growth, though, came largely from agricultural products, rather than mainstays coal and oil.

Glasenberg’s pronouncements on the strategy of the combined trading and mining giant have been keenly awaited and he said yesterday that he was optimistic the group would soon see a green light from Chinese regulators, the last remaining hurdle.

But he gave away few specifics on his plans for the merged group, sticking with what he said was a focus on investor returns and an intention to grow the proportion of profit coming from marketing, a slice which will shrink to roughly 30 percent immediately after the deal completes. “(Incoming Rio Tinto Chief Executive) Sam Walsh said at the Rio presentation that they are now going to act like owners. We don’t need to act like owners, we are owners,” he told analysts. That means,

Glasenberg said, an opportunistic approach to deals, from a marketing agreement and share purchase in unlisted Brazilian iron ore producer Ferrous last week, to a bumper oil funding deal with Russia’s Rosneft. It also means taking advantage of the travails of large diversified players, who are under scrutiny from shareholders as boom-time acquisitions sour, placing more assets on the block.

“Those opportunities will be there, that is something new in the industry,” Glasenberg said.

“Competition will be less fierce than before. A lot of the mining companies are reassessing their portfolios, they are hanging back, there are new CEOs and, like all of us, they are under pressure from investors.”

Glasenberg said he expects to review the combined portfolio of projects. “Greenfield” projects, or those built from scratch, unlikely to find favour as the Glencore team proclaimed itself “afraid” of potential delays and excessive spending.

Glencore has been expected to mothball or jettison many of Xstrata’s greenfield growth assets, including some in tough jurisdictions such as Argentina. More advanced greenfield projects like copper mine Las Bambas in Peru and nickel mine Koniambo in New Caledonia could remain.

Glasenberg’s review has already caused friction between the two management teams, long-time rivals and soon-to-be partners. Glencore’s boss, however, was sanguine on the potential effects, saying his focus was on the managers at the mines, not middle managers.

The comments are likely to fuel speculation over the departure of Xstrata divisional bosses, including its head of copper, Charlie Sartain. Glasenberg declined to comment. “Immediately after the merger, you will see a structure in place, ideally the way Glencore would like it,” he said. He said big deals were not off the agenda for the group, which snapped up both Xstrata and grain handler Viterra in 2012, though regulatory clearances could be expected to take longer. This could include iron ore, where Glasenberg said he would review operations put up for sale by Rio. WRITEDOWNS, DIVIDENDS UP Glencore and Xstrata shares rose yesterday, as both met or exceeded market forecasts, dividends ticked higher and the sector recouped losses.

Glencore was up 3.4 percent and Xstrata up 4.32 percent, outperforming a 2.3 percent rise in the broader

sector, around 1300 GMT. Neither, though, was immune to the impact of falling commodity prices last year. Glencore’s 2012 net income fell to $3.06 billion, in line with expectations.

That excluded the impact of an impairment relating to a reclassification of its holding in Russian aluminum producer RUSAL after losses. Its adjusted operating profit, or earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), dropped 17 percent, with a 27 percent drop in Glencore’s industrial division accounting for the bulk of the weakness. Its trading division saw profit rise 11 percent, helped by a jump in earnings from oilseeds and grain.

Xstrata, reporting separately from Glencore for what should be the last time before the two merge, beat expectations but wrote down the value of nickel, zinc and platinum assets which dragged its net profit almost 80 percent lower. The writedowns included a $978 million hit as Xstrata wrote down assets including its Australian nickel operations and platinum, and also $840 million on its investment in troubled South African platinum miner Lonmin.

Excluding the writedown, its profit dropped 37 percent. Glencore expects to complete the Xstrata merger by April 16. — Reuters

Abu Dhabi’s Al Jaber, top creditors agree debt terms Restructuring involves nearly $4.5 billion in debt

NBK subsidiary, AWB reports 35 percent growth in profits KUWAIT: Al Watany Bank of Egypt (AWB), the subsidiary of National Bank of Kuwait Group (NBK) in Egypt, reported net profits of EGP 304.1 million for the year of 2012 compared with EGP 225.6 million in 2011, an increase of 34.8% year-on-year. As of end of December 2012, AWB’s total assets reached EGP 18.0 billion, up 9% year-on-year. Shareholders’ equity increased by 12.6% to EGP 1.82 billion.

ROA increased to 1.69% compared with 1.37% at the end of December 2011, and ROE increased to 20% in 2012 from 16.18% a year earlier. Isam Al Sager, NBK Group Deputy CEO and AWB Chairman said that “AWB’s strong performance is a clear evidence of the success of our regional expansion despite the difficult operating environment in the region.”

“AWB has once again proved its ability to post strong profits despite the unfavorable and challenging situation in Egypt. AWB’s resilient performance in 2012 reflects the bank’s strength and solid financial position,” added Al Sager. “AWB has been one of the fastest growing banks in Egypt over the past few years and is moving forward with its strategy to strengthen its position in the

Isam Al Sager

Egyptian market.” AWB, a member of NBK Group, was established in 1980 and has a branch network comprised of 42 branches situated at strategic locations within the various Egyptian governorates and cities, including Cairo.

NBK has the widest banking presence in Kuwait with 64 branches, which together with its growing international presence totals 173 branches worldwide. NBK’s international presence spans many of the world’s leading financial centers including London, Paris, Geneva, New York and Singapore, as well as China (Shanghai). Meanwhile, regional coverage extends to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey.

NBK continues to collectively enjoy the highest ratings among all banks in the Middle East from the three international rating agencies; Moody’s, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor’s. The Bank’s ratings are supported by its high capitalization, prudent lending policies, and its disciplined approach to risk management, in addition to its highly recognized and very stable management team.

Yasser Hassan

ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi conglomerate Al Jaber Group has agreed on terms to restructure nearly $4.5 billion in debt with its main creditors, three sources said yesterday, with final approval from other lenders expected to end talks which have dragged on for over two years.

A family-owned group with operations in construction, aviation and retail, Al Jaber set up a fivebank creditor committee in 2011 to negotiate a restructuring after it became difficult for the firm to service its debt on maturity.

“The committee met the company last week and they’ve agreed to the terms of the restructuring with loan repayments spread over five years and without a haircut,” one source familiar with the discussions said. The term sheet is in circulation among the remaining approximately 30 lenders for final approval, the source added. “It is not quite a

done deal yet but it is an important step in the right direction,” said a second source, declining to give additional details.

Al Jaber officials declined to comment. Al Jaber is one of the most prominent private sector firms in Abu Dhabi, where the acknowledgment of financial difficulties has been minimal in contrast to neighboring Dubai, which has been under the spotlight for its debt woes since late 2009. Abu Dhabi, the cash-rich emirate which sits on most of UAE’s oil wealth, began conducting a strategic review of its state-linked entities in 2011 as part of measures to ensure better investment discipline and governance in these firms.

DEBT PILE Al Jaber’s obligations of around $4.5 billion include funded and unfunded debt with the fund-

GE ranked one of the ‘Best Companies for Leaders’

Win a Lamborghini Gallardo with VIVA KUWAIT: Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, VIVA, has announced the launch of its premium car draw competition for existing and new postpaid customers. The competition, which opened on 3 March 2013, will last until 28 May 2013 and the winner will win one of the most desirable sports-cars in the world, a brand new 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo. The draw is open to all VIVA postpaid customers, who will need to ‘opt-in’ to enter either by texting ‘GO’ to ‘535’ in a free SMS, calling 102 on their mobile, or by visiting any of VIVA’s 14 branches located around Kuwait.

Customers will earn one point for every KD1 spent on bill payment. Each point will count as one entry into the draw, so the more points accumulated by a customer, the more chances they will have of winning.

Commenting on the launch of the new draw campaign, Eng Salman Bin Abdulaziz AlBadran, VIVA’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We wanted to start the year with a fresh competition to give our customers a real buzz and to get them excited.

This is just the first of many new and exhilarating promotions, competitions and activities which VIVA is lining up for its customers in 2013. VIVA is committed to providing its customers with the very best products and services in Kuwait and we are keen to ensure that this includes our customer offers and promotions. “With the launch of this latest exciting new promotion, VIVA reiterates its commitment to delivering unique products and services which are designed to exceed our customers’ expectations.”

Customers with postpaid lines who have opted into the draw will automatically accumulate points immediately until 28 May 2013.

The draw for the Lamborghini Gallardo will take place on 30 May 2013, when the winner will also be publically announced. To find out more about VIVA’s new postpaid draw or any of its numerous competitive promotions, products and packages visit any of the 14 VIVA branches or visit our website at www.viva.com.kw or contact its 24 hour call center at 102.

World’s fastest mini arrives in Middle East KUWAIT: The MINI John Cooper Works GP is the sportiest and fastest production model ever built under the nameplate of this British premium brand. With its 1.6-litre turbo engine, bespoke suspension and race car looks, this nifty world first is limited to just 2,000 units worldwide, with limited numbers available at MINI showrooms in Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar.

Extensively equipped with MINI John Cooper Works motor sport technology, this two-seater MINI boasts outstanding performance to match its sporty looks. Powered by an extensively modified four-cylinder turbo engine capable of developing 218 hp, with adjustable coilover suspension and an extra-powerful sports brake system, this model is set to impress. And to top it all off the MINI John Cooper Works GP is one of the lightest sports cars in its class.

Boasting large front and rear aprons, striking side skirts

ed portion, made up of both conventional and Islamic facilities, being about $2.5 billion, sources said. The firm has not given a debt figure. No details on the pricing was available but Bloomberg News reported that the restructured debt will pay annual interest of 300 to 400 basis points over the London Interbank Offered Rate, citing an unidentified source familiar with the matter.

The restructuring will enable Al Jaber to start reopening lines of credit and pitch for new contracts. “The company’s expansion plans can move forward with the debt restructuring nearly finalized,” one banking source involved in the deal told Reuters. Its banks’ credit committee is chaired by National Bank of Abu Dhabi and includes Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank , HSBC Holdings, RBS and Union National Bank. Rothschild is advising Al Jaber.— Reuters

and a bespoke roof spoiler, which is complemented by a newly developed rear diffuser, this model can only impress.

The ‘GP’ in the model’s title stands for Grand Prix, and with a record-breaking acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, the new MINI John Cooper Works GP certainly lives up to its name. Its responsive power and excellent revving ability with its 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine are reflected by dazzling racetrack performance figures.

The exciting race car feel of the MINI John Cooper Works GP is enhanced by the interior ambience of the model which (partly due to the absence of a rear seats) is focused entirely on the needs of the driver and his passenger, who can savor the performance of the MINI John Cooper Works GP thanks to its Recaro sports seats with GP stitching.

Meanwhile, the MINI John Cooper Works thick-rimmed leather steering wheel and the gearshift knob with a chrome ring and red shift diagram help give the driver get

connected with the car.

Commenting on the arrival of the MINI John Cooper Works GP, Sarah Klippert, MINI Manager, BMW Group Middle East, said: “This is the most extreme MINI yet - more focused and aggressive than even the original MINI John Cooper Works GP of 2006. Not only will it offer customers a chance to own the fastest model in the MINI family, but it will also allow them to experience the unadulterated transfer of motor sport expertise into everyday driving excitement.”

A limited number of MINI John Cooper Works GP models are available at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Co. exclusive BMW Group importer in Kuwait. The MINI John Cooper Works engine with optional automatic transmission is now available on all MINI models including the MINI Hatch, MINI Cabrio, MINI Clubman, MINI Countryman, MINI CoupÈ and MINI Roadster.

DUBAI: GE (NYSE: GE) has secured a top place in Chief Executive magazine’s annual ranking of the 40 Best Companies for Leaders for 2013. GE rose to the second spot on this year’s list, up from the third in 2012, with the selection based on several criteria including the commitment of the CEO to leadership development programs, depth of the leadership funnel and shareholder value performance, among others.

Focused on the work of CEOs, Chief Executive magazine, published from the US, focuses on providing innovative ideas, practical strategies and proven tactics for top executive leaders. Since 2005, the magazine has been identifying top global companies that seek to develop talent with the ‘Best Companies for Leaders’ ranking. GE was recently named ‘World’s Best Company for Leadership’ for the third year in a row by Hay Group, and the new ranking further demonstrates the company’s commitment to identify and nurture talented business leaders within the organization through regular training and development programs.

Nabil Habayeb, GE’s President and Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: “GE works to be a company that always gets better by understanding where it fits in different countries and industries, and the society. In this, we place the highest emphasis on our workforce, supporting them to emerge as inspiring business leaders through continuous leadership and training programs. The top place in the ‘Best Companies for Leaders’ ranking underlines our commitment to create a strong talent pool of professionals and further strengthen their leadership skills.”

He added: “In the Middle East, North Arica and Turkey region, one of our fastest growing international markets, we are building on our legacy of over 80 years by aligning our development goals with those of the governments. We remain committed to nurturing youth talent, and providing our team members the opportunity to identify their potential, thus supporting personal and professional growth.” The annual Best Companies for Leadership ranking is based on a survey of leading organizations globally, and is conducted in partnership with Chally Group Worldwide, a sales and leadership talent management firm headquartered in the US. The various parameters for deciding the ranking include having a formal leadership process in place, the commitment level of CEO to the leadership development program, as measured by the personal time spent on these activities; and the depth of leadership funnel as measured by the percentage of senior management positions. The ranking is also based on the number of other companies that report recruiting from the company being evaluated and shareholder value performance metric based on 10year-growth or decline in market capitalization.

GE has been a partner in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey for nearly a century, committed to the region’s progress and prosperity through the waves of change and growth. Among the key programs offered by GE for employees to accomplish their full potential and evolve personally and professionally are the Edison Engineering Development Program, Financial Management Program, Communications Leadership Development Program, Commercial Leadership Program, Field Engineering Program, HR Leadership Program and Experienced Commercial Leadership Program.

GE also provides leadership training to its partners and youth talent through initiatives such as the Leadership Acceleration for Business (LAB) in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Mubadala; the GE Dhahran Techno Valley facility, GE Manufacturing Technology Center and partnership with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in Saudi Arabia; the GE Advanced Technology & Research Center in Qatar; and the GE Oil & Gas University Program in Qatar and UAE, among others. GE draws on the strong skills and professional capabilities of its workforce - over 4,200 across the MENAT based at 35 ground facilities in 19 countries.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

technology

OSN Play available on Google’s Play Store DUBAI: More OSN viewers across the region can enjoy premium Arabic and English entertainment and live sport anytime, anywhere with OSN Play now available as a free application on Google’s Play Store.

This means Android tablet users can watch their favourite TV on-the-go adding to the growing list of devices on which OSN Play is available.

Emad Morcos, Vice President of Business Development, Strategy and Digital said: “OSN Play is the first true digital player platform in the Middle East, and providing an innovative and convenient viewing experience for the customer is at the forefront of OSN’s strategy. “OSN Play has seen significant success since its launch less than a year ago with viewership exceeding our projected targets. We will continue to expand OSN Play to more devices including smart phones and are developing the platform further to deliver a true second-screen experience.”

Launched in March 2012, OSN Play is the region’s first online TV viewing platform, providing customers with added value, convenience and enjoyment from their OSN subscription. OSN Play is absolutely free for OSN subscribers and the network’s exclusive deals with major studios including Warner Brothers, HBO and Disney guarantees viewers

your face; if you build a coal power plant you feel the consequences-smog in the city, water table getting dirty, and your people getting angry.”

Twitter co-founder Stone described ‘SimCity’ as encouraging systems that help make “better humans, a smarter world and a healthier planet.” Players become virtual mayors, guiding development of pretend cities and reaping rewards or suffering ramifications of decisions.

“Their mission is to make a thriving, happy city,” Erik Reynolds of EA said of the game on the eve of its release. “It you don’t have enough schools, you will have uneducated Sims and uneducated Sims get up to no good.”

People can play SimCity solo, or establish in-game regions open where as many at 16 cities can be built by different players.

“If you have a super-dirty coal burning town and a neighbor is green, when the wind is blowing in their direction they will reap what you’ve sown,” Reynolds said.

Play in regions is hosted at the EA online Origin game forum. Early this year, EA kicked off a SimCityEDU project with in-house nonprofit studio GlassLab to test the game’s potential as a tool for promoting science, math, and engineering in public schools.

Some teachers and children in schools in the California city of Oakland dabbled with SimCity game as part of a GlassLab effort to explore its potential for teaching children and getting them excited about technology studies.

“There is huge focus on mastering new skills to run a successful city,” said GlassLab general manager Jessica Lindl. “These children are coming in on their own during recess to play the game and we literally have to tear them away from the computer when it is time to go back to class,” she continued.

Feedback from the students will be used to specialize a version of SimCity for schools, according to Lindl. Backers of GlassLab include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. — AFP

BEIJING: A delegate checks his mobile phone while officials’ vehicles prepare to leave the Great Hall of the People after the opening session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing yesterday. China’s government promised its people yesterday deficit-fueled spending to fight deep-seated corruption, improve the despoiled environment and address other quality-of-life issues demanded by an increasingly vocal public looking for change. —- AP

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Windows 8 gets a lot right Windows 8 is a computer science masterpiece trapped inside a user interface kerfuffle. Microsoft’s new operating system for phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and servers brims with innovative technologies, bold ideas, and visual elegance. The system’s radical new interface, called Modern, is a pleasure to use on phones and tablets. And although that interface fares poorly on today’s larger desktop computer screens, Windows 8 probably won’t damage the company’s standing in corporate America. It might even shore up its eroding presence on residential desktops and laptops by offering a user experience that’s new, fun, and different from anything offered

by Apple and Google. Indeed, that’s my only real criticism of Windows 8: the touch-based user interface is clearly designed for consuming information and having fun, rather than for doing serious work.

It makes technical sense for Microsoft to maintain a single, core operating system with a consistent set of application programming interfaces (APIs). In fact, it makes so much sense that Apple and Linux moved to a single kernel years ago. What’s different about Windows 8 is that it gives users a similar graphical user interface (GUI) on every platform, too. Microsoft has spent more than a decade trying to get cut-down versions of its operating system, with names like Windows CE, Pocket PC, and Windows Mobile, accepted on mobile platforms. Some of these systems even had scaled-down versions of the standard Windows desktop interface-complete with pop-up windows, buttons, scroll bars, and even tiny Start buttons. But their GUIs and APIs were just different enough to confuse programmers and users alike. Windows 8 finally delivers consistent GUIs and APIs across the Microsoft ecosystem, although it is now the desktop that wears the tablet’s clothes. It’s easy to find things that are wrong with Modern (which was called Metro in developer and early versions). For example, there are no overlapping windows, and there’s simply no way to put three or four applications on a single screen at the same time-even if your work space has a screen that’s 27 inches across. Windows 8 largely eliminates menus-the product of more than 40 years of usability research-and introduces a new system of touchbased text labels and controls that are frequently hidden and obscure. The interface is sparse-applications like e-mail and the address book now present far too little information on the screen, resulting in the need to frequently pan and scroll.

Complicating our understanding of whether these are bugs or features is the departure of Steve Sinofsky shortly after the product’s launch. Sinofsky, who had been president of Microsoft’s Windows Division and was seen as a likely successor to Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, was the very public face of the redesign. He spent more than a year documenting many of the more radical departures in his blog, Building Windows 8, with detailed posts that were supported with telemetry data captured from the millions of users who participated in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program.

Microsoft will never admit that Windows 8 is a colossal mistake, but was Sinofsky’s sudden departure an admission of sorts that some of the changes were just too radical? Will they be undone in some soon-to-bereleased Windows 8.5?

While many critics have decried Windows 8 as another Microsoft misstep, I think they’re wrong. After using the new operating system in all its incarnations on a phone, on Microsoft’s Surface tablet, and on several desktops, I’ve come to regard it as truly transformative. Windows 8 will well serve the needs of those nontechnical users who just want to access their online social networks, watch Netflix, and go shopping-especially since the underlying system provides more security while making it easier for them to find, download, and install their (Microsoft-approved) apps. Windows 8 does a poor job of catering to knowledge workers like me who earn a living by synthesizing information from multiple data sources or use application programs that have hundreds of spe-

Companies struggle to popularize mobile money BARCELONA: Mobile money may seem like a hot concept, but consumers aren’t warming to it. At the world’s largest cellphone trade show, here in Barcelona this week, the 70,000 attendees are encouraged to use their cellphones instead their keycards- to get past the turnstiles at the door. But very few people took the chance to do that. The process of setting up the phone to act as a keycard proved too much of a hassle.

It’s a poor omen for an industry that’s eager to have the cellphone replace both tickets and credit cards. Companies are building chips antennas into phones that let the gadgets interact with

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SimCity rebuilt for modern life SAN FRANCISCO: A 10-year wait ends yesterday with the arrival of ‘SimCity,’ a computer game that challenges players to build thriving cities in the face of conditions such as limited funds and climate change.

The sequel to the city-building computer game that factors in real-world consequences of energy choices, urban plans, and policy decisions debuts in the US for $60 a copy. ‘SimCity’ will be available in Britain three days later as part of a global rollout, according to game publisher Electronic Arts. The game is tailored for play on personal computers powered by Windows software.

Millions of people have played SimCity since the computer game designed by Will Wright was first released in 1989 but the Maxis Studio title to hit on Tuesday will be the first fresh installment to the franchise in a decade. The original title won a broad, devoted following and led to a successful line of “Sims” strategy games in which players manipulate worlds and animated characters in simulations of real life.

Technology in ‘SimCity’ has been updated along with forces influencing the health of cities and the happiness of inhabitants, according to Maxis.

Along with rich 3-D graphics, the game will have a new simulation engine that enhances its realism and extends ramifications of urban design decisions past borders to affect neighboring cities.

SimCity has garnered enthusiastic reviews and won early endorsements from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and the director of the Academy Awardwinning documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Maxis collaborated on the title with Games For Change, a group devoted to the creation of games that combine fun with learning about social issues. “I love the game,” said “Inconvenient Truth” director Davis Guggenheim, who played an early version with his son last year. “Climate change is the biggest crisis of our time, but there is a disconnect because it is not in front of us,” he added. “When you play ‘SimCity’ it is in

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“tap to pay” terminals and other devices equipped with short-range sensors, like subway turnstiles. But getting the technology to do something useful and convincing people to adopt it is a slow process.

To make a payment in a store with your cellphone, “you need a lot of things to align,” said Reed Peterson, who heads the Near-Field Communications initiative for the GSM Association, a global trade group for the wireless industry. The phone needs to be properly equipped with NFC hardware and software; the store needs to have the proper equipment and training. The phone company needs to support

the transaction, and banks and payment processors need to be in on it. Some of these things have fallen into place, Peterson said, but the network of commercial agreements that supports these payments needs to expand. And consumer demand remains elusive.

“I want to get to the point where the consumer goes into the store and says ‘Show me only the phones that have NFC’,” Peterson said.

Today, a buyer is quite likely to go into a store and ask for an iPhone, and that’s an obstacle to NFC adoption. Apple Inc. is the lone holdout among major smartphone makers, and hasn’t built NFC into any of its devices yet.—AFP

cialized features. But those brain-heavy office workers do not represent Microsoft’s present or future. Last year, Microsoft made just $18 billion (24 percent) of its $74 billion in revenue from the sale of Windows operating systems. Its real moneymakers in the corporate world are not operating systems for desktops but applications like Office and servers like Exchange.

Many of Microsoft’s corporate and government users are only now upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7. Few corporate IT departments will immediately deploy Windows 8 to their desktops: they can continue to support older versions of the operating systems for years, or until Microsoft releases a version of the new operating system that’s appropriate for offices. Windows 8 doesn’t need to be an efficient, productive-business-oriented operating system to be a success; it needs to win the home market by making laptops and desktops as much fun to use as phones and tablets. The idea of a single operating system to be deployed on all computing platformsfrom the slowest of cell phones to relatively high-performance laptops and desktops, and even supercomputers-has clear technical benefits for users. Consider power efficiency: new algorithms and data structures inside the core of an operating system can let the kernel perform more functions while executing fewer instructions. Such changes extend the battery life when the OS is run on a cell phone. On a server in a data center, those same changes will lower electricity and cooling bills. Developers also benefit from having a single OS. For example, it means that the same tools can be used to develop applications for all platforms, so advances can be made immediately available across the entire product line. A single OS with the same set of APIs also means that a programmer with experience working on, say, cell phones can be rapidly reassigned to work on a cloud-based application.

Apple and Google learned this lesson years ago.

Apple runs nearly identilaptop, and desktop systems:

the main differences are inconsistencies caused by different input devices (touch screen vs. mouse) and different release cycles. Similarly, Google’s Android phones use versions of the same Linux kernel that’s found in data centers.

With Windows 8, Microsoft joins its competition in having the same kernel, API, and developer tools on all its platforms. The advantage is evident from the moment you turn on a Windows 8 machine. A consumer-grade Dell desktop that I tested took just 20 seconds to boot Windows 8; that same hardware took nearly a minute to start Windows 7.

Those versions of Windows 8 all benefit from a newfound commitment to connectivity as well. I easily configured my Windows phone to upload snapshots to SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud-based storage system. The photos could then be downloaded automatically to my other Windows 8 machines.

Office can also save files on SkyDrive; then you can edit them from any Internet-connected computer with the cloud-based version of Office. Microsoft is late with such file-sharing services-Apple, Dropbox, and Google all have similar offerings-but Microsoft has done a better job of integrating them directly into the operating system. The new cloud-based Windows services do a better job with account authentication, too. Windows 8 lets you use the same Live.com username and password for tablets, desktops, and laptops, so you can change your password once for all those devices-a feature previously available in many enterprise environments but not to home or smallbusiness users. Somewhat surprisingly, Windows 8 also integrates with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Google. Give it your online usernames and passwords and the People tile on the Start screen will come alive with photos taken from friends’ Google+ and Facebook profiles. Touch the tile and each person’s address-book entry will be augmented with his or her tweets and Facebook posts. —MCT

New technologies help travelers lower hotel prices NEW YORK: When Amy Eisen originally booked a weeklong vacation to celebrate her 30th anniversary, she was looking at a $3,749 hotel bill. But Eisen reserved her room at the all-inclusive Sanctuary Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic through a new travel site, Tingo.com.

Each day, the booking site automatically checked to see if the hotel lowered its price for the nights Eisen was staying there. Eventually, the price fell. Tingo canceled Eisen’s original reservation and rebooked her at the new, lower rate. Her savings: $1,874.

“I would not have considered that you could continue to ask: Are there any discounts? Are there any discounts? Are there any discounts?” said the Wynnewood, Pa., psychologist. “I don’t think most people would. You book it and think this is the best price I can get.” Tingo is one of a growing number of services that aim to save travelers money on their hotel stays. The site, which is owned by TripAdvisor, says that travelers have a 20 percent chance of getting at least some money back. The typical rebate is $50, according to the company, but occasionally travelers like Eisen get much more back.

The site requires prepayment of the room and focuses on fully refundable rates.

Sometimes, cheaper rooms might be available through other booking channels but they typically can’t be canceled. Tingo isn’t the only site changing the way travelers book. A host of new apps are offering steep discounts on hotel stays, particularly last-minute bookings.

HotelTonight offers discounted rooms at more than 2,000 hotels via its iPhone and Androids apps. Each day at noon local time, a slate of rooms is released for each of the 80 cities it currently serves. There are luxury hotels, hip hotels and those categorized as “solid” or “basic.”

The savings can be substantial. A recent search turned up the Bryant Park Hotel in New York. HotelTonight said a room there should cost $345 but was offering it for $239. (A check of the hotel’s own website showed $285 as the lowest rate.) Two hours later, the room was being offered for $199. Two hours after that, HotelTonight was out of rooms at the Bryant Park Hotel.

A search for Chicago turned up the Wyndham Blake Hotel. HotelTonight said the going rate was $179 but that it could offer a room for $129.

The cheapest standard rate on the hotel’s own website was $169; a room could be had for $152 for AAA members. HotelTonight users can’t request room types, so it is best used by solo travelers or couples. And while many hotels offer ample nonsmoking rooms, nothing is guaranteed using the app. Travelers can book rooms until 2 a.m. - perfect for unexpected travel delays or those who might have partied too hard and just don’t want to go home. Rooms can be booked for up to five nights but check-in must occur the day of booking.

But as with all travel deals, make sure to shop around. Rates aren’t always cheaper on these apps. For instance, HotelTonight was offering a room at Caesars Atlantic City for $49 a night, down from the regular rate of $62 for that night.

However, a quick visit to the hotel’s website found a room for $39 thanks to an online promotion that was being automatically applied to all bookings. As an added bonus, guests could pick a smoking or nonsmoking room. Priceline - one of the original discount hotel sites - has also jumped into the same-day hotel sale frenzy.

Through its iPhone and Android apps and its mobile site, Priceline is now offering “TonightOnly Deals.” The service covers approximately 150 cities and towns around the U.S. on a typical evening. It only applied to three- and four-star hotels. Offers start to post at 11 a.m and rooms can be booked up until 11 p.m. local time, or until they sell out.

Unlike Priceline’s traditional service where travelers bid on unknown hotels, here the hotel names are displayed along with descriptions, maps, photos and customer satisfaction scores.

A recent search for a room in Memphis turned up the Madison Hotel. Priceline said the room should cost $242 but was offering it for $184. The hotel’s own website was charging $242. Sometimes, the deals through the Tonight Only specials of Priceline’s mobile app are even better than Priceline’s own website.

The Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans had a room recently for $229 on its own website and Priceline.com. However, Priceline’s mobile app had a Tonight Only offer of $183.

Priceline says Thursday night stays tend to deliver the deepest savings, while Sunday is the most popular check-in night among last-minute mobile bookers. — AP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

‘Monster Energy drinks did not kill US teenager’ CHICAGO: Monster Beverage Corp, defending its Monster Energy drinks from mounting criticism about potential health risks, said on Monday its medical investigators found no evidence that the drinks caused the death of a 14-year-old girl. The family of Maryland teenager Anais Fournier sued the company last year after she died of cardiac arrest that her parents blamed on “caffeine toxicity” after she drank two Monster Energy drinks in a 24hour period.

Monster, the top-selling US energy drink, has come under fire from US regu-

lators and politicians. Yesterday, a Chicago committee on health and environmental protection will discuss an official’s proposal to limit the sale of energy drinks. On Monday, Monster’s lawyer and two doctors it hired said in a press conference that their examination of Fournier’s medical records found no evidence that the drinks, or the caffeine in them, contributed to her death, noting that she had been receiving treatment for a heart condition since childhood. “‘Why did she suddenly die’ is the question,” one of the doctors, California

emergency room physician Michael Forman, said. “That question can never be answered with any certainty.” Monster said that its team found “no medical, scientific or factual evidence to support the Maryland Medical Examiner’s report of ‘caffeine toxicity’.” Forman said that given Fournier’s health history, she might have suffered cardiac arrest that day, regardless of what she drank. In addition, he noted that no blood test was ever taken to prove caffeine toxicity.

Kevin Goldberg, a lawyer for Fournier’s family, told Reuters there were other

symptoms of caffeine toxicity, though he declined to elaborate. “We have our experts and they have their experts,” Goldberg said, adding that it was “not appropriate ... to litigate the case in the media.” Energy drinks are caffeinated beverages with aggressive-sounding names like Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, Amp and Full Throttle. They are often associated with active or extreme sports, which makes them popular with young men.

In addition to the Fournier lawsuit, the US Food and Drug Administration said in October that it received incident reports

of five deaths that mentioned Monster’s namesake drink. FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said on Monday that the FDA “continues to look into cases in which energy drinks were suspected as a possible cause of death,” though she notes that the reports do not establish causality between the drinks and death. “If we find additional information that establishes causality, FDA will take appropriate steps to protect the public and remove the harm,” Burgess said. Monster shares closed down 85 cents, or 1.7 percent at $49.81 on the Nasdaq. —Reuters

Deep underground, worms and ‘zombie microbes’ rule Study of Earth’s carbon may give clues to origin of life OSLO: A dark realm far beneath the Earth’s surface is a surprisingly rich home for tiny worms and “zombie microbes” that may hold clues to the origins of life, scientists said on Monday. “It’s an amazing new world,” said Robert Hazen, head of the Deep Carbon Observatory, a decade-long $500 million project to study the planet’s carbon, an element vital to life and found in everything from oil to diamonds. “It’s very possible that there’s a deep microbial biosphere that goes down more than 10 km (6 miles), maybe 20,” Hazen told Reuters of the first book by the Observatory, published on Monday and written by more than 50 experts in nine countries.

Microbes had been reported, for instance, in rocks recovered by drilling more than 6 km below the surface in China’s Songliao basin, he said. And tiny worms have been found in fractures in rocks 1.3 km deep in a South African mine. The singlecelled microbes found deep underground include bacteria, which need water and nutrients to grow but not necessarily oxygen, and archaea, which can live off compounds such as ammonia or sulphur.

A lack of food in what the 700-page report called the “Stygian realm” - after the River Styx of the underworld in Greek mythology - meant some microbes might be “zombies”, or so slow-living as to seem dead. The book, “Carbon in Earth”, said

some microbes may live deep below ground and grow and reproduce extremely slowly or perhaps even “live without dividing for millions to tens of millions of years”.

Hazen, who works at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC, said the scientists working on the project, which began in 2009, were also studying the possibility that life on Earth might have originated underground. “You have everything you need to make life,” he said, including energy, water and carbon-rich molecules that could have made the underground zone, rather than the surface of the planet, the cradle of the very first life on Earth.

Asteroids “We think of the deep subsurface as extreme but it’s really quite protected - from asteroids or from volcanic eruptions,” he said. “Deep sub-surface rocks are a nice, safe haven.” And the ability of microbes to survive almost indefinitely in rocks on Earth also raises the possibility that rocks from Mars, which had liquid water before Earth, could have seeded our planet with life. Rocks from Mars sometimes land on Earth after asteroid strikes on Mars blow debris into space. “It’s possible that every single cell on Earth is descended from a Martian. That’s not crazy science fiction,” Hazen said.

The scientists also found viruses deep under-

ground. Unlike those at the surface, those in the energy-poor subsurface typically insert their genes into microbes without seeking to reproduce aggressively, apparently waiting for better conditions. “This role of virus as parasite, as mutualist, and as a sharer of information through gene transfer may be a fundamental underpinning of life in the deep subsurface,” the book suggests.

It says underground microbial life should be studied more to ensure that plans for deep burial of nuclear waste, or carbon dioxide from power plants as part of a strategy to combat climate change, would not be destabilized by microbes.

Among other research, the scientists are trying to find out whether there are major sources of oil and gas and methane produced by chemical reactions deep in the Earth, rather than from the well-understood process of ancient surface vegetation being buried and crushed under high pressure.

They will also study diamonds, which form at high pressures deep in the Earth, beyond the depths of current drilling. And they will try to map where the Earth’s carbon is stored, from the crust to the core. “A problem is that a huge part of the system is inaccessible,” Rajdeep Dasgupta, an expert at Rice University in Texas said. Part of the study will aim to re-create temperatures and conditions of the deep in the laboratory. —Reuters

Access to land areas diminishing as swampy land thaws

INDIA: File photo shows Indian pharmacologist removes mice from cages to study the reaction of cytotoxic drugs, inside a containment facility of the Research and Development Centre of Natco Pharma Ltd, in Hyderabad. —AP

India rejects Bayer plea against cheap cancer drug NEW DELHI: India’s patent appeals office has rejected Bayer AG’s plea to stop the production of a cheaper generic version of a patented cancer drug in a ruling that health groups say is an important precedent for getting inexpensive lifesaving medicines to the poor. Last year, India’s patent office allowed local drug manufacturer Natco Pharma Ltd to produce a generic version of Bayer ’s kidney and liver cancer drug Nexavar on the grounds it would make the drug available to the public at a reasonably affordable price. It was the first use of compulsory licensing under Indian patent laws passed in 2005. The Intellectual Property Appellate Board rejected the German drug maker ’s appeal of the 2012 ruling on Monday.

Bayer sells a one month supply of the drug for about $5,600. Natco’s version would cost Indian patients $175 a month, less than 1/30th as much. The patent appeals office also ruled that under the license Natco must pay 7 percent in royalties on net sales to Bayer. There was no immediate reaction to the decision from Bayer. Western pharmaceutical companies have been pushing for stronger patent protections in India to regulate the country’s $26 billion generics industry they say frequently flouts intellectual property rights.

However, health activists and aid groups counter that Indian generics are a lifesaver

for patients in poor countries who cannot afford Western prices to treat diseases such as cancer, malaria and HIV. Health groups welcomed the decision saying it would check the abuse of patents and open up access to affordable versions of patented medicines. “The decision means that the way has been paved for compulsory licenses to be issued on other drugs, now patented in India and priced out of affordable reach, to be produced by generic companies and sold at a fraction of the price,” said Leena Menghaney of medical humanitarian aid organization Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Under World Trade Organization rules, governments have the right to issue compulsory licenses to overcome barriers to access to cheaper versions of a patented drug without the consent of the company that invented the drug. Several Western pharmaceutical giants say India’s 2005 Patent Act fails to guarantee the rights of investors who finance drug research and development. Swiss drug maker Novartis AG is awaiting a decision by India’s Supreme Court on the rejection of patents for its cancer drug Gleevec. That case revolves around a different legal provision allowing India to block “evergreening” - extensions of patents based on minor changes to existing treatments. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the case is expected soon. —AP

WASHINGTON: The quickest way to get goods from Asia to the US East Coast in 2050 might well be straight across the Arctic, where a warming climate is expected to open new sea routes through what is now impenetrable ice, a study reported on Monday. Most shipping traffic between these two centers currently goes through the Suez or Panama canals, and that is likely to continue even as melting Arctic sea ice makes the far north more accessible.

But increasingly warm temperatures also could make the Northwest Passage north of Canada an economically viable shipping route. Now, it is passable only at the end of most summers. It could also open up a route directly over the North Pole by midcentury, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Plus. The Northern Sea Route, which mostly hugs Russia’s northern coastline and is now a primary Arctic shipping route, would continue to be viable, according to research by Laurence Smith, a geography professor at the University of California-Los Angeles.

The transit across the Arctic would remain highly seasonal, limited to parts of September when the ice has shrunk and thinned to its lowest level. Last September, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Arctic sea ice melted to its lowest recorded level. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth because of the so-called albeido effect, where sun-reflecting lightcolored ice is frequently replaced by sun-absorbing dark-colored water. The more ice melts, the warmer things get. Both the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage would be accessible to ordinary ships in addition to light ice-breakers by 2050, Smith said in a telephone interview.

NORTHWEST PASSAGE “Last year, nearly 50 ships went through the Northern Sea Route, but this work shows that there will be other technically feasible options which will be available,” he said. The across-the-pole route, which had never before been considered, would be available only to light ice-breakers capable of plowing through ice 3.9 feet thick. Melting ice could make these Arctic routes more viable, Smith said. For example, right now it makes no sense for any ship traveling between eastern North America and Asia to go via the Northwest Passage. The islands in the Canadian archipelago slow navigation, and the ice lingers there in a way that it doesn’t along the Northern Sea Route. Even though the Northern Sea Route is a greater distance, it takes less time. However, by 2050, using projections of global warming and Arctic ice loss, Smith said the Northwest Passage will be sufficiently navigable to make the trip from the North American east coast to the Bering Strait in 15 days, compared to 23 days for the Northern Sea Route, about a 30 percent time savings.

This is never likely to be a year-round proposition, since winter sea ice will always recur, Smith said. And as Arctic shipping lanes open up, land transportation in the far north is expected to suffer, as winter ice roads deteriorate. These ice roads are the only economically viable way to do heavy construction and remove ore in the far north, he said. “The distances are vast, the landscape is boggy and wet and covered with lakes,” Smith said. “We’ve done modeling of this as well and what you see is a shutdown of human access on land and an increase of human access in the ocean.” —Reuters

Study shows declining life span for some US women NEW YORK: A new study offers more compelling evidence that life expectancy for some US women is actually falling, a disturbing trend that experts can’t explain. The latest research found that women age 75 and younger are dying at higher rates than previous years in nearly half of the nation’s counties - many of them rural and in the South and West. Curiously, for men, life expectancy has held steady or improved in nearly all counties. The study is the latest to spot this pattern, especially among disadvantaged white women.

Some leading theories blame higher smoking rates, obesity and less education, but several experts said they simply don’t know why.

Women have long outlived men, and the latest numbers show the average life span for a baby girl born today is 81, and for a baby boy, it’s 76.

But the gap has been narrowing and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown women’s longevity is not growing at the same pace as men’s.

The phenomenon of some women losing ground appears to have begun in the late 1980s, though studies have begun to spotlight it only in the last few years. Trying to figure out why is “the hot topic right now, trying to understand what’s going on,” said Jennifer Karas Montez, a Harvard School of Public Health sociologist who has been focused on the life expectancy decline but had

no role in the new study.

Researchers also don’t know exactly how many women are affected. Montez says a good estimate is roughly 12 percent. The study, released Monday by the journal Health Affairs, found declining life expectancy for women in about 43 percent of the nation’s counties. The researchers, David Kindig and Erika Cheng of the University of Wisconsin, looked at federal death data and other information for nearly all 3,141 US counties over 10 years. They calculated mortality rates for women age 75 and younger, sometimes called “premature death rates,” because many of those deaths are considered preventable. —Reuters

CAPE TOWN: A file photo taken on February 1, 2002 shows five-day old ‘Princess’ sleeping in her mother’s arms next to anti-AIDS drug Nevirapine at one of the 18 national test sites, at the T C Newman hospital in Paarl. —AFP

US baby’s cure from HIV raises hope, questions CHICAGO: The remarkable case of a baby being cured of HIV infection in the United States using readily available drugs has raised new hope for eradicating the infection in infants worldwide, but scientists say it will take a lot more research and much more sensitive diagnostics before this hope becomes a reality.

In a medical first for an infant, the Mississippi toddler was born in July 2010 infected with HIV, treated within 30 hours of delivery with aggressive HIV therapy, which continued for 18 months. She is now considered cured of her infection, a team of researchers led by Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said in a news conference at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta on Sunday.

“From a clinical perspective, this means that if you can get an infected baby on to antiretroviral drugs immediately after delivery, it’s going to be possible to prevent or reverse the infection - essentially cure the baby,” said Dr Steven Deeks, an HIV/AIDS researcher at the University of California at San Francisco who is attending the conference, where the case was presented to researchers on Monday.

Deeks and others hailed the findings as a great advance in the search for a cure in babies born infected with HIV. But the researchers said they also suggest the need for better ways to diagnose HIV infection, a process that typically takes up to six weeks.

“This could have a profound effect on how we approach babies born to HIV-infected moms,” Deeks said.

Treatment of HIV-infected mothers before delivery is the best way to prevent HIV infection of infants, experts say, but even in resource-rich countries such as the United States, 100 to 200 babies are born each year infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, said Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National

Institutes of Health. Worldwide, especially in developing countries, as many as 1,000 babies are born infected each day. For these children, the findings could have a major impact on the “terrible burden of HIV infection throughout the world,” Fauci said.

Michel SidibÈ, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, known as UNAIDS, said the news “gives us great hope that a cure for HIV in children is possible,” but it also underscores the need for research and innovation, “especially in the area of early diagnostics.”

Fauci said the child’s case was an important “proof of concept,” but he cautioned that it was only one case and it needs to be further validated. “The real question is will this be broadly applicable to other infants?” he said. Fauci said there is a risk that without better diagnostics, children who were never infected in the first place could be exposed to toxic drugs with very early treatment.

In the case of the Mississippi girl, Dr Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, made the call to treat the child with HIV drugs even before her infection was confirmed because she believed the child was at such great risk of infection.

Had she been wrong, the therapy would have been stopped. “Since the mother had really been at such high risk of transmitting to the baby, they decided to treat on square one,” said Fauci, as opposed to giving the child a lower, preventative dose of drugs until test results confirm an infection.

“The approach of treating really, really early needs to be pursued,” he said. “When we get better diagnostics where we can tell within the first day or so whether the baby is infected, an approach like this looks like it might be a reasonable thing to pursue with the appropriate clinical trials.” Fauci said it is not time to change treatment protocols for infants who are born infected.

“It’s a single case. We’ve got to be careful about that.” —Reuters

UK among unhealthiest of West Europe nations LONDON: Despite six decades of free medical care and widespread health campaigns, Britons are among the unhealthiest people in Western Europe, a new study says.

International researchers analyzed the country’s rates of sickness and death from 1990 to 2010 in comparison to those of 15 other Western European countries in addition to Australia, Canada and the US Experts described the UK results as “startling” and said Britain was failing to address underlying health risks in its population, including rising rates of high blood pressure, obesity and drug and alcohol abuse. “It’s incredibly surprising,” said Dr Christopher Murray, who studies health metrics at the University of Washington in Seattle and is the lead author of the latest report.

“We all think of the UK as having a great health system and as one of the most sophisticated medical research communities in the world,” he wrote in an email. “Nobody would have really expected that the UK would be toward the bottom.” Overall, the UK was 12th for healthy life expectancy, with most Britons expected to live 68.6 years in good health. The United States came in 17th out of 19 countries with 67.9 years. Spain topped the charts with a healthy life expectancy of 70.9, while Finland came last, with most Finns likely to live 67.3 years in good health. Australia ranked third with 70.1 years, while Canada was fifth with 69.6 years.

In terms of years of life lost to health conditions, Britain ranked just above last place for serious respiratory infections, preterm birth

complications, and breast cancer. In comparison, Italy had the lowest death rates from respiratory infections while Norway was best at handling birth complications. Sweden had the lowest death rates for breast cancer. Murray and colleagues said there was virtually no change in the rate of premature deaths among British adults aged 20 to 54 but found a spike in deaths caused by drug and alcohol abuse for that age group.

Cirrhosis, or liver disease often linked to alcohol consumption, has jumped by more than 65 percent in Britain in the last two decades, prompting a recent government proposal to crack down on cheap drinks by setting minimum prices. As in most Western nations, heart disease, stroke and cancer were the leading killers and in the UK there were higher death rates from those compared to other developed countries studied. The research was paid for by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and was published online yesterday in the journal Lancet.

“In some areas like tobacco control and road safety, we have done very well,” said Edmund Jessop of the UK Faculty of Public Health in London, who wrote an accompanying commentary. But he said it was worrying that Britain was lagging behind many other European nations with similar income levels and socialized health care systems. Jessop called for British officials to take “bold action” to tackle issues including alcohol consumption and obesity, “otherwise there will be serious consequences and the UK could remain at the bottom.” —AP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Childhood ADHD may lead to troubles later on in life BOSTON: Nearly a third of people diagnosed as children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) still have the condition in adulthood, according to a US study of thousands. The researchers, whose findings appeared in Pediatrics, also found that these people were more likely to develop other mental disorders, such as anxiety or depression, and commit suicide. Lead by William Barbaresi from Boston Children’s Hospital, they found that about 29 percent of participants in the study who were diagnosed with ADHD as children ended up carrying that diagnosis over into their late twenties.

“They still clearly had symptoms that

continued to be consistent with that diagnosis,” said Barbaresi. “But that in itself has been an area of difficulty and controversy.” ADHD, the most common neuro-developmental condition, affects between 3 percent and 7 percent of US school children, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s more common in boys than in girls.

The CDC says children with ADHD tend to have a hard time paying attention, to be forgetful, fidget and be easily distracted, to the point that it creates problems at school, home and with their friends. For their study - which Barbaresi started while at the Mayo Clinic in

Rochester, Minnesota - the researchers followed 5,718 children who were born in that area between 1976 and 1982. Of those, 387 were diagnosed with ADHD as children and gave the researchers access to their medical records.

Barbaresi and his colleagues then invited the participants to be re-evaluated when they were 29. Overall, 232 of the childhood ADHD patients agreed to take part, and the researchers found that 68 still had the disorder - around 29 percent. But even those whose ADHD diagnosis did not persist into adulthood were still more likely to suffer from at least one psychiatric condition other than ADHD, with at least 57 percent suffering with

such things as alcohol or substance abuse, anxiety or depression.

That compared to 35 percent of the people in a comparison group who did not have ADHD while growing up.

People diagnosed with ADHD were also more likely to commit suicide.

Researchers found that 3 of the 387 participants with childhood ADHD had committed suicide, compared to just 7 of the 4,946 non-ADHD participants. “The finding about suicide is new,” said Mary Solanto, director of the ADHD Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “It was suggested in another one of these ... studies, but in this study the sample size was large

enough for it to be significant.”

Solanto, who was not involved in the new research, said that many of the study’s other findings had been seen previously, but that this study was larger and the subjects were drawn from the general population. The study’s authors warned that their findings may not apply to children across the United States because the study participants were from mostly white, middle-class families in one part of Minnesota. “There are a lot of people who have had it (ADHD) that learned to cope and deal with it,” Solanto said. “But in order for that to happen, it’s important to diagnose and treat it as soon as possible.”—-Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Kuwait Banks Club hold open day 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

Greetings More than 1,500 banking sector employees joined by their family members enjoyed an open day that was organized by the Kuwait Banks Club at its spring camp in Al-Julai’ah to celebrate the National holidays.

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o love and to be loved is the most essential thing in life. Happy Birthday!

Announcements St Patrick Day

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uwait 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.

Health awareness seminar health awareness seminar titled “United Against Diabetes” will be hosted by Kuwait American Women’s League on Wednesday 20th of March 2013, at 7 pm at the Sheraton Hotel, Kuwait City on Fahad Al Salem Street The Chief Guest will be Matthew Tueller, Ambassador of the United States of America to Kuwait. Speakers are Dr Faisal AI-Refaei - MBChB, MSc. Director of Clinical Services. Dasman Diabetes Institute Dr Kashif Rizvi - MD. FRCP.CCST (UK Board Certified) Consultant Diabetologist Mazaya Clover Center. Free Glucose and Bone Density Assessment will be provided from 5:30 till 7 p.m. A buffet will be served following.

RSVP by 15th March 2013 at kuwaitawl@yahoo.com

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GOA Rolling Trophy final he final of the prestigious GOA Rolling Trophy organized by Goan Overseas Association under the auspices of Kuwait Indian Football Federation will be held on 8th March 2013 at the MOH Grounds at 8:45 am (sharp). Hot favourites Kerala Challengers will take on Real Betalbatim who will be contesting their first final and the match promises to be a intriguing one.

Before the final, a 3-A-Side tie breaker for Registered Club Officials will be held.

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Kuwait Cricket elections uwait Cricket is pleased to announce its intention to conduct elections for 4 new positions to serve the existing Executive Council. To be eligible, a candidate must be an official/player of any team registered with Kuwait Cricket. Voting rights are strictly reserved for officials/ players registered with Kuwait Cricket. Each registered team is entitled to ONE vote only, which must be made personally by the Club’s representative on the night of the election. Elections will be conducted on March 15, 2013 in the auditorium at Kuwait Olympic Committee Building, Hawally at 8 PM. Interested parties should contact Asad Baig on email abaig@gckuwait.comor Riaz Choudhry email kuwaitumpire@gmail.com for nomination form no later than March 13, 2013.

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McDonald’s introduces tastes of the world

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cDonald’s Kuwait announced the launch of its second annual Tastes of the World campaign.

Following the overwhelming success of the 2012 event, McDonald’s again pays tribute to exotic flavour profiles by offering a limited time range of sandwiches inspired by unique destinations around the world. The campaign began on March 2nd 2013.

Offering a line-up of unique sandwiches - each available for a limited period - McDonald’s invites customers to experience all the delicious flavours they have come to expect from the brand, but now with an exotic twist.

The campaign kicked off in Asia with a returning favourite from last year - The Asian. Customers will enjoy a crispy Halal chicken patty punched up with a bold kick of far eastern spice, served with a sprinkling of shredded lettuce and topped off with a creamy mayonnaise sauce. The first of the sandwich line-up will be available until 22nd March, 2013. Customers wondering about the other sandwiches will have to wait patiently until they are launched; McDonald’s is keeping their identities a closely-guarded secret.

George Khawam, Marketing Director- commented: “Customers throughout the Middle Eastare known for an adventurous spirit and a sophisticated palate, which

is why we’re delighted to announce the return of our Tastes of the World campaign for the second year in a row. Our customers can once again enjoy a unique lineup of taste sensations from across the globe - it’s a winning combination of exciting new flavours and high quality products that McDonald’s is known for.”

McDonald’s also announced the launch of its new Apricot Sundae, inviting customers to end off a delicious meal with an exotic last bite. Internationallyinspired Chicken McNugget sauces - designed to complement a Tastes of the World Extra Value Meal, or to be enjoyed all on their own - will also be on offer during the campaign. The Asian-inspired sweet and sour sauce is available in McDonald’s restaurants across Kuwait.

McDonald’s is committed to serving the very best, and does not and will not compromise on food quality.

High quality is one of McDonald’s top priorities. 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.

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.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

NAFO 10th anniversary - ‘Samanwayam’ flyer released

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arking the 10th Anniversary Celebrations, National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) released its flyer “Samanwayam” by Dr T A Remesh, Country Head, Gulf Mart (Main Sponsor) at a function held at Salmiya. Ajaykumar, Sales Manager, Oman Air, were also present along with NAFO representatives.

The celebrations scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 10, 2013, at the American International School Auditorium, will start with a cultural meeting involving prominent personalities from India, neighboring GCC countries and Kuwait, according to officials.

After having successfully conducted “Sangamam” in 2011 and “Samagamam” in 2012, NAFO is bringing another entertainer “An Eclectic Dance Musical Show” first of its kind to be performed in Kuwait. Conceived, designed and directed by the multi-dimen-

sional, twice national award winning actress Padmashri Shobana and her 15-member team, no doubt, will enthuse the art lovers of Kuwait, with their flawless movements and evocative facial gestures, officials added.

Further, this dialogue-drama in English, has been supported by the Oscar Award winning Rasool Pookkutty (sound design), P Rajeevan (Art) Stephen Devassy (Music) and its has voice-overs by several famous film personalities from Bollywood and Kollywood such as Irrfan Khan, Konkonasen, Shabanna Azmi, John Abraham, Prakash Raj etc. “The two and a half hour dance musical will be a magical journey in a bed of Indian film songs specially crafted for the lovers of avant-garde, innovative and classical dancing would mesmerize the spectators, and not to be missed”, program convener M S Nair said.

W H AT ’ S O N

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

Embassy Information 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. nnnnnnn

Chaines De Rotisseurs at Jamawar Indian Restaurant in Crowne Plaza

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. nnnnnnn

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he management of the Crowne Plaza Kuwait, in the presence of the ambassadors of Netherlands and Argentina, held an exquisite dinner event for the Chaine Des Rotisseurs at its newly opened Jamawar Indian Restaurant, on the evening of 16 February.

Nicolas Beets, Ambassador of Netherlands and Jorge Omar Biga, Ambassador of Argentina, enriched the evening with their presence. The esteemed guests list also included Mohamed Najia, General Secretary at Kuwait Hotel Owners Association, Mrs Salwa Najia, Mrs Aziza Khan (Critique) and many other distinguished guests who were warmly welcomed by Ramy Haykal, General Manager of Crowne Plaza Kuwait and Hani Kafafi, Chief Executive Officer of Al Houda Hotels & Tourism Company.

In the elegant ambience of India, the expertise

and skills of the chefs and servers alike were on magnificent display for all to see, with a delightful combination of the rich and authentic Indian menu.

The cuisine of the evening was a feast for the senses with a seven - course meal awaiting the invitees, beginning with assorted appetizers, and then serving the superlative main course with its unique blend of tastes. The complete meal was ended on a sweet note with a charming mixture of desserts from India. Throughout the evening, the guests were entertained by soulful live music taking all the guests on a journey to the enchanting land of Maharajas. Jamawar, the most recent dining jewel of the Crowne Plaza Kuwait, opened its newest outlet at the hotel last month. It offers an authentic introduction to traditional Indian cuisine - from succulent kebabs to rich curries. The theatre of the surroundings is very much on the menu here with an

opulent blend of modern and traditional decor.

Hand-carved paintings, flower-laden pots with floating candles, and live traditional music make the whole experience even richer.

With 8 restaurants already within the hotel, Crowne Plaza Kuwait is a gastronome’s delight for indulgence. Exotic flavors from around the world are available at the Al Ahmadi International Buffet, the steaks of the West are done just the way you like it at the Rib Eye Steakhouse, the food of the Persian royals is yours at the Shabestan Iranian restaurant, while elegant teas and pastries complete your day at the Fauchon. Espresso serves your favourite tea and coffee, authentic Japanese is yours at the Sakura, delights of the seas come alive at the Al Noukhaza and traditional Lebanese is the order of the day at the Ayam Zaman restaurant.

Seminar on EU-GCC relations held at GUST

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nder the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah, the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) in collaboration with the Gulf Research Center, the Fundacinparalas Relaciones Internacionales yel Dijlogo Exterior (FRIDE), and the Center for Gulf Knowledge, organized a 2-day international seminar entitled: “Political Transformation in the Arab world and its relevance for EU-GCC relations,” under the Project “Promoting Deeper EUGCC relations,” funded by the European Commission. The workshop was attended by over 50 professionals, ranging from academics to entrepreneurs, and students from over 15 different countries in the EU and GCC as well as the US. It served several objectives: To promote a better understanding of current political trends in the region; to focus more specifically on the role the EU can play to support positive developments; to place these developments within the proper context and to promote cooperative relations among the wider region for only through a proper understanding of Gulf dynamics can productive ties with the EU be enhanced.

Dr Masoud Asad, Director of Public Affairs & Marketing at GUST welcomed the audience to GUST, the first private university in Kuwait and introduced the guest speakers for the opening ceremony.

Dr Robert Cook, Vice President for Academic Affairs, opened the event speaking on behalf of GUST and highlighting the important role of civil society and youth in improving future relations within and outside the region. As an educator in the region for over 30 years, he also advocated the organization of a similar workshop focusing on the role of education in the region and its potential transformation aleffects. Dr Cook also announced a new collaboration between GUST and an international institution, which will allow it to offer an engineering dual degree program and thus better serve the society and its students. Dr Cook thanked those in attendance and the delegates for their participation in this important event.

Richard Youngs, Director of FRIDE, gave a brief overview of the organization, a think tank based in Madrid and Brussels and pointed to the importance of encouraging the EU to step up its presence in the Gulf region. Director of the Gulf Research Center Foundation, Christian Koch, then highlighted details of the conference and its purpose and thanked all the organizing parties for their hard work in putting the conference

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. nnnnnnn

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. nnnnnnn

Embassy of Mexico The Embassy of Mexico presents its compliments and has the pleasure to announce the opening of the Consular Section in the Embassy and that the Embassy has already proceeded on the procudures for issuing entry visas to Mexico from 2nd January 2013. The Embassy of Mexico has further the honor to inform that the working hours of the Consular Section is from 09:00 - 12:00 hours. nnnnnnn

together. He spoke of the importance of the project on “Promoting Deeper EU-GCC relations,” funded by the European Commission which strives to improve a better understanding and deeper cooperation between the EU and the GCC through the organizationof workshops and seminars where a variety of issues of importance for both regions can be explored.

Dr Haila Al-Mekaimi from the Center for Gulf Knowledge closed the ceremony by welcoming her old and new colleagues to Kuwait, stating that Kuwait and GUST are vibrant centers for sharing information and knowledge. She thanked GUST for hosting the program for and for its keen sense of serving its students and community locally and internationally and contributing to

such events. The sessions then started, consisting of two main speakers and a chair for the discussions. The session topics included: Geopolitical implications of the Arab uprisings with speakers N. Janardhan, Political Analyst (UAE), Mohamed Ghanem Alrumaihi, Kuwait University (Kuwait) and chair Richard Youngs, FRIDE (Spain), Domestic implications of the Arab uprisings with speakers Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, Emirates University (UAE), Hasan Al-Hasan, London School of Economics (UK) and chair Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, London School of Economics (UK), Beyond identity politics: A role for civil society with speakers Guido Steinberg, SWP (Germany),Ahmed Al Omran, RiyadhBureau.com (KSA) and chair Jane Kinninmont, Chatham House

(UK),Political actors in the Gulf: the role of youth an open session with youth activists from across a broad ideological spectrum with chair Dr. Haila Al-Mekaimi, Kuwait University (Kuwait),and finally the session on EU Policy towards the GCC with speakers Ambassador Amal Al-Hamad, GCC Delegation to Brussels (Belgium), Pekka Hakala,Policy Unit European Parliament (Belgium) and chair Abdulla Baabood, Qatar University (Qatar).

Each session was followed by a vibrant debate from the attendees who had different points of views due to their diverse backgrounds but all agreed at the end that they favored deeper connections and the development of the ties between their nations.

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk. nnnnnnn

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:35 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:30 17:25 Baker 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Killer Whales Untamed & Uncut Wildest Islands Wildlife SOS World Wild Vet Rescue Vet Escape To Chimp Eden Animal Precinct The Really Wild Show Dogs 101 Animal Airport Animal Airport My Cat From Hell Monkey Life Wild Africa Rescue Rescue Vet Escape To Chimp Eden Wildest Islands Wildlife SOS World Wild Vet Animal Cops Houston Animal Precinct The Really Wild Show Dogs 101 Weird Creatures With Nick Breed All About It Breed All About It Monkey Life Wild Africa Rescue Rescue Vet Escape To Chimp Eden Wildest Islands Mutant Planet Wild France Animal Cops Houston

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:35 Come Dine With Me 02:25 Holmes On Homes 03:15 MasterChef 04:10 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 05:00 Bargain Hunt 05:45 Bargain Hunt 06:30 Bargain Hunt 07:15 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 07:45 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 08:10 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 08:55 Homes Under The Hammer 09:45 Bargain Hunt 10:30 Antiques Roadshow 11:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:10 MasterChef 13:10 Come Dine With Me 14:00 Perfect Day 14:25 Perfect Day 14:50 Holmes On Homes 15:40 Bargain Hunt 16:25 Antiques Roadshow 17:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Homes Under The Hammer 18:50 Rick Stein’s Spain 19:45 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 20:10 French Food At Home 20:35 Come Dine With Me 21:30 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:30 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:00

Taz-Mania Pink Panther And Pals Moomins Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Bananas In Pyjamas

06:25 06:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Bananas In Pyjamas Lazy Town Krypto The Superdog Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Bananas In Pyjamas Ha Ha Hairies Lazy Town Krypto The Superdog Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Krypto The Superdog Lazy Town A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Tom And Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Johnny Bravo Tiny Toons 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom And Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show Tiny Toons 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Moomins The Garfield Show Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom And Jerry Tales Moomins Dexters Laboratory Johnny Bravo Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Amanpour 01:30 World Sport 02:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 03:00 World Report 03:30 World Sport 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 The Situation Room 08:00 World Sport 08:30 News Special 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Inside Africa 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 World One 13:30 Inside The Middle East 14:00 Amanpour 14:30 CNN Newscenter 15:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 16:00 News Stream 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 Global Exchange 20:00 World Sport 20:30 Inside The Middle East 21:00 International Desk 22:00 Quest Means Business 23:00 Amanpour 23:30 CNN Newscenter

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30

Outback Truckers Man, Woman, Wild Finding Bigfoot Mythbusters How Stuff’s Made Auction Kings Auction Hunters Factory Line How Stuff’s Made American Guns Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Wheeler Dealers Border Security Auction Kings Auction Hunters

10:55 11:25 11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Factory Line How It’s Made Outback Truckers Man, Woman, Wild Finding Bigfoot Border Security Auction Kings Auction Hunters Unchained Reaction Wheeler Dealers Mythbusters American Guns Factory Line How It’s Made Auction Kings Auction Hunters James May’s Man Lab Superhuman Showdown Mythbusters

00:40 Gadget Show - World Tour 01:05 How Tech Works 01:35 Scrapheap Challenge 02:25 Investigation X 03:15 Mean Green Machines 03:45 Da Vinci’s Machines 04:35 Oddities 05:00 Oddities 05:25 Kings Of Construction 06:15 Sci-Trek 07:05 How The Universe Works 08:00 Da Vinci’s Machines 08:50 Mega World 09:40 Prototype This 10:30 Sci-Trek 11:25 Gadget Show - World Tour 11:50 How Tech Works 12:15 Cosmic Collisions 13:10 Mega World 14:00 Scrapheap Challenge 14:50 Bang Goes The Theory 15:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 16:10 Investigation X 17:00 Gadget Show - World Tour 17:25 How Tech Works 17:55 Sci-Trek 18:45 Kings Of Construction 19:35 How The Universe Works 20:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 21:20 NASA’s Unexplained Files 22:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 22:35 How Tech Works 23:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 23:50 NASA’s Unexplained Files

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25

Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck My Babysitter’s A Vampire A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Jessie Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T Farm Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Kim Possible Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place That’s So Raven Austin And Ally Art Attack A.N.T. Farm Suite Life On Deck My Babysitter’s A Vampire Shake It Up

15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20 23:45

Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally My Babysitter’s A Vampire A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Phil Of The Future Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:05 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 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Lazytown 08:45 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:10 Timmy Time 09:20 Handy Manny 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Doc McStuffins 10:20 Doc McStuffins 10:35 Zou 10:50 Zou 11:00 Lilo And Stitch 11:30 Cars Toons 11:35 Mouk 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 Imagination Movers 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 Mouk 14:30 Little Einsteins 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 Zou 17:10 Zou 17:20 Mouk 17:35 Mouk 17:45 Lilo And Stitch 18:10 The Hive 18:20 Cars Toons 18:25 Handy Manny 18:40 Doc McStuffins 18:55 Doc McStuffins 19:10 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:35 Zou 19:50 Zou 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Pajanimals 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 21:20 The Hive 21:30 Pajanimals 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 Pajanimals 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:00 Scouted 00:55 Style Star 01:25 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 03:15 Style Star 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 THS 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Style Star 08:20 Opening Act 09:15 Opening Act 10:15 THS 12:05 Khloe And Lamar 12:35 Khloe And Lamar 13:05 Married To Jonas 13:35 Married To Jonas 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:30 Extreme Close-Up 17:00 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 E! News 19:00 Fashion Police: The 2013 Academy Awards 20:30 E!es 21:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:00 Ice Loves Coco 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately

BENDING THE RULES ON OSN ACTION HD

00:15 Guy’s Big Bite 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Outrageous Food 02:20 Unwrapped 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Guy’s Big Bite 04:00 Guy’s Big Bite 04:25 Unique Eats 04:50 Food Crafters 05:15 Charly’s Cake Angels 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 07:35 Unwrapped 08:00 Unwrapped 08:25 Unwrapped 08:50 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 09:15 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 09:40 Symon’s Suppers 10:05 Barefoot Contessa 10:30 Barefoot Contessa 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Cooking For Real 11:45 Unique Eats 12:10 Food Crafters 12:35 Charly’s Cake Angels 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Symon’s Suppers 14:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 United Tastes Of America 15:30 Food Crafters 15:55 Guy’s Big Bite 16:20 Guy’s Big Bite 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa 18:00 Barefoot Contessa 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Unique Sweets 19:40 Charly’s Cake Angels 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Chopped 21:20 Chopped 22:10 Iron Chef America 23:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 23:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 23:50 Unique Sweets

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted Couples Who Kill Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted FBI Case Files Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn FBI Case Files Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared FBI Case Files Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Evil, I Evil, I I Almost Got Away With It

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:15 06:40 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:45 12:40 13:35 14:00 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 16:45 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:55 23:20 23:50

Kimchi Chronicles Around The World For Free A World Apart Long Way Down Banged Up Abroad City Chase Rome Ultimate Traveller One Man & His Campervan Food School Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles Around The World For Free A World Apart Long Way Down Banged Up Abroad City Chase Rome Ultimate Traveller One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles Around The World For Free The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Adventure Wanted Banged Up Abroad City Chase Rome Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Ultimate Traveller One Man & His Campervan Food School Making Tracks

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 18 23:00

Botched-18 Striking Distance-PG15 Mission: Impossible-PG15 Bending The Rules-PG15 Hackers-PG15 Unknown-PG15 True Justice: Street Wars-PG15 Hackers-PG15 Biker Boyz-PG15 True Justice: Street Wars-PG15 Covert One: The Hades Factor-

01:00 03:15 05:00 06:00 07:30 09:00 11:00

A Separation-PG15 Soapdish-PG Muhammad And Larry-PG15 Once Brothers-PG15 Ties That Bind-PG15 Win Win-PG15 The Darkest Hour-PG15

A SEPARATION ON OSN CINEMA 13:00 Garfield’s Pet Force-FAM 15:00 The National Tree-PG15 17:00 Ceremony-PG15 19:00 Contagion-PG15 21:00 Leaves Of Grass-PG15 23:00 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-R

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The New Normal 02:00 American Dad 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 The Simpsons 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Gary Unmarried 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Brothers 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 Less Than Perfect 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Gary Unmarried 08:30 Modern Family 09:00 The Simpsons 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Last Man Standing 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 12:30 Gary Unmarried 13:00 Brothers 13:30 Less Than Perfect 14:00 Raising Hope 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Raising Hope 19:30 The Mindy Project 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 22:30 Louie 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Royal Pains World Without End Homeland Royal Pains Emmerdale Coronation Street Perception Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Perception Royal Pains Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Perception The Finder Franklin & Bash Awake The Carrie Diaries Boardwalk Empire

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 23:00

Botched Striking Distance Mission: Impossible Bending The Rules Hackers Unknown True Justice: Street Wars Hackers Biker Boyz True Justice: Street Wars Covert One: The Hades Factor Hell

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00

A Little Help-18 Sightseers-PG15 Envy-PG15 Just Crazy Enough-PG15 Little Shop Of Horrors-PG15 Mrs. Miracle-PG15 Envy-PG15 The Perfect Catch-PG15

Hell-18

16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Mrs. Miracle-PG15 Nacho Libre-PG Bad Teacher-18 A Little Help-18

01:30 Soldier Love Story-PG15 03:00 The Woman In The Fifth-PG15 05:00 The Butcher Boy-PG15 07:00 Call Of The Wild-PG15 09:00 Departures-PG15 11:15 George Harrison: Living In The Material World-PG15 14:45 Paws-PG 16:15 Departures-PG15 18:30 Would Be Kings-PG15 20:00 The Great Gatsby-PG 22:30 Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid-PG

01:00 Black Forest-PG15 03:00 Thor-PG15 05:00 Web Of Lies-PG15 07:00 Take Shelter-PG15 09:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 11:00 Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius-PG 13:15 Three Inches-PG15 15:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years-PG 16:45 Water For Elephants-PG15 18:45 Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows-PG15 21:00 Like Crazy-PG15 23:00 Cedar Rapids-18

01:15 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue 02:45 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America 04:15 Blue Elephant 2 06:00 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage 08:00 The Ugly Duckling In The Enchanted Forest 10:00 Snow Day 11:30 Mr. Popper’s Penguins 13:15 A Very Fairy Christmas 14:30 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America 16:00 Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate 18:00 Snow Day 20:00 Dragon Hunters 22:00 A Very Fairy Christmas 23:30 The Ugly Duckling In The Enchanted Forest

00:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir 01:00 MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 02:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 03:00 Live NBC Nightly News 03:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 04:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 05:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 06:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 07:00 NBC Nightly News 07:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 08:00 NBC Nightly News 08:39 ABC Nightline 09:06 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 10:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 11:00 ABC World News Now 11:30 Live ABC World News Now 12:00 NBC Early Today 12:30 ABC America This Morning 13:00 ABC America This Morning 13:30 Live ABC America This Morning 14:00 Live ABC America This Morning 14:30 MSNBC First Look 15:00 Live NBC Today Show 18:57 Live MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 19:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 20:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 21:00 Live MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 22:00 MSNBC Newsnation 23:00 MSNBC The Cycle

00:15 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 PG15 14:15 16:00 18:00 20:15 22:00

Bound By A Secret-PG15 The Ides Of March-PG15 Sgt. Bilko-PG One Angry Juror-PG15 Dolphin Tale-PG Monte Carlo-PG15 Why Did I Get Married Too?Kung Fu Panda 2-PG Dolphin Tale-PG X-Men: First Class-PG15 Extract-PG15 Meeting Evil-18

00:00 00:30 08:30 09:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 17:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

ICC Cricket 360 Live Cricket Test Match ICC Cricket 360 Super Rugby Highlights Top 14 PGA Tour Highlights Trans World Sport Dubai World Cup Carnival Super League PGA Tour Highlights ICC Cricket 360 PGA European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights Futbol Mundial

00:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 01:00 Trans World Sport 02:00 Top 14 04:00 Futbol Mundial 04:30 ICC Cricket 360 05:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 06:00 Super Rugby 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Super League 09:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 10:30 HSBC Sevens World Series 11:00 Super Rugby 13:00 Premier League Darts 16:30 ICC Cricket 360 17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 HSBC Sevens World Series 20:30 Top 14 22:30 European Tour Weekly 23:00 Premier League Darts

00:00 World Cup Of Pool 01:00 Dubai World Cup Carnival 04:30 World Pool Masters 05:30 Top 14 Highlights 06:00 Golfing World 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup Of Pool 11:00 Super League 12:30 Triathlon 13:00 Top 14 Highlights 13:30 Golfing World 14:30 World Pool Masters 15:30 World Cup Of Pool 16:30 PRO 12 18:30 PRO 12 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Adventure Challenge 22:00 Triathlon 22:30 Top 14 Highlights

00:00 WWE Bottom Line 01:00 NHL 03:00 Ping Pong World Championships 04:00 US Bass Fishing 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE Vintage Collection 08:00 WWE NXT 09:00 Ping Pong World Championships 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE SmackDown 15:00 WWE Vintage Collection 16:00 UAE National Race Day Series 17:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 18:00 UFC Prelims 20:00 UFC

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 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)

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

AJIAL.1 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG)

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 Maxima car model 2000, navy blue for sale, single hand driven, ver y good condition, all new tires, owner leaving Kuwait, registration up to Dec., 2013.

Serious buyers contact 66772656, Khaitan.

(C 4339) 6-3-2013 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 Orthodox parents invite proposals for their daughter 27/150, MSc Nurse, b/b, in Kuwait, from parents of god fearing professionally qualified Orthodox boys

(preferably B.Tech). Contact Email: kmato77@gmail.com (C 4340) 6-3-2013 Proposals invited for a RC boy 32/180 cm, graduate, Pala Diocese, currently working in an Insurance Company in Kuwait. Invites proposals from girls working in Kuwait. Email: proposalskwt81@gmail.com (C 4333) 3-3-2013 SITUATION VACANT A decent housemaid urgently needed for a family in Mangaf. Please call 60055305.

6-3-2013 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

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

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD OMA FDB MSR QTR DHX THY JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC ETD UAE KAC ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA FDB IRA IRA IAW JZR MSC MEA KNE KNE MSR UAE IRM KAC JZR CLX IZG FDB IRC KAC SVA QTR JZR

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 6/3/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 933 ABU DHABI 855 DUBAI 344 CHENNAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 8055 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 3401 TEHRAN 157 BAGHDAD 165 DUBAI 2403 ASSIUT 404 BEIRUT 482 TAIF 470 JEDDAH 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 1190 MASHAD 284 DHAKA 359 MASHAD 792 LUXEMBOURG 4167 MASHAD 57 DUBAI 6692 MASHAD 672 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG

Time 0:05 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:05 3:10 3:45 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:35 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:30 8:40 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:15 10:40 11:00 11:15 11:20 11:30 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:45 12:50 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:15 13:30 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:35 14:50

KAC QTR FDB KAC JZR JZR IYE UAE JZR ETD FDB RJA GFA SVA KNE JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR KAC FDB KAC MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB KAC JAI AXB MSR ABY ALK QTR THY MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JZR FDB DHX KLM AIC JZR GFA JZR UAL DLH

788 134 8057 538 787 535 824 857 357 303 8063 640 215 510 462 777 144 127 982 542 177 786 63 166 2405 618 102 674 774 647 61 614 572 389 606 129 229 146 5422 402 136 221 307 859 135 175 59 372 417 975 239 217 185 981 636

JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG RIYADH CAIRO SANAA/DOHA DUBAI MASHAD ABU DHABI DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH MEDINAH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI PARIS/ROME SOHAG DOHA NEW YORK/LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI BAHRAIN MUMBAI MANGALORE LUXOR SHARJAH COLOMBO DOHA ISTANBUL BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI/GOA AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

14:55 15:30 15:35 16:05 16:10 16:25 16:30 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:45 19:10 19:15 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:55

Airlines AIC KAC JAI UAL DLH ETH THY FDB UAE OMA ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW JZR KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB KAC ETD QTR ETD GFA KAC JZR FDB KAC IRA IRA JZR KAC MSC JZR MEA KAC KNE KNE MSR JZR UAE IRM FDB CLX IZG

Departure Flights on Wednesday 6/3/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI 283 DHAKA 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 358 MASHAD 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 934 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 175 FRANKFURT/GENEVA 356 MASHAD 8056 DUBAI 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 3402 TEHRAN 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 2406 SOHAG 786 RIYADH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 461 MEDINAH 483 TAIF 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 1191 MASHAD 58 DUBAI 792 VIETNAM 4168 MASHAD

Time 0:05 0:10 1:05 1:10 1:20 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:00 7:35 8:10 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:15 9:25 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:45 10:45 11:30 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:20 12:30 12:55 12:55 13:00 13:10 13:40 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:45 14:45

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

IAW KAC IRC SVA KAC FDB QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR FDB IYE ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA KNE ABY JZR QTR JZR UAL FDB MSC FDB KAC KAC OMA JAI ABY MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC KAC FDB JZR UAE DHX KAC KLM QTR THY JZR JZR GFA KAC

158 673 6693 503 617 8058 141 773 613 174 238 8064 824 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 471 128 266 145 134 982 64 2404 62 353 331 648 571 120 619 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 381 60 554 860 373 205 417 147 5593 502 528 218 415

BAGHDAD DUBAI MASHAD MEDINAH/JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI DOHA RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI SANAA ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH JEDDAH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ASSIUT DUBAI COCHIN TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT MUMBAI SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DELHI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM/AMSTERDAM DOHA ISTANBUL LUXOR ASSIUT BAHRAIN KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA

15:00 15:05 15:10 15:45 15:45 16:15 16:15 16:25 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:30 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 20:15 20:40 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:25 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 23:15 23:35 23:50 23:50 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 120

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) A really good time of the month to start working on getting noticed, as it will be happening of itself from afar. Good words about you are getting around that will work their way directly into your life next week, so help them out where you can. Put your wares out where people can see them, and they’ll snap you up. Your need for emotional comfort is likely to grow during this period. You’re at a place where you need to affirm the emotional depth of your most intimate relationship. Set extra time aside to spend with your mate exploring your love for each other. Creating an undemanding, romantic environment is likely to get you the confirmation you need.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a time when it is difficult to stay within a budget or on a diet, as your tendency is to splurge on beautiful things and to enjoy yourself as much as possible.

You want comfort and ease, and have luxurious tastes. Quality is especially important to you right now. Also, you want to share whatever good fortune you have. You need company and happy fellowship. It’s a good time for a party, as long as you don’t overdo it. You can draw a lot of strength and satisfaction from your family and roots now, but if all is not well in this area, you will clearly see any difficulties or short comings at this time. It may be time to mend some fences or get in contact with those you were once close to.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A small amount of liquid food.

4. An Old World reptile family of Sauria.

12. Any of various coarse shrubby plants of the genus Iva with small greenish flowers.

15. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin lesions on the arms and legs and face.

16. Low stingless nettle of Central and South America having velvety brownish-green toothed leaves and clusters of small green flowers.

17. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.

18. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

20. An island in Indonesia in the Malay Archipelago.

21. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

22. Of surpassing excellence.

23. The habitation of wild animals.

25. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

27. Remote city of Kazakhstan that (ostensibly for security reasons) was made the capital in 1998.

29. To put down by force or authority.

33. The content of cognition.

34. Alligator-like reptile of Central and South America having a more heavily armored belly.

36. (psychology) Characterized by avoidance or withdrawal.

40. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

41. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

44. Soviet physicist who worked on low temperature physics (1908-1968).

45. Small porous bowl made of bone ash used in assaying to separate precious metals from e.g. lead.

47. Wading birds of warm regions having long slender down-curved bills.

49. Electronic warfare undertaken under direct control of an operational commander to locate sources of radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition.

50. Large African antelope with long straight nearly upright horns.

51. The deep vascular inner layer of the skin.

54. Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion.

57. Full of submerged reefs or sandbanks or shoals.

59. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

63. A milkshake made with malt powder.

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

71. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

75. (British) Informal term for information.

76. Without a lip or lips.

78. Extremely pleasing.

79. Late time of life.

80. (combining form) Having stories as indicated.

81. The federal agency that insures residential mortgages.

DOWN 1. The compass point that is one point south of southeast.

2. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.

3. The noise of a rounded object dropping into a liquid without a splash adv.

4. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

5. Talking idly or incoherently.

6. An associate degree in nursing.

7. Not reflecting light.

8. Any of a class of organic compounds that contain the divalent radical -CONHCO-.

9. Costing 10 dollars.

10. Lacking gonads.

11. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

12. A state in the Rocky Mountains.

13. (neurology) Of or relating to the vagus nerve.

14. Jordan's port.

19. Make difficult to perceive by sight.

24. At full speed.

26. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

28. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

30. A city in south central Belgium situated on a promontory between the Meuse River and the Sambre River.

31. Someone who rejects the established culture.

32. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

35. To fix or set securely or deeply.

37. Swelling from excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue.

38. Of or in or relating to the nose.

39. (informal) Slang terms for a paunch.

42. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

43. A river in northern England that flows southeast through West Yorkshire.

46. Marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact.

48. A gray lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group.

52. United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993).

53. A resident of Iowa.

55. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

56. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

58. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

60. Sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat) section or component of something.

61. Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes.

62. Providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities.

64. (prefix) Indicating difference or variation.

65. The habitation of wild animals.

66. An expression of open-mouthed astonishment.

68. A Berber living in northern Morocco.

69. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

70. A small cake leavened with yeast.

72. Type genus of the Suidae.

73. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.

74. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

77. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

Someone you haven’t set eyes on for ages helps you out regarding a favor you are desperately hoping for. It’ll be a real thrill to catch up on old times and reconnect in ways that use to make you smile. An unexpected piece of news may make a trip in order. Giving and receiving appreciation, love, and happiness come into your life now. You are moved to express your affections more openly than usual. You also want to be surrounded with beauty and harmonious people. It’s a great day to sit back and enjoy what and who makes you happy.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) The environment is running hot and cold today, and just as you think you’re warming up to someone, they can suddenly turn negative. Similarly, projects undertaken today can turn out ambivalent and hobbled down the line, so wait, if you can, to make commitments. That, in itself, is exactly what’s in the air. You pull emotional sustenance and a sense of security from ideals, friends, and social involvement at this time. There is a need for change, a desire to break with old patterns from the past. A longing for the new, the different, the unique and even the eclectic draw to your interest in romantic relationships.

Leo (July 23-August 22) There is a strong attraction between you and someone at the moment but you’re definitely holding back. Don’t think about it, you must act upon these impulses or the person you wish to develop a relationship with may assume your aloof attitude is a form of dismissal. Speak up or forever hold your peace. This is a time for discovering others or for finding yourself able to respond to friends and lovers. Also a time to enter into relationships with a renewed sense of love and compassion. Real breakthroughs, a willingness to try new and different approaches to relationships are going to get you farther than doing nothing at all.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This may mark a day or so of raised tensions at home as biological tides run high and elbow room seems harder to come by. However, used creatively, this can lead to new ways of organizing and arranging your personal space so it doesn’t overlap that of others. It’s a good time to start new home-related projects as a way to utilize the extra energy in a constructive manner. Letting out your deeper expressions of feeling to another can make things especially intimate right now, but make sure you express yourself clearly and are not misunderstood. The perfect time to feel “at home” with someone, either literally or figuratively. The only thing you’ll not want to be is idle — the vibes are too intense to just sit on your hands.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) It’s a good time to get together with close friends or acquaintances and just socialize. Communication comes easy, and you can get yourself across without having to work at it. By joining in the general company, you enjoy the benefits of all.

People are feeling insecure, so avoid encouraging any negativity you encounter. Time to let that significant person in your life know what you want and like. Be a little selfish but don’t forget to ask what they might like as well. This is a good time to assert your own needs and desires, to communicate to others what you really want. You are sharp, clear, decisive, and articulate.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) A burst of energy and an inclination to act rashly may be turned into something very positive if you’re aware of it. Otherwise it’s only a opportunity that gets passed by and maybe not even noticed until tomorrow, and that might be too late. So keep your eyes and ears open today for when you can turn a bad situation into an advantageous one. Your relationships are especially affectionate and friendly at this time, and you may benefit socially or materially through an opportunity offered to you by a friend.

This is a good time for parties, social gatherings, and other pleasurable activities. You may just meet someone that makes all this socializing more than just a good time.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are feeling at peace and very good about yourself now. Others express appreciation for the help and support you have given them, which makes you feel that your efforts have been worthwhile. Your daily life and activities run smoothly and everything is in good working order. You are particularly well-organized now and your domestic life is harmonious. Chasing after a fantasy may give you cause to complain, as getting whom you want at the desired where and when just leads to one complication after another. You may have to settle for second best or some sort of compromise, unless you’re willing to wait and do without and see if it all comes together later.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Arts or media could steal the limelight for you. Contact with those who are associated with aesthetic or artistic activities could influence you strongly today as well as in the coming months. One point I suggest however, is that you complete your old projects before beginning the new ones. Be prepared to get some news that could impact your life positively if you are quick to act. Small signals under the table will get you everything you need without upsetting anyone. A knowing glance and a small squeeze of someone’s hand will put you on the road to satisfaction, when a direct request might get you put off. Implied understandings and understood arrangements are the tools of the moment for big gains emotionally.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

You need to get your exercising and diet sorted out. If there’s any sort of niggling concern about your health then do the right thing by yourself, go to the doctor and just get it all cleared up, make sure there’s nothing wrong. It’s going to be a busy day for you as you’ll want to communicate and get in touch with those closest to your heart. Numerous phone calls, emails, networking, errands, or discussions bring you into contact with others. This is a good time to brainstorm with others, share ideas and long term goals.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is a particularly ripe couple of days for finding a new partner or turning over a new leaf with an old partner. You may find a flood of emotional intensity coming your way and how you utilize it could largely shape the direction of the relationship. That means be particularly understanding and realize that though feelings may be overstated at this time and emotions run hot, the message underneath is sincere and needs to be taken seriously. Breakthroughs can occur now that you both might have kept a lid on otherwise, and you’ll be glad you achieved the new closeness, even though you may not be able to keep it going at that level of intensity all month.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 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: Tuesday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Unstable with moderate to fresh south easterly changing to north westerly wind, with speed of 20 - 45 km/h causing raising dust with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times

BY Y NIGHT:

Partly cloudy to cloudy with moderate freshening at times northerly to north westerly wind, with speed of 20 - 40 km/h causing raising dust with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times No Current Waarnings arnin

WARNING A MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WAIT A CITY

33 °C

23 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

34 °C

20 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

33 °C

18 °C

WAFRA A

34 °C

18 °C

SALMI

34 °C

19 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

33 °C

19 °C

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

34 °C

21 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

28 °C

20 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

28 °C

20 °C

Mishref

25381200

QARUH ISLAND

23 °C

20 °C

W Hawally

22630786

UMM AL-MARADEM

23 °C

20 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

05/03/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

New Jahra

24575755

Wednesday e

06/03

clouds to decrease + scattered rain

27 °C

15 °C

NW-N

20 - 40 km/h

West Jahra

24772608

Thursday

07/03

temperature will decrease + raising dust

20 °C

11 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Friday

08/03

sunny

21 °C

08 °C

NW

08 - 28 km/h

Saturday

09/03

sunny

24 °C

10 °C

VRB-SE

08 - 30 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:50

MAX. Temp.

33 °C

Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

06:09

MIN. Temp.

17 °C

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

12:00

MAX. RH

79 %

Asr

15:20

MIN. RH

Sunset

17:50

MAX. Wind

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

19 % SE 53 km/h 00 mm

05/03/13 10:52 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

13:00

Issue Time

BY Y DA AY:

DA ATE T

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

DA AY

22418714

Fax: 24348714

05/03/2013

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

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

CNBC tries reality TV after business hours

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uzz-worthy reality shows are often a ticket to riches for cable networks, even when the shows seem to have little to do with the network’s reason for being. So why shouldn’t CNBC get in on the action? The business network started yesterday, when CNBC premieres “Treasure Detectives” and “The Car Chasers” in prime time. Some 7 to 10 nonfiction series are being developed for the evening hours when the Wall Street ticker goes quiet. “Treasure Detectives” features British art appraiser Curtis Dowling, who uses careful scientific methods to determine whether a piece of valuable art is real or forged.

“The Car Chasers” follows a Texas company that buys cars with intriguing histories, fixes them up and makes money on resales.

The two series represent CNBC’s latest attempt to attract an audience after the business day. CNBC looks upon Nickelodeon as a model for building a separate, nostalgia-oriented Nick at Nite lineup for when children to go bed.

CNBC primarily seeks the business audience during the day, but its business programming ends at 8 pm ET. The evening hours have often been a puzzle for CNBC executives, who notoriously saw a shortlived talk show hosted by John McEnroe in 2004 get a “0” rating from the Nielsen

company a handful of times, indicating there were fewer than 100,000 viewers.

CNBC hired Jim Ackerman, an executive behind “Love & Hip-Hop” on VH1, to build a stable of reality shows that CNBC will be able to own outright - offering the potential for a handsome profit if some break out and become hits.

And who, other than CNBC, can better understand profit? Both new shows will have the whiff of familiarity.

“Treasure Detectives” isn’t far removed from shows like “American Pickers,” Antiques Roadshow” or “History Detectives.” “The Car Chasers” introduces viewers to an unusual business with colorful employees, another reality show staple. Both Curtis Dowling, the overly self-assured Brit who digs into art world secrets, and Jeff Allen, the bald, goateed owner of the Flat 12 auto shop in Lubbock, Texas, have the look of ready-made reality stars.

While television is often built on copycats, Ackerman said that isn’t the case here.” What I think we’re doing is we’re exploring genres that people are familiar with and putting a unique CNBC spin on it,” he said. Each show has a business appeal, too. It may not be Wall Street, but the company that Allen and partner Perry Barndt, a former Hollywood stuntman, run is based on the time-honored

This publicity image released by CNBC shows Perry Barndt, left, and Jeff Allen from ‘The Car Chasers,’ a reality series on CNBC. —AP they are. Roughly 40 percent of objects on the art market are fake, he said.

In the debut episode, he studies a painting claimed to be a Roy Lichtenstein original. The owner wants to give it to a plastic surgeon in return for a facelift.

After an investigation that included a

principle of buying low and selling high.

Through Barndt’s connections, many of the vehicles they sell appeared on television series and in movies. Dowling’s London-based business traces the history of valuable art objects to find out if they really are what an owner claims

handwriting expert who examined the artist’s signature, Dowling sat the two men down for a bit of reality show drama.

The painting “is definitely (long pause for effect) the real thing,” he told them.

Dowling wants people to know how widespread scam artists are in a business marked by genteel manners and moneyed buyers. His evaluations can make or break fortunes.

“It’s a world full of pomposity and bull,” he said. “All we’re trying to do is fill the void. Look, it’s not a mystical world.

There’s a process to follow.” Allen said he felt comfortable working with CNBC. “I felt like I didn’t have to be a character, that we could show up and be ourselves and not have to be phony,” he said. CNBC is sticking to Tuesday nights for its new shows for the foreseeable future, although there may be reruns on other nights.

Depending on how things go over the next year or so, a second night of shows might be added, Ackerman said. Besides business fans, CNBC is also interested in reaching viewers who don’t usually watch the network. They’ll like it even if some of the shows feel familiar, Ackerman said, comparing them to the familiar police procedural dramas. “My sense is if it’s a good story, you’re still going to find an audience for it,” he said.—AP

Bruce Springsteen to return to London festival

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ruce Springsteen is returning to headline the London Hard Rock Calling festival, a year after authori-

Bruce Springsteen ties pulled the plug on his duet with Paul McCartney for violating a curfew. The American rock star brings The E Street Band back to the event that is moving to a new

location at the city’s Olympic Park. Concert organizers Live Nation are leaving Hyde Park amid friction between fans and the neighborhood’s well-heeled residents, many of whom gripe about the late-night noise. Springsteen had already exceeded the 10:30 pm curfew by half an hour when he welcomed McCartney on stage last July.

They sang the Beatles hits “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Twist and Shout.” But officials turned the microphones off, and they were forced to leave the stage in silence.

Springsteen will headline the second night of the two-day festival on June 30.

Other acts include Kasabian, Paul Weller, the Black Crowes and Alabama Shakes. Live Nation Entertainment is holding a series of concerts at the former Olympic venue this summer - including the Hard Rock Calling and Wireless festivals - after gaining exclusive rights to the venue. The 560-acre (227hectare) site of the 2012 Summer Games is due to reopen to the public in stages between July and early 2014. —AP

Actress Geena Davis addresses the state Assembly at the Capitol in Sacramento. —AP

Actress Geena

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British musician Elton John performs at Gran Parque Central stadium in Montevideo on March 4, 2013.—AFP

cademy Award winner Geena Davis on Monday waded into the ongoing controversy over this year’s Oscar ceremony by saying host Seth MacFarlane’s routine was disrespectful to women, particularly the performers who were being honored. The “Thelma & Louise” star said MacFarlane’s much-criticized routine last month overshadowed the win of an animated film with a strong female character. “It’s a shame that that triumph was enveloped in an awards ceremony containing disrespect for women,” Davis told members of the California

Davis critical of Oscar host

Assembly during a ceremony in Sacramento.

“But it helps illustrate how tone-deaf we can still be regarding the status of women.”

She commended “Brave,” which won best animated picture, as setting a positive example for girls. Davis, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for “The Accidental Tourist” in 1988, was in the state capital as one of 11 California women honored for their achievements. She is chairwoman of the state’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and founded a nonprofit that promotes gender equality in the media.

‘Jack’ flops despite slaying N America rivals

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ig-budget action-adventure “Jack the Giant Slayer” slayed its rivals in its debut weekend to top the North American box office-but was branded a major flop by industry analysts. “Jack,” which stars Nicholas Hoult as a young farmhand battling giants to save a princess, raked in $27.2 million in its first three days of release — , well below what would constitute success, given its budget. “The mediocre .. debut is disastrous,” Jeff Bock, analyst at data tracking agency Exhibitor Relations, told AFP, comparing it to major box office busts like “John Carter” and “Battleship.” “This is a surprise considering the talent both in front of and behind the camera,” he said, adding that studio Warner’s will have to rely on non-US markets to save the film, which cost nearly $200 million to make.

Critically-panned sci-fi fantasy film “John Carter” lost some $200 million, triggering the resignation of Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross last year, while “Battleship” also lost tens of millions of dollars. In “Jack,” director Bryan Singer, of “X-Men” fame, melds elements of both “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Jack and the Giant Killer,” British fairytales which

have already have been made into films several times each. Rising British star Nicholas Hoult, who plays the title character, talked up its prospects in an interview with AFP before its disappointing opening weekend. “I thought it was a very clever take on the original fairytale.

was really fun,” added Hoult, who previously starred in 2002’s “About a Boy,” and 2011’S “X-Men: First Class,” on which Singer produced.

But Bock said prospects for the film were all the more gloomy given that it came out only a week before Disney’s “Oz: The Great and Powerful” hits theaters. “Disney’s

“I like the epic scale, the actionadventure element. And then Bryan Singer directing, I think he’s very talented, he’s a great storyteller, he knows how to construct stories and capture an audience,” said Hoult. He added: “This cast has some of the cream of the crop of UK talents, Bill Nighy, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan, it’s like a list of actors I really look up to and have them on set, very relaxed and enjoyable. “It

prequel is widely expected to whip up over $70-a veritable box office storm-leaving all other films in the dust,” said Bock. “Warner’s will now have to rely on international markets to save (the film) .. but that will be an uphill battle too, as “Oz” will likely whisk away audiences worldwide,” he added.

Despite the flop, “Jack” unseated comedy “Identity Thief” starring Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman, which dropped back to

second place with $9.7 million in weekend box office receipts.

Debuting in third place was comedy “21 & Over,” about a medical student who goes out partying with his buddies for his 21st birthday on the eve of a major med school exam. The film took in $8.8 million from Friday to Sunday. In fourth place was action film “Snitch” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which dropped from second place with $7.8 million.

Horror sequel “The Last Exorcism Part II” came in fifth with $7.7 million in its opening weekend, followed by animated kids movie “Escape from Planet Earth,” in sixth with $6.6 million. Romantic drama “Safe Haven,” the latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, was in seventh place at $6.3 million. “Silver Linings Playbook,” whose star Jennifer Lawrence took home the Oscar for best actress finished in eighth place with $5.7 million. “A Good Day to Die Hard,” the latest “Die Hard” action film with Bruce Willis reprising his role as supercop John McClane, finished in ninth place despite less-than-flattering reviews with $4.6 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was science fiction horror movie “Dark Skies” with $3.5 million. —AFP

Last week, two female state lawmakers sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences asking it to condemn MacFarlane’s quips about nude scenes and the attractiveness of several female actresses as degrading toward women. The academy issued a general statement defending MacFarlane and saying the award show is about “creative freedom.” Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Santa Barbara Democrat who co-authored the letter, said Monday that she was disappointed the academy did not address her concerns. —AP

Hall Joins Depp, Bettany in ‘Transcendence’

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ebecca Hall has joined Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany in the cast “Transcendence,” the directorial debut of Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister, Alcon Entertainment announced on Monday. Hall, who played Ben Affleck’s love interest in “The Town,” worked with Pfister on Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige.” Pfister has been Nolan’s cinematographer on every film since “Memento” and will try his hand at directing with this sci-fi thriller.

Alcon Entertainment is financing and producing the project, which will begin principal photography in Los Angeles this April. Warner Bros, which will distribute the film, has already set an April 25, 2014, release date. Jack Paglen wrote the script, which calls for Depp to play a scientist whose brain is uploaded to a supercomputer. The filmmakers have endeavored to cloak all plot details in a cloud of secrecy, through TheWrap did obtain a script summary in December.

Straight Up Films’s Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter and Kate Cohen will produce the film with David Valdes and Alcon Entertainment’s Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. Nolan, whose last film was “The Dark Knight Rises” will executive produce with his wife, Emma Thomas, and trusted collaborator Aaron Ryder. The WME-repped Hall last starred in “Lay the Favorite” and will next appear in “Iron Man 3.”—Reuters

Rebecca Hall

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

ustin Bieber apologized yesterday to his young fans - and their outraged, overtired parents after they accused him of taking the stage almost two hours late for a concert in London. The singer insisted he had only been 40 minutes late, and blamed “technical issues.” But, he added in a tweet to his 35 million followers: “There is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and I’m proud of that.” Concertgoers said the teenage star appeared onstage at the 02 Arena on Monday at 10:30 pm, when the start time had been listed as 8:30. Many in the audience, who had been waiting for hours, faced the choice between leaving early or missing the last trains home.

“There were teenage girls crying outside,” said financial analyst Louise Cooper, who had taken her 9-year-old daughter to the gig as a birthday present. “The ladies sitting with us had to leave after 20 minutes and they had spent 70 quid (70 pounds, about $106) each on a ticket, which is really bad.

“It’s one thing if your demographic is 50-year-olds, but his demographic is lots of little girls who need to go home and go to bed.”Tracy Wilson, who attended the show with her teenage daughter, said people began booing when Bieber had not appeared by 9:30. She called the lack of explanation “disgusting.” The venue apologized on its Twitter feed “to all the Justin Bieber fans for the lateness of his show tonight.”

Critics said the Canadian star, who turned 19 on Friday, risked alienating fans by behaving with the same disregard for timekeeping as more hardedged rock stars. John Aizlewood in the Evening Standard newspaper said Bieber had shown contempt for young fans, leaving them “exhausted, disillusioned and probably late for school this morning.” Bieber, who is due to play three more nights at

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Canadian singer Justin Bieber performs at the o2 Arena in east London, Monday, March 4, 2013. — AP photos

hen he first started working with Imagine Dragons, music producer Alex da Kid was looking for some inspiration for the Broadway musical, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.” “I thought they would be great to help me come up with ideas for U2,” the Grammy-nominated English producer said. There was just one problem: The demos they recorded were too good. So instead of using the alternative band to collaborate on the score

by Bono and The Edge, Alex da Kid - the creator of Eminem and Rihanna’s colossal hit “Love the Way You Lie” - immediately signed the Las Vegas-based foursome to his label imprint KIDinaKORNER Records, distributed through Interscope Records.

Imagine Dragons released its debut album, “Night Visions,” in September and so far has reached gold status, selling more than 600,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The band currently has two songs in the Top 25 with “It’s Time” and “Radioactive” and they are on a sold-out US tour that wraps June 3 in Phoenix. Imagine Dragons had been building a buzz on the music scene as an independent act before Alex da Kid got hold of them. They released four EPs and toured America. Lead singer Dan Reynolds said the group was “dead set” on being an independent act.

“We had offers from those labels all throughout the years and we turned them down,” he said. “It was so important that we built that organic, independent fan base.”

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Three of the band members met while “playing jazz together a lot” at the Berklee College of Music. “I just didn’t think I’d ever play with them again to be honest. I hoped that I would someday,” said guitarist Wayne Sermon (bassist Ben McKee and drummer Dan Platzman round out the group). “I called (Reynolds) and he had eight credits left before he could graduate and get his degree, but apparently he didn’t care much about that, so he just actually left and dropped everything and came to Vegas.” Meeting Alex da Kid, born Alexander Grant, changed his perception about staying independent. He says the producer filled a void in the band’s sound.

“We didn’t feel like we were ready as a band. We didn’t understand our sound enough and our theme and who were are, and we didn’t want to try to tell people that story until we didn’t understand ourselves,” Reynolds said. “(Alex) was the perfect match for what we had been trying to do for three years.” “It’s Time” - the breakthrough anthem for the band - was built from Reynold’s personal issues. “I’ve always struggled a bit with depression and anxiety and that song was at a particularly low point for me: I was dropping out of college (and) going through some personal issues,” he said. “Late one night I was in my kitchen and I was really just writing a song for myself. I wasn’t thinking of writing for the band or anything.”

But watching him onstage with his bandmates wouldn’t give you the impression that he’s struggling

Frontman of US metal band Lamb of God Randy Blythe leaves the court in Prague, Czech Republic, yesterday. — AP

court acquitted yesterday the frontman of a US heavy metal band of causing a teenage fan’s death at a concert in the Czech Republic. Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe was charged in December in Prague with causing bodily harm to another person with lethal consequences. Blythe was accused of pushing 19-year-old who had climbed onto the stage during a 2010 concert at Prague’s Abaton club. The man hit the floor with his head and later died of a head injury.

Prague’s Municipal court ruled yesterday that Blythe was not guilty because what he did was not a crime, court spokeswoman Marketa Puci said.

Blythe, who had pleaded not guilty, acknowledged he pushed the teenager because the band doesn’t tolerate any fans on the stage but said he was not aware of any injuries. In its ruling, the court said it was the concert’s organizers who are to blame for the accident, Puci said. The state prosecutors, who had demanded a fiveyear prison term for Blythe, said they will appeal the verdict.

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with anything: The 25-year-old is wild as he works the crowd with dance moves that shows he’s got rhythm and swag. The tall and slim singer, in fitted jeans and small T-shirt, belts his rock melodies while playing one of the six drum sets onstage. Looks, of course, can be deceiving. “I’ve always dealt with it my entire life,” Reynolds continues about battling depression. “I’ve never been able to feel like I can fully be myself until I walked onstage and sang a song.”

“Night Visions” is 44 minutes of drum-filled, rockbased melodies that keep the percussion sound forefront. The songs are grounded in ambition: Living life, finding success, making things work and staying positive. “On Top of the World” and “Underdog” are selfexplanatory. “Tiptoe,” a song about rising above with an addictive, dance-y vibe, features the repeated line: “I won’t fall asleep.” And “It’s Time,” which has sold close to 2 million tracks, is about staying true to oneself. “There wasn’t any real pressure to come up with a hit for (Imagine Dragons),” said Alex da Kid, who also produced hits like B.o.B’s “Airplanes,” Dr Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” and Lupe Fiasco’s “Words I Never Said.”

“It was really kind of seamless,” he continued. “It was very organic.” Imagine Dragons’ tour also features rock act Nico Vega, fronted by Reynolds’ wife, Aja Volkman. They got married in 2011 and used to perform as a duo called Egyptian. They have a 7-monthold daughter, Arrow, who is also on the road for the tour. “Nico Vega in our first year of being a band took

ollywood legend Steven Spielberg is to make a television mini-series about Napoleon, based on a screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, he told a French broadcaster. The 66-year-old “Schindler’s List” and “E.T.” filmmaker is working on the basis of a five-decade old script

by Kubrick, who directed classics including “A Clockwork Orange” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

“I’ve been developing Stanley Kubrick’s screenplay for a mini series, not for a motion picture, about the life of Napoleon,” Spielberg told broadcaster Canal Plus, without saying if he would direct or just produce the project. “Kubrick wrote the script in 1961, a long time ago,” he said, noting that he and Kubrick were both involved in the development of “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” which came out in 2001.

Kubrick, famed for his obsessive perfectionism, abandoned the Napoleon biopic project in the 1970s because of budget and production challenges, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

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the venue Tuesday through Thursday, has been photographed out on the town several times during his current British tour. “Since I have been here it hasn’t been easy with the press at times but I have loved it,” Bieber tweeted. “I never have any intent to upset or let anyone down. And I’m not

okay with things being exaggerated. Once again sorry for anyone upset.” He promised that he would put on a “great show” Tuesday - and it would start on time. — AP

us on tour and they headlined,” Reynolds said. “We learned a lot from them and so to now be able to take them on tour and pay it back in some way is special for all of us.” — AP

File photo shows Las Vegas-based rock band Imagine Dragons, from left, Ben McKee, Wayne Sermon, Dan Platzman and Dan Reynolds pose for a group portrait in Las Vegas. — AP

In a draft 1971 letter to studio executives, Kubrickwho died in 1999 aged 70 — said of the project: “It’s impossible to tell you what I’m going to do except to say that I expect to make the best movie ever made,” the industry journal said.

Kubrick wrote to actor Oskar Werner offering him the title role, and received a polite refusal to his offer to Audrey Hepburn, it said. He initially asked British “Clockwork Orange” author Anthony Burgess to write a book about Napoleon, which he would use as the basis for his film. But he was reportedly disappointed by the manuscript.

Spielberg was named last week as jury chairman for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. His appointment came days after his presidential drama “Lincoln” won a disappointing two Oscars, after being nominated in 12 categories.—AFP

Blythe said yesterday that the victim who cannot be named in line with Czech privacy laws while the case still is handled by courts - was a fan of his band and he felt sorry for the loss of life. “I had no wish to harm him. He was just a boy. I wish he was still here.” The 42-year-old musician was arrested in June when he returned to the Czech Republic for another gig, not realizing that he was being investigated in the Czech Republic. He was released five weeks later on $400,000 bail after a Prague court dismissed a prosecution request that Blythe be banned from leaving the country, fearing he wouldn’t return for the trial. The relatives of the fan, who are seeking compensation, were told by the court to file a separate case, Puci said. — AP

File photo shows US film director Steven Spielberg leaving after a ceremony at the National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. — AFP

ustrian-born movie legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named as senior editor of a bodybuilding magazine he ran before becoming governor of California, its publisher said Monday. The 65year-old, who made his name as Mr Universe before becoming a Hollywood star and then politician, is returning as Group Executive Editor for Muscle & Fitness and Flex magazines. American Media Inc (AMI) said Schwarzenegger “will bring his nearly 50 years of experience as a competitor and fitness authority ... by way of both strategic and creative input, as well as contributing monthly columns to the magazines.”“He is a universally recognized star, and an iconic leader of the fitness movement,” said AMI chairman David J. Pecker, in a statement announcing the appointment.

“His contributions will enormously benefit our print and digital readers, while driving value for our advertisers.” Schwarzenegger said he was glad to be returning to the publications. “It was in these magazines that I

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Arnold Schwarzenegger poses for pictures as he arrives to attend the European premiere of The Last Stand in central London. — AFP

found the spark that inspired me to start lifting weights, and eventually move to America and realize my dreams,” he said. “I’m proud to return as Executive Editor,” added Schwarzenegger, who was hired by the magazines’ publisher in 1968, aged 21, and has since appeared on their front covers more than 60 times.

“Bodybuilding has always been part of my life, and I know Muscle & Fitness and Flex will continue to motivate others-as it did me-to lift weights and lead a healthy lifestyle (and) promote the sport of bodybuilding.”

Schwarzenegger was governor of California from 2003 until 2011. Since then he has returned to the big screen in movies including “ The Expendables 2” and “ The Last Stand.” — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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s the sun set on the great glass ceiling of Paris’ Grand Palais Monday, the eyes of the fashion crowd turned on one man: Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane. After the new designer’s ready-to-wear debut in October received mixed reviews from critics, Slimane still had a lot to prove in this, only his second ready-to-wear show for the rebranded YSL. Though

the first Saint Laurent collection, with its kaftans and floppy Stetson hats, ended up selling well in shops, it divided people far and wide - trendy T-shirts were even spotted in New York featuring the logo: “Ain’t Laurent without Yves.”

On Monday night, as music from Californian band “Thee Oh Sees” was turned up at show, Slimane’s collection - one of

the most anticipated on the Paris fall-winter calendar - proved to be every bit as divisive as his first. Some fashion editors shook their heads; others smiled.

SAINT LAURENT Fall-winter saw Slimane move on from the Seventies boho of the spring to “California Grunge.” It was imagined as models stomping down the catwalk in leather miniskirts, oversize plaid shirts, biker jackets and baby doll dresses - with crystal-clad body stockings and combat boots. They were mixed up haphazardly, and thrown together almost indifferently with an adolescent nihilism. Slimane was trying intentionally to provoke - and his message of rebellion was loud and clear.

Apart from the odd jabot collar, and an archive “chubby” fur coat from the ‘70s, it seems that Slimane was trying hard to go to the opposite end of the style spectrum: an anti-YSL, grungy anti-fashion. And the looks were very young. Fashion thrives on provocation - as house-founder Yves Saint Laurent, who put women in the then-controversial “Le Smoking,” knew best of all. But Monday’s collection seemed to have trouble going beyond that great initial message, and somehow kept repeating itself in style and silhouette. Like in October’s show, here there were some highly saleable items such as a gray duffle coat, a black tuxedo jacket, and an oversized black sparkly sweater. That point alone means that all’s not lost.

STELLA MCCARTNEY Stella McCartney did some spring cleaning for fallwinter, replacing her old wardrobe standbys with a more textural and sculpted collection than usual. With exaggerated lapels, it was the British tailoring staple the dark pinstripe suit - that was reimagined. But for McCartney, the most feminine of designers, the menswear allusions were only hinted at. The signature remained relaxed, with soft silhouettes and circular cuts in silk duchess and silk cloquet jacquard. Vivid hues of fuchsia on oversize dresses and coats sported voluminous fronts which tipped for forward the balance of the silhouette. The show began half an hour late. Hold-ups like that unusually annoy the fashion crowd, but not when the designer is waiting for her dad, Paul McCartney. The former Beatle walked in tardily and was overheard saying “Walk, walk, walk like a model” as he swaggered theatrically to find his seat.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI With hints of last season’s sleekness, itdesigner Giambattista Valli delivered a layered collection that revisited some of his signature furbelows. Sanitized-looking white coats with pockets, studs and zippers - and sometimes fur collars for warmth looked functional and highly wearable. The same could be said of the many black looks such as a coat, double-breasted sleeveless top and waistcoat with hanging sides.

Great metallic bows, splashes of on-trend vermilion, and some great orange-red flower prints on silk did add some excite-

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Models wear creations by German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2013-2014 ready to wear collection, in Paris, yesterday. — AP

ment, but the collection shown in Paris on Monday remained relatively mute in line with the season in general. Valli used this collection to launch his first handbag, the unsurprisingly titled “Valli bag” - a small, square-shaped accessory that hung off several of the models in croc and leather. The press release heralded the bag as “iconic.” It is sleek, but only in the fashion world can people call an object iconic that’s been around only two minutes. — AP

n enormous globe rotated slowly in the middle of a circular catwalk at Chanel’s ready-towear fashion show in Paris yesterday, with flags bearing the Chanel logo marking where the luxury brand operates stores. Only Chanel’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld knows if the globe was a sign of global expansion or a geography lesson for the well-heeled crowd at his show, many dressed in the Chanel label that appeals to a global audience with money to spend. Top luxury brands like Chanel - which is private and does not disclose financial information - have seen their sales propped up by growing demand from Asia, in particular from China, and from the Middle East and Russia.

Chinese shoppers account for one-fourth of all luxury purchases globally and last year surpassed US consumers to become the world’s top spenders on luxury goods, according to consulting firm Bain & Co. The head of Chanel’s fashion division, Bruno Pavlovsky, told Reuters last November that the brand planned to end 2012 with 10 boutiques in China and 182 internationally and it appeared the

fashion house was on track with this plan. “I can be very happy and pleased because when I started there were three or four (stores) 30 years ago, so it’s not that bad,” Lagerfeld, 79, told Reuters after the show.

Chanel is one of the few global brands that can sell a host of auxiliary products like handbags, fragrance and cosmetics that help build buzz and feed awareness of the brand and can notch up operating margins of 50 percent.

Accompanied by classical music that morphed into Daft Punk’s “Around the World”, models at the Chanel show took a turn around the world, quite literally, wearing long grey and navy plaid coats with upturned collars or military-styled coats with contrasting panels of peacock blue. As if not to alienate one half of the world’s population, Lagerfeld allowed a solitary male model to join the models’ journey around the globe.

The Fall/Winter 2013-2014 collection was heavy on black, as is typical for Chanel, but Lagerfeld added flickering bits of metallic weave into suit fabrics to add sheen. Hues of rose and navy wore

their way through the collection, as did thigh-high boots and fuzzy cloche caps in electric turquoise and baby pink. Lagerfeld is praised for his ability, season after season, to rework a limited wardrobe of classic ideas developed by founder Coco Chanel - beautifully cut slim jackets, wool knit suits, cascades of pearls and black suits. This time around Lagerfeld opened up knee-length A-line skirts at the front, adding a shorter panel for coverage that added geometric interest and a peek-a-boo feel.

But some of the stand-out looks were the simplest. The drama in a modest black wool dress came from a ruffle at the collar and above the elbows, while a black velvet dress with a short flouncy skirt was accented by wide cuffs and a petticoat peeking out in pure ivory. Lagerfeld himself did a turn around the circular catwalk to end the show. Might he have noticed, with one last glance at the globe that Antarctica is yet to conquer?

“There’s space left,” he said. — Reuters

Chanel conquers the globe at Paris fashion show

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

A Hindu Holy man chants religious scripts as he performs morning rituals at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday. Hindus across the world will be celebrating Mahashivratri, or Shiva’s night festival on March 10, believed to be the day when Shiva got married. — AP

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ritish television celebrity and best-selling cookbook author Nigella Lawson recalls that when the other girls wanted to be French, she wanted to be Italian. “As a teenager, what drew me was the combination of familial warmth and glamour that was somehow both earthy and chic,” Lawson said about Italy, where she lived between high school and college. Her eighth cookbook, “Nigellissima,” focuses exclusively on 120 Italianinspired recipes. “Somehow by speaking Italian, I came into the person I am,” the 53-year-old, Oxford-educated cook added.

London-based Lawson, who is appearing in the US cooking show “The Taste,” spoke to Reuters about creating recipes and about how her most joyful moment in the kitchen is opening the fridge, seeing what is inside and trying to make something taste good from it, which she admits is “absolutely the antithesis of a cookery book.”

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Q: Is this your first Italian cookbook?

A: “It sort of is, and isn’t. It’s the first that’s just Italian, or Italianinspired. Because Italy has been such a big influence in my life, in my cooking life, there are actually more Italian recipes in my other books. But this is the only time I’ve done a book with such a narrow focus geographically.”

Q: How would you describe your take on Italian cuisine?

A: “I suppose what I bring to it is a slightly more contemporary, urban edge in the sense that I live a busy modern city life, whereas so many Italian recipes come from a time when women were expected to spend a long time in the kitchen.

I suppose I bring a kind of temporary impatience because it’s the way I live now.”

Q: How did you learn to cook?

A: “I’ve never learned to cook. I just cooked from when I was a child, always. I come from a large family and my mother believed in child labor, so I’ve cooked since I was about six. I do come from a food-obsessed family. That helps. I did have to teach myself how to cook weighing and measuring. It was an education in itself, and an interesting one.”

Q: Do you create the recipes in your books?

A: “Well, they’re mine, and if they’re not I will always say. I think it’s improper not to credit recipes. Often I credit someone even if I’ve changed it enormously because I feel for the reader it’s very interesting to see the evolution of a recipe. So I will go back through the mists of time (to trace) how this recipe evolved.”

Nigella Lawson 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil leaves from small bunch basil (approx. 1 cup, packed) Put abundant water on to boil for the pasta, waiting for itto boil before salting it. Add the pasta and cook following the package instructions, though start checking it a good 2 minutes before it’s meant to be ready. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce by putting all the remaining ingredients, except the basil, into a processor and blitzing until you have a nubby-textured sauce. Just before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of pasta-cooking water and add 2 tablespoonfuls of it down the funnel of the processor, pulsing as you go. Tip the drained pasta into your warmed serving bowl. Pour and scrape the sauce on top, tossing to coat (add a little more pasta-cooking water if you need it) and strew the basil leaves on top. — Reuters

takeaway delivery man revealed yesterday that he is the mysterious crime-fighter whose image went viral online after he walked into a British police station dressed as Batman and handed over a wanted man. Stan Worby, 39, said he was “gobsmacked” by worldwide coverage of his antics and revealed that the man he turned into police was a friend. Worby sparked a wave of theories about his identity on Monday when police released a CCTV image of a man dressed as the comic book hero, delivering the suspect to a police station in Bradford, northern England.

He had told dumbstruck officers: “I’ve caught this one for you!” before vanishing into the night on the early hours of February 25. Danny Frayne, 27, has been charged with handling stolen goods and fraud-related offences and will appear in court on Friday. Worby, who works for a Chinese takeaway, said his friend had wanted to hand himself in.

“Obviously it was done as a joke,” Worby told ITV television. Worby said he took offence at media reports describing him as a chubby version of the “caped crusader”-protesting that he looks overweight in the picture because he was wearing a tracksuit under the costume to stay warm. “I’ve got my full tracksuit underneath,” he explained. “I’m not just wearing this-it’s too thin.”

Worby said he had been at a football match in London on February 24 — wearing the Batman outfit-when Frayne called to ask if he could give him a lift to the police station. “I told him as soon as I was home I would run him to Bradford central police station,” Worby told the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “Danny’s a good friend of mine and I’ve known him for 15 years or so. Who knows if I’ll be doing some more crime-fighting in the future?”

Neighbourhood police in the Buttershaw area of Bradford revealed details of the mystery on their Facebook page and the incident was captured on CCTV. Worby is not the first man to pose as a real-

life Batman. In October, a man pleaded not guilty to obstructing US police while dressed as Batman, after he refused to leave them alone while they searched for a driver who had fled the scene of an accident. Mark Wayne Williams had already been sentenced to six months’ probation after police received a report of a man dressed as Batman on the roof of a business in Michigan. — AFP

This handout image obtained from West Yorkshire Police yesterday taken from closed circuit television footage captured at Trafalgar House Police Station in Bradford on February 25, 2013 shows a person dressed in a Batman costume handing over a crime suspect for arrest. — AFP

Q: How does being a home cook, rather than a professional chef, influence your approach to preparing food?

A: “Cooking for me is in part an evangelical zeal that I want to share. If I’ve loved a book that I’ve read, I want to share that as well.

A chef needs to feel they’re being original. I just have the home cook sensibility: not wanting to waste money or time. “Generally I make sure that if I buy a certain stash of ingredients; I can cook many different dishes. Cooking is not about heaping in ingredient after ingredient after ingredient. If I read a recipe and I’m exhausted by the time I finish reading the ingredients list, I know I’m never going to cook it.”

Q: Did you enjoy co-hosting the reality TV show “The Taste?”

A: “I had a certain amount of trepidation but I really enjoyed it ... Because it was really about the taste of the food and not about personalities, I didn’t think it was going to descend into the cruelty of some reality TV that would appall me.”

Sicilian Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic & Almonds Serves 6 1 1 4 pounds fusilli lunghi or other pasta of your choice salt for pasta water, to taste 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes 6 anchovy fillets 2 tablespoons golden raisins 2 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons capers, drained 1/3 cup skinned almonds

Thai people walk beside a 3D street painting entitled ‘Victim of Circumstance’ by the Netherlands’ Leon Keer during the Living Arts street painting festival, in Bangkok yesterday. — AP photos

A tourist takes a picture of his friend sitting on a 3D street painting entitled ‘World of Illusion’ by the Netherlands’ Ruben Poncia during the Living Arts Festival, in Bangkok yesterday.