19 Mar 2013

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NO: 15752

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TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADA ALAWWAL 7, 1434 AH

MoI bans Shiite cleric from entering Kuwait More MPs blast debt relief • Court delays Assembly storming case

Max 26º Min 16º High Tide 5:23 & 15:52 Low Tide 10:18 & 23:23

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Too good to be true

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

could not believe my eyes when I read the news that MP Ahmed Lari is proposing a debt relief for the interest of loans for expats. Excellent suggestion, Lari! Where were you long time ago? Why were you silent for so long. Expats need more than just a demand for scrapping the interest of the debts parallel to the Kuwaiti citizens.

Actually, expats needed the voice of somebody like you, Mr Lari, for more serious issues than scrapping the interest of their debts. The whole situation of expats from A to Z needs a revisit. More humane laws need to be introduced for those who have been loyal residents of the country. Many of them have been here since the 1950s and 1960s. This makes their lives bound to Kuwait. They have no police record, no security issues. They have not been demonstrating or participating in any conspiracies against our beloved Kuwait. Yet, we have never issued a law in their favour.

Every MP sharpens his knife when he goes to elections to win our votes by attacking and demanding lesser rights for those people (I mean expats). He thinks it is an act of heroism that the nation will salute him if he demanded that we send them all out or cut their salaries or introduce taxes only on their incomes.

All we came out for expats is to segregate the time for medical checkups in clinics. Kuwaitis will be examined in the mornings and expats will be seen by a doctor in the afternoon. This is the beginning of an expat apartheid. Wait, Mr Lari. More is coming.

When this comes into force, more ministries and institutes will also like heroes think that they are serving the nation and they are more patriotic than all of us.

May I ask the lawmakers to allow expats to strike for just one day. I mean all expats - starting from the housemaids and drivers to street cleaners and hospital staff, electricians, chefs, mechanics, vendors and airport personnel. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and parking lot security will all freeze the country. News agents, printers, some TV broadcast and print. Every employee behind the curtains in every field will stop working just for a day. Let me see what will happen then? I would love to see the laugh on the faces of MPs and all those who discriminate and underestimate the role of expats in the country.

I thought Kuwait will come with a law to give permanent residency to those who have been in the country for a long time. I did not expect that we will reach a stage where we will ask them to go and see a doctor at a different time than us. God save Kuwait and bless its people to remember that they are true Muslims and follow the principles of our beautiful religion and follow the steps of our great Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)!

Jazeera plans UK, French channels DOHA: Qatar’s Al-Jazeera television network said yesterday it was preparing to launch a news channel in Britain while studies are at an advanced stage for a French-language channel. “We are currently working to launch a news channel from the United Kingdom,” said the network’s Director General Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani in Doha, adding it will be called AlJazeera UK. The British channel will broadcast for five hours during prime time as a cut-in UK content aired on Al-Jazeera English channel, which was opened in 2006, an Al-Jazeera official told AFP. Thani also said that studies were at an “advanced stage” to launch a French-language channel aimed at “building bridges with other cultures and peoples.” The network which opened AlJazeera Balkan in Sarajevo in 2011 is readying to open Al-Jazeera Turkish, Thani said. — AFP

KUWAIT: HH the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah waves as he arrives at a graduation ceremony of army officers at the Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 3)

Delicate diplomacy: Pope meets Kirchner

PAGE

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry said yesterday that it has barred Iraqi Shiite cleric Murtada Al-Quzweini from entering Kuwait for insulting and abusing many of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) companions during a previous visit to Kuwait. The ministry action came after hundreds of Sunni activists demonstrated late Sunday in Rigga and demanded that authorities bar Quzweini from entering the country.

The ministry said in a statement that during a previous visit to Kuwait by Quzweini between Jan 5-15, he gave a sermon at a local Shiite husseiniya in which he allegedly insulted the Prophet’s (PBUH) senior companions like the first and second caliphs and others who are highly revered by Sunni Muslims. The statement said the cleric is of Iranian origin and holds United States citizenship.

Kuwait had in the past barred Sunni and Shiite clerics from entering Kuwait over similar reasons. A number of Sunni activists and former Islamist MPs welcomed the ministry decision, saying it has prevented religious strife in the country.

Meanwhile, the debt relief scheme which was struck by the financial and economic affairs committee and the government came under fire yesterday from various quarters including a number of MPs. The scheme is expected to be debated by the Assembly and approved today. The eight-MP Independents Bloc said yesterday that it is totally opposed to the scheme because it is unfair and only resolves a small portion of the debt crisis in the country.

Speaking at a press conference by the bloc, MP Yaqoub Al-Sane said the bloc will submit new proposals to make the draft law more comprehensive and fair for all sections of the society. MP Saleh Ashour said that the bloc will insist that banks which have violated the law for two decades by overcharging interest without any action by the Central Bank should be penalized and forced to refund any extra interest it had charged borrowers.

On his part, Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair said the scheme includes a number of economic and religious violations that must be rectified before the bill is approved. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry also criticized the scheme, saying it will be harmful to the national economy as well as to development and it will encourage squandering of public funds.

The different and conflicting views over the agreed solution to the debt problem promises that the Assembly session today will witness a heated debate on the issue.

According to the solution, the government will purchase loans taken by citizens from Islamic and conventional banks between Jan 1, 2002 and March 30, 2008, estimated by some MPs at around KD 1 billion.

Continued on Page 2

Indian-made electric car to hit the roads

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Govt confirms ‘segregation’ at clinics

ISLAMABAD: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (right) is conferred with an honorary degree from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf (left) as Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri looks on during his visit to the National University of Science and Technology yesterday. — AFP

Pakistan urges Egypt to help end Syria violence ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday urged his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi to help efforts to end the “bloodshed” in Syria and find a solution to the crisis. Zardari made the remarks during talks with Morsi who arrived in Pakistan as part of a South Asian tour that will also take

him to India as he works to promote trade and investment in Egypt’s troubled economy. Morsi’s one-day trip to Pakistan is the first bilateral visit by an Egyptian leader since Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960s, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is going forward with plans to accord Kuwaitis priority in medical checkups during morning shifts while making it mandatory for foreigners to visit the facilities only during the afternoon shifts for medical tests, a senior ministry official said yesterday. Undersecretar y Dr. Khalid Al-Sehlawi confirmed earlier reports which indicated that the ministr y ’s council of medical zones approved a proposal that gives Kuwaiti patients priority to undergo tests at public medical facilities during morning or afternoon shifts but bars expatriates from availing the same facilities during morning hours. “[The approval came after] Minister of Health Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi met heads of medical zones in order to learn their views on their proposal,” Sehlawi said, adding that the new system was only going to be enforced at outpatient clinics. Haifi had stated last week that the nationality-based segregation system could eventually be adopted at public medical facilities but only if it could be proven that it will benefit Kuwaiti citizens. Sehlawi assured that a ministry study revealed that the afternoon shifts were “suitable” for expatriates, citing a similar “successful” experience adopted nearly two and a half years ago at certain clinics where afternoon shifts were allocated solely for Kuwaitis.

Sehlawi also reiterated that emergency rooms and trauma centers at public hospitals and polyclinics will

remain open to Kuwaitis and nonKuwaitis equally throughout the day.

“The ministry wants to allocate a period during the day for citizens to undergo checks at outpatient clinics which usually give appointments extending over a long period of time,” he said. While it was initially approved, the decision needs to be approved by the Cabinet before it becomes effective. Currently, there is no timetable for when that is expected to happen. Once implemented, the new system is expected to be first adopted in overcrowded public clinics such as those for internal medicine and surgery.

A local newspaper had reported last week that the proposal was going to be studied “as per accurate statistics for the number of patients at public hospitals during morning and afternoon hours in order to determine the feasibility of the proposed system”. According to reports last month, the ministry began studying the proposal as part of the government’s attempts to improve the quality of services at its overcrowded medical facilities in light of the fact that infrastructure was not adequate vis-a-vis the country’s demographic growth. The news had since sparked negative reactions, given the “discriminatory” nature of the proposal, leading ministry officials to come out later and explain that the issue was merely proposed as a suggestion for outpatient clinics and that the ministry does not necessarily plan to implement it.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Sameera Al-Ghareeb opening the three-day Horeca Kuwait 2013 exhibition at Courtyard Marriott Hotel yesterday.

Horeca Kuwait 2013 kicks off at Courtyard Marriott KUWAIT: The assistant undersecretary of the commerce and industry ministry for tourism affairs, Sameera Al-Ghareeb, yesterday opened the three-day Horeca Kuwait 2013 exhibition at Al-Raya Ballroom, Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

The exhibition that began yesterday will remain open till tomorrow. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ambassadors designated to Kuwait, chairman of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association

(IHRA), Dr. Ghassan Al-Andi, a number of hospitality and tourism icons and the owners of hotels and restaurants. The exhibition is being organized by Leaders Group for Consulting and Development.

Speaking on the occasion, Al-Ghareeb stressed that the commerce ministry was very keen to support any activities that can help boost commercial activity in Kuwait and attract the tourists and investors. Any invest-

ments in Kuwait will eventually end up supporting the state’s development plan.

“In organizing this exhibition, the Leaders Group succeeded in gathering together a group of people who are experts in the hospitality and catering industries which are so vital for tourism and hotels,” she added, expressing her pride at the variety of activities and the fact that the exhibition was well organized.

Al-Ghareeb also added that the ministry

signed a one year contract with the Leaders Group to formulate tourism development plans that would help execute the first phase of the national tourism strategy.

On her part, Leaders Group general manager Nabila Al-Anjeri stressed that her group was keen to attract various local and international companies with expertise to participate in the exhibition. She added that some participating companies would have exclusive offers in

addition to so many competitions. “The exhibition is a good chance for ambitious young people who intend starting new restaurants and hotel-related projects,” she said Notably, the exhibition includes displays regarding hotel, catering and hospitality equipment and food safety systems apart from some cooking competitions to be judged by a panel of chefs from Kuwait, Lebanon, France and Egypt.

Dropping loans unfair, harmful to public funds Calls to include expats in the law KUWAIT: Chairman of the Kuwaiti Banks Club (KBC) Hamad Al-Marzouq, who is also the chairman of Al-Ahli United Bank’s board of directors, stressed that his rejection of the law that would waive off the interest on loans availed of by Kuwaitis stemmed from his keenness to act in public interest. He said the law was unfair to those who did not avail of the bank loans or who paid off their debt partially. Speaking on the sidelines of the bank’s general assembly, Al-Marzouq denied that the banking sector would benefit from the law since the government would guarantee the payment. “The law negatively affects the general economy,” he stressed, noting that public funds ought to be directed towards development projects that would benefit all citizens and not just any one section.

Moreover, Al-Marzouq highlighted that delinquency was not phenomenal in Kuwait

compared to the rest of the world and that delinquent debts formed only 1.8 per cent of the total credit portfolio.

“The problem was created and allowed to become big for political reasons and those doing so have a personal interest that ought to be publicly exposed,” he added, noting that the delinquents’ fund had helped over 30,000 citizens whose obligations exceeded 50 per cent of their monthly income.

Meanwhile, MPs Meshari Al-Husseini, Hani Shams and Ahmed Lari called for including expatriate delinquents in the law since ‘accumulating interests hardly discriminate between citizens and expatriates and both suffered injustice.’ MP Shams said that he learnt that the parliamentary financial committee intended to respond to the demand.

MP Lari also stressed that he would support the demand when it came to vote.

Formative art show opens KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah inaugurated an unprecedented formative art salon here on Sunday evening, drawing 44 artists with some 90 various works.

Speaking to reporters after touring the salon entitled: “First Kuwait Salon Kuwait City”, the minister greatly lauded works produced by Kuwaiti formative artists who showed how much they loved their nation. Also through their works, the formative artists reflected Kuwaiti civilization, culture and heritage in both marine and terrestrial environments, he

said. He also appreciated the significant role of the Kuwait Arts Association in the provision of care and support for formative art in Kuwait and in hosting art shows. For his part, the chairman of the Association , Abdulrasoul Salman said in news remarks that the Association had decided to hold the formative art salon annually in order to give creative artists the opportunity to show their works.

The fact that the salon bears the name of Kuwait City shows that the city is the backbone of the country, where people, government, feelings, politics, trade and culture meet together, he said. — KUNA

MoI bans Shiite cleric from...

Continued from Page 1 Then, the government will waive all interest on the loans and reschedule their repayment in easy instalments provided that an instalment must not exceed 40 percent of the debtors’ monthly income.

In other Assembly business, the legal and legislative committee yesterday approved a proposal to allow foreign widows of Kuwaiti men to obtain Kuwaiti citizenship provided they have children from them. The committee also accepted proposals to amend the election law in which people who receive jail terms, even if they are suspended, or if the court refrains from issuing a sentence after convicting them, will be banned from running as candidates for three years.

The interior and defense committee amended and passed a draft law calling to naturalize a maximum of 4,000 people in 2013 and the majority of whom should be stateless people (bedoons).

The original form of the bill, approved in the first reading by the Assembly over a month ago, called for naturalizing at least 4,000 bedoons this year. The amendment came after reservations

expressed by the government.

The criminal court meanwhile postponed until March 25 the case of 70 opposition activists, including 11 former MPs, who are on trial on charges of storming the Assembly building in Nov 2011. During the hearing yesterday, the court heard the testimony of three officers from the national guard and the special forces who were on duty on the night when the activists stormed the Assembly. Some MPs and activists directed several questions to the witnesses to prove that they did not storm the assembly by force or broke into the building because the outside gates were open.

Activists also insisted that they did not assault any security men.

Also, the newly-established Opposition Coalition named former opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak as its general coordinator and youth activists Youssef Al-Shatti as spokesman and Fahad AlAbduljader as secretary general. Besides Barrak, former MPs Faisal Al-Mislem, Mubarak Al-Waalan, Adel Al-Damkhi and Bader Al-Dahoum were elected as members of the political bureau of the coalition which has become an umbrella of almost all opposition groups and activists.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LOCAL

Amir attends army officers graduation ceremony

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir and other dignitaries at the graduation ceremony at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy.—KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sponsored and attended yesterday the graduation ceremony of the 17th class of college army-officers and 40th class of army- officers at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy.

HH the Amir was received at the Academy by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad AlKhaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Army’s Chief of Staff Sheikh Khaled Jarrah AlSabah, Undersecretary of the Defense Minister Jasser Abdulrazaq Al-Jasser, dean of the Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy and other members of the Defense Council.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by H is H ighness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Ali

Fahad Al-R ashid, former National Assembly speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi, senior sheik hs, Deput y Chief of Kuwait National Guard (KNG) Sheikh Meshaal AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlJaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah AlSabah, senior officials of the state, and family members of the graduates.

Dean of the Academy Major General Mohammad Khaled Al-Khothr welcomed the prestigious guests and thanked His Highness the Amir on his continuous support to the Kuwaiti military.

He highlighted the professional and up-to-date training and high skills which

the graduated officers had gained during their study in the Academy. He also thanked the officers for their excellent performance and high-level of discipline and congratulated them on their graduation.

He reiterated army officers’ full allegiance and loyalty to Kuwait and HH the Amir’s leadership.

Then a military parade was initiated for both classes which was followed by His Highness the Amir awarding the graduates with their certificates. HH the Amir also decorated excelling officers with awards.

The graduates also put on a show that showcased their recently acquired military skills. Before leaving the ceremony at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy, the officers presented to HH the Amir a memorial gift on the occasion. —KUNA

Ministry terminates teachers after court upholds ‘rights’ No benefit of an explanation KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education decided to sack ten teachers after they won court orders that granted them pay increases, a local newspaper reported yesterday. The story as detailed by one of the fired teachers started a couple of years ago when a number of expatriate teachers sent a letter to the Ministry of Education explaining their entitlement to financial privileges, given their academic status.

“According to the ministry’s law, a teacher with high academic status is hired in the fourth category with a basic salary of KD260, while a teacher with a high school degree is hired under the fifth category with a basic salary of KD200,” the teacher told AlQabas newspaper.

According to the teacher who preferred to keep his identity anonymous, the ministry has been hiring teachers with high academic qualifications from Syria, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt annually under the fifth category, in violation of its own regulations.

Upon learning about the conditions governing their hiring, a number of teachers approached the ministry to demand the financial rights they were deprived of.

“The ministry rejected our pleas, however, and told us to go to court,” said the teacher, adding that a large

number of teachers filed cases shortly afterwards. A court order came later upholding the teacher’s right to a monthly KD260 pay and KD125 as rent allowance, and ordered the ministry to pay KD7500 to the plaintiff, which was the sum total of payment differentials calculated retrospectively.

According to the teacher, 46 teachers have so far won similar court rulings. But when they sent the court papers to the ministry, ten of them were notified that their services were no longer required after their contracts expire this summer. “The ministry exercised a clause in the contract signed with teachers which allows it to terminate the contract without providing any explanation,” the teacher explained.

While the ministry did not actually violate the letter of the law, the terminated teachers feel that barring them from renewing their contracts would make them subsequently lose their work visas, all this without even the benefit of an explanation about the arbitrary decision. Furthermore, the teacher who spoke to Al-Qabas noted that the ministry’s decision discouraged many teachers from opting for a judicial remedy lest they too face termination, especially the Syrian teachers.

In other news, the development and planning department in the Ministry of Education drafted a new job classification for teachers defining the tasks they are required to carry out inside schools, Undersecretary Assistant for Public Education Mohammad Al-Kandari announced.

The official’s statement came a day after Al-Rai published a report quoting teachers who demanded a mechanism to help them focus on teaching duties instead of being distracted by other tasks during school hours. “The new classification focuses on the educational aspects of a teacher’s job, while freeing them from other administrative issues that are normally the responsibility of other sections,” AlKandari told Al-Rai on Sunday.

In a statement addressed to the cabinet and parliament members, several public schools teachers had asked for a legislative framework for their job description which determines the tasks that fall under their responsibility. “Whenever a problem happens at any school, the finger of blame is pointed at the teacher as if they are responsible for everything that happens on the campus,” reads the statement which was released in the wake of the death of a middle school student who collapsed in class last Wednesday.

CPR courses for teachers after student’s death KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education plans to train teachers and school administrators in administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other emergency procedures in the wake of a middle school student’s death, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

Al-Rai quoted a letter sent by Health Ministry’s Undersecretary Dr. Khalid Al-Sehlawi to his counterpart in the Ministry of Education, Mariyam Al-Wutaid, requesting a list of MoE employees who would coordinate with the MoH’s School Health Department in order to organize courses starting from next September.

The senior MOH official stressed the importance of “training schools’ staff to quickly respond in cases of emergency and handling a situation till paramedics arrive.”

Investigations are still on in the case of death of Al-Wusta Middle School student Nourah Al-Mutairi, who collapsed in class on Wednesday amid conflicting reports including one version speculating about a teacher hitting her shoulder with a book shortly before she fell unconscious.

In this regard, Al-Anba newspaper reported yesterday quoting MoE insiders as saying that the investigation process was “almost complete,” but noted that many parents of the girl’s classmates refused to allow

their daughters to be questioned as eyewitnesses, “given their bad psychological state as a result of the ordeal.”

Director of the Farwaniya Educational Zone, Badriya Al-Khaldi, refused to say anything regarding the ongoing investigations when contacted for a comment.

The case brought the deterioration in Kuwait’s education sector to the surface, with the events being capped by Minister of Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf’s resignation. In this regard, MoE sources who spoke to Al-Anba on the condition of anonymity said that Al-Hajraf was currently “under great pressure” to withdraw his resignation “because the education sector right now is in need of a person of his caliber.”

The same newspaper also reported that 20 lawmakers requested that two hours be allocated in today’s parliamentary session to discuss the state of public education.

Meanwhile, Al-Watan newspaper contacted the headmistress of the AlWusta Middle School, Muna AlOrayfan, who said that the teacher in question did not report for work on Sunday. Educational Affairs Director at the Farwaniya Educational Zone, Waleed Al-Saied, in the meantime, gave a conflicting version saying that the teacher resumed duty after investigations involving her ended on Friday.

Next year’s mid-term vacation Feb 9-22 KUWAIT: Well-informed sources said that the Ministry of Education was currently considering suggestions to shift next year’s mid-term vacation, also referred to as spring vacation, which may now be from February 9-22, 2014, thus allowing students to go to school on February 23 and 24 to participate in the national celebrations to be held by schools.

Notably, in a bid to deal with the increasing tendency of absenteeism just before and after the national anniversary celebrations that has reached phenomenal proportions in recent years, this year’s mid-term vacation was scheduled from February 15 and lasted till March 2.

Meanwhile, ELT supervisor general Sakina Ali announced a comprehensive plan to train Grade 11 and 12 students to help them clear the TOEFL, IELTS and Kuwait University Aptitude Tests at schools in the next two weeks.

School hours may be changed to help tackle traffic jams KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education informed the Ministry of Interior that it was willing to change school timings to help tackle the problem of traffic jams in Kuwait that usually clog the roads on weekdays, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

The notification came during a recent meeting of both the ministries’ representatives to discuss suggestions to reduce traffic jams. “We explained that we do not mind changing the

opening and closing hours of the schools if it helped in effectively tackling the growing problem,” Undersecretary Assistant for Public Education, Mohammad Al-Kandari, said. He added in statements to Al-Rai on Sunday that the Ministry of Education was prepared to put together mechanisms for changing the school hours. Key roads across Kuwait were gridlocked on Sunday right from early morning and again during the rush hour when parents and

guardians picked up students from school. It was the third week that started with traffic jams all across the country ever since classes resumed for the second semester earlier this month. A study by researcher Abdul-Aziz AlBaddah published by Al-Qabas yesterday attributed the recurring traffic jams problem to the rapid growth of population combined with the lack of significant road improvement projects since the 1980s.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

Letters to Badrya

Kuwaitis face loyalty crisis

Please stop hating expats

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

P

atriotism is more than just words. Love for one’s country is not just a theory that can be taught in a classroom and then the students be evaluated on the basis of what answers they write. Loyalty towards one’s country can only be seen in action, be it through dedication at the work place or willingness to protect the country and contribute towards its development. It is a sentimental value, a moral issue that is inculcated in the children. These values become ingrained within children as they grow up to become adults. The school, the family and media are the main factors in inculcating a sense of patriotism because they play a central role in instilling these values in younger generation.

Loyalty is a quality which decides and impacts people’s social and intellectual reaction towards a group, a class or a country. The sense of loyalty that a person has towards his surroundings is the basis for any society’s stability. Yet, loyalty comes in different forms. One can be loyal towards a social class, family, political group etc but conflicting loyalties can result in conflicting opinions that can lead to problems which could escalate into a crisis as societies evolve.

The most dangerous threat to society comes in the form of loyalty towards social strata and giving it priority over patriotism. This kind of a sense of loyalty only becomes stronger when the state fails to inculcate among its citizens a sense of patriotism. It happens when the state fails to provide social, economic and political protection or fails to achieve equality among people. This makes the people resort to their respective religious, tribal, filial or political affiliations to regain the rights that they believe they were deprived of.

Unfortunately, the education domain failed in instilling the true meaning of patriotism among children. It could not train them to positively integrate with their surroundings. It was unable to ensure a positive relationship between patriotism and integration with the society. If this was not the case, we would not have been seeing all these problems happening today which reflect a failure of the citizens in fulfilling their duties towards their country.

Unfortunately, we are not fully committed to forgo all forms of loyalty in favor of patriotism.

The need to reiterate the role of the education in inculcating a culture of patriotism among the younger generations requires constant hard work and a long term strategy. Such a strategy must factor in the problems faced by the young people as far their relationship with their country is concerned. Bringing up children on a dose of patriotism requires a review of the educational curriculums and activities to help them achieve a balanced and integrated personality. Curriculums are required to establish the principles of patriotism and duties towards the state.

Have our curriculums been able to establish the values of patriotism the way we wanted it to happen? Current indications are very disappointing as we witness violent and extremist behavior taking root among youngsters.

Such malaises cannot be eliminated if our education domain continued to focus on imparting knowledge without stressing on inculcating values and skills. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Proud to be a Kuwaiti!

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

I

read a message on Twitter saying that the amount of ice cubes consumed during the weekend in Kuwait exceeds the amount of snow that falls in Geneva. This could be true, but regardless, we are not willing to admit the truth as long as we are busy being too proud to be a Kuwaiti.

Our cars are being washed by a low-wage worker who stops by our houses at the crack of dawn or by a scrawny housemaid, so that we can drive them proudly in front of non-Kuwaitis. Our factories are run by armies of ‘foreigners’ starting from gate keepers and security personnel, right up to engineers, machine operators, maintenance technicians, transportation workers, truck drivers, and accountants. In the meantime, Kuwaitis are signing papers to employ citizens in the private sector, so that they can enjoy the financial support they get from the government in addition to their salaries while they sit at home and brag about how they ‘managed’ to deceive the government.

And just like that, everybody learnt how to cheat or steal from the national wealth, yet nothing stops us from being proud. Then these overly-proud citizens go to their representatives in the parliament and ask them to push the government into writing off their banking loans, because their situation as debtors does not fit their status of being proud Kuwaitis.

Of course, if we could become productive for our country, the huge demographical imbalance we have today would not have happened in the first place. Yet, this does not stop us from being proud, or for our prime minister to inaugurate the ‘Proud 2 Be Kuwaiti’ show for the sixth consecutive year.

Yes, I am a Kuwaiti and proud that my country is among the top ten in the world’s most unfriendly nations for tourists. I am proud about us being the most reckless drivers, and having the most number of police officers involved in violations. I am proud because the outcome of our education system ranks

among the lowest worldwide, and for the fact that despite having one of the largest per capita incomes in the world, most of us owe others money before the end of the month.

I do not know why we have to report to work anyway when a minister once said that the state tasks can be carried out by 60,000 instead of 200,000 which is the number we currently have. Is this not something to be proud of? I am also proud that a large number of staff members in ministries make sure they perform the noon prayer every day, only to leave the office as soon as the prayer finishes.

Yes, I am proud to be a Kuwaiti because I have worked hard so that the percentage of Kuwaitis would drop to 28 percent of the country’s total population, and because I and my cousins made a lot of money through human trafficking. Yes, I am proud to be a Kuwaiti because I have the sole right to receive treatment during morning hours while patients of other nationalities can be treated only in the afternoon. I am proud for being ‘smart enough’ not to waste ten years of my ‘precious’ life studying medicine when other people can come and treat me.

I am a Kuwaiti and proud about how much I care about my environment and desert, which I make sure to pollute with leftovers I leave behind every camping season. I am a Kuwaiti, and it is my right in my own country to throw litter from the window of my car, because at the end of the day a foreigner is coming to sweep it off the street. I am proud of my success in stealing the subsidy on my livestock’s feed that I go and sell publicly in the market afterwards. I am proud of being the main cause for fatalities in the street, for prisoners’ escape, and for fugitives fleeing out of the country through official border checkpoints. I am proud of the enormous number of drug addicts, psychopaths, and those who steal charity funds. But what else can I say, other than that I am proud to be a Kuwaiti? —Al-Qabas

Dear Badrya, I was really surprised after reading your article and the way you have weighed in on the side of the expats.

I do not understand those who are claiming that expats are stealing their jobs. First of all, tell me where are the jobs left in Kuwait? I have been seeing for the last five years huge buildings being constructed in Kuwait but why are they still vacant? I can surely say that no development has been happening in Kuwait since the 2008 financial crisis.

I was born and brought up in Kuwait and have been here for 35 years now but never before have I seen the country like this. Why this government is unable to bring stability to this country? Why is everyone running after money? No one in this world will be able to take the money with him or her after death, even if he or she was to be a billionaire. Let’s come back to the topic. Let me tell you my personal experience. I worked at an investment company for six years but my job came to an end without me being paid eight months worth of my salary. Will anyone believe if we were to tell him that Kuwait is making money from oil but is unable to produce jobs? No new companies are coming up, and old companies are shifting into new premises just to flaunt their status.

But when we go there to apply for a job, they say they are in the process of firing people, not hiring them. Can anyone believe that? We can’t think of applying in the government sector if people are losing their jobs in the private sector. I have been reading in the newspapers that every six months, the parliament is increasing the percentage of Kuwaiti Nationals in every sector.

I want to ask one question: if you do not like expats in your country, then why you are allowing them to come to Kuwait in the first place? I can write a book on this topic. But I want to remind everyone that every individual has a right to criticize in this world. We do not hate this country but the way it is moving towards becoming a failed state, someone will have to take care of this country. I request Kuwaiti nationals and parliament members to please stop hating expats and remember that we are helping your country to develop and we too want to see Kuwait top any list of successful countries.

Thanks, Adnan Hello Ma’am, Just read the article that you had written in the Kuwait Times of March 4, 2013 edition. It was indeed very well written and hats off to you for expressing bold and powerful thoughts about unemployment and corruption in the state of Kuwait. I believe as educated human beings, we need to differentiate between things that we can change and things that we cannot change. The things that we can change, we need to change them. However, those things that we cannot change, we need to accept the fact that we cannot change them and learn to live with that.

If we simply understand the saying “Live and let live,” I guess the world would be a much better place to live in.

Looking forward to reading many more thought provoking articles and wishing you all the very best, Best Regards, Thara Ajish Mathew Sponsorship Officer MEBS International

kuwait digest

What after first youth conference?

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa

W

e thank HH the Amir, the Amiri Diwan and the many unknown young people who worked day and night to ensure the success of the first youth conference. The conference allowed the youth to express their views and demands openly and transparently right in front of the country’s top official.

I read the youth national document which presented ten key issues, namely strengthening the citizenry, education, human development, health, housing, law development, government management, economic development, small projects, sports and cultural, arts and literary structures.

Dr Yousuf Al-Ibrahim said the youth national document represents the beginning, not an end. It is the beginning of a process to establish a new path for a fruitful and constructive partnership in decision making. A young man, Abdallah Sabeeh Buftain, clearly expressed the demands of the youth when he said the youth should not merely be dealt with the same old idea of how to deal with them but in the matrix of their own era. He said the youth dream of a house. They want to measure up to their families’ dream of becoming something and seek jobs that they would like and which would be productive. All these demands of the youth are legitimate. They are just like the demands and ambitions of the youth anywhere around the globe. However, there still remains the question of how all these complex and varied demands can be fulfilled. Among the most important demands of Kuwaiti youth is one about finding suitable jobs. The question is why are our youth running after government jobs instead of working in the private sector? That too when they are aware that there is no actual work happening in the government departments, rather there is masked unemployment.There are many reasons for the youth hankering after government jobs, most important of which are the benefits that the government accords in the form of high salaries, large number of holidays and no actual work.

The second reason is that Kuwaiti youth are not qualified to work in the private sector because the university education does not equip them to work in this sector. The third reason is that the youth reject hard work and do not want to commit to long working hours. All this talk about the need for jobs does not mean anything as long as foreign labourers take up more than two million jobs in Kuwait because the young citizens shun these jobs.

The issue which the youth conference did not pay attention to despite its importance is how can the value system among the youth be changed, so that they become used to shouldering responsibility towards their country and society? Does the social structure of the state today enable the youth to take responsibility?

Let us put it down frankly: No. Let us compare the Kuwaiti youth before oil was discovered with the youth today. The youth were more responsible in the past and worked day and night to earn their living. The youth of yore were more productive in all jobs because the country was poor, the desert was a harsh place to live in and there were no natural resources. This harsh nature of the elements made the Kuwaiti human being a creative person to deal with the difficulty of life. He risked his life when he dove for pearls, and worked hard when he built diving or trade ships.

He used to venture far from his country to achieve success in his trade, and fought nature to ensure that farming worked as there was not much water. Why did our people go through all those risks then? The answer is simple: there was deprivation that made them work to live. We depend on the state for everything; for raising our children, for their education, employment and housing, to a point where youth want to find cushy government jobs instead of going in for big opportunities in the private sector.

How can we change this value system that makes our youth forgo responsibility and instead rely on wasta, resort to tribal, sectarian and family loyalties to deal with the obstacles in his way to achieve everything, irrespective of whether it is legal or illegal? Let us not cheat ourselves. Things will not change much as long as the “revenue state” principle remains. Let us citizens, young or not, become used to taking responsibility, comply with the law, and work for the society and the state instead of being frustrated. — Al-Watan

Dear Ms Darwish, I am an Indian visitor and I would like to share some of my experience with the readers of Kuwait Times. We visited Kuwait only recently, and this was our second visit. Last time we visited Kuwait, it was three years ago. At that time, I found less traffic on the roads. The people, on the roads were more courteous. I found that people travelling in their own cars were more courteous towards those going on foot. If one had to cross the road, the traffic used to halt and let the pedestrian cross the road first. Similar gesture was extended to my wife when we alighted from the aircraft. A wheel chair was offered immediately which proved to be a blessing. There were fewer skyscrapers but now I find there are a lot more of them. This shows that Kuwait is on a path of prosperity which is good. I like your newspaper enjoy reading it daily. The letters in your newspaper have inspired me to write few lines just to share my experience with your valued readers. I will appreciate if you cover some important and informative news items from India for the benefit of Indian Diaspora living in Kuwait.

Thanks and regards, Ujagar Singh (An Indian citizen) visiting Kuwait

kuwait digest

Incomplete column

By Khalid Al-Awadhi

T

he Kingdom of Norway is a country in the northwest of Europe spread over an estimated 280,000 square kilometers with a population of around five million. It is considered one of the largest oil producing countries that is not a member of the OPEC, and has huge reserves of oil and gas. While Norway started producing oil in 1972, the first oil field was drilled offshore in 1965. Norway takes pride in having one of the most successful experiences for an oil producing country, especially when compared to the experience of the Arabian Gulf states.

Why has Norway not been affected by the oil curse that affected us? Why Norwegians did not become corrupt as we did? Why the Norwegian society has not turned into a consumerist society like us? Why is it that the Norwegian economy does not depend on oil? Also, how come it has not become a rent-seeking economy like ours? Why does Norway always rank so high in any list of the world’s best countries to live in - the same lists in which our countries unfortunately are often ranked near the bottom?

These are only some of many questions that come to mind when we compare Norway with the Gulf states. It is important to raise similar questions and try to find answers in order to reach the root causes of our problems so that we can come up with productive solutions. This approach can help build a better future for the younger generations. They can then inherit a country they can be more proud of. It provides a motivation to diagnose the problems and propose solutions without any devious intent. I wanted to discuss this topic in this column, but changed my mind when I found out that my column last week was subjected to heavy censorship which led only half the message to be conveyed.

Instead, I have decided to leave the questions unanswered, and invite you to find the answers and complete the column from your own point of view. —Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LOCAL

Wataniya Airways debt negotiated KUWAIT: Sources revealed that the Wataniya Airways’ Board of Directors will meet next week to discuss the outcome of its negotiations with major leaders like the Kuwait Company for Airline Services (KASCO) and United Projects Company for Air Services (Yobak) about how to settle its debts.

Sources said that Wataniya Airways’ reached an acceptable solution in its talks with KASCO to settle its debt amounting to KD 2.6 billion. The flexibility shown

by KASCO strengthened the position of the Board of Directors of National Airlines to agree to a settlement once and for all during the next meeting.

Sources said that negotiation with the United Project Company, which had been stalled for three months now after both parties failed to reach an acceptable agreement to finalize the debt issue, were renewed lately. The United Projects Company came up with an offer which will be studied during the next meeting, and if accepted by a majority of the members of the board, will clear the way for an eventual settlement.

Sources said the current challenge is the size of the cash flow available to the Wataniya Airways if the Board of Director were to agree to the two offers made by KASCO and Yobak as it will then become necessary to provide more cash to settle the debts as agreed.

The airline was currently studying ways to ensure more cash inflow to finalize the debts.

Spying network case ‘not closed yet’ KUWAIT: Ali Al-Asfoor, the lawyer who represents a number of suspects in the case regarding a spying network for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, said the Supreme Court has fixed April 1 as the date to look into the case and take a final decision. He said since it is the highest court in the land that will be engaged with the case, it will be decided once and for all.

He said the Minister of Interior had told a foreign newspaper that the case has been closed by Kuwait.

However, he claimed, he did not receive any information about the case being closed and as far as he was concerned, the case was still to be decided by the Supreme Court.

“We do not know what the Minister of Interior meant by closing the case file, especially since every one knows that the case was still in the court. What does the minister mean by that statement? Does he mean that suspects stood indicted while the court was still to pronounce its final decision in this case? Or does he mean that the file has been closed and the Ministry of Interior has dropped the case, something that I as the counsel of the defendants did not hear about?”

He said some of the suspects were proven innocent in the court of appeal while others were indicted. “We will defend our clients before the Supreme Court and will prove them to be innocent,” he concluded, adding at a time when the public prosecutor was demanding harsh penalty in this case, how could the Minister of Interior claim that the file has been closed?

KPC stresses significance of human resources wealth

KUWAIT: Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, left Kuwait yesterday after concluding an official visit. Head of accompanying honorary mission, Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah, bid the prince farewell.

Praise for decisions of Interior Ministers Council RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet, headed by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, yesterday hailed the speech by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during the 30th session of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers.

The Saudi Press Agency said that the King welcomed the Council’s decisions which would help strengthen the process of cooperation and the joint Arab security coordination and the fight against crime including terrorism.

The Cabinet appreciated the unani-

mous decision of Arab Interior Ministers to establish an Arab award named after the late Prince Naif bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

The Cabinet welcomed the start of the cultural and scholarly activities on the occasion of Madinah as the Capital of Islamic Culture-2013 and the gallery of Madinah ‘Maazir Aliyman’ launched by the Crown Prince, last Tuesday, which featured the diversity reflecting the spirit of this great city and its contribution to Islamic sciences and culture since the Prophet’s (PBUH) migration. — KUNA

GCC panel discusses E-Linking health systems for expats KUWAIT: The first meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Committee for E-Health, supervised by Ministry of Health, kicked off here yesterday to discuss E-Linking systems for screening programs of expatriates and establishing appropriate work mechanism to implement the smart card and E-Linking systems among GCC countries.

The meeting is also to discuss development mechanisms for E-Systems of screening expats that would help each GCC country to identify health conditions of expats wishing to enter to any member-country, Dr. Qais Al-Duwairi, Assistant Undersecretary of Public Health Affairs at Ministry of Health, said in a press statement.

Al-Duwairi added that entry percentage of unhealthy expats to GCC countries has decreased to five percent via usage of E-Linking

system, noting that eye and finger prints are to be added to the screening system to prevent some conning by expats in changing their personal data and information.

He also indicated that a discussion to be held on possibility of implementing the smart card system for every citizen and resident in GCC countries, which contain all personal health data for the individual as it would also be an E-Medical File to be referred to by the physician in any member-country in order to understand history of patient’s health condition. In addition, Al-Duwairi pointed out that E-Linking has become a reality among information centers in GCC countries within unified data structures that aim to achieve integration among countries, as well as to follow a unified strategy in the information technology field.— KUNA

KUWAIT: Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Farouk Al-Zanki said here yesterday that human capital is the most expensive factor and axis of evolution and production increase, therefore, KPC has made safety and health program as a priority for KPC’s strategy for the year 2030.

Al-Zanki said in a statement issued by the KPC on the occasion of its intention to establish a ceremony honoring winning projects of the CEO for health, safety and environment during the financial year 2012/2013 on Thursday that the slogan of this year’s award

(journey towards zero) is to promote the health of human resources and protect it from being prone to accidents and occupational injuries.

He added that the oil sector used to celebrate figure increase, however, “in the field of health, safety and the environment, we seek to reduce the numbers strongly as we are proud to reduce emissions to record levels which reached 1.75 percent and proud that the corporation’s operations and its subsidiaries have achieved an advanced record level in the completion of millions of hours without accidents. — KUNA

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LOCAL

Drug duo escapes after fire exchange with police Emergency call exposes illegal relationship KUWAIT: Investigations are on in search of two drug traffickers who managed to escape recently after exchanging fire with coastguards and kidnapping an officer for a brief period. Two coastguard officers were reportedly patrolling a location near the Kubbar Island past midnight when they noticed a boat with two people onboard who switched off the boat’s lights as soon as they sensed the coastguards’ boat approaching. The officers offered to help when the men claimed that their boat’s engine had stopped working. As soon as one of the officers stepped on to their boat, one of the suspects fired at the coastguards’ boat while the other started the engine and drove away. The kidnapped officer jumped into the water during the exchange of fire. The suspects managed to escape when the officer stopped to rescue his partner from the water. The suspects’ boat was later traced near a coastguard base and found completely burnt. The two officers said in their testimony that they witnessed the suspects throwing objects off their boat which were likely drugs. A case was filed and search is on for the suspects who face charges that include attempted murder and kidnap.

Manager’s killer A man accused of killing his manager at a Hawally electronics company claimed during the investigations at the Public Prosecution Department on Sunday that it was not a premeditated murder. The Bedouin (stateless) suspect

explained the circumstances in which the manager was killed on Saturday. He said he grabbed a paper knife from the manager’s desk and stabbed him when he was scolded for reporting late to work. The man said that he lost temper after he felt that his Kuwaiti employer was going to fire him. However, he denied any intention to kill him. The man will remain in custody pending further investigations.

Illegal relationship Police arrested a man in Sabah Al-Nasser after a house owner called the police to report someone suspiciously lurking near his house. Soon afterwards, the owner was shocked to know that the suspect was his housemaid’s boyfriend who fathered the child, now seven-month-old, during their illegal relationship. The Egyptian man was taken into custody late Saturday night after he tried to escape when police reached the spot following a call by a Kuwaiti man who saw him sitting in a dark corner outside his house. The suspect denied charges of any intention to commit a theft, something police initially suspected and pressed charges about. Instead, he admitted that he was waiting for the right moment to enter the house to see his girlfriend. He explained that he had been romantically involved with the house’s Indonesian housemaid for a year and a half and that they had a child who was currently being taken care of by a woman relative at her Salmiya apartment. The domestic worker was summoned

for investigations, during which she admitted she had become pregnant two months into their illegal relationship and explained that she delivered the baby inside her employer’s house when he had gone out of Kuwait with his family. Police obtained the address of the suspect’s relative who, he said, was “fully aware” of the circumstances which led to the birth of the child she agreed to take care of. The couple will remain in custody pending legal procedures while police were trying to summon the male suspect’s relative.

Addict held A man who passed out because of a drug overdose at his family’s house was hospitalized and later landed in police’s custody when his condition stabilized. The Syrian youngster was taken to the Mubarak Hospital in an ambulance which reported to a South Surra house where he had fallen unconscious. The man soon regained consciousness and was arrested when he was discharged from the hospital. He will remain in custody pending further action.

Work mishap A worker died on Sunday when he fell off a height at the Grand Mosque maintenance site.

The Egyptian man was pronounced dead on the scene and his body was taken to the forensic department after the crime scene was examined.

An investigation was opened to determine the circumstances behind the case.

Youth programme listed under Kuwait development plan KUWAIT: Kuwaiti State Minister for Planning and Development and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Dr Rola Dashti said Sunday the national youth programme will be reviewed by her office ahead of its listing under the 2013-14 budget as part of the fiveyear development plan.

She said she had tasked a team to prepare a report on the 10 proposals — an initiative by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah — set forth by a recent national conference.

The assessment process will be conducted by a specialized legal team in coordination with the State Ministry for Youth Affairs following in the directions of HH the Prime

Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, said the minister in a statement.

Dashti praised the plans, noting that they “pay special recognition to caring for the youth community and identifying their needs and ambitions”, and that they “engage them (youth) in the carrying of responsibilities.”

Human resources, she said, “are one of the most important pillars of the development plan,” as they “create prosperity and social cohesion, which thus raises incomes and creates a bright future for the country.”

“These proposals also open the doors for ministries and state bodies to transform youth potentials into an effective and productive

foundation in the gross national product, instead of a demographic burden.”

“Most of the proposals reflected social demands that run in cohesion with the visions of the government, including enhancing national unity and social security, improving education and healthcare, supporting small enterprises and achieving economic, legal, administrative and human development all in under a precise timeframe,” she underlined.

The 10 proposals set forth by the March 13 conference underlined creating channels of communication between the political leadership and youth groups, engaging youth in society issues, upgrading the contributions of youth to

national unity, identifying the concerns and challenges youth are faced with and developing ways to enhance their ambitions, seeking the views of youth in government development programmes and plans and training promising future young decision-makers that will take hold of development policies.

These proposals also include encouraging youth initiatives and innovation, strengthening the national Kuwaiti identity by developing national cohesion and combating radicalism and fanaticism and abandoning group sectarianism and encouraging freedom of expression while respecting dialogue ethics and individual opinions. — KUNA

20 rescued from Fahaheel building

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Firefighters rescued 20 people, including children, from a residential building in Fahaheel area where they were trapped when a fire broke out, security sources said.

Some of the people who suffered suffo-

cation due to heavy smoke fumes were rushed to the hospital. Ten ambulances were on standby as firemen fought the flames after first rescuing the trapped people, and brought the fire under control in a very short time. More than one fire centers participated in fighting the fire which was caused by short circuit.

Ministry completes ‘unified media’ draft law KUWAIT: The “unified media” draft law, which “regulates the role of electronic media and social networking websites on the national scale” has been completed, said Kuwait’s minister of information on Sunday.

“The draft law aims to be the main source of legislation for awareness to receivers of information. This will reflect positively on the use of these forms of media,” Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah told reporters at the opening of the First Technology and Social Networking Forum.

“Placing any regulations or legislations aims primarily to support mediums and media platforms, thus achieving

benefit for the society, serving the privacy of the Kuwaiti society and maintaining the sanctity of intellectual property rights,” he added.

Meanwhile, head of the forum Dr Adnan Al-Sultan said that the event “aims to create a platform for discussion and intellectual enrichment on the importance of social networking sites and their impacts on every aspect of day-today life, due to the local as well as international significance of the matter.”

The event is set to include a dual-gender discussion forum for the youth community of the Gulf, attended by distinguished guests from the US, Australia, Egypt and Jordan, he added. — KUNA

Sharjah ruler honors Kuwaiti actor SHARJAH: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al-Qasimi, ruler of Sharjah Emirate and member of the UAE Supreme Council, inaugurated on Sunday night the 23rd edition of Sharjah Drama Days Festival.

He granted Abdulhussein Abdulredha, a Kuwaiti star of stage and screen, the Sharjah award for Arab theatrical creativity 2013.

Speaking after the opening ceremony of the event, Abdulredha expressed great joy for the honoring. He thanked Sheikh Dr Sultan for “encouraging all artists across the

Arabian Gulf region to offer more achievements.” “Despite the great responsibilities he shoulders, Sheikh Dr Sultan is always keen on promoting culture and arts across the Arab region,” he said.

The ceremony opened with reading of Arabic lyrical poems, and then Sheikh Dr. Sultan announced the names of celebrities to be honored, including Dr Khalifa Al-Hajeri, prof. at Kuwait’s Higher Institute for Dramatic Arts. Director of the UAE Culture and Information Department Abdulmon’em Al-Owais

addressed the gathering before Sheikh Dr Sultan honored Abdulredha amid rapturous applause from the audience.

Born in 1939, Abdulredha is a well-known drama actor who offered great contributions to the promotion of drama in the Gulf and Arab countries over the last decades since 1961.

The activities of the first day of the 10-day festival feature “the dictator,” a Lebanese play written by Esam Mahfoudh and directed by Lina Abyadh. — KUNA

KUWAIT: On the occasion of the unified GCC traffic week, First Lt Shareefa Hussain Haider, an officer in the security media at the Ministry of Interior, gave a lecture titled “Our aim is your safety” at the Um Al Baneen Girls Elementary School at Firdous. The lecture was organized by Arabic language department under the supervision of the school principal, Mariam Al-Shaleemi, and teacher Afrah Al-Mutairi.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

World leaders in Rome for pope inaugural mass

Washington condemns UN business class lifestyle Page 8

Page 9

RAMALLAH: A Palestinian woman walks past vandalized posters showing US President Barack Obama, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. When he visits the region next week President Obama will find a disillusioned Palestinian public, skeptical about his commitment to promoting Mideast peace, and who accuse him of unfairly favoring Israel. — AP

Chastened Obama returns to Mideast US military omnipotence ‘punctured as a myth’

News

in brief

Oman court frees 8 activists MUSCAT: Oman’s appeal court has freed on bail eight out of 11 jailed demonstrators pending a retrial ordered by the Supreme Court after they staged a hunger strike against their imprisonment, their lawyer said yesterday. The men, convicted of forming an illegal gathering, were jailed last year in a security crackdown after protests in the Gulf Arab sultanate inspired

by Arab uprisings elsewhere. They were sentenced to 18 months in prison after being detained at protests over unemployment and corruption. “The supreme court has ordered the appeal court to release on bail the eight activists until a new trial is announced. They are out today,” Khalifa Al-Hinai, their lawyer said. Those freed paid bail of 200 rials ($520) while the three still in prison were awaiting the Supreme Court’s orders, Hinai said, adding that no date had been set for the retrial. Oman’s Supreme Court on March 4 ordered a retrial after the group went on hunger strike for several days in February to press their case that their imprisonment was unlawful. A higher court had earlier rejected their requests for an appeal.

Blast kills 7 in Mogadishu MOGADISHU: An explosives-laden car that apparently was targeting a truck full of Somali government officials instead hit a civilian car and exploded, setting a nearby mini-bus on fire and killing at least seven people yesterday, police and witnesses said. Flames and smoke rose over the explosion as emergency vehicles drove to the scene. The blast happened close to the Somali government’s headquarters. Mohamed Abdi, a police officer who was injured in the blast, said it appeared that the target of the attack was a truck of Somali intelligence officials. Abdi Mohamud Aden, a Somali police captain, said at least seven people were killed and 10 wounded. He said that number could rise. A journalist who was wounded in the blast while sitting in a nearby restaurant said several people inside the restaurant were injured. The militant group Al-Shabab has continued to carry out terror attacks in Somalia’s capital since being pushed out of Mogadishu in late 2011.

‘Qaeda’ attack kills 30 BAGHDAD: A brazen attack on the Iraqi justice ministry claimed by Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate killed 30 people and wounded 50, state TV quoted justice minister Hassan Al-Shammari as saying yesterday. Security and medical officials had previously put the toll from the March 14 violence at 18 killed and 30 wounded. The attack involved a series of mid-day bombings in central Baghdad’s Allawi neighborhood, adjacent to the heavily-fortified Green Zone, which is home to key government facilities and the American and British embassies. As the bombs went off, militants stormed the ministry complex, clashing with security forces.

Accounts differed as to the success of the attack, but one official said two insurgents managed to detonate suicide vests inside the ministry building. Violence in Iraq has decreased from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, killing 220 people in February, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials.

WASHINGTON: When Barack Obama last went to the Middle East, he bore a soaring speech for the ages. This time, he says he’s just going to listen and will carry no grand plans. Obama will visit Israel, the West Bank and Jordan this week on his first visit as president, four years after asking in Cairo for a “new beginning” for America with the Muslim world.

In that seminal speech in 2009, Obama brimmed with ambition, telling hard truths to Arabs but also daringly conceded faults of US behavior. He also promised to work for Israeli-Palestinian peace with “all the patience and dedication that the task requires.” Tomorrow, with a failed peace effort to show for his pains, Obama will arrive in Jerusalem on what experts see as a “maintenance trip” without a new peace initiative.

“My goal on this trip is to listen,” Obama told Israeli television today, saying he wanted to hear ideas from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leaders Mahmud Abbas and Salam Fayyad. Given his limited goals, questions are being asked as to why Obama is going at all, other than to check a political box after being criticized for not visiting key ally Israel in his first term. But, by going now, Obama can bill the trip as a chance to reconnect on key challenges like Iran and Syria as he starts a second term and Netanyahu begins his new mandate.

Had he waited a year, questions about absent ‘deliverables’ would have been even more acute. Obama may share frustration common to several of his predecessors: sources said he told Jewish community leaders privately last week he cannot want peace more than the parties themselves. But conditions for a resumption of the “peace process” are hardly ripe, in Israel or the Palestinian territories and outside Middle Eastern powers may be too preoccupied to play a useful role.

Egypt, under the Muslim Brotherhood, is more hostile to Israel, at least publicly, and is trying to keep a lid on its own internal turmoil. Syria is imploding and in no shape to weigh in on mechanics of a regional peace. And Saudi Arabia, spooked by political uproar around its borders, has an ailing king and brewing succession intrigue. While Obama’s visit may be welcomed as a symbolic sign of engagement by his hosts, his regional audience will be less receptive than four years ago.

“I think the administration wasted three valuable years after Cairo,” said Marwan Muasher, a former Jordanian foreign minister now with the Carnegie Endowment in Washington. “They raised expectations to an unprecedented level, but then they didn’t follow up.” What Obama could not have known in Cairo was that the region was on the cusp of monumental political change with unprecedented uprisings against autocratic rulers. In 2009, Washington looked at Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, as a potential dialogue partner, Muammar Gaddafi still ruled Libya, and the United States had an ally in long-ruling autocrat Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

Now Assad is a blood-soaked pariah, usurped Gaddafi died humiliated and Mubarak was toppled. Iran’s nuclear drive, broiling political change and Syria’s agony now preoccupy the region more than Arab-Israeli peace. Obama has had to navigate the challenges of the Arab awakening which tore up a generation of US Middle East strategy, leaving Washington with less leverage. “There are many dynamics and trends that are beyond the control of the United States or the influence of the United States or any other actor,” said Haim Malka, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Obama was also dealt a tough hand. The idea of US military omnipotence was punctured as a myth when Washington got bogged down in Iraq-ironically Obama will visit the region 10 years after the invasion to oust Saddam Hussein. There is also a perception in the region that US power projection is compromised by financial woes-reflected in the decision to postpone a Gulf deployment by the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.—AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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

Yemenis launch historic national talks SANAA: Yemen, the only country where an Arab Spring revolt led to a negotiated settlement, launched yesterday a UN-backed national dialogue aimed at paving the way towards a new constitution and elections. The talks are, however, being boycotted by hardline southern factions who staged a general strike and protests in the port city of Aden on Sunday against the initiative.

The dialogue, scheduled to run six months, brings together 565 representatives of Yemen’s various political groups-from secessionists in the south to Zaidi Shiite rebels in the north, in addition to civil society representatives.

They aim to draft a new constitution and prepare for general elections in February 2014, after a two-year transition led by President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi.

The dialogue was being held as per the UN-brokered deal that eased former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh out of office following an 11-month uprising against his 33-year rule. The talks, originally scheduled to start in mid-November, were delayed mainly due to the refusal of factions in the Southern Movement-

campaigning for autonomy or secession for the formerly independent south-to join the talks.

Most factions have finally agreed to take part after months of negotiations and under UN pressure. But the movement’s hardliners led by South Yemen’s former president Ali Salem Al-Baid have dug in their heels, insisting instead on negotiations between two independent states in the north and south. On Sunday, thousands of their supporters protested against the national dialogue, demanding that their region be seceded from the north.

Protesters carrying placards saying, “No dialogue under occupation!, Independence is our choice!” demonstrated in the port city of Aden waving flags of the formerly independent South Yemen which was united with the north in 1990. “We are here by the thousands to reject the dialogue as it is an issue of northerners and those southerners who are involved in it do not represent the people,” Khaled Junaidi, an activist said.

On February 15, the United Nations voiced support for the national dialogue and threatened

sanctions against any party impeding the talks, mainly referring to Saleh and Baid. Despite his ouster, Saleh remains head of the formerly ruling General People’s Congress Party (GPC). But a source from the dialogue’s preparatory committee said that he will not represent his party at the talks, in which it has been granted the lion’s share of seats with 112 representatives.

Yemeni Nobel peace laureate Tawakkul Karman, an icon of the uprising against Saleh’s rule, also boycotted the dialogue in protest at what she said is the marginalization of the youth and the participation of Saleh-era officials. “I will not participate in the dialogue, due to the obvious imbalance in the representation of the youths, women and civil society groups and the participation of people who have the blood of the revolution youth on their hands,” she said.

Karman also criticized the government for not applying the full terms of the UN-backed agreement which stipulates restructuring security apparatus. “This was not the dialogue we had called for. We will work outside the dia-

SANAA: Yemeni participants attend the opening of the National Dialogue Conference in Sanaa yesterday. — AP logue to press the transitional have mounted repeated uprisings sent his party at the conference in government and president to in the far north since 2004, have protest against the Zaidis being achieve our demands including clashed with Sunni Salafists in handed most seats representing the northern Saada province, the reunification of the army, the northern Yemen.

They are both taking part in organizers said. release of detainees, and a probe The Southern Movement is into the crackdown” on anti-Saleh the dialogue. But influential tribal chief Hamid al-Ahmar, who heads represented at the talks by 85 protesters in 2011.

In addition to the southern the powerful Sunni Islamist Al- seats while the Zaidi rebels have question, Zaidi Shiite rebels, who Islah (reform) Party, will not repre- 35 representatives. — AFP

4 Lebanese Sunni sheikhs beaten up in Shiite areas Lebanon’s Grand Mufti demands swift action

ISTANBUL: Head of the new Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces Mouaz Al-Khatib (second left) speaks with other unidentified members, during a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey yesterday. — AP

Syrian opposition meets to choose prime minister ISTANBUL: Syria’s opposition coalition met in Istanbul yesterday to choose their first prime minister, tasked with running daily life in large swathes of territory freed from regime control but mired in chaos and poverty. A former Syrian agriculture minister, an economist and a communications executive lead the race ahead of a vote here by the umbrella Syrian National Coalition that could change the course of Syria’s civil war.

The opposition premier’s first task would be to appoint an interim government, which would be based inside parts of Syria freed from the control of Damascus. While it would boost the opposition’s credibility, a rebel government would reduce chances of dialogue with the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. The Coalition cautioned that there is no guarantee that the election will take place as scheduled, with the process having been postponed before.

“Nobody can guarantee that there will be a vote in today and tomorrow’s meeting, but there is a big chance it will happen,” Coalition member Samir Nashar said.

On the ground in Syria, opinion is divided between residents desperate for basic services and the rule of law and those who feel the coalition is ill-suited to choose a competent administration. “The Coalition is not close enough to the ground to have a real sense of the needs here,” Aleppo-based activist Abu Hisham said.

Matar Ismail, an activist in Damascus, disagreed, saying there was “a real need in the liberated areas for better administration of daily life”. “There are more than 10 million Syrians in liberated territories who need education and health services,” coalition spokesman Walid Al-Bunni said. “But should

there not be an election, there will be a need for more discussion with (rebel) local councils and the Free Syrian Army groups fighting in Syria,” he added. Out of the 12 candidates, opposition sources said former agriculture minister Asaad Mustapha, economist Osama Kadi, and communications executive Ghassan Hitto were frontrunners for the vote. Kadi and Hitto had a better chance than Mustapha of winning the group’s consensus, the Coalition’s Nashar said.

Should they reach a consensus, those gathering in Istanbul are likely to pick a good administrator with long-standing ties to the uprising. The Coalition agrees that the premier and his government would have to be based inside Syria, Khaled AlSaleh told reporters. “A Skype government is not going to work,” he said. “I can say that around 60 out of 73 Coalition members wants a government to be formed,” Saleh added. Nations backing the rebels, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are likely to influence the choice.

“The prime minister must be a man who is completely with the revolution, and it is better that it be someone who was in Syria until recently,” opposition figure Haytham Al-Maleh said. “There’s a push to ensure the interim prime minister is a technocrat,” another Coalition member said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Aleppo-born Kadi, founder of the Syrian Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Washington, is favored for his technocratic background, as is Hitto, who has lived in the United States for decades. Mustapha brings eight years of experience as a minister under Syria’s former president Hafez AlAssad. — AFP

Washington blasts UN business class lifestyle UNITED NATIONS: The United States is taking aim at “excessive” business class air travel by UN staff as it presses a campaign to restrain the global body’s multi-billion dollar budget. Complaints by the United States and other cash-strapped western nations have been bolstered by revelations that nearly three quarters of the money spent on air fares at UN headquarters goes on business class.

That is “clearly unjustifiable,” said Joseph Torsella, the US envoy who since 2011 has been leading a US war on “waste” at the UN. Rules on business class travel are “out of whack” and the failure to enact “common sense and overdue reforms is creating a system that is ripe for abuse,” the US envoy for UN management and reform said.

The United Nations spent at least $769 million of its general budget of more than $5 billion in 2010-11 on moving officials and staff around the world, according to UN figures. The peacekeeping department, which has its own budget, spent another $200 million. Some $54 million of the $74 million of air tickets bought at the main headquarters in New York and Geneva were business class. Diplomats say the figure is probably much higher as no clear figures

have been given. “There are series of loopholes that are just on the face of it crazy,” Torsella said. Most UN staff travel under a 1990 system where a lump sum of 75 percent of the full economy class fare can be given. UN auditors estimate that this now costs 83 percent more than current regular fares. The UN has about 30 different outside travel agencies and so does not get economies of scale and hardly uses online booking, Torsella said. UN staff can claim business class for any trip of nine hours, even if they arrange a stopover to make it longer. The US government only allows business class for 14 hours in the air. Torsella also questions giving UN staff a daily living allowance for time spent flying.

“When you look at these things, the business class use, the lump sum, the daily subsistence allowance, these loopholes, the conclusion seems inescapable that taxpayers are not getting value for their dollars and neither is the UN,” said the US official. UN leader Ban Ki-moon last year recommended just “encouraging” greater use of teleconferences, that anyone going to a training course should fly economy and ending the daily allowance for time in the air. — AFP

BEIRUT: Four Sunni Muslim scholars were beaten up in two separate attacks in Beirut on Sunday night, testing a fragile peace between the sects and factions that fought Lebanon’s 15year civil war. Mazen Hariri and Ahmed Fekhran, both scholars at Lebanon’s highest Sunni seat of learning, Dar Al-Fatwa, were attacked by a group of men in the mainly Shiite Khandak Al-Ghamik area after they left the Mohammed Al-Amin mosque in downtown Beirut, security sources said yesterday. Ibrahim Abdul-Latif and Omar Imani, also Sunni scholars, were assaulted in Shiyah, a Shiite district in southern Beirut.

The two main Shiite parties in Lebanon, the militant Hezbollah group and Amal, were quick to condemn the attacks and handed over five suspects to security forces, the sources said.

They said the five men had been under the influ-

ence of drugs. The extent of the injuries inflicted on the Sunni sheikhs was not clear, but a photo of two of them posted on Facebook showed one in a neck brace and the other with a bruised face.

Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990 but its political system remains based on sectarian allegiances and the country is plagued by occasional clashes between militant groups and vitriolic rhetoric from some politicians. Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani said yesterday the attacks were the result of a “political war”

by Sunni and Shiite leaders. He described condemnations of the perpetrators as insufficient and demanded swift action.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a Sunni, said on his Twitter account that the assailants would be held accountable as countrywide protests briefly

Iran ‘bridging divide’ between Obama and Bibi JERUSALEM: While US President Barack Obama’s visit may not ease his frosty relationship with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, the fear of a nuclear Iran will compel the two to transcend their differences, officials say. Obama’s much-anticipated trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories-his first since becoming president more than four years ago-begins tomorrow, just days after the Israeli prime minister’s new cabinet was finalized.

Although ties between Israel and Washington remain close, the rapport between the two leaders has been markedly chilly over the last four years with a very public show of differences on both the peace process and how to prevent Iran from achieving military nuclear capabilities. Netanyahu has demanded the White House draw a “red line” for Iran, which if crossed could bring down a military strike, warning the UN General Assembly in September that Tehran could have enough fissile material for a bomb by the summer.

Obama ignored the demand, but last week appeared to soften a little, finally using the term in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 television, and saying he believed it would take Iran “over a year or so” to develop a nuclear weapon. The American president also went to great lengths to show he had a good working relation with “Bibi”-Netanyahu’s nickname-a term he used multiple times in the interview.

“I’ve met with Bibi more than with any other world leader.” he said. “There have been times where Bibi and I have had differences but as I said, the relationship between the two countries is so strong, between its people is so strong that I think that any differences in policy-not personal, but policy differences-end up being bridged and resolved.” The question of how to handle Tehran’s nuclear ambitions will force the two together, and Israeli officials say the visit will be a crucial opportunity for Netanyahu and Obama to work out the specifics of their stance on Iran.

IRAN TOP OF AGENDA “The Iranian issue will be at the top of the agenda when the president meets the prime minister,” an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity. “It’s clear that despite the international pressure, despite sanctions and diplomacy-the Iranians still proceed rapidly towards creating enough fissile material for a bomb, and they must be stopped,” he said, rejecting the notion that personal tensions could get in the way. “As far as personal relations go, there is nothing that would prevent them from doing so,” he said. “Both of them understand the historic importance of this.” Danny Ayalon, Israel’s envoy to Washington from 2002-2006 and until recently the deputy foreign minister, said neither leader would allow personal issues to get the upper hand.

“Past differences are simply irrelevant, the same way they haven’t influenced relations between the US and Israel, which in recent years have deepened and flourished,” he said, citing US funding of the Iron Dome missile defense system as the “tip of the iceberg.” “Leaders of states are pragmatic people; politics and diplomacy are the art of what is possible,” he said. “The map of interests do not change, ethos do not change.” Ayalon noted the immense significance to Obama’s choice of making Israel the first foreign tour of his second term.

“Differences of the past do not matter, if there ever were such,” he said. — AFP

erupted late on Sunday night. The two-year-old conflict in neighboring Syria - which pits mainly Sunni Muslims against President Bashar AlAssad, who comes from the Shiite-derived Alawite sect - has deepened divisions in Lebanon between some Sunnis and Shiites.

Lebanon-based political scientist Hilal Khashan said Syria could be implicated in the attacks as it had warned Lebanese groups not to support the uprising against Assad. “These were two coordinated attacks.

The fact that Hezbollah and Amal were quick to condemn the attacks means they wanted to dissociate themselves,” he said.

“There are those in the region that want to destabilize the country, such as the Syrian regime.” There was no immediate comment from officials in Damascus. — Reuters

Saddam specter lives on in Iraqi landmarks BAGHDAD: The soaring half domes of the Martyr Monument stand out against the drabness of eastern Baghdad, not far from where Saddam Hussein’s feared eldest son was said to torture underperforming athletes. Saddam built the split teardropshaped sculpture in the middle of a manmade lake in the early 1980s to commemorate Iraqis killed in the Iran-Iraq War. The names of hundreds of thousands of fallen Iraqi soldiers are inscribed in simple Arabic script around the base.

Today the monument stands as a memorial to a different sort of martyr. In recent years, the Shiite-led government has begun turning it into a museum honoring the overwhelmingly Shiite and Kurdish victims of Saddam’s Sunni-dominated but largely secular regime.

The transformation of the Martyr Monument and other Saddam-era sites highlights Iraq’s effort to memorialize those persecuted by the former dictator and purge many symbols of his rule. Yet a decade on from the US-led invasion, Iraqis still grapple with the country’s postwar identity and how much should be done to cleanse Iraq of traces of the strongman.

It is a tricky balancing act that risks exacerbating Iraq’s already strained sectarian tensions. Many Iraqi Sunnis today feel their sect has been marginalized and unfairly persecuted by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki’s government. For Baghdad, the historical clean-up effort has the added benefit of ridding Iraq of many uncomfortable references to war with Shiite heavyweight Iran, an increasingly important ally.

The Martyr Monument now features mannequins striking gruesome, if not particularly convincing, poses to display firingsquad executions and the unearthing of

mass graves. Also depicted here are the poison-gas killings of some 5,000 Kurds by Saddam’s forces in the northern town of Halabja 25 years ago this month. Kifah Haider, spokesman for the governmentbacked Establishment of Martyrs, which oversees the site, denied that the museum gives preference to certain victims over others.

“We wanted to document the crimes of the former regime,” he said. “It’s so this generation learns about the crimes they didn’t have to live through.” The site plays up the majority Shiites’ role in opposing Saddam’s rule. Images of turbaned Shiite clerics, including many family members and political allies of Iraq’s postwar political elite, gaze down upon visitors. One banner depicts alMaliki signing Saddam’s execution order.

Posters show hellish fires superimposed on photos of the ousted leader.

The Martyr Monument is located some 2.5 miles from Firdous Square, where 10 years ago on live television US Marines memorably hauled down a Soviet-style statue of Saddam, symbolically ending his rule.

Today, that pedestal in central Baghdad stands empty. Bent iron beams sprout from the top, and posters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in military fatigues are pasted on the sides. But Saddam’s grandiose creations live on elsewhere.

The crossed-sword archways he commissioned during Iraq’s nearly eight-year war with Iran stand defiantly on a little-used parade ground inside the Green Zone, the fortified district that houses the sprawling US Embassy and several government offices.

Iraqi officials began tearing down the archways in 2007 but quickly halted those plans and then started restoring the monument two years ago. — AP

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi soldier stands guard at the crossed-swords monument in Baghdad, Iraq. — AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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

UN arms treaty talks resume amid hurdles UNITED NATIONS: Talks resumed yesterday on a United Nations treaty to regulate the sale of conventional arms-amid roadblocks put up by some of the world’s key players. After four weeks of negotiations failed in July, the 193 members of the global body will again attempt to hammer out an accord that could force states to assess, before making a sale, whether weapons will be used for human rights violations, terrorism or organized crime.

But hurdles loom large since major arms producers and buyers have fought to chip away at the sales conditions and even to exclude whole categories from the treaty.

The United States, for one, refuses to include ammunition. China wants to protect its small arms, and Russia opposes including gifts and transfers of arms that could be made to an ally. The US State Department reaffirmed Friday that it is against any treaty that includes ammunition because of the financial and administrative burden of keeping checks.

“The United States is steadfast in its commitment to achieve a strong and effective Arms Trade Treaty,” said Secretary of State John Kerry. But he added that his country, the world’s top arms producer, could only agree on a “treaty that addresses international transfers of conventional arms solely.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-

moon meanwhile called for a treaty that includes ammunition. “It is our collective responsibility to put an end to the inadequate regulation of the global trade in conventional weapons-from small arms to tanks to combat aircraft,” he said.

Eighteen Nobel Peace Prize winners, including former US president Jimmy Carter and South African campaigner Desmond Tutu, sent a letter to US President Barack Obama saying he had a “moral duty” to seek a strong treaty. Lobby groups have criticized the existing draft, which does not include ammunition, spare parts and components, arms intended for police use, drones or military helicopters. Twelve billion bullets worth $4.3 billion are made each year, according to Oxfam. The United States produces half of them and the compromise accord drawn up last year only mentioned ammunition in an annex to the proposed treaty. As talks were about to get underway, Amnesty International urged action by pointing to conflicts in Syria, Mali and elsewhere. “Syria, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sri Lanka are just a few recent examples where the world bore witness to the horrific human cost of a reckless global arms trade steeped in secrecy,” Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s secretary general, said in a statement. — AFP

British politicians ‘reach deal on press regulation’ LONDON: British politicians have reached a deal on a new system of regulation for the press after overnight talks designed to avoid a parliamentary showdown, the opposition Labor party said yesterday. Labor deputy leader Harriet Harman said a compromise had been agreed that would protect the new system, sparked by the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World, from interference by ministers.

“There is agreement,” Harman told BBC radio, adding that it would be put to members of the House of Commons later. Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party, his Liberal Democrat junior coalition partners and Labor have been locked in talks for months on a new system of self-regulation for the press. But Cameron called a halt to the talks last week, saying the differences between his Tories on the one side and the Lib Dems and Labor on the other were irreconcilable. While details on the new agreement are scant, it appears that both sides are likely to be able to claim victory on the key sticking point of whether the regulation

should be underpinned by law. Labor and the Lib Dems want statutory regulation as recommended by the Leveson inquiry, which Cameron commissioned in 2011 to look into press ethics following the voicemail hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s now closed News of the World tabloid.

But the prime minister warned that this would pose an unacceptable risk to press freedom, and instead proposed that a new press watchdog be set up under a royal charter, a special document used to establish organizations such as the Bank of England and the BBC. He proposed to put his plans to a House of Commons vote yesterday, but amid signs that he would lose, representatives of all three parties launched a weekend push for a deal. Under the agreement outlined by Harman, the new press watchdog would be established under a royal charter.

But this charter would be protected by a completely separate piece of legislation stating that all royal charters can only be modified by a two-thirds majority of the House of Commons. — AFP

World leaders head to Rome for pope’s inaugural mass India sends ‘gang-rape suspect’ VATICAN CITY: World leaders arrived in Rome ahead of an inauguration mass for Pope Francis who received compatriot President Cristina Kirchner of Argentina yesterday in his first meeting with a head of state. The first pontiff from Latin America had testy relations with Kirchner when he was Buenos Aires’ archbishop, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, particularly over gay marriage and abortion laws.

The pope has won hearts with his humble style but is haunted by criticism at home for failing to speak out during Argentina’s brutal “Dirty War” when he was head of the country’s Jesuits.

The Vatican has firmly denied claims that he failed to protect two Jesuit priests who were tortured by the 1976-1983 regime, saying that he had in fact protected lives during the dictatorship. Francis’s reign is already proving groundbreaking with an informal style that is not customary in the Vatican’s austere halls of power.

He has called for a “poor Church for the poor”, has warned cardinals against worldly glories and has said the Church could crumble away “like a sand castle” without spiritual renewal. The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics will be formally enthroned Tuesday at a mass in St Peter’s Square, with city authorities preparing for an influx of up to a million people to Rome.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault are among European leaders set to attend, along with EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe flew into Rome yesterday, sidestepping a travel ban that applies to the EU but not to the sovereign Vatican City state.

Mugabe has been widely criticized for human rights abuses in the southern African country he has ruled uninterrupted since 1980. As he arrived, there was fresh controversy in Zimbabwe over the arrest of four of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s aides and a prominent human rights lawyer. A practicing Catholic, the 89-year-old Mugabe visited the Vatican previously in 2011 for the beatification of late pope John Paul II. In 2005, he attended John Paul II’s funeral on a visit that drew controversy after Britain’s Prince Charles shook hands with him. US Vice President Joe Biden, also a practicing Catholic, arrived late Sunday to represent Washington at the event precipitated by the shock resignation of Francis’s predecessor Benedict XVI. The pope’s meeting with Kirchner will be closely watched as a first diplomatic test.

Upon Bergoglio’s surprise election as pontiff, Kirchner tersely wished him a “fruitful pastoral mission”, noting that he had “tremendous responsibility on his shoulders, seeking justice,

Congo ‘rape doctor’ in new campaign against violence KINSHASA: A gynecologist renowned for his work in treating thousands of rape victims, Denis Mukwege has begun a new crusade against widespread sexual violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Why were these crimes settled within six months in Bosnia and yet persist for 15 years in the DR Congo?”

Mukwege asked this week in Kinshasa when he launched his awareness campaign.

“The solution will come from taking charge of the causes of this violence.” Mukwege, who recently returned from exile in Europe, where he fled after an assassination attempt, runs the Panzi hospital in Bukavu, the capital of strife-torn South Kivu province. According

Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege to the surgeon, while the year 2011 saw a gradual decrease in violence against women, in 2012 and the first months of 2013, an average of 300 women a month arrived at his specialized unit.

Mukwege describes rape as “a weapon of war” in the hands of the Congolese armed forces, rebels and the numerous militias fighting over local control and the rich natural resources in the east. Sexual violence is of “high concern” in a country that has been ravaged by conflict, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon wrote last month in his annual report on the DR Congo, where the United Nations maintains a mission of more than 19,000 military, police and civilian personnel (MONUSCO).

In the last two months of 2012, “MONUSCO recorded

cases of sexual violence involving at least 333 women, including 70 girls, that were allegedly committed by armed groups and national security forces,” Ban said.

Last November, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that “medical and psychosocial assistance had been provided to 2,193 victims, including 770 children,” according to the report.

Mukwege resumed his work at the Panzi hospital in January after an assassination bid in October last year, which led him to take refuge in Europe. Deeply moved, he said his patients had begun trying to raise money by selling vegetables at the market to pay for his return ticket.

They then endeavored to provide security measures because-contrary to announcements made in the West and by local authorities and the UN-no special steps were taken. Mukwege now lives in the hospital with his family. “My patients took charge of me,” he said, shorn of any illusions that special security would be provided in a region wracked by violence for 20 years. Dressed in a sober dark suit and tie, the 58-year-old doctor, who was trained at Angers in France, could pass for a local worthy or a politician, but he simply stated that “if every Congolese could understand that he is at the service of the nation, things would be better.”

WHAT KIND OF WORDS? He was responding to a local journalist who called him “a national hero”. Indeed, Mukwege has won several international awards, including the UN Human Rights Prize, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. But he considers that all credit should go to the women on whom he has operated, or “repaired”, in the words of a book about him by Belgian journalist Colette Braeckman called “L’homme qui repare les femmes” (“The man who repairs women”).

“They leave the hospital with $20 (15 euros) and we find them a few months later with a home and children in school,” Mukwege told journalists. “Without their courage, our team would sink into despondency. “Their capacity to adapt, to fight for their rights and those of their children has no equal.” “At the hospital we encourage them, but what kind of words can we use when we see them coming for the second or third time?” he asked, his eyes shining with tears.

“My first patient in 1999 had been raped by several people and they had shoved a weapon into her genitals and pulled the trigger. Her whole pelvis was destroyed. I thought this was the work of a madman, but by the end of the year, I had treated 45 similar cases. Today, we have 40,000 women in this kind of situation,” he said. “Rape is used as a weapon of war.... It destroys the social fabric, brings about a loss of collective identity, destroys all beliefs. It is wanton destruction,” he added.

“How can we look them in the eyes?” he was asked by a husband and father who witnessed the rape of his wife and daughters. Sometimes, in one percent of cases, men are raped. “Generally, that finishes badly”-with suicide, Mukwege said.

Faced with the serious condition of women who come for treatment at Bukavu often after a long and painful walk, the hospital is currently setting up a “onestop centre” system that brings it closer to the villages, shortens the wait for treatment, and aims to welcome patients swiftly, so that they do not have to tell their story several times. — AFP

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis welcomes Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner yesterday at the Vatican. — AFP equality, brotherhood and peace among mankind.” Kirchner will meet Francis in his modest apartment in the Vatican residence, Casa Santa Marta, where he was staying as cardinal during the conclave. He has yet to move into the main papal residence.

The new pope also faces a diplomatic minefield with the planned attendance of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, which sparked an angry response from Beijing. China, which bitterly opposes any steps that imply recognition of Taiwan by other countries, has also long had strained relations with the Vatican in a dispute about authority over Catholics in the country. In 2005 Taiwan’s then president Chen Shui-bian attended John Paul II’s funeral.

As expected, Francis is attracting a heavyweight turnout from Latin America, home to two in five of the world’s Catholics, although he has urged his compatriots to save their money and make donations to the poor instead of travelling.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla fighter, arrived in Rome and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is expected. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera was also in Rome and attended the pope’s first Sunday prayers.

CONTROVERSY IN INDIA India’s decision to send a politician dogged by rape allegations involving a schoolgirl to the pope’s inauguration was attacked yesterday by the victim’s family and opposition figures. PJ

Kurien, deputy chairman of the upper house of parliament, will lead the Indian delegation to the inauguration of Pope Francis today, despite questions about his alleged role in the gang-rape of a teenager in 1996.

The Catholic victim, then a 16-year-old schoolgirl, has accused Kurien of being one of 42 men who raped her after she was abducted and kept in custody for 40 days in the southern state of Kerala. Kurien, now 72, was acquitted of rape in a trial in 2005. But he has come under new pressure after his accuser demanded a fresh investigation following a storm over the deadly gangrape of a student in New Delhi last December.

A lower court rejected her petition for a new inquiry. But the resurfacing of the allegations has embarrassed the ruling Congress party, which promised to crack down on sex crimes after the Delhi attack. The victim’s father condemned the government’s decision to send Kurien, his wife and private secretary to Vatican City. “I am pained when I read the news. It’s certainly a disgrace for the new pope,” he said by phone from his home near the city of Kottayam, 80 miles from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala’s Catholics made up 19 percent of the state’s population, according to the 2001 census.

The gang-rape case has angered many in the state, with hundreds of protestors camping outside the state assembly for several days last month to try to force Kurien to resign from his parliamentary post. — Agencies

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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

GOP roadmap calls for immigration reform WASHINGTON: The Republican National Committee will formally endorse immigration reform on Monday and outline plans for a $10 million outreach to minority groups - gay voters among them - as part of a multistep roadmap designed to make the GOP more “welcoming and inclusive” for voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012.

“We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform,” says one recommendation in the 100page repor t obtained by The Associated Press before its official release. “If we do not, our par ty ’s appeal will continue to shrink.” The endorsement is among dozens of recommendations crafted by party leaders following a months-long self-examination prompted by last year’s painful election losses.

The report also calls on Republicans to take a harder line with corporate America, loosen political fundraising laws in Washington and in state capitals, and cut in half the number of candidate debates in a shortened 2016

presidential primary calendar. “When Republicans lost in November, it was a wakeup call,” Priebus says in prepared remarks to be delivered Monday at the National Press Club. The Republican National Committee’s shift on minority outreach may be the most visible change in the coming months.

Priebus plans to dispatch hundreds of paid workers into Hispanic, black and Asian communities across the nation by the end of the summer, a $10 million effort meant to rival President Barack Obama’s national political machine. The RNC will also push for a tone of “tolerance and respect” in the immigration debate, create “senior level advisory councils” focused on minority groups, and establish “swearing in citizenship teams” to connect with new voters immediately after swearing-in ceremonies. “We need to go to communities where Republicans do not normally go to listen and make our case,” the report says. “We need to campaign among Hispanic, black, Asian and gay Americans and demonstrate that we care about them, too.” The recommen-

dations will not be well received in all corners of the Republican Party. Some Republicans, Florida Sen Marco Rubio among them, are work ing towards bipartisan immigration reform that is likely to include a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants - sometimes called “amnesty.”

Conser vative commentator Ann Coulter ripped the idea in a speech to the Conser vative Political Action Conference over the weekend. “If amnesty goes through, America becomes California and no Republican will ever win another national election,” Coulter said, later adding, “I can see why Democrats would want amnesty, but why on earth are Marco Rubio and these endless Bushes supporting it?”

The RNC’s recommendations follow an extensive look at what went wrong in 2012. Priebus tapped a handful of respected party leaders to examine how the GOP could better talk with voters, raise money from donors and learn from Democrats’ tactics. The report also suggests that party officials could lean more on independent groups such as

super political action committees to fund television advertising campaigns, allowing the Republican National Committee to focus on strategy and contacting voters.

Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary under former president George W. Bush, and Sally Bradshaw, a veteran strategist and top adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, were among those leading the inquiry. Republican National Committeeman Henr y Barbour, a GOP strategist and nephew of former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, was also part of the group.

RNC members Zori Fonalledas of Puerto Rico and Glenn McCall of South Carolina rounded out the five-person committee that listened to Republicans’ ideas and frustrations.

Those leaders heard from 50,000 rank-and-file members about how to respond to the nation’s shifting demographics. Priebus planned a full-scale rollout of their recommendations Monday, although the proposals - particularly those affecting the presidential primary calendar - are far from a done

deal. They would have to win the approval of the 168-member RNC and then each state’s election chief would have to abide by the party’s proposed calendar.

The report recommends reducing the number of presidential primary debates to approximately 10 to 12, with the first scheduled no earlier than Sept.

1, 2015. It calls for the primary calendar to begin with the traditional “carve out” states - such as Iowa and New Hampshire - before moving to a major reorganization, such as a “regional primary system” finished by mid-May. While there was much focus on the nuts and bolts of politics, the report also offers extensive recommendations for how Republicans communicate with voters. The report also calls for the GOP to take a harder line with corporations.

“We have to blow the whistle at corporate malfeasance and attack corporate welfare,” it says. “We should speak out when CEOs receive tens of millions of dollars in retirement packages but middle-class workers have not had a meaningful raise in years.”— AFP

Obama nominates Perez for Secretary of Labor Republican senator voices concerns

NEW YORK: In this file photo, Rev Al Sharpton (center) walks with thousands along Fifth Avenue, during a silent march to end the ‘stop-and-frisk’ program in New York. —AP

‘Stop and frisk’ challenge heads to US federal court NEW YORK: More than a hundred residents, police officers, scholars and lawmakers are expected to testify about the New York police department’s controversial tactic of stopping, questioning and sometimes frisking people on the street. Police have made about 5 million stops in the past decade of New Yorkers, mostly black and Hispanic men. The trial which began yesterday will include testimony from a dozen people who say they were targeted because of their race.

“We’re putting the NYPD on trial, and the stakes are the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers,” said Vincent Warren, director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which filed the suit in 2008 on behalf of four men who said they were wrongly stopped. The case has since become a class-action suit that seeks a courtappointed monitor to oversee changes to how the police make stops. The trial is expected to last more than a month.

Lawyers also plan to play hours of audio tapes made by Adrian Schoolcraft, an officer who was hauled off to a psych ward against his will after he said he refused to fill illegal quotas. His former bosses, including some reassigned after their statements were made public, are also expected. US District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin, who has already said in earlier rulings that she is deeply concerned about stop and frisk, is not being asked to ban the tactic, since it has been found to be legal. But she does have the power to order reforms, which could bring major changes to how the nation’s largest police force and other departments use the tactic.

Street stops have become a New York flashpoint, with mass demonstrations, city council hearings, mayoral candidates calling for reform, and, most recently, days of

protests following the fatal police shooting of a teen who authorities say pulled out a gun during a stop. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly say it is a necessary, life-saving, crime-fighting tool that helps keep illegal guns off the street, and has helped New York reach all-time crime lows.

“All of the NYPD’s policing practices including making arrests, conducting investigations, and detaining and questioning people who act suspiciously - are directed at preventing crime and promoting public safety citywide,” said city Law Department attorney Celeste Koeleveld. Street stops increased substantially in the mid-1990s, when, faced with overwhelming crime, then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani made stop-and-frisk an integral part of the city’s law enforcement, relying on the “broken windows” theory that targeting lowlevel offenses helps prevent bigger ones.

Stops rose, and overall crime dropped dramatically in a city that once had the highest murder rate in the US. There were only 419 murders in 2012, the lowest since similar record-keeping began in the 1960s, down from more than 2,000 in the 1990s. And there were 531,159 people stopped, more than five times the number when Bloomberg took office a decade ago. Fifty-one percent of those stopped were black, 32 percent Hispanic and 11 percent white.

According to US Census figures, there are 8.2 million people in the city: 26 percent are black, 28 percent are Hispanic and 44 percent are white. About half of the people are just questioned. Others have their bag or backpack searched. And sometimes police conduct a full pat-down. Only 10 percent of all stops result in arrest, and a weapon is recovered a fraction of the time.—AP

Glimmers of hope for troubled newspapers WASHINGTON: The US newspaper industry is seeing some glimmers of hope after being battered for years, a prominent study concluded yesterday. While the industry is about half the size it once was, there are some positive signs, including new revenue streams from digital paywalls and a general economic improvement which is aiding newspapers, the study found.

“For the first time since the deep recession that began in 2007, newspaper organizations have grounds for a modicum of optimism,” said the authors of the study by the Pew Research Center ’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. The 2013 State of the News Media report said newspapers “have started to experiment in a big way with a variety of new revenue streams and major organizational changes.”

Some of these, such as using social media to help advertisers, are too new to be measured, but are part of a trend which suggests stabilizing revenue, the researchers said. Among other positive signs, the report said: Digital pay plans have been adopted at 450 of the 1,380 dailies US and “appear to be working not just at The New York Times but also at small and midsized papers.” These are helping add new revenues and reduce dependence on advertising.

Publicly traded newspaper companies saw their share prices rise in 2012, albeit from a reduced base, with several up 30 percent or more. Newspapers coming onto the market are finding buyers. Among the notable investors are Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway bought a group of 63 newspapers and several others. The modest improvement in the economy has eased pressures on the industry, with auto advertising reviving and real estate and employment ads recovering in some markets as well.

Nonetheless, the authors say these positives “are, for the time being, mostly promise rather than performance” and that the basic indicators remain grim. Print advertising fell for a sixth consecutive year in 2012 by a significant 7.3 percent or $1.5 billion.

National advertising is especially weak, suggesting that corporations are shifting to other platforms. The Pew research shows digital advertising now represents 15 percent of total newspaper ad revenue, but has grown anemically the past two years and does not come close to covering print ad losses.

The study indicates newsrooms are still being slashed and that readership from mobile platforms is failing to generate significant revenues. —AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama yesterday nominated Tom Perez, head of the Justice Departmentís Civil Rights Division, as his next labor secretary, a White House official said. Perez, a Harvard-educated civil rights attorney whose nomination was championed by Hispanic groups, would replace Hilda Solis, who resigned in January.

Obama has been criticized for a lack of diversity in his Cabinet choices so far, particularly by Latinos, who are an influential voting bloc and have pushed for more representation in government. If confirmed by the Senate, Perez, the son of immigrants from the Dominican Republican, will take on a prominent role in the Cabinet as Obama seeks to raise the minimum wage and advance immigration reform, two key pledges he made at the beginning of his second term.

The White House described Perez as a pragmatist who led the Justice Department in settling three major cases on behalf of families targeted by unfair mortgage lending practices, and who stepped up enforcement of human trafficking laws. But Perez is expected to face tough scrutiny from Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has already voiced concerns.

An internal government investigation released last week found the Justice Department office that enforces voting laws - part of the civil rights division overseen by Perez - has been beset by political infighting. The report, by the Justice Departmentís Inspector General, was critical of Perez for what it called an incomplete statement he gave in 2010 about a case of alleged voter intimidation. Perez began his

PHOENIX: File photo shows United States Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez (left) during a news conference in Phoenix. — AP career as a civil rights prosecutor at the Justice Department, and later was head of the civil rights office at the Department of Health and Human Services.

He spent time working as a special counsel to the late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy on civil rights issues. Perez served in local govern-

ment in the Washington suburb of Montgomery County, Maryland. Later, he was labor secretary in Marylandís state government, where he worked on reforms for state lending and foreclosure rules. His wife, Ann Marie Staudenmaier, is a lawyer with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.— Reuters

inmates escape from Quebec jail in helicopter

SOUTH BEND: South Bend firefighters work at the scene where a plane crashed near the South Bend Regional Airport, in South Bend, Ind. — AP

2 die as jet crashes into Indiana neighborhood SOUTH BEND: Two people were killed when a private jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in northern Indiana and damaged three homes, becoming lodged in one of them, authorities said. The Beechcraft Premier I twin-jet flying out of Tulsa, Okla, hit the homes Sunday afternoon, heavily damaging the last one where the craft’s cracked tail and fuselage could be seen hanging from the side.

Two of four people aboard the plane were killed, Federal Aviation spokesman Roland Herwig said. The other two people aboard were injured, as was one person on the ground, South Bend Assistant Fire Chief John Corthier said late Sunday. “I was looking out my picture window,” said Mary Jane Klaybor, who lives across the street from the crash site. “This (plane) was coming straight at my house. I went, ‘Huh?’ and then there was a big crash, and all the insulation went flying.”

South Bend Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Maggie Scroope said three people injured in the crashed were being treated there; one was in serious condition and two were in fair condition. Corthier said officials believe everyone connected with the damaged homes had been accounted for and that there were no known missing people.

However, crews had not fully searched two of the damaged houses because jet fuel and

structural damage had created a “very dangerous” scene, officials said.

The plane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC in Helena, Mont.

The company is owned by Wes Caves and does business as DigiCut Systems in Tulsa, Okla. It makes window film and paint overlay for automobiles. A woman identifying herself as Caves’ wife answered the phone at their home Sunday and said, “I think he’s dead,” before hanging up. Mike Daigle, executive director of the St Joseph County Airport Authority, said the jet attempted a landing about 4:15 pm, went back up and maneuvered south to try another landing, but eight minutes later the airport learned the plane was no longer airborne.

An engine company was en route to the airport when its members witnessed the crash, Corthier said. “Our arrival on the scene was immediate. Our working to get the occupants out started immediately. We were able to get some of the occupants out of the plane right away,” Corthier said. Part of the neighborhood southwest of the airport was evacuated after the crash, and electricity also was cut off as a precaution.

“I believe they said they’re going to have to tear down a portion of the house to make it stable. That probably won’t happen until (Monday),” Corthier said. Jet fuel inside another house posed a hazard, he said.— AP

SAINT-JEROME: Two Quebec inmates climbed up a rope into a hovering helicopter to make a daring daylight escape from a jail northwest of Montreal, authorities said, but one was later recaptured and the other surrounded by police. Quebec provincial police said they had arrested three people about 50 kilometers north of the Saint-Jerome jail from which the inmates escaped earlier on Sunday. One of those arrested was 36-year-old inmate Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau. Authorities late Sunday located the second inmate and said a security perimeter had been set up around the area where 33-year-old Danny Provencal was found.

Quebec Provincial Police Sgt Benoit Richard said just before midnight that negotiations were continuing. He could not say if Provencal was holed up in a house, commercial structure or some other type of building. “We are trying to meet with him and to have him surrender as soon as possible,” said Richard, who added that he had no knowledge of any possible hostages. Richard added that Provencal was presumed to be “armed and very dangerous.” Earlier on Sunday, police received a call from the staff at the Saint-Jerome jail, reporting the escape around 2:20 pm, Richard said.

The jail’s warden told police that Hudon-Barbeau and Provencal had grabbed a rope dropped from the helicopter to make their getaway, Richard said. Quebec provincial police tracked down the helicopter used in the escape on Sunday afternoon to Mont-Tremblant, about 53 miles away from the jail but only the chopper’s pilot was still at the scene. He was taken to a local hospital and was treated for shock, Richard said. He called the pilot “an important witness” in the case.

According to a provincial police, Hudon-Barbeau was arrested in November on two firearm related charges and associating with people who have a criminal record. The arrest came as part of an investigation of a double murder in Quebec. A Montreal radio station, 98.5 FM, said it received a call Sunday from a man claiming to be Hudon-Barbeau, who said he was “ready to die” as he tried to evade police. “The way they’re treating me in there, it’s unreal,” the man told the radio station. “They won’t let me be. They put me back in prison for nothing.”

Authorities did not immediately respond to the claims made in the radio station interview. Yves Galarneau, the correctional services manager who oversees the Saint-Jerome jail, said he’d never seen anything like the dramatic escape in more than three decades on the job. Galarneau said there are no security measures in place at the jail to prevent a helicopter from swooping down from above. “As far as I know, it’s a first in Quebec,” he told reporters at the scene. “It’s exceptional.” Although the tactic may have been a first for Quebec, using a chopper to break out of jail has a long and colorful history, and not just in the movies.

A New York businessman, Joel David Kaplan, used a chopper to escape from a Mexican jail in 1971, and went on to write a book about it. Pascal Payet, a French prisoner, used a helicopter to escape on three occasions, only to be caught by authorities every time. —AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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

Karzai’s opponents ‘talking to Taleban’

Pakistan- Key political risks

US accused of colluding with Taleban to keep troops KABUL: Afghan political parties united against President Hamid Karzai recently opened talks with the Taleban and US-declared terrorist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, hoping to broker peace ahead of next year’s exit of international combat troops and a presidential race that will determine Karzai’s successor, Taleban and opposition leaders said.

It’s the first confirmation that the opposition has opened its own, new channel of discussions to try to find a political resolution to the war, now in its 12th year.

And the Taleban too seem to want to move things forward, even contemplating replacing their top negotiator, two senior Taleban officials said. Reaching an understanding with both the Taleban and Hekmatyar’s Islamist militant group, Hezb-e-Islami, would give the opposition, which expects to field a consensus candidate in next year’s presidential election, a better chance at cobbling together a post-Karzai government. The alternative to a multi-party government after the 2014 elections, many fear, could signal a return to the internecine fighting of the early 1990s that devastated the capital, Kabul.

But with ongoing back-channel discussions and private meetings being held with Taleban interlocutors around the world, it’s difficult to know exactly who’s talking with whom. Early last year, Karzai, who demands that any talks be led by his government, said that his administration, the US and the Taleban had held three-way talks aimed at moving toward a political settlement of the war. The US and the Taleban, however, both deny that such talks took place.

Hekmatyar’s group has held talks with both the Karzai government and the United States, and a senior US official said the Taleban are talking to representatives of more than 30 countries, and indirectly with the US. The Taleban broke off formal discussions with the US last year and have steadfastly rejected negotiations with the Karzai government, which they view as a puppet of foreign powers. News about the opposition group’s new avenue of talks comes amid Karzai’s latest round of verbal attacks on the United States, which have infuriated some of his allies in Washington and confused some of his senior advisers.

In recent weeks, Karzai has accused the US of colluding with the Taleban to keep foreign troops in Afghanistan and has attacked the Taleban for talking to foreigners while killing Afghan civilians in their homeland. Earlier this month, Karzai accused the West of trying to craft an agreement between the Taleban and his political opponents and

vowed to oppose the opening of a Taleban office in Qatar if it was used for talks with anyone other than his government. The US has denied the allegations.

The Afghan president also has stepped up his rhetoric against his political opponents, trying to paint them as American pawns in a grand US scheme to install a government of its liking when the United States and NATO withdraw combat troops

by Dec 31, 2014. The troop withdrawal and presidential elections

fighters and followers, primarily in the north and east. Omar and Hekmatyar are bitter rivals, but both launch attacks on Afghan government and foreign forces and both have suspended direct talks with the US, saying they were going nowhere. “We want a solution for Afghanistan ... but every step should be a soft one,” said Hamid Gailani, a founding member of the united opposition. “We have to start somewhere.” The opposition group is full of political heavyweights. There are

KANDAHAR: An Afghanistan policeman rests in a poppy field during an eradication program in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. — AFP

KABUL: Young Afghan girls play on swings near The Kart-e-Sakhi shrine in Kabul yesterday. Despite massive injection of foreign aid since the fall of the Taleban in 2001, Afghanistan remains desperately poor with some of the lowest living standards in the world. — AFP are two major events observers fear could bring instability to Afghanistan. Trying to put its stamp on the future, the opposition - united under a single banner called the Council of Cooperation of Political Parties - say it has reached out to both the Taleban and Hekmatyar, a one-time US ally who is now listed as a terrorist by Washington.

In addition to getting the blessing of Taleban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar, any peace deal would have to be supported by Hekmatyar, who has thousands of

former presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ali Ahmed Jalali - both of whom were said to be Washington’s preferred candidates in the last presidential election in 2009. There’s also Rashid Dostum, who leads the minority Uzbek ethnic group and Mohammed Mohaqiq, the leader of another minority ethnic group called the Hazaras. Also in the group is Ahmed Zia Massoud, a former Afghan vice president and the brother of antiTaleban fighter Ahmed Shah Massoud, the charismatic leader of

the ethnic minority Tajiks who died in an Al-Qaeda suicide attack two days before the Sept 11 attacks that provoked the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.

A senior official with Hekmatyar, who is familiar with the many negotiating threads of his organization, confirmed that representatives have met with Karzai’s opposition. He said the talks were nascent, but refused to give additional details. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied that the Taleban were talking with the opposition group. But a second Taleban official confirmed that the Taleban has been in contact with opposition members in Kabul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized by the movement to speak to the media.

Gailani said the opposition group is in discussions with Taleban interlocutors who are close to Omar. He refused to identify them, saying it could put them at risk with the both the Afghan government and other members of the Taleban opposed to peace talks. Hekmatyar has laid out a 15-point plan for Afghanistan’s future that calls for a broad-based government, nationwide elections, an interim administration and a series of election reforms.

The Taleban have been less clear about how they envision a future Afghanistan. However, late last year Omar, the one-eyed, reclusive leader of the group, issued a statement in English that seemed unusually conciliatory and flexible. In the statement, which was widely circulated by the Taleban’s media wing, Omar said the Taleban neither wanted to monopolize power nor start another civil war like the one that evolved after the Russian-backed communist government fell in 1992.

“As to the future political destiny of the country, I would like to repeat that we are neither thinking of monopolizing power nor intend to spark off domestic war, but only try that the future political fate of the country must be determined by the Afghans themselves without any interference from big countries and neighbors, and it must be Islamic and Afghan in form,” said Omar in his statement. The United States largely ignored the statement when it was issued, a senior US official said. He said the statement was examined belatedly. A second senior US official, who is familiar with Washington’s attempts at talking with the Taleban, said there have been “no, no, no direct contacts of the US with Taleban since January 2012.” Both US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. — AP

6 gang-rape suspects appear in India court NEW DELHI: Six men appeared in court yesterday over the gang-rape and robbery of a Swiss cyclist holidaying in India, an assault which has raised alarm about the safety of tourists. “We have detained all the six persons and they were produced before the magistrate yesterday. We asked for a police remand for five days for all of them,” M L Dhody, a local police official in the central state of Madhya Pradesh said.

Five of those arrested, all farmers in their twenties, were paraded in front of television cameras in the state late on Sunday. They were dressed in jeans and shirts but with black cloth covering their faces. A sixth man was detained in a neighboring state overnight and brought back to the remote district of Datia, about 400 kilometers south of New Delhi, where the men will be produced before a local magistrate.

Only four of them will be charged with gangrape, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years, because testimony from the 39-year-old Swiss victim said two of them were “only present at the crime scene”, Dhody said. All the men face

robbery charges as police say the group stole a laptop, a mobile phone and 10,000 rupees ($185) from the victim and her 30-year-old husband, who was tied up before the sexual assault.

“The six of them have confessed to their roles in the crime,” Dhody said.

The confessions will likely be inadmissible as evidence during the trial because Indian law treats such statements to police as inherently unreliable. The victims arrived in the country last month and were cycling through northern India on a trip that would take them to the Taj Mahal city of Agra. The suspects allegedly saw the pair pitching their tent on Friday night in a remote forested area in Datia district and attacked them.

After being treated in a local hospital, the couple are now in the capital recovering.

They have “expressed their readiness to fully cooperate in the ongoing investigation and identification process. They will continue to stay in India for the moment,” a Swiss embassy statement said yesterday. Last month the Swiss foreign ministry issued an advisory for its nationals

travelling in India, warning that sexual violence was on the rise across the country. The latest incident, carried on the front pages yesterday of major Indian newspapers, comes three months after the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a bus in Delhi.

That attack spurred outrage and countrywide protests over the treatment of women in Indian society and the inadequacy of laws dealing with sexual crimes. Under a new bill approved by the cabinet last week, rapists face a minimum 20year jail term and the death penalty if the victim dies from injuries or is left in a persistent vegetative state. In January a South Korean student holidaying in Madhya Pradesh said she had been raped and drugged by the son of the owner of the hotel where she stayed. The home minister of the state complained over the weekend about foreign tourists not informing local police about their movements as required. “This is the system but it is not being followed,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Uma Shankar Gupta as saying. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s current government is the country’s first civilian administration since independence to complete its full term, and elections are due to be held in the next few months.

Despite that landmark, signs since the start of 2013 have not been universally positive. In January, mass street protests in Islamabad led by a cleric with a history of ties to the army came just before the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Prime Minister on corruption charges, giving rise to fears that the military was working with the judiciary to force out a civilian leader - claims denied by the cleric and the military.

The crisis has eased since midJanuary and the government is still in place, but power struggles have long distanced it from voters, and distracted it from tackling an array of problems - a Taleban insurgency, economic stagnation and growing sectarian tensions triggered by bomb attacks and tit-for-tat shootings. Relations between the United States and Pakistan - whose status as an ally has long been questioned by some in Washington - are being rebuilt after a NATO air attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in late 2011. In response, Pakistan shut the land routes that supply NATO troops across its border in Afghanistan.

The US later apologized for the November 2011 incident and Pakistan reopened the supply routes, a move that brought Islamabad some diplomatic relief, but protests from thousands of Pakistanis. The US wants Pakistan to chase the militant groups on its soil which take advantage of the porous border with Afghanistan to attack NATO and Afghan troops there. Pakistan’s cooperation is critical to US-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan as NATO combat troops prepare to leave the country by the end of 2014. Here is a summary of key risks to watch in Pakistan: GOVT WEAKNESS AS ELECTION LOOMS Some politicians believe January’s protest, combined with the arrest order for the Prime Minister, was evidence of a joint effort between the military and the judiciary to destabilize the government.

The military, which sees itself as the guarantor of Pakistan’s tenuous stability, regards the PPP-led government as corrupt, incompetent and unable to prevent the nuclear-armed country from falling apart. Pakistan’s army has a long history of coups and intervening in politics, though at the moment the generals seem to have little appetite for a coup.

Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani has vowed to keep the military out of politics. A long-running standoff between the judiciary and the US-backed government has further eroded public trust of politicians, which was already extremely low.

While changes in personnel at the top raise questions about government

stability, for most Pakistanis such moves only deepen frustrations with their everyday hardships. President Asif Ali Zardari’s government is weak, dependent on unreliable coalition partners, and has limited control over the military. It has failed to tackle corruption or implement economic reforms. Serious problems in formulating and implementing policy will continue to deter investment.

It also faces growing political opposition. Last October, authorities stopped a protest against US drone strikes, led by cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, from entering the region of South Waziristan. Though the government publicly condemns drone attacks, many Pakistanis believe it has done nowhere near enough to stop them. Government finances may also be approaching crisis point. In March, the Asian Development Bank said Pakistan has reached a critical balance of payments situation and will need another package from the International Monetary Fund, this time of up to $9 billion, before the end of the year.

AFGHANISTAN, INDIA RELATIONS Pakistan plans to release all Afghan Taleban prisoners still in its detention, including the group’s former second-incommand, a Pakistani official said in January, the clearest signal yet that it backs Afghanistan’s reconciliation efforts. Afghanistan wants its neighbor to free the Taleban members it thinks could help promote its tentative reconciliation between insurgents and the population at large, many of whom fear a renewed Taleban offensive when the US-led combat mission ends next year.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained for years. Some Afghan lawmakers have repeatedly claimed that Pakistan’s spy agency, the Inter-services Intelligence (ISI), is behind assassinations and suicide bombings in Afghanistan, something Pakistan vehemently denies.

Trouble flared with another of Pakistan’s neighbors at the start of the year when three Pakistani and two Indian soldiers were killed in Kashmir, the worst outbreak of violence there since India and Pakistan agreed a ceasefire nearly a decade ago. Both countries claim Kashmir as their own. Despite high-level protests, Pakistani and Indian government spokesmen insist the deaths will not stop talks meant to improve relations, and experts say more violence is unlikely.

INTERNAL SECURITY The shooting last October by the Pakistan Taleban of 15-year-old Malala Yousufzai, a schoolgirl who won international plaudits for speaking out against the insurgency, was a reminder of the lawlessness of some regions of the country, and the impunity with which the Taleban conducts attacks. — Reuters

Militants hit Pakistan’s court complex; 3 killed PESHAWAR: A pair of suicide bombers attacked a court complex in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar yesterday, killing at least three people and wounding over two dozen, police said. The militants attacked the back of the compound and were confronted by three police guards, said police officer Masood Afridi. The militants shot and wounded the policemen, but not before one of the guards was able to gun down one of the suicide bombers, said Afridi.

The other bomber managed to enter the courtroom of a female judge and detonated his explosives, said Afridi. Three people were killed and 30 wounded in the attack, he said.

The female judge was among the wounded, said another police officer, Mohammad Arshad Khan. The attackers may have been trying to free militant colleagues jailed on the premises of the compound, said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the information minister for surrounding Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Hussain initially suggested that the attackers may have taken some hostages, but later said the situation was under control, without providing details. Local TV footage showed people running for safety, including wounded people being assisted by others. They included a pair of policemen, a lawyer and other civilians, including one man whose clothes had been torn to shreds. Police commandos and army soldiers rushed toward the

complex, as the wounded were shifted to stretchers and taken to the hospital.

Peshawar is located on the border of Pakistan’s semiautonomous tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taleban militants who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government. The militants and their allies have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawar. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack. In the southern port city of Karachi, paramilitary forces arrested a militant leader who was involved in the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002, said two paramilitary officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Qari Abdul Hayee, a former leader of the Lashkare-Jhangvi militant group in southern Sindh province, was arrested on Sunday in Karachi, said the paramilitary officials.

He also went by the name Asadullah and was involved in other attacks in Karachi as well, they said. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is a radical Sunni Muslim militant group that has carried out many attacks in Pakistan, especially against minority Shiite Muslims. Also in Karachi, gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot to death a Shiite professor, Sibt-e-Jafar, yesterday, said police officer Amir Farooqi. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. — AP

Italian envoy to India ‘has no immunity’ NEW DELHI: India’s top judge said yesterday that Italy’s ambassador had forfeited his diplomatic immunity over his role in securing the release of two marines who skipped bail while on trial for murder in New Delhi. Chief Justice Altamas Kabir said Daniele Mancini, who had negotiated the Italians’ release last month so they could vote in an election, had waived his immunity by giving an undertaking to a court that the pair would return.

“A person who comes to court and gives an undertaking has no immunity,” Kabir told a hearing, while ordering that the ambassador stay in India until the next hearing on April 2.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who are accused of murdering two Indian fishermen last year, had been given permission to fly to Italy to cast their votes in the election on the understanding that they would return. But the Italian government announced last week that it would renege on its commitment to send the men back, prompting fury in New Delhi.

The Indian government has warned of

“consequences” and is reviewing its ties with Italy, while the legally complex case is being watched carefully by India’s allies because it could set precedents over the treatment of foreign diplomats. New Delhi has put its airports on alert to prevent Mancini from leaving the country and the Supreme Court issued instructions that “appropriate steps” should be taken to restrain him. Without legal protection he could be prosecuted for contempt of court.

A lawyer for the Italian government argued that Mancini still enjoyed diplomatic immunity and freedom of movement under international rules contained in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. However Kabir, who was heading a three-judge bench, said: “We have lost all trust in the ambassador.”

Katherine Reece-Thomas, an international law expert at City University London, said that India risked being in breach of its Vienna Convention commitments. “The only sanction available to the host state (India) is to declare the diplomat to be persona non grata and

demand that he leave,” Reece-Thomas wrote in an email sent to AFP. “India cannot stop the ambassador leaving against his will and any suggestion that he somehow waived his rights under the Convention is unfounded.” India’s foreign ministry has also argued that Mancini may have waived his immunity by willingly submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court by signing a personal affidavit guaranteeing the return of the marines. “We as officers of the government of India will abide by the directions of the court of India,” foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters yesterday.

The marines face murder charges in India after shooting dead two fishermen off India’s southwestern coast in February last year, when a fishing boat sailed close to the Italian oil tanker they were guarding. They say they mistook the fishermen for pirates. Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home countr y because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in interna-

tional waters, but India says the killings took place in waters under its jurisdiction. Italy said Friday it would seek a “friendly agreement” with India to resolve the dispute. “The Italian government is working on a friendly agreement with India based on international law,” Italian President Giorgio Napolitano’s office said in a statement. Relations between the two countries have also been soured by corruption allegations surrounding a $748 million deal for the purchase of 12 Italian helicopters which the Indian government is now threatening to scrap.

The case of the marines caused more uproar in the local assembly of southwestern Kerala, the home state of the dead fishermen. The opposition Communist par ty walked out of the assembly af ter their demand for an urgent discussion on how the Italian marines had been allowed to return home was dismissed by the ruling party. “It’s a shame on India that this case was dealt with casually,” senior Communist leader P K Gurudasan said. — AFP

Italian Ambassador to India Daniele Mancini

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MoI bans Shiite cleric from entering Kuwait More MPs blast debt relief • Court delays Assembly storming case

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By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Too good to be true

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

could not believe my eyes when I read the news that MP Ahmed Lari is proposing a debt relief for the interest of loans for expats. Excellent suggestion, Lari! Where were you long time ago? Why were you silent for so long. Expats need more than just a demand for scrapping the interest of the debts parallel to the Kuwaiti citizens.

Actually, expats needed the voice of somebody like you, Mr Lari, for more serious issues than scrapping the interest of their debts. The whole situation of expats from A to Z needs a revisit. More humane laws need to be introduced for those who have been loyal residents of the country. Many of them have been here since the 1950s and 1960s. This makes their lives bound to Kuwait. They have no police record, no security issues. They have not been demonstrating or participating in any conspiracies against our beloved Kuwait. Yet, we have never issued a law in their favour.

Every MP sharpens his knife when he goes to elections to win our votes by attacking and demanding lesser rights for those people (I mean expats). He thinks it is an act of heroism that the nation will salute him if he demanded that we send them all out or cut their salaries or introduce taxes only on their incomes.

All we came out for expats is to segregate the time for medical checkups in clinics. Kuwaitis will be examined in the mornings and expats will be seen by a doctor in the afternoon. This is the beginning of an expat apartheid. Wait, Mr Lari. More is coming.

When this comes into force, more ministries and institutes will also like heroes think that they are serving the nation and they are more patriotic than all of us.

May I ask the lawmakers to allow expats to strike for just one day. I mean all expats - starting from the housemaids and drivers to street cleaners and hospital staff, electricians, chefs, mechanics, vendors and airport personnel. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and parking lot security will all freeze the country. News agents, printers, some TV broadcast and print. Every employee behind the curtains in every field will stop working just for a day. Let me see what will happen then? I would love to see the laugh on the faces of MPs and all those who discriminate and underestimate the role of expats in the country.

I thought Kuwait will come with a law to give permanent residency to those who have been in the country for a long time. I did not expect that we will reach a stage where we will ask them to go and see a doctor at a different time than us. God save Kuwait and bless its people to remember that they are true Muslims and follow the principles of our beautiful religion and follow the steps of our great Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)!

Jazeera plans UK, French channels DOHA: Qatar’s Al-Jazeera television network said yesterday it was preparing to launch a news channel in Britain while studies are at an advanced stage for a French-language channel. “We are currently working to launch a news channel from the United Kingdom,” said the network’s Director General Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani in Doha, adding it will be called AlJazeera UK. The British channel will broadcast for five hours during prime time as a cut-in UK content aired on Al-Jazeera English channel, which was opened in 2006, an Al-Jazeera official told AFP. Thani also said that studies were at an “advanced stage” to launch a French-language channel aimed at “building bridges with other cultures and peoples.” The network which opened AlJazeera Balkan in Sarajevo in 2011 is readying to open Al-Jazeera Turkish, Thani said. — AFP

KUWAIT: HH the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah waves as he arrives at a graduation ceremony of army officers at the Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 3)

Delicate diplomacy: Pope meets Kirchner

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KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry said yesterday that it has barred Iraqi Shiite cleric Murtada Al-Quzweini from entering Kuwait for insulting and abusing many of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) companions during a previous visit to Kuwait. The ministry action came after hundreds of Sunni activists demonstrated late Sunday in Rigga and demanded that authorities bar Quzweini from entering the country.

The ministry said in a statement that during a previous visit to Kuwait by Quzweini between Jan 5-15, he gave a sermon at a local Shiite husseiniya in which he allegedly insulted the Prophet’s (PBUH) senior companions like the first and second caliphs and others who are highly revered by Sunni Muslims. The statement said the cleric is of Iranian origin and holds United States citizenship.

Kuwait had in the past barred Sunni and Shiite clerics from entering Kuwait over similar reasons. A number of Sunni activists and former Islamist MPs welcomed the ministry decision, saying it has prevented religious strife in the country.

Meanwhile, the debt relief scheme which was struck by the financial and economic affairs committee and the government came under fire yesterday from various quarters including a number of MPs. The scheme is expected to be debated by the Assembly and approved today. The eight-MP Independents Bloc said yesterday that it is totally opposed to the scheme because it is unfair and only resolves a small portion of the debt crisis in the country.

Speaking at a press conference by the bloc, MP Yaqoub Al-Sane said the bloc will submit new proposals to make the draft law more comprehensive and fair for all sections of the society. MP Saleh Ashour said that the bloc will insist that banks which have violated the law for two decades by overcharging interest without any action by the Central Bank should be penalized and forced to refund any extra interest it had charged borrowers.

On his part, Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair said the scheme includes a number of economic and religious violations that must be rectified before the bill is approved. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry also criticized the scheme, saying it will be harmful to the national economy as well as to development and it will encourage squandering of public funds.

The different and conflicting views over the agreed solution to the debt problem promises that the Assembly session today will witness a heated debate on the issue.

According to the solution, the government will purchase loans taken by citizens from Islamic and conventional banks between Jan 1, 2002 and March 30, 2008, estimated by some MPs at around KD 1 billion.

Continued on Page 2

Indian-made electric car to hit the roads

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Govt confirms ‘segregation’ at clinics

ISLAMABAD: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (right) is conferred with an honorary degree from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf (left) as Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri looks on during his visit to the National University of Science and Technology yesterday. — AFP

Pakistan urges Egypt to help end Syria violence ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari yesterday urged his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi to help efforts to end the “bloodshed” in Syria and find a solution to the crisis. Zardari made the remarks during talks with Morsi who arrived in Pakistan as part of a South Asian tour that will also take

him to India as he works to promote trade and investment in Egypt’s troubled economy. Morsi’s one-day trip to Pakistan is the first bilateral visit by an Egyptian leader since Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960s, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is going forward with plans to accord Kuwaitis priority in medical checkups during morning shifts while making it mandatory for foreigners to visit the facilities only during the afternoon shifts for medical tests, a senior ministry official said yesterday. Undersecretar y Dr. Khalid Al-Sehlawi confirmed earlier reports which indicated that the ministr y ’s council of medical zones approved a proposal that gives Kuwaiti patients priority to undergo tests at public medical facilities during morning or afternoon shifts but bars expatriates from availing the same facilities during morning hours. “[The approval came after] Minister of Health Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi met heads of medical zones in order to learn their views on their proposal,” Sehlawi said, adding that the new system was only going to be enforced at outpatient clinics. Haifi had stated last week that the nationality-based segregation system could eventually be adopted at public medical facilities but only if it could be proven that it will benefit Kuwaiti citizens. Sehlawi assured that a ministry study revealed that the afternoon shifts were “suitable” for expatriates, citing a similar “successful” experience adopted nearly two and a half years ago at certain clinics where afternoon shifts were allocated solely for Kuwaitis.

Sehlawi also reiterated that emergency rooms and trauma centers at public hospitals and polyclinics will

remain open to Kuwaitis and nonKuwaitis equally throughout the day.

“The ministry wants to allocate a period during the day for citizens to undergo checks at outpatient clinics which usually give appointments extending over a long period of time,” he said. While it was initially approved, the decision needs to be approved by the Cabinet before it becomes effective. Currently, there is no timetable for when that is expected to happen. Once implemented, the new system is expected to be first adopted in overcrowded public clinics such as those for internal medicine and surgery.

A local newspaper had reported last week that the proposal was going to be studied “as per accurate statistics for the number of patients at public hospitals during morning and afternoon hours in order to determine the feasibility of the proposed system”. According to reports last month, the ministry began studying the proposal as part of the government’s attempts to improve the quality of services at its overcrowded medical facilities in light of the fact that infrastructure was not adequate vis-a-vis the country’s demographic growth. The news had since sparked negative reactions, given the “discriminatory” nature of the proposal, leading ministry officials to come out later and explain that the issue was merely proposed as a suggestion for outpatient clinics and that the ministry does not necessarily plan to implement it.

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Pakistan urges Egypt to help end Syria...

Continued from Page 1 Zardari “urged for working together to end the bloodshed in Syria and to find a peaceful solution to the crisis,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement after the talks.

Zardari also stressed that “the drive for peace in Syria must be led and owned by the Syrian people and offered Pakistan’s readiness to play its role,” Babar said. The conflict in Syria has killed about 70,000 people and forced millions from their homes according to UN figures.

Pakistani state television showed live footage of a ceremony at the presidential palace in Islamabad where Morsi was greeted with a military guard of honour. The foreign ministry said the visit was a “watershed and a landmark” in relations between the two Muslim

nations which would “give a new impetus to economic, trade and cultural relations”. “President Morsi’s decision to choose Pakistan as the first South Asian country for a bilateral visit manifests Egypt’s desire to add a new chapter to its bilateral ties with Pakistan,” the ministry added.

Officials from the two countries signed agreements to promote cooperation in shipping, investment, information technology and science and technology. “President Morsi expressed his deep desire to cultivate close relations with Pakistan and stated that Pakistan and Egypt are two pillars of the Islamic world,” Babar said.

Late yesterday, Morsi is due to travel to India, where he will meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and business groups to bolster a blossoming trade relation-

ship. “Our trade with Egypt has increased so rapidly in the last three years that India is now Egypt’s seventh-largest trading partner,” India’s ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri told reporters ahead of the visit.

“We talk often in general terms about space, technology and cooperation but during this visit we are talking in specific terms about launching an Egyptian satellite,” he added.

Egypt is struggling to restore investor and foreign lenders’ confidence after suffering a sharp economic decline since the uprising that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. Morsi’s administration has been plagued by unrest and deadly clashes between protesters and police, blocking efforts to build broadbased support for a needed program of economic reform. — AFP

A Somali woman reacts yesterday near the site of a car bomb in central Mogadishu. At least eight people were killed in one of the bloodiest attacks in the war-ravaged capital in recent months, police said. — AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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

Thein Sein reaps fruits of his liberalization policies Australia eases Myanmar defense curbs CANBERRA: President Thein Sein yesterday became Myanmar’s first head of state to visit Australia since 1974, winning aid and defense concessions as he reaps new fruits of his liberalization policies. As the once pariah country approaches the second anniversary of a quasi-civilian regime led by the ex-general taking power, Canberra said it was increasing its support to recognize the reforms. “As a close neighbor, Australia will benefit from a more open and prosperous Myanmar that is fully integrated into the region,” said Prime Minister Julia Gillard of the country formerly known as Burma.

“Australia’s commitment to expand its constructive engagement with Myanmar recognizes the unprecedented process of change underway there towards political freedom and the new opportunity this brings to help promote the prosperity of Myanmar and its people.” While Canberra said its arms embargo would remain, it announced an easing of restrictions on defense cooperation including humanitarian and disaster relief activities, as well as peacekeeping.

It will also appoint a defense attache to Myanmar and a trade commissioner.

Gillard said Aus$20 million (US$20.7 million) would be provided over two years for “strengthening democratic institutions, promoting human rights, improving economic governance and advancing the rule of law”. It will include funding for the Myanmar Human Rights Commission and a visit by Myanmar ministers to Australia to draw on the experience of mining experts. Mining is considered vital to the Asian nation’s future, but there are concerns about corruption, environmental safeguards and communities being displaced.

The trip is the latest example of Thein Sein’s new-found globetrotting diplomacy that has seen him address the UN General Assembly, meet a host of European Union leaders and be feted at a number of international summits.

Myanmar has surprised observers with its reforms following the end of nearly half a century of military rule in 2011, prompting Western nations to start rolling back sanctions. Since Thein Sein took over the presidency, hundreds of political prisoners have been released, elections have been held, and longdetained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been elected into parlia-

North Korea accuses US, S Korea of cyberattacks SEOUL: North Korea has blamed South Korea and the United States for cyberattacks that temporarily shut down websites this week at a time of elevated tensions over the North’s nuclear ambitions.

Experts, however, indicated it could take months to determine what happened and one analyst suggested hackers in China were a more likely culprit.

Internet access in Pyongyang was intermittent on Wednesday and Thursday, and Loxley Pacific Co., the broadband Internet provider for North Korea, said it was investigating an online attack that took down Pyongyang servers. A spokesman for the Bangkok-based company said Friday that it was not clear where the attack originated. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency blamed the shutdown on the United States and South Korea, accusing the allies of expanding an aggressive stance against Pyongyang into cyberspace with “intensive and persistent virus attacks.”

South Korea denied the allegation and the US military declined to comment.

Loxley Pacific, which has provided broadband Internet service in North Korea

through a joint venture with the government since 2010, said the Internet was back to normal. AP journalists in Pyongyang also were able to access the Internet again Friday after two days of disruptions. Most North Koreans do not have access to the Internet, which remains restricted to a select group.

The cyberattack accusation comes amid a torrent of North Korean criticism against the US and South Korea for holding routine joint military drills that Pyongyang considers preparations for an invasion. North Korea also is incensed by UN sanctions punishing Pyongyang for testing a nuclear device that it claims to need as a defense against US aggression. “ The US thinks that only it can have nuclear weapons. But we have nuclear weapons for justice, and for the sovereignty of our country,” Lt Ri Yong Kwon of the North’s Korean People’s Army said Friday at the heavily militarized border dividing the Korean Peninsula.

Increasingly, many nations see cyberspace as a new front for warfare. China and the US have accused one another of state-backed cyberspying. — AP

Beijing slams US anti-missile plan BEIJING: China said yesterday US plans to bolster missile defenses in response to provocations by North Korea would only intensify antagonism, and urged Washington to act prudently. “The anti-missile issue has a direct bearing on global and regional balance and stability. It also concerns mutual strategic interests between countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.

US Defense Secretar y Chuck Hagel announced plans on Friday to bolster US missile defenses in response to “irresponsible and reckless provocations” by North Korea, which has threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States.

Hong said China believed efforts to increase security and resolve the problem of nuclear proliferation were best achieved through diplomatic means.

“Actions such as strengthening anti-missile (defenses) will intensify antagonism and will not be beneficial to finding a solution for the problem,” Hong said. “China hopes the relevant country will proceed on the basis of peace and stability, adopt a responsible attitude and act prudently.” The Pentagon said the United States had informed China, North Korea’s neighbor and closest ally, of its decision to add more interceptors but declined to characterize Beijing’s reaction.

The remarks from China’s Foreign Ministry come days before US Under Secretar y for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen visits China to discuss implementation of economic sanctions against North Korea. China has expressed unease at previous US plans for missile defense systems, as well as sales of such systems to Taiwan and Japan, viewing it as part of an attempt to “encircle” and contain China despite US efforts to ease

Chinese fears. China has responded by developing an anti-missile system of its own, announcing the latest successful test in January.

RUSSIA UNMOVED Meanwhile, a top Russian diplomat says the United States’ cancellation of a critical part of its European missile defense system plan doesn’t mollify Moscow’s opposition.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week announced that plans to place missile interceptors in Poland and possibly Romania are being abandoned and that interceptors would be placed in Alaska instead. The interceptors were to be the final phase of a program that Russia contends aims to counter its own missiles.

Washington says the system is meant to stop missiles from Iran and North Korea.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by the Kommersant newspaper Monday as saying that “We feel no euphoria in connection with what was announced by the US defense secretary and we see no grounds for correcting our position.” Hagel’s announcement made no reference to Russia’s objections to the plan, but the move initially raised expectations it could boost prospects for US-Russian arms control negotiations.

Ryabkov was not quoted as commenting directly on arms control issues, but his comments showed Moscow was not appeased. “ This is not a concession to Russia and we do not see it as such,” he said. “We will continue a dialogue and seek the signing of legally binding agreements that all elements of the US missile-defense system are not aimed at Russian strategic nuclear forces.” The United States resists such an agreement, which would almost certainly fail to get the necessar y Congressional approval. — Agencies

AT SEA: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain (DDG 56) (front), the Republic of Korea Navy Aegis-class destroyer ROKS Seoae-Yu-SeongRyong (DDG 993), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) move into formation in the waters off the Korean Peninsula during exercise Foal Eagle 2013. — AFP

ment. Thein Sein said he was determined his country continue on its democratic path. “It is my sincere wish and aspiration that, like Australia, Myanmar will enjoy peace, democracy and prosperity,” he said. Thein Sein added that he was in Australia not just to request support and assistance, but to explain the changes that have been taking place. “I hope that you appreciate that what we are undertaking has no equal in modern times. This is not just a simple transition... but a transition from military rule to democratic rule,” he said.

“From 60 years of armed conflict to peace. And from centrally controlled and isolated economy to one that can end poverty and create real opportunities for all our people.” John Blaxland, a Myanmar expert at the Australian National University ’s Strategic and Defense Studies Centre, said Canberra was keen to reward Thein Sein, but also wanted to keep Myanmar onside as the next ASEAN chair. “ The government wants to reward (him) for the work he has done, but it also partly Australia burnishing its regional credentials ahead of Myanmar becoming the next ASEAN chair,” he said.

CANBERRA: President of Myanmar Thein Sein (left) meets with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday. Thein is on a three day visit to Australia. — AP “ASEAN is a significant part of Australia’s security and trading outlook and it is good for Australia if ASEAN is stable, robust and secure.” Myanmar is due to assume the Association of Southeast Asian Nations chairmanship

from Brunei next year. Australia’s trade commission Austrade said Myanmar is an emerging economy with extensive natural resources, a growing population and numerous opportunities for its companies. — AFP

China replaces Britain as world 5th arms exporters Pakistan the main recipient BEIJING: China has become the world’s fifthlargest arms exporter, a respected Swedenbased think-tank said yesterday, its highest ranking since the Cold War, with Pakistan the main recipient. China’s volume of weapons exports between 2008 and 2012 rose 162 percent compared with the previous five-year period, with its share of the global arms trade rising from 2 percent to 5 percent, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

China replaces Britain in the top five armsdealing countries between 2008 and 2012, a group dominated by the United States and Russia, which accounted for 30 percent and 26 percent of weapons exports, SIPRI said. “China is establishing itself as a significant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states,” Paul Holtom, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Program, said in a statement.

The shift, outlined in SIPRI’s Trends in International Arms Transfers report, marks China’s first time as a top-five arms exporter since the think-tank’s 1986-1990 data period.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, asked about the report, said China was a responsible arms exporter which strictly adhered to international law. “On arms exports, China sticks to three principles. First, that it is conducive to the recipient country’s justifiable self-defense needs. Second, it does not damage regional and global peace, security and stability.

Third, it does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs,” he told reporters.

Now the world’s second-largest economy, China’s rise has come with a new sense of military assertiveness with a growing budget to develop modern equipment including aircraft carriers and drones. At the Zhuhai air show in southern China in November, Chinese attack helicopters, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and air defenses were on public show for the first time.

PAKISTAN, MYANMAR, BANGLADESH SIPRI maintains a global arms transfers data-

CHONGQING: Customers aim toy guns at a park yesterday in Chongqing, China. — AP base base that tracks arms exports back to the 1950s. It averages data over five-year periods because arms sales vary by year. “Pakistan which accounted for 55 percent of Chinese arms exports - is likely to remain the largest recipient of Chinese arms in the coming years due to large outstanding and planned orders for combat aircraft, submarines and frigates,” SIPRI said.

Myanmar, which has been undergoing fragile reforms that the United States thinks could help counter Beijing’s influence in the region, received 8 percent of China’s weapons exports.

Bangladesh received 7 percent of the arms while Algeria, Venezuela and Morocco have bought Chinese-made frigates, aircraft or armored vehicles in the past several years.

China does not release figures for its arms sales. Germany and France ranked third and fourth on the arms exporter list. China followed only India in the acquisition of arms, though its

reliance on imports is decreasing as it ramps up domestic production. After decades of steep increases in military spending and cash injections into domestic contractors, experts say some Chinese-made equipment is now comparable to Russian or Western counterparts, though accurate information about the performance of Chinese weapons is scarce.

China faces bans on Western military imports, dating back to anger over its crushing of prodemocracy protests in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989. That makes its domestic arms industry crucial in assembling a modern military that can enforce claims over Taiwan and disputed maritime territories. China has faced off recently with its Southeast Asian neighbors and Japan over rival claims to strings of islets in the South China Sea and East China Sea, even as the United States executes a so-called pivot towards the Pacific. — Reuters

Key political risks to watch in Australia CANBERRA: Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government continues to struggle for public support ahead of national elections set for Sept 14, ensuring ongoing pressure on her leadership. Giving eight months notice of the election was intended to end political uncertainty surrounding her minority government, but it also gave up her chance to catch opposition leader Tony Abbott unawares with a snap early poll. The election will decide whether Australia keeps its controversial carbon tax, and a 30 percent tax on coal and iron ore mining profits, which Abbott has promised to scrap if he wins power. Aside from carbon and mining taxes, the government and opposition both support greater involvement with China, the country’s biggest trade partner, and close defense ties with the United States.

POLLS AND LEADERSHIP Opinion polls show Abbott’s opposition Liberal-National party is well ahead of the government and Gillard would be swept from office, losing up to 21 seats, if an election were held now. The government could lose power if it loses just one seat. Gillard earlier this month spent a week campaigning in the key election battleground of Western Sydney, but the move had a minimal impact on opinion polls, which continue to show the public prefer her leadership rival Kevin Rudd, who was dumped as prime minister ahead of the 2010 election. Key ministers continue to support Gillard’s leadership, and Gillard has publicly declared she has no intention of standing down ahead of the elections.

POLITICAL BLUNDER Gillard’s leadership and tempt nervous government lawmakers to replace her with a more popular leader, although Rudd remains a divisive figure within the Labor Party and other potential leaders have only marginal public support. The May 14 budget will be the next major political set piece, which could be Gillard’s final chance before the election to reshape the political agenda and win back voter support.

Any unexpected defection or retirement from parliament of a government lawmaker could trigger a byelection in which Gillard might lose control of a parliamentary majority.

That could then trigger a full election which could see Labor thrown from office.

MEDIA STORM Adding to the public discontent with her government, Gillard has unveiled plans to reform media laws and to appoint a new public interest advocate who will be able to enforce rulings by media watchdogs against newspapers. The changes unleashed a furious reaction from major media companies, particularly the Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp which has labeled the changes as “Stalinist” and a major attack on free speech.

The fight with major media groups in an election year has raised new questions within the ruling Labor Party over Gillard’s political judgment, and could see a further boost in party support of Rudd. Gillard has said the government will abandon the media changes if parliament and media companies cannot agree to the package.

BUDGET, MINING TAX Slowing economic growth and lower commodity prices have hit tax revenues and forced Treasurer Wayne Swan to back away from his promise to deliver a surplus budget in 2012-13. Further complicating the budget are projections for the controversial 30 percent tax on iron ore and coal mine profits, which began in July 2012. The mining tax was forecast to raise A$2 billion ($2.08 billion) in the current financial year, but raised only A$126 million in its first six months. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who has long campaigned against the mining tax, has challenged the tax in Australia’s High Court, claiming it breaches the constitution because it discriminates against the mining states of Western Australia and Queensland.

The court is considering its decision.

With the budget set to deliver a deficit, the government has been left with little cash to spend to woo back public support and to fund its major reforms in education and disability services. That could see the it look to boost tax revenue by targeting tax breaks for big business. Swan could also recoup some money from mining companies by closing a loophole which allows states to increase mining royalties and makes the national government refund the cost to mining companies. But that would reignite a damaging public fight with miners BHP Billiton Ltd, Rio Tinto Ltd and Xstrata PLC, who helped draft the current tax.

WHAT TO WATCH Any move to protect revenues by changing the mining tax, or by capping the royalty rebates to miners,

could spark a new row with global mining companies, similar to the national campaign in 2010 which helped bring about the downfall of then-Prime Minister Rudd. An adverse finding from the High Court could throw the government’s mining tax into disarray, and would be a humiliating defeat for the government as it heads towards elections.

ECONOMY The central bank has cut its growth forecasts for 2013 to around 2.5 percent from earlier forecasts around 2.75 percent, warning the upsurge in the mining industry will peak earlier and at a lower level than previously expected. The Australian dollar, which has traded near 30year highs above parity with the US dollar for most of the past two years, plus rising costs and lower commodity prices, are hampering investment in the resources sector.

National Accounts figures in March found Australia’s $1.4 trillion economy grew 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter, or 3.1 percent for the year, despite economists expectations of slowing growth.

Australia’s employment also soared by 71,500 in February, far exceeding economist expectations and signaling low interest rates and rising asset prices are fuelling an economic pick-up. Retail sales have also picked up, along with consumer confidence and house prices, with signs that homebuilding has also shown signs of life after a long lull.

At its March board meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates steady at 3.0 percent and made it clear it had room to cut further if needed. — Reuters

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Pakistan urges Egypt to help end Syria...

Continued from Page 1 Zardari “urged for working together to end the bloodshed in Syria and to find a peaceful solution to the crisis,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement after the talks.

Zardari also stressed that “the drive for peace in Syria must be led and owned by the Syrian people and offered Pakistan’s readiness to play its role,” Babar said. The conflict in Syria has killed about 70,000 people and forced millions from their homes according to UN figures.

Pakistani state television showed live footage of a ceremony at the presidential palace in Islamabad where Morsi was greeted with a military guard of honour. The foreign ministry said the visit was a “watershed and a landmark” in relations between the two Muslim

nations which would “give a new impetus to economic, trade and cultural relations”. “President Morsi’s decision to choose Pakistan as the first South Asian country for a bilateral visit manifests Egypt’s desire to add a new chapter to its bilateral ties with Pakistan,” the ministry added.

Officials from the two countries signed agreements to promote cooperation in shipping, investment, information technology and science and technology. “President Morsi expressed his deep desire to cultivate close relations with Pakistan and stated that Pakistan and Egypt are two pillars of the Islamic world,” Babar said.

Late yesterday, Morsi is due to travel to India, where he will meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and business groups to bolster a blossoming trade relation-

ship. “Our trade with Egypt has increased so rapidly in the last three years that India is now Egypt’s seventh-largest trading partner,” India’s ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri told reporters ahead of the visit.

“We talk often in general terms about space, technology and cooperation but during this visit we are talking in specific terms about launching an Egyptian satellite,” he added.

Egypt is struggling to restore investor and foreign lenders’ confidence after suffering a sharp economic decline since the uprising that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. Morsi’s administration has been plagued by unrest and deadly clashes between protesters and police, blocking efforts to build broadbased support for a needed program of economic reform. — AFP

A Somali woman reacts yesterday near the site of a car bomb in central Mogadishu. At least eight people were killed in one of the bloodiest attacks in the war-ravaged capital in recent months, police said. — AFP

14

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

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Issues

Parma mayor sheds light on 5-Star mystery

By Steve Scherer and Valentina Accardo he neophyte 5-Star Movement’s lawmakers were, among other things, housewives, students or jobless before they took their seats in Italy’s parliament on Friday, and it remains a mystery how they will handle their newly won power. A look at the movement’s most experienced politician, elected mayor of Parma 10 months ago, suggests the deputies will be surprisingly different from its leader, Beppe Grillo, whose fiery anti-establishment rhetoric has made 5-Star the country’s biggest party. The silvermaned Grillo is both the voice and face of the 5-Star Movement, while its 163 representatives are unknown and unproven, with an average age of 33 in the lower house and 46 in the Senate.

Until last May, the 39-year-old Federico Pizzarotti managed computer systems for a bank, and now he runs the northern city of Parma, with almost 190,000 inhabitants and 1,400 employees. Pizzarotti and his 20 5-Star councillors have a solid majority in city hall, but in the national parliament no one emerged from last month’s vote with enough seats to govern, and Grillo has rebuffed offers from the Democratic Party (PD) to form an alliance.

But on Saturday a handful of 5-Star senators appeared to have backed the centre-left to elect Pietro Grasso, a former anti-mafia magistrate, to the influential position of Senate speaker, showing that Grillo’s control over the movement he created four years ago is not absolute. Last year Grillo was criticised for running the movement with a heavy hand when he expelled two members who defied his diktat to shun television talk shows. On Saturday, centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi likened him to being a cult leader. “It’s a sect that reminds me of Scientology,” Berlusconi said.

Grillo’s party attracted almost 9 million votes in a passionate bid to get rid of the old guard, to fight corruption and waste, and to reverse the austerity measures that have worsened recession in the euro zone’s third-biggest economy. In Parma, the baby-faced mayor has made policy that clashes with Grillo’s anti-austerity message, and he said he did it without talking to the movement’s founder or to Gianroberto Casaleggio, the Internet guru who is seen as its strategist. “We have each other’s telephone numbers,” Pizzarotti told Reuters in his office. “But there are no consultations before we make decisions.” Judging by the national election, the citizens of Parma have liked what they have seen, with 5-Star winning 28 percent of the vote in the city, higher than its showing nationally.

By the time Pizzarotti took office, previous city governments had racked up Ä840 million in debt, or about Ä4,500 for every resident, the mayor said. By comparison, Italy has a debt worth 127 percent of gross domestic product, the second-largest in Europe after Greece, and it was saved from a Greek-style debt crisis in 2011 by caretaker Prime Minister Mario Monti’s austerity program. Pizzarotti, facing his city’s enormous debt, has cut spending but not taxes after promising to lower them during his campaign.

He kept local levies at the maximum levels permitted by law, and he has raised the costs of city-run daycare and pre-school for some, prompting vocal protests from parents.

About 150 city employees protested outside town hall on Thursday, shouting “buffoon” and “shame on you” because they face pay cuts of up to 10 percent. “We have inherited a huge debt,” Pizzarotti said. “The issue is not lowering taxes so I can say I did it. It is what is possible to do, economically, without cutting services.” As a symbolic gesture, Pizzarotti cut his own salary by 10 percent, and 5Star lawmakers have promised they will reduce theirs by even more as part of their bid to cut the privileges of what they call the political “caste”. “The city council has found itself blocked by debt, just like the national government,” Ernesto Grisenti, 66, one of the owners of central Parma’s most popular delis in a city famous for its Parmesan cheese and cured ham, told Reuters.

“Pizzarotti will make himself unpopular by putting the city’s accounts in order,” said Carlo Pavesi, a shop owner.

“The politicians who came before him were very popular, and now we have 800 million euros in debt to pay off.”

Pizzarotti said he had already cut debt by 10-15 percent since he took office, and that he would lower the tax rates before the end of his five-year mandate. He has not convinced everyone. “We expected more concrete results after 10 months,” said Marina Lazzini, owner of several perfume stores around the city. Post-election polls show that support for the 5-Star Movement has grown since the election, and Grillo appears to be pushing for another vote soon to capitalise on it. — Reuters

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Iraq war left US no stronger in Mideast

By Arthur MacMillan he US-led invasion of Iraq overthrew a dictator, but 10 years on the war is seen to have destabilized the Middle East, exposed the limits of military power and left America no stronger than before. With US forces having withdrawn after the deaths of almost 4,500 American troops and an estimated $1 trillion outlay, there is little soul-searching in Washington today about a war that has faded from public consciousness.

And 10 years after the “shock and awe” that launched Operation Iraqi Freedom, removing Saddam Hussein from power, most analysts and diplomats agree the Iraq war did nothing to improve the US position in the Middle East.

“Regardless of whether genuine democracy is viable or even sustainable, the Iraq war did not serve any strategic net gain for the United States,” said Ramzy Mardini, a fellow at the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies in Beirut. On the contrary, “misplaced certainty” about the ability of US military power to do the job and a lack of regard to Saddam’s role as an Arab counterbalance to Iran have harmed American interests, he said.

“The fall of Saddam didn’t just create a power vacuum in Baghdad, it created a power vacuum in the region, which plunged neighboring states into an intense environment of security competition” that continues today, Mardini added.

Such miscalculations were not confined to the presidency of George W. Bush, according to Christopher Hill, a veteran of the peace settlement in Bosnia and North Korea nuclear talks, who arrived in Baghdad in 2009 as the US ambassador. Hill, now dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, suggested the “complete disconnect between Washington” and people such as himself “on the ground” continued until the end.

Barack Obama had used his opposition to the war to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton when seeking the Democratic nomination in 2008. As president, he ended US military involvement on the same December 2011 timeline set by Bush. “America did not show enough strategic patience with politics in Iraq,” Hill said, recalling the months he spent trying to ensure a government was formed after elections in 2010 that served Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish interests.

Instead, US policy continued to be largely guided by military considerations, said Hill, noting that general David Petraeus’s recent fall from grace has left many people “including me” to take “a more honest look” at Iraq. Petraeus became the face of the “surge,” a mix of troop reinforcements and counterinsurgency tactics which in 2007 was credited, along with Sunni tribes turning against Al-Qaeda and siding with the US military,

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with halting the worst of Iraq’s bloody sectarian conflict. “There were people in Washington more interested in consolidating gains made in counterinsurgency warfare than in understanding the essential politics of the country,” said Hill. As a result, the Iraq that America left behind had a “democratic standard that we would not sign off on,” and the “great game for Iraq” is under way among its neighbors, Hill added.

Obama’s desire for a smooth military exit perhaps reflects the tortured place that the conflict occupies in the American psyche. “All rhetoric aside, we invaded a country by mistake,” said James Dobbins, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the Rand Corporation, a

Washingtonthink tank with close ties to the US government.

“For all Saddam’s malign intent, he had effectively been disarmed already. The sanctions had worked.” With no nuclear weapons program or significant chemical weapons dumps ever found, the second Bush administration refocused its effort on establishing a pro-Western state in occupied Iraq, aiming to gain a regional ally. Dobbins, who has held State Department and White House posts, including assistant secretary of state for Europe and special assistant to the president, said Americans should not fool themselves about the limited outcome. “The democracy agenda became the last possible excuse for invading Iraq. It’s not an ally. It’s not an enemy either,” he said. — AFP

Xi aims to boost party

By Kelly Olsen ew leader Xi Jinping has urged China to pursue the “Chinese dream” but experts say behind the grandiose words, he is single-minded in his aim to bolster Communist Party rule. The president faces myriad challenges from pollution and graft to territorial spats, unsteady growth in the world’s number two economy, and widespread inequality bringing the threat of social unrest.

Xi, named as president last week by the National People’s Congress, called for “the continued realisation of the great renaissance of the Chinese nation and the Chinese dream” in his first speech as head of state on Sunday.

At the close of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, he laid out a vision of a stronger military and ever-higher living standards following the once-in-a-decade leadership transition that also installed a new premier, Li Keqiang. Xi’s “Chinese dream” concept is itself an effort to “redefine the purpose of the party, so that there is a greater sense of the party being united with the people”, said David Zweig, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Like all leaders since Deng Xiaoping, Xi agrees on the need for China to press ahead with economic reforms pursued since the old command-style communist system began to be disbanded in 1978, spurring an historic economic boom. Since November, when he took over the reins as party chief from Hu Jintao, Xi has proclaimed the need to fight growing corruption which threatens, in his own words, to “kill the party” that has ruled China since 1949.

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But despite the threat of corruption and protests about social and environmental issues, the Communist Party appears unwilling to countenance political reforms. Xi’s overriding priority, said Steve Tsang, an expert in Chinese politics at Britain’s University of Nottingham, is “whatever it takes to keep the show on, the party in power and (make) China more powerful and influential”. “They will be trying to project a clear image and message to the country in China that they are tackling the big issues like corruption, like government abuse of power.”

Scott Harold, a China expert at the Rand Corporation in the United States, said: “If you look at Xi Jinping there are reasons to think that he believes that now China is a great power and China has to act like a great power.” But the outlook for social reforms, for which a consensus apparently has yet to be reached among top leaders, remains unclear. Hints appeared in state media after Xi took over as party chief that significant changes could be in the offing, such as an end to China’s notorious “re-education” labour camps, but the message was later rolled back and in the event no firm announcements were made. “He’s got to work within the realities of the Chinese system,” said John Delury, a Chinese history expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The lack of any such major initiatives at the NPC illustrates the party’s difficulty in achieving the required internal agreement beforehand. The parliament, which meets annually in a display of political theatre in the Great Hall of the People, is itself part of the process of demonstrating the party’s authority, say analysts. - AFP

Cyprus bank levy risks dangerous precedent

By Mike Peacock hit imposed on Cypriot bank depositors by the euro zone has shocked and alarmed politicians and bankers who fear the currency bloc has set a precedent that will unnerve investors and citizens alike. After all-night Friday talks, euro finance ministers agreed a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout for the stricken Mediterranean island and said since so much of its debt was rooted in its banks, that sector would have to bear a large part of the burden. In a radical departure from previous aid packages - and one that gave rise to incredulity and anger across Cyprus - the ministers are forcing the nation’s savers to pay up to 10 percent of their deposits to raise almost 6 billion.

The European Central Bank’s pledge to buy euro zone government bonds in unlimited amounts if needed has calmed the beleaguered currency bloc for the past five months. But if investors fear the Cypriot template could be repeated in any future rescues, that calm could be shattered. Without a bailout, Cyprus would default, which could unravel the investor confidence fostered by the ECB. Politicians, bankers and analysts said the levy could undermine banks in other euro zone countries, even though the ministers insisted it was a one-off and Cyprus represents just 0.2 percent of euro zone economic output.

“The unprecedented move is an extreme measure, and in our view it will spread some panic across the EMU periphery, and we cannot rule out some capital outflows,” said Annalisa Piazza at Newedge Strategy. “In the short run we expect some effects on periphery’s (bond yield) spreads and some weakening of the euro cannot be ruled out,” Piazza said.

The decision sent Cypriots scurrying to the cash points, most of which were emptied within hours. Most have been unable to access their bank accounts since Saturday morning, a move unlikely to engender calm. Euro zone policymakers made a point of saying they would monitor any signs of money moving out of Cyprus but did not say how they might react in the event. “For us, Cyprus is sys-

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temically relevant. Despite the small size of the economy, disorderly developments in Cyprus could undermine the important progress made in 2012 in stabilising the euro zone,” ECB policymaker Joerg Asmussen said after the Eurogroup meeting concluded before dawn on Saturday.

A Cypriot bank holiday yesterday limited any immediate reaction. The deposit levy - set at 9.9 percent on bank deposits exceeding Ä100,000 and 6.7 percent on anything below that - will be imposed on Tuesday, if voted through in parliament. That is not certain to happen, but fear of the alternative - probable default - will focus minds. Cyprus’s parliament had postponed until yesterday an emergency session to discuss the levy, which President Nicos Anastasiades urged lawmakers to support. Three parties in the 56-member chamber, where no party has an absolute majority, have already said they will not back the plan.

“The government can be reasonably confident of only around 26-28 votes at the most, while the opposition may be confident of around 26,” said JPMorgan analyst Alex White. “Our best estimates of a potential vote have it too close to call at this stage.”

Beyond Cyprus’s borders, there was little sign of public alarm, and banks and state authorities were quick to offer reassurance. Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank put messages on their British websites to assure depositors that the levy does not apply to Cypriot banks overseas. The Bank of Spain said there were no signs of capital flight from Spain.

“The scope of potential contagion to other peripheral countries in terms of deposit outflows and sovereign debt is considerably more limited than if such a decision would have been taken in previous programmes,” analysts at Barclays said in a note. “We consider the likelihood of a bank run in other periphery countries to be limited, including in Greece.” Ireland’s finance ministry said the levy was a one-off measure for Cyprus that had no implications for Irish deposit holders.

But outside euro zone policymaking circles there was considerable disquiet. “I understand that electorates in Germany and northern Europe demand some sacrifice.

However, when you accept a solution that basically expro-

priates 10 percent of deposits, you set a dangerous precedent,” Vladimir Dlouhy, former Czech economy minister and now international advisor for Goldman Sachs told Reuters in Berlin. “If we get into deeper trouble, God help us, they may try to take 50 percent.”

Spain is a good test case for any contagion. Latest figures from the ECB showed deposits were stable in Spain in January. Spain’s banks are awash with liquidity after receiving Ä40 billion from a European rescue last year, and the government is borrowing easily from the market, so is nowhere near seeking a bailout. But ordinary bank account holders may not necessarily take comfort from such facts.

The International Monetary Fund urged the bloc on Friday to press ahead with a common deposit guarantee scheme to banish any threat of a bank run. That has been a red line for EU paymaster Germany. “The Cypriot bailout terms can’t be viewed in isolation. The signals sent to troubled euro zone countries and to foreign depositors are unmistakable. While this isn’t a Lehman moment, the same lack of systemic concerns is evident,” said Simon Evenett, professor of international trade at St Gallen University in Switzerland.

Sharon Bowles, chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said she was appalled. “Deposit guarantees were brought in ... so that citizens across the EU would not have incentives to move funds from country to country. That has now been blown apart,” she said in a statement. “If this were a bank they would be in court for mis-selling.”

Much of the money in Cypriot banks belongs to Russians and Britons. Though there was no protest from London or Moscow, there was no shortage from elsewhere. “Although the representatives at the bailout press conference tried to present this as a one-off, they were not willing to rule out similar measures elsewhere - not that it would have mattered much, as the trust is gone anyway,” Lars Seier Christensen, CEO of Denmark’s Saxo Bank, posted on his blog. “If you can do this once, you can do it again.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

S P ORTS Arrests over racist abuse

Watson to rejoin Australia

LONDON: Two fans have been arrested over racially-aggravated public order offences at the Chelsea v West Ham United Premier League match at the weekend, London’s Metropolitan Police said yesterday.

A spokeswoman said bail had been granted to the two men with their return dates set for late March. Two further arrests were made at the match for different offences, affray and criminal damage.

Earlier yesterday police said they were investigating missile throwing by West Ham supporters towards their former player Frank Lampard after the Chelsea midfielder scored in the 2-0 win on Sunday.

“We are investigating instances of coin-throwing at Chelsea versus West Ham. There have been no arrests. Inquiries continue,” a spokesman added. Lampard, who joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2001, headed in the game’s opener after 19 minutes at Stamford Bridge and the goal was greeted with abuse from the nearby away fans who threw coins and hot dogs.

The England international’s strike was his 200th for the European champions as he closes in on the club record of 202 set by Bobby Tambling in the 1960s and 1970s. —Reuters

SYDNEY: Suspended vice-captain Shane Watson will rejoin the Australian squad for the final Test against India, Cricket Australia (CA) said yesterday. Watson was dropped from the Australian squad for the third Test in Mohali after failing to present three ideas on how the team could improve following their defeats in the first two tests.

Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson and Usman Khawaja were also sacked from the squad for the same reason. Following the disciplinary action, Watson had returned home to be with his pregnant wife for the birth of their first child. “I’ve had several constructive discussions with team management back in Mohali over the past few days,” Watson said in a statement issued by CA. “We’ve spoken about how we are going to work together to move forward, as Australia attempts to climb back to the top of the ICC rankings. “I’ve a burning ambition to be an Australian test player for as long as I can be and help Australia win those big test series’ as well as the big ICC tournaments.” The incident reached a crisis situation after CA high performance manager Pat Howard described Watson as “sometimes” a team player. Watson, who will fly out of Sydney late yesterday, said he has spoken to Howard and has sorted out the differences. “I have also had a number of chats with Pat Howard over the last week and we are both now on the same page and are really looking forward to working together to get Australia to be the best team in the world,” the all-rounder added. Delhi hosts the fourth Test from Friday.—Reuters

Fans rally behind Tseng TAIPEI: Fans of dethroned Taiwan golf queen Tseng Yani rallied behind her yesterday, encouraging her to fight back and reclaim her world number one title a day after American Stacy Lewis toppled her from the top spot.

Lewis claimed the title by firing a final-round eight-under par 64 at the LPGA Founders Cup to beat Japan’s Ai Miyazato by three strokes while Tseng finished with a share of 59th place, 19 strokes off the pace. Fans of Tseng, one of Taiwan’s most beloved sports stars, were quick to show their support for her on social media sites and on-line forums, encouraging her to reclaim the title she held for two years. “The burden on Yani’s shoulder is so heavy and I don’t know who can bear it ... We all know Yani has done a lot for Taiwan and I hope everybody will continue to cheer her on,” said one of the messages posted on the Facebook page of the golfer known as “The Pride of Taiwan”. “I am upset that Stacy becomes the golf queen but let’s just take it easy. Yani will fight in the next game and I think she can get the title back,” another fan wrote. Taiwan’s state Central News Agency said the setback could be a blessing in disguise for the 24-yearold, who has been struggling during two increasingly difficult years at the top.

“Tseng Yani faces a wider road ahead after the pressure from holding the title is gone,” it said. “Tseng has been optimistic and we can look forward to her improved performance.” Tseng was reduced to tears last year as pressure built after a string of missed cuts, and after winning seven titles in 2011 she is now searching for her first victory in a year. —AFP

Raptors fall, Lakers march

MELBOURNE: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany powers through a corner ahead of the pack during the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in this file photo. —AFP

Vettel: Malaysia will be different MELBOURNE: Sebastian Vettel started his campaign to win four successive world titles with third place at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix but the German thinks the season-opener race will prove to be an anomaly over the course of the year.

The 25-year-old showed the raw pace of his Red Bull had not gone away when he took his 37th pole position in a qualifying session delayed by heavy rain on Sunday morning but later was convincingly beaten in the race by Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus.

Comforted, perhaps, by the fact that it was not until the fourth round in Bahrain last year that he won his first race, Vettel said being outpaced by both Lotus and the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso was not what he expected at Sepang this week.

“What we have seen today was a first glimpse, but we are far from getting an idea of the pecking order,” he told the sport’s official website after the race on the Albert Park street track.

“Malaysia is a completely different track and from what we have seen today, everything depends on how well people handle the tyres. “But we will see completely different conditions and will use different tyres so there are too many differences to here. “We have seen over the past few years that what we have seen in Melbourne has hardly ever become a trend for the next couple of races.”

Sunday’s 58 laps were a riot of entertainment for the fans packed into the Melbourne park with seven leaders over the race, battles between top drivers at what seemed like every turn and a popular surprise winner in the Finnish “Iceman”.

The irony was that the sort of spectacle which might convert even the motorsports sceptic to Formula One was precipitated by the topic of conversation most likely to make their eyes glaze over - tyres.

Tyre providers Pirelli were briefed this year to come up with rubber compounds

which degraded more quickly to force teams to make more pit stops and therefore make races less processional. They duly delivered.

Raikkonen’s victory rested on his Lotus riding more easily on the tyres than other cars, allowing him to make just two stops in the race while all of his main rivals had to take three.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery described the Lotus approach to the race as a “masterclass in tyre management”. “We took the deliberately bold decision to come here with the supersoft tyre in order to spice up the action,” Hembery said.

“We believe that this worked very well ... seeing how (the) different approaches played out at the end was the intriguing part of the strategy, which led to a spectacular finish and three very deserving world champions on the podium.”

Vettel’s Red Bull was particularly hard on the rubber, as it had been in testing in Spain last month, but the amount of degradation will change on different tracks and in different temperatures.

With Malaysia, China, Bahrain to come on the Asian swing before the Formula One circus heads back to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix in May, Vettel was happy with the opening weekend. “Everybody has been a bit of surprise to everyone, as nobody knew what to expect,” he said.

“The qualifying was fantastic but in the race we had a bit of a problem with the wear of the tyres - and obviously Kimi did the best job looking after the tyres out of everyone managing to stop only twice.

“We can keep our heads high as we have shown that the pace is there. Now we have to work on the tyre issue. “Obviously the degradation was a bit more intense for us than for others. But to start from pole position and end on the podium - all in all, that was a successful weekend.” —Reuters

Hamilton looks back at ‘delinquent’ doping days MISSOULA: “We were fully delinquents, if not criminals. If there was one product that we could almost not do without, it was EPO.” So says former US pro-racer Tyler Hamilton, one-time US Postal teammate of Lance Armstrong and likewise caught up in the doping scandals which have wracked the sport.

Hamilton won 2004 Olympic Gold but his doping saw him stripped of the title last year and he is now coming to terms with a past he has recanted. In his book “The Secret Race”, whose French version is being released in France this week, Hamilton explained in detail how riders would take performance-enhancing drug EPO on the Tour de France from a delivery man hiding among fans. “He spent two and a half weeks on the road, kind of camping out most of the time, staying close by, waiting for the call or the text message.”

In an interview with AFPTV, Hamilton insisted it was Armstrong who ensured the doping was kept under wraps. Hamilton said the message was: “This river is going this way. Don’t try to swim up stream. You’d better swim the same way Lance Armstrong is swimming or if not, watch your back. “ There is the omerta, the code of silence. You don’t talk. You don’t, you don’t, you just don’t go that way, you don’t go there. If you do, your career is over.”

Armstrong has since confessed to being a drug cheat, but has not admitted to playing a role in other riders’ doping.

Hamilton opened up on the issue in

mid-2011, a year after disgraced former Tour de France champion Floyd Landis came clean on his own doping misdemeanors.

He told the US doping agency USADA what he knew and then wrote his book, shedding light on Armstrong, who had been a team mate on three of the latter’s seven Tour de France wins between, those three coming between 1999 and 2001.

The 42-year-old now puts together training programmes for amateur cyclists.

Armstrong meanwhile faces lawsuits spawned by his admission to chat host Oprah Winfrey in January that he had doped and that all seven of his Tour de France victories were fuelled by banned drugs. Last October, Armstrong was stripped of his Tour titles as well as all other results from August 1998 and banned for life after USADA determined he was the key figure in a sophisticated doping programme on his US Postal Service team.

He told Winfrey he used a combination of blood-doping transfusions, blood-boosting EPO and testosterone throughout his career. Hamilton and Armstrong had earlier had an angry exchange at a restaurant in Aspen when the latter hit out at Hamilton for his allegations, only ultimately to admit publicly his wrongdoing.

Armstrong’s confession to Winfrey “came as a surprise to Hamilton - but he saw it in a positive light. “A big Tour de France champion is admitting to cheating. But it’s the truth, it’s the reality. I think the sport will gain a lot from it in the future.” —AFP

TORONTO: The Miami Heat equaled the second-longest winning streak in NBA history, pulling away in the fourth quarter Sunday to beat the Toronto Raptors 108-91 for their 22nd consecutive victory.

LeBron James had 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Dwyane Wade added 24 points and nine assists, and Ray Allen scored 16 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the defending NBA champions.

Chris Bosh finished with 18 points as the Heat equaled the mark set by the 2007-08 Houston Rockets. The recored is 33 games, set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers. Miami will try to move into sole possession of second late yesterday when it visits the Boston Celtics who ended the Rockets’ run five years ago.

Lakers 113, Kings 102 In Los Angeles, Antawn Jamison scored 27 points, Metta World Peace added 22, and the Lakers won without Kobe Bryant, getting their sixth victory in seven games. Bryant missed his first game of the season to rest his sprained left ankle, making a game-time decision to rest his aching joint. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni used just seven players, but Jamison and fellow reserve Steve Blake took charge in the second half as the Lakers kept a one-game lead over Utah for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Isaiah Thomas scored 26 points and Patrick Patterson had 22 for the Kings, who have lost 12 of 13 on the road. The Kings played without DeMarcus Cousins, who has a bruised left quadriceps.

Bucks 115, Magic 109 In Milwaukee, Monta Ellis scored a season-high 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter, to rally the Bucks past Orlando. Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee, which ended a three-game losing streak.

Brandon Jennings had 15 points and 14 assists. The Bucks ended the game on a 30-12 lead to pull out the victory over the Magic, who led most of the game.

Orlando has lost seven of its last nine games. Arron Afflalo had 24 points and rookie Maurice Harkless had a careerhigh 23 for the Magic. Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

Clippers 93, Knicks 80 In Los Angeles, Chris Paul had 20 points and eight assists, Caron Butler added 14 points, and the Clippers beat injury-depleted New York. Blake Griffin had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who steadily pulled away in the second half of their first home win over the Knicks since February 2009.

JR Smith scored 17 points and Raymond Felton had 16 for New York, which played without All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler in its fourth straight blowout loss on a five-game trip.

The Knicks’ Atlantic Division lead over Brooklyn dwindled to a half-game heading into the Nets’ home game against Atlanta later Sunday.

Warriors 108, Rockets 78 In Houston, Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Klay Thompson had 26 with six 3pointers, and Golden State stayed ahead of Houston in the Western Conference standings. James Harden and Jeremy Lin scored 21 points apiece for the Rockets, who now trail the Warriors by 11/2 games for the No. 6 seed in the West.

Golden State snapped a five-game losing streak to the Rockets and got some payback for a 140-109 loss in Houston on Feb. 5, the Warriors’ most lopsided loss of the season. The Rockets scored a season-high point total in that one and a season-low point total on Sunday night. Golden State also held Houston to season-low point totals in the first quarter (10) and first half (31) and won in Houston for the first time since Dec. 31, 2007.

Timberwolves 97, Hornets 95 In Minneapolis, Derrick Williams scored a career-high 28 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 with six assists to lead Minnesota. The Wolves got a lift in the final seconds from two players who hadn’t seen appeared in a game in more than two weeks when Nikola Pekovic hit two free throws to pull Minnesota ahead for good, and Andrei Kirilenko blocked

DALLAS: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher (6) fouls Dallas Mavericks guard Mike James (13) during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP Eric Gordon’s driving layup with 4.6 seconds to play. Greivis Vasquez led the Hornets with 24 points and Robin Lopez had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota shot 56.3 percent, but New Orleans stayed within striking distance largely because of its work on the offensive boards, scoring 20 second-chance points. Even on bad misses, Lopez was there to rebound or tip the ball to a teammate to keep possessions alive.

Thunder 107, Mavericks 101 In Dallas, Kevin Durant scored 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Russell Westbrook had 35 including the goahead jumper with 1 minute left, and Oklahoma City beat Dallas.

and 11 rebounds, and Atlanta dominated the fourth quarter to keep Brooklyn from tying for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Josh Smith added 21 points and seven boards for the Hawks, who won their third straight by outscoring the Nets 3420 in the final period. Neither team led by more than six points over the first three quarters and the game was tied with under 9 minutes to play before Atlanta broke it open with a 19-6 run.

Reggie Evans had a season-high 14 points and grabbed 22 rebounds for the Nets, who headed out for an eight-game road trip on a disappointing note. A victory would have moved them even with the slumping New York Knicks atop their division. —AP

Durant was 3 of 9 from the floor before hitting seven shots in a row during one stretch in the fourth. Westbrook connected on a 17-footer to give the Thunder a 103-101 lead. With a chance to tie on the next possession, Durant forced Dallas into a shot-clock violation when he blocked Mike James’ desperation jumper. Thabo Sefolosha hit a turnaround jumper over O.J. Mayo to stretch Oklahoma City’s lead to 105-101. Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points, including two free throws for the Mavericks to tie the score at 101 with 1:20 left. Dallas, however, didn’t score after that.

Hawks 105, Nets 93 In New York, Al Horford had 22 points

NBA results/standings Miami 108, Toronto 91; Milwaukee 115, Orlando 109; La Clippers 93, NY Knicks 80; Golden State 108, Houston 78; Minnesota 97, New Orleans 95; Oklahoma City 107, Dallas 101; Atlanta 105, Brooklyn 93; LA Lakers 113, Sacramento 102.

Western Conference Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 50 17 .746 NY Knicks 38 26 .594 Denver 45 22 .672 5 Brooklyn 38 28 .576 1 Utah 34 32 .515 15.5 Boston 36 29 .554 2.5 Portland 31 34 .477 18 Toronto 26 41 .388 13.5 Minnesota 23 41 .359 25.5 Philadelphia 25 40 .385 13.5

Indiana Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland

Central Division 40 26 .606 36 29 .554 33 32 .508 23 45 .338 22 44 .333

Miami Atlanta Washington Orlando Charlotte

Southeast Division 51 14 .785 37 29 .561 23 42 .354 18 49 .269 14 52 .212

3.5 6.5 18 18

14.5 28 34 37.5

LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Sacramento Phoenix

Pacific Division 46 21 .687 38 30 .559 36 32 .529 23 44 .343 22 45 .328

8.5 10.5 23 24

San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans

Southwest Division 51 16 .761 44 21 .677 36 31 .537 31 35 .470 22 45 .328

6 15 19.5 29

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

S P ORTS

Penguins edge Bruins PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby scored his 13th goal, Tomas Vokoun stopped 31 shots, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Sunday for their ninth straight win.

Joe Vitale added his first goal in more than a year for the Penguins, who have beaten the Bruins five consecutive times.

Tyler Seguin scored his 10th goal for

Boston, and Tuukka Rask made 16 saves but couldn’t stop the Bruins from losing to Pittsburgh for the second time in less than a week.

The Penguins scored three times in

the final 7 minutes Tuesday to steal a 32 victory. There were no dramatics necessary this time, as hockey’s hottest team never trailed to remain unbeaten in March. Pittsburgh, which moved into first place in the Eastern Conference two points ahead of Montreal - has allowed just five goals in five games.

Senators 4, Jets 1 In Ottawa, Jakob Silfverberg scored twice to lead Ottawa over Winnipeg.

Guillaume Latendresse and Kyle Turris added goals for the Senators, who got 25 saves from Robin Lehner. Zach Bogosian scored the lone goal for the Jets. Ondrej Pavelec made 38 saves, but Winnipeg’s three-game winning streak was snapped. Trailing 2-0 heading into the third, the Jets finally beat Lehner at 3:26 as Bogosian’s shot from just inside the blue line made it through traffic and just under the crossbar. Evander Kane had a great chance to tie the game midway through the period on a 2-on-1 break, but was robbed by Lehner, who made a great pad save.

Ala’a Rasheed — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwait gears up for Rally

By Nawara Fattahova

WASHINGTON: Eric Fehr No 16 of the Washington Capitals clears the puck against Nathan Gerbe No 42 of the Buffalo Sabres at the Verizon Center. —AFP

NHL results/standings Pittsburgh 2,Boston 1; Ottawa 4,Winnipeg 1; Washington 5,Buffalo 3; Edmonton 3, Nashville 2.

Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Islanders NY Rangers Philadelphia

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL 22 8 0 13 10 6 13 12 3 13 12 2 13 15 1

GF 108 72 83 65 79

GA 80 81 91 67 88

PTS 44 32 29 28 27

Montreal Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo

Northeast Division 19 5 4 19 5 3 15 8 6 15 12 2 10 15 4

90 81 72 86 76

70 57 62 83 93

42 41 36 32 24

Winnipeg Carolina Tampa Bay Washington Florida

Southeast Division 15 12 2 15 11 1 12 15 1 12 15 1 7 16 6

77 82 92 78 70

85 76 84 85 109

32 31 25 25 20

Chicago St. Louis Detroit Nashville Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 23 2 3 16 10 2 14 10 5 11 12 6 11 12 6

95 85 78 67 64

60 80 75 77 76

49 34 33 28 28

Minnesota Vancouver Edmonton Calgary Colorado

Northwest Division 15 10 2 13 8 6 11 11 6 11 11 4 10 13 4

70 77 69 75 69

68 77 81 87 84

32 32 28 26 24

Pacific Division Anaheim 20 3 4 90 66 44 Los Angeles 15 10 2 81 71 32 San Jose 12 9 6 64 69 30 Phoenix 13 11 4 77 78 30 Dallas 12 12 3 69 81 27 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Capitals 5, Sabres 3 In Washington, Troy Brouwer had a goal and an assist in the second period of Washington’s victory over Buffalo.

Jason Chimera added his first regularseason goal in nearly a year for the Capitals (12-15-1), who broke out of an offensive slump in which they had scored only seven times in five games losing four.

Alex Ovechkin got the Capitals going with his 350th NHL goal, scored only 19 seconds in, and Marcus Johansson and Matthieu Perrault also had a goal and an assist each as Washington beat Buffalo at home for the seventh time in eight games. Cody Hodgson scored twice for the Sabres (10-15-4), who have lost five straight road games and have won just once in seven games overall. Brian Flynn added a goal the Sabres, who outshot the Capitals 30-25. Washington busted out of its scoring slump with three goals during a 5:22 stretch of the second period.

Oilers 3, Predators 2 In Edmonton, Jordan Eberle had a goal and assist and Edmonton topped struggling Nashville. Magnus Paajarvi and Lennart Petrell also scored for the Oilers (11-11-6), who have won three of four.

Shea Weber and Roman Josi had goals for the Predators (11-12-6), who have lost the first three games of a fourgame trip. The Oilers scored first in the second period and then added two goals in the third to win. Devan Dubnyk made 29 saves. —AP

KUWAIT: The fourth and fifth rounds of Kuwait International Rally, which is also the second round of the Middle East Rally Championship, will be held nex t Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Participants from different countries will take part in this event. The event kicks off from the Safir Al Fintas Hotel on Thursday and will continue till Bneider, where the rest of the stages will be held.

Besides Kuwait, participants from GCC, Arab countries, Turkey and even from Italy will participate in the Kuwait Rally.

Ala’a Rasheed from Jordan will join in the Kuwaiti rally for the second year. He is driving a Ford Fiesta RRC (Regional Rally Car) along with his co - driver Joseph Matar from Lebanon. Last year he only participated in one round of the Kuwait Rally.

Ala’a Rasheed is excited to partake in this rally. “This is an international rally, in where popular drivers will join such as world champion Nasser Al-Atiyah from Qatar, Yzid Al-Rajhi from Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Khalid Al-Qasimi from the United Arab Emirates and many others. In total there are 29 participants,” he told the Kuwait Times.

He has been participating since 2011.

“I ranked second in the Jordan Rally held last year. Also in 2012 I ranked 6th in the Middle East Rally Championship. This year I’m participating in six round of the international rally starting with Portugal on April 14, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and the United K ingdom. While the M iddle East R ally includes Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Dubai, besides the Kuwait round,” added Rasheed.

Although achieving top positions, Rasheed aims to be even better. “I made

some changes on my vehicle especially on the engine, the gearbox, suspensions, and others. I know that the weather in Kuwait is very hot, thus we are blessed in this period that the temperatures are not high yet and it’s pleasant,” he pointed out.

The nature of the Kuwait rally is different from the Jordan rally. “The Kuwait rally is difficult as it’s an open desert that needs more experience and the way of reading the desert. The land is different as the sand is soft, and the driver needs to read the road from a far distance, which requires practice. Also for this reason not much Europeans participate in this rally,” he explained.

R asheed depends on this rally to recover his loss in the first round of the ME rally that was held in Qatar last January. “We had an accident after we were ranking fifth so we couldn’t continue and we lost the points. Thus I hope to achieve good position in this rally and compensate the previous loss. We are training currently with our team’s trainer Roger Feghali who was the champion of Lebanon for 10 years, and he is the manager of our team currently,” he stated.

Through his participation, Rasheed is promoting Jordan. “We are marketing Jordan as a touristic destination through this rally. We aim to promote the name of Jordan. On this occasion I would like to thank our sponsors ‘Visit Jordan’, as the main sponsor, Arab Financial Brokers, and the Motor Tune for their continued support,” he noted.

“I noticed that there is good attendance from the Kuwait fans and spectators of the rally, as many people come to watch this exciting sporting event. I hope that even more people will be in attendance for this event concluded Rasheed.

Puerto Rico humble Japan to reach WBC title game SAN FRANCISCO: Giant-killers Puerto Rico ended Japan’s World Baseball Classic reign on Sunday, combining a strong pitching effort with the power of Alex Rios to win their semi-final showdown 3-1 at AT&T Park.

Rios crushed a towering two-run homer in the seventh inning off reliever Atsushi Nohmi to break open a taut pitchers’ duel and give Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead as Japan lost a chance to extend their domination of the world’s top international tournament.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve done,” said Rios, whose team eliminated favored powers Venezuela in the first round, the U.S. team in the second round and now the two-time defending champions in the semi-finals.

The blow by Rios brought his team mates pouring onto the field to celebrate with him after he touched home plate. Mario Santiago, who pitched last year in the South Korean professional league, was masterful in retiring the first 10 batters of the faced and protecting a 1-0 first-inning lead on Mike Aviles’s run-scoring sin-

gle into the fifth inning.

“I know a bit about the Japanese hitters,” said Santiago, who trained in Japan last year. “I’ve seen them in Japan. I know what they’re like and what they don’t like.” He was followed by five relievers with Fernando Cabrera notching the save, setting off a wild celebration in the middle of the diamond after Angel Pagan gloved Kazuo Matsui’s fly ball to center for the final out. Japan, winners of the first two WBC titles in 2006 and 2009, squandered their best chance in the eighth on a critical base-running gaffe. After a one-out run made it 3-1 with men on first and second, Seiichi Uchikawa broke for second base on a pitch to Shinnosuke Abe, while lead runner Hirokazu Ibata held his ground. Catcher Yadier Molina ran all the way toward second to tag out Uchikawa, and Abe then grounded out to end the threat.

Japanese manager Koji Yamamoto said he had given a sign for a double steal, thinking the baserunners had a good chance considering the slow delivery of reliever JC Romero.

“Ibata’s start was a little delayed,” explained Yamamoto. “It failed, but I don’t regret the attempt.” Japan had other opportunities, leaving runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but could not break through until Takashi Toritani tripled in the eighth and scored on a single by Ibata before the baserunning blunder.

“Our opponent was really superior, both in pitching and in hitting,” the Japanese manager said. “So we were cornered in a sense.” Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said his team knew what their performance meant to their countrymen.

“We know that there’s a lot of people down in Puerto Rico watching and this win is huge,” he said. “The way that these guys have been playing and performing is a huge accomplishment for the people in Puerto Rico.”

Puerto Rico will play the winner of late yesterday’s semi-final between unbeaten Dominican Republic and the Netherlands, and the WBC will crown a new champion on Tuesday. —Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Japan’s Kenta Maeda pitches during the first inning of a semifinal game of the World Baseball Classic against Puerto Rico. —AP

Jeev Milkha Singh

India’s Milkha Singh wants major boost to step out of dad’s shadow NEW DELHI: Jeev Milkha Singh has won the Asian Tour’s order of merit twice, has four wins on the European Tour and is the first Indian golfer to break into world’s top 50, but he feels he will continue to live in his father’s shadow until he wins a major.

More than five decades after Milkha Singh, Jeev’s father, narrowly lost out on the 400m bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, the “Flying Sikh” has lost none of his popularity and his Bollywood biopic will hit theatres in July.

“Dad never misses a chance to remind me that whenever we are travelling together, if 100 people mob him for autographs, five approach me,” Jeev told Reuters in a recent interview at the Jaypee Greens golf course on the outskirts of Delhi.

“He introduces me to them saying: ‘He’s my son Jeev. He plays golf.’ I need to win a major to get to that level,” said Jeev, who finished tied ninth in the 2008 PGA Championship.

“Dad’s like a friend but still thinks I’m a kid. Every other day, he keeps telling me: ‘You won’t succeed unless you practise enough’. “I tell him ‘Dad, I’m 42, please stop it! You are like a broken record, you keep repeating the same thing.’ But he doesn’t care,” Jeev said with a grin.

Golf ’s inclusion on the 2016 Olympic programme has offered Jeev the chance to go one-up on his father, who fell agonisingly short of winning India’s first Olympic

track-and-field medal in Rome.

“Dad has done it (competing in Olympics) 50 years ago. If I can do it, it would be fantastic. And to win a medal would be the icing on the cake,” said Jeev, his eyes lighting up at the prospect.

“This is one of the best things to have happened to us, the golfers. For golf, being in the Olympics is a big boost. More so for Indian golf. “I have to be in the top 100 that year to qualify,” said Jeev, who is currently ranked 99. “At 42, it’s a new motivation for me. I’ll be 45 and I think I’d be good enough to go.”

More than grabbing bragging rights in the family, Jeev feels a medal in Rio would help soothe his father’s old wound. Milkha Singh is still rankled by the fourth place finish in Rome.

“Dad still feels bad about it,” said Jeev.

“He still talks about it, the mistake he made.

He thinks he was the fastest. “That’s the only regret he has in life - that he checked himself in the middle of the race.” Singh senior’s parents were killed along with other villagers during the 1947 India-Pakistan partition, and his compelling story has been captured in a Bollywood movie.

“It’s a fantastic movie. I hope it goes to the Oscars. It’s that good,” said Jeev. “You’d cry watching the movie, you’d have goose bumps ... it has got a message. It’s an inspirational movie, not only for a sportsman but for anyone in any profession.” —Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

S P ORTS

Stacy captures No. 1 LPGA spot with win

COLOMBO: Bangladeshi batsman Mohammad Ashraful (top center) is bowled out by Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath (bottom left) during the third day of the second Test cricket match. —AP

Herath bags two late wickets COLOMBO: Two wickets in two balls by leftarm spinner Rangana Herath in the last half hour of play on the third day tilted the balance of the second Test towards Sri Lanka yesterday.

By stumps Bangladesh, who trailed Sri Lanka by 106 after the first innings, were 158 for four wickets — an overall lead of 52.

Mominul Haque scored an attractive half-century in the first innings and was unbeaten on 36 second time around with Mushfiqur Rahim on seven.

Both batsmen would have been out before the close had the Sri Lankan fielders been sharper. Mominul was put down at mid-on by Nuwan Kulasekara when he was on 30 and Angelo Mathews missed Mushfiqur at slip also off Herath, who ended the day with figures of three for 45.

Mohammad Ashraful became Herath’s first victim when he was bowled for four by a quicker delivery in the second over after tea when his off stump was sent tumbling. A stand of 47 followed between Jahurul Islam and Mominul that carried Bangladesh to 143-2 before Herath struck twice in his 19th over. He changed the complexion of the game by having Jahurul stumped by Dinesh Chandimal for 48 when the batsman lost his patience and charged up the wicket.

On the next ball, Mahmudullah was beaten up by a tossed up delivery from Herath and had his off stump knocked out. Mushfiqur survived the hat-trick ball and was lucky to be there at the close.

Openers Tamim Iqbal and Jahurul provided a strong start to help Bangladesh reach 93 for one at tea. On a surface which had flattened out at the R Premadasa Stadium, Tamim and Jahurul batted confidently. Tamim, who missed the first test through injury, was the aggressor in the partnership reaching his fifty off 67 balls with the help of one six and four fours.

He was dropped on 12 when Suranga Lakmal failed to hold a knee-high return catch.

A bowling change by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews brought about the dismissal of Tamim, who tried to cut a ball from Shaminda Eranga but only succeeded in chopping it onto his stumps to depart for 59.

Earlier, Sri Lanka resumed on 294 for six and a lot depended on how long Kumar Sangakkara could bat on to give the hosts a healthy first innings lead. Starting the day on 127, Sangakkara added only 12 runs to his overnight score when he went for a drive off Abul Hasan and, after a long delay, the third umpire ruled him out caught behind by Mushfiqur.

Sangakkara scored 139 off 289 balls and hit 11 fours in what was his third century in this series. Sohag Gazi bowled Herath for three and dismissed Kulasekara for 22 when the batsman gave Mushfiqur his fifth catch of the innings as the spinner finished with figures of three for 111. Mahmudullah then removed Shaminda Eranga (15) as Sri Lanka were all out for 346 in their first innings. —Reuters

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the second and final cricket test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh yesterday: 39-4-111-3, Abul Hasan 23-4-80-2 (w-1), Bangladesh first innings 240 Rubel Hossain 17-5-45-2 (nb-3, w-1), Sri Lanka first innings (294-6 overnight) Mahmudullah 11.3-1-37-1, Mominul Haque D. Karunaratne c Mushfiqur b Abul 17 2-0-6-0, Mohammad Ashraful 2-0-9-0, Nasir T. Dilshan Mushfiqur b Robiul 0 Hossain 2-0-2-0.

K. Sangakkara c Mushfiqur b Abul 139 L. Thirimanne c Mushfiqur b Robiul 0 Bangladesh second innings A. Mathews c Mahmudullah b Gazi 16 Tamim Iqbal b Eranga 59 D. Chandimal b Rubel 102 Jahrul Islam st Chandimal b Herath 48 K. Vithanage c Mominul b Rubel 12 Mohammad Ashraful b Herath 4 N. Kulasekara c Mushfiqur b Gazi 22 Mominul Haque not out 36 R. Herath b Gazi 3 Mahmudullah b Herath 0 S. Eranga c Ashraful b Mahmudullah 15 Mushfiq ur Rahim not out 7 S. Lakmal not out 0 Extras: (lb-3, nb-1) 4 Extras (b-2, lb-2, nb-10, w-6) 20 Total: (four wickets, 69 overs) 158 Total (all out; 111.3 overs) 346 Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-96, 3-143, 4-143 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-39, 3-43, 4-69, 5-264, 6Bowling: Kulasekara 7-0-21-0, Lakmal 8-1280, 7-316, 8-323, 9-346.

Bowling: Robiul Islam 15-1-52-2 (nb-7), 24-0, Herath 23-7-45-3, Dilshan 19-3-40-0, Eranga 9-3-17-1 (nb1), Mathews 3-2-8-0.

Sohag Gazi

Second Test ends in draw after rain washes out play WELLINGTON: Persistent rain and a pitch that offered the seam bowlers little assistance ensured the second Test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve ended in a damp draw when the final day’s play was abandoned without a ball being bowled yesterday.

Much of Sunday’s fourth day was also washed out after lunch as intermittent rain showers swept across the Wellington region resulting in a near farcical situation as the umpires cleared the ground for play three times, only for the rain to return and force further delays.

New Zealand were 162 for two when match officials abandoned the day’s play at 1405 local (0105 GMT) with Kane Williamson 55 not out while Ross Taylor was on 41 after the pair combined for an 81-run partnership to thwart England’s bowlers on Sunday.

The hosts were still 49 runs away from making England bat again after Alastair Cook had enforced the follow on when New Zealand were bowled out for 254.

The visitors, who had been asked to bat by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as he tried to exploit whatever advantage the pitch would provide, batted the hosts out of the match on the first day with Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott scoring centuries.

Despite Stuart Broad’s six for 51 in New Zealand’s first innings, none of the pace bowlers got much assistance from the pitch throughout the match, which frustrated England bowling coach David Saker.

“It probably makes the game more even, there’s no doubt about it. It makes it harder for the

bowlers of both sides to prise out the wickets,” Saker told reporters.

“For the spectacle of test cricket it is not the greatest way. Anyone watching the game wants to see the ball bounce through, they want to see the batsmen play off the back foot more.

“Sometimes its a bit frustrating for the spectators” The series, which will now head to the final match at Eden Park, has been evenly matched, albeit on benign pitches, with the hosts having the better of the first test in Dunedin, while England were on top in Wellington.

“We had the advantage the majority of the game in Dunedin and couldn’t push on because of a combination of how well England batted in the second innings and losing a day as well,” New Zealand batsman Peter Fulton said.

“Probably the opposite has applied here.

They’ve been on top the whole game as well ... if we can go into the last game still able to win the series I think that would be a pretty good result.”

The match at Eden Park will be played on a drop-in pitch and Saker said he was looking forward to a bit more life in it than had been witnessed at the cricket-only grounds at University Oval and the Basin Reserve.

“If we’d had five days I’m sure we probably would have got the result we wanted,” Saker said.

“We know we have played on a lot of test wickets like this and we know we have got wickets and got sides out on wickets like this.

“I’m sure if we apply enough pressure to this batting lineup we can still win (and) ...we go to the last test like a Cup final ... and hopefully we get a wicket that produces a good contest.” —Reuters

SCOREBOARD WELLINGTON: Scoreboard after the second test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve ended in a draw as rain prevented any play yesterday: Total: (for two wickets, 68 overs) 162 New Zealand won the toss and chose to field Fall of wickets: 1-25 2-81 England first innings 465 Bowling: Anderson 12-4-27-1, Broad 14-6New Zealand first innings 254 New Zealand second innings (following 32-0 (w-1), Finn 11-2-36-0, Panesar 26-12-441, Trott 3-0-10-0, Root 2-0-12-0. on; overnight 162-2) Result: Match drawn P. Fulton c Cook b Anderson 45 Previous results: H. Rutherford c Bell b Panesar 15 First test - match drawn K. Williamson not out 55 Remaining fixtures: R. Taylor not out 41 March 22-26 - third test, Auckland Extras (w-5, lb-1) 6

PHOENIX: When told she could take the No. 1 spot in the world with a victory at Desert Ridge, Stacy Lewis plugged her ears and jokingly chanted, “La-la-la-la-la.” A few days and 72 exciting holes later, she was more than willing to talk.

Yes, the determined Texan who wore a back brace 18 hours a day for six years had jumped from third to first in the world with a comeback victory Sunday in the LPGA Founders Cup. Diagnosed with scoliosis when she was 11, she thought back to her trying teen years.

“Every setback you have along the way, everything good that happens, it all happens for a reason,” said Lewis, now 28. “I couldn’t have dreamed the kid growing up wearing a back brace 18 hours a day is the No. 1 player in the world.” When the brace failed to correct the curvature in her spine, she had surgery to insert a rod and five screws in her back. “ That was just 10 years ago,” Lewis said. “That’s not normal, that’s not supposed to happen. I mean, I’m not, I’m really not supposed to be here. People with metal in their back, how do you play golf? I don’t know. I don’t know how. I don’t know why I’m here.”

Coming off a victory two weeks ago in Singapore, Lewis won her seventh LPGA Tour title. She won the 2011 Kraft Nabisco and has six victories in her last 23 events, four last season when she was the tour player of the year.

“I’m having a blast on the golf course,” Lewis said. “To be No. 1 in the world, it’s what everybody out here on tour is working for.” She ended Yani Tseng’s 109-week run at No. 1, and joined Cristie Kerr as the only Americans to top the rankings that began in 2006. Kerr was No. 1 for five weeks over three stints in 2010.

“It’s crazy,” Lewis said. “That was my goal kind of since the middle of last year and I really didn’t think it would be possible this quick. ... I’m going to have fun, I know that. I watched Yani struggle with it for too long and I’m going to go have fun.”

Lewis beat Ai Miyazato by three strokes, closing with an 8-under 64 to finish with a tournament-record 23-under 265 total on the cactus-

lined Wildfire layout. Miyazato, three strokes ahead with six holes to play, finished with a 71. The tournament turned with a three-stroke swing on the 16th hole, a day after Lewis was penalized two strokes for her caddie’s blunder on the short par 4.

On Sunday, Lewis took a twostroke lead with a birdie after

were so motivated today.”

Miyazato was a stroke ahead on the 16th tee and seemingly in perfect position in the fairway on the 307-yard hole. But the straight-hitting Japanese star’s pitching wedge sailed left, hit on the bank near the edge of the green and rolled into the desert bush. “I hit the pitching wedge, but my instinct said that it

Lewis, a 12-time winner at the University of Arkansas, found the right fairway bunker off the tee, hit to 15 feet and holed the birdie putt. “I was shocked that she hit the shot she did,” Lewis said. “That is not like Ai at all. She’s green, green. I mean, it’s boring to play with her because she hits so many greens.”

PHOENIX: Stacy Lewis poses with the trophy after winning the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and becoming number one in the World Golf Ranking at Wildfire Golf Club. —AFP Miyazato made a double bogey following an errant approach shot that left her with an unplayable lie in a desert bush.

Miyazato took a four-stroke lead over Lewis and Jee Young Lee into the final round when Lewis was penalized after play Saturday when it was ruled caddie Travis Wilson tested the sand before Lewis played out of a bunker on No. 16.

“I wasn’t even mad at him because he didn’t do anything on purpose,” Lewis said. “I just felt really bad for him just because all the stories were, ‘Stacy Lewis’ caddie, Stacy Lewis’ caddie.’ The spotlight was on him and he never wants that. We

was an easy 9,” Miyazato said. “It was a little bit indecisive and that’s why I pulled my shot.”

Instead of playing again from the fairway, she elected to drop in sand in the desert, leaving her with an uphill shot with little green to work with. Her shot from the desert raced to the far edge of the green and she two-putted for a double-bogey 6.

“I decided I would take a drop almost like in a bunker position and I thought we had that little backstop behind the pin, so I thought I could make it stop a little bit more,” Miyazato said. “It was kind of a little flat when I dropped, so it was hard.”

Lewis added an 18-footer on the par-3 17th for her third straight birdie. “To make those two putts I did on 16 and 17 was pretty unbelievable,” Lewis said. “I’m really speechless. I played great and I was super motivated from all that happened yesterday and just happy for Travis. “Weird things happen when you play enough golf rounds and I told him that over and over and over again. He would have felt horrible if we lost by two, so that’s why I just put the dagger in and made some more putts there coming in.” When Lewis holed out on 18, she pointed at Wilson and hugged him. “That’s for you,” she told him. —AP

Streelman bags Tampa Bay Championship INNISBROOK: Kevin Streelman captured his first PGA Tour title on Sunday with victory in the $5.5 million Tampa Bay Championship to secure a place in next month’s Masters.

The 34-year-old Streelman shot a final round of four-under-par 67 to finish on 10-under, two strokes clear of his nearest rival at the tricky Copperhead layout at Innisbrook Resort.

“That was really cool,” he said in a greenside interview with NBC television. “It just shows that if you follow your dreams anything is possible.” Boo Weekley finished second after closing with a 63, the best single round of the tournament, to catapult himself up the leaderboard.

Weekley made eight birdies, including the 15th and 16th holes when he struck his approach shots to with two feet of the flagstick. He ate some pizza while he waited almost three hours for the later groups to finish.

“It was impressive. Even I’m still kind of shocked at how well I really hit it,” Weekley said. “It was one of the best ballstriking days I’ve had in a long time. I had three or four tapins today.”

Cameron Tringale was third at

PALM HARBOR: Kevin Streelman holds the trophy after winning the Tampa Bay Championship. —AFP minus seven after carding a 66 while Justin Leonard, the 1997 British Open champion, finished tied for fourth at minus six with last year’s winner, Englishman Luke

Donald, and Australian lefthander Greg Chalmers.

Streelman is anything but an overnight success. He burnt out three cars driving himself around

the United States as a struggling player trying to make the big time and worked as a caddie to pay his bills. He joined the PGA Tour in 2008 and his previous best finish was third, which he had done three times. Streelman started the final day in a three-way tie for the lead with Leonard and George Coetzee after a flawless round of 65 on Saturday.

He birdied two of his first three holes on Sunday and did not drop a shot all day, adding two birdies to secure his maiden Tour win and guarantee himself a start at Augusta. “ This is a dream come true. I think 153rd event on the Tour, and many, many events before that on the Hooters Tour and Gateway Tour and Dakotas Tour,” he said at a news conference.

“To get this is the cumulation of a lot of hard work and a lot of time spent late into the evening and getting up early in the morning “It’s not going to change who I am. It’s just something to put on a resume. It’s really nothing more than that. But I’m very thankful and it means a lot to me and my team and people that I’ve surrounded myself with. “Hopefully we can do it again. This is a lot of fun.” —Reuters

Bangladesh bans top umpire for 10 years Match-fixing DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board yesterday banned international umpire Nadir Shah for 10 years after a sting operation by an Indian TV channel found him apparently willing to fix matches for cash.

Shah announced he would appeal against the decision, saying he had been made a scapegoat, but the move was welcomed by the International Cricket Council as underlining a commitment within the game to root out corruption.

The Bangladeshi board launched an inquiry after the private India TV channel aired footage last October which appeared to show that the 49-year-old Shah was willing to give LBW (leg before wicket) decisions on demand.

While the board did not publish the findings of the inquiry, it said in a statement that Shah “will not be considered for BCB retainership for 10 years”. “During this period he will not be eligible for any assignment under the jurisdiction of the BCB,” it added. Shah, who has stood in 40 one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals, was one of six umpires caught in the undercover investi-

gation, including three from Sri Lanka and two from Pakistan. All of the six were subsequently suspended by their own boards but they have consistently refuted the alle-

Nadir Shah gations. Speaking to AFP after yesterday’s verdict, Shah said it was “part of conspiracy against me”. “Definitely I’ll talk to my lawyer and appeal against the decision,” he said.

“It’s a decision taken on the basis of TV footage. It’s based on casual talk sitting in a room in New Delhi in July 2012. “Do they

have any proof that I’ve taken money or given any decision in anybody’s favor? Is there any record?” A lawyer representing two of the Sri Lankan umpires caught up in the same sting said he was pushing Sri Lanka Cricket for a speedy inquiry.

“We are asking for an independent inquiry,” lawyer Prathiba Mahanamahewa, who is acting on behalf of Gamini Dissanayake and Maurice de la Zilwa, told AFP in Colombo.

“You can’t act on the basis of this video which we think has been doctored.”

Pakistan’s board has said an internal inquiry against two of its officials, including former Test umpire Nadeem Ghouri, would be finalised shortly. The allegations were broadcast only days after the final of the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka, knocking some of the gloss off one of the game’s premier events. David Richardson, chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), said the ban on Shah reflected a commitment among the games rulers “to root out corruption from our great sport”. “This decision also reiterates cricket’s zero-tolerance

approach towards corruption and should serve as a reminder to all stakeholders, be they umpires, players, curators or administrators of the risks and challenges the sport faces,” said Richardson. “We can only beat the corrupters by remaining vigilant and by following the procedures and protocols which are in place.”

Shah was among the umpires at the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League last year, a local version of India’s high-octane IPL Twenty20 tournament. The competition was marred by corruption allegations and ended up with former Bangladeshi international Shariful Haque being indefinitely banned.

While ICC anti-corruption officials help to police the IPL, the international game’s governing body has expressed concern about other leagues including the Bangladesh tournament.

Cricket has been embroiled in a number of corruption scandals in recent years.

Three Pakistani cricketers, including former captain Salman Butt, were jailed in Britain in 2011 after being found guilty of spot-fixing following a newspaper sting. —AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

S P ORTS

Messi and Villa show down Rayo Vallecano MADRID: Lionel Messi scored twice, netting in his 18th consecutive league match, as Barcelona overcame Rayo Vallecano 3-1 at the Nou Camp to restore their 13-point lead at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

The World Player of the Year was in devastating form along with

Mallorca 5-2 at home on Saturday.

“We have recovered the intensity, we are in the Champions League quarter-finals, and now we welcome the break for the March internationals,” Barca sports director Andoni Zubizarreta told Spanish television.

“Villa is feeling better every day

first after 25 minutes.

Villa, steadily cementing his place back in the side, released Messi on a breakaway to score just before halftime and he repeated the feat in the 57th, leaving the Argentine to burst past his marker and lob the keeper.

Substitute Raul Tamudo pulled

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, from Argentina (left) kicks the ball watched by Rayo Vallecano’s Mikel Labaka during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium. —AP David Villa, laying on the first for the Spain striker before Villa returned the favour twice, either side of the break. Messi took his La Liga tally for the season to 42 goals and he last failed to find the net in the league at Celta Vigo on Nov. 3.

Barcelona moved on to 74 points with 10 games left, ahead of champions Real Madrid in second who came from behind to beat Real

on the pitch and he has fought really hard to be able to enjoy these moments.” Atletico Madrid were a point further back in third after Diego Costa scored twice in a 2-0 victory at Osasuna that kept them hot on the heels of their King’s Cup final opponents. Messi had already hit the crossbar with a free k ick when he laid on the opener for Villa to sweep in Barca’s

one back for Rayo with his first touch in the 70th minute as chances fell to both sides in an open final period when Messi almost completed his hat-trick. The only downside for Barca was a first-half hamstring injury to defender Adriano Correia that will rule him out for up to six weeks. Atletico’s combative frontman Costa, called up to Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil squad for their friend-

lies against Italy and Russia, finished off a counter-attack at the second attempt in the 35th minute at Osasuna.

Just after the re-start he guided Koke’s free kick into the net from close range and he came close to completing a hat-trick in a typically bruising encounter in Pamplona.

Costa was forced to limp off with an ankle injury midway through the second half.

Earlier, Malaga’s joy at qualifying for the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time was cut short when Espanyol condemned them to a 2-0 home defeat.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side, on their first venture into Europe’s top club competition, came back to beat Porto 2-1 on aggregate at a festive Rosaleda on Wednesday, but they struggled against a well-organised Espanyol.

Goalkeeper Willy Caballero, the rock upon which much of their success has been built this season, made a rare mistake when he fumbled a corner in the 49th minute and Diego Colotto volleyed the visitors in front against the run of play.

The hosts looked short of spark and were undone again in the 66th when Mubarak Wakaso burst down the left and crossed for Sergio Garcia to volley a superb second into the top corner.

Home fans continued to sing and applaud their side despite the setback, but the defeat left Malaga, who have not won in their last four league outings, in sixth place with 44 points.

Real Sociedad and Valencia won on Saturday to climb above them into fourth and fifth respectively.

Sevilla are 10th with 38 points after hammering 10-man Real Zaragoza 4-0 at home, when Alvaro Negredo’s 15th goal of the campaign made him the highest scoring Spaniard in La Liga. Levante were 11th after a 11 draw at Granada. —Reuters

Times issues climbdown on Qatar Dream League story

Manchester United’s English defender Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand withdraws from England squad LONDON: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has pulled out of the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers with San Marino and Montenegro, national team coach Roy Hodgson announced yesterday.

Ferdinand had been called up by Hodgson for the first time, but despite withdrawing from the squad, he has told the England manager that he still wants to play international football.

“I’m disappointed Rio will not be available, but due to the detailed pre-planned training and medical programme he must follow it’s not possible,” said Hodgson, who met Ferdinand in London on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Steven Caulker has been drafted into the senior squad from the under-21s to take Ferdinand’s place.

“It was important for me to be able to speak with Roy face to face and explain the situation, and one thing I made clear was that my passion and commitment to represent my country is as strong as ever,” said Ferdinand.

“It is disappointing that I won’t be able to play a part in the upcoming games, but I told Roy that I want to continue to be available for England and I look forward to working with him in the future.” Ferdinand, 34, won the last of his 81 caps in a Euro 2012 qualifying match at home to Switzerland in June 2011.

Hodgson added: “I was pleased that Rio called and asked to meet with me. It was important to hear from him personally about the way he must manage his body between games.

“This is not to say he cannot play back-to-

back games - he can and has proven so. “He’s out this time due to particular pre-planned details already in place for his programme.

“I must place on record how I was impressed with his commitment to playing for England and I look forward to hopefully selecting him for squads in the future.”

Tottenham pair Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon were both forced to pull out of the England squad due to injury on Sunday, with Manchester City centre-back Joleon Lescott being called up to replace Dawson. England face San Marino in Serravalle on Friday, before travelling to Podgorica to tackle Group H leaders Montenegro the following Tuesday.

England squad Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Celtic/SCO) Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Tottenham Hotspur), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) Midfielders: Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley (both Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Leon Osman (Everton), Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott (both Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United) Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United). —AFP

LONDON: Britain’s Times newspaper has published a full climbdown following an internal investigation of the ‘Qatar Dream League’ story it ran last week, an episode the paper yesterday described as a “journalistic nightmare”.

In a column headlined ‘When we are wrong, we will hold our hands up. It’s the right thing to do’, the newspaper’s Football Editor Tony Evans said it had appeared increasingly clear that the newspaper had been duped, and that their checks had not been stringent enough in the rush to publication. The Times had initially launched a spirited defence of its March 13 story that Qatar was to launch a “Dream Football League” even though a French website said the scoop was based on its own spoof and that the paper had been the victim of a hoax.

“It all came out of my imagination,” Jerome Latta, the editor of Les Cahiers du Football, told Reuters of the tale that the Qataris were proposing a new money spinning summer tournament offering stunning financial rewards.

The Qatar Football Association swiftly distanced itself from the story, saying they had no involvement and had heard nothing, but the Times stood firmly behind reporter Oliver Kay, insisting their scoop had nothing to do with the website’s version.

Kay, the newspaper’s chief soccer correspondent, was equally adamant, at the time telling Reuters: “I’ve been amused by the speculation about the source of this story. I can guarantee you 100 percent, 1,000 percent, 175 million percent, that my story had nothing to do with any website, spoof or otherwise.

“I’ve no idea about their modus operandi.

What I know is that my source is very good, the information is very good and that there is more where that story came from.”

Still, though, intense speculation on social media websites continued and on Monday Evans conceded that the Times had made a “massive mistake”. “Because so many significant people in football did not laugh off the idea, it seemed that the story could be genuine,” Evans wrote.

“The warning signs - that no one had heard specific details of the DFL or seen its plans were missed. In principle, the idea was possible.

There were plenty to attest to that.

“In reality, the story appears to have been invented and had just enough plausibility to be seductive.” The Times’s climbdown was mostly welcomed by those following the story online, many applauding the newspaper for its transparency and for admitting it shortcomings with regard to the story. —Reuters

FRANCE: French referee Antony Gautier (right) gives a yellow card to SaintEtienne’s French goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier (left) during the French League football match against Paris Saint-Germain.—AFP

PSG waste two-goal lead PARIS: Paris St Germain missed out on an opportunity to open a seven-point gap at the top of Ligue 1 when they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at St Etienne on Sunday.

St Etienne trailed to Javier Pastore and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s early goals, but the home side, who are unbeaten in 2013, snatched a point thanks to Alex’s own goal and a superb effort by Francois Clerc.

David Beckham, making his first league start for PSG in the stadium where he was sent off against Argentina during the 1998 World Cup, took a couple of last-gasp free kicks but to no effect.

PSG have 58 points from 29 games and lead Olympique Lyon by five points as none of the top seven teams managed to win at the weekend. St Etienne, who have not lost in their last 15 matches in all competitions, are fourth on 49 points, two behind Olympique Marseille.

Les Verts are one point ahead of Nice, who also missed out on the opportunity to take third place when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at bottom side Nancy earlier on Sunday.

“We gifted them both goals. On the first one we made a big mistake and I think there was no penalty on the second one,” Clerc told French TV channel Canal Plus. “But we played some great football and we did not deserve to lose.

“Now we still need to look behind in the standings rather than in front of us,”

he added. It all started very badly for Christophe Galthier’s side. Argentine Pastore outwitted Moustapha Sall to collect a through ball from Ibrahimovic before flicking it past Stephane Ruffier.

The keeper made the mistake of touching Ezequiel Lavezzi as the Argentine forward was running wide into the box. Ibrahimovic converted the resulting penalty with a fine chip after his initial attempt had been disallowed by the referee because a player ran into the box before the Swede took the spot kick.

It was the Sweden striker’s 25th league goal this season. St Etienne benefited from a rare moment of carelessness by the PSG central defence to reduce the arrears as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cross was deflected into his own net by Alex. Aubameyang came close after the break with a sudden leftfooted shot that was parried away by Salvatore Sirigu.

Brandao set up Clerc in the box in the 72nd but stepped on to Thiago Silva in the process. Referee Antony Gautier, however, did not blow his whistle, and Clerc unleashed a delightful shot into the far corner. “What happened with the referee is very serious. How can he and his assistants not see something that was so obvious,” said an angry Sirigu.

Earlier, Toulouse and Girondins Bordeaux played out a goalless draw.

“Frankly, that was bloody boring,” Bordeaux coach Francis Gillot told a news conference. —Reuters

SANTIAGO: Chilean footballers take part in a training session ahead of their Brazil 2014 World Cup South American qualifier match against Peru on March 22. —AFP

River lose in Argentina BUENOS AIRES: Front-runners Lanus beat Godoy Cruz 1-0 in Mendoza to open a threepoint lead at the top of the Argentine ‘Final’ championship on Sunday.

Central defender Carlos Izquierdoz headed the only goal from a corner midway through the second half to secure Lanus fifth win in six matches in which they have scored 11 goals and conceded one.

Media reports during the week said Lanus coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto and his friend and former Boca Juniors team mate Martin Palermo, the Godoy Cruz manager, had bet a dinner on the result of the match. “He doesn’t have to pay anything,” Barros Schelotto said.

Lanus, the side with a burgundy strip appropriate for a winning visit to major wine-producing province Mendoza, have 16 points to 13 for Newell’s Old Boys, who knocked River Plate out of second place with a 1-0 home win.

River have 12 points and Godoy Cruz, who lost their unbeaten record, 11, level with Quilmes after their 0-0 draw with Independiente on Saturday. River fell to a brilliant goal from Newell’s Argentina striker Ignacio Scocco at the Marcelo Bielsa stadi-

um in Rosario.

Scocco flicked the ball over Paraguayan defender Adalberto Roman on the edge of the box, headed it forward and toe-poked past advancing River goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero in the 35th minute.

Barovero was lucky to still be on the pitch having got away with what appeared to be handball outside his area when he chested the ball defending a quick Scocco break in the 12th minute.

The home side claimed Barovero had also touched the ball with his arm, which would have earned him a red card, but the referee allowed play to continue. River had a goal disallowed in the dying minutes when striker Carlos Luna dived to head the ball into the net and the referee was about to allow it before seeing his linesman waving for handball. Luna later told reporters it had been a handball.

Former San Lorenzo coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi was set to start his second spell in charge of struggling Argentinos Juniors away to Boca later on Sunday after being appointed in midweek to replace Gabriel Schurrer, who resigned three weeks ago. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

S P ORT S

Decision time looms in politics of FIFA reform GENEVA: In a conclave at FIFA headquarters this week, a group of football leaders will work secretively over two days in their first session of 2013.

Presided over by President Sepp Blatter, the FIFA Executive Committee - with 23 men and one woman - is a group governing a sport followed in many countries with near-religious fervor. Known in FIFA circles as the “ExCo,” the group oversees a billion dollar annual income and $1.3 billion cash reserves thanks to the World Cup. The ExCo members’ influence was shown by the parade by princes, presidents and prime ministers who flocked to Zurich in December 2010 seeking votes for their country to be allowed to host a World Cup. Members are also well paid, getting $280,000 in bonuses and expenses from part-time FIFA duties in the 2010 World Cup year, according to Mohamed bin Hammam in Sports Illustrated. Yet that high status is balanced by the depths FIFA’s reputation has sunk to among many football fans and commentators.

This week, one of the ExCo’s main tasks is approving - or blocking - a slate of anti-corruption measures which the FIFA congress of 209 member nations will likely rubber-stamp on May 31 in Mauritius. The changes are designed to clean up a mess that some of its own members helped create by their involvement in a series of cash-for-votes scandals and favor-seeking allegations.

Many critics believe that in FIFA’s world of mostly old men who are perceived as an entitled elite, the cardinal sin was to be caught in the act of wrongdoing, as if behaving badly was simply the way of doing business or an accepted perk. Even Blatter has acknowledged that members did not believe the FIFA code of ethics applied to them.

So, on Thursday morning, the ExCo will address items No. 27 and 28 of 33 listed on its agenda, and discuss reforming and modernizing football’s authorities: How they elect leaders; how to check candidates’ integrity; how to prevent conflicts of interest; and how they allocate money.

And on Thursday afternoon, Blatter will emerge - not on a balcony but into a windowless auditorium inside a building worthy of a multinational corporation for an audience with international media. Since launching a two-year reform process in June 2011, Blatter has declared each stage a resounding success with his ExCo united behind his vision. This time, consensus should be harder to agree as time runs out and politicking steps up before the next FIFA presdiential election in 2015.

“Once you get politics into the reform process, you can’t succeed with reform,” Michael Hershman, one of the expert panel of advisors Blatter invited to suggest anti-corruption measures, told The Associated Press last month.

Back in 2011, after the 2018-2022

World Cup votes and his own re-election were widely criticized, Blatter accepted change was inevitable and called for a “solutions committee” to advise him.

Blatter suggested Henry Kissinger and opera singer Placido Domingo as potential members - to widespread derision - then invited respected Swiss law professor Mark Pieth to form a group which has proved stridently independent. Public spats between Blatter and Pieth have raised doubts about how seriously FIFA ever intended to take the advice. Blatter has problems deeper inside the “football family” with UEFA and its president, Michel Platini.

UEFA suggests an upper age limit of 72 for election or appointment to FIFA positions - not good for the 77-year-old Blatter, whose recent barbs aimed at the 57-year-old Platini suggest he might renege on a promise to leave in 2015.

The balance of power between FIFA and its six continental confederations is a theme of this week’s power broking.

Blatter likes to call ExCo members the government he is given, rather than chooses, because only the FIFA president and a designated female member are elected by the 209 members.

The other 23 are elected at confederation level. This helps distance Blatter from responsibility when some of those ExCo members are investigated by the FIFA ethics judicial bodies.

Such as Vernon Manilal Fernando, a relative rookie from Sri Lanka, who is

currently banned from any activity in world football for up to 90 days at the request of ethics prosecutor Michael J. Garcia. Manilal Fernando is a close ally of bin Hammam, the Qatari official who was pursued through FIFA’s ethics court since trying to challenge Blatter in the 2011 election and eventually banned for life for financial conflicts of interest while leading the Asian confederation.

When Garcia, a former United States Attorney, was appointed last July - by the ExCo, and not from the candidate list FIFA asked Pieth’s panel to present - it raised critics’ hopes that some veteran ExCo members would be held to account.

Instead, Garcia’s first public actions have targeted bin Hammam and an ally who formally joined FIFA’s inner circle days after his patron was expelled. This week, Garcia could deliver a surprise, in his report requested by Blatter into a 12year-old case of kickbacks paid to FIFA officials from World Cup broadcasting contracts by the now-defunct marketing agency ISL. A Swiss criminal case linked two influential Brazilians - Blatter’s predecessor Joao Havelange and former 2014 World Cup organizing head Ricardo Teixeira - to payments totaling $22 million from 1992-2000. Teixeira resigned from the ExCo last year.

However, 84-year-old ExCo member Nicolas Leoz from Paraguay received $730,000, according to investigations by

British broadcaster BBC, and never faced a FIFA probe. Nor did FIFA vice president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, who was reprimanded by the International Olympic Committee for taking 100,000 French francs ($20,000) from ISL in 1995.

Garcia’s report and recommendation is expected to be discussed as No. 29 on the ExCo agenda. Though FIFA now details its ExCo agenda in advance, supporting documents are not published often not even to ExCo members, some have complained privately. Others talk of paperwork arriving in late-night drops under hotel doors before meetings.

UEFA has therefore asked to “ensure the FIFA Executive Committee always receives appropriate prior notice of matters (including relevant documentation) that it must discuss and decide.”

It remains to be seen if Blatter is willing to concede to UEFA, though Europe has a built-in ExCo majority of 13 if it works with African delegates. African confederation general secretary Hicham El Amrani told the AP last month that it did support UEFA’s request for integrity checks on ExCo members to be done at continental level, and not in Zurich.

Such deal-making recalls a plea from FIFA vice president Prince Ali bin alHussein of Jordan to the AP on his first day as an ExCo member in June 2011, after Blatter was re-elected promising change. “Just get rid of this politics,” he said. “Leave the politics aside - and then judge (FIFA).”—AP

Roma rejoice, Lazio flop

PARIS: French forward Karim Benzema waves as he arrives at the French national football team training camp in Clairefontaine, near Paris, on the first day of their training ahead of the World Cup 2014 qualifying football matches against Georgia (March 22) and Spain (March 26) to be held at the Stade de France.—AFP

Esperance begin African campaign impressively JOHANNESBURG: Esperance of Tunisia dropped an early hint that they will be among the strongest challengers for 2013 CAF Champions League title with a victory in Angola at the weekend. Midfielder Iheb Msakni, a brother of national team star Youssef, nodded in a free-kick just before half-time to earn the Blood and Gold a 1-0 last-32, first leg victory over army outfit Primeiro Agosto.

Few clubs leave Angola victorious in the CAF club competitions and the odds are now stacked in favour of Esperance advancing to a probable last-16 clash with Asante Kotoko of Ghana. The Tunisian side have reached the last three Champions League finals, losing 6-1 overall to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, edging Wydad Casablanca of Morocco 1-0 and failing 3-2 against Al-Ahly of Egypt.

Former midfielder Maher Kanzari coaches the Tunis team after Nabil Maaloul was named national coach last month when Sabri Trabelsi quit in the wake of Tunisia failing to make the 2013 Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

CA Bizertin completed a good weekend for Tunisia in the premier African club competition by overpowering Zimbabwe visitors Dynamos in the second half for a 3-0 victory.

The floodgates opened four minutes after half-time when Ali Machani scored, Ahmed Harrane converted a spot kick just before the hour mark and Fakhreddine Jaziri completed the rout 20 minutes from time.

Dynamos face another long, sad journey to Harare with the only consolation being that they still have a slender chance of survival, whereas last year they had none follow-

ing a six-goal Tunis thrashing from Esperance.

The revival of Ethiopian football has spread to the club front with Saint George building a 2-0 lead over Djoliba of Mali in Addis Ababa thanks to goals from Yonatan Birhanu and Fistsum Gebremariam. Ethiopia competed at the Cup of Nations this year for the first time since 1982 and many of the squad play for the ‘Saints’, who have dominated domestic football for decades.

After scoring five times in a preliminary match last month, Mamadou Soro was substituted having failed to find the net for AFAD Djekanou of Ivory Coast in a surprise 1-0 home loss against Coton Sport from Cameroon. Alexis Kada scored the winner on 64 minutes in Abidjan for a Cameroonian side boasting a strong defence as they did not concede a goal in a preliminary-round win over the Ugandan Revenue Authority.

Recreativo Libolo of Angola fought back to overcome Al-Merreikh of Sudan 2-1 in Calulo south of Luanda with Senegalese Henri Camara scoring the winner 11 minutes before time.

Ramadan Agab put vastly experienced CAF campaingers Merreikh ahead just before the break and Dario Cardosa levelled nine minutes into the second half of a lively game.

Moussa Coulibaly scored the winner as Stade Malien of Mali overcame Casa Sport of Senegal 2-1 in Dakar and the clash of Vital’O of Burundi and Enugu Rangers of Nigeria in Bujumbura ended goalless.

Return matches are scheduled for April 5, 6 and 7 after a longer than usual three-week break caused by World Cup qualifying fixtures across Africa next weekend.—AFP

Eaton: Clean up African football DOHA: Africa needs to do a lot more to combat match fixing, including setting up a regional body to investigate credible allegations, if it wants to restore the faith of fans in the sport, a former FIFA official told The Associated Press yesterday.

Chris Eaton, a former security chief for football’s governing body, called for a new body made up of police across Africa, spor ting bodies as well as gambling organizations. He said it would need appropriate funding both from inside and outside Africa and should go beyond “writing reports” to produce credible investigations.

“Africa needs a substantial, continental reform really,” said Eaton, who now is director of sports integrity for the Dohabased I nternational Centre For Spor t Security. “I think you will find most serious people in sport in Africa today recognize that. There is a need for regulation and oversight of the official and even unofficial bodies that are part of the sporting milieu.”

Speaking at the Centre’s two-day conference, Eaton praised police in Africa but said governments on the continent didn’t seem serious about combating the problem. “It is a lack of political will,” Eaton said.

“African police are as competent and capable as any police in the world. There is no doubt if they put their will to it and have the funding to it, they can do it.”

While UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation have acknowledged the problem of match-fixing and taken steps to combat it, Africa has so far done little despite the fac t there an “enormous amount of allegations involving Africans in match fixing,” Eaton said.

The Confederation of African Football did not address match-fixing at its recent conference, and President Issa Hayatou was re-elected despite having been linked to several corruption investigations including a decade-old World Cup kickback scheme that is being examined by FIFA ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia.—AP

MILAN: Juventus remained on course to defend their Serie A title with a 2-0 away win to Bologna as challengers Napoli stayed nine points behind with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Atalanta on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Francesco Totti scored Roma’s second, and his 226th in Serie A, to help his side to a 2-0 home win over Parma and a jump up two places to sixth and ahead of depleted city rivals Lazio. Totti’s goal means he is alone in second place in the all-time list of scorers in Serie A, one ahead of retired AC Milan great Gunnar Nordahl (225) but still 48 short of Silvio Piola.

Lazio’s torrid month continued, meanwhile, with a 1-0 reverse in snow-hit Turin where a late goal by Jonathas secured what was only Torino’s eighth win of the campaign.

The visitors were handicapped when French defender Michael Ciani saw red following a sliding challenge on Brazilian striker Paulo Barreto before the quarter hour. In difficult conditions, Vladimir Petkovic’s men failed to take the few chances they created and were punished in the end. Lazio have now won only once since a 2-0 defeat of Atalana in midJanuary. Juve’s 20th win of the campaign on Saturday, after second-half goals from Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio, was overshadowed by a spat after Bologna accused coach Antonio Conte of going over the top with his celebrations.

Conte, however, hit back criticising the hostile welcome his club received on their arrival in Bologna. “I know it might annoy some people when we win but there was no disrespect,” he said. “And let’s discuss more serious matters-people who welcomed us with stones and sticks, people with children in their arms shouting obscenties. “These people should be ashamed, not me. If we’re leading the Scudetto race I don’t see why I should not celebrate with my fans.”

Conte said nothing is won yet and Napoli striker Edinson Cavani confirmed that by ending his recent goal

ITALY: AS Roma forward Francesco Totti (left) vies with Parma’s goalkeeper Antonio Mirante during the Italian Serie A football match. —AFP drought with a brace in a hard-fought win at the San Paolo which took Napoli to within nine points.

Cavani calmed pre-match nerves with a fourth-minute penalty after a foul on Juan Zuniga by Luigi Giorgi, only for Atalanta to level on the halfhour when Fabio Cannavaro put into his own net.

The Uruguayan struck his second in the 65th minute, his 20th of the season, after pouncing on a loose ball in the area. Napoli were pegged back again when German Denis latched on to a long through ball, held off defender Valon Brehami and rounded Morgan De Sanctis to send the ball past the head of Cannavaro on the goalline. But less than 10 minutes lat-

er Goran Pandev sealed the win when he scored Napoli’s third from close range. “I’m happy for Cavani and for Pandev after their goals but also for securing the three points,” said Mazzarri, who also replied to speculation, reported Saturday by La Gazzetta dello Sport, that Cavani’s failure to score since the end of January was due to relationship problems.

“People’s private lives need to be left well alone,” added the coach. “If he’s doing something which is affecting his job then the club has to intervene, but the lad turns up on time every day to training, works hard and is attentive when we’re discussing tactics.” Elsewhere, Mario Balotelli

scored twice, once from the spot, as AC Milan beat Palermo 2-0 at the San Siro to send the Sicilians back to the bottom of the table. “I’m working well, I’m improving and by working hard I’m sure I can improve a lot,” said Balotelli, who since his move from Manchester City has scored seven goals in six games. “We want to win all our matches from here to the end of the season. I’m here to win and I have to do all I can to make sure this team wins.” Fiorentina are in fourth place after a 3-2 win over plucky Genoa at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, while Chievo claimed a 2-0 away win at Pescara. Inter Milan’s trip to Sampdoria was postponed due to harsh weather conditions.—AFP

Tigres retains top spot MEXICO CITY: Colombian striker Dar win Quintero scored from a long range shot in the 89th minute to give Santos Laguna a 2-1 victory over Atlas on Saturday, as the top three teams in Mexico’s first division all failed to win in the 11th round. Tigres retain first position after their 1-1 draw with Chivas on Saturday, two points ahead of Atlas, with America in third a further two points behind after its 1-1 draw against San Luis.

Darwin Quintero

In other results, Pachuca defeated Puebla 2-1, Tijuana drew 2-2 with Monterrey, Cruz Azul overcame Atlante 3-0, Pumas drew 0-0 against Leon, Queretaro won 1-0 against Toluca and Jaguares and Morelia drew 1-1.

Quintero shot from 25 yards (meters) for the winning goal against Atlas, who had taken the lead in the 63rd through a penalty from Omar Bravo. Rodolfo Salinas equalized in the 79th

minute he headed in from a corner.

The result moved Santos Laguna level on points with America in fourth position in the league. Miguel Sabah scored against the run of play in the 35th for Chivas after Lucas Lobos had missed a penalty for Tigres.

Damian Alvarez tapped in the equalizer two minutes after halftime, but Tigres couldn’t find a winner despite Chivas going down to 10 men when Patricio Araujo was sent off in the 69th.

Juan Cuevas rescued a point for San Luis with a penalty in second half injur y time after America defender Diego Reyes sent off for handling the ball on the line. Juan Carlos Medina had given America the advantage with a free kick in the 40th. Abraham Carreno and Angel Reyna both scored once in the last three minutes of the game as Pachuca came from the behind to defeated Puebla. Diego de Buen had put Puebla in the lead in the 27th.

Duvier Riascos scored the equalizer for Tijuana in the 87th. Champion Tijuana took the lead through Fidel Martinez in the 26th, before Aldo de Nigris leveled the scores in the 31st and Humberto Suazo put Monterrey ahead three minutes later. Mariano Pavone scored in the 44th and 56th for Cruz Azul, with the third goal coming in the 81st from Jair Pereira. Uruguayan Joe Bizera was sent off for Atlante in the 27th for a high tackle.

Queretaro’s only goal came when Toluca’s Diego Novaretti put the ball into his own net in the 33rd. Joao Rojas opened the scoring for Morelia in the 11th, with Luis Rey equalizing from the penalty spot a minute before halftime.—AP

Ferdinand withdraws from England squad

Bangladesh bans top umpire for 10 years

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

18

17

Decision time looms in politics of FIFA reform

Page 19

INDIAN WELLS: Maria Sharapova of Russia poses with the trophy after defeating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in straight sets to win the women’s final match of the 2013 BNP Paribas Open. — AFP

Sharapova demolishes Wozniacki in final INDIAN WELLS: Maria Sharapova played aggressively from the start to win her first title since last year’s French Open with a 6-2 6-2 demolition of Caroline Wozniacki in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday.

In a showdown between two former world number ones, the second-seeded Russian overpowered the Dane with a ruthless display, breaking her twice in each set to seal victory in one hour 21 minutes.

Sharapova was in attack mode throughout with an array of deep groundstrokes and superb serving to claim her second title at Indian Wells after winning for the first time in 2006.

The 25-year-old Russian ended the match in champion style with a 109 mph service winner before raising both arms skywards in celebration. “What makes it so special is when you end up as the champion, that’s why I am smiling,” a beaming Sharapova said courtside after extending her run of at least one WTA title each year since 2003.

“I really appreciate these moments. This is what I do all the work for. When you have days like this ... it’s a really nice feeling because everything has paid off.” “The scoreline looks a lot easier than I think the match actually was,” added the Russian world number three who will rise to two when the rankings are issued on Monday.

“It was a tough match, a tough battle, and there were a lot of games that went to deuce and a lot of long games.

“They could have easily swung the other way, especially some opportunities she had in that second set. But I always felt like I was always a foot ahead, especially with the breaks. I was able to serve well today, and that helped me.” Eighth seed and 2011 Indian Wells champion Wozniacki, who like Sharapova was competing in her third final here, applauded the Russian’s high-quality performance. “She just played too well today,” the 22-year-old Dane said. “I tried. I tried to do my best out there, but, yeah, it just wasn’t good enough today. I didn’t feel like I was play-

ing poorly. I felt like I was playing pretty good tennis out there. “She was putting pressure on me from the start. She was serving very well. You know, I felt like everything that she wanted to do today was going in.” Sharapova made a fast start on a sun-splashed afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, unleashing a barrage of fierce ground strokes and breaking Wozniacki in the first game of the match with a forehand winner down the line.

The Russian was also serving well, regularly firing down first serves above 100 mph, and she broke her opponent again in the seventh to lead 5-2 when a Wozniacki backhand sailed wide.

Maintaining an aggressive approach, Sharapova gave the Dane two break points at 15-40 in the eighth game after hitting a backhand long followed by a booming forehand that bounced beyond the baseline.

However the ice-cool Russian got back to deuce with successive backhand crosscourt winners, earned her first

Comeback king Nadal wins Indian Wells title INDIAN WELLS: The fist pump was back, along with the crunching forehand crosscourt winners, energetic movement and the never-saysay-die attitude. Most significantly, the ‘W’ was there as Rafa Nadal on Sunday won his third title in just four events since making his longawaited return to the ATP Tour after seven months out with an injured left knee.

The Spaniard’s pulsating 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of the BNP Paribas Open served as a timely reminder that the claycourt specialist will once again be the player to beat at the French Open starting in late May. “He’s like always, like in the past, he’s playing so solid, so strong,” purred Argentine Del Potro who, while bitterly disappointed after his defeat at Indian Wells, felt Nadal was back to his very best.

“He’s very strong mentally. He has big talent, as well. He beat very good players here at Indian Wells. He’s gonna be fighting for the first position (in the rankings) very soon.”

A few weeks ago, claycourt specialist Nadal was not even sure if he would be able to play on the punishing hard courts at Indian Wells, a surface where his all-action, counter-punching game has often been least effective.

However, the world number five decided to return to the California desert venue where he had previously clinched the BNP Paribas Open in 2007 and 2009, and he ended a week of steady progress by landing his 22nd ATP Masters title.

The Spanish left-hander may initially have had his doubts over how his knee would stand up to his most rigorous test since returning to the ATP circuit last month, but those soon abated as he passed the test with flying colours.

“It’s sort of expected, considering the success throughout his career that he had on all

the surfaces,” world number one Novak Djokovic said of Nadal’s comeback form before the Serb was ousted by Del Potro in the semifinals. “Obviously he’s building the confidence.

He feels good, and he’s very motivated, I’m sure, to perform his best. He’s been playing great tennis.”

Roger Federer, crushed by his long-time rival Nadal in the last eight, never doubted that the Spaniard would thrive and move fluently on his return to the ATP circuit.

“He’s not going to come back if he’s not well,” the 31-year-old Swiss said. “He’s not going to come back half broken. I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here.”

Nadal was euphoric after winning his third Indian Wells title, having dispatched secondranked Federer and sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych along the way. “That makes an emotional week for me,” the 11-times grand slam singles champion smiled after beating 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro, the seventh seed, in a fluctuating match lasting two hours 29 minutes.

“It’s a very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them. Seriously, it’s impossible to have better comeback, no?”

Nadal, who had won two ATP titles on the clay of South America last month after reaching three finals in his first three comeback events, was delighted to erase memories of his low points while on the sidelines last year.

“In terms of competition, the worst (moment) was for the Olympics, when I had to take the position to not go to Olympics,” said the Spaniard, who had to skip the London Games after his 2012 campaign came to an abrupt end last year following a defeat to Czech journeyman Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon. — Reuters

set point with a 104 mph ace and finished it off with another searing forehand winner.

Wozniacki failed to hold in the opening game of the second set after double faulting, and was also broken in a protracted seventh game, saving three break points before hitting a backhand wide to trail 2-5.

Four-times grand slam singles champion Sharapova wasted little time in serving out for the match, a crunching crosscourt forehand forcing an error from her opponent to put her 40-0 up before she finished off with a service winner. “I didn’t feel like I played my best tennis in the beginning of the tournament, but sometimes it’s the way it works,” said Sharapova, who nonetheless did not drop a single set on her way to the title.

“It’s always better to work yourself through the tournament and get better as it ends than sometimes start extremely well and then you don’t feel like you’re gaining momentum as the tournament goes on.” — Reuters

Glitzy Gala cannot hide figure skating growth

INDIAN WELLS: Rafael Nadal of Spain holds the championship trophy after defeating Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in the men’s tennis final at the BNP Paribas Open. — AFP

LONDON: The figure skating world championships closed on Sunday as they almost always do with a glitzy gala, arguments and controversy. With a scoring system that is harder to understand than the theory of relativity and offers about as much transparency as a Papal conclave, figure skating still struggles to connect with the average fan, particularly in North America where their numbers are on the decline.

That confusing system allowed Canada’s Patrick Chan to claim a third consecutive world championship title on Friday despite hitting the ice more times than a toddler learning to skate.

The routine was so dreadful that Chan spent the next two days apologising profusely to fans for his performance but he certainly did not apologise for the win. “I deserved it,” declared Chan. “It’s totally understandable that people have their doubts.

“You look at hockey, it’s really simple score one more goal than the other team. Figure skating is a little more subjective. “But I would keep telling people I deserved it and would more than love to explain why.” There were plenty looking for an explanation. Even Chan’s fellow skaters quickly challenged his victory through social media channels. “No disrespect to Patrick but a skater shouldn’t be able to fall twice & get such high PCS,” tweeted former US and world champion Todd Eldredge.

Canada’s Minister of State for Sport Bal Gosal saw things very differently tweeting: “Is it me, or is @SkateCanada’s @pchiddy (Chan) getting better every time he skates?” Therein lies figure skating’s great conundrum; one skate, two polar opposite views.

The outcome of judged sports will always be open to debate but in figure skating there is increasingly little faith that the anonymous men and women perched rinkside dispensing scores are getting it right.

It has been over a decade since the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic judging scandal exposed the corrupt underbelly of figure skating, plunging the sport into a credibility crisis it is still trying to recover from.

Critics see the head-scratching results as more evidence that old biases remain firmly entrenched in the figure skating culture, where skaters are rewarded as much for their reputation as their performance.

“No question Salt Lake was a turning point,” International Skating Union (ISU) vice-president David Dore told Reuters.

“It seems no matter how hard we try I don’t think we are ever going to escape that unfortunately.

“While we have made a fair system, it is a complicated system and I think we are still trying to explain it.” Skating officials admit that while the sport is flourishing in Asia, it is faltering in North America. In a clear sign of down-sizing, this year’s championship were awarded to London, a small southern Ontario city midway between Toronto and Detroit and held in a charming but smallish 7,000 seat junior hockey arena.

Not long ago, any major figure skating events held in North America were reserved for only the biggest of venues, the previous three worlds hosted in Canada (1996, 2001 and 2006) all staged in National Hockey League (NHL) rinks.

But those days are over and never coming back, according to Dore. — Reuters

Business

Cyprus MPs in crisis session on bailout Page 23 Infiniti appoints new CTO

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Indonesia’s Lion Air stuns again with new Airbus deal

Page 24 Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype at exclusive event in Kuwait Page 23 Page 26

MELBOURNE: This picture shows an artist’s impression of the yet to be built 108-storey “Australia 108” building (center), designed by architect Nonda Katsalidis, in Melbourne’s Southbank area. Australia’s second-largest city Melbourne is set to have the tallest building in the southern hemisphere after approval for a new 388-metre (1,280 foot) apartment and hotel complex. — AFP

World Bank’s IFC plans Egypt currency swaps Mobilising funds for projects is big challenge DUBAI: The International Finance Corp plans to conduct currency swaps in Egypt to help local firms meet their foreign exchange needs, and is considering whether to issue local currency bonds in several Middle Eastern countries to fund investments there. “In the Middle East the challenge is not the lack of capital but the access to dollars by local banks,” IFC chief executive Jin-Yong Cai said in an interview.

“Just like we did in other places globally, we’ll come up with an instrument to swap dollars for local currency in Egypt. We need local currency and some other private investors need dollars. It’s in a way a hedging for investments.” Some Egyptian firms are finding it increasingly hard to obtain US dollars for imports, debt repayments and other purposes, after political unrest slashed the country’s foreign reserves over the past two years and authorities imposed capital controls.

Cai did not elaborate on how and when the IFC, a unit of the World Bank which invests in developing the private sector in emerging economies, would conduct the swaps. In other parts of the world, it has provided client companies with flows of hard currency and received local currency in return; the swaps have effectively transformed the companies’ hard currency debts into local currency obligations. Cai, who joined the multilateral lending body last August from Goldman Sachs, has just ended his first official visit to the

Middle East, where he met officials and private sector executives in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

He said the IFC needed local currency supplies in Middle Eastern countries to finance its projects, and would use local currency bonds as one way to obtain them. “We’re talking to governments in a few countries where we can issue local currency bonds,” he said. “In many countries there’s plenty of money sitting not in use. We will sell local currency bonds and bring more investors into the capital markets. It’s one way of mobilising money into bankable projects,” he added, noting that Jordan might be one suitable country for a bond issue. Last month, the IFC issued a debut 12 billion naira ($75 million) Nigerian local currency bond. It also issued its first Chinese yuan-denominated discount note in the offshore yuan market.

Investments The IFC, which has invested billions of dollars in the Middle East and North Africa since a wave of political unrest began in early 2011, sees unemployment and difficulties in mobilising funds for projects as the main challenges facing governments.

“The region, mainly countries in transition, will not recover or restore its stability unless we start focusing on issues like huge unemployment, the infrastructure gap and economic diversification beyond energy industries,” said Cai.

“The region has gone through lots of challenges and we hope very soon this upheaval will settle down and we start focusing on development.” So far during the current fiscal year, which began last July, the IFC has invested $1.8 billion in the Middle East and North Africa, Cai said, and it hopes to hit more than $2.5 billion by the end of June. This compares to $2.2 billion in the previous fiscal year.

“On the medium and long term, we are optimistic on the region for many reasons.

The fundamentals are there - the demographics, the middle class is there and a lot of resources.” The IFC, which agreed last month to invest 75.1 million rials ($195 million) to bolster the capital base of Bank Muscat , Oman’s largest lender, is looking at other banks in the Middle East for investment, Cai said.

“We want to use those banks given our position as a shareholder to influence them to be able to deliver financial access to small to medium enterprises,” he said. “The financial services industry is a key sector we’re looking at because we view our role as a catalyst, and can work together with these banks to be able to multiply every dollar into a partnership and influence.” “In this part of the world, money is not an issue. Money is not being channeled to the right projects, or projects are not been structured into bankable projects. New governments understand the issues but the challenge is execution...at least that is what they tell us,” Cai said.— Reuters

Qatari denial fuels M&S takeover rumor M&S shares rise 9.4 pct, 12-month high DUBAI/LONDON: Marks & Spencer shares surged yesterday on speculation that a faltering turnaround effort and flagging profits have left Britain’s biggest clothing retailer vulnerable to a takeover. Investors piled into the stock after a newspaper reported that the Gulf state of Qatar was planning a bid, sending the shares up 9.4 percent to a 12-month high. A source close to stateowned Qatar Holding denied the report, but the stock was still up 7.4 percent at 1130 GMT. Analysts and investors said Marks & Spencer (M&S) could be a target for a private equity firm. The company, which also sells homewares and food, traded poorly in 2012 and in January reported a bigger-than-expected drop in nonfood like-for-like sales for the Christmas quarter. “M&S is vulnerable to a bid, as trading and profits are under pressure,

with nothing to show yet for the big investments made in online systems and warehousing and the changes in the clothing team,” said independent retail analyst Nick Bubb.

M&S declined to comment. Marc Bolland, chief executive since 2010, has said he was confident steps being taken by a new general merchandise management team, led by former food boss John Dixon, would address the poor recent performance, although the impact would not be felt until autumn/winter collections hit the shops in July. M&S investors such as Standard Life, which holds 1.5 percent of the company, have said Bolland has to get this range right to placate shareholders.

Although one senior retail banker gave the probability of a takeover at just 5 percent, some analysts said a recent improvement in the debt markets and

the amount of cash currently in private equity meant a bid could happen.

“You could argue that the business could support quite a bit of debt if it wasn’t having to pay a dividend, making a private equity-style bid possible, but the trading outlook looks rather uncertain,” one of M&S’s top 20 shareholders told Reuters. The Sunday Times newspaper had said the Qatar Investment Authority wanted to assemble a consortium to mount an 8-billion-pound ($12.1 billion) takeover. The newspaper cited senior City of London sources as saying Qatar, which is already a 26 percent shareholder in Britain’s No. 3 grocer J Sainsbury, had approached several large private equity houses, including CVC Capital Partners, to gauge their interest in participating, and had spoken to lenders about financing an offer.

CVC declined to comment. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

BUSINESS

UK’s Osborne to stick to fiscal plan in ’13 budget LONDON: Britain’s finance minister is set to stick to his guns on austerity in this week’s budget, despite increasing calls for a change of course, as he bets that growth will get back on track before an election in 2015. Monetary policy - not tax and spending - may see the biggest shift in George Osborne’s budget statement tomorrow, amid signs he plans to tweak the Bank of England’s inflation-fightings remit to spur an economy once again threatened with recession.

Near-zero growth and slow progress on deficit reduction have battered Osborne’s reputation since he helped the Conservatives to power in 2010 with promises of bold change. He now ranks as Britain’s least popular finance minister in almost 20 years.

Once viewed as his party’s foremost tactician, Osborne will be glad if he can avoid the political blunders of last year’s budget when a series of Uturns pushed the Labour party’s lead over the Conservatives to more than 10 percentage points. Polling firm Ipsos MORI said this week the Conservatives had their lowest share of voter support in a decade at 27 percent. Osborne said on Sunday there was no alternative to austerity, and that slowing deficit reduction would put Britain at risk of the same fate as Cyprus which has announced a levy on bank accounts to help fund an international bail-out.

“In the end this country has got to pay its way.

We can’t just keep on thinking the answer to our problem is more borrowing,” he told BBC television. The opposition Labour Party wants a slower pace of cuts, and on Sunday its finance spokesman Ed Balls damned the government’s policies as “the economics of the lunatic farm”.

“The only reason why they won’t now change course is to avoid their own political humiliation,” he told the BBC. Some Conservatives are pressing Osborne for tax breaks, funded by cuts in welfare and overseas aid, and increasingly murmur about Prime Minister David Cameron’s leadership. But Cameron backs Osborne. “This month’s budget will be about sticking to the course,” he said on March 7. Media on Sunday said the government was likely to press on with plans to lower corporation tax and raise the amount of income people can earn without paying tax, as well as postpone rises in fuel tax, increase childcare subsidies and issue 10 billion pounds in government guarantees for new home-building.

Deficit challenge Britain’s public finances were in terrible shape when the Conservatives and their Liberal Democrat partners took power in 2010. The budget deficit had peaked at more than 11 percent of gross domestic product after the deepest recession in decades. Since then the deficit has fallen to 8 percent of GDP, not far enough to satisfy the credit ratings agencies which Osborne

placed at the heart of his economic policy.

Moody’s stripped Britain of its prized triple-A rating in February and Standard & Poor’s and Fitch could follow suit. Economists expect a modest deterioration in Britain’s latest economic and fiscal forecasts that underpin Osborne’s budget.

The last forecasts were made as recently as December, but data since then has shown the economy shrank in the last three months of 2012 and remained weak in early 2013. Forecasts for growth of 1.2 percent in 2013 and 2.0 percent in 2014 are likely to be revised down by a few tenths of a percentage point.

Osborne’s main objective of eliminating Britain’s structural budget deficit, which strips out factors such as investment spending, keeps getting pushed back to the end of the official fiveyear forecasting period. In December, he had to abandon another goal of getting the debt-toGDP ratio falling by 2015. Determined not to borrow more, Osborne wants the Bank of England to take even more of the strain of supporting Britain’s economy. It has already bought 375 billion pounds ($567 billion)of government debt after cutting interest rates to a record low 0.5 percent. To this end, Osborne is expected to make it easier for the BoE to justify its current practice of ignoring short-term price shocks and provide further monetary stimulus. He may also announce a wider review of how best the central bank should support the economy to coincide with the arrival of new governor Mark Carney in July. That would be in line with Cameron’s mantra of “fiscal responsibility, monetary activism”.

Alternative approach?

Osborne’s budget is unlikely to assuage critics which include many business groups and some in the ruling coalition. Liberal Democrat business minister Vince Cable has said markets may tolerate extra borrowing to fund investment. This is anathema to Osborne but has been championed by Jonathan Portes, head of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Britain’s leading macroeconomic think-tank. “The government has borrowed literally tens if not hundreds of billions of pounds more than it planned a few years ago, with absolutely no adverse reaction on the bond market,” he said. “The idea that we could not afford to borrow tens of billions of pounds more to finance productive investment and house-building seems to me pretty absurd,” he added. Other economists are less sure and the public is divided on the merits of austerity. Despite its overall poll lead, Labour is only on a par with the Conservatives on economic competence. “There is a bit of fatalism out there,” said Gideon Skinner, research director at Ipsos MORI. “(Voters) are not very happy with the Conservatives, but Labour still hasn’t convinced (voters) that they have got the right answer.” — Reuters

Iran grants motorists New Year gasoline gift DUBAI: Iran will raise this month’s cheap gasoline rations for private car owners by 50 litres to 110 litres to mark the Iranian new year, oil ministry news website Shana said yesterday. Iran has rationed gasoline for private motorists since December 2010 as sanctions on selling fuel to the country and inadequate refinery capacity have limited supplies.

Iranian motorists are usually allowed to take 60 litres of gasoline a month at a heavily subsidised price of 4,000 rials, or around $0.11 per litre at open market rates. Any additional fuel they buy beyond the 60 litre allowance is usually priced at 7,000 rials ($0.20) a litre, Shana said, adding that the U.S. dollar was currently worth about 35,000 rials on the

unofficial free market in Iran.

But smart fuel cardholders will be given another 50 litres on the eve of the Iranian new year on March 20, the start of a two-week period when Iranian motorists hit the road on out of town trips. Shana said that average daily gasoline consumption in Iran is usually around 63 million litres, but is expected to jump to 100 million litres during the holiday period. Shana did not say where the extra fuel would come from. Iran still manages to import some gasoline, despite the Western blockade aimed at pressuring Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme, and has expanded its refining capacity over the last few years. — Reuters

KUWAIT: ABK’s board and officials are pictured during the Annual General Meeting.

ABK holds Annual General Meeting Net profits at KD 30m for 2012 KUWAIT: ABK held its Ordinary and ExtraOrdinary General Assembly Meetings at its Head Office on Saturday, March 16, 2013. The General Assembly approved a cash dividend of 6 percent (6 Fils per share) and bonus shares of 7 percent (7 shares per hundred shares) for the financial year ended 31/12/2012, subject to the approval of the regulatory authority. Commenting on this occasion, Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani, Chairman of the Board, stated the following: “ABK was able to report a net profit of KD 30 million and earnings per share of 20 fils with total assets of KD 2.97 billion, customer deposits of KD 1.84 billion, and shareholders’ equity of KD 516.7 million.

The Capital Adequacy Ratio reached 27.65 percent. These figures reflect our exceptionally strong financial position in a difficult economic and financial period. Our capital adequacy ratio is the highest among local banks and may be the best on international banking level.”

Financial highlights ABK achieved further growth in its operational profits which exceeded KD80 million. The bank maintained its market share in spite of the difficult economic conditions during 2012. ABK Capital Adequacy Ratio exceeded 27 percent by the end of 2012, which is the strongest amongst local banks and one of the strongest globally.

Effective risk management and tight control over the loans portfolio reduced the risks and well maintained the strong financial position of ABK. ABK was ranked the first in the retail banking category of Kuwait’s “Service Hero”. The bank succeeded in applying a conservative credit policy with more precautionary provisions to support the financial position of the bank and to face any exceptional or unexpected circumstances.

ABK’s ability to consistently distribute cash dividends and bonus shares to the shareholders despite the international financial crisis and the difficult economic conditions thereafter.

Outstanding performance despite difficult market conditions About the most important factors that help ABK to achieve this good performance during 2012, Behbehani pointed out the following: The successful strategic plan set by the bank and its ability to achieve good performance despite the difficult economic conditions prevailed during the year and the lingering aftereffects of the financial crisis, and stagnant economic conditions.

ABK applied a prudent and precautious method in risk management, and has taken further provisions on the basis of our assessment of the current operation conditions and conserva-

tively on various business sectors to guard against potential outcomes. The focus concentrated on taking the opportunity to optimize the balance sheet, liquidity, and interest rate management. At the same time, ABK reviewed its internal operations in pursuit of superior efficiency in all areas, particularly customer service.

Enhancing employee skills and capabilities is a constant priority, and upgrading of technology and systems is moving us to an industry-leading level. All these factors contribute to underpinning ABK’s core strengths, while positioning the bank for growth through sustained efficiency.

The bank is now very strongly placed to capitalize on an economic upturn, and to perform as well as possible while current conditions continue.

ABK rewards during 2012: As for the awards achieved by the bank during the year, Behbehani pointed out the ABK was ranked first in the Retail Banking Category of Kuwait’s “Service Hero” Awards. ABK also was singled out as Kuwait’s most socially responsible bank by receipt of the Excellence Award from the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility.

The award was made after a comprehensive review of ABK’s social responsibility efforts and achievements in recent years.

Ahli Academy and ABK staff training: As for the training of staff and upgrading of their skills, Behbehani stated that ABK Academy has been a vital element in the preparation and training of fresh graduates embarking on a banking career, and instilling ABK’s culture and values in all new recruits. The benefits become apparent in superior levels of customer service, as recognized by ABK’s receipt of the Euro service Award in the banking category.

Corporate Social Responsibility: ABK’s outstanding achievements in contributing to the

welfare of society were recognized in 2012 by receipt of the Excellence Award from the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility, singling out ABK as Kuwait’s most socially responsible bank. The award was made after a comprehensive review of ABK’s social responsibility efforts and achievements in recent years. ABK has supported a wide spectrum of causes, ranging from education to youth, healthcare, and the environment. Activities included various sports, health awareness, and entertainment programs for staff, and supporting CSR events run by private institutions and nonprofit organizations.

The Bank is acutely conscious of its role in Kuwaiti society, not just as a provider of essential business services but as a catalyst in the well-being and development of the community

at large.

As for his expectations about the world and local economy, Behbehani stated the following: “We have cautious optimism about any major improvement in the world economic conditions during 2013 and early 2014, but we expect some improvement in the local economy. We are ready to seize the investment opportunities when they become available with this expected improvement. We have high caliber cadres and extended banking experience supported by our financial strength to achieve the targeted growth and fulfill the requirements and demands of our customers and shareholders.”

Behbehani concluded by saying: “I am confident that ABK is well placed to play effective role in any growth expected during the coming period with ability to compete well in the market.

The financial strength of ABK confirmed by all the financial indicators and high Capital Adequacy Ratio are stronger than before. We have excellent liquidity and we have taken further precautionary provisions that provide us with efficient balance sheet which is stronger than ever.”

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

.2770000 .4260000 .3640000 .2990000 .2750000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771100 .7512650 .3920000 .0720000 .7364830 .0420000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2840500 GB Pound/KD .4290010 Euro .3675180 Swiss francs .3011720 Canadian dollars .2776370 Danish Kroner .0492930 Swedish Kroner .0440450 Australian dlr .2946020 Hong Kong dlr .0366020 Singapore dlr .2271850 Japanese yen .0029940 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0773660 Bahraini dinars .7537480 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0757670 Omani riyals .7380800 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.017 5.256 2.906 2.257 3.307 228.910 36.782 3.605

.2880000 .442000 .3810000 .3170000 .2890000 .3000000 .0068000 .0035000 .0778850 .7588150 .4110000 .0770000 .7438840 .0480000 .2861500 .4321720 .3702350 .3033980 .2796890 .0496570 .0443700 .2967800 .0368720 .2288650 .0030160 .0053090 .0022750 .0029260 .0036550 .0779380 .7593210 .4047380 .0763270 .7435360 .0070900

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

7.007 9.654 0.271 0.273

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

741.34 78.66 76.16

738.000 78.500 76.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd GCC COUNTRIES 76.150 78.463 741.720 758.470 77.758

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

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

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 41.450 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.436 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.332 Tunisian Dinar 181.470 Jordanian Dinar 403.260 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.916 Syrian Lier 3.102 Morocco Dirham 33.821 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 285.450 Euro 369.660 Sterling Pound 432.460 Canadian dollar 279.850 Swiss Franc 303.670 US Dollar Buying 284.250

Bahrain Exchange Company

GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

CURRENCY

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

SELL DRAFT 300.11 283.00 307.13 372.53 284.85 434.24 3.07 3.636 5.254 2.260 3.298 2.914 77.62 758.45 41.39 405.80

Selling Rate 285.200 282.050 432.825 373.815 302.495 755.075 77.625 78.285 76.015 402.035 41.443 2.258 5.255 2.902 3.618 7.000 699.610 4.010 9.740 4.030 3.395 90.945

SELL CASH 298.500 280.600 307.000 373.500 285.000 432.900 3.300 3.720 5.350 2.450 3.420 2.880 78.000 755.600 41.600 411.000

BUY Europe 0.4238268 0.0061667 0.0453501 0.3668955 0.0452647 0.4207013 0.0401473 0.2972824

0.4328268 0.0181667 0.0503501 0.3631818 0.0504647 0.4282013 0.0451473 0.3042824

Australasia 0.2852858 0.2266340 0.0001097

0.2972858 0.2366340 0.0001097

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.2714841 0.0001486 0.2831000

0.2804841 0.0001666 0.2852500

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo

Asia 0.0035782 0.0031645

0.0036332 0.0033945

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling

SELL

Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa Guinea Franc Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht

0.0448166 0.0164833 0.0000443 0.0342301 0.0051918 0.0000244 0.0028500 0.0029300 0.0032874 0.0871223 0.0031351 0.0028813 0.0065549 0.0000729 0.2239824 0.0019599 0.0092525

0.0498168 0.0195833 0.0000503 0.0373301 0.0052618 0.0000295 0.0038500 0.0031100 0.0035174 0.0941223 0.0033351 0.0029213 0.0070249 0.0000759 0.2299824 0.0022649 0.0098525

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.7502049 0.0394785 0.0130073 0.1484851 0.0000793 0.0001735 0.3967581 1.0000000 0.0001750 0.0220045 0.0012127 0.7298987 0.0776958 0.0755333 0.0500982 0.0031830 0.1801190 0.0762357 0.0012869

0.7587049 0.0415085 0.0195073 0.1502751 0.0000798 0.0002335 0.4042581 1.0000000 0.0001950 0.0460045 0.0018477 0.7408987 0.0784788 0.0761733 0.0506462 0.0034030 0.1861190 0.0776587 0.0013869

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 284.800 371.750 432.650 280.300 3.010 5.265 41.405 2.257 3.614 7.000 2.905 758.550 77.600 76.080

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

BUSINESS

Cyprus MPs in crisis session on bailout Cypriots voice dismay, anger at levy NICOSIA: Cyprus President Nico Anastasiades was yesterday seeking the backing of MPs for an EU bailout deal that slaps a levy on bank savings under harsh terms that have jolted global markets and raised fears of a new euro-zone debt crisis. Ahead of the afternoon parliamentary vote on the hugely unpopular measure, negotiators were seeking to soften the blow on smalltime depositors, who have been stunned by the announcement that their savings will be skimmed. As a condition for a desperately-needed 10-billion-euro ($13 billion) bailout for Cyprus, fellow euro-zone countries and international creditors Saturday imposed a levy on all deposits in the island’s banks.

Deposits of more than 100,000 euros will be hit with a 9.9 percent charge, while under that threshold the levy drops to 6.75 percent. The proposal must still be passed by parliament.

Private television channel Mega reported that negotiators were seeking to cut the rate to three percent on deposits under 100,000 euros, and raise it above 10 percent on deposits more than that amount in a way that would still see the

overall sum raised remain at 5.8 billion euros.

Local Sigmalive news website said a teleconference with the eurogroup could take place to discuss the new proposals.

As Cypriots voiced dismay and anger at the levy, global markets were jolted by concerns that events on the Mediterranean island could reignite the euro-zone debt crisis and hit confidence in other troubled countries such as Spain and Italy. Europe’s main stock markets tumbled by more than 1.0 percent in early deals as investors reacted to news of the Cyprus bailout deal. Asian equities also fell heavily in earlier trade. “If European policymakers were looking for a way to undermine the public trust that underpins the foundation of any banking system they could not have done a better job,” said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson.

“The feeling is that the euro crisis could be back and that you could see full-on contagion, that’s why you’re seeing the market reaction today,” Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP Capital in Sydney, told Dow Jones Newswires. In Asia, the euro dived, with the currency sinking in

NICOSIA: A Cypriot man holds a banner against the EU bailout deal and German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call for Cyprus to follow economic reforms outside the parliament building yesterday. —AFP

Ernst & Young unveils data on affordable housing in Jeddah ERNST & YOUNG REPORT JEDDAH: According to an Ernst & Young report released at the Jeddah Economic Forum, the analysis of housing affordability, as measured by “residual income” (household budget available after paying for housing) shows wide variation across the Middle East, with UAE and Qatar achieving higher levels of housing affordability for nationals, while citizens of Saudi Arabia have lower residual incomes. Ernst & Young is the Knowledge Strategic Consultant of the Jeddah Economic Forum 2013. The report, unveiled at the forum, recommends that regional governments need to collaborate more with the private sector to help address the growing crisis of affordable housing.

Mark Otty, Ernst & Young’s Area Managing Partner, Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), is delivering the opening remarks on the second day of the Forum and will speak on ‘Financial Sector: Enabling private sector innovation in housing finance’. He says: “The populations in MENA are growing at two or three times the rate of the global average which poses significant challenges for policy makers as they look to provide affordable housing solutions. Coping with this demand should be a priority for governments across the region.”

Ad Buisman Head of EMEIA Real Estate at Ernst & Young will speak on ‘Development Industry: Solid Foundations For Effective Private Sector Engagement’ and moderate sessions on ‘The economic foundation of a competitive city’ and ‘Sustainable Future Cities: Making the most of technology’. Ernst & Young’s report highlights that the widening gap of effective demand over affordable housing is proof that governments’ existing efforts will require more support in the coming years. The gap demonstrates that government’s current frameworks are being asked to do much more than they were ever designed to deliver.

Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim, Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young MENA, says: “There is an important role for the private sector to play in collaboration with the government and the public sector. When collaborating with the private sector, however, it is critical for government to give industry players and developers clear rules and a coordinated process.”

The report also suggests that it is time for governments to make step changes in their delivery models, and in particular, to shift into a more outsourced and collaborative approach with the private sector on both the supply side (new homes) and the demand side (financing products).

Private sector developers in the Gulf often pay import duties of around five percent, whereas public sector developers pay nothing for identical materials needed for affordable housing. In addition, private sector developers are often charged up to one percent of the cost of land for registration, while public sector developers are not charged at all. Governments could readily address these costs by decreeing that private sector driven projects for affordable housing are considered ‘public sector’ because they are serving the public interest. Similar reasoning should allow developers to use more modern building techniques that have proven successful in other MENA regional countries.

“Affordable housing requires some elements of subsidy or government contribution, but governments can never solve the problem simply by pledging large sums: too much money will drive up prices, not create more affordability,” concludes Ahmed Reda, Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Jeddah.

afternoon Tokyo trade to 121.77 yen, from 124.61 yen in late New York trade on Friday, and to $1.2902 from $1.3075.

News of the controversial tax also drew a sharp response from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called it “unfair, unprofessional and dangerous.” Several analysts said the measure was meant to make sure that Brussels did not spend billions propping up the at-times ill-gotten gains of rich Russians, who are widely believed to have exploited Cyprus’s reputation as a tax haven and as being soft on “dirty money”.

Cyprus has repeatedly denied the allegations and has offered to open its accounts to international inspection. Estimates vary but the Moody’s rating firm estimates that up to $19 billion in private Russian cash is held in Cyprus. The figure accounts for between a third and half of all Cypriot deposits.

Anastasiades, in an address to the shellshocked nation on Sunday night, said he had chosen “the least painful option” and that rejecting the EU demands would have seen Cyprus exit the euro-zone and face bankruptcy. “I fully share the unhappiness caused by a difficult and painful decision. That’s why I continue to fight with the eurogroup to amend their decisions in the coming hours to limit the impact on small depositors,” the president said.

Terming it the worst crisis to hit Cyprus since the 1974 Turkish invasion, he gave an assurance that those taking a hit now would be compensated when huge gas offshore gas deposits are eventually exploited, in about 2018. “Anyone who maintains a deposit for more than two years will receive bonds linked to future state revenues from natural gas-this will reflect half the contribution made in bank tax,” he said.

News Saturday morning of the levy shocked Cypriots at the start of a three-day holiday weekend, many rushing to cash points and depleting them within hours. Online transfers were stopped although shoppers were able to use credit cards at supermarkets and at fuel stations.

Local media said he is struggling to secure even a simple majority for the terms of the bailout in the 56-member parliament in which his conservative DISY parliament holds just 20 seats.

Anastasiades needs to get the legislation ratifying the deal through parliament before banks reopen Tuesday, or face a run on accounts.

But local media reported that the scale of revolt against the agreement among MPs has thrown into disarray his efforts to do so and he may have to declare an additional bank holiday today. — AFP

Nigeria to slash local debt LAGOS: Nigeria will take action this year to slash its domestic debt from around 6.35 trillion naira ($40 billion) because double-digit interest rates make the cost of servicing it too high, the Minister of State for Finance said yesterday. It cost 699 billion naira to service the debt last year, Yerima Lawan Ngama said, addressing delegates at a business conference in Lagos. Interest rates on sovereign debt are around 1011 percent. “The cost of domestic debt is still very high. We are discussing with the bankers’ committee the high cost of interest rates,” he said.

He said Africa’s top oil producer had set up a fund starting at 100 billion naira that would begin retiring domestic debt from this year. The overall debt to GDP ratio was 18.2 percent at the end of 2012, he said, up from 16 percent a year earlier. Africa’s second-biggest economy is growing as an investment destination as fiscal stability improves, its currency stabilises and economic growth remains high. But investors are wary of a long-established tendency to mismanage oil revenues, mostly because of massive corruption.

In absolute terms, the budget deficit was expected to fall to 585 billion naira in 2013, from 744 billion last year, he said. The budget office said last month the deficit would fall to 1.85 percent of GDP in 2013, from 2.85 percent last year. “Nigeria has a very strong balance sheet now, compared with a decade ago,” Ngama said. Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio is low by world standards but high for a nation that still ranks among the top 10 oil exporters - it pumps out 2 million barrels of oil a day, almost all sold abroad. Much revenue is spent on a bloated civil service, and Ngama said 60 percent of government spending was on salaries last year.

Oil theft Yields on Nigerian debt have fallen sharply by around 300 basis points since October, when JP Morgan included Nigeria in its emerging market sovereign bond index, lowering government borrowing costs. Yields are now only a little above inflation, currently at 9.5 percent. As Nigerian government bonds have rallied, so interest in them from foreign investors has waned, which has hit the naira.

Analysts say if Africa’s second biggest economy was better managed, it would have a much lower debt to GDP ratio. The deficit is to some extent artificial because Nigeria normally saves more than it earns and deposits those savings into its Excess Crude Account (ECA), which can give clearer picture of whether its fiscal position is improving.

There is currently around $8 billion in it, according to the latest figures. This is about double what it was a year ago, but $1 billion less than in December, and under half the $20 billion it contained in 2007.

Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is keen to save more for investment and to cushion against oil price shocks. Parliament inflated the 2013 budget, which means Nigeria could save less this year than last.

The country is also losing massive amounts of revenue to oil theft by armed gangs, which Shell this month said was “unprecedented”, after its main Nembe Creek pipeline was hit. — Reuters

TANGERANG: Lion Air passenger jets sit on the tarmac at Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang outside Jakarta yesterday. — AFP

Indonesia’s Lion Air stuns again with new Airbus deal JAKARTA: Lion Air, a little-known carrier launched 13 years ago with just one plane, has struck two of the world’s largest aircraft orders in a staggering $46 billion bet on Indonesia’s air transport boom. France announced yetserday that Indonesia’s fastest-growing airline had agreed to buy 234 medium-haul A320 jets worth $23.8 billion (18.4 billion euros) from European aerospace giant Airbus.

The deal, the biggest civilian contract ever for Airbus, comes after Lion Air astounded the industry with a $22.4 billion agreement for 230 Boeing 737 airliners, inked in 2011 as a visiting US President Barack Obama looked on. The impressive orders are in sharp contrast with the size of the company, which is banned from US and EU skies over safety fears. Founded in 1999 by brothers Kusnan and Rusdi Kirana, who are ranked the 33rd richest Indonesians with collective wealth of $900 million, Lion Air is the first private airline in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation.

Currently it operates a relatively modest 92 planes-all Boeings except for one McDonnell Douglas-which makes it number nine among regional carriers in terms of fleet size. Its 72 destinations are mostly in Indonesia, and the furthest it flies is to Saudi Arabia-a route mostly packed with domestic workers and construction labourers. Nevertheless, the company has huge ambitions, and is betting big on the formidable expansion of air transport in Indonesia, which is experiencing passenger growth of around 20 percent every year.

With 240 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation, and embraces more than 17,000 islands scattered across 33 provinces. Annual economic growth exceeds 6.0 percent and

there is a burgeoning middle class which is keen to abandon travel by bus, ferry and train and instead take to the skies for holidays and family visits.

Despite its regulatory woes, Lion Air is intent on spreading its wings internationally, and is expected this year to launch its long-haul arm, Batik Air, with six Boeing 737s and five Boeing B787 Dreamliners.

Last September it also announced the launch of another offshoot, Malindo Airways, which will begin regional operations in May from Malaysia, the home turf of Lion Air’s main rival, AirAsia.

The vast potential of Indonesia’s aviation market, and the scope for offshoot carriers, supports the scale of Lion Air’s orders, said Brendan Sobie from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in Singapore. “They see an increase in demand that is brought on by the conditions in the home market. If you look at the projections for growth in Indonesia, assuming that Lion maintains its current market share and leading position, they are going to need a few hundred more aircraft just to keep that position,” he said. “They also have an ambition to play more in international markets and to open up affiliates in other countries.” Observers said that Lion Air wants to replicate the success of AirAsia, the region’s low-cost pioneer which has flourished from its Kuala Lumpur base under the charismatic leadership of founder Tony Fernandes. “I think Lion Air wants to show that it can beat Tony Fernandes,” said Dudi Sudibyo, an expert from aviation magazine Angkasa. “But the questions now are -who will fly those planes, where will the planes be parked, and how do they finance this?” he said, adding that the Airbus deal would likely be funded by a consortium. — AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

BUSINESS

Souk Al-Salmiya Real Estate Co elects new board of directors KUWAIT: The General Assembly of Souk AlSalmiya Real Estate Company for fiscal year 2012 approved all items on the agenda, during its meeting on Wednesday. The agenda included the report of board of directors for fiscal year ending in December 31, 2012, and was approved. The auditor’s report, was also approved. The general budget and profits and losses account for the fiscal year, and it was approved. The financial transactions by the board of directors and dealing with related parties were also approved.

The general assembly also approved the board of director’s proposal to distribute cash profits to shareholders at 20 percent of the capital, and declared members free of any liabilities.

The auditor was reappointed for fiscal year 2013, and the board was authorized to decide their fees.

The general assembly elected a new board of directors for the coming three years: Marzouq Khaled Yousef Al-Marzouq, Fahad Khaled AlKulaib, Sheikh Daej Salman Daej Al-Sabah, Sulaiman Ahmad Abdulaziz Al-Humaidi, Nouf Real Estate General Trading Company, and Kuwait Al-Baraka General Trading Company.

Chairman of the Board of Souk Al-Salmiya Real Estate Co Marzouq K Al-Marzouq said the company made profits of 33.04 fils per share for 2012 compared with 24.5 fils for 2011. AlMarzouq said cash distributions approved by the company’s general assembly at 20 percent in cash, is a source of pride for the board which proved that the local financial crises did not affect the company’s business. It also confirms that the policy of the board is conservative to avoid being affected with such crises. He said the share’s book value rose during 2012 to 198 fils

compared with 185 fils in 2011.

Al-Marzouq thanked Nouf Real Estate General Trading and Contracting Company as the partner and manager of the company and Souk AlSalmiya project. He emphasized the major role of the company in the form of material and moral support for the company and projects, which left a positive impact on overcoming all obstacles the company faced through the project’s stages until now.

progressed and the department will offer them to the private sector again.

Al-Marzouq said the company plans to get into real estate projects at Sabah Al-Ahmad Sea City including construction of malls, investment in super markets, restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment activities. He said the goal behind those new projects is to diversigy the company’s investments and increase income in addition to serving area visitors.

New projects Meanwhile, Al-Marzouq announced that the company made offers on some projects presented by the technical department to study development projects and initiatives which belong to the finance ministry. He said the company is still looking for opportunities to get into new BOT projects especially since there are projects that

Diversifying the company’s activities Meanwhile Deputy Chairman of the Board and Managing Director Fahad K Al-Kulaib said the board of directors seeks to diversity the company’s activities and studies many investment opportunities that are within the company’s activities, be it partnership in development projects offered by the government to the private sector by the BOT system, or other opportunities in order to get into new investment fields.

Al-Kulaib said the company, in cooperation with Nouf Real Estate Company, succeeded in executing Souk Al-Salmiya Mega-Project, which is considered a new success for investment and shareholders in the company. He said the operational percentage of the Souk reached 98.3 percent by the end of last year. He said the number of visitors was between 11 to 12 million during 2012.

He said the Souk Al-Salmiya project became one of the unique and distinguished souks in Kuwait, making it a daily destination for citizens and expats due to its various activities. He said the company’s management is keen on cooperating with all investors and renters in order to present the best services possible to souk patrons, which gave it a good reputation and became something we are proud of.

Social activities The Souk hosted many social activities during last year including The International Charity Committee, Rescuing Syria Campaign, Islamic Charity Authority, Syrian Donations Campaign, Voluntary Kuwaiti Families Society, Entertainment Day for those with special needs, voluntary work center, participating in Earth Event, national labor support, challenge campaign, participating in the retirement of national team members, organizing Asia bowling masters championship, Kuwait 10th International open bowling championship and organizing the souk celebrations of National Days during February.

The Souk is currently organizing a celebration on the occasion of the 10th anniversary on its opening, which started on March 10 and will continue until April 30. Prizes and draws on a car and iPads and other electronics will be carried out.

Fahad K Al-Kulaib

Marzouq K Al-Marzouq

KUWAIT: Marzouq K Al-Marzouq and Fahad K Al-Kulaib with the team of Souk Al-Salmiya Real Estate Company.

Infiniti appoints new CTO DUBAI: Infiniti has announced that effective immediately Ian Bolin has been named the Chief Transformation Officer of Infiniti with global responsibility. In this newly created position, Bolin will be based at Infiniti’s Hong Kong Global Headquarters and will report directly to Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. No stranger to luxury brands, Bolin joins Infiniti Motor Company Ltd from AUDI AG, where he was most recently in senior management responsible for the South African market.

During his 13-year career with the Volkswagen Group, Bolin worked in both dealer-facing and strategic corporate roles. Most notably was his leadership in transforming Audi of America as its Head of Strategy. Bolin began his career

with Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars.

“This appointment underscores the importance we have placed on transforming the Infiniti brand globally,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. “Ian’s diverse background, extensive experience with luxury brands and proven track record of building high performance organizations will be key as we further enhance the premium culture within Infiniti and strengthen our focus on attracting and retaining customers globally.”

Bolin was educated in Germany and the US and holds an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management (Phoenix, AZ, USA) and degrees in International Business, Marketing and German from Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI, USA).

Ian Bolin

Most markets fall on Cyprus woes MIDEAST STOCKS DUBAI: Downbeat global sentiment weighed on Middle East markets yesterday, with Egypt’s bourse further shaken by a court ruling freezing assets of 23 businessmen on allegations of stock market manipulation in 2007. The surprise decision by euro zone leaders to part-fund a bailout of Cyprus by taxing bank deposits unsettled financial markets. Dubai’s measure fell to a oneweek low, down 1.4 percent but remains 16.6 percent in gains for 2013.

“UAE markets were technically overbought and people are using Cyprus as an excuse to book profit - it’s healthy for the market,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management. Dubai’s heavyweight Emaar Properties fell 2.4 percent, budget carrier Air Arabia shed 1.2 percent and contractor Arabtec dipped 1.0 percent. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark declined 1.0 percent, snapping a six-session win-

ning streak.

In Saudi Arabia, banks weighed the most with Samba Financial Group and SABB falling 1.5 and 1.2 percent respectively. The cement sector fell 0.7 percent as Eastern Province Cement tumbling 7.4 percent, trading post ex-dividend date.

The kingdom’s benchmark fell 0.4 percent from a four-week high. Elsewhere, Cairo’s measure slipped 0.2 percent to hit a 13-week low.

Shares steadied after a sharp sell-off triggered after the public prosecutor froze the assets of 23 businessmen. This is part of investigation into alleged stock market manipulation during the 2007 sale of Egypt’s Al-Wataniya Bank to National Bank of Kuwait. Investors were spooked by the attorney general’s surprise approach against the country’s top businessmen. Analysts said the move negatively impacts the business environment in the country. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

BUSINESS

Turkish Airlines records 67% rise in passenger traffic from Kuwait KUWAIT: Turkish Airlines, the national carrier of Turkey and Europe’s best airline, recorded a growth in passenger traffic of 67 percent in Kuwait during 2012 compared to 2011, sustaining the momentum that the world’s fastest growing airline reports across the Middle East, and in Kuwait. A celebratory event was held in Kuwait City to honour travel agents for their contribution to driving passenger traffic and announce rapid expansion plans. The gala dinner, at JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City, was attended by Turkish Embassy representatives, Kuwait Civil Aviation and other country ambassadors. Leading travel agents in Kuwait attended the event which included a ceremony to honour 12 awards for best performance.

Turkish Airlines provided an overview of expansion planned in Kuwait announcing a gradual increase to around 35 flights a week over the peak summer season, more than double the current fourteen weekly flights.

With a new average of five flights a day, Turkish Airlines will offer flexible times, competitive prices and access to more countries than any other airline.

Building on the recent growth achieved by Turkish Airlines in terms of passenger traffic from Kuwait, the airline increased the number of seats on flights to and from the country by 77 percent in 2012. Adem Ceylan, General Manager for Turkish Airlines in Kuwait, said: “The travel industry has been integral in contributing to the robust growth of 67 percent in passenger numbers from Kuwait in 2012,

highlighting the rising importance of Turkey as a business and leisure destination.

“The increase in passenger numbers is testament to the growth in demand from both business and leisure travellers to Turkey and beyond destinations and we are confident that with our award-winning inflight service and competitive pricing the upward growth will continue.” He added: “We are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our partner travel agents in Kuwait, who have contributed to the rapid expansion of Turkish Airlines network in the region, and to the airline’s 221 destination network - the largest country network in the world.” The construction of Turkey’s new airport in Istanbul, recently announced to become the largest in the world, is paving the way for further expansion of Turkish Airlines operations worldwide and across the Middle East where the airline currently flies to 31 destinations. The airline has also seen an uptake in tickets purchased to Istanbul’s Sabiha airport on the Asian side of the city due to competitive ticket prices from Kuwait.

The company’s growth is in line with the recent IATA announcement that Middle East airlines posted the strongest growth rates for January this year, outperforming the global industry average by tapping into demand from emerging markets. Turkish Airlines also recently launched The Turkish Corporate Club (TCC) in Kuwait which provides corporations with benefits including competitive rates, exclusive discounts, free luggage allowance and flexibility.

Warba Bank reports income of KD 8.1m KUWAIT: Warba Bank (WB) announced yesterday achieving total income of KD 8.1 million for the year ending December 31, 2012 compared to KD 3 million for the financial period ending December 31, 2011. Commenting on this, WB’s Chairman & Managing Director, Mr. Jassar Dakheel Al-Jassar, said: “Warba Bank has realized total income of KD 8.1 million in 2012 compared to KD 3 million in the previous financial period; i.e., achieving a growth rate of 170 percent. The achieved growth reflects the meritorious and advanced performance of the bank towards achieving its strategy aiming to increase the bank’s returns, decrease the risk to the lowest level possible, promote the performance level, develop WB’s work mechanisms, and build a financing and investment portfolio that guarantees future growth and sustainable sources of income. Warba Bank operations resulted in a net loss of KD 1.9 million for the year 2012 compared to net loss of KD 2.9 million in the previous financial period; i.e. decrease of 35 percent. This means that the bank has exceeded the projected results of the establishment financial plan as set out by the global consultant, Booz & Co, which indicates that WB will shortly cover the establishment costs and starts realizing profits.”

“WB’s total assets increased to about KD 223 million as compared to KD 121 million as on 2011

end, achieving a growth rate of 84percent. The income from fees and commissions increased remarkably; returns from financing deals increased by 47 percent; customers’ total deposits multiplied 6 times reaching KD 78.2 million as at the end of 2012 compared to KD 13 million as at the end of 2011,” added Al-Jassar.

Indeed, such positive developments stemmed from WB’s successful implementation of its plans and strategies, namely those related to diversifying its financing portfolio while keeping low level of risk, offering diversified banking services, and increasing its network of branches covering five areas in 2012 with a view to provide customers with an excellent level of service.

Al-Jassar pointed out that such indicators confirm that WB is performing very well and started to reap the fruit of the sincere efforts sowed during the establishment phase. Further, Al-Jassar said: “Warba Bank managed to recruit highly qualified and skilled individuals, with deep knowledge and experience, for leading and executive positions. We believe that they will contribute to weathering the challenges faced by the bank, with a view to crave the bank’s niche in the Islamic banking market. WB’s has the pride of having national labor of 60 percent of the total bank employees, while nationals in leading and executive posts constitute 75 percent.”

HK stocks dive 2.0% on Cyprus bailout anxiety Tokyo stocks fall 2.71% HONG KONG: Hong Kong shares ended 2.00 percent lower yesterday as a plan by Cyprus to tax bank deposits raised fresh concerns over the euro-zone debt crisis. The benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 449.75 points to 22,083.36 — their lowest since December 4 — on turnover of HK$78.23 billion ($10.09 billion). Investors have been spooked by news that Cyprus agreed to a levy of up to 10 percent on bank depositors as part of a deal with fellow euro-zone countries and international creditors in order to qualify for a $13 billion bailout. Deposits of more than 100,000 euros ($129,000) will be hit with a 9.9 percent charge and a 6.75 percent lev y will be imposed for anything below that threshold.

The proposal must still be passed by parliament.

While bank customers have voiced dismay and anger at the plan, global markets were jolted amid fears it could reignite the eurozone debt crisis and hit confidence in other troubled countries such as Spain and Italy.

“The feeling is that the euro crisis could be back and that you could see full-on contagion, that’s why you’re seeing the market reaction today,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at Amp Capital in Sydney.

“But I suspect that we are going to hear reassurances from other countries that Cyprus is different and that this plan will not be put in place elsewhere,” he told Dow Jones Newswires. HSBC fell 2.26 percent to HK$84.15, China Mobile slid 1.88 percent to HK$81.00 and Sino Land dived 3.79 percent to HK$12.68, while China Life Insurance tumbled 3.87 percent to HK$21.10.

However, some mainland property plays enjoyed a rebound from recent losses. China Resources Land rose 2.2 percent to HK$19.82 after diving 8.1 percent last week, while Sunac China was up 4.4 percent at HK$4.79 after shedding 13 percent in the same time period. Shanghai shares closed down 1.68 percent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slumped 38.38 points to 2,240.02 — its lowest close since December 28 — on turnover of 81.5 billion yuan ($13.0 billion).

Sentiment was hit by the government’s decision to replace a reform-minded official with a former senior banker as the new securities regulator. Dealers are concerned about the authority’s resolve to revamp a stock market long plagued with allegations of insider trading, fraudulent accounting practices and inadequate information disclosure. Remarks by new Premier Li Keqiang at the weekend on reducing government expenditure, including spending on “official hospitality”, hit liquor stocks. Tuopai Shede Wine slumped 6.81 percent to 20.81 yuan, while Kweichow Moutai lost 4.25 percent to 169.45 yuan. Carmakers fell after state television on Friday exposed quality problems of some models while the consumer quality agency on Saturday urged

German auto giant Volkswagen (VW) to recall vehicles with a gearbox defect. SAIC Motor, which was cited by the China Central Television programme, lost 2.59 percent to 14.66 yuan.

Among financials China Construction Bank

euro-zone countries and international creditors Saturday imposed a levy on all deposits in the island’s banks.

Deposits of more than 100,000 euros will be hit with a 9.9 percent charge, and 6.75 percent for anything below that threshold. The

TOKYO: A man eats a rice ball while walking past an electronic stock board of a securities firm yesterday. — AP lost 2.99 percent to 4.55 yuan and Agricultural Bank of China fell 2.44 percent to 2.80 yuan.

Meanwhile, Tokyo stocks tumbled 2.71 percent at the close yesterday after the safehaven yen soared on weekend news that Cyprus plans to tax bank depositors as part of a controversial bailout deal. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down 340.32 points at 12,220.63 while the Topix index of all first-section issues shed 2.22 percent, or 23.31 points, to 1,028.34. “Even though the bailout of Cyprus (and subsequent levy on Cypriot bank deposits) will be put to a vote, the situation could very well lead to a selloff in the euro and a more risk-off investor stance globally,” David Baran, co - CEO of asset manager Symphony Par tners, told Dow Jones Newswires.

“But given the expectations of the new Bank of Japan leadership, the euro is likely to fall more against the dollar than against the yen.” He added: “Japanese equities, despite their recent rise, are nowhere near their alltime highs as are US stocks.” Japan’s parliament on Friday approved a new central bank management team widely expected to usher in more aggressive monetary easing to stoke the world’s third-biggest economy. As a condition for a desperately-needed 10-billioneuro ($13 billion) bailout for Cyprus, fellow

proposal must still be passed by parliament.

Cyprus bank customers have voiced dismay and anger that they alone of the five eurozone countries forced to seek bailouts so far were being expected to help foot the bill. A stronger yen dragged the Tokyo market down as jittery investors flocked to the Japanese currency, a safe haven during times of uncertainty. In afternoon forex trade, the dollar weakened to 94.32 yen from 95.26 yen in New York Friday, as the euro also lost ground at 121.69 yen from 124.61 yen. The stronger yen hit exporters’ shares, with Nissan down 3.45 percent to 951 yen and rival automaker Honda falling 3.40 percent to 3,690 yen. Sony tumbled 6.77 percent to 1,555 yen.

Sharp slipped 2.53 percent to 307 yen after saying a badly needed capital injection from US chipmaker Qualcomm had been delayed as the two sides hammer out details of the pact. Panasonic firmed 0.58 percent to 692 yen on the back of media reports that the embattled electronics giant plans to scale down its money-losing television business and withdraw from manufacturing plasma displays. US stocks fell Friday, bringing the Dow’s 10-day winning streak to a halt as a decline in a key consumer sentiment index highlighted continuing weaknesses in the economy. — Agencies

Hyundai Kuwait ‘NGT’ gets 9001:2008 Certificate KUWAIT: Nor thern Gulf Trading Company, the exclusive distributer of Hyundai cars and vehicles in Kuwait, announced its receipt of the ISO Certificate of Excellence 9001:2008. This is in recognition of the company’s strategy to always remain at the top in terms of international standards of excellence in all its divisions.

Nor thern Gulf Trading Company (Hyundai Kuwait) received this prestigious certificate during an event held at the Costa Del Sol Hotel. Present in this event were all of the administrators and managers of the company led by the Managing Director Raed Turjuman. And Bureau VERITAS was represented by Assistant Certification Manager Aphay Sariya, who presented the certificate to Hyundai Kuwait.

This certificate reflects Northern Gulf’s adherence to the finest standards of excellence in the world. The ISO Certificate of Excellence (ISO 9001:2008) is considered one of the most superior standards of excellence in the world. It is awarded to companies that follow the best practices in providing quality service to their clients, thus achieving superiority in supplier/client relationship. Awarding of the certificate was in recognition of the company’s systematic quality management, catering to client needs, and the continuous work on performance development. The latter involves focusing on client satisfaction, the presence of effective leadership, engagement of employees, systematic management of

operations, availability of a mechanism for continuous development, and finally decision making based on facts to ensure mutual satisfaction.

Turjuman Raed Turjuman, the Managing Director of Nor thern Gulf Trading Company, stated: “We at Hyundai Kuwait are proud of our adherence to the international standards of quality and client services. By receiving this award, we are truly happy because we have proven our superiority in maintaining the highest international standards of quality in the company.” Turjuman further explained: “ We have received this award in the scope of brand new Hyundai Car sales.

More than 18 main and subsidiar y departments were covered in the inspection; resulting in an outcome of a welldeserved quality certificate. Another factor that contributed to this success was our new cars that distinguished themselves among other cars by possessing the highest international standards of excellence. This was topped by the outstanding service that we offer our clients in our showrooms.”

Turjuman confirmed that Northern Gulf Trading Company (Hyundai Kuwait) is a forerunner in providing only the best for its clients. This is accomplished through its adherence to all international quality and safety standards. The company will continue to provide the same as well as provide the client with the latest developments available. Again, the com-

pany is committed to its fixed vision to continue to have precedence as the best car Distributer in Kuwaiti market.

Furthermore, this event included a demonstrative presentation by the company ’s Manager for CRM & Quality Assurance, Yasmin Al-Samad. The presentation covered the development phases of the project since August 2012.

Finest standards Nor thern Gulf Trading Company implements the international standards that the mother company, Hyundai Motors, strictly adheres to. These standards include sales, marketing activities, customer satisfaction, showroom development, as well as exemplary leadership.

The company has invested in the best information technology system to enhance the communication level as well as the speed and accuracy of data. The company has also planned for the best and unprecedented marketing activities.

Furthermore, it has invested in its establishments by renovating its main showroom in Shuwaikh with a modern design, making it one of the largest showrooms in the Middle East. This has transformed client visits into a warm and relaxing yet professional experience.

Ever y Hyundai showroom visitor receives a personal service from the sales team whereby the client is presented with the best models that suit his needs and his budget. After a sale is made, it does not end there. Northern Gulf continues with its after sales special services

through the high quality and state of the art maintenance centers where clients receive the best technical expertise in maintenance and spare parts. Client after sale visits are pleasant and enjoyable experiences; thus enforcing client loyalty to Hyundai. The company has been awarded the prestigious “Excellence Award” for spare parts for the year 2011 by the South Korean Mobis Company that is renowned for its spare parts manufacturing. The company also carries out periodical training sessions for its employees. In addition, it adopts an effective administrative system that facilitates the implementation of the company strategies with enthusiasm and zeal across all divisions.

Accomplishments In 2012, Northern Gulf was able to achieve the highest percentage of growth in sales among all Hyundai distributers in the Middle East; therefore reaching a growth of 80 percent compared to the year 2011 and achieving 8 percent market share. In addition, the company ranked fourth among the car distributers in Kuwait. As per its whole sale activities, an 85 percent growth record was achieved compared to 2011.

For the past two consecutive years, Northern Gulf Trading has reaped several eminent awards both locally and regionally. The company received recognition for best sales in the Middle East for the luxury car category between July and October 2012. Moreover, it received the highest

appraisal from Hyundai Motors as the best car Distributer in the world for 2011. Also obtained, was an honorary award from “Service Hero” for new car sales division.

Finally, the company received from Hyundai Motors, the prominent “Elite Dealer Award”.

This success is coupled with an increase in trust in Hyundai cars by the clients due to its long term reliability, elegance, engine’s superior performance, and outstanding services.

Glimpse at Bureau VERITAS & ISO Bureau VERITAS is an international company that specializes in exposure, surveillance, and analysis to award authentication certificates since 1828. The company includes 930 offices and 330 laboratories in 140 countries around the world. The company is accredited and licensed by some of the largest national and international organizations.

ISO is an international organization for standards that comprises of 130 countries.

Established in 1947, its aim was to develop standards, facilitate services and products around the world, and enhance cooperation in scientific, technical, and economic domains. As a result, certain international agreements were published as unified international standards. The ISO Certificate of Excellence: 9001:2008 is an international characteristic that reflects the commitment and adherence of the company operations to the best international standards of quality; thus meeting customer needs and guaranteeing satisfaction.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

BUSINESS

Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype at exclusive event in Kuwait KUWAIT: Automobile intelligence, refinement and performance are not new to Porsche. Once again these elements have seamlessly come together as yet another Porsche legend takes center stage. The Porsche 918 Spyder prototype was unveiled and viewed at a private VIP event in Kuwait held at the Alghanim residence in Bidaa.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is designed as a successor to the distinguished Carrera GT in a form that is sportier, powerful and stunning. Designed and developed with the dynamics of a powerful 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine and two electric motors, the Porsche 918 Spyder produces over 795 horsepower, along with a conscience for fuel consumption. The car is also equipped with a seven-speed PDK transmission to enable extremely fast gear changes and provide that additional boost during

high performance situations. The 918 Spyder will be available in regular and Weissach packages, offering consumers varying levels of performance and power to choose from.

Porsche 918 Spyder vehicles will be limited to a worldwide production of just 918 individually numbered supercars, thus making ownership of this spirited machine a definite matter of pride and personal triumph for Porsche aficionados. As the pioneering Porsche dealership in the Middle East, Behbehani continue to offer you the unique Porsche owning experience through our state-ofthe-art equipment, showrooms and service centers that are thoroughly supported by a team of dedicated and highly skilled personnel. The new Porsche 918 Spyder can be pre-ordered from Behbehani showrooms in Kuwait right away.

Air Arabia approves 7% cash dividend at Annual Meeting SHARJAH: Following the conclusion of Air Arabia’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) today, a distribution of a 7 percent cash dividend was approved. During the AGM, the assembly approved the report of the

company’s auditors for the financial year ending December 31, 2012. For the 12 months ending December 31, 2012, Air Arabia reported a net profit of AED 425 million. The assembly also approved the balance sheet and profit and loss accounts of the com-

pany for the same period.

The first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, Air Arabia, which now operates services to 83 destinations from three regional hubs, also reported a

total turnover of AED 2.9 billion in 2012, an increase of 21 percent compared to previous year.

In addition, the assembly discharged the directors and auditors of the company from liability for the financial year ending December

31, 2012, and appointed auditors for the company for the next fiscal year in order to fix their remuneration. “ The strong financial results delivered by Air Arabia in 2012

reflect its proven business model, appealing product and strong management team,” said Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Thani, Chairman of Air Arabia. “Today, we are very pleased to be able to share Air Arabia’s success in 2012 with

our shareholders, and look forward to their on-going support in the years to come”.

“Air Arabia’s solid performance has set the standard for low-cost carrier’s best practice. We are fully confident in the carrier’s ability to unlock opportunities for the low-cost model in this region. As we continue to focus on expansion plans, we remain committed to making air travel accessible to millions of customers every year.” Air Arabia took delivery of six new A320 aircraft from Airbus in 2012 as part of an order for 44 aircraft placed in 2007. Air Arabia is expected to take delivery of another six new aircraft in 2013. The carrier has introduced nine new destinations in 2012 from its primary hub in Sharjah - Kazan, Taif, Salalah, Ufa, Odessa, Erbil, Astana, Basra and Rostov. In addition, the airline has continued its expansion from its hubs in Morocco and Egypt, reaching a global network of 82 destinations. In 2012, Air Arabia continued to be recognised for its LCC market leadership, winning the ‘World’s Second Best Performing Airline’ at Aviation Week’s annual top-performing Airlines. The airline has also been recognised for its sustainable CSR program ‘Charity Cloud’ winning the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Award’ at the 2012 Aviation Business Awards. Meanwhile, Air Arabia’s Group Chief Executive Officer has been named ‘CEO of the year Aviation’ at the elite CEO Middle East Awards.

KCIC sees KD 5.23 net profit for FY2012 Amr El Kasaby

Burgan Bank hosts Group Internal Audit Meeting KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently held the first Group Internal Audit Meeting 2013 under the leadership of Burgan Bank’s Group Chief Internal Auditor, Amr El Kasaby. Taking place in Amman, Jordan on February 20 and 21, 2013, the meeting was attended by the internal audit function leaders of Burgan Bank Group’s five subsidiaries.

“It is important for our Group banks to meet so that we ensure we are all aligned on critical matters, keep up to date on latest IIA standards and the best practices in our industry” said El Kasaby. During the meeting, El Kasaby shared important changes of the IIA standards, Burgan Bank’s practical experience of Fraud Risk Assessment, the Central Bank of Kuwait’s recent requirements in respect to Corporate Governance. He added, “Burgan Bank maintains the highest standards of efficiency and transparency, and we strive to deliver excellence in all that we do.”

KUWAIT: KCIC, an investment firm specializing in investments in Asia, today announced its financial results for 2012, earning KD 5.23 million and KD 11.97 million in revenues with an earnings per share of 6.69 fils and a return on equity of 6.17 percent. The company’s total assets stood KD 95.49 million at year-end, said the company.

Managing Director Ahmad Abdlatif Al-Hamad said, “The year was a challenging year filled with significant milestones for our business. We remain confident of our strategy and our commitment to Asia and its investment opportunities while staying

close to the needs and requirements of our shareholders and clients.” 2012 highlights: ● Opening of Hong Kong office with a fullfledged investment team. The Hong Kong operation has broadened the company’s footprint in Asia and confirmed KCIC’s commitment to the region and its investment opportunities. ● The launching of the first Shariaa Compliant Islamic Trade Finance Fund. The Fund is focused on financing trade flows in Asia and the Middle East under Shariaa Murabaha Structures. ● Equity strategies continued to outperform industry and peer benchmarks, proving the company’s high caliber portfolio managers and their ability to extract value for investors. ● Growth in sales and marketing team with the addition of talented investment advisors across all offices to deliver better service and customize solutions for our clients.

Also, in alignment with the latest CMA regulations for listed companies, KCIC announced the following changes to the Board of Directors The changes are: Current Chairman Omar Kutayba Al-Ghanim has resigned to assume his new role as the Chairman of another company. Current laws do not permit a single person to chair the boards of two shareholding companies. ● Dhari Ali Al-Bader named as the new Chairman. Al-Bader has served on KCIC’s board since May 2012. ● Current Vice Chairman and Managing Director Ahmad Abdlatif Al-Hamad has resigned his Vice Chairman position as mandated by the new laws.

Al-Hamad will continue to serve on the board and run the company in his capacity as Managing Director. ●

Managing Director Ahmad Abdlatif Al-Hamad

Air Arabia becomes 1st intl carrier to operate flights to Mattala, Sri Lanka MATTALA: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, today touched down at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in Sri Lanka. The inaugural flight which landed at 11:50 am becomes the first ever international carrier to arrive in the Mattala airport.

The maiden flight was marked by an official Air Arabia delegation and was welcomed by high-level dignitaries including Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Air Arabia also celebrated the occasion of first international arrival in Mattala, after the new Rajapaksa International Airport was inaugurated this morning.

“Since inception about a decade ago, Air Arabia has prided itself on being an airline of firsts. Today, we are extremely delighted to become the first international carrier to arrive in Mattala, further reinforcing our commitment to expand our presence in Sri Lanka,” said, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia.

“We target through our new regular service to develop the tourism traffic between Mattala, the UAE and the wider region. We are confident that the launch of Mattala will bring great benefits to the tourism ties between the UAE and Sri Lanka, and will support Air Arabia’s rapidly expanding network in the Indian Subcontinent.”

The low-cost pioneer currently operates two weekly services between Sharjah and Mattala, to be increased to four times weekly starting May 19, 2013. On Thursdays and Sundays, flights depart from Sharjah International Airport at 21:30 and arrives Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport at 03:50. Return flights on the will depart next day from Mattala at 04:30 and arrive in Sharjah at 07:40 (local time).

Aimed at meeting the increasing travel demands between the two countries, the launch of Mattala marks Air Arabia’s second route in Sri Lanka after Colombo, which is currently being operated seven times a week.

Back 2 School promotion at Lu&Lu KUWAIT: Lu&Lu Hypermarket, the retail destination of choice for shoppers in Kuwait, will launch its Back 2 School promotion on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The promotion, which is slated to run till Saturday, April 6, will provide parents the opportunity to shop for all the school stationery needs of their children from under one roof.

Shopping for children’s stationery and school items need not be a tiresome affair anymore, as Lu&Lu Hypermarket has stocked a wide assortment of choice products for the ‘Back to School’ shopping period. Products on display include school bags, water bottles, lunch box, lunch bag, book cover rolls, coloring items, uniforms, stationery sets, pencils, pens, clay, umbrellas and a whole lot more.

Special Sinarline notebooks for Indian Schools are available at the most attractive prices.

A large variety of school bags and stationery sets featuring trendy cartoon characters such as Disney Brave, Winnie the pooh, Princes, Micky Mouse, Ben10, Hello Kitty, Lulu Catty, Spiderman III, Iron man III, Angry Bird, Tom & Jerry, are ready to attract the young school-goers. Lu&Lu Hypermarket has ensured that parents and children are able to have peace of mind during the ‘Back to School’ purchases by stocking high quality items at very competitive prices. The main attraction during the promotion period is that anyone purchasing stationery worth KD 5, will get a Coolgear water bottle of 946ml for only 290 fills. Parents and children are urged to visit any outlet of Lulu Hypermarket to see the large variety of ‘Back to School’ products on offer and ensure they have a wide choice before stocks run out.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

technology

Eugene Kaspersky named 2012 influencer of the year DUBAI: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, today announced that Eugene Kaspersky was named the 2012 Influencer of the Year by Channelnomics. Eugene was given this honor for his visionary thinking and IT security expertise, which not only enabled his company, Kaspersky Lab, to provide additional value to its partner base, but also helped shape the technology industry and the IT channel at large.

The 2012 Channelnomics Channel Influencers Awards recognized the contributions and impact of both vendor and solution provider executives and leaders who guide channel decisions and play a role in reseller buying habits. Winners were selected from hundreds of highly detailed and passionate nominations in 12 categories submitted by Channelnomics readership beginning in November and voted on by a blue ribbon panel of objective evaluators.

Channelnomics’ editorial team served as the final arbiter. “Few in the technology industry have had the kind of year Eugene Kaspersky had in 2012 and that was reflected in the volume of thoughtful nominations and judges’ comments he attracted for this award,” said Chris Gonsalves, editor of Channelnomics who oversaw the Channel Influencers Awards program. “He’s a respected technologist, a thought leader, a firebrand, and more importantly a channel advocate who has led the charge at Kaspersky Lab to bring reseller partners to unprecedented levels of success. Our Influencer of the Year Award speaks to the impact and connection leaders like Mr. Kaspersky make with peers, partners and competitors alike.”

Eugene Kaspersky: Influencer, visionary, security thought leader According to Channelnomics, Eugene has been a “formidable force”within theIT and channel community. Guiding and influencing

Kaspersky Lab’s business strategies, he’s helped to significantly grow its partner community.

Notable accomplishments of Eugene Kaspersky and his eponymous company cited by Channelnomics include: His renowned team of security analysts on the Global Research & Analysis Team who were at the forefront of identifying and corralling state-sponsored cyber malware such as Flame, Duqu and Stuxnet.

A sales organization that is 100-percent channeldriven, which boasts some of the industry’s best reseller features,including unprecedented levels of deal control and support, as well as some of the channel’s highest combined rewards and best margin protection.

Eugene Kaspersky’s personal commitment to keep the channel top of mind and his continualgoal of better understanding partners’ challenges.

The company’s consistently innovative security software protecting customers.

This recognition comes on the heels of several other highly coveted IT industry recognitions. In the past three months, Eugene was awarded V3’s Technology Hero of the Year accolade for the discovery of the Flame malware, and named one of CRN’s Top 25 Innovators in their list of Top 100 Executives in the IT Channel for 2012.Eugene was alsoselected as one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Top Global Thinkers for 2012, an honor that celebrates the brave thinking of those at the cutting edge of the global debate over freedom of expression.

His personal achievements have also helped Kaspersky Lab earn praise from industry analysts.

Most noteworthy, in early January 2012, Kaspersky Lab was named a “Leader” in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the second year in a row.

Mac computers not immune to malware NEW YORK: The biggest vulnerability to Macintosh computers is the belief among their devoted users that Apple’s superior operating system makes them immune to malware, experts say. “Some Mac users have this perception that the Mac is free from hacks and that is completely wrong,” said Zheng Bu, senior director of research for FireEye, which develops anti-malware products. Mac users, said Kevin Haley, Symantec director of product management for security response, “have let their guard down.”

While the vast majority of malware is aimed at Windows operating systems, the growing market share of MacBooks and iMacs is making Apple computers a bigger target. In recent years, Macintosh computers have garnered about 20 percent of the US consumer market, said Stephen Baker, the hardware analyst at the NPD Group. “They are gaining,” he said.

Macs going mainstream may be great for Apple’s bottom line, but it also makes the Macintosh operating system a bigger target for hackers, experts say. “We are seeing more and more Macs getting infected,” Haley said. The first computer viruses actually were aimed at Apple computers, said Andrew Conway, a researcher at Cloudmark, which works on Internet security problems. “Back in the day, the first virus appeared on Macs,” which was more sophisticated than Microsoft Disk Operating System, or MS-DOS, he said. “You could write a virus on it, and you couldn’t do that on DOS.” Many Mac users have long assumed Apple’s operating system, which is tightly knitted with the hardware the company also designs, has stronger security than Windows.

Conway, though, said there is no way to prove that is true.

While Apple is good about fixing its vulnerabilities, “the Mac hasn’t come under the kind of attack we’ve seen with the Windows PC,” he said. The Macintosh operating system is “not a super-system made by super-people,” Conway added.

What is certain is the Macintosh operating system is once again becoming attractive to hackers.

Last year, the Flashback Trojan malware infected an estimated 600,000 Macs by appearing to be a browser plug-in but actually stole personal information. In February, Apple

said Macs operated by Apple employees were infected with Java-related malware when they visited a software development website. The Cupertino, Calif, company did not disclose how many of its employees’ computers were infected or when.

One of the biggest threats to Mac users is third-party software, such as Java, a popular vehicle for cyber thieves to infect Windows and Mac machines by writing only one attack code. In such cases, simply visiting an infected website that exploits a Java vulnerability can enable malware to get onto a Mac, which is what happened with the Apple employees, Haley observed. He called it a “drive-by download.” “In this case, (infected) Java software was used to download malware onto machines,” Haley said. “You would have no idea.”

Adobe software is also another vehicle used by hackers to infect computers, Bu said. “Both Apple and Windows need to work closely with third-party (software makers) to make safer software,” he said. “Then they need to build a rapid process to quickly address issues.” Haley said Mac users can also take steps to ensure they avoid malware traps. Perhaps the most important move is to quickly accept software updates from Apple and other vendors, such as Adobe, which often close security vulnerabilities. “It’s a good idea not to ignore those,” he said, adding, “People are always good about computer security after they have been hit with malware.”

Five ways to make macs ‘safer’ • Accept software updates from Apple and third-party vendors as soon as they become available. These often include security patches. • Do not click on unexpected attachments, even from email that appear to be from people you know. • Do not click on suspicious links. • Be careful about clicking on links on Facebook or Twitter from someone who appears to be a friend “offering” photos of you.

•Consider using anti-virus protection software for Macintosh computers. — MCT

TOKYO: A Fujitsu engineer demonstrates new technology, a the real-time pulse monitor system with facial imaging technology, that utilizes a web-camera in PCs or smartphones, at the company’s headquarters yesterday. — AFP

Smartphones can take your pulse, Fujitsu says TOKYO: A smartphone that can take the pulse of a user just by looking at his or her face was unveiled in Japan yesterday. Technology giant Fujitsu plans to put the invention to practical use within a year, enabling people at work or at home to track their health and collect data for analysis without wearing special devices. The smartphone works by measuring variations in the brightness of a person’s face caused by the flow of blood.

Researchers say countless tiny blood vessels run through the face, enabling monitoring of haemoglobin which absorbs green light. Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that contains iron and transports oxygen. Simply pointing a camera at a person’s face for as little as five sec-

onds will enable pulse-taking, while the technology automatically filters out the effect of head movements or changes caused by standing up quickly. “Even at a busy workplace, or any time a person is sitting in front of a PC, whether for teleconferencing or writing e-mails, their pulse can be measured during brief moments of quiet,” the company said in a press release.

“At home, a camera built into a TV can measure the pulse of people relaxing in front of it, or a mirror, for when people are getting ready in the morning,” it said. “Pulse detectors built into gates at event sites or control points at airports could be a possible security application by detecting people in ill health and people acting suspiciously.” — AFP

India-made electric car to hit the roads

CHINA: This file picture taken on February 27, 2012 shows workers assembling solar panels on the factory floor of Chinese company Suntech in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi. — AFP

Solar giant Suntech defaults on debt SHANGHAI: Chinese solar panel giant Suntech Power announced yesterday that it was in default on its debt after failing to make a payment on $541 million worth of bonds. One of the world’s top two solar cell and panel producers, targeted last year by US trade sanctions, Suntech said it had already entered an agreement with 60 percent of the bond holders to hold off legal claims while a debt restructuring can be negotiated. The non-payment on the bonds triggered cross-default clauses with other lenders, putting Suntech in default on debt to the International Finance Corp. and Chinese domestic lenders.

The company said in a statement that it was unaware so far of any legal proceedings against it from creditors. “Suntech intends to continue to engage with holders of the notes and other lenders with a view to achieving a consensual restructuring.” “It is currently a very difficult time for our company and our industry, but the management and board of Suntech are committed to finding a way forward,” said Suntech chief executive David King in a statement. “We are currently exploring strategic alterna-

tives with lenders and potential investors, which could help to set us on a path towards longer term success.”

Earlier this month, Suntech announced it was shutting a plant in the US state of Arizona and named a new chairwoman, ousting founder Shi Zhengrong. US and European solar panel producers have blamed Suntech and other Chinese producers for flooding the global market, pushing prices down. The European Union began an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese solar panels in September last year, followed by an anti-subsidy probe in November. The United States last October confirmed hefty anti-dumping and antisubsidy duties on Chinese solar cell makers, adding to trade tensions between the two economic powers.

Suntech shares were up 1.4 percent to 71 cents on the New York Stock Exchange in early trade yesterday after the statement, after having lost more than half their value to below 50 cents a share last week following reports of the default. The shares are down from more than $3.00 a year ago. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Top Indian utility vehicle maker M&M yesterday launched the most advanced home-grown electric car yet seen, pricing it at $11,000 and saying it hopes to sell the hatchback abroad next year. The four-seater, two-door e2o-pronounced “ee-too-oh”-has zero emissions, an 80 kmh (50 mph) top speed, is automatic and can run for 100 kilometres on a single charge. The new car boasts 10 onboard computers analysing core functions and sending alerts if anything needs fixing-a feature usually found in costlier cars-and can be fully charged in five hours from a 15A power socket.

“This is our vision of the future of mobility,” M&M chairman Anand Mahindra told reporters in New Delhi.

“We need to make a clean energy future,” he said, warning that the nation of 1.2 billion people “is at a tipping point” with vehicle emissions increasingly blamed for respiratory and other illnesses and environmental problems.

“Eco-friendly transport (is) the need of the hour”, he said, with M&M targeting affluent families wanting a car for city jaunts or as a second vehicle. It is looking at selling the car abroad starting next year in Europe and Africa.

The car is the fruit of the $16 billion M&M group’s 2010 purchase of a controlling stake in Indian electric vehicle maker Reva, pioneered by engineer Chetan Maini, as part of a green technology drive. Maini, who stayed with the firm, told AFP the hatchback was a “game-changing” vehicle compared to the tiny, boxy two-seater Reva, derided by critics as a “golf cart”. The Reva, known as the G-Wiz in Britain, ended production in 2012 after selling fewer than 5,000 units globally over a decade, with buyers reluctant to pay a premium price for a tiny car.

While the e2o, priced at 596,000 rupees ($11,000), is as much as 300,000 rupees dearer than petrol hatchbacks of a similar size, M&M said fuel savings could total 70,000 rupees annually. The car can also be charged under a solar canopy, saving on energy costs. The vehicle, to be manufactured at a 30,000-unit-capacity plant in Bangalore, has no oil filters, spark plugs or radiators, reducing maintenance costs. “It’s a quantum leap from the Reva, but it’s costly, and we don’t have a sufficient pan-India charging network yet. People may not find it practical,” Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of leading car magazine Autocar India, told AFP. Energy-hungry India’s endemic power outages have also sparked concerns that owners might not be able to re-charge batteries at home when needed. M&M is banking on India’s government following through with an ambitious $4 billion plan to support an electric vehicle network aimed at having six million electric vehicles on the road by 2020. A senior company executive said Mahindra Reva would “be happy” to initially sell 400 to 500 cars a month. — AFP

NEW YORK: A man examines the AR Drone quadricopter, the first quadricopter controlled by an iPod Touch, iPhone, or IPad, at Brookstone’s Rockefeller Center store seen in this November 10, 2010 file photo in New York. — AFP

Friend or foe? Civilian drones stir debate WASHINGTON: Drones: A flying technological marvel that could save lives or a sinister robot spy which edges the United States ever closer towards becoming a surveillance society? The imminent proliferation of unmanned aircraft in American skies has stirred a debate which veers between excitement at the possibilities to deep concern they may be deployed to snoop on law-abiding citizens. Congress has ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to open up airspace to unmanned aircraft by October 2015, a decision expected to see thousands of drones criss-crossing the sky within a few years.

Supporters of the move point to a vast range of applications which drones could be used for-tracking the progress of wildfires, helping to find lost skiers, identifying criminals or mapping inhospitable terrain. “The possibilities ... are endless,” said Ryan Calo, an expert in law and emerging technology at Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society.

“What are drones but flying smartphones, one app away from indispensable?

We could see drones accompanying early morning joggers, taking sport, wildlife and other photography to a new level.”

While the public perception of drones is associated with their use in war, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) believes they can “save money, time and lives” in civilian life. The AUVSI also believes increased drone use will create 100,000 jobs by 2025, injecting billions of dollars into the economy. Baptiste Tripard, North American sales director of SenseFly, the Swiss manufacturer of

a drone that can draw 3D maps or take high resolution photos, believes the United States could become the biggest market for drones.

“The United States has the potential to become the largest market in the world, particularly in agriculture, where professionals are already used to working with high-tech instruments,” Baptiste told AFP. Civil liberties groups have a more guarded view of the likely darkening of American skies by unmanned aircraft. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) warns drones can intercept messages on wireless networks, monitor up to 65 people and carry eagle-eyed technology that can identify the brand on a carton of milk from 18,000 meters.

When a drone was used to assess damage from an earthquake in Italy in September, it also stumbled across a marijuana plantation and duly identified those individuals responsible.

Similarly, while US Customs deploys drones to patrol the border, their unmanned aircraft are sometimes used to help local police.

“Rules must be put in place to ensure that we can enjoy the benefits of this new technology without bringing us closer to a surveillance society in which our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the government,” the American Civil Liberties Union has warned. The potential implications of widespread drone use mirrors the problems faced by Internet giant Google, which was fined $7 million on Tuesday after it emerged that vehicles snapping photos for its Street View images were also gathering information from private Wi-Fi hotspots.—AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

New restrictions bite HK shark fin traders Fin merchants insist impact of restrictions is minimal

OSTERSUND, Sweden: The Aurora Borealis bright up the sky at twilight on March 17, 2013 between the towns of Are and Ostersund, Sweden. —AFP

Peering into a gateway opened 50 years ago LOS ANGELES: Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the quasar an extremely bright object powered by matter falling into a super-massive black hole lying in the heart of a galaxy. First found in 1963, these strange sources of radio waves initially stumped astronomers: They shone as sharply and intensely as nearby stars, but they appeared to be moving away from Earth far too fast to be in our own Milky Way. Scientists called them quasi-stellar radio sources - or quasars for short.Eventually, astronomers realized that only a black hole had enough power to produce such bright light from such mindboggling distances. Compared to faint galaxies, these cosmic beacons offered a tantalizing glimpse into the very early universe - and thus, a window into its evolution. California Institute of Technology astronomer Maarten Schmidt discovered the first known quasar, 3C273, on March 16, 1963. He spoke with the Los Angeles Times about his groundbreaking discovery.

Question: What was it like to discover such a strange new phenomenon?

Answer: It was really exciting. These quasars - they were so unexpected. It was, I must say, the highlight of my own science in my career.

Q: A “bright spot,” you might say.

A: Yup. Q: How did you come across that first quasar, 3C273?

A: The radio astronomers after World War II were producing catalogs of radio sources that were quite reliable. Usually these radio sources were identified with galaxies. 3C273 was one of the first ones where the identification was not with a galaxy. We believed it originally to be a star.

Q: So you measured the object’s redshift, which tells you how much the light from an object is getting stretched out as the object travels away from you.

What did this show?

A: Redshifts are just a measure of distance in the universe. High redshifts mean large distances. If the object were a star, it would have to be in our own galaxy, of course. And the stars in our galaxy have a velocity never larger than 600 kilometers

per second - that would be a redshift of 0.2 percent. If a star has a velocity larger than that, it would escape the galaxy. Anything that has a redshift of even 1 percent has to be outside the galaxy. But when I took a spectrum in 1962 and also in 1963, it turned out that it was redshifted by 16 percent. That corresponds to a velocity off 47,000 kilometers per second.

Q: That’s a lot faster.

A: Yes! So it really stood out, and it could not be ignored.

Q: If this strange object was sitting billions of light-years away, how could you see it?

A: It was 40 times more luminous than an entire galaxy of 100 billion stars. It was an exceptional object.

Q: Did you realize it was in the center of another galaxy?

A: No. These quasars occur in the center of galaxies, but are so incredibly bright that they masked the whole galaxy. That took a long time to establish.

Q: Were you surprised by your own conclusions?

A: Absolutely. My wife still tells me I was pacing the floor in the evening and couldn’t stop. At times we thought we were just barking up the wrong tree, but you look at the observations again, and what other explanation could we give?

Q: How did the discovery of quasars change the way we viewed the universe?

A: It allowed us to go back easily in time.

For instance, after a number of years I concluded that the number of quasars in the universe had been much larger in the past than it is now, by a factor of 100. And it was the first case where we saw the universe was changing. This is the evolution of the universe, as it were.

Q: Fifty years later, do we see the universe differently because of quasars?

A: The universe before quasars used to be a rather quiet place - at least, that’s what the astronomers thought. And it turned out that all sorts of things are happening. As some people later on said, it’s a violent universe. — MCT

HONG KONG: A conservation victory restricting global trade in more shark species will take a fresh bite at Hong Kong’s market in fins, which has already been hit hard by persistent attacks from anti-fin campaigners. Defiant fin merchants insisted the impact of the restrictions would be minimal as they would continue to import other species not covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement. And a local anti-fin lobby group warned the measures, which aim to protect the oceanic whitetip shark, the porbeagle and three types of hammerhead, would be hard to enforce.

But traders in the southern Chinese city, one of the world’s biggest markets for shark fins which are used to make an expensive gelatinous soup, have already suffered from successful environmental campaigning. New figures show shark fin imports dropped off dramatically last year to 3,351 tonnes from 10,340 tonnes in 2011, after some prominent Hong Kong hotels and restaurants struck it from their menus.

Hong Kong has traditionally handled around half of all global trade, exporting most fins to mainland China where they are considered a rare delicacy. On “Dried Seafood Street”, a pungent thoroughfare at the centre of the city’s shark fin trade, dozens of shops show off their goods, from lowerquality fins wrapped in plastic to the premium variety displayed behind glass that fetch up to HK$10,000 ($1,300) per kilogram (two pounds).

“More and more young people think having shark fin soup is cruel,” trader Frederick Yu said. “For Chinese, the only two delicacies we have are abalone and shark fins. The Westerners eat caviar and foie gras, is that not cruel? Why do they stop us from eating shark fins?” But Yu, who has been in the business for over 10 years, said he supported the sustainability of shark populations, adding that environmentalists were unfair to target traders.

Despite opposition from China and Japan, the 178-member CITES conference in Bangkok approved a deal that requires countries to issue export permits to ensure the sustainability of the sharks in the wild, otherwise they could face sanctions. But Ho Siu-chai, the chairman of the Hong

Kong Shark Fin Trade Merchants Association said the restrictions would only affect one-tenth of current business.

“It’s not an issue for us-we have about 400 shark species, we can always import other species,” he told AFP. “We see it positively. We don’t oppose the new restrictions.” Humans kill about 100 million sharks each year, mostly for their fins, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says 90 percent of the marine predators have disappeared over the past 100 years. The brutality of the practice sees fishermen slice off the fins before throwing sharks back in the water to die, campaigners say.

Hong Kong director for US-based Shark Savers, Silvy Pun, said while the three species already under CITES protection-the great white, whale shark and basking shark-are larger in size and more

easily identified, the newly-listed species were hard to differentiate. “The next step for Hong Kong will be very, very challenging,” she said. “The only way you can identify them correctly is DNA identification but as far as I know, this is not very well-developed yet (in Hong Kong).” The government’s conservation department said it would abide by the CITES restrictions, which must be introduced within 18 months, but would not elaborate on how it was planning to step up enforcement. In the face of public distaste, some traders have stopped drying fins in the open on the pavement, moving them instead to rooftop locations. And Pun was hopeful that the tide is turning. “Hong Kong as a shark capital has the responsibility to conserve the shark population. Now we can take bigger steps to conserve sharks-we can start and we can change,” she said. — AFP

HONG KONG: In this file picture, a man walks past shark fins on display for sale in Hong Kong. — AFP

Mastectomy: A pre-emptive strike against breast cancer CHICAGO: At age 23, Lindsay Avner took charge of her genetic fate: She elected to have her healthy breasts removed before cancer could strike first. Six years later, the resident of Chicago’s North Side neighborhood has zero regret, she said. “I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity that generations of women before me never had,” said Avner, who was 11 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, the same disease that claimed the lives of her grandmother, great-grandmother and others in her family tree.

So when Avner tested positive for the gene mutation that increased her odds of becoming another victim, she opted for a double mastectomy.

She was heralded as a “pioneer” by her physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Now, the decision to remove diseasefree breasts is not nearly as controversial as it was back in 2006, when Avner had surgery. Many more women, including a recent Miss America contestant, have disclosed that they have made the same tough decision either because of hereditary factors or finding early stage cancer in one breast.

Still, some clinicians think the pendulum has swung too far for women who do not have the gene mutation, with more of them opting for double mastectomies as the first line of defense. The increase is attributed to a number of factors, including a barrage of health campaigns that cause some women to overestimate risks and the misconception that removing both breasts guarantees you will never have breast cancer, experts said.

The rate of prophylactic - or preventive - mastectomy among US women with cancer in one breast rose by about 150 percent from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, according to multiple research studies. Dr Todd Tuttle, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Minnesota, said the trend shows no sign of slowing. A study by Tuttle published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that about 1.8 percent of women with cancer in one breast had a double mastectomy in 1998. The percentage rose to 4.5 percent in 2003.

Tuttle, who continues to collect data on the subject, estimated that, 10 years later, 30,000 of the 200,000 women diagnosed each year with breast cancer will opt for a double mastectomy. No one tracks how many women without cancer are choosing double mastectomy as a preventive measure, multiple researchers said. But anecdotally, doctors said more and more patients are asking about it, and many are following through with the procedure.

“It’s very strange ... given how women fought so hard to conserve their breasts in the 1970s and ‘80s,” Tuttle said. “Now, this seems to have gone in the total other direction.”

About 1 in 8 US women - or roughly

12 percent - will develop breast cancer. That’s compared with 60 percent of women, such as Avner, who have inherited a harmful mutation in human genes that are known as tumor suppressors, according to the National Cancer Institute. Even without the genetic mutation, the breast cancer risk roughly doubles if there’s a strong family history, such as a mother, sister or daughter who has been diagnosed with the disease.

Most preventive double mastectomies in the United States are being chosen by young women in the earliest stages of the disease, clinicians said. But this group has an excellent prognosis without a double mastectomy, said Dr Seema Khan, professor of surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, who, like the other physicians interviewed, wants patients to have a better understanding of the risks and

factors are driving the phenomena, including pervasive health campaigns that are helpful but also can provoke unnecessary anxiety. The risk that a woman with breast cancer will develop cancer in the second breast is about 5 percent over a 10-year period, but according to a University of Minnesota study, women estimate their chances at about 30 percent.

“Breast cancer awareness is a good thing, but women just get pounded with these messages all the time,” Tuttle said. “When the NFL has ‘pink days,’ you know it’s over the top.”

Dr Dennis Citrin, medical oncologist for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, also cited the fear factor.

“Women tend to overestimate their risk. But breast cancer is the most curable of cancers that we see - and it’s important that women know that before they remove any organ.” There are no rigid guidelines for when a

CHICAGO: Lindsay Avner is flanked by Mary Kate Fitzgerald, left, and Denise McClanahan at a presentation Avner made to Chicago Bulls employees in Chicago. — MCT benefits of the procedure.

“Women with unilateral breast cancer ... are coming into doctors’ offices with disturbing frequency with the declared intent of undergoing a ‘double mastectomy’ so that they will ‘never have to do this again,’” Khan wrote in a 2011 editorial in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. “This has us really scratching our heads,” she said last week. “There’s no medical evidence that a bilateral mastectomy for this group increases length of life or survival rates ... or has any better outcomes than breast-conserving treatment and radiation,” which is the standard.

Typically, a double mastectomy is a four-hour surgery versus one hour for a breast-conserving procedure, also called lumpectomy. It carries a significantly higher risk of surgical complications, such as infection and bleeding, than a single mastectomy, Khan said. Many who undergo mastectomy in the unaffected breast do so because they mistakenly think they’ll never have to worry about a recurrence. “That’s a fallacy, because a malignancy can return on the skin of the (chest) wall,” Khan said. Several

patient should or should not have a double mastectomy. Ultimately, it’s a very personal decision for each patient, who must weigh the risks and benefits for herself.

Cancer surgeons and doctors interviewed by the Chicago Tribune said it was reasonable for women such as Avner who had tested positive for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and had a high risk of breast cancer to have a preventive double mastectomy. But it’s an option Citrin said he would recommend only after consulting a breast surgeon, an oncologist and a genetic counselor. Tuttle went even further, saying that for young women with the mutation, he’d favor close surveillance, to detect any malignancy early, when it is most treatable. “There are good options that allow you to... lead your life a little,” he said. For women without the gene mutation who are considering removing one or both cancer-free breasts, Citrin advised surveillance and preventive drug therapy. A double mastectomy would be an aggressive approach and unnecessary, according to clinicians and published medical reports.

But it’s women with cancer in one breast and considering double mastectomy who give clinicians the most concern. Some oft-cited reasons for the uptick range from improved reconstruction techniques to less stigma surrounding the surgery, as women announce publicly what was once only whispered. Celebrities Giuliana Rancic, Christina Applegate and Sharon Osbourne have all talked openly about their operations. Miss Washington, D.C., Allyn Rose, 24, disclosed in January that she would have both breasts removed after the Miss America pageant. She had not had any genetic testing but didn’t want to take any chances with the disease that killed her mother, who was diagnosed at 27.

“I don’t have the luxury... of waiting around,” she told reporters. One 52-year-old Chicago lawyer said it’s not about age or even data. After being diagnosed with early stage cancer last year, she chose to have the second breast removed for peace of mind.

“I didn’t want to always have that nagging worry ... that lingering doubt. Plus, I knew the results of reconstruction would be more symmetrical,” said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. “This is just what smart people do. ... When there’s a problem, we take care of it.”

Avner, now 30 and single, understands the desire to take charge. Her story, which first appeared in the Tribune in 2006, ricocheted around the country. She was interviewed by numerous media outlets and appeared on the “Today” show six times. She heard from hundreds of women who had tested positive for the gene mutation and were trying to navigate the same bewildering landscape. “ The outpouring of response was amazing,” said Avner, whose mother is a cancer survivor.

“People were just so happy to have a connection ... to be able to talk about it with someone going through the same thing.”

She also received some negative response from people who said, “How dare you make a decision like this when you don’t even have cancer?” or “Would someone please tell Lindsay Avner that she’s not God and she doesn’t control everything?”

Looking back, some of her fears about her future never materialized.

“I never looked at myself as disfigured or terribly different,” said Avner, who had reconstructive surgery.

“The men I have dated have obviously had that initial curiosity of what it will be like. But instantly, the response is usually, wow, they look good. More than anything, the scars ... have always served as a powerful reminder of just how strong I am.” The reaction to her decision inspired her to start a nonprofit that encourages young women to “be bold” and “take action to detect these diseases at early, non-life-threatening stages, or reduce your risk of developing them altogether.”— MCT

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Mom’s calming app for autistic kids is finalist in contest MILWAUKEE: Amanda Reilly is one of 12 people nationwide whose idea for a tablet app for autistic children could become a reality. Reilly, of Milwaukee, says the app could calm a child having an “emotional meltdown” because of experiencing too many sights, sounds and other stimulation at the same time. Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that affects how a person perceives the world, interacts with other people and communicates. One in 88 children in the United States is diagnosed with some form of autism, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Computer tablets are a valuable tool for autistic people because they often can

process information better if it’s presented visually. Reilly’s app would provide calming scenes to look at and interact with, such as a virtual aquarium where a child could add fish and decorations or a bedroom scene where a child could interact with stuffed toys. Another choice would be a night sky where someone could add stars and planets.

The scenes could be customized with photos of familiar places, people and things, said Reilly, whose 4-year-old son, Cristian, is autistic. “Each child has something that will calm them down, and the options are endless,” she said. Her idea for an autism app is one of a dozen winners in a competition sponsored by AT&T Corp.

and the nonprofit group Autism Speaks that drew more than 230 entries. Some of the other ideas were apps that would help a child associate a picture with a person or learn a schedule.

In April, the winning ideas will go to a San Francisco event - a hackathon - where app developers will work on bringing them to life and the marketplace. They “get to see ideas that regular people, like you and I, come up with,” Reilly said.

Developers own rights to the apps from AT&T events. But for the autism apps, the company plans to offer an incentive for developers to donate their work to Autism Speaks, so the organization can take it to the marketplace. Reilly says she’s hopeful

that her idea will come to fruition either in San Francisco or elsewhere.

“This could be useful for other children, too, and perhaps adults,” she said. Norah Johnson, an assistant professor of nursing at Marquette University, has developed an iPad app that helps autistic children remain calm during medical procedures.

Using pictures, the app shows them what to expect beforehand. It also could include the recorded sound of a calm child’s voice or the sound of the medical equipment that will be used in a procedure. She worked with Iqbal Ahamed, an associate professor of mathematics, statistics and computer science, to create the app.

“Children with autism are quite bright

usually and, as long as they know what to anticipate, they are very cooperative. But when they don’t know what’s going on, like anyone else, they kind of panic,” Johnson said. Her app is being tested at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and could be ready for distribution in July.

The work has been funded by Marquette and the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. It will be a free app, said Johnson, who has an autistic child. “Apps, in general, are popular with children with autism because they like familiar things and real pictures. We develop these types of things for our own kids and we think of ways to help other parents,” Johnson said. — MCT

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Greetings

The Touristic Enterprises Company hosted a concert featuring the Bahraini Brothers Band which took place at the Khairan Resort in honor of the band’s late founder Ali Al-Bahar. Sheikh Duaij Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah as well as manager of Kuwait’s ‘Miami’ band attended the event.

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any happy returns of the day to Shaikh Shahida. Best wishes from father Shaikh Mastan, mother Shaikh Razia Bano, brothers Mohd Rafi, Habibullah, Tanvir, Sister Shaheen, grandfather Shaikh Hussain, Nabi Rasool and grand mother Rameeza.

Announcements KPFA National Days’ celebrations uwait-Pakistan Friendship Association (KPFA) will be celebrating jointly the National Days of Kuwait and Pakistan on Wednesday, March 20, 2013, at 7:30 pm at “The Andalus Hall” Crowne Plaza Hotel Farwaniya. This year the event will be unprecedented as the Undersecretary of Amiri Diwan Khalid Al-Ghanium will grace the occasion and will present special memento to KPFA for its efforts in bringing the people of two nations together. The event will also be attended by the Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Iftikhar Aziz.

The event is restricted to all those KPFA members who have valid membership for year 2013.

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CRYcket 2013 tournament riends of CRY Club (FOCC) announces 16th CRY (Child Rights & You) cricket tournament for children and will be held at the GC grounds at Jaleeb AlShuyoukh on Friday, 12th Apr 2013 from 6:30 a.m to 4:30 pm. The one day “CRYcket” tournament is a very popular annual family event, participated by children under 14. 12 teams each are set to participate in the Under-12 and Under-14 divisions initially in four groups in round robin fashion leading to 4 winners who will clash in the semifinals. The last date for registration of Teams is 5th Apr 2013. For more details & game rules, visit the FOCC website http://www.focckwt.org

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Basketball Academy he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls.

Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

Ties Center Ties Center cordially invites to the following March activities: 1- Diwaniya presentation about, “The Meaning of the name Allah (SWT).” All of the names of and attributes of Allah (SWT) are established in the revelation. It is not permissible to name Allah with a name that He did not give Himself and that was not affirmed by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). These are the authentic sources for Allah’s names and attributes: the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Allah says what can be translated as: “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing, or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning.” (17: 36). If you want to learn more about the meaning of Allah, you are welcome to the TIES Center Tomorrow March 19, 2013 at 7:00pm.

2- Movie Night: Women in Islam The right status and responsibility of Muslim women are some of the least understood topics when talking about Islam. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) recognized women as individuals with specific rights and responsibilities more than 1,400 years ago. He encouraged educating women and returned their Allah-given rights back to them. Many Muslim women today are asserting these rights and reclaiming their status as equal partners in society. Come a long with your friends to enjoy this educating movie in a serene environment at the TIES Center on March 25, 2013 at 7:00pm.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Movenpick Hotel & Resort organizes a Media Dinner

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he Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait held a Media Dinner on March 11th at the Beldani Restaurant. Guests from different newspapers and magazines in Kuwait including Marketing Directors, Editors and Photographers attended the Media gathering at the Movenpick Al Bida’a and enjoyed a wonderful time with their colleagues and the hotel management.

The event was also attended by the Marketing & Communications Manager of Movenpick Hotel & Residences Hajjar Tower Makkah, Mahy Medhat, who came especially to meet the local media and raise awareness of the hotel in the local market. Movenpick Hotel & Residences Hajar Tower Makkah

enjoys an ideal location directly on Al Haram Court, facing the King Abdul Aziz Gate, some of the hotel’s 1,200 rooms have magnificent views of the Holy Mosque and Kaaba.

Conveniently situated within the Abraj Al Bait Tower Complex, the hotel is the perfect choice for Hajj and Umra pilgrims. The guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening complemented by a mouth-watering buffet prepared by the Executive Chef of the hotel Emmanuel Thomas and his team.

All guests were convinced by the outstanding quality presented once again at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait. A good time among friends and colleagues was had by all.

Special offer on Lamb Mansaf at IKEA Restaurant & Cafe

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KEA Restaurant & Cafe is offering its visitors a special offer on one of their distinctive dishes, the Lamb Mansaf. As part of its existing array of Arab cuisine, the national dish of Jordan is now available at KD 1.250 for the months of March and April during week days.

With the intention of surprising its shoppers with attractive prices on popular dishes every season, IKEA Kuwait adopts diverse cuisines to give its customers varied options. Retaining the local flavor of Jordan, the Lamb Mansaf is lamb seasoned with aromatic herbs, cooked in yoghurt, and served with rice. IKEA Restaurant & Cafe uphold international quality standards and cultural preferences in their kitchen and F&B service - including using Halal processed meat, UTZ Certified Coffee & meals being cooked in zero percent Tran’s fat.

Bangladesh Embassy marks anniversary

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he Embassy of Bangladesh in Kuwait celebrated the 93d Birth Anniversary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children Day 2013 in a befitting manner. The 2-day program was drawn up in this regard. An Art Competition and Essay Writing Competition were arranged for children of Bangladesh expatriates in Kuwait on Friday, 15 March 2013. More than one hundred children took part in the completion arranged at the Chancery. His Excellency

Ambassador Syed Reza inspected the event and encouraged the participants.

The main program was arranged on 17 March. The program of the day began with recitation from the Holy Quran. Especial dua and munajat were offered seeking divine blessings for the Father of the Nation, his family and for continued peace and progress of the country. Messages given by the Honorable President and Prime Minister on this occasion were read out by officers of the Mission. A good number of participants took part in discussion and

they highlighted the life and achievement of Bangabandhu.

His Excellency the Ambassador Syed Shahed Reza in his speech urged all to follow the ideals and teachings of Bangabandhu in their real life and to work unitedly for achieving a Sonar Bangla dreamt by Bangabandhu under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He also emphasized that Bangabandhu always thought about the well-being of the children of the country. He mentioned that to educate children, Bangabandhu

expanded Primary Education throughout the nation.

After the discussion, prizes and certificates for the Art Competition & Essay Writing Competition were awarded by His Excellency the Ambassador. Crests were also given to the three esteemed Judges of the Art Competition. Officials of the Embassy, Bangladesh Military Contingent, Bangladesh Biman, a large number of members of the community and the families of the participants of the Art Competition were also present.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Kuwait Times develops its ‘green thumb’

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

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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country’s progress rests on its young citizens’ shoulders. What is the best way to get the youth involved in national development than asking them how we can protect Kuwait’s environment and save it from destruction! To this end, Kuwait Times has organized an open art competition for school students on the topic ‘Kuwait Beautiful and Green’. The theme of this art competition was chosen keeping in mind the need for immediate action to protect our beautiful country from pollution and environmental damage.

The art competition is targeting around 15,000 students with the objective of generating awareness of the environment by giving them an opportunity to express their thoughts about protecting the environment on paper. The selected winners stand to walk away with exciting prizes. “Kuwait Beautiful and Green” is sponsored by Saudi Arabian Chevron Inc, and the final awards ceremony will be held at the Crowne Plaza Kuwait -also the sponsor.

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Master Chef Tarla Dalal at Crowne Plaza Kuwait

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rowne Plaza Kuwait recently hosted noted Indian food writer, chef, best-selling cookbook author and host of cooking shows like “Tarla Dalal show” and “Cook It up with Tarla Dalal”, Tarla Dalal. Welcomed by the Marketing and PR team, led by Anuradha Kavi, Marketing and PR manager, she was escorted to her room by the team members of the Front Office team.

She was in Kuwait to conduct a live cookery show. The show was organized

by Indian Women In Kuwait (IWIK) under the aegis of popular community portal IndiansinKuwait.com and was held on the International Women’s Day on March 8th at Live Theater, Alsoor St, Discovery Mall, Kuwait City where the Gold Sponsor for the event was Crowne Plaza Kuwait. Marketing & PR Manager Anuradha Kavi received the memento

on behalf of Crowne Plaza Kuwait presented by IIK during the event.

The Best Veg- BiriyaniContest was held on the same day where the Indian Chef from Crowne Plaza’s recently opened Jamawar Indian restaurant judged the finalists and the winner along with Tarla Dalal. On 10th March a press lunch was organized at the Jamawar Indian restaurant attended by hotel management, members of IIK and many media persons where they had a chance to meet and talk with Dalal about her culinary art and even took some tips on healthy cooking. TV Interviews were also conducted during the lunch.

Her short but delightful stay at the hotel included a package at the exquisite Spa Aquatonic at the hands of expert therapists. Giving her comments

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

on her stay , she mentioned that the Spa Aquatonic was totally a unique experience, something she had not had before. She commented that the ambi-

ence combined with the skilled and extremely warm staff of Crowne Plaza Kuwait made her experience a memorable one.

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 to Kuwait has the pleasure to announce the opening of its Consular Section where visa applications are already being handled. The Consular Section is open to the public from Sundays-Thursdays 09.00-12.00 hrs. at Cliffs Complex in Salmiya, Villa No. 6 (3rd floor).

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk. nnnnnnn

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he P.G.A. Everton Under 15 Girls team, sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, played the American University of Kuwait ladies at Bayan.

This exciting match ended in a 5-3 victory for AUK ladies and proved to be great experience for the younger Everton girls as they look forward to a full fixture program during March followed by a football tour to Dubai in April. Details of girls football coaching led by Coach Carly at the Premier Goal Academy in association with Everton F.C. can be found at http://www.pga-kuwait.com.kw/

EMBASSY OF TURKEY The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey announces that a new classes of Turkish language for beginners will start at the Embassy’s Tourism, Culture and Information Office on 17 February 2013. The lessons will be two times in a week for six weeks, for further details and registration please contact. Or fill the application form on http://kuveyt.bemfa.gov.tr and send it to the email: embassy.Kuwait@mfa.gov.tr

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 03:40 04:05 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:35 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:25 12:20 12:50 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:30 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:25 22:55 23:50

Up Close And Dangerous Untamed & Uncut Wildest Arctic Baboons With Bill Bailey Baboons With Bill Bailey My Cat From Hell Shamwari: A Wild Life Escape To Chimp Eden Animal Precinct The Really Wild Show Cats 101 Crocodile Hunter Too Cute!

Monkey Life Bondi Vet Shamwari: A Wild Life Escape To Chimp Eden Wildest Arctic Baboons With Bill Bailey Baboons With Bill Bailey My Cat From Hell Animal Cops Houston Animal Precinct The Really Wild Show Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Jeff Corwin Unleashed Jeff Corwin Unleashed My Cat From Hell Monkey Life Bondi Vet Shamwari: A Wild Life Escape To Chimp Eden Wildest Arctic Shamwari: A Wild Life Shamwari: A Wild Life World Wild Vet Animal Cops Houston

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:35 Come Dine With Me 02:25 Gok’s Fashion Fix 03:15 Fantasy Homes In The City 04:00 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 04:45 Bargain Hunt 05:35 Bargain Hunt 06:20 James Martin’s Brittany 06:45 James Martin’s Brittany 07:10 Indian Food Made Easy 07:40 Indian Food Made Easy 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 12:05 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:35 Masterchef: The Professionals 13:00 Come Dine With Me 13:55 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 14:25 New Scandinavian Cooking 14:55 Holmes On Homes 15:45 Bargain Hunt 16:25 Antiques Roadshow 17:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Homes Under The Hammer 18:50 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 19:20 Rick Stein’s Spain 20:15 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 Gerald McBoing Boing 06:45 Jelly Jamm 07:00 Ha Ha Hairies 07:25 Bananas In Pyjamas 07:50 Lazytown 08:15 Krypto: The Super Dog 08:40 Jelly Jamm 09:05 Gerald McBoing Boing 09:30 Cartoonito Tales 09:55 Bananas In Pyjamas 10:20 Ha Ha Hairies 10:45 Lazytown 11:10 Krypto: The Super Dog 11:35 Baby Looney Tunes 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 12:50 Cartoonito Tales 13:15 Krypto: The Super Dog 13:40 Lazytown 14:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 14:25 Tom And Jerry Tales 14:50 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 15:20 Johnny Bravo 15:45 Tiny Toons 16:10 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo 16:35 The Garfield Show 17:00 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 17:25 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 17:50 Tom And Jerry Tales 18:15 The Looney Tunes Show 18:40 Tiny Toons 19:05 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo 19:30 Scooby Doo And The Ghoul School 21:10 Dexters Laboratory 21:20 Johnny Bravo 21:35 Puppy In My Pocket 22:00 The Garfield Show 22:25 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 22:50 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 23:15 Tom & Jerry Tales 23:40 The Looney Tunes Show

00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 02:30 World Sport 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 African Voices 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Talk Asia 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 World One 12:30 News Special 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 CNN Newscenter 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 News Special 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

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 09:10 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25

Gold Rush World’s Deepest Goldmine Around The World In 80 Ways Mythbusters How Stuff’s Made Auction Kings Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Sons Of Guns Mythbusters Moonshiners Magic Of Science Magic Of Science Border Security Auction Kings Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made

11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:55 17:20 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Gold Rush World’s Deepest Goldmine Around The World In 80 Ways Border Security Auction Kings Auction Hunters Ultimate Survival Magic Of Science Magic Of Science Mythbusters Sons Of Guns How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Auction Kings Auction Hunters Outback Truckers Driven To Extremes Finding Bigfoot

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:35 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:45 04:10 04:35 05:25 06:15 07:05 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:40 10:30 11:25 11:50 12:15 13:10 14:00 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:55 18:45 19:35 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:50

Oddities Gadget Show - World Tour How Tech Works Scrapheap Challenge Oddities Oddities Bang Goes The Theory Things That Move Things That Move Weird Or What?

Man-Made Marvels Asia Sci-Trek NASA’s Greatest Missions Things That Move Things That Move Man-Made Marvels Asia Scrapheap Challenge Sci-Trek Gadget Show - World Tour How Tech Works How The Universe Works Man-Made Marvels Asia Scrapheap Challenge Bang Goes The Theory Things That Move Things That Move Oddities Oddities Gadget Show - World Tour How Tech Works Science Of The Movies Man-Made Marvels Asia NASA’s Greatest Missions Da Vinci’s Machines The X-Testers The X-Testers Gadget Show - World Tour How Tech Works Da Vinci’s Machines The X-Testers

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

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 Los Angeles 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

THE PERFECT HOST ON OSN ACTION HD

15:00 15:25 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

My Babysitter’s A Vampire Shake It Up 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 Zou 09:35 Zou 09:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:20 Doc McStuffins 10:35 Doc McStuffins 10:50 Handy Manny 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 Imagination Movers 17:20 Mouk 17:35 Mouk 17:45 Lilo And Stitch 18:10 The Hive 18:20 Cars Toons 18:25 Zou 18:40 Zou 18:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:25 Doc McStuffins 19:40 Doc McStuffins 19:55 Handy Manny 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 Opening Act 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS 02:20 THS 03:15 Style Star 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 E!es 05:05 THS 06:00 E!es 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:30 Extreme Close-Up 17:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 18:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:00 E!es 20:00 Married To Jonas 20:30 Giuliana & Bill 21:30 Giuliana & Bill 22:30 Fashion Police 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:15 Andy Bates Street Feasts 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 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:10 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:35 Andy Bates Street Feasts 04:00 Andy Bates Street Feasts 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 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:50 Guy’s Big Bite

00:15 00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 04:20 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 23:50

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted Deadly Sins Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift 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 Murder Shift Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Couples Who Kill Deadly Women

00:15 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 00:45 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 01:10 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 01:40 Bondi Rescue 02:05 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 02:35 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall 03:00 Destination Extreme 03:30 A World Apart 04:25 Maverick Chef 04:50 Travel Madness 05:20 Around The World For Free 06:15 Kimchi Chronicles 06:45 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 07:10 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 08:05 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 08:30 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 09:00 Bondi Rescue 09:25 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 09:55 Cycling Home From Siberia With Rob Lilwall 10:20 Destination Extreme 10:50 A World Apart 11:45 Maverick Chef 12:10 Travel Madness 12:40 Around The World For Free 13:35 Kimchi Chronicles 14:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:25 Perilous Journeys 16:20 Bondi Rescue 16:45 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 17:15 Chasing Time 17:40 Destination Extreme 18:10 A World Apart 19:05 Maverick Chef 19:30 Travel Madness 20:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 20:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 21:00 Kimchi Chronicles 21:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 22:00 Around The World For Free 22:55 Kimchi Chronicles

A DANGEROUS METHOD ON OSN CINEMA 23:25 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 23:50 Exploring The Vine

01:00 The Godfather II-18 04:20 True Justice: Dead Drop-PG15 06:00 The Presence-PG15 08:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG15 10:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 12:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 14:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG15 16:00 Sucker Punch-PG15 18:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 20:00 The Perfect Host-PG15 22:00 The Running Man-18

01:15 The Decoy Bride-PG15 03:00 Second Chances-PG15 05:00 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnPG15 07:00 The National Tree-PG15 09:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 10:45 J. Edgar-PG15 13:00 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage-FAM 15:00 Ike: Countdown To D-DayPG15 16:45 The Way-PG15 19:00 Larry Crowne-PG15 21:00 A Dangerous Method-18 23:00 High School-18

00:00 The Cleveland Show 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Girls 02:00 Unsupervised 03:00 Louie 03:30 Malibu Country 04:00 Til Death 05:30 Hope & Faith 06:00 10 Items Or Less 06:30 Less Than Perfect 08:00 Til Death 08:30 Modern Family 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Last Man Standing 12:00 10 Items Or Less 12:30 Til Death 13:00 Hope & Faith 13:30 Less Than Perfect 14:00 Malibu Country 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 10 Items Or Less 18:00 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Napoleon Dynamite 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The New Normal 22:30 Weeds 23:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 20:00 21:00

Once Upon A Time Banshee Private Practice Good Morning America The Practice The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle The Practice Private Practice Live Good Morning America Castle The Ellen DeGeneres Show In Plain Sight Homeland

00:00 01:00 02:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 12:00

Bones Banshee Once Upon A Time Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street Covert Affairs Emmerdale

12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Covert Affairs Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Covert Affairs Grey’s Anatomy In Plain Sight Homeland The Tudors

01:00 The Godfather II 04:20 True Justice: Dead Drop 06:00 The Presence 08:00 The Stool Pigeon 10:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began 12:00 Season Of The Witch 14:00 The Stool Pigeon 16:00 Sucker Punch 18:00 Season Of The Witch 20:00 The Perfect Host 22:00 The Running Man

00:00 Spread-R 02:00 Jackass: Number Two-18 04:00 Today’s Special-PG15 06:00 Zathura: A Space AdventurePG 08:00 The Smurfs-PG 10:00 Hop-PG 12:00 Today’s Special-PG15 14:00 Below The Beltway-PG15 16:00 Hop-PG 18:00 It’s Kind Of A Funny Story-PG15 20:00 The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou-PG15 22:00 Spread-R

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:15 13:15 14:45 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:15

The Silence Of The Lambs-18 Caesar Must Die-PG15 Dying Young-PG15 B-Girl-PG15 Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 I’ve Loved You So Long-PG15 Uncorked-PG15 Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 Departures-PG15 Red Riding Hood-PG15 The Crucible-PG15 Route Irish-PG15

01:00 What’s Wrong With VirginiaPG15 03:00 Page Eight-PG15 05:00 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 07:00 Battle For Terra-PG 09:00 Jack And Jill-PG15 10:45 The Phantom Of The Opera At The Royal Albert Hall-PG15 13:30 33 Postcards-PG15 15:15 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 17:00 Jack And Jill-PG15 19:00 My Week With Marilyn-PG15 21:00 Wrecked-PG15 23:00 Cowboys & Aliens-PG15

01:00 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue 02:45 Supertramps 04:30 Olentzero And The Magic Log 06:00 The Muppets 08:00 The Ugly Duckling In Tales Of Mystery 10:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked 11:30 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue 13:00 Tommy & Oscar 14:30 Robots 16:00 Snow Day 18:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked 20:00 Queen Of The Swallows 22:00 Tommy & Oscar 23:30 Snow Day

00:15 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00

The Samaritan-18 StreetDance 2-PG15 Take Shelter-PG15 Monte Carlo-PG15 Rio-FAM

10:00 The Marc Pease ExperiencePG15 12:00 127 Hours-PG15 13:45 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Pt.2-PG15 16:00 Rio-FAM 18:00 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island-PG 20:00 Ondine-PG15 22:00 Columbus Circle-PG15

00:00 04:30 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:30 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 18:30 20:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Premier League Darts Futbol Mundial Anglo Welsh Cup Super Rugby Highlights Trans World Sport NRL Premiership ICC Cricket 360 Super Rugby PGA Tour Highlights Super Rugby Highlights Premier League Darts NRL Premiership Super League Futbol Mundial PGA Tour Highlights Super Rugby

01:00 ICC Cricket 360 01:30 Super Rugby 02:30 PGA Tour Highlights 03:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 04:30 NRL Premiership 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 ICC Cricket 360 07:30 Inside The PGA Tour 08:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 09:00 Super Rugby 10:00 Anglo Welsh Cup 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 Futbol Mundial 13:30 ICC Cricket 360 14:00 Dubai World Cup Carnival 18:00 Super Rugby 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 21:00 WWE Bottom Line 22:00 WWE SmackDown

00:00 ICC Cricket 360 00:30 Trans World Sport 01:30 NRL Premiership 03:00 Total Rugby 03:30 Futbol Mundial 04:00 World Pool Masters 05:00 World Cup Of Pool 06:00 Golfing World 08:00 ICC Cricket 360 08:30 Top 14 Highlights 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup Of Pool 11:00 NRL Premiership 12:30 Spirit of Yachting 13:00 Adventure Challenge 14:00 Golfing World 15:00 World Pool Masters 16:00 World Cup Of Pool 17:00 PGA European Highlights 18:00 ICC Cricket 360 18:30 Top 14 Highlights 19:00 Trans World Sport 20:00 NRL Full Time 20:30 Super Rugby 22:30 Adventure Challenge 23:30 ICC Cricket 360

Tour

01:00 NHL 03:00 Ping Pong World Championship 04:00 US Bass Fishing 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE Bottom Line 09:00 Ping Pong World Championship 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE Experience 14:00 Prizefighter 17:00 Ping Pong World Championship 18:00 WWE This Week 18:30 NHL 20:30 Mobil 1 the Grid 21:00 UAE National Race Day 22:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 23:00 Adventure Challenge

Classifieds TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 THE BAY (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D)

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3 SNITCH (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE BAY (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-2 AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-1 COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-2 SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-3 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (14/03/2013 TO 20/03/2013)

AL HAFLA (DIG)

12:05 AM

FANAR-4 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) THE BAY (DIG) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-5 JACK THE GIANT SLAYER JACK THE GIANT SLAYER JACK THE GIANT SLAYER JACK THE GIANT SLAYER JACK THE GIANT SLAYER JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-1 COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PLAYBACK (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:00 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-2 AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) MARINA-3 JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D)

360ยบ- 2 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO SAT SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG)

9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360ยบ- 3 HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish)

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.1 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) PARKER (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) PARKER (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) PARKER (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish)

2:15 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-1 JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-2 SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-3 COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) THE BAY (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 8:45 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

PLAZA AL HAFLA (DIG) HABIBATI (DIG)(Turkish) AL HAFLA (DIG)

5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM

AVENUES-1 THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) THE BAY (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-2 SNITCH (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-3 COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG) COTTAGE COUNTRY (DIG) PARKER (DIG) PARKER (DIG)

OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) 6:15 PM OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) 9:00 PM OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) 11:45 PM

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360ยบ- 1 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) 12:45 PM OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM

SITUATION WANTED Female, MBA with over 11 years experience in all functions of HR/Admin.

Transferable visa 18. Can join immediately.

Knowledge of English, Hindi & Arabic. Please contact: 94062123.

(C 4345) 16-3-2013

CHANGE OF NAME I, Fathima w/o Abdul Rasak holder of Indian Passport No. E5241458 hereby change my name to Beer Fathima. (C 4347) 19-3-2013 Bhupinder Singh, S/o Darshan Singh, Dhaiiwai R/o Ramnagar Sibia (Sanrur) changed my name to Bhupinder Singh Dhaiiwai.

(C 4346) 14-3-2013 Ramesh Kumar Ravichandran, son of Ravichandran and Victoria bearing an Indian Passport No. H3125212 and having an address No.21 Clive Street Port, Cuddalore, Tamilnadu 607003 - has embraced Islam and changed the name to Abdul Rahman.

(C 4344)

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Lancer - 2010 car for sale, beige color, 4 cylinder, engine, gear, chases ver y good condition, interior & exterior neat and clean, original paint, 1,05000 km run, price KD 2,100/-. Contact: 99072651.

Brokers excuse. (C 4343) 12-3-2013

Prayer timings

112 Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

1889988

Fajr:

04:35

Shorook

05:54

Duhr:

11:56

Asr:

15:23

Maghrib:

17:58

Isha:

19:15

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI KLM THY JZR QTR ETH GFA PIA UAE ETD OMA FDB MSR RJA RBG QTR DHX THY JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA TMA JZR MEA JZR MSR UAE KAC KAC FDB KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 19/3/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 3555 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 416 JAKARTA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 362 COLOMBO 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 213 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 949 KUWAIT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG

Time 00:05 00:30 00:35 00:45 01:00 01:45 01:50 01:55 02:35 02:45 02:50 03:05 03:10 03:15 03:25 03:45 05:15 05:30 05:55 06:25 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:45 07:55 08:05 08:15 08:40 08:45 09:05 09:10 09:15 09:20 09:45 09:55 11:00 11:20 11:55 12:00 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50

KAC QTR JZR UAE ETD RJA UAL GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY SYR KAC JZR RBG KAC FDB POT KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY IRA QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR QTR FDB DHX KLM UAL AIC KAC JZR GFA JZR DLH

562 134 325 857 303 640 982 215 510 777 144 127 341 542 177 3553 786 63 4752 166 618 742 104 674 774 647 61 572 393 618 129 619 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 6130 59 372 415 981 981 678 239 217 185 636

AMMAN DOHA NAJAF DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN WASHINGTON DC DULLES BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH DAMASCUS CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH DUBAI VIENNA PARIS DOHA DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH LAR DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM BAHRAIN CHENNAI MUSCAT AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI FRANKFURT

14:55 15:30 16:25 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:55

Airlines AIC PIA UAL KAC AXB BBC JAI DLH KLM ETH THY PIA FDB UAE OMA ETD RBG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA IRA KAC KAC JZR TMA MEA KAC JZR MSR JZR UAE FDB KAC

Departure Flights on Tuesday 19/3/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 283 DHAKA 390 MANGALORE 44 DHAKA 573 MUMBAI 637 FRANKFURT 411 AMSTERDAM 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 240 SIALKOT 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 3556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 101 LONDON 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 223 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 324 AL NAJAF 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI

Time 00:05 00:10 00:10 00:10 00:15 01:00 01:05 01:20 01:45 02:45 02:55 03:10 03:45 03:50 03:55 04:00 04:05 04:10 04:50 06:05 06:55 07:00 07:05 07:35 07:45 08:15 08:25 08:45 09:20 09:25 09:30 09:45 09:55 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 15:05

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KNE SVA KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA UAL JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR SYR RBG JZR FDB FDB OMA JAI KAC KAC AXB ABY MSR IRA DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB KAC JZR UAE DHX KAC KLM QTR QTR GFA JZR KAC

473 501 617 677 141 773 741 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 982 184 511 128 266 145 342 3554 134 64 62 648 571 351 343 394 120 607 618 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 381 554 860 373 205 415 147 6131 218 528 411

JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA MUSCAT DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOCHI CHENNAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH LUXOR LAR BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DELHI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA DOHA BAHRAIN ASSIUT BANGKOK

15:10 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:00 19:05 19:25 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:25 23:50 23:50 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 133

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You could find yourself somewhat embarrassed due to a misunderstanding with someone you’ve a high regard for. It may feel a little intimidating to front up to an office without your support system, but you can do it. Take care not to eliminate items from your time-table that you need. Conversations have a particularly emotional, intimate, or nostalgic tone. Sharing memories and reminiscences, or discussing a very personal topic is likely now. You may have a significant communication (email, phone call, or personal discussion with someone who was once very important to you or with whom you have a long history. This is a good time to reflect, review, and get a perspective on emotional matters or things of the past.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) During this period, you may feel a sense that there is something you forgot, something missing that used to make you happy and has somehow been left behind. That often happens when you move on to the latest promises and developments and inadvertently leave the reasons we used to have fun in cold storage. It may be time to trade some of the new in for the old, to revisit what worked before as well as what might be the wave of the future. There are some things money can’t buy (or, you forgot you already bought it), so don’t spend unnecessarily when you can fall in love again with what you already have.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. An honorary degree in science.

4. Line of defense consisting of a barrier of felled or live trees with branches (sharpened or with barbed wire entwined) toward the enemy.

11. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

15. Legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity.

16. Paint again.

17. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

18. Large African forest tree yielding a strong hard yellow to golden brown lumber.

20. Unable to relax or be still.

21. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

22. Fermented alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and hops.

25. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

26. Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as Prime Minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt (1913-1992).

28. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

31. Unknown god.

33. The corporate executive responsible for the operations of the firm.

34. Pygmy marmosets.

38. A former French unit of area.

41. A collection of papers containing detailed information about a particular person or subject (usually a person's record).

42. A large number or amount.

43. A light touch or stroke.

45. Large elliptical brightly colored deep-sea fish of Atlantic and Pacific and Mediterranean.

46. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.

48. A Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland or Scotland or the Isle of Man. 50. A star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process.

51. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

52. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

54. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

56. The force of workers available.

57. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

59. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

61. (heraldry) Looking forward.

63. A young upwardly mobile professional person.

66. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

67. Ludicrously odd.

70. The head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate.

73. (in Gnosticism) A divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe.

76. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows generally northward to the Atlantic Ocean.

79. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

81. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

82. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

83. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

86. Avatar of Vishnu.

87. A member of the Siouan people formerly

inhabiting the Black Hills of western South Dakota.

88. An acute febrile highly contagious viral disease.

DOWN 1. A coarse obnoxious person.

2. A strip of land projecting into a body of water.

3. A person of unquestioning obedience.

4. A unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters.

5. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

6. Relating to or having the characteristics of bees.

7. French filmmaker (1908-1982).

8. Steady recurrent ticking sound as made by a clock.

9. Drawn into the lungs.

10. An infection of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid.

11. An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension or sweating or trembling of light-headedness or irritability etc that has lasted for more than six months.

12. The sixth month of the civil year.

13. A small cake leavened with yeast.

14. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

19. Be earlier in time.

23. A public act of violence by an unruly mob.

24. A small constellation in the southern hemisphere near Phoenix.

27. Family based on male descent.

29. A loss of will power.

30. An elementary particle responsible for the forces in the atomic nucleus.

32. A covered passageway.

35. A tumor consisting of fatty tissue.

36. A substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid.

37. A Buddhist who has attained nirvana.

39. A genus of Ploceidae.

40. A flexible container with a single opening.

44. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

47. Minute floating marine tunicate having a transparent body with an opening at each end.

49. A graphical recording of the cardiac cycle produced by an electrocardiograph.

53. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

55. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field.

58. Relatively hard durable timber from the Queen's crape myrtle.

60. Stout-bodied insect with large membranous wings.

62. Dearly loved.

64. Fiddler crabs.

65. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

68. A quantity of no importance.

69. A conveyance that transports passengers or freight in carriers suspended from cables and supported by a series of towers.

71. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

72. A translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color.

74. Using speech rather than writing.

75. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

77. A corporation's first offer to sell stock to the public.

78. Call upon in supplication.

80. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

84. Being nine more than forty.

85. 30 to 300 kilohertz.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

A pinch of energy and an inclination to rash moves may be harnessed to give you an extra push if you’re aware of it. Otherwise it’s only an opportunity to trip over a sudden slight acceleration. Good for when it’s hard to get going at first. Have nothing to do with sudden outbursts, embrace strong passion. Ask and you may get it so if you want it, go for it. Part of it is about intuitively knowing just what to ask for, what’s really available, and who’s in the mood for giving. Go with your feelings and you’ll be surprised at what’s at your command and how they respond to your charm and energy. Just keep your ego in check.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) If you find yourself being pushed into situations that tax your limits, make sure they’re worth the energy you expend. Repetitive stress injury, so to speak, is something you want to avoid, so do enough to get the job done properly and no more.

The price of perfection may be dislocation elsewhere, so don’t overdo it. Your emotions are high at this time, and you feel optimistic, self-confident, generous, and good-natured.

You greet life with a fresh attitude, and it is easy for you to forget the mistakes of the past and envision bright new avenues for growth and fulfillment. It’s also good time to meet someone new that will bring you a great deal of pleasure.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is the day to join any clubs that interest you, show up at a must-attend social gathering or make sure you at least get out of the house or office for awhile! If someone’s attitudes have been bringing you down, get ready for a confrontation that could put you in a more comfortable position. Your desire for love, companionship, and affection predominates at this time. A new friendship or romance could begin, or an established relationship can be revitalized and enhanced. If there is someone you have wanted to reach out to, doing so now is likely to create warm feelings between you, and may be the start of something beautiful. You also need to be surrounded by beauty and harmony and your artistic inclinations are stimulated now.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a time for making long-range plans, seeing the big picture, and thinking about what is really important to you in the long run. The trivial details and business of day-to-day living does not dominate your attention now. This is also an excellent time for business functions, negotiations, and communicating with the world at large.

Not a great day to make plans or decisions. It could be hard to figure out the right move, especially with that special some one. You may feel frustrated as to where you are headed in life just now. Have some self control and remember tomorrows another day and a new perspective.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You may be afraid of being honest with a friend but you’ll be quite surprised at just what can be achieved through a little straight forwardness. By withholding your feelings now, you’ll find that your energy is depleted. If boredom is setting in get up and about. Talking about your feelings and the feelings of those close to you comes easily at the moment. Use this time to not only resolve any lingering misunderstandings, but to create a better understanding of the emotional bonds you share with those you love.

Time spent strengthening your relationships now will guarantee many fulfilling moments in the future.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Your mind is not as alert as it should be, nor are you thinking in logical terms. Give careful consideration to what you say or put in writing.

Faulty judgment can place you under heavy burdens or obligations, so it is best to sign nothing of importance at this time. Emotional intensity is very appealing to you now. Relationships can deepen and grow as well as penetrate to a very personal level. This process is sometimes initiated by you and sometimes initiated by the other person, but in either case it leads to a much deeper understanding and bond between you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You want to focus on real accomplishment and avoid frivolity and distractions. You may fruitfully tackle difficult, disagreeable tasks or work that usually frustrates you, for your patience and ability to do painstaking work is brought out now. Selfcontrol and self-discipline are required of you at this time, but fortunately, they yield positive results in the long run. Your enthusiasm and inner drive for living are very high now.

This is a positive time when you express your feelings openly, you feel alive and interested in the world about you, and your love relationships are exciting and harmonious.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a time to take in information which can be of real practical assistance to you in reaching a significant long-range goal. Some news may reach you which will create some minor distress and compel you to re-examine or reassess a position you have taken regarding your career or work in the world. Don’t try to force issues or come to any definite conclusions now and don’t sign any contracts. It’s a good time for you to relax, and indulge in your pleasure loving side, can we say hedonist energy today? Contentment and emotional well being are the main focus in your personal relationships. You are unlikely to be forceful and try to make things happen, but instead are inclined to flow along with people and situations, manifesting what you need and letting it all come to you.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Expect support for your wish-fulfillments and be ready to take it all in when it’s offered. Your tastes are favored, so spread them around and make yourself available for whatever perks may come as a result. Just saying yes is the way to go, and even requests for seconds and thirds will not be denied. Explosive arguments could lead to going your own way when someone or something tries to confine you. Your own sense of independence and freedom is being challenged. It could be a good time to look at why this issue is bothering you, you may encounter it again in the future so deal with it now so the knee jerk reactions don’t occur the next time the issue arises.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) It’s a great time to take a vacation or travel, or at least to finally pursue that hidden desire or hobby that has been in the back of your mind. You can generally feel less stressful and less affected by the typical inconveniences of day to day life. This is a great time for you to muster up your energies, get your health back on track and to formulate the next stage of your path which will prove to be quite promising. Sex, power, and money are far more attractive to you than normal. Your focus at this time is toward getting down to the bottom of issues and dramas and starting over from scratch. Be cautious you don’t get too carried away with what bridges you burn today.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 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

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY Y: Monday

Ext.: 262 2627 - 2630

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Partly cloudy with moderate to fresh 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 with moderate freshening at times north westerly to northerly wind, with speed of 20 - 40 km/h causing raising dust with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times No Current Warnings arnin a

WA ARNING

KUW WAIT A CITY

28 °C

20 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

29 °C

20 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

30 °C

22 °C

WA AFRA

30 °C

20 °C

SALMI

30 °C

14 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

30 °C

17 °C

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

29 °C

17 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

25 °C

20 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

25 °C

21 °C

Mishref

25381200

QARUH ISLAND

24 °C

20 °C

W Hawally

22630786

UMM AL-MARADEM

25 °C

21 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

18/03/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

17 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

16 °C

NW-VRB

08 - 28 km/h

29 °C

17 °C

VRB

06 - 26 km/h

30 °C

18 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 26 km/h

MAX.

MIN.

New Jahra

24575755

Tuesday

19/03

Mostly sunny + dust at open areas

27 °C

West Jahra

24772608

Wednesday e

20/03

partly cloudy + light rain

28 °C

South Jahra

24775066

Thursday

21/03

partly cloudy

Friday

22/03

sunny

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

PRA RA AY YER TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:36

MAX. Temp.

31 °C

05:55

MIN. Temp.

18 °C 65 %

Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:56

MAX. RH

Asr

15:23

MIN. RH

Sunset

17:58

MAX. Wind

Isha

19:15

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

N Khaitan

24710044

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

Fintas

11 % SE 75 km/h .06 mm

18/03/13 03:04 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

MIN. REC.

24719048

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

MAX. EXP P.

Omariya

22418714

Fax: 24348714

18/03/2013

ST TAT TION

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Humes thinks her baby will be tall T

he Saturdays singer is nervous about giving birth to her first child with her JLS husband Marvin Humes and thinks their child will tower above his peers because the couple don’t struggle for height. Speaking on British TV show ‘Daybreak’, Rochelle said, “I’m about eight weeks away”, adding, “The poor thing will be quite lanky I think - we’re the tallies!” However, her bandmate Frankie Sandford was more complimentary and gushed: “It’s going to have the most perfect skin.” The couple - who recently revealed they conceived their baby during a romantic break in New York - are set to become parents in May, and heavily pregnant Rochelle has thoroughly enjoyed the last few months of her pregnancy.

The 23-year-old star joked her fellow girl band members Frankie, Una Healy, Mollie King and Vanessa White - are being extra nice to her and giving her special treatment. Rochelle said: “I always get the seat, which is great.” The girls also discussed the smash success of their fly-on-the-wall reality show ‘Chasing The Saturdays’, claiming it feels “mad” they are now recognized internationally. Mollie explained: “It’s good because people do get to know us as individuals then as well.

For the American market - they get to know us as a band and as individuals. Over here [in the UK], people know us already as The Saturdays.”

Kutcher’s Steve Jobs biopic postponed

Tone Loc collapses on stage in Iowa

R

apper Tone Loc didn’t want to be hospitalized after collapsing on stage during a weekend performance in Iowa. Loc, whose real name is Anthony T Smith, collapsed after finishing a song during a Saturday night concert on a downtown Des Moines bridge. The concert ended abruptly while the 47-year-old was treated. Three employees of the Des Moines Register who were at the show said several minutes after Loc collapsed, fans were asked to leave. Police Sgt Steve Woody told the newspaper that paramedics responded after Loc collapsed, but he refused to be taken to a hospital. Loc’s representative did not respond to mes-

W

e have some sad news for the Steve Jobs fanboys who’ve been waiting to find out how Ashton Kutcher will portray the computer pioneer-the release date for “jOBS,” the biopic featuring “Two and a Half Men” star Kutcher as the deceased Apple co-founder, has been postponed. The film was originally slated for release on April 19. A new release date is expected to be announced soon. Open Road Films acquired the film in January-which didn’t leave a lot of time to launch a marketing and promotion campaign for “jOBS.”

sages Sunday, and it wasn’t clear why he collapsed. It wasn’t the rapper’s first time collapsing on stage. Loc, who is best known for his 1980s hits “Funky Cold Medina” and “Wild Thing,” collapsed and had a seizure during a 2009 concert in Pensacola, Fla. Authorities said he had apparently overheated. Loc also collapsed in 1995 while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game. The reason he collapsed wasn’t given. Loc has also appeared in a number of television shows and movies, including “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” with Jim Carrey and “Heat” with Al Pacino. Loc has also been the voice of several animated characters.

‘It Takes a Thief’ star Malachi Throne dead at 84

M

alachi Throne, who played Robert Wagner’s boss Noah Bain in the 1960s series “It Takes a Thief” among many other roles during a long career, Throne’s agent told TheWrap on Friday. He was 84. “Supernatural” and “Justified” actor Jim Beaver, posted news of Throne’s death on his Facebook page Thursday, writing, “My good friend Malachi Throne died last night. One of the finest actors and finest people I’ve been fortunate enough to know.” Theatre West, a Los Angeles-based theater company, also noted Throne’s death, writing, “Theatre West says goodbye to our good friend and colleague Malachai Throne 1928-2013” on its website. Neither Beaver or Theatre West stated the cause of Throne’s death.

Born Dec. 1, 1928 in New York City, Throne was an early convert to show business, first appearing on stage at age 10 as Huckleberry Finn, in a production of “Tom Sawyer” by the New York Parks Department. He became a familiar face on television through numerous guest appearances on series including “Ben Casey, “The Fugitive,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Mannix.” Throne’s television roles also included the villain False Face on the “Batman” series, a character who used disguises when evil-doing and a semi-transparent mask when he wasn’t committing crimes. In later years, Throne would appear on “Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II” as well as “The West Wing.” He would also provide voice work for series such as “Batman Beyond,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The New Batman Adventures.”

Pattinson ‘nervous’ about reuniting with Stewart

R

Cyrus debuts new heart tattoo following Liam split

M

iley Cyrus has had a new tattoo following her reported split from Liam Hemsworth. The 20-year-old singer and her 23-year-old fiancé Liam Hemsworth have been the subject of speculation about the state of their relationship and in a bid to show the world she’s not letting her personal problems get her down, she has had two hearts etched onto her wrist. Miley - who has several other tattoos - got the inking done at tattoo master Kat Von D’s High Voltage store over the weekend and Kat was quick to show off the final result, which is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomical heart. In a Twitter post, Kat wrote: “Just did the RADDEST tattoo on @MileyCyrus - a miniature rendition of a daVinci anatomical heart! (sic)” She then posted a picture of her needle work.

Despite reports claiming Miley and Liam have ended their three-year romance, the former ‘Hannah Montana’ star insisted the engagement is still on and was getting her ring cleaned. Last year, the pair had matching tattoos - with them both getting a line from President Roosevelt’s famous ‘Citizenship in a Republic’ speech. Liam’s read, “If he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,” a line which comes just before the section which Miley has on her arm. Her tattoo says, “So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid

obert Pattinson is “nervous” about reuniting with Kristen Stewart. The 26-year-old actor, who has been filming his upcoming movie ‘The Rover’ in Australia since the beginning of February, has just weeks left on location and the British heartthrob is reportedly anxious about returning to Los Angeles to face his on/off girlfriend. A source revealed to RadarOnline.com: “The set really is in the middle of nowhere, a good drive from Adelaide, so it’s been the ideal setting for him to forget all his troubles and bury himself in his work. “After filming, Robert’s been keen to socialise with the cast and crew and loves being in the outback, away from city life. It’s the peace and quiet he has needed since his relationship woes with Kristen, and the perfect way to reevaluate things. “But, with just short of three weeks left of filming, Robert’s beginning to get nervous about returning to LA and Kristen. He left in frosty circumstances and needs to make a decision on what to do next.”

While Rob has been working down under, 22-year-old Kristen who cheated on him with married director Rupert Saunders last year - has been spending time with her friend and ‘Twilight’ co-star Taylor Lautner in a hope the hunk will have advice on how she can win Rob back for good. The source added: “Kristen has been spending a lot of time with Taylor of late because she’s been using him as a sounding board for her relationship with Robert. “She thinks that he may have some insight in how she should proceed with Robert and where their relationship is going.” —Bang Showbiz

S

Sally Field crippled by shyness

ally Field has been crippled by shyness all her life. The ‘Lincoln’ actress is permanently battling her nerves and claims to have put on an act to mask her natural personality the entirety of her adult life in order to succeed in Hollywood. She revealed: “I wish I’d known how shyness can cripple you. I first started work at 18 - when I was still a child.

I knew nothing about my rights and I took my shyness well into my middle-age ... It is always part of my person in some way. I consider shyness a big, ugly, dripping, drooling demon. “There are lots like me - performers who cover up. You won’t hear it talked about very often because who wants to admit that?” The two-time Oscar winner also confessed she has never truly felt happy and believes the shock of seeing her family’s wealth ripped away from her as a child has made her question everything and live in a state of permanent dissatisfaction. In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Sally explained: “I wish that I’d had a better education about money. I’ve spent so long worrying about it. I came from a family that seemed to have a lot of it.

My stepfather [Jock Mahoney] was a TV star and top stuntman. Then it was taken away. They came and took the house and the car and we moved into a little home. “I have spent too long having a feeling of losing everything. The result is it can be hard to find happiness. What is happy? I have felt tormented many times. Happy is not a description I consider.”

37

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh poses after an award of excellence at the 7th Asian Film Awards.

&

M u s i c

Actress Nora Aunor and Eddie Garcia of the Philippines pose with their Best Actress and Best Actor awards.

Chinese actress Xi Qi and Chinese writer-director Lou Ye pose with the crew of the Chinese movie “Mystery” after winning the Best Film award.

Michelle Yeoh honored at Asian Film Awards

Farbod Khoshtinat of Iran poses with his trophy after winning the Best Visual Effects award.

M

ichelle Yeoh is happy to be honored with the “Excellence in Asian Cinema Award” but says she hopes there’s no hidden message. She asked, “I hope it’s not their way of telling me that I need to retire?”The star of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and last year’s

Eddie Garcia of the Philippines poses with his trophy after winning the People’s Choice award.

Aung San Suu Kyi biopic “The Lady” is being honored at the Asian Film Awards last night. Speaking to reporters a day earlier, Yeoh said she’s happy to receive the award where her career started, in Hong Kong. And while she acknowledged she’s long heard rumors of a “Crouching Tiger” sequel,

South Korean actress Cho Min-soo poses with her trophy after winning the People’s Choice award.

she says she’s yet to see a script or other plans on the project. The 2000 original was directed by Ang Lee and won four Academy Awards.

The recent reports have attached kung fu star Donnie Yen to the unconfirmed sequel, and Yeoh said she’s a fan and would welcome the opportu-

Chinese actor Xu Zheng poses with his trophy after winning the 2012’s Top Grossing Asian Film Award of his movie “Lost in Thailand”.

nity to work with him if a project is developed. The Hong Kong film festival’s opener Sunday was “Ip Man: the Final Fight,” the latest film about martial arts master Ip Man. Lead actor Anthony Wong and actress Zhou Chou Chou were among stars walking the red carpet. Veteran Hong Kong direc-

tors Johnnie To and Ronny Yu are also premiering works at the festival, which features “Infernal Affairs” director Andrew Lau. The festival closes in April with the Iranian film “Closed Curtain,” which is fresh off a win for best script at the Berlin Film Festival. —AP

Lohan due back in court on misdemeanor charges L

indsay Lohan is returning to court for a hearing that will determine whether the actress goes to jail or averts a trial on charges that she lied to police. It appears the actress is headed to trial over a June car crash that briefly sent her to the hospital and returned her to a courthouse she could have avoided if she stayed out of trouble.

Lohan has pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges filed after the accident- reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing officers from performing their duties. Even if she isn’t convicted, the “Liz & Dick” star faces up to 245 days in jail if a judge determines she violated her probation in a 2011 theft case.

Lindsay Lohan attends am’s New York gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York in this file photo. —AP

The actress is due in court today for a hearing that will determine when she goes to trial on the new charges. A judge has previously refused to delay a trial, which would place Lohan in front of a jury for the first time. Since a pair of arrests for driving under the influence in 2007, Lohan has resolved her numerous court problems without ever going to trial. Instead she has faced numerous judges who have sentenced her to jail, rehab and counseling, which even her current attorney acknowledges have not completely helped the troubled actress.

Attorney Mark Jay Heller’s proposal to allow Lohan time to pursue gigs as an inspirational speaker at hospitals and schools has not yet been formally considered by a judge. Lohan enters yesterday’s hearing with a lawyer whose competence has been questioned by a judge, and another set of attorneys waiting in the wings to take over. She will not however have her longtime advocate, Shawn Holley, present. Holley left the case earlier this year after keeping the actress out of jail for significant periods of time on a serious of probation violations and allegations in 2011 that she took a $2,500 necklace without permission from an upscale jeweler.

In her current case, Lohan and Heller, her New York-based attorney, have apparently been unable to broker a plea deal. Heller has said that his client does not need rehab, but should be allowed to continue to undergo psychotherapy to address issues raised by her turbulent upbringing. The former Disney star has been under some form of probation since she was arrested twice in 2007 for driving under the influence, and her court troubles have stifled a once-promising career.

Lohan’s return to acting last year in the Lifetime movie “Liz & Dick” was widely panned by critics and viewers. Her upcoming film by Bret Easton Ellis “The Canyons,” co-starring porn star James Deen, is yet to be released.

A law firm in Orange County, California, will be waiting in the wings during yesterday’s hearing to assist Heller if necessary in Lohan’s case.

Heller has sought a delay in the trial, but was rebuked last year by Superior Court Judge James R. Dabney, who said Lohan’s misdemeanor case should be resolved quickly.

Attorney Paul Wallin wrote in an email last week that he and other lawyers from his firm will be available to assist if necessary during the trial. He wrote that Lohan would have to approve their involvement in the case, but Wallin’s firm had not formally signed on to the case as of Friday afternoon. —AP

Sri Lankan model turned actress Chandi Perera, with Inidan actresses Manisha Kelkar and Ekta Jain pose during a promotional campaign.

From go-go to punk:

Washington’s underground edge

F

orget what you think you know about America’s stiff and stodgy capital city. Beyond the staid suits and ties of Washington’s politicians, lobbyists and lawyers lies the “other DC”-an underground cultural scene of graffiti, go-go and hardcore punk music that took off in the 1980s and still pulsates today. The style of graffiti unique to Washington is scrawled on sidewalks and the walls of buildings just blocks from hallowed national symbols like the White House, the Capitol and the Supreme Court.

Go-go, a spin-off of funk music, is as popular as ever in the city’s large African American community, and the punk sounds that resonated with white youths in the capital three decades ago inspired musicians worldwide. “Hundreds of marginalized kids found shelter in these movements,” says Roger Gastman, the curator of “Pump Me Up: DC Subculture of the 1980s,” a new exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The show is the first to explore Washington’s thriving underground arts scene and the intersection of the three ground-breaking genres, which emerged after the 1968 assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. That seminal event triggered a series of race riots that rocked

Washington. Buildings were burned, entire neighborhoods were destroyed, and white families fled the city in droves, often relocating to the leafy, upscale suburbs that surround Washington. At that time in the city’s history, “whites and blacks mingled very little, but all were creative,” said Gastman, who began tagging buildings with graffiti himself as a teenager in the Washington suburbs.

“These cultures shared a do-ityourself ethos,” he explained. “To see a show, you had to put it on. To make a record, you had to create a label.” Ian MacKaye, a key figure in the city’s punk rock scene who was a member of Minor Threat and Fugazi, says he remembers growing up in a fractured city. “It was extremely rundown growing up in DC. People were scared,” MacKaye told AFP. “There were the war protests, there was civil rights, there was a lot of agitation and hostility.”

On the streets, black culture ruled, he said. “White kids were only offered the federal culture: Hollywood, television, mainstream music,” MacKaye said. African Americans meanwhile were grooving to the beat of hip-hop precursor go-go, popularized by Washington icon and music legend Chuck Brown, who died in May last year.

As go-go was becoming popular, it inspired a form of graffiti, sometimes consisting of little more than simple tags and rudimentary, barely legible letters. Punk music was for many white youths what go-go was to blacks-an edgy and alternative antidote to mainstream culture. “Our music was aggressive because we were persecuted. We were being bullied because our hair was too short or beat up for being punk-rock kids,” MacKaye said. His group Minor Threat even gave rise to the “straight edge” movement-tired of seeing his friends succumb to drugs and alcohol, MacKaye wrote punk songs about clean living. The movement caught fire in Washington and elsewhere.

On rare occasions, punk and go-go could be found in the same venue, as the disenfranchised white youths wanted to hear more black music.

“Sharing the stage with go-go bands was the only opportunity we had to see go-go, because whites simply couldn’t go to the neighborhoods where these shows were taking place,” said MacKaye. In addition to the museum exhibit, which runs through early April, various other events are being held around Washington to celebrate its underground cultural scene, including lectures, movies and concerts. —AFP

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

By Brian J. Cantwell

I

f you’re one of those nautical types who mystify the medical community every time a blood test discovers saltwater in your veins, here’s an “education vacation” for you. It includes soul-soothing vistas of gunmetalblue waters; protected lagoons for kayaking among whole fleets of water birds; water-view hiking trails among blushing madronas and eagle-topped fir snags.

And an opportunity to learn how to properly varnish your boat, or even build a new one.

Port Hadlock is home to the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, one of the most respected academies of its kind, with about as salty a crowd of instructors and students as ever rollicked to a sea chantey. The boat school started in 1981 in nearby Port Townsend, home to one of the world’s leading annual woodenboat festivals. In pursuit of more space and a waterfront location, the school moved in 2004 to Port Hadlock, at the south end of Port Townsend’s long bay.

Across the road from the Nordland General Store is Mystery Bay on the western shore of Marrowstone Island.

Yemaya Rubenstein, 3, from Port Townsend, dines in a sea-creature hat at the Ajax Cafe, where hats are a specialty. — MCT photos

Between the two communities, “I think we’re unique in the United States,” said school director Pete Leenhouts, a retired US Navy officer. “Nowhere else is there such a concentrated pool of talent in the marine trades.” The school typically hosts from 35 to 50 full-time students in long-term studies. But it also offers a range of shorter courses, from weekends to a couple of weeks, that can fit into vacations for couples or families.

When Dale Simonson, a college instructor from Burnaby, British Columbia, came last August for a twoweek class to build a 12-foot sailboat, he camped at scenic Fort Worden and Fort Townsend state parks. His wife came down for a weekend and they sampled the restaurants and brew pubs of Port Townsend. “My first contact with the school was a phone call, and I think it was Pete (Leenhouts) who actually answered the phone,” Simonson said. “It was a very good experience from that moment.”

Kathy Liu, of Port Townsend, has a 24-foot wooden sailboat that “has issues now and then,” so she took the school’s five-day Painting and Varnishing course, offered in May and September this year (tuition: $300).

She praised instructor Diane Salguero’s knowledge and flexibility with her students. Salguero focused on “simplicity and getting a job done,” Liu said.

A third of the school’s students come from within 300 miles of Puget Sound. Others have come from all over the United States, plus Japan, Scotland, South Korea and beyond. “Here’s an Air Force colonel working next to our young student from Japan,” Leenhouts told me recently as we toured a busy workshop where students clustered around the steam-bent planks of a 14foot Davis Boat, a design from the island community of Metlakatla, Alaska.

The shop was like a sensory chamber for woodworking obsessives. The spice of red cedar mingled with the

tangy smell of teak oil, while the whiska-whiska rhythm of hand planes got backup from a keening power saw.

When lessons are over, other diversions aren’t far. Across the street from the school’s waterfront office is the Ajax Cafe, a longtime fixture in the 1890s-era home of the town’s founder, Samuel Hadlock.

The night I dined on herb-coated chicken with gnocchi and baby spinach ($16), washed down by aged cider from nearby Finnriver cidery, a dozen boat builders at a long table were celebrating Friday. At the playfully informal Ajax, where your dinner menu is apt to come wrapped in the jacket of an old LP vinyl record (for me, “Rod McKuen’s Greatest Hits,” which sort of seemed like an oxymoron), celebrations involve wearing all sorts of hats plucked from pegs on the cafe’s wall. As a piano player plinked out Elton John tunes, the boat builders sported everything from a striped Cat in the Hat chapeau to wide-brimmed ladies’ evening hats of the 1940s.

Port Hadlock isn’t the quaint “Victorian seaport” of Port Townsend. Rather than a lot of galleries and boutiques, there’s Big Pig Thrift Store and a propane depot.

Beyond the Ajax, prominent eateries include Zoog’s Caveman Cookin. There’s plenty more to do and see nearby, especially if you’re a hiker, birder or kayaker.

About a half-mile east on Oak Bay Road, turn toward Indian Island and cross the bridge over the man-made canal that serves as a boater ’s shortcut to Port Townsend.

On the road’s north side, Indian Island is a securely fenced naval-munitions depot (don’t even think about trespassing). But on your right over the next couple miles is Jefferson County’s Indian Island Park, with beach-access points linked by marvelous water-view trails that traverse wooded hillsides and drop down by lagoons and pretty Oak Bay. Along the snowberry-lined Portage Trail, I stumbled upon a lagoon with a sort of waterbird convention: more than 100 flapping and “wheezily mewing” (so the bird guide described it) Northern pintails, named for their sharp-as-a-quill-pen tail feather, mixed with buffleheads, whose bulbous, white-patched heads made each appear as if it was wearing a Stay Puft-marshmallow bonnet.

From Lagoon Beach (a turnoff is marked), you might launch a kayak and explore the protected waters, or set off to poke into the paddler’s haven of hidden, lakelike Mats Mats Bay, 4.5 miles to the south (carry a chart and watch for rocks outside the narrow, dogleg entrance).

Find more paddling opportunities on long, eel-shaped Kilisut Harbor, between Indian Island and neighboring Marrowstone Island.

At the head of Mystery Bay, a scenic apostrophe of water on Marrowstone’s western shore, island life centers on almost-century-old Nordland General Store, with its postage-stamp of a post office, well-trodden wood floors, good wine selection, and kayaks for rent in warmer months ($10-$15 an hour). Classic sailboats

Students Zach Simonson-Bond, from left, Dan Bamberger, Griffin Myers and Paul Lyter prepare to flip a cedar-planked skiff at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

rock on mooring balls just off the dock. Want excitement? Storekeeper Tom Rose will tell you to come back Memorial Day weekend for the tractor parade.

South of Port Hadlock, the Chimacum Valley is a growing haven of organic farms, some with their own stands, guarded by visiting posses of trumpeter swans.

Or stop by Chimacum Corner Farmstand at the four-way stop on Highway 19, with local foods from around the region. Up Center Road, Finnriver Farm and Cidery is open for tastings from noon to 5 p.m. daily. To warm up the first days of spring, they’ll party with habaneroinfused cider and mole pizza March 30, co-owner Crystie Kisler said. If that’s not enough, Port Townsend is 20 minutes up the road, with more classic boats and saltwater views than you can shake a belaying pin at.

After all this, have you caught a bad case of boat envy?

Better sign up for a workshop. — MCT

Fresh oysters from nearby Scow Bay Oyster Farm are available at the Ajax Cafe in Port Hadlock.

John Malcomson has been at the Nordland Store for about 14 years.

Almost 100 years old, the store also contains a tiny post office.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

Peeking out the front door of the Snow Hotel at the gear shack feels oddly cozy.

—MCT photos

Adventure seekers head out to the frozen fjord to check king crab pots.

I

t’s nearly 10 on a Friday night and an eerie silence has descended over the 24-room hotel I’m booked into deep in Norway’s northern Finnmark County. The usual racket like dinging elevator doors, the din of the city and faint laughter filtering from the hotel inn simply don’t exist here. Lying in my army green sleeping bag, the only sound I can hear is my own breath pushing against the cold air of my frosty digs.

The dream wing houses 12 snow suites with unique themes.

Like any good Norwegian hotel, the inn here is tended by a young, svelte bartender sporting a goatee and hipster-style beanie. The difference is we are at 70-degrees latitude just a few miles from the Russian-Norwegian border, and this inn has been crafted from massive blocks of ice. An animated-looking troll ice sculpture poised at the inn’s end pays homage to traditional Norwegian fairytales.

Earlier in the evening, about 20 guests and I arrived en masse, offering fleeting glances expressing a mixture of excitement and anxiety. With perfect timing, our bartender offered drinks all around, icy shot glasses of non-alcoholic crowberry glogg. We knocked it back in a sort of hail to the upcoming night, clinking glasses and cheers all around smacking more of a team-building “we can do it” camaraderie than the end of the work week relief you might find in a typical Oslo inn.

This would, indeed, be an odd-looking crowd if you didn’t consider it wais smack in the middle of the Kirkenes Snow Hotel’s lobby. Fabricated from artificial snow made from the cold, clear water of the lake next door, the hotel’s focal point is a bulletproof ice inn and giant sculpture of Father Christmas in the lobby. Here, in what appears to be an oversized igloo illuminated with pastel-colored LEDs, guests sport black balaklavas (think ski masks), reindeer-leather gloves, and heavy down parkas. Prada be damned, this looks more like a gathering of nervous terrorists than an upscale hotel for the courageous.

In bounced Finnish sales manager Anne Koivisto, as much dorm mother as camp counselor, offering up guidance and room assignments. “There is one common thing in every room,” she giggles. “The cold, of course! But don’t worry, you will have a very warm sleeping bag, your survival suit.” Obediently we moved off to inspect our night’s quarters, the lobby’s glittering

walls festooned with carved, dancing trolls left to reflect gently glowing LED lights alternating from purple to pink and then blue in a sort of polar silence.

First constructed in 2006, the hotel is recreated each year in November. When the snow pile has topped out at 700 cubic feet, huge balloons are placed in the hotel’s soon-to-be footprint and blown to the size of the rooms. Then, roughly five feet of snow is blown around them and left to harden for five hours.

The balloons are then deflated, producing complete rooms with no additional structural supports. To create the inn and sculptures, about 15 tons of ice are cut with chainsaws from the lake and pulled by snowmobile to the building site. Eight ice artisans from northeastern China arrive, carving around the clock in final preparations for the hotel’s reopening.

Themes vary from year to year. This season Norwegian fairytales and dreams take center stage. Frolicking trolls, Father Christmas, penguins and even Marilyn Monroe are among the themed rooms in two wings. Previous years’ themes included the Arctic Sea, Sami culture and Northern heroes. According to co-owner Ronny Ostrem, when the weather warms in spring, the electricity is unplugged, smoke detectors removed and the hotel simply melts, returning the water back to the lake in a final farewell to the Norwegian winter. “It’s the world’s greenest hotel,” he winks.

For a few guests, the snow hotel is a sort of bucket-list experience. But the large property also is home to a restaurant, gear shack, indigenous Sami tipi-like lavvu and base for adventurous snowmobiling and king crab safaris. Most guests arrive from cruise ships like the iconic Hurtigruten, whose 11-ship fleet has been plying the Norwegian coastline for 120 years. Originally designed to deliver cargo and later mail to distant ports, today Hurtigruten offers destination cruises with comfortable ships and unique itineraries. Kirkenes is the furthest northern port on its Norwegian fjords and northern lights journeys before returning south to Bergen. Other visitors seek a fuller experience, springing for an entire day of adventures. Snowshoeing, suiting up for the hard-core king crab safari or riding on a traditional dog sled behind an amped-up group of 10 Alaskan huskies are all options.

As our welcome inspection ends, Koivisto ushers guests to the restaurant Gabba, where both Sami and traditional Norwegian design elements are represented. I’m happy to drag out the evening here after a high-octane afternoon zipping around on a snowmobile across the frozen, salty fjord where we cut through thick ice to pull out traps for king crab, an invasive species in lakes throughout the region. Here, a well-stoked fire in the middle of the room casts a warm glow as guests settle into the family-style tables with long benches.

The meal begins with servers handing each diner a skewer of smoked reindeer bratwurst and an invitation to get up and cook it over the spit. It’s not a surprise that salmon and cod are next on the menu, chased with a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with warm forest berries for dessert. As a rule, Norwegian food is lighter with fewer cream sauces than many European countries. Gabba’s menu is no exception.

The seating style creates amusing conversation, but I’ve dilly-dallied long enough. The moment of reckoning has come. I head to the sauna room to change into a thermal undershirt and shorts, throwing my clothes and parka back on top. Then, making my way through falling snow to room No. 4 in the Fairytale wing, I notice the gently lit pathways and buildings along the way, and can’t help a fleeting thought that this might be romantic if it weren’t so ... nippy.

The hotel provides a sleeping bag rated to minus 31

degrees, but since the rooms stay a relatively consistent 25 degrees, warmer than outside, I’m not worried. These are ideal conditions, I’m told by staff. Nevertheless, I double up with a borrowed balaklava and my own woolen hat, complete with ear flaps and pom-poms. Since I also use my phone as a camera

and the cold has caused it to lose power more than once on this trip, I stuff the whole mess in the bottom of my bag, jump in and tighten it so only my face is exposed.

Room No. 4 is a perfect circle, roughly 15 feet in diameter.

My only companions tonight are the ice skate carved into my ice footboard and playful trolls on the walls in a sort of perpetual dance around the room. To keep airflow, doors have been eliminated in favor of curtains hanging on heavy wooden rods over sharply angled openings. The lights are never turned off, which is comforting when I awake in the middle of the night.

Tucked in and warming up, I become keenly aware of the silence. Nothing to do but relax as I fall asleep in a glowing pink reverie. So how did my night’s glacial goings-on get on?

Although I woke once, mostly because I’m unaccustomed to sleeping in what feels no wider than a coffin, the morning’s early hours find me rested and clear-headed. Making a less than graceful exit from my sleeping bag, I arrive in the sauna room to find two Americans and a solo English traveler quietly sipping coffee. They’ve taken showers, but no one ‘fesses up to a midnight rendezvous with the sauna’s couches despite the early hour.

“Most people don’t voluntarily go into a straight jacket, do they?” chuckles an American, as the conversation can’t help but move toward sharing and comparing. The English traveler claims she slept like a baby. Me? Maybe it was the cold air, or maybe just adrenaline. But to my surprise I’ve woken up for the first time in six months without a grinding headache. In my world, that borders on a religious experience. Now, if I could only figure out how to import a mountain of snow and 15 tons of ice into my own back yard, I’d be a bona-fide convert.— MCT

Carved trolls frolic above ice chairs in the lobby of the Kirkenes Snow Hotel.

If you go The Kirkenes Snow Hotel is open from Dec 20th to April 20. Prices are roughly $430 a night, and include transfers from Kirkenes city center, a three-course dinner at Gabba, unlimited access to the sauna room (with showers) and a buffet breakfast. www.kirkenessnowhotel.com, www.visitnorway.com/us, or www.hurtigruten.us.

A playful ice troll stands guard on the ice bar at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel.

Snowshoes dry out at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel gear shack after an afternoon’s use.

RAJESH

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 2013

Journalists reflect in a glass of exhibits on display during the opening of the “1000 years of Inca Gold” exhibition at the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. The exhibition, part of the collection of the Peru Gold Museum located in the city of Lima, displays the craftsmanship of several centuries of Peruvian history, mainly in pre-Inca gold, and will be open to public from today until May 26. — AP

A In a handout picture released by the National Trust Conservation Assistant Cirsty Jones and House Steward Patricia Burtnyk posing with a recently discovered early self portrait of the Dutch artist Rembrandt . — AFP

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Ear jewelery seen on display.

A death mask is seen on display.

Headdress, ear drops and nose jewelry are on display.

massive painting by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei dedicated to Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda was unveiled Saturday in Valparaiso, the Chilean port where the poet lived. Entitled “A Pablo” (“To Pablo”), the huge 900-square-meter painting, is the artist’s first for Latin America as a part of the show “Of Bridges & Borders.”

It shows dark-toned images of the Senkaku Islands, a small East China Sea archipelago, known as the Diaoyus in Chinese, which are at the center of a bitter territorial dispute between China and Japan.

Chinese marine surveillance vessels regularly patrol what Beijing says are its waters around the islands, prompting accusations of territorial incursions by Tokyo.

On the painting-hung on the facade of what was a local jail, and is now a cultural center-is a verse of the poem Cabo de Chile by his father, Ai Qing, who dedicated the poem to his friend Neruda. Ai, 55, has emerged as a fierce critic of the government in Beijing, often through his prolific use of the Internet and involvement in sensitive social

Michelle Yeoh honored at Asian Film Awards

painting hanging in a British stately home has been confirmed as a self-por trait by Rembrandt worth tens of millions of dollars, the National Trust heritage body announced on Friday. The picture, which has been at Buckland Abbey in Devon, southwest England, since it was donated to the trust in 2010, was thought for decades to be a portrait by one of the Dutch Master’s pupils.

But the world’s leading Rembrandt expert has now reattributed it to the 17th-century master himself. It has been given a new value of £20 million ($30 million, 23 million euros) — though the National Trust said it can never be sold as the organization holds items on behalf of the nation forever.

campaigns. He was detained for 81 days in 2011 during a roundup of activists at the time of the Arab Spring popular uprisings, and on his release he was accused of tax evasion and barred from leaving the country for one year.

He is known for tallying the number of schoolchildren killed in a 2008 earthquake, a taboo subject because many schools collapsed while other buildings did not, fuelling suspicion of corruption. In January he released a 102-minute film about a villager whose fatal crushing by a truck sparked outrage from those who suspected he was killed for campaigning over land seizures, a widespread grievance in China. Last year Ai produced a version of the widely imitated Gangnam Style music video in which he pulled out a pair of handcuffs, symbolizing the authorities’ efforts to silence him. The video was soon censored online. — AFP

A jug in a form of human is seen on display.

“These latest investigations are incredibly exciting and important,” said David Taylor, the trust’s curator of paintings and sculpture. “Conservation work and technical analysis being undertaken over the winter will give us further confirmation regarding the picture’s authorship.” The self-portrait, dated 1635, shows the artist aged 29 wearing a cap with large white ostrich feathers. The painting was donated to the National Trust by the widow of a wealthy property developer in her estate. The painting will hang at the 700-year-old abbey-which was formerly the home of 16th-century explorer Francis Drake-for another eight months before being sent for cleaning and further examination.

When it first arrived at the abbey it was kept in storage for 18 months as there was nowhere to hang it, but it now becomes one of the National Trust’s most important paintings. “It’s amazing to think we might’ve had an actual Rembrandt hanging here on the walls at Buckland Abbey for the past couple of years,” said Jez McDermott, the abbey’s property manager. “Many of our visitors will have just passed by it, in what is sure to be a real contrast to the attention it is now going to receive.”— AFP

The mural called “A PABLO” (For Pablo) made

by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei in tribute to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda on display at the Cultural Park located in the grounds of the former prison, in Valparaiso, Chile.

— AFP photos

Visitors look at the mural “A Pablo” (For Pablo) by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.