28 Mar 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Egypt could hold delayed election in Oct: Morsi

Britain loses latest battle to deport cleric Abu Qatada

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JAMADA ALAWWAL 16, 1434 AH

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Ahmadinejad road show: Pitching his political heir

Veteran Haas ends Djokovic dominance in Miami

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Law amends driving license conditions for expatriates Drivers, mandoobs to lose licenses if they change jobs

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has amended a traffic law related to expatriates applying for a driving license. The law will require expatriates to apply for a license under additional conditions, requiring them to possess “a legal residency of at least two years, a salary which exceeds KD 400 and a university degree”. However, there are exceptions to the law. The law adds the above-mentioned conditions to others, which include being of legal age, physical wellbeing and a driving test.

The law, however, does highlight certain exceptions to some members of the expatriate community, including male or female spouses of Kuwaitis and their children, illegal residents (bedoons) who carry valid security cards, college students and wives of expatriates who already have a driving license. The exemption also covers certain professions including professional athletes, sports staff, drivers or representatives, those who ply their trade in any sports club, sports union or government sports body, technicians in oil-related bodies in the country and health, nursing and ambulance staff.

Professions that will receive exemptions to two of the three conditions - minimum legal residency and salary limits - include judges, public prosecution members, chief justices, legal experts, doctors, pharmacists, engineers and assistant engineers, accountants, teaching faculty members, teachers, social workers, scientists, translators, librarians, company directors, journalists, TV presenters, public mosque imams, pilots and marine captains and their assistants. The amendment to the law adds that licenses obtained by drivers or company representatives (mandoobs) will be annulled if such persons lose their residency or change their profession, and they can only apply for another license after a period of no less than two years. — KUNA

conspiracy theories

The power of money

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

E

very day we discover new and more intriguing conspiracy theories. Previously people used to mock me for the name of my column: Conspiracy Theories. Every day I discover new conspiracies. Some we don’t even dare mention.

Here is one of the latest. I watched a documentary on Russia Today, which was proof that we live in a world infested with conspiracies. They interviewed John Perkins, the author of a book called “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”. The man spoke what is on the mind of many of us and we dare not even hint it. Even if we dare hint it, people would accuse us of being insane.

Perkins went on bragging about how big giants from his native America assigned him to proceed with the economic colonization of mainly Third World countries that lack the knowhow but have resources. He told many stories that were also part of the book on how his job was to convince countries to sign big economic contracts for a lot of money, which at the end of the day they would have to pay back with high interest. They lent money to countries in exchange of lucrative infrastructure projects that would benefit big American corporations.

As he continued to talk, the conspiracy plot thickened. He was very expressive, saying that all methods - even unimaginable ones - were used to convince governments around the world to sign contracts with them in the name of the countries’ prosperity.

I do not know if this is fiction. If this is not fiction, why then the author had an awakening of his conscience some 20 years after the plots he was part of.

After all, it is the economic powers that control the world. They are behind all the politics of the world. I think the lucky countries are the ones that are poor and have no natural resources. They are forgotten in the agenda of the global mastermind corporations.

Even the American people don’t realise how much power corporations have on their country’s policies. I guess this is more or less the general practice in every country of the world. A small group of people with lots of money have power and influence over policies. But it’s a bit scary when a superpower is also influenced by such ruthless businessmen.

Unfortunately, our Middle East is abundant in natural resources and is seen as a lucrative victim. Of course, at the end of the day, who suffers? Ordinary people, because most politicians or governments will be convinced, according to the book, to go ahead and sign contracts in the name of prosperity and better life for their people.

What better life? Just look at the Arab Spring and you can judge!

Surplus soars on oil prices WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama bounces a football off his forehead during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday, honoring Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles Kings and the Major League Soccer champions LA Galaxy for their 2012 championship seasons. — AP

BRICS fails to launch bank to counter West Leaders voice concern over Iran, Syria DURBAN: Leaders from the BRICS group of emerging powers yesterday failed to launch a much-anticipated new development bank to rival Western-dominated institutions like the World Bank. After holding talks in the port city of Durban, leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and hosts South Africa agreed in principle to create a joint infrastructure lender but said further talks were necessary to finalise the plan. “We are satisfied that the establishment of a new development bank is feasible,” said host President Jacob Zuma, in remarks that hint at little progress beyond an agreement reached in New Delhi a year ago.

“We have decided to enter formal negotiations to establish a BRICS-led New Development Bank,” he added.

Continued on Page 13

DURBAN: BRICS leaders (from left) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Jacob Zuma, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a family photo yesterday. — AFP

Syria rebels open ‘embassy’ in Qatar DOHA: The Syrian opposition opened in Qatar yesteday its first “embassy,” a day after opponents of President Bashar Al-Assad were given Damascus’s seat at the Arab League. Opposition chief Ahmed Moaz AlKhatib and Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Khaled al-Attiya inaugurated the representative office dubbed the “Embassy of the Syrian National Coalition”.

The original Syrian embassy itself remains closed. The opening of the mission came a day after the Arab League welcomed the Coalition to take the seat of Syria an annual summit of the 22-member bloc in Doha. In a speech addressing the leaders, Khatib said the opposition also wants to assume Syria’s seat at the United Nations.

“This is the first embassy of the Syrian people,” said Khatib in the ceremony that saw the rebel flag raised on a villa provided by the Qatari government. Nizar Haraki, named by the coalition in February as its “ambassador” to Qatar, told AFP he would “soon” present his accreditation letter to the emir of Qatar. — AFP

Max 26º Min 14º High Tide 00:16 & 12:35 Low Tide 06:42 & 19:05

KUWAIT: Kuwait posted a record provisional budget surplus of KD 17.2 billion ($60.2 billion) in the first 10 months of the fiscal year on high oil price, government data showed yesterday. The surplus up to the end of January was achieved on the back of a huge income of KD 27 billion ($94.7 billion) and a low spending of KD 9.8 billion ($34.4 billion), according to data on the ministry of finance website. The 10-month revenues were up 11.6 percent on the same period of the last fiscal year and almost twice the budget projections for the whole year of KD 13.9 billion ($48.9 billion), according to the figures. Spending during the same period was just 46.2 percent of budget projections of KD 21.2 billion ($74.5 billion) and was almost unchanged from last fiscal year.

Local economic reports have expected the budget surplus to be lower at around KD 14 billion ($50 billion) at the end of the fiscal year following accounting adjustments. Oil revenues rose 11.6 percent from last year to hit KD 25.5 billion ($89.5 billion), twice the budget estimates of KD 12.8 billion ($45 billion), according to ministry figures. Earnings from oil made up over 94 percent of total revenues. Kuwait produces around 3.0 million barrels per day and has estimated oil income at a conservative price of $65 a barrel while actual price has topped $100 a barrel. Kuwait’s fiscal starts April 1 and ends March 31.

Under Kuwaiti law, 10 percent of revenues are deducted every year in favour of the state’s sovereign wealth fund, the assets of which are estimated at about $400 billion. This fiscal year, Kuwait decided to transfer 25 percent of revenues into the fund, the returns on which are not included in the budget. The state has a native population of 1.2 million in addition to 2.6 million foreigners. — AFP

Popular Movement urges unity, rejects dialogue Interior minister denies Israel deal

By B Izzak

DOHA: Prime Minister of the interim government of Syria Ghassan Hitto (second right), head of the Syrian opposition delegation Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib (left) and Syrian National Council (SNC) President George Sabra (right) attend the inauguration of the first Syrian interim government embassy to open in the Qatari capital yesterday. — AFP

KUWAIT: The Popular Action Movement yesterday called on opposition groups to close ranks to formulate a unified political program and reiterated its rejection of any dialogue with the government to resolve the ongoing political crisis. The Movement, which was previously known as the Popular Action Bloc, said in a statement the opposition should unify efforts “to prepare a political program to rescue Kuwait from the domination of the forces of corruption and parties enemy to the constitutional system until the nation restores its sovereignty being the

source of all powers”.

The Movement also said that “our position remains the rejection of any call for dialogue with the government which has committed all those violations and was the cause for the deterioration of the situation in Kuwait”. The call by the Movement - which includes the likes of opposition leaders and former MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Musallam AlBarrak - for unity among the various sides of the opposition comes amid reports and statements indicating that the opposition appears to be more fragmented than ever.

Continued on Page 2

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

PAAET honors distinguished graduates KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) held a ceremony to honor its 2011-2012 academic year distinguished graduates, under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the Basic Education College Theater yesterday.

Attending the ceremony on behalf of HH the Amir was HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who was welcomed at the event by Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, Board Chairman of PAAET and Director General Dr. Abdulrazzaq Al-Nifisi, teaching staff and the ceremony’s organizing committee members.

Also attending were former National Assembly speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi, senior sheikhs, Deputy Chief of National Guard Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-

Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Acting National Assembly Speaker Mubarak Bnayyah Al-Khurainej, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Amir Diwan Minister Sheikh Ali AlJarrah Al-Sabah, , top state officials, and graduates’ families.

After the national anthem and a recitation of the Holy Quran, Minister Al-Hajraf, PAAET Director General Al-Nifisi and one of the graduates delivered speeches on the occasion. Following the speeches, His Highness the Crown Prince handed graduation certificates to the gifted students.

Before leaving, HH Sheikh Nawaf received a memorial gift on the occasion of the illustrious event. — KUNA

Kuwait FM underlines Arab concern for Syrian people DOHA: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah said here yesterday the Syrian issue was given a top priority in order to end the sufferings of the people and bloodshed in Syria and to fend off regional reflections.

Speaking to KUNA following participation in the 24th Arab Summit, Sheikh Sabah said the involvement of the Syrian National Coalition in the gathering was the “top event.”

Humanitarian work should be coupled with political one, leading up to peaceful power transition and the fulfillment of the Syrian people’s hopes and aspirations, he said. In this context, he boasted that the recent donor conference in Kuwait received wide-scale appreciation, given that it mainly

aimed to alleviate the sufferings of the Syrian people.

He urged the UN Security Council to take concrete action on the Syrian crisis, quoted His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as stressing during the Arab gathering that the international community should adopt candid and clear-cut measures to put an end to the Syrian crisis.

He listed the main recommendations of the summit as restructuring the Arab League and creating an Arab human rights court.

On Palestine, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said after 65 years of the Palestinian sufferings a pause for rethinking is required for the Palestinian cause, calling for interPalestinian reconciliation.— KUNA

Popular Movement urges...

Continued from Page 1 It also comes after opposition groups and activists formed two separate movements - the Opposition Coalition and the Movement Coordination, besides a third group led by former MP Obaid Al-Wasmi calling for national dialogue among various groups and activists in Kuwait to reach an understanding on the best way to resolve the political stalemate. The Movement also reiterated its commitment to the opposition’s main demands of dissolving the National Assembly elected on Dec 1 and scrapping the amendment to the electoral law that triggered the current standoff between the government and the opposition.

In a related development, several Shiite MPs called on authorities to take stern legal action against well-known opposition academic Abdullah Al-Nafisi, accusing him of insulting Shiites in Kuwait and abroad. The lawmakers were objecting to comments by Nafisi at a gathering three days ago in which he reportedly accused several Shiite lawmakers of committing serious crimes, accusing a Shiite MP without naming him of being involved in the attempt against the life of former Amir Sheikh Jaber AlAhmad Al-Sabah in May 1985. Nafisi also said that the current government is scared of Shiites. MP Khaled Al-Shatti threatened

that if no action was taken against Nafisi, “he will use the maximum available constitutional tools” which could mean grilling the interior minister or even the prime minister himself.

In the Assembly meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlSabah yesterday denied that the ministry was dealing with an Israeli-owned company based in Canada. The minister was quoted as telling the interior and defense committee that the company is Canadian, according to the head of the committee MP Askar Al-Enezi. During a grilling request filed last month, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan claimed that the interior minister has bought a security system from the Canadian company Senstral which is a subsidiary of an Israeli firm. Duwaisan submitted on Tuesday what he called evidence proving that the company is owned by Israel. Enezi however said that Duwaisan did not provide official documents but only findings of a research from the Internet.

The financial and economic affairs committee meanwhile is scheduled to hold a crucial session today with Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali to study proposed amendments to the law waiving interest on bank loans of citizens which was passed in the first reading last week. The government is insisting that the legislation needs fundamental amendments to be accepted.

566 bedoons’ files referred to Cabinet for naturalization Moves to improve living conditions KUWAIT: Files of 566 stateless residents have been finalized and it has been determined that their holders meet all conditions to receive Kuwaiti citizenship, a local newspaper reported yesterday, quoting a source with knowledge of the issue. The insider spoke to Al-Rai newspaper about a recent meeting between the parliament’s committee for human rights and stateless residents, and representatives of the Central Agency for Illegal Residents.

“During the meeting, the representatives said that 366 files were referred to the Cabinet for naturalization, and are expected to be followed by 200 others soon,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the source said that the meeting saw discussion about 900 forged passports allegedly in the possession of stateless residents. “The Central

Agency is coordinating with countries where the forged passports were issued, and so far has received responses regarding 500 passports,” the source indicated.

The chairman of the committee, MP Khalid Al-Adwah, confirmed that they discussed with the representatives “the civil rights of stateless residents and ways to improve their living conditions.”

In other news, MP Ahmad Lari explained that the financial committee decided to postpone its meetings which were supposed to take place yesterday and on Tuesday, and instead agreed with Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali to hold a meeting today.

“The decision came because the minister’s presence is necessary during discussions when both sides try to reach a settlement over the Family Fund law,” Lari said. The parliament passed a

draft law in its first hearing that requires the government to purchase loans taken by citizens from Islamic and conventional banks between January 1, 2002 and March 30, 2008, and waive off all the interest accrued on the loans and then reschedule their repayment in easy installments, provided that no installment must exceed 40 percent of the debtor’s monthly income. The government, which abstained from voting, has since made it clear that it will reject the law if passed in its second hearing without amendments which will bring down its cost, currently estimated by minister Al-Shamali as reaching up to KD4 billion.

Separately, MP Kamil AlAwadhi inquired from the Finance Ministry about the delay in establishing a shareholding company which would handle recruitment of domestic workers

in Kuwait. His query was based on information, which the lawmaker said, indicated that the Kuwait Investment Authority has refused the project.

In the meantime, MP Ahmad Al-Mulaifi asked Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra AlRashidi about a plan as per which the ministry planned to drop the number of expatriate workers by 100,000 each year. The minister had made an announcement recently about such a step.

“Is there a clear plan to implement this procedure that takes into account the aspects of nationality as well as personnel with scientific and professional qualifications?” Al-Mulaifi questioned. “Are there also parallel studies about the number of workers required in Kuwait each year, as well as the negative impact of reducing the number of expatriate workers?”

Restrictions on issuing family, tourist visas KUWAIT: Local migration departments were recently given instructions to adopt strict measures while granting family and tourist visas at a time when the Gulf state was looking for measures to curb the number of marginal labor forces.

This was published by AlQabas yesterday quoting security sources with knowledge of a meeting held last week between the Acting Undersecretary Assistant for Citizenship, Passports and Migration Affairs in the Ministry of Interior, Maj Gen Abdullah Al-

Rashid, and heads of migration departments in the state’s six governorates. “ The directors received verbal orders to avoid issuing family or tourist visas to expatriates except under strict conditions.”

The sources who preferred to remain anonymous did not explain the nature of these conditions. They added that the orders came after immigration detectives arrested scores of people acting as manual labor after entering Kuwait on family visas. They also revealed that Major General Al-Rashid gave

orders as per which domestic workers were required to obtain permission from their employer before leaving the country. “This comes after an increase was noticed in the number of housemaids who fled the country before their employers discovered that they were subjected to robbery,” the sources explained.

In other news, Undersecretary Assistant for Labor Affairs at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Jamal Al-Dousary, said that labor departments will continue to

accept requests to transfer commercial visas to work permits in the private sector until April 1, after which similar transactions will be rejected. Al-Dousary assured that proper mechanisms were being observed to ensure that all transactions submitted before the deadline were finalized. “As per the new mechanism, all transactions are to be put in one file and then sent to the ministry’s undersecretary to be approved before these are dispatched back to the concerned department in each governorate,” he said.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

Baqalas, supermarkets continue selling energy drinks to children Suppliers instructed to strictly follow rule

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Baqalas and supermarkets all over Kuwait continue selling energy drinks to children despite a clear directive by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry not to sell such drinks to children under 16. The Ministry of Commerce issued the order following clear recommendations by the Ministry of Health last year. Last week an incident was reported in which a teenager died after consuming three cans of energy drinks. The ban on selling energy drinks to children under 16 came was announced on Oct 21, 2012 and became effective a month after it was published in the state’s official gazette.

It stipulated that any supplier or dealer who violated the law would be first given a warning and then receive a suspension for a period ranging between one week and one month if the violation was repeated. In case of a third violation, the business’ license would be

revoked. Kuwait Times requested an eight-yearold boy to act as a customer at a baqala in Salmiya yesterday and he faced no problem in buying an energy drink from the baqala owner.

When the boy was asked whether he was at least warned about the harmful effects of consuming the energy drink at his age, he told Kuwait Times: “He did not ask me any questions, he just gave me the energy drink I asked for.”

Yesterday, the Consumer Protection Department in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the suppliers of energy drinks met to discuss issues connected to such beverages. Suppliers were instructed to strictly follow the ministry’s rule which requires any sale points to avoid selling energy drinks to children under the age of 16 as well as people with health complications. The CPD also asked supplying companies to stop promotional campaigns involving free-of-cost distribution of energy drinks in the malls.

Shops violating the aforementioned law,

KUWAIT: General Manager of the Leaders Group Nabila Al-Anjari honored Loyac volunteers who took part in organizing the 2013 Horeca Kuwait exhibition that the company has recently organized in cooperation with Hospitality Services.

Increments for expats KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education officials will today (Thursday) discuss with officials of Civil Service Commission a proposal about financial increments for expats other than teachers working in the ministry, informed sources said.

Sources said since the proposal was already approved by undersecretaries’ council in its meeting two days back, it will now take its normal course and go for approval to the service commission, from where it will be forwarded for approval to the Civil Service Council.

Sources said the ministry and all officials were very keen to see this project through as soon as possible since the cost of living had become very high in Kuwait. Teachers’ residences and other requirements of daily life now cost much more, and the ministry wanted to raise the salaries of this staff, having already first raised the salaries of teachers. The

fact that Kuwaitis do not apply for these jobs in sufficient numbers also weighed in on the side of granting these increments.

The proposed increments are divided into three categories, with the highest increment going to employees who have completed 25 years of service. Categories were based on the designation and educational qualifications.

In the meantime, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, Mohammad Al Kandari, said the ministry was in the process of changing the dates of spring vacation and National and Liberation Day holidays for the next academic year. He said both vacations will be separated from each other to avoid problems experienced in the current academic year when these were merged together. The amendments will be finalized and published in the form of Decision no. 1. The council of undersecretaries will take this decision in its meeting on Monday.

120kg of fish destroyed

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality’s public relations department announced that the Capital municipality branch destroyed 120kg of local fish found unfit for human consumption.

The destroyed fish included Nawaibi Fish, Sbour Fish and Kanaad. The stock seemed much different from what it should have been if the fish were fresh. It was clear that the fish were netted days back and had gone stale. The rotten fish stock was caught by a foodstuff inspector at the fish market in Sharq Area just before the auction started. The fish was destroyed by municipality machines immediately on the spot and a declaration was made about the destroyed quantity.

Capital branch municipality director Eng. Faleh Al-Shimmary said that inspectors will continue their work and checks will be carried out in markets where there was high demand from consumers. These places included the fish market, fruits and

Faleh Al-Shimmary vegetable market, meat markets and some other markets which were the main source of food items.

Al-Shimmary said that municipality laws and municipal regulations concerning food stuff must be adhered to in order to ensure the safety of consumers. He promised to keep the surprise check campaigns.

which was released last year, will face severe penalties that could include even closure.

President of the Kuwait Union of the

Consumer Co-operative Societies (KUCCS), Abdul-Aziz Al-Samhan, said the energy drinks were being sold in local co-ops and supermarkets only after these were registered by the medicine control department in the Ministry of Health.

He added that the KUCCS received a letter from the MoH which listed persons who should be prohibited from access to energy drinks, including children under the age of 16, pregnant women, nursing women, people allergic to caffeine, people with heart problems, as well as athletes while practicing sports.

Al-Samhan explained that all co-ops have a copy of the MoH’s letter “and have the freedom to either sell energy drinks only to the people allowed or stop selling them altogether.”

Meanwhile, a report in an Arabic newspaper said a lawyer Mubarak Al-Harbi filed a case against MoH officials demanding ban on importing energy drinks into Kuwait.

MEW to ink four contracts KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water will finalize four new contracts with Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and Public Authority for Environment at a total cost of KD 1.252 million.

The contracts will include carrying out a number of studies and scientific research in the field of water and electricity. The issue was clinched after the ministry received the necessary approvals for contracting with the institute and allocating the amounts to cover the cost of research to be carried out in the upcoming few months.

Sources said that the first contract worth KD 250,000 will be signed with the environment authority to get rid of chemicals available at ministry stores. The second contract will be signed with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to carry out a study to evaluate chances of reducing gas leakage in the electricity generating sector.

This contract will involve a cost of KD 170,000.

The third contract will be for a study to be carried out by the institute about treated sewage water and see if it was suitable for industrial charging to the power stations. This contract will cost KD 500,000.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

kuwait digest

In my view

Independence of schools

Let’s stop the jams

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

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By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

K

uwait’s streets have become extremely congested as traffic conditions continue to worsen and both, citizens and expats, are finding it difficult to reach their destinations on time as they remain stuck on the roads every day on their way to their places of work or returning home.

Surely, the traffic authority primarily should shoulder the blame since it was the concerned party tasked with organizing traffic, street lay out, road bridges and exits.

Moreover, it is an issue that impacts people’s day to day life and requires a comprehensive solution from all authorities in the country, like the parliament, the government and the municipality council.

In fact, we cannot even start to resolve the problem by solving just one aspect of the traffic imbroglio and ignoring or not properly addressing tens of other important aspects.

It is clear that we in Kuwait are witnessing a rapid increase in population that is bringing civic amenities, including roads, under a big pressure. The roads are mostly old or not wide enough and have no provisions for help being rendered in case of an accident or other exigency. I hear that Kuwait is planning to combat the menace of marginal workers who are entering the country illegally and are buying visas every day from the black market. These people demand minimal salaries, or sometimes no salary at all. In fact, they are guilty of using up and thus destroying whatever infrastructure is left. They are putting unprecedented pressure on amenities like hospitals, police and security services.

Without any doubt, we must start to build brand new cities and streets, and also endeavour to keep and renovate the old ones.

That cannot be done without total coordination with other ministries. The ministry of planning should factor in the likely increase in population, traffic etc over the next ten years in its plans so that other ministries like the ones dealing with public works, interior, education and health do their job and keep in the mind these factors.

Everyone is waiting for the development plan to be realized to see a real, new, modern and sophisticated Kuwait come up that would be an example of the best in urban design, and will also please the eyes, ears and hearts of everyone.

kuwait digest

Solving problems of our country

By Dr Mohammad Al-Moqatei

D

oes Kuwait really have problems? The answer is yes, it does have. Some of these problems are old and deep-rooted such as lack of political decision making ability, lack of planning and priorities in the government, administrative corruption, lack of a ‘punishment and reward’ policy, political naturalization, the issue of stateless residents and demographic imbalance.

Some of these problems are new, like deteriorating political work and declining level of competency among politicians, unemployment, deteriorating situation of education and medical services, traffic logjams, the housing problem and others. The private sector is no different as productivity levels are very limited and leave one unimpressed.

Is there a way to resolve these problems, and if yes, how? The answer is yes, there is a way because Kuwait has all the capabilities and resources to find solutions within a short period of time, not exceeding two years. We have a financial surplus, a strong legal framework , a small population, human resources with high educational levels, a wellfounded institutional and infrastructural structure, as well as stability and freedom of creativity.

But why do problems occur in the first place which are then left to snowball? The answer is

painful despite being clear to many. It is disturbing despite the fact that the concerned parties know it.

It is horrifying even though it is already mentioned in various studies and reports.

We have to be honest with ourselves and admit that there are people who benefit from these problems and who ensure that a solution is never realized. There are politicians whose approach depends on using these problems as a bargaining tool.

There are people who are incapable of coming up with solutions yet keep holding on to their senior posts as long as possible.

There is a crippling governmental bureaucracy that is used to serve the interests of some individual at the expense of the general good. There are people who push the country into continuous turmoil in order to serve their vested agendas, nurture their own animosities or cover up their huge failures.

We find officials in critical positions ignoring their duties and instead sponsoring certain media outlets to provoke social tensions. You find them making the wrong decisions at the wrong time based on wrong information or malicious intention, and thus adding to the country’s continuing problems. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Will opposition contest polls?

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

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egal experts in Kuwait feel that there are indications that the current National Assembly is going to be declared as void and will be dissolved. However, the single vote per voter electoral system will remain.

This means that while the council will be declared as void by the constitutional court, which is currently hearing multiple cases challenging its validity, the system of single vote will become an established one.

I had mentioned this possibility way back in December, just a few days after the last elections. My contention was based on a realistic reading of the political situation when I predicted that the current council will be declared as void, the second time for this to happen in Kuwait’s NA Council. I had also said that the one voter- one vote system will remain as it is.

Personally, I am sticking to my bet that this council will be declared void, and that in a few months’ time, we will be facing new elections under the one man-one vote system.

This time, the one voter-one vote system will be an established law, and there will be no political dispute or cloud of questionable constitutional validity hovering over it.

Now, the question is: will the opposition stand in the upcoming elections? In fact, and regardless of the way the opposition looks at it, it should deal with this matter in a realistic way and should run for the upcoming election if it wanted to really gain a foot hold in the political scene.

Of course, the opposition can continue with its boycott and call upon its supporters to boycott just as they did last time. However, that will simply deprive the opposition’s voice of any legal or constitutional cover, and it will be left to hold its seminars meant purely for the elite who will then be issuing declarations and making speeches but will attract no listeners.

Therefore, the opposition should return in a realistic fashion and contest the upcoming elections. That way, it will have a political arm and a legal cover. It can then make its moves in the political space provided in the constitution.

The idea that the opposition does not need legal cover and has enough popular appeal does not seem realistic and only reflects misplaced hopes.—Al-Anbaa

n any advanced system of education, the focus is solely on the children. All policies, decisions, operations and efforts at the administrative and educational levels are directed towards the welfare of the children.

Without children, education will have no meaning, just as a factory would be inconceivable without any raw material. While it is unfair to compare a factory that produces consumer goods, with a school that nurtures human beings, there are similarities in approach and the goals are fixed in both cases. The purpose of education is to ‘manufacture’ or build human beings in a wholesome fashion.

Children go to school every morning to obtain knowledge, learn skills, build their character and become oriented towards a certain set of values.

They also look forward to an environment conducive to their basic needs. A suitable environment enables the children to learn useful information through attractive curriculums, a competent teaching staff, modern educational tools, a lenient administration and many kinds of activities but no regulations that could limit their ability to think and become creative.

Kuwait’s educational system is loaded with a long list of regulations and procedures that school administrations are forced to follow, much to the chagrin of administrators, teachers and parents.

These restrictions take different shapes and forms and interfere in all aspects of educational work, including the work system, school hours, controlling students’ behavior and even the relationship between schools and parents, leaving very little room for schools to function independently.

Studies have shown that reducing schools’ independence negatively affects their ability to perform academically. They cannot excel freely or be competitive. Any bar on their social interactions leads them to become isolated. Schools’ relationship with parents remains limited to problems facing the students while other important aspects such as providing social and psychological counseling, school activities and other ways of interacting with the society then remain ignored.

Freeing schools from such restrictions requires a clear plan to achieve independence in the administrative, technical and financial spheres. This will lead to creativity and better quality. It has to be carried out in line with the current conditions in our society, and can be implemented in a small number of schools on a trial basis before it is improved and expanded gradually.— Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Political debate once more

By Dr Bader Al-Daihani

I

have earlier written in this column about political debate being an effective means to resolve political disputes at certain times and under certain circumstances. Such debates, of course, must be organized as per certain sound principles and clearly defined rules, conditions and guarantees, otherwise these would end up more like useless chit-chat of the kind we see at diwaniyas.

Taking into consideration the political crisis that we have been going through for a while now, some political and semi-official figures over the last two weeks have been calling for holding a ‘political debate’ as the only way out of the current political crisis. However, none of them have discussed the basis of such a debate and the guarantees required. If approached in a very casual way, the debate could lose its political significance. The term itself is meaningless and this ambiguity may lead to different consequences.

Therefore, it is very important to determine the basics of this debate lest it is abused by some political forces, whenever they feel locally or globally isolated, in a bid to ensure their monopoly on power. They should not be able to use it as a seal of approval for their political agendas.

Many authoritarian regimes worldwide, such as in Syria, have repeatedly declared launching a ‘national debate’ under conditions and provisions set by them in order to eventually win all arguments. In such a case, calls for so-called national debates are mere tactics used to buy more time and mislead people as these regimes want to continue with the status quo under the garb of debates.

Therefore, it would be wrong to rush into another political debate unless it was organized on sound principles and guarantees. The form is of no significance but the essence is; otherwise, the so-called political debate would be nothing but nationally useless nonsense.

Locally speaking, any political debate at this point requires the following: 1. More commitment to the principles and basis of democracy portrayed in the constitution.

This calls for rectifying the violations committed.

2. Releasing political detainees.

3. Halting all political prosecutions and fabricated accusations against the opposition youth and figures.

4. Afterwards, calling for a general national debate that excludes nobody and is carried out as per clearly defined rules. The core topic of this debate should be how to develop our constitutional system in such a way that we gradually reach a full parliamentary system. — Al-Jarida

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

Shell honors winners of design competition KUWAIT: The Kuwait Annual Pre Engineering Design competition was concluded for the third year at an award ceremony that took place on March 20, 2013, at the Boubyan Club Theatre, under the patronage of Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid AlSabah, Managing Director of Government, Parliament, Public Relations & Media at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

This year a total of 35 teams of high school students in Kuwait competed to fabricate a windmill design blade to generate energy. Those who generated the most powerful wind energy within the twominute test topped the competition.

The teams competed on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Australian College of Kuwait where Al-Ru’ya Bilingual School clinched the first and third position, whilst Ahmad Al-Roobe School came in second.

The Best Design Award went to the team from Fahd Al-Dywan.

Ahmad Atallah, Chairman and

Managing Director for Shell Companies in Kuwait remarked; “I am pleased to see that this competition continues to generate high interest among Kuwaiti high schools students. As a company which invests significantly in innovation and technology to meet the world’s growing energy needs, it is encouraging to see students in Kuwait strive toward achieving the highest standards of quality and ingenuity in their projects.”

Atallah added that all participating teams relied not only on their intelligence, but they pushed their creative boundaries further by testing their skills with the “Windmill Blade Design”.

The Kuwait Annual Engineering Design Competition has drawn high participation and interest from the students since its inception in 2010. Shell is delivering this project with the organizing partners as part of its social investment commitment in Kuwait.

US military in Kuwait salvages equipment Mountains of war relics

Two drug traders held

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents arrested a Kuwaiti citizen and a bedoon man for trading in drugs.

Earlier, information revealed that suspects were involved in this business and once the agents were able to verify the information and legal permission was obtained to arrest them, the suspects were caught. Bags stuffed with “shallow drugs” and pieces of hasheesh were recovered from their possession.

Surprisingly, the bedoon suspect claimed to be a police officer to escape the drug enforcement agents’ net. He used to exploit a number of expats by making this false claim and extorted money from them, claiming he was the

one who finalizes their files. The suspects and the drugs were sent to the concerned authorities.

Baseless report The security media at the Ministry of Interior issued a clarification about news reports carried by some newspapers and social media websites about a girl breaking into the communication institute belonging to PAAET, and said nothing of the sort happened. While the news reports said the girl brandished a gun and claimed to be a policewoman, the ministry said no such incident happened and PAAET did not lodge any such complaint or report. It said none of the police stations received a report or a complaint about any such thing happening.

CAMP ARIFJAN: In the surge of war, success is not often reached by a force of warfighters alone, it is also dependent upon items concealed in the legions of shipping containers that reinforce the fight. As the war in Iraq came to an end and troops returned home, many of the containers filled with a surprising array of equipment are now mountains of war relics shadowing several US military bases in Kuwait.

To ensure the containers and their contents didn’t meet their demise, Operation Steel Purge ascended to give them a new mission-saving money. “Operation Steel Purge is an effort to reclaim shipping containers being used as long-term storage,” said Maj. John T. Bowman, country container authority for Kuwait, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. “As we face these budgetary restraints, this is one way we can get the cost of logistics in-hand.”

Recycling the government-owned shipping containers and items within saves the US government millions of dollars that would be used for new ones, added Bowman.

“When we utilize a commercial carrier for shipping it creates excessive expense to the Department of Defense,” said Bowman. “Since we own these containers in Kuwait, we can reclaim them, reintroduce them into the distribution network and decrease the amount of money that we

pay to commercial companies to move our equipment.”

Military units responsible for any of the 25,000 shipping containers in Kuwait assist the Operation Steel Purge team to identify and move available containers to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where they are consolidated and prepared for reuse.

“We’ve been steel purging since we got here in August 2012. We started with 181 containers.

Throughout the last eight months we have turned in 114 containers and currently we have 67 remaining,” said Capt. David J Flounders Sr., retrograde officer in charge, with the 1109th Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, a National Guard unit out of Groton, Conn.

The goal is to recover about 40 percent of containers in Kuwait by this April.

“Even though we have a deadline, the reduction of containers will stretch beyond the conclusion of Steel Purge,” said Bowman. “What we are trying to do is purge as many shipping containers as we can without creating a disruption.”

Once a container is released, it’s delivered to the retrograde yard at the General Dynamics Information Technology center, where its contents find a new purpose as well.

“What we need to be doing all the time is saving money, so we can prosper as a country and keep our national security and defenses up,” said

Michael Hamilton, retrograde manager at the GDIT retrograde yard. “If you are able to take these items and repair and recycle them then we are saving money.”

Once a container has been delivered to them and is unsealed, the team enters the unknown to awaken whatever treasures lie within.

“Anything is possible when you open the container door. It could be anything; from animals, to equipment, to money, you name it,” said Grayland M. Price, the lead tech inspector at the GDIT retrograde yard, who is typically the first person to enter a container and was once surprised to find a stray cat that had wandered into one.

The team of contracted civilians, almost all of whom are retired military, work diligently to clear out, organize and process about $600 million worth of supplies each year.

“I understand the importance of having supplies right there, that I can reach out and touch and work with,” said Hamilton who is an Army veteran.

“To me, this is about helping those service members who are putting their life on the line. I’m doing my part to support them because I know they are supporting me.”

Each hand involved in the steps to reincarnate shipping containers and their contents has found a way to put money back in America’s pocket and reinforcement’s into the fight.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

Cartons of rifles found in Kuwait border area Search for ingrate son KUWAIT: Border security officers managed to thwart an attempt to smuggle 180 firearms through the northern border, the Ministry of Interior announced in a statement yesterday. According to the statement, the rifles were found inside thirty closed cardboard boxes which three smugglers left near the border. The suspects escaped after realizing they were monitored, the ministry indicated.

Charity scam Search is on for a man suspected of stealing KD30,000 from a local charity organization through forgery. The case was filed on Tuesday at the Zahra police station by a Kuwaiti man who works as a general manager in the organization. The man explained that he first discovered the scam when he was notified by a beneficiary about non-

receipt of donations. The man later found out that a Sudanese employee encashed six cheques by forging signatures of a compatriot authorized by charity organizations in Mauretania, Jordan and Tajikistan.

Investigations are on to trace the runaway suspect.

Son stabs father Police are trying to arrest a young man who disappeared after stabbing his father at their Jabriya home on Tuesday.

Paramedics and police officers reached the location after receiving an emergency call reporting a case of domestic assault. The victim, a Kuwaiti man in his sixties, was rushed to the hospital with a stab wound.

He said that his son physically assaulted him and attacked him with a knife before escaping. Investigations went underway in search

for the young man who faces charges of attempted murder among other charges.

Road accident A man was killed and five others were injured in an accident reported on Tuesday at the Salmi Road. Paramedics reached the accident site along with police shortly after it was reported. A man identified as a stateless resident was pronounced dead on the scene, while five other men were rushed to a hospital for treatment. Investigations went underway to determine the circumstances behind the accident.

Suicide attempt An inmate was hospitalized by personnel from the Faiha police station after he tried to commit suicide inside his cell on Tuesday.

According to the police report, the Bedouon

(stateless) man broke a light bulb and tried to slash his left wrist using the shards. He was rushed to the hospital where medicos were able to stop the bleeding. A case was filed for investigations.

Unlicensed weapon A man with a history of criminal behavior was arrested on Tuesday after he threatened Jahra patrol officers with a gun. The suspect was reportedly pulled over after the officers verified that his car was wanted in a case connected with possession of an unlicensed firearm. The officers called backup force when a person on the passenger’s seat pointed a gun in their direction to avoid arrest. The suspect attempted to escape on foot before he was detained. He and his accomplice were referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Student stabbed A student was hospitalized with a stab wound following a fight reported recently outside a Khaitan school. According to the police report, a group of five students scuffled with another group of 15 people which left one of the students injured. Police were able to arrest three of the suspects while the rest managed to escape before officers arrived at the scene. Investigations are on.

Army violation Four soldiers were held for investigations after accusations of using social networks to discuss topics about politics and religion, which is a violation of Kuwait Army regulations. The four were arrested after the army’s intelligence unit was able to confirm information about their involvement in political and religious debates on social networks without permission

‘Trffic Safety Week’ campaign KUWAIT: The traffic department and the security media participated in a campaign carried out by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company under the slogan “Traffic Safety Week.”

The campaign was held under the patronage of the managing director and chairman of KNPC, Eng Fahad Salem Al-Ajmi, who was also present. The assistant General Director of Traffic Department, Brig Ihsan Al-Owaish, director of coordination and follow up at traffic department Brig Nasser Mikhlef Al-Enazie and director of capital traffic department Brig Saleh Bu Dastour along with a number of traffic department directors were also present on this occasion.

Kuwaiti envoy lays cornerstone of sharia school in Cambodia KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Cambodia Dhirar Nasser Al-Tuwaijri laid the cornerstone of a school for contemporary sharia sciences in the capital Phnom Penh as a step toward to improving human resources in the country.

The project was funded by Kuwait Zakat House and co-supervised by Kuwait’s Jamiat Al-Islah Al-Ejtima’I (Society of Social Reform) and Cambodia’s Al-Baraka charity.

The cornerstone laying ceremony was seen by Phnom Penh Mayor Kep Chuktema, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs of Cambodia Ahmad Yahya, the prime minister advisor, the deputy minister of religious affairs, and the grand mufti of Cambodia, a statement by the Kuwaiti embassy read yesterday.

The statement added that the project aims at serving the Cambodian youth and improving human resources in educational and cultural fields.

The Kuwaiti ambassador lauded charity and humanitarian work bodies, especially Kuwait Zakat House, for their perseverance in improving the lives of others in need. On his part, the mayor of Phnom Penh expressed appreciation to all humanitarian effort exerted by Kuwait in improving his country’s infrastructure.

The $350,000-project is situated on 360 square meters of land and it would serve more than 400 students. — KUNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Cambodia Dhirar Nasser AlTuwaijri and other dignitaries at the cornerstone laying ceremony.

National Guards graduation KUWAIT: The commander of military education at the National Guard, Brig Adnan Suleiman AlSaeed, said it was important to train commanders and polish their skills so that they achieve new levels in their military and strategic thinking.

Brig Al-Saeed was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the

10th course to train leaders. He said all facilities should be used to enhance the abilities of the commanders and add to their experience so that they are best prepared to deal with the scientific and practical developments in the field of security.

Commander of National Guard

schools, Brig Nader Hujail, advocated use of advanced tools and stressed the need for specialized academic training by experts. He said it reflected positively on participating officers in the course.

Certificates were distributed to graduates in the presence of several National Guard officers.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Sorry for affair that led to resignation: Petraeus

Britain loses fresh battle to deport cleric Abu Qatada Page 9

Page 10

CAIRO: Egyptians walk in front of an advertisement for a watch. Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi has hiked customs rates on dozens of “unnecessary” imports, including watches, as part of the government’s efforts to increase revenues to revive the ailing economy. — AP

Egypt vote delayed by 6 months Court overturns Morsi’s decision on prosecutor CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said yesterday parliamentary elections could be delayed until October, a postponement which could give his cash-strapped administration breathing space to negotiate an IMF deal. Morsi’s original plan was for a four-stage election that would start in late April and put a parliament in place by July. But the schedule fell apart this month when a court cancelled the presidential decree setting the dates. “Perhaps the elections will be held in the coming October,” state news agency MENA quoted Morsi as saying.

The postponement removes one source of friction between Morsi and the secular-minded opposition that had planned to boycott the vote on the grounds that the election law had been drawn up to suit Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. But many tensions remain in a political landscape where divisions have deepened since Morsi was elected in June. The acrimony will complicate efforts to build the consensus that the International Monetary Fund wants to underpin a loan deal likely to require cuts in unaffordable state subsidies.

This week Morsi’s opponents accused him of instigating a crackdown on dissent when the prosecutor-general ordered the arrest of five bloggers alleged to have incited violence against the Brotherhood. Morsi has in turn hardened his tone in response to recent violence triggered by protests against him and the Brotherhood. After promising on Sunday to take unspecified steps to protect the nation, Morsi vowed on Tuesday to “break the neck”

of anyone who threw a petrol bomb.

The unrest is frustrating efforts to revive the economy. Dwindling wheat stocks and shortages of imported fuel have increased the urgency of securing the IMF loan to plug the budget deficit and support foreign currency reserves that have dropped below the level needed for three months of imports. The government has said it expects an IMF technical mission in Cairo soon to complete negotiations on the agreement.

The IMF, however, has not given a date. The planning minister said last week he expected a deal and payment of the first tranche of the loan by the end of June. Masood Ahmed, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia department, held talks in Cairo earlier this month, saying loan discussions would continue in the coming weeks.

A government reshuffle?

An IMF deal would unlock billions of dollars in further support for Egypt. But political consensus is seen as vital. With elections postponed, Morsi may have to give ground to opposition demands including a change in government.

“This could increase the possibility of a reshuffle.

It would force some concessions in line with opposition demands,” said Mona Mansour, chief regional economist at CI Capital. Ahmed Omran, Morsi’s adviser for development issues, told a Kuwaiti newspaper this week that one way forward would be for Morsi to head the government himself. But the arrest warrants for the bloggers appeared to

have made the opposition less willing to talk of give-and-take. “If he is going to arrest us, arrest the activists, threaten the opposition, I don’t think this is showing any sign of compromise,” said Khaled Dawoud, spokesman for the National Salvation Front, an alliance of non-Islamist parties that have come together to oppose Morsi. Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science and a critic of Morsi, also questioned the Islamist leader’s readiness for concessions. “If the president had wanted a dialogue, he would have postponed the elections a while ago,” he said.

One opposition demand is for the removal of the prosecutor-general appointed by Morsi in November. In a blow to the president, an appeals court on Wednesday ordered the reinstatement of the former prosecutor-general, a Hosni Mubarakera appointee whom Morsi had sacked. It was not immediately clear whether Morsi would appeal.

Morsi had billed the parliamentary election as completing the transition from Mubarak’s autocracy. A court dissolved the previous lower house, which was led by the Brotherhood, in June. Morsi now expects the new lower house to convene by the end of the year, according to MENA, the state news agency, which said it would take two and a half months to complete a new election law and another two months to prepare for the vote. Yasser Mehrez, a Brotherhood spokesman, said Morsi’s critics should now “calm down” since the delay met one of their demands. “I really hope they react to it positively,” he said. — Reuters

Saudi’s illegal immigrants draw fear of ‘infiltrators’ JEDDAH: Down a narrow alleyway deep in the Jeddah slum of Karantina, three women from Sudan have set up stalls under colourful parasols, selling peanuts, hibiscus petals, dried pulses, baskets, frankincense, calabashes and sandalwood.

They laugh and gossip in the sunshine, swathed in bright printed cloth, while a scrawny black cat picks its way between piles of rubbish. But when approached by a stranger, they are cautious.

Jeddah has attracted outsiders for centuries, being the main port of arrival for Muslims making the haj pilgrimage to Mecca. It is this history that gives Karantina its name: older residents can remember when it was “quarantine” for pilgrims.

But the people who now live in this slum in the south of Saudi Arabia’s second biggest city were drawn not only by religious devotion but also the top oil exporter’s wealth. They live in a legal lim-

bo, sometimes for generations.

“This is the forgotten area,” said a bearded Sudanese man in his 40s. “Here are many illegal immigrants who don’t have official papers.

Government supervision is scarce.” Saudi Arabia’s hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are not counted among the millions of expatriates who reside legally in the Arab kingdom, working as everything from maids to finance executives.

Instead they live on the margins, ineligible for government services and outside of the law, but often unofficially tolerated because of the expense and administrative obstacles in the way of expelling them. In recent months, however, their status has caught the attention of Saudi media, who have been calling them “infiltrators” and warning readers of their supposed links to crime, disease and militancy.

“The infiltrators will carry with them all their social ills including security threats, criminal behaviour and ethical issues,” wrote commentator Hamoud Abu Talib in an opinion piece in Okaz daily this month. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Mansour al-Turki, said the media has exaggerated the number of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and added that Saudi citizens themselves contributed to the problem by using them for cheap labour. Many illegal immigrants have now lived in Saudi Arabia for decades, having children and grandchildren who now live without nationality or residence papers, and prompting government officials to speak of a “humanitarian crisis”. Some risked a perilous journey through volatile Somalia and Yemen, others overstayed work visas or came to perform the annual haj and never went home. —Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LOCAL

Tiangaye returned as C Africa PM after coup Rebels crack down on looting post coup

NIONO: A file photo shows Malian Army soldiers resting at a checkpoint in Niono.—AFP

11,200 peacekeepers needed for Mali: Ban UNITED NATIONS: Up to 11,200 troops could be needed for a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali but a “parallel” military force will have to battle radical Islamists, UN leader Ban Ki-Moon said Tuesday. The 11,200 troops could only cover main towns “assessed to be at highest risk,” Ban said in a grim report on conditions in Mali that the UN Security Council will discuss Wednesday.

The UN leader said there would be a “fundamental requirement for a parallel force” in Mali and possibly neighboring countries-in a clear signal that France will have to maintain a strong military involvement in the conflict.

The second force would “conduct major combat and counter-terrorism operations and provide specialist support beyond the scope of the United Nations mandate and capability,” the UN secretary general said.

France sent troops to Mali in January to prevent an advance by Islamist forces on the capital Bamako. The Islamists and Tuareg separatists overran northern Mali a year ago, taking advantage of a vacuum left after a military coup. Having been beaten out of Timbuktu and other Malian cities, the Islamists have retreated to desert and mountain hideouts from where they launch guerrilla attacks on French, Chadian and Malian forces. “Terrorist groups and tactics, the proliferation of weapons, improvised explosive devices, unexploded ordnance and landmines are expected to pose significant threats” in Mali, Ban warned in his report.

France wants the 15-member council to pass a resolution in April setting up a peacekeeping force that could be in place by July.

The bulk of it would come from a West African force, known by the acronym AFISMA, which is already in Mali. Ban said a peacekeeping force could only be deployed when the UN secretariat had decided that it would be safe enough. He added that if the Security Council were to reject a peacekeep-

ing force, the UN could set up an expanded political office and let AFISMA do security and peacekeeping duties outside UN control.

Ban’s report and a separate document prepared by a top UN peacekeeping official portray a dark picture of the challenges ahead in Mali. While the militant groups have gone underground, Ban’s report said there was a “crisis of governance” marked by “endemic corruption” and a lack of state authority. A political roadmap adopted by the transitional government calls for elections to be held by July 31. But UN peacekeeping deputy chief Edmond Mulet said in a confidential report to Ban, obtained by AFP, that he thought it “unlikely” the elections could be held on time. Mulet has just returned from a mission to Mali to draft the options for the peacekeeping force.

Ban’s report said that with the weak central government and no sign of reconciliation between the northern and southern halves of Mali, “elections could provoke further instability or even violence.” The UN leader added that there was a “worrying human rights situation.” Rights groups say there have been widespread reprisal killings of Tuaregs and other minorities by the Malian army as they retake northern towns. “With tensions between communities running high and Malian soldiers committing very serious crimes, including killings and brutal torture, the future UN mission will have to play a key role in monitoring and reporting on human rights,” said Jean-Marie Fardeau, director of Human Rights Watch’s Paris office who has just come back from a trip to Mali.

The United Nations also highlighted the political divisions in Bamako, which it says cloud hopes for a return to peace. The coup one year ago was led by Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, who nominally handed over power to the transitional government. —AFP

BANGUI: The prime minister in the ousted Central African Republic regime said yesterday that Bangui’s new strongman had reappointed him as the troubled nation’s new rulers tried to restore order and reassure the international community. Power returned to the capital four days after Michel Djotodia and his Seleka rebel group seized Bangui, forcing president Francois Bozize to flee. Bozize, who had also seized power in a 2003 coup, has sur faced in Cameroon, where authorities have said he was awaiting relocation to another country.

Nicolas Tiangaye, a lawyer and respected former human rights activist, was the consensus prime minister named in January under a power-sharing deal between Bozize and Seleka that ended a first rebel offensive. “I have been renamed prime minister, the decree has been signed,” Tiangaye told AFP. Djotodia, a more enigmatic figure who spent years as a civil servant and diplomat before founding a rebel movement in 2005, had said on Monday he intended to keep Tingaye as premier.

The coup leader, who dissolved parliament and announced he would rule by decree, has stressed he would stick to the spirit of national unity enshrined in the Libreville ceasefire deal signed in January.

“The context has changed but the players are the same,” Tiangaye said, adding that he would soon unveil an inclusive cabinet line-up. But Djotodia also said fresh elections would not be held for another three years and ostensibly stopped short of ruling himself out of the polls.

Tiangaye, who was Seleka’s choice after the January deal, admitted that his relations with Djotodia would be far better than with Bozize. Businesses were slowly reopening in Bangui,

BANGUI: Central Africa’s Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye (center) arrives at a hotel yesterday. — AFP

where Seleka forces have enlisted the help of the regional FOMAC force to help patrol the streets and crack down on the looting that erupted during the coup.

Taxis were back on the streets of the capital and national radio resumed its broadcasts but many residents were still struggling with shortages. “We have nothing to eat, I am feeding my children with water and salt,” said one mother in Bangui’s Benz VI district who is employed by a telecommunication company whose offices were pillaged.

Former colonial power France, which boosted its military contingent to 550 troops for the protection of its 1,200 expatriate community, was also involved in

efforts to secure the city.

The Central African Republic, a landlocked country the size of France but with a population of only around 4.5 million, has great mineral wealth which has remained largely untapped throughout its coup-plagued post-independence history. It is highly reliant on foreign aid and Bangui’s international partners have condemned the bloody coup but mostly stopped short of expressing clear support for Bozize.

Giving his general audience to thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis joined the chorus of calls for peace. “I appeal for an immediate stop to violence and pillaging, and for a political solution to the

crisis to be found as soon as possible to bring peace,” he said. As a semblance of normalcy returned to the sprawling riverside capital, it remained difficult to assess the human cost of the coup, which Djotodia and his men seize the city in a rapid-fire assault Saturday and Sunday.

The Red Cross only said that the chaos left “a large number of dead and wounded”. South Africa lost 13 of its troops stationed in Bangui during the violence, in the heaviest military loss since the end of apar theid two decades ago. The deaths shocked South Africa and voices have risen to question the true purpose of Pretoria’s military presence in the Central African Republic. —AFP

Ahmadinejad road show: Pitching his political heir TEHRAN: During a celebration last week to mark the Persian new year, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did something quietly remarkable: He stood modestly to the side and let his favored aide have the spotlight. The gesture was far more than just a rare demure moment from the normally grandstanding leader. It was more carefully scripted stagecraft in Ahmadinejad’s longshot efforts to promote the political fortunes of his chief of staff - and in-law - and seek a place for him on the June presidential ballot that will pick Iran’s next president.

In the waning months of Ahmadinejad’s presidency - weakened by years of internal battles with the ruling clerics - there appears no bigger priority than attempting one last surprise.

It’s built around rehabilitating the image of Esfandiari Rahim Mashaei and somehow getting him a place among the candidates for the June 14 vote.

Mashaei has long been a close Ahmadinejad aide, and his daughter is married to the president’s son - a closeness that entails unquestionable loyalty, which is perhaps the main reason why Iran’s clerical establishment is set against him.

To get Mashaei on the list of presidential contenders, Ahmadinejad must do what has eluded him so far: Come out on top in a showdown with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the other guardians of the Islamic Republic. Ahmadinejad has been slapped down hard after bold - but ultimately doomed - attempts in recent years to push the influence of his office on policies and decisions reserved for the ruling clerics.

That has left him limping into the end of his eight-year presidency with many allies either jailed or pushed to the political margins. Mashaei is part of the collateral damage. But the aide has been discredited as part of a “deviant current” that critics say seeks to undermine Islamic rule in Iran and elevate the values of pre-Islamic Persia. The smear campaign has even included rumors that Mashaei conjured black magic spells to cloud Ahmadinejad’s judgment.

The prevailing wisdom is that the backlash has effectively killed Mashaei’s chances for the presidential ballot. The ruling clerics vet all candidates and, the theory follows, they seek a predictable slate of loyalists after dealing with Ahmadinejad’s ambitions and disruptive power plays. In short: Friends of Ahmadinejad need not apply. Khamenei and others, including the powerful Revolutionary Guard, also are hoping to quell domestic political spats that they

fear project a sense of instability during critical negotiations with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Yet none of this seems to have discouraged Ahmadinejad, who has been trying to groom Mashaei for years as his potential heir and now appears reluctant to toss his backing behind a less controversial figure. To that end, the president has hit the road as a cheerleader for Mashaei under the slogan “Long Live Spring.” At one stop, Ahmadinejad described Mashaei as “a pious man.” At another event he called him “excellent, wise,” and at a third said his adviser has “a heart like a mirror.”

At last week’s event, both men burst into tears as they discussed the need to help children with cancer. Ahmadinejad

register from May 7-11, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported Monday.

Already, however, the general contours are taking shape. There is Ahmadinejad’s quest for Mashaei as the only active campaign roadshow.

Many conservatives, meanwhile, seem to be coalescing around a threeway alliance - all apparently in the good graces of the ruling system - of former Foreign Minister and current Khamenei adviser Ali Akbar Velayati; Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and prominent lawmaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, whose daughter is married to Khamenei’s son.

“Should we win, our coalition will form the backbone of the future government,” Velayati told a press confer-

TEHRAN: In this photo, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) holds hands with chief of staff Esfandiari Rahim Mashaei, during a press conference. — AP then “thanked God for having the opportunity to get to know Mashaei.”

Ahmadinejad appears to be banking on his populist appeal to force the Guardian Council - the gatekeepers for the candidates - to consider Mashaei too prominent to reject. “Ahmadinejad doesn’t want to go out with a whimper.

That’s not his style,” said Mustafa Alani, an analyst at the Gulf Research Center based in Geneva. “He wants his legacy, his man, as his successor.”

Tehran-based political analyst Sadeq Zibakalam also sees Mashaei as Ahmadinejad’s last-ditch insurance policy. Without an ally as successor, Ahmadinejad fears he will be cast to the political sidelines. “Ahmadinejad has no option but to get one of his loyalists into power,” he said. It will be more than a month before the candidate list is finalized. The presidential hopefuls will

ence earlier this month, suggesting that the potential winner would seek key posts for the other two. A separate roster of establishment-friendly candidates is getting bigger by the day. It includes former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian; parliament’s vice speaker, Mohammad Reza Bahonar, and a former Revolutionary Guard commander, Mohsen Rezaei, who ran against Ahmadinejad in his disputed re-election in 2009. Reformists remain undecided whether to fall behind a potential candidate or boycott the vote in protest of the 2009 outcome - which they claim stole the election from Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and the crushing pressures on dissent that followed. Mousavi and fellow reformist candidate Mahdi Karroubi have been under house arrest for more than two years.—AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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

Miliband quits politics LONDON: Former British foreign secretary David Miliband said yesterday he was quitting politics, bringing an end to a soap opera of sibling rivalry that has dogged the opposition Labour party. The 47-year-old is stepping down as a lawmaker to become head of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian organisation based in New York, in September. The decision comes two and a half years after Miliband lost out to his younger brother Ed in a battle for the Labour leadership, in a shock defeat which remains a source of tensions between the pair.

Miliband said the job represented a “new challenge and a new start” in the United States, birthplace of his wife, violinist Louise Shackelton, and their two adopted children. Ed Miliband, 43, said that “British politics will be a poorer place without David”, adding that he would miss him. “We went through a difficult leadership contest but time has helped to heal that,” the Labour leader said in a statement.

As one of the leading lights of the Labour party, David Miliband had been seen as an obvious candidate for the top job after Labour prime minister Gordon Brown lost the general election in 2010.

But his failure to seize repeated chances at the leadership before that had lost him support, and his brother pipped him to the post with the support of the trade unions.

In a letter yesterday to the chairman of the Labour party in South Shields, the seat in northern England he has held since 2001, Miliband praised his brother’s leadership of the party. He explained he had stayed away from frontline politics to

give Ed “space” and said he had led the party “with real success, leading a united team that has taken the fight to the Tories” of Prime Minister David Cameron.

Tributes and messages of regret at Miliband’s departure poured in from former Labour colleagues, while former US president Bill Clinton offered his congratulations on the new job. “I have known David almost 20 years. He is one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time,” Clinton said in a statement on the IRC website. Miliband struck up a close relationship with Clinton’s wife Hillary while she was US secretary of state and he was foreign secretary between 2007 and 2010.

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, who hired David Miliband as his head of policy while in opposition and gave him his first ministerial job, said he hoped his political career was not over.

Miliband “remains one of the most capable progressive thinkers and leaders globally. I hope and believe this is time out not time over,” Blair said in a statement.

Since leaving frontline British politics Miliband has earned about £1 million (1.2 million euros, $1.5 million) with jobs in academia, business and public speaking, The Times reported. Miliband said his new job “brings together my personal story and political life”, noting the IRC’s roots as an organisation for those fleeing the Nazis in the 1930s. Today it responds to humanitarian crises across the world.

His father, Marxist theorist Ralph Miliband, was born in Brussels and fled to Britain as a teenager when the Nazis invaded in 1940, while his mother Marion sur vived the German occupation in Poland. — AFP

Britain loses fresh battle to deport cleric Abu Qatada Qatada is ‘exceptionally high risk terrorist’: Ministers LONDON: The British government yesterday vowed not to give up its fight to deport radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan after losing its latest court challenge to have him expelled.

Lawyers for Home Secretary Theresa May lost their appeal against a decision by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in November to allow the Jordanian to stay in Britain. Three judges at the Court of Appeal acknowledged that ministers believed Abu Qatada to be an “exceptionally high risk terrorist” but said this was not relevant to their considerations.

The Home Office or interior ministry vowed to keep fighting, saying in a statement on Twitter: “This is not the end of the road. The government remains determined to deport Abu Qatada.” It said ministers planned to seek leave to appeal, further dragging out a case that has been a thorn in the side of successive British governments for the last decade. Abu Qatada meanwhile remains in custody. He was released on bail following November’s decision, but was sent back to jail earlier this month for breaching the conditions of his release.

The 52-year-old cleric, whose real name is Omar Mohammed Othman, has been convicted in Jordan in his absence of terrorism offences and is likely to face a retrial if and when he is sent back. But he has successfully fought off attempts at deportation since 2005 by arguing that his human rights would be violated on his return. In November, SIAC ruled there was a real risk that evidence obtained through torture would be used against Abu Qatada in any retrial, which it said would be a “flagrant denial of justice”. It upheld a similar European Court of

Kenyan vote numbers changed NAIROBI: Vote totals for Kenya’s president- elec t mysteriously increased between the time the ballot numbers were announced at some remote polling centers and when they reached the national tallying center in the capital, a lawyer for a civil society group told the country’s Supreme Court yesterday Kenya’s six-justice Supreme Court heard arguments from a civil society group and from the legal team of Prime Minister Raila Odinga asserting that the court should invalidate the election commission’s declaration that Uhuru Kenyatta won the country’s March 4 presidential election with 50.07 percent of the vote.

Kethi D. Kilonzo, an attorney for the African Center For Governance, played a video for the Supreme Cour t that she said showed Kenyatta’s vote totals increased between when some local polling stations publicly announced their counts and when those numbers reached the national tallying center.

One center, in Nyeri Country, said publicly that Kenyatta had won 53,252 votes, Kilonzo said. By the time the national election commis-

sion read the result, Kenyatta’s total had increased to 55,726, she said. In addition to Kenyatta gaining votes, other candidates, including Odinga, lost votes, she said.

“This is an election offense, altering the result of an election,” she said. Kenyatta cleared the crucial 50 percent mark by only 8,400 votes out of more than 12 million ballots cast, making each vote of his highly valuable. Had he gotten below the 50 percent threshold, Kenyatta and Odinga would have faced one another in a run-off. Kilonzo told the court it should invalidate all returns from Nyeri, an action that would drop Kenyatta below the 50 percent mark.

Kenya’s March 4 elec tion was marred by myriad technical failures, including the failure of an early returns system. Kilonzo said that if the early returns system had worked properly, there would have been no way for someone to alter the ballot returns without it being noticed. “ The elec tronic transmission of results was not for the benefit of the (election commission), it was for the benefit of the Kenyan people,” said Kilonzo, who said the commission

seemed to shrug off the failure of the system as a minor technical glitch.

Kenyans across the country have been glued to TV sets this week as broadcasting networks carried the Supreme Court case. The last time Kenyans voted for president, in late 2007, allegations of rigging to benefit President Mwai Kibaki sent thousands of Odinga supporters into the streets. Violent ethnic clashes lasting two months killed more than 1,000 people. Odinga was eventually named prime minister in a coalition government.

Since then, Kenya has passed a new constitution and upgraded its judicial system, winning praise from international partners and much of the Kenyan public. The Supreme Court is to decide by Saturday on the petitions by civil society groups and Odinga’s legal team. No major violence has been reported surrounding this year ’s elec tion, but the Supreme Court decision is another potential flashpoint that could spark violence, depending largely on whether Odinga accepts the court’s decision, if it rules against him. — AP

Knox case puts Italian justice under scrutiny ROME: When crooked American financier Bernie Madoff was sentenced in New York, the leading Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published a frontpage cartoon mocking Italy’s trial system. On one side was a US courtroom, where a judge was handing down a 150-year sentence after a six-month trial. On the other, an Italian courtroom with a judge handing down a six-month sentence after a 150-year trial. That’s how the country’s No. 1 newspaper summed up Italy’s slow-moving, and at times inconclusive, justice system. The decision by Italy’s highest criminal appeals court to overturn the acquittals of American student Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, and order a new trial in the 2007 slaying of her British roommate, is once again raising concerns both at home and abroad about how justice works in Italy.

It’s a system where people cleared of serious crimes can have the threat of prison hanging over them for years, while powerful politicians such as former premier Silvio Berlusconi can avoid jail sentences almost indefinitely by filing appeal after appeal until the statute of limitations runs out. “Lots of confusion and contradictions,” said restaurant chef Angelo Boccanero, giving his impression of the Knox case as he sipped his morning espresso. And it’s not just the criminal courts that raise eyebrows.

The back log on civil cases is so severe that it hampers desperately sought foreign investment to Italy.

Divorces can take years to process, meaning that couples who’ve had enough remain legally tied. And forget about getting quick compensation in a fraudulent property deal - it can take ages (if ever) before you’ll see any money. Successive governments have pledged to streamline proceedings but have so far failed to do so. That’s largely because powerful people in politics, business and the judiciary have repeatedly fended off reform to protect their interests and the people close to them.

One criticism of the system is Italy’s high number of lawyers. Milan, for example, has more attorneys than all of France. In civil cases, it takes an average of seven years to reach a verdict. Defenders say that Italy’s legal system is one of the world’s most “garantista” - or protective of civil liberties. Defendants are guaranteed three levels of trial before a conviction is considered definitive and both sides are granted the right to appeal -

Amanda Knox although prosecutors often don’t appeal minor acquittals. It’s a system that sprang up in the postwar era to prevent the travesties of summary justice seen under fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, but in reality it means that justice can be delayed until it’s denied as cases move at a snail’s pace through the bloated legal machine.

Italy is also one of the leading voices in the world in campaigns to abolish capital punishment. In 1996, Italy refused to extradite one of its citizens wanted for murder in Florida, saying it did not receive sufficient guarantees he would not risk execution if convicted.

He was tried in Italy, convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison. For Knox, the system allowed new evidence in the appeals trial that led to her 2011 acquit-

tal. But it also is exposing her to a third trial - which in all likelihood will be followed by another round at the supreme court. Knox is not expected to attend her retrial. If she is convicted - and the conviction is upheld by highest criminal court - Italy could seek her extradition.

The United States law allows extradition of its citizens.

Another key aspect of the Knox case: The Italian system does not include U.S. Fifth Amendment protection against a defendant being put in double jeopardy by government prosecution. “Our judicial system, like all judicial systems, is fallible,” said Stelio Mangiameli, a constitutional law expert at Rome’s LUISS University, but added: “It’s not worse or better than the United States.”

He said that, in addition to guarantees for the defense, Italy takes pains to protect the rights of the victim. “You need to consider when there is a crime, there is also a victim,” said Mangiameli.

“In the Amanda Knox case, there is a dead girl and someone needs to respond for this death, no matter if American or French or any other nationality.” But the process, which in some cases runs over decades, can leave people like Knox in judicial limbo.

In September, an Italian civil court ordered the government to pay 100 million euros in civil damages to relatives of 81 people killed in a 1980 air disaster whose cause has been attributed alternately to a bomb on board and to being caught in an aerial dogfight. The court held that the transport and defense ministries had concealed the truth, even though a criminal court acquitted two generals for lack of evidence five years earlier. It would seem natural that after three decades, the September decision meant the case was closed. Instead, appeals are pending. For two decades, Berlusconi has been moving from trial to trial on charges that include corruption, tax fraud and sex-for-hire. He has described himself as an innocent victim of prosecutors he routinely slams as communists.— AP

Human Rights decision in January last year, despite assurances given to the British government by Jordan that the cleric would not be illtreated. Government lawyers were given leave to appeal November’s decision but only on a point of law and the judges said yesterday they had failed to prove that SIAC had failed to follow correct procedure.

“We are satisfied that SIAC did not commit any legal errors. This appeal must therefore be dismissed,” the ruling said. The judges acknowledged ministers’ frustration, but said: “The fact that Mr Othman is considered to be a dangerous terrorist is not relevant to the issues that are raised on this appeal.”

The Home Office said it would consider the ruling carefully and plan to seek leave to appeal.

“In the meantime we continue to work with the Jordanians to address the outstanding legal issues preventing Abu Qatada’s deportation.” In a hearing on March 11, government lawyers argued that SIAC had taken an “erroneous” view of the situation in Jordan, insisting the constitution there clearly banned the use of evidence obtained through torture.

But Abu Qatada’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald argued there was “concrete and compelling evidence” that Abu Qatada’s co-defendants were tortured into providing statements. The cleric, who first arrived in Britain in 1993 claiming asylum, was once branded the right-hand man in Europe of Osama bin Laden, although he denies ever having met the late Al-Qaeda leader.

Britain initially detained Abu Qatada in 2002 under anti-terror laws imposed in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, and he has been in and out of jail ever

LONDON: In this file picture, Jordanian terror suspect Abu Qatada arrives at his home in London after he was released from prison. — AFP since. The cleric was released under house arrest in November but sent back to jail on March 9 accused of breaching his bail conditions. A subsequent bail hearing on March 21 was postponed after police said they needed more time to scrutinise documents found during a search of his London home. — AFP

Russia raids HRW office MOSCOW: Russian authorities searched the Moscow offices of New-York based Human Rights Watch yesterday as they stepped up raids against pro-democracy groups despite growing EU concern. HRW’s Europe and Central Asia depar tment head Rachel Denber said three representatives from the prosecutor’s office and a tax official had begun what they called “an unplanned inspection” of the Moscow office.

She said the Moscow headquarters of the Civic Assistance refugees centre and of the Transparency International corruption watchdog had been raided in a similar manner. “This is part of a

massive, unprecedented wave of inspections of NGOs (non-governmental organisations) in Russia that is intensifying pressure on civil society in the wake of the adoption of a number restrictive laws last year,” Denber said by e-mail.

“The scale of these inspections serves to reinforce the menacing atmosphere for civil society created by the adoption of last year’s laws.” The raids followed President Vladimir Putin’s signature of a law that labelled Russian political organisations with Western funding as “foreign agents” that required more rigorous checks.

Putin blamed the US State Depar tment for funding the

protests that rose against his return to the presidency last winter and moved quickly against the NGOs once confirmed to power in May. Ru s s ia n officia ls have not linked the raids to the foreign agent law directly and the action appears part of an in-depth examination of activities of non-governmental organisations that bother the state. The authorities began their action last week by moving in against Memorial one of the country’s most respected rights organisations whose vast catalogue of Stalin-era repress ions is a cces s ed by s chola rs around the world.— AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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

McCain, US senators to tour Mexico border PHOENIX: A group of US senators who will be influential in shaping and negotiating details of an immigration reform package is traveling to the US-Mexico border in Arizona to get a firsthand look at issues affecting the region.

Republican Sens John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona were expected to tour the border yesterday with Democratic Sens Chuck Schumer of New York and Michael Bennet of Colorado. They are all members of the so-called Gang of Eight - a bipartisan group that has spent recent weeks trying to craft proposed immigration legislation.

The trip comes as Congress is in recess and as the lawmakers wrap up a bill designed to secure the border and put 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass immigration reform

this year, and border security is critical to McCain and other Republicans who contend that some areas along the border are far from secure.

“I wish every member of the United States Senate and Congress could see the border,” McCain told reporters in Phoenix on Monday.

“Only when you can see the expanse, the difficulties and the challenges of the border, can you really appreciate the need for our border security.” With top Republicans and Democrats focused on the issue, immigration reform faces its best odds in years.

The proposed legislation will likely put illegal immigrants on a 13-year path to citizenship and would install new criteria for border security, allow more high- and low-skilled workers to come to the US and hold businesses to tougher

standards on verifying their workers are in the country legally.

McCain sought to lower expectations for the bill Monday during a town hall in Phoenix. He told immigration activists they wouldn’t be completely happy with the measure and warned that the group must overcome difficult disagreements. “We’ve made progress in a number of areas that I am encouraged by, but there are still areas that we are not in agreement,” he said.

McCain said the lawmakers had reached an agreement on protections for young illegal immigrants brought to the country as children and on visas for workers, but declined to provide specifics. Reports indicate that the US Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, negotiating through the Gang of Eight senators, had reached

significant agreement Friday on a new visa program to bring up to 200,000 lower-skilled workers a year to the country. The groups did not reach consensus on how much the workers would be paid.

The bill is expected to be lengthy and cover numerous issues, including limiting family-based immigration to put a greater emphasis on skills and employment ties instead. The legislation was initially promised in March, but the lawmakers have since said they won’t be done until at least April.

Immigration proponents have said the group needs to introduce legislation soon, while some Republican lawmakers complain the process has moved too quickly. If passed, the legislation could usher in the most sweeping changes in immigration law in nearly 30 years. — AP

Sorry for affair that led to resignation: Petraeus Petraeus makes first speech after leaving CIA

PUNXSUTAWNEY: This file photo shows Groundhog Club Co-handler Ron Ploucha holding the weather predicting groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, after the club said Phil did not see his shadow and there will be an early spring during the Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pa. — AP

Ohio prosecutor drops groundhog charges CINCINNATI: Phil is off the hook. A winterweary Ohio prosecutor who filed a tongue-incheek criminal indictment against the famous Pennsylvania groundhog over his “prediction” of an early spring dropped the charge Tuesday. Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser said Punxsutawney Phil has a “defense with teeth in it” since the animal’s handler is taking the blame. The Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, attracts worldwide attention each year. But when Gmoser filed his indictment last week after snow was forecast to fall after the official start of spring, renewed attention made it feel like Feb. 2 all over again.

Bill Deeley, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, said Monday the furry prognosticator had actually predicted six more weeks of winter, but he mistakenly announced an early spring because he failed to correctly interpret Phil’s “groundhogese.” “Now it turns out, Punxsutawney Phil is little more than a scapegoat,” Gmoser wrote in the dismissal.

That’s a sharp contrast to last week, when Gmoser had written: “Punxsutawney Phil did purposely, and with prior calculation and

design, cause the people to believe that spring would come early.” Deeley said Tuesday that going after the groundhog probably gave prosecutors some relief from the challenges they normally face bringing murderers, drug dealers and other criminals to justice.

Meanwhile, Phil seemed unfazed by the charge. “No, he’s not worried,” Deeley said.

“He’s getting three square meals a day, and a lot of rest.” He also said the community appreciated all the extra publicity, which he said “you couldn’t put a dollar figure on.” Gmoser’s office said he had also received hundreds of calls.Deeley wanted to be sure Tuesday he wouldn’t be the prosecutor’s next target, but Gmoser said it was time to move on. “Truly, I have really serious work to do in Butler County,” he said from his office in Hamilton, some 25 miles north of Cincinnati, even as snowflakes dropped from the skies. “Let’s end it on a high note.” He assured Ohio’s lesserknown fuzzy forecaster, Buckeye Chuck, he won’t face prosecution for his own erroneous prediction. Chuck, it turned out, was granted immunity after agreeing to cooperate with the state. “I’m kind of done with animal cases,” Gmoser said. “Maybe another prosecutor can go after the Easter Bunny.” — AP

Can hard-right ideology win in a 50/50 state?

RICHMOND: Virginia is conducting nothing short of a grand political experiment in 2013, testing whether a favorite of the ultraconservative tea party movement can carry a closely divided state. If Ken Cuccinelli wins the race for governor, he will have undercut Republican moderates’ claims that hard-right ideologies are hurting the party - and undoubtedly intensify a debate already roiling the Republican Party.

Despite Virginia’s Southern conservative history, Barack Obama carried the state in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections after years of Republican dominance, and both US senators are Democrats.

Democrats and Republicans have battled fiercely for control of the state Legislature and governorship for years, with Republicans holding the edge lately.

It’s hard to find a more 50-50 state where moderate and independent voters loom large in fall general elections.

Cuccinelli, the fiery state attorney general running for governor this year, is no ordinary conservative. He once told college leaders they couldn’t ban anti-gay discrimination. He advised Catholic clergy to go to jail to protest federal contraceptive coverage mandates. He investigated a former Virginia scientist over his climate change research. All this gave Cuccinelli a national profile few state attorneys general attain.

His in-your-face conservatism contrasts with the more measured style of successful Republicans in other toss-up states, including Pat McCrory, North Carolina’s first Republican governor in 20 years. Some Virginia Republicans had hoped to thwart Cuccinelli’s nomination, fearing he’s too extreme for the swing state. But a conservative takeover of the state party last summer ensured it.

A more moderate Republican recently decided against an independent candidacy, and Republican officials are rallying around Cuccinelli in his Nov. 5 showdown with Democrat Terry McAullife. The former national Democratic Party chairman and New York native was a major fundraiser for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Some Republican strategists nervously point to states where Republicans lost winnable elections in 2010 and 2012 after tea party-backed candidates wrested the nominations from moderates. Most of those races were for

the Senate, however. It’s hard to know if similar dynamics will play out in a gubernatorial race in an off-year election, when no federal candidates are on the ballot. For now, Democrats are optimistic. “They must be saying, ‘Once more the Republicans have given us a gift,’” said Steve Jarding, a veteran Virginia Democratic strategist now teaching at Harvard.

He said Virginia Republicans should view the intraparty tension “sort of like a cancer. You’ve got to remove it early or you risk killing the party.” Cuccinelli used a highprofile setting this month to make nods toward the political center. Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, he went relatively easy on the red-meat lines that conservatives eat up, and used phrases seldom heard at the often bombastic annual convention.

He called for greater support for the mentally ill and for felons who may have been wrongly convicted. Virginia must “protect our most vulnerable citizens,” he said, “at every stage of life.” That seemed an indirect reference to opposing abortion, something he usually hits head-on.

Cuccinelli needn’t look far to see the challenges for a conservative champion trying to moderate his record. In fact, he has complicated similar efforts by Virginia’s current Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, who is seen as having presidential ambitions.

A tea party group aired ads in Iowa and New Hampshire - the states which traditionally hold the first nominating contests on the presidential election calendar attacking McDonnell for bipartisan legislation to reshape Virginia’s failing transportation funding system, which includes some new taxes. In a twist, Cuccinelli vigorously opposed and nearly scuttled the transportation deal. But McAuliffe backed it.

The Iowa ad, narrated by Virginia Tea Party Federation past chairman Jamie Radtke, says McDonnell’s transportation deal broke a 2009 campaign promise never to raise taxes. “Remember, you can’t believe a word he says,” it concludes. McDonnell, a top Mitt Romney liaison with conservatives just a few months ago, was not invited to speak at CPAC. “You stick to your conservative principles but you focus on results and not just on rhetoric,” McDonnell said of the snub. —AP

LOS ANGELES: In his first public speech since resigning as head of the CIA, David Petraeus apologized for the extramarital affair that “caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters.” The hero of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars struck a somber, apologetic tone as he spoke to about 600 people, including his wife and many uniformed and decorated veterans, at the University of Southern California’s annual ROTC dinner on Tuesday.

“I know I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and a number of others,” Petraeus said. Petraeus has remained largely in seclusion since resigning after the extramarital affair with his biographer was disclosed. His lawyer, Robert B. Barnett, has said Petraeus spent much of that time with his family.

Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, Petraeus made motions toward a return to public life as a civilian. He spoke of a need for better treatment for veterans and soldiers, though he stopped short of criticizing current practices.

“While our country continues to improve its support and recognition for all of our veterans and their families, we can and must do more,” he said. The retired four-star general also noted the challenges of transitioning from military life, saying: “There’s often a view that because an individual was a great soldier, he or she will naturally do well in civilian world. In reality, the transition from military service to civilian pursuits is often quite challenging.”

He received applause and a standing ovation before he began the evening’s program by cutting a cake with a sword in military tradition, a task reserved for the highest ranking person in the room. He started his speech by addressing the affair with biographer Paula Broadwell, which was discovered during an FBI investigation into emails she sent to another woman she viewed as a romantic rival.

“Needless to say, I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago. I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing. So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret - and apologize for - the circumstances that led to my resignation from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters,” he said.

At the time the affair was made public, Petraeus told his staff he was guilty of “extremely

LOS ANGELES: Former CIA director and retired four-star general David Petraeus receives a plaque of appreciation after making his first public speech since resigning as CIA director at University of Southern California dinner for students Veterans and ROTC students on March 26, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. — AFP poor judgment” and that the “such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.” As the military leader credited with reshaping the nation’s counterinsurgency strategy, turning the tide in the US favor in both Iraq and Afghanistan and making the US safer from terrorism, a friendly audience was expected at the ROTC dinner.

At least one expert in crisis communications said that if his apology comes across as heartfelt and sincere, the public will indeed be seeing much more of him. “America is a very forgiving nation,” said Michael Levine who, among dozens of other celebrity clients, represented Michael Jackson during his first child molestation investigation.

“If he follows the path of humility, personal responsibility and contrition, I submit to you that he will be very successful in his ability to rehabilitate his image,” he said. Another longtime crisis communications expert, Howard

Bragman, said Petraeus has handled the situation perfectly so far. He noted that unlike former President Bill Clinton, former US Sen John Edwards and other public figures caught in extramarital affairs, Petraeus didn’t try to lie his way out of it, immediately took responsibility and moved on. “I think the world is open to him now,” said Bragman, vice chairman of the imagebuilding company Reputation.com. “I think he can do whatever he wants. Realistically, he can even run for public office, although I don’t think he’d want to because he can make more money privately.” While at USC, Petraeus also planned to visit faculty and students at the Price School of Public Policy, which administers the ROTC program, and USC’s School of Social Work, which trains social workers in how to best help veterans returning from war. Petraeus was presented with a gift of silver cuff links by Nikias after his speech. — AP

Developer tears down stretch of Berlin Wall BERLIN: Work crews backed by about 250 police removed parts of the Berlin Wall known as the East Side Gallery before dawn yesterday to make way for an upscale building project, despite demands by protesters that the site be preserved. Residents of the area expressed shock at the move, which followed several protests including one attended by American celebrity David Hasselhof. Police spokesman Alexander Toennies said there were no incidents as work began about 5 am to remove four sections of the wall, each about 1.5 yards (1.2 meters) wide. That will make way for an access route to the planned high-rise luxury apartments along the nearby Spree River.

The East Side Gallery is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Construction workers removed a first piece earlier this month as part of a plan to make a road to a new luxury apartment complex . The public outcry brought a halt while local politicians and the investor said they were looking for a solution to keep the rest of the wall untouched. The investor, Maik Uwe Hinkel, decided to remove four more 1.5-yard (1.2meter) wide parts of the wall, according to Toennies.

“The constructor had the right to do this and he informed us a few days ago about his plans. Last night we were told that he wanted to remove the wall pieces early this morning,” Toennies said. Plans to remove part of the 1.3kilometer (3/4-mile) stretch of wall sparked protests whose main message was that developers were sacrificing history for profit.

At least 136 people died trying to scale the wall that divided communist-run East Berlin from West Berlin. Over the years, the stretch has become a tourist attraction with colorful paintings decorating the old concrete tiles. “I can’t believe they came here in the dark in such a sneaky manner,” said Kani Alavi, the head of the East Side Gallery’s artists’ group.

“All they see is their money, they have no understanding for the historic relevance and

art of this place.” By mid-morning the six-yard (meter) gap was covered by a wooden fence and protected by scores of police. Passers-by and a handful of protesters stared in disbelief.

“If you take these parts of the Wall away, you take away the soul of the city,” said Ivan McClostney, 32, who moved here a year ago from Ireland. “This way, you make it like every other city. It’s so sad.”

In an emailed statement, Hinkel said the removal of parts of the wall was a temporary move to enable trucks to access the building site. He said after four weeks of fruitless negotiations with city officials and owners of adjacent property he was no longer willing to wait. The East Side Gallery was recently

restored at a cost of more than 2 million euros ($3 million) to the city. The wall section stood on the eastern side of the elaborate border strip built by communist East Germany after it sealed off West Berlin in 1961. At least 136 people died trying to scale the wall until it was opened on Nov. 9, 1989.

The stretch of wall was transformed into an open-air gallery months after the opening and is now covered in colorful murals painted by about 120 artists. They include the famous image of boxy East German Trabant car that appears to burst through the wall; and a fraternal communist kiss between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German boss Erich Honecker. —AP

BERLIN: Police officers stand near a recently torn down stretch of the Berlin wall at the so called East Side Gallery yesterday. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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

Afghanistan ready to work without Pakistan Pakistan sees Karzai as impediment to peace KABUL: Afghanistan is shocked by Pakistan’s “complacency” in the nascent Afghan peace process and is ready to work without Islamabad’s help on reconciliation, Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin told Reuters yesterday. It was the first time Afghanistan has suggested the possibility of going it alone without its neighbour. Regional power Pakistan is seen as critical to stabilising Afghanistan because of its long ties to insurgent groups.

Ludin also said the government would look to senior Taleban figures recently handed over by the United States in Bagram prison to urge militants to pursue peace. He did not elaborate. Afghan officials had been pushing Pakistan hard to encourage the Taleban and other groups to join reconciliation efforts and Kabul had spoken of progress after Islamabad released some Taleban prisoners who could promote peace.

But Ludin, widely believed to shape foreign policy, told Reuters in an interview that Afghanistan had noted a shift in Pakistan’s position towards peace efforts that are gaining more urgency as foreign forces prepare to leave by the end of 2014. “We here in Kabul are in a bit of a state of shock at once again being confronted by the depth of Pakistan’s complacency, we are just very disappointed,” he said. “But what has happened in the last few months for us, (we)see that Pakistan is changing the goal post every time we reach understanding.”

Afghanistan also said it had cancelled a militar y trip to Pakistan due to “unacceptable Pakistani shelling” of the country’s mountainous eastern borderlands. More than two dozen Pakistani artillery shells were fired into Afghanistan’s eastern province of Kunar on Monday and Tuesday. The cancellation of the trip and days of angry diplomatic exchanges have

placed further strain on a fraught relationship. Afghanistan expressed its concern about what it called Pakistan’s attempt to sideline President Hamid Karzai’s government to US Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Kabul this week, said Ludin.

The deputy foreign minister, who is closely involved in peace efforts, said Afghanistan insisted that its High Peace Council, formed by Karzai, should spearhead any peace efforts.

Ludin said Pakistan had been trying to get the Taleban to talk to other parties, like the opposition, something he said would reverse gains.

“Suddenly, there is a new notion of the peace process now being introduced by Pakistan and that’s ‘well why should the Taleban talk to President Karzai or the High Peace Council?’” said Ludin. “They (Taleban) should in fact talk to other political parties.

That’s what they have told us,” Ludin said. “Pakistan’s concept of the peace process is one that will reverse the achievement of the last 10 years that will negate the centrality of the Afghan state.” Although there have been several meetings in Western capitals over the last few months in which representatives of the Taleban met Afghan peace negotiators, there are no signs of any breakthrough.

Renewed tensions Karzai is due to visit the Gulf Arab state of Qatar soon to discuss the opening of a Taleban office that could be used for peace contacts in the future. Kabul has long been suspicious of Pakistan’s intentions, accusing it of harbouring the Taleban leadership in the city of Quetta, and using militants as proxies to counter the influence of rival India in Afghanistan.

But a few months ago, Kabul was encouraged after Pakistan released some Afghan Taleban prisoners from its jails. Now relations seem to have

taken a sharp turn for the worse as the United States winds down the war, now in its 12th year.

This week, Pakistani officials accused Karzai of being an impediment to the peace process. Ludin suggested Pakistan wanted Afghanistan to remain unstable so that militant groups allegedly backed by Islamabad would be in a position to capitalise on instability after 2014. “What they would like is again a fragmentation of the Afghan state and going back to the drawing board so that they can have another 10 years, at least another decade, of weak, compromised Afghan state,” he said.

Ludin stressed that Pakistan was a pivotal player and Afghanistan would still welcome its support. “The sad reality is though Pakistan still remains the most important missing link in this whole vision that we have,” he said. Karzai had worked too hard and taken too many political risks to let Pakistan dictate how peace efforts should proceed, Ludin said.

“He (Karzai) has spent his political capital on this, he has basically staked his own political capital, his own reputation, on this and he has really mobilised the whole country, the whole region in support of the process,” said Ludin. “It is laughable, laughable if Pakistanis think that the whole notion of the President Karzai is impediment to peace.”

Karzai’s government, he said, would now turn to some of the most senior, hardcore Taleban leaders behind bars in Bagram in its quest for peace. “We will try to appeal to them and say: ‘Look, continued reluctance of Taleban to stay away from peace process and any buy in to this whole Pakistani design that they should not to speak to the Afghan government, is dangerous,’” said Ludin. “Now that we have them we will see who is ready to help in this process.” — Reuters

UN calls on Taleban to join in peace process KABUL: The UN envoy to Afghanistan called on the Taleban yesterday to join peace efforts as the bulk of NATO combat troops prepare to leave the country by the end of next year. “My message to the insurgency is basically a sort of long-term message: you are Afghans,you care, I assume, about

Hamid Karzai will step down after 13 years in power, have lent urgency to the search for a negotiated settlement to end Afghanistan’s decades of conflict. The Taleban, ousted from power by a 2001 US-led invasion for refusing to give up Al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks, are leading a deadly insur-

KABUL: United Nations Secretary-General’s Special representative for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis addresses a press conference yesterday.— AFP your country, you care about peaceful stable future of the country,” Jan Kubis told a news conference.

The withdrawal and next year’s presidential election, when President

gency against Western troops and the Afghan government.

When NATO troops leave, Afghan police and soldiers will take responsibility for security. There are fears that

without some kind of settlement, the country could return to the horrors of its 1992-96 civil war. Pointing out that a “strong motivation” for insurgents was the fight against foreign troops, Kubis said: “There will be no international fighting force at the end of 2014. “Take this into account. Adjust and take necessary measures to contribute to the surge of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan after 2014.”

Efforts by the international community and the Afghan government to bring the Taleban to meaningful negotiations have largely been thwarted. The Taleban publicly refuse to hold direct talks with Kabul, considering it a US puppet. The militia broke off tentative contacts with the United States in Qatar in March 2012 after the failure of attempts to negotiate a prisoner exchange as a confidence-building measure. Karzai said he plans to visit Qatar, with US backing, to discuss the proposed opening of a Taleban office in the Emirate as a prelude to possible peace talks. The UN envoy welcomed Karzai’s visit. “We took good note of the plan of Mr President to visit Qatar these days and again we hope that some messages are coming after this visit,” Kubis said. Until earlier this year, Karzai rejected the idea of a Taleban office in Qatar because of fears that his government would be frozen out of any deal between the United States and the militants. — AFP

Fear of attack haunts Pakistan campaign ISLAMABAD: Pakistani politicians may be bitter rivals who exploit the tiniest chance to score points off one another, but one thing unites them as they campaign for May elections: fear of attack. In a country awash with weapons, overstretched security forces, fractious tribes, Islamist militants and deadly political and ethnic rivalry, the spectre of violence haunts politicians from left to right, conservative to reformist. More than five years after her murder, the ghost of Benazir Bhutto hangs over the campaign.

She was killed in a gun and suicide attack after an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007, and her assassins have never been convicted.

Her death catapulted her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to victory, on a wave of sympathy. But it was a powerful reminder of the dangers and, heading into the May 11 polls, Pakistan today is a far less secure country than five years ago. Violence against the Shiite Muslim minority is at a record high. Religious intolerance is worse today than five years ago. The Taleban insurgency and a Baluch separatist insurgency in the southwest have only expanded.

The Pakistani Taleban have issued a direct threat against the three main parties of the outgoing government-the PPP, the secular Awami National Party (ANP) in the northwest and MQM, the party that

rules Karachi. The 24-year-old PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bhutto’s son, will make few public appearances and will address crowds by phone or video link “due to security and logistical” reasons, party spokesman Qamar Zaman Kaira told AFP. “There are security concerns. He cannot travel everywhere,” he said. For any self-respecting politician, a bullet-proof

vehicle is de rigueur. Party offices are barricaded with barbed wire and concrete blocks. Bullet-proof glass on podiums is increasingly common. Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif was applauded by tens of thousands at his inaugural rally Monday when he ordered the glass to be removed, but the entire stage was secured with barbed wire. Police commandos bristled with their AK-47s.—AFP

NEW DELHI: In this file photo, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (left) waves as his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari looks on while departing for Jaipur at the Palam Airfield in New Delhi. — AP

The Sea Law of Viet Nam

V

iet Nam is a coastal country with a coastline of more than 3,200 km. Maritime economy and industries contribute significantly to the national economy. In 1994, Viet Nam ratified and became an official member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS). In order to apply effectively and consistently the principles and rules as provided in the UNCLOS, it is essential to develop a comprehensive law of the sea because previously we only had some documents touching on some of relevant specific dimensions. In practice, most of coastal nations promulgate maritime laws, laws on territorial waters, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, etc.

The purpose of adopting the Viet Nam Law of the Sea is to upgrade our legal framework for the use, management and protection of waters, islands and develop the maritime of Viet Nam, create favorable conditions for the process of international integration and foster cooperation with other countries for regional and world peace and stability. The formulation and promulgation of the Viet Nam Law of the Sea is irresistible to serve the cause of economic development of Viet Nam and is compliant with international laws. Therefore, it has a special importance in terms of both domestic and foreign policies.

On 23rd June 1994, the Viet Nam National Assembly passed Resolution on ratification of the UNCLOS, which clearly stated, “The National Assembly assigns its Standing Committee and the Government to research and make necessary amendments, supplements to the relevant regulations of the national laws in accordance with the UNCLOS, ensuring the interests of Viet Nam.” To implement the Resolution and to meet the development of Viet Nam Law of the Sea has been incorporated into the legislation program of the 10th National Assembly. To realize this program, relevant ministries and agencies of the Government have worked with the bodies of the National Assembly to draft the Viet Nam Law of the Sea. Bill is built on the basis of rules enshrined in the UNCLOS with reference to international practices, including other countries’ experience and the economic, security and defense requirements of Viet Nam. After three tenures of the National Assembly (X, XI, and XII) with various amendments, supplements, the Sea Bill was fairly completed and eligible for approval by the 13th National Assembly.

The Bill was submitted by the Government to the National Assembly which discussed and commented on major points in the Bill. Building upon the inputs and recommendations by members of the National Assembly, the competent bodies of the National Assembly and the Government have coordinated to complete the Bill for further consideration and adoption by the National Assembly in the 13th Session of the 13th National Assembly. On the 21st June 2012, the National Assembly passed Viet Nam Law of the Sea with almost unanimous approval (99.8%).

Viet Nam Law of the Sea consists of 7 Chapters and 55 Articles: Chapter 1: General rules Seven articles regulate the scope, application of the law, interpretation of words, principles of maritime management and protection, maritime management and protection policy, international maritime cooperation and State’s maritime administration. a. Article 1 states that the scope covers the baseline, internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, islands, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos under the sovereignty, sovereign right and jurisdiction of Viet Nam; activities in the sea of Viet Nam; development of the sea economy, management and protection of the sea and islands. Affirmation of Viet Nam’s sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos in the Laws is the continuity of Viet Nam’s unswerving position on this issue, clearly stated in Resolution on ratification of UNCLOS and the 2003 National Boundary Law by the National Assembly. b. With respect to principles and policies for management and protection of the sea, the Law says that maritime management and protection are consistently carried out in accordance with Vietnamese laws, the UN Charter and other international conventions, to which the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is a party. c. The Law continues to affirm the consistent policy of Viet Nam to resolve the disputes related to the sea and islands with other countries by peaceful means in compliance with the 1982 UNCLOS, international laws and practices. The State of Viet Nam promotes maritime international cooperation with countries, regional and international organizations, covering a series of concrete areas of maritime and oceanographic cooperation. d. Regarding maritime management mechanism, it is a big and complicated work pertinent to various ministries, agencies and localities across the country. To ensure the principle of unified, consistent and effective maritime management, the Law specifies that the Government is responsible to conduct unified nationwide State’s maritime management; ministries, ministerial

equivalent agencies, People’s Committees of coastal provinces and cities under the central administration shall conduct State’s maritime management within their obligations and rights.

Chapter 2: Viet Nam’s sea: This chapter contains 14 articles covering the determination of baseline, the legal regime of waters within Viet Nam’s jurisdiction (contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf ), islands and archipelagos and island legal regimes. a. Covering the baseline, the Law specifies that the baseline used to determine the breadth of the territorial sea of Viet Nam is straight baseline as proclaimed by the Government. Our baseline currently extends from Con Co Island to Tho Chu Island. For a number or areas where the baselines have not been determined such as the Tonkin Gulf and the Truong Sa, Hoang Sa archipelagos, the Government is responsible for determining and proclaiming their extend upon adoption by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. .b. The State of Viet Nam currently exercises sovereignty over Viet Nam’s internal waters and territorial sea. Our internal waters are waters enclosed between the coastline and the baseline.

Viet Nam’s territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the breadth of the territorial sea. The airspace, seabed, and subsoil of the interior waters and territorial sea are also under our sovereignty. The State of Viet Nam exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Our exclusive economic zone extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the breadth of the territorial sea. Our continental shelf is determined based on the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin. Where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to 200 nautical miles, the continental shelf extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles. Wherever the outer edge of the continental margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, our continental shelf extends up to a distance of 350 nautical miles according to the provisions stipulated within the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. The State of Viet Nam has conducted actual survey of the seabed, determined the limits of the continental shelf in areas extending over 200 nautical miles in accordance with the UNCLOS. In 2009, the Government of Viet Nam submitted a report on the extended continental shelf of Viet Nam in 2 areas to the Commission on the Limits of the continental shelf for consideration.

In accordance with the UNCLOS, the Laws allow for foreign ships to enjoy the right of innocent passage through our territorial sea. Foreign military vessels must notify Viet Nam of innocent passage when crossing Viet Nam’s territorial sea. The Law of the Sea of Viet Nam also stipulates freedom of navigation, freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines, and other legal oceanic activities by other countries within Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone, as well as the freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines on Viet Nam’s continental shelf. The exercise of the rights and activities are in line with the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, other international commitments of which Viet Nam is a member and also the Law of the Sea of Viet Nam. c. For islands, archipelagos, the Law of the Sea of Viet Nam affirms that the State of Viet Nam exercises sovereignty over Viet Nam’s islands and archipelagos. In compliance with Article 121 of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Law of the Sea of Viet Nam regulates that islands suitable for human habitation or economic life of their own shall have internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

Chapter 3: Operations in Viet Nam’s sea This chapter contains 20 Articles regulating the innocent passage, the related duties, sea lanes and traffic separation schemes.

The Law of the Sea of Viet Nam clearly regulates acts which foreign vessels are forbidden to engage in when crossing our territorial sea. Specifically, any threat or use of force against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of Viet Nam; or any threat or use of force against the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of other States; or any manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nation; any exercise and practice with weapons of any kind; any act aimed at collecting information to the prejudice of the defense or security of Viet Nam; the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device; the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the customs, fiscal immigration or sanitary laws and regulations of Viet Nam; any act of willful and serious pollution, any unauthorized activities, the carrying out of research or survey and explanation activities, etc. foreign vessels must respect Viet Nam’s regulations related to the safety of navigation; protection of navigational aids and facilities, of cables and pipeline, the conservation of the living resources of

the sea, the preservation of the sea environment.

The Law also clearly states that the Government publishes sea lanes and traffic separation schemes in its internal water, and when necessary establish temporary ban or limitation zones within Viet Nam’s territorial sea. The Law also regulates that submarines and other underwater vehicles, when in Viet Nam’s internal water, territorial sea, are required to navigate on the surface. In this Chapter, the Law also contains provisions relating to issues of search and rescue, preservation of resources of the sea and the environment, oceanography, specifying prohibited acts such as threat against the sovereignty, security and defense of Viet Nam, unauthorized exploitation of resources, installation or use of equipment, facilities, digging, drilling, specific research, unauthorized possession use, and trading of explosives, harmful substances, trafficking in persons, piracy, unauthorized broadcasting.

Chapter 4: Maritime economic development This chapter contains 5 Articles regulating the principles of maritime development, prioritized maritime economic sectors, maritime economic development planning, investment promotion and incentives for maritime economic development on islands and maritime operations.

The principles of maritime economic development are to serve national construction and socio - economic development, aligned with the course of national sovereignty protection, defend, security and maritime order and safety, meet the demand for maritime resources management and environment protection and serve the socio - economic development plans of coastal provinces and islands. The Law of the Sea of Viet Nam stipulates that the State gives priorities to such maritime sectors as exploration, production and processing oil and gas, and the other maritime mineral resources; maritime transportation, sea port, ship building and repairs, means of maritime transport and other maritime services; maritime tourism and island economic development; production; cultivation and seafood processing; development, studies, application and transfer of science and technology of maritime exploration and development as well as maritime manpower development.

The Law of the Sea of Viet Nam is a fundamental law on Viet Nam’s sea.

Apart from it, we issued specialized laws such as the Law on Oil and Gas and the Law on Fishery. The specific content of maritime sectors is regulated in those specialized laws.

Chapter 5: Maritime patrol and control On the maritime patrol and control forces, mandates and scope of responsibility for maritime patrol and control.

The Law clearly stipulates forces authorized for maritime patrol and control.

Those include the People’s Navy, Maritime Police, Border Guard, and the People’s Police, military units based on islands and archipelagoes, patrol and control forces for customs, fishery, transportation, environment, health and quarantine. Those forces operate in accordance with their mandates stipulated in the Vietnamese laws and are equipped with particular flags, uniforms, and badges. Apart from the special forces, authorities will mobilize quasi-special forces if it is necessary.

Chapter 6: Handling violations This Chapter includes 4 Articles on escort and venue to handle violations, measures of proceedings, handling violations and penalties to address violations by foreigners in order to ensure smooth coordination among competent authorities responsible for handling violations of the Law of the Sea of Viet Nam in accordance with the Vietnamese laws.

Chapter 7: Provisions of enforcement The Law of the Sea of Viet Nam shall enter into force on 1st January 2013.

The Government will issue guidelines on enforcement of the Law. The approval of the Law of the Sea of Viet Nam is an important legislative activity to improve the legal framework pertinent to Viet Nam’s sea and islands. This is the first time Viet Nam has issued a law that fully stipulates regulations on territorial waters and islands under Viet Nam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS. This lays an important legal foundation for management, protection and development of maritime and island economy of Viet Nam. By adopting the Law of the Sea, we have accomplished the mandate assigned by the 9th National Assembly on complementing the national law in accordance with the 1982 UNCLOS and for the interest of Viet Nam. Along with affirming peaceful resolutions to dispute at sea and islands, the State of Viet Nam has sent an important message to the whole world that Viet Nam is a responsible member of the international community, respects the international laws, particularly the international treaties including the 1982 UNCLOS, to which Viet Nam is a party and Viet Nam is striving for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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

China holds landing exercises in disputed seas BEIJING: China’s increasingly powerful navy paid a symbolic visit to the country’s southernmost territorial claim deep in the South China Sea this week as part of military drills in the disputed Spratly Islands involving amphibious landings and aircraft. The visit to James Shoal, reported by state media, followed several days of drills starting Saturday and marked a high-profile show of China’s determination to stake its claim to territory disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei amid rising tensions in the region.

Sailors joined in the ceremony Tuesday aboard the amphibious ship Jinggangshan just off the collection of submerged rocks, located 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Malaysia and about 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) from the Chinese mainland, the official Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

China planted a monument on the shoal in 2010 declaring it Chinese territory.

Sailors gathered on the ship’s helicopter deck declared their loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and vowed to “struggle arduously to realize the dream of a powerful nation,” Xinhua said. The four-

ship task force is headed next to the Pacific Ocean for deep-sea exercises via the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan and the Philippines, Xinhua said.

The exercises and visit to James Shoal did not encroach on any islands where neighboring countries have any substantial presence and drew no immediate response from them, but took place in an area with a complicated patchwork of overlapping claims. The maneuvers were an important, symbolic declaration of Chinese sovereignty intended to show that Beijing will not waver over its territorial claims despite pushback in the region, said Peking University international relations expert Zhu Feng.

Militarily, it means little since the navy has visited a number of times before and has no intention of basing troops near the remote shoal, he said.

“These recent naval operations can be seen as a strong indication of Chinese resolve, but they’re also a continuation of the existing Chinese stance,” Zhu said. The Spratlys and other South China Sea island groups are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. China and Vietnam have also begun experimental drilling

in the area in hopes of tapping a suspected wealth of oil and gas, further exacerbating frictions that date back decades and have from time to time flared into military action.

China battled Vietnam for control of territory in the region as recently as 1988, and clashes between its naval forces and fishermen from Vietnam and elsewhere are frequently reported. In the latest incident, Vietnam accused the Chinese navy of setting fire to the cabin aboard a Vietnamese fishing boat last week off the disputed Paracel Islands north of the Spratlys. Hanoi said it filed a formal complaint with the Chinese embassy and is demanding compensation and punishment of the sailors involved.

Beijing responded indignantly on Tuesday, saying its sailors had merely fired flares to drive Vietnamese boats from an area where it said they were fishing illegally. The navy denied causing any damage to the Vietnamese boats.

China’s increasingly assertive defense of its claims in the area has sparked a backlash from Vietnam, the Philippines and others. Those countries have turned to the region’s traditional dominant power, the US, as

a counterweight, adding momentum to Washington’s renewed focus on security ties in the Asia-Pacific, a strategic pivot viewed by Beijing as part of an effort to encircle it and stymie its development.

Along with maintaining garrisons on territory it claims, China has stepped up patrols by both its navy and ships from civilian maritime agencies that were recently consolidated into a single department along the lines of the US Coast Guard.

The naval task force taking part in the latest drills consists of the Jinggangshan, the destroyer Lanzhou, and the missile frigates Yulin and Hengshui, among China’s most modern and capable naval ship, according to an online report by the official People’s Daily newspaper. The drills on and around Johnson Reef and other Chinese-garrisoned islands and outcroppings involved hovercraft, ship-born helicopters, amphibious tanks, and land-based fighters, bombers and early warning aircraft, it said. Photos accompanying the report showed hovercraft setting off from the Jinggangshan and troops in lifejackets storming a beach. — AP

N Korea cuts key military hotline N Korea puts artillery forces at top combat posture

NAYPYIDAW: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (in yellow) and Deputy Border Affairs Minister Maj Gen Zaw Win (left) attend Myanmar’s 68th anniversary celebrations of Armed Forces Day, in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, yesterday. — AP

Myanmar showcases army might as violence spreads NAYPYIDAW: Aung San Suu Kyi joined Myanmar’s generals at an annual military parade for the first time yesterday as the army put on a show of strength in the face of spreading sectarian bloodshed. Her symbol-laden appearance at the Armed Forces Day parade in the capital Naypyidaw underscored the country’s startling transformation since the former junta ceded power to a reformist government two years ago. It comes as President Thein Sein grapples with deadly Buddhist-Muslim violence that has left 40 people dead in the past week and prompted the former general to declare a state of emergency and send out troops to restore order.

Just hours after the parade, a mosque and Muslim homes were destroyed by hundreds of people in the town of Zeegone about 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of the country’s main city Yangon, according to police and local residents. “Soldiers and police fired warning shots into the air to disperse the mob,” a resident told AFP by telephone. Activists have expressed disappointment that Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate who was locked up for 15 years by the former junta, has remained largely silent about several episodes of sectarian bloodshed since last year.

Suu Kyi was given a front row seat for the parade, which involved thousands of troops as well as military vehicles-some carrying missiles-rolling through the regime’s purpose-built capital as fighter jets soared overhead. The pro-democracy leader was seen chatting with generals including Zaw Win, deputy minister for border affairs. The dissident-turned-lawmaker’s relationship with the army has come under scrutiny as she prepares for elections in 2015, and her presence at the parade will be seen as a sign of warming ties with the military.

Asked why Suu Kyi chose to watch the parade, a spokesman for her National League for Democracy (NLD) party would only say: “She attended as she was invited.”

Suu Kyi’s father, the country’s late inde-

pendence hero Aung San, created the army and led the struggle against British colonial rule. In January Suu Kyi admitted she remained “fond” of the military, despite a litany of allegations that it has committed rights abuses in Myanmar’s ethnic conflicts, including rape and torture in northern Kachin State.

A controversial 2008 constitution crafted by the former junta-currently being reviewed by parliament-reserves 25 percent of parliamentary seats for armed forces personnel. The country’s army chief yesterday reaffirmed the military’s involvement in politics. Speaking to about 6,000 troops, senior general Min Aung Hlaing said the military performs a “role in the national politics in accordance with the people’s desire when the nation faces ethnic conflicts or political struggles.” He added: “ We will keep on marching to strengthen the democratic path wished by the people.” The communal clashes are a stark reminder of the challenge that Muslim-Buddhist tensions pose to Myanmar’s government as it tries to reform the country after decades of iron-fisted military rule. Last year two outbreaks of violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced. The apparent trigger for the latest unrest was an argument in a gold shop a week ago in central Myanmar that turned into an escalating riot during which mosques were burned, houses razed and charred bodies left lying in the streets.

But observers note that the violence appears to be well organised. UN envoy Vijay Nambiar, who recently visited the riothit town of Meiktila, told reporters on Tuesday that Muslim homes had been targeted with “brutal efficiency”. A dusk-todawn curfew has been imposed in several towns in central Myanmar as the authorities struggle to quell violence that has prompted the United States to warn against travelling to parts of the country. — AFP

Strong earthquake injures 86 in Taiwan TAIPEI: A strong earthquake killed one person and injured at least 86 others in Taiwan yesterday as violent shock waves damaged buildings and triggered two blazes, emergency officials said. The US Geological Survey measured the quake at magnitude 6.0 and said it struck at 10:03 am (0203 GMT), 48 kilometres (30 miles) east of Nantou county in central Taiwan at a depth of 20.7 kilometres. Taiwan’s central weather bureau put the magnitude at 6.1, saying it was the largest quake this year and was felt across the island. Five aftershocks measuring from 3.7-4.3 in magnitude occurred in the two hours after the main tremor, it said.

The national fire agency said a 72-year-old woman at a temple in Nantou was struck by a wall that crumbled during the quake and died on the spot. Eighty-six others were slightly injured mostly by falling rocks and other objects during the quake in the same county and the nearby Changhua and Taichung areas.

The quake also triggered two fires in houses in Nantou and Taichung that injured one person and had since been extinguished, it said.

The agency received five reports of people trapped in lifts during the quake but they had all found their way to safety. Cable news channel SET TV showed footage of one woman in Nantou being carried to an ambulance after she was hit in the head by fragments of a ceiling in a government building that came loose

during the quake.

“I was scared and nervous as the quake reminded me of the deadly September 21 earthquake in 1999, and luckily this one stopped quickly,” said Chen Shao-sheng, who works for the private Show Chwan hospital in Nantou. Nantou county was the epicentre of a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 21, 1999 that killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s recent history.

Taiwan’s high speed rail and railway had temporarily suspended trains for safety reasons, reportedly affecting more than 30,000 passengers while the metro system in the capital Taipei was also briefly halted. Many buildings in Taipei swayed while television footage showed some school children in Nantou screaming and fleeing their classrooms during the quake. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is on track to take delivery of 12 anti-submarine aircraft from the United States by mid-2015, a report said yesterday, as it seeks to beef up its naval defences against China. Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Hsu Pei-shan spelt out the timeframe when asked by a lawmaker about a possible delay in the delivery of the aircraft, the state Central News Agency reported. —Agencies

SEOUL: Raising tensions with South Korea yet again, North Korea cut a military hotline that has been essential in operating the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation: an industrial complex in the North that employs hundreds of workers from the South. There was no immediate word about what cutting one of the few remaining official North-South links would mean for South Korean workers who were at the Kaesong industrial complex. When the link was last cut, in 2009, many South Koreans were stranded in the North.

The hotline shutdown is the latest of many threats and provocative actions from North Korea, which is angry over US-South Korean military drills and recent UN sanctions punishing it for its Feb 12 nuclear test. In a statement announcing the shutdown, the North repeated its claim that war may break out any moment.

Outside North Korea, Pyongyang’s actions are seen in part as an effort to spur dormant diplomatic talks to wrest outside aid, and to strengthen internal loyalty to young leader Kim Jong Un and build up his military credentials. South Korean officials said that about 750 South Koreans were in Kaesong yesterday, and that the two Koreas had normal communications earlier in the day over the hotline when South Korean workers traveled back and forth to the factory park as scheduled.

Workers at Kaesong could also be contacted directly by phone from South Korea yesterday. A South Korean worker for Pyxis, a company that produces jewelry cases at Kaesong, said in a phone interview that he was worried about a possible delay in production if cross-border travel is banned again.

“That would make it hard for us to bring in materials and ship out new products,” said the worker, who wouldn’t provide his name because of company rules. The worker, who has been in Kaesong since Monday, said he wasn’t scared.

“It’s all right. I’ve worked and lived with tension here for eight years now. I’m used to it,” he said.

Pyongyang’s action was announced in a message that North Korea’s chief delegate to inter Korean military talks sent to his South Korean counterpart. Seoul’s Unification Ministry called the move an “unhelpful measure for the safe operation of the Kaesong complex.” North Korea

POCHEON: A South Korean army K1 tank fires live rounds during an exercise at Seungjin Fire Training Field in mountainous Pocheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea yesterday. — AP recently cut a Red Cross hotline with South Korea and another with the US-led UN command at the border between the Koreas. The Unification Ministry said only three telephone hotlines remain between the North and South, and those are used only for exchanging information about air traffic.

Kaesong is operated in North Korea with South Korean money and know-how and a mostly North Korean work force. It provides badly needed hard currency in North Korea, where many face food shortages. Other examples of joint inter-Korean cooperation have come and gone. The recently ended five-year tenure of hard-line South Korean President Lee Myungbak saw North-South relations plunge. Lee ended an essentially no-strings-attached aid policy to the North.

North Korea last cut the Kaesong line in 2009, as a protest to that year’s South Korean-US military drills. North Korea refused several times to let South Korean workers commute to and from their jobs, leaving hundreds stranded in North Korea. The country restored the hotline and reopened the border crossing more than a week later, after the drills were over.

Shinwon Group, a South Korean apparel maker with a factory at Kaesong, said it would call its

workers today morning to check on them.

Shinwon’s South Korean employees stay in Kaesong for two weeks before returning to Seoul. Workers at Kaesong talked by phone with the Seoul office yesterday morning, but there was nothing unusual about the call, said spokesman Lee Eun-suk.

Lee said that the last time the phone line was cut off between Kaesong and Seoul, it was “inconvenient” but did not affect business. North Korea’s actions have been accompanied by threatening rhetoric, including a vow to launch a nuclear strike against the United States and a repeat of its nearly two-decade-old threat to reduce Seoul to a “sea of fire.” Outside weapons analysts, however, have seen no proof that the country has mastered the technology needed to build a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile.

In a sign of heightened anxiety, Seoul briefly bolstered its anti-infiltration defense posture after a South Korean border guard hurled a hand grenade and opened fire at a moving object several hours before sunrise yesterday. South Korean troops later searched the area but found no signs of infiltration, and officials believe the guard may have seen a wild animal, according to Seoul’s Defense Ministry. — AP

S Korean prez stumbles in first month on job SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s honeymoon was over before it even began. Only a month on the job, Park has stumbled repeatedly in the face of bitter opposition to policy proposals and her choices for top government posts.

Half a dozen cabinet appointees have quit under fire. The latest is Han Man-soo, who withdrew his nomination for antitrust chief Monday amid allegations he stashed millions of dollars overseas to avoid taxes. Other claims that have brought down Park appointees include real estate speculation, a sex-for-influence scandal, bribery and links to an arms broker.

“A couple of flops would’ve been acceptable, but having a total of six failures in the first few months means that the problem lies with her style,” said Lee Cheol-hee, head of the Dumon Political Strategy Institute, a think tank in Seoul.

“She seems to think she can just hand down a list of people she prefers, without thinking hard about whether those people’s credentials and ethical records fit the jobs they will be handling.”

Critics also complain that she’s still short on specifics about how to deal with pressing issues including an increasingly belligerent North Korea and serious domestic anxiety about fewer stable jobs, heavy household debt and a wide income gap. Park on Monday acknowledged the setbacks but said they should only make her administration more determined. “Because the launch of the new government has been delayed by one month, we should work harder to fulfill our vision,” she said.

The presidential Blue House did not answer calls seeking additional comment. The troubles of the country’s first female president have a lot to do with the fiercely divided political and social landscape in this still relatively young and rambunctious democracy. She also carries the heavy historical baggage of being the daughter of a dictator whose legacy still divides South Koreans.

The 61-year-old president, who was elected in December and inaugurated Feb 25, has long

DAEJEON: South Korean President Park Geun-hye delivers a speech during the third anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean naval war ship “Cheonan,” at the National Cemetery in Daejeon, South Korea. — AP faced claims of being aloof and an “imperial” tem of screening appointees, and said whoever decision-maker. The genesis of this criticism vetted the failed candidates should be held comes from her upbringing. She is the eldest responsible.

Park spent much of her first month in office child of late President Park Chung-hee, who led South Korea for 18 years in the 1960s and ‘70s negotiating with opposition lawmakers over an and is both denounced for human rights abuses ambitious government reorganization plan that and praised as a strong leader. She grew up in aims to focus on science and economic growth. the Blue House and served as her father’s first An agreement was reached only last week, more lady for the last five years of his rule, after her than 50 days after Park’s party floated the promother was killed in 1974 by an assassin who posal.

Her economic team met for the first time said he was sent by North Korea.

“When her father ruled, no one questioned since her inauguration only on Monday, and critthe president’s picks,” Lee said. “But things have ics said there was little other than promises of changed since. It’s like Park is driving a car with a major policy goals and specific plans in coming navigator system that has only decades-old days and weeks. Her economic policies include maps.” Even Park’s own ruling Saenuri Party has buzzwords like “economic democratization” and been critical. A spokesman called for a better sys- “creative economy.” —AP

NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BERLIN: A buttercup (Eranthis hyemalis) blossoms through the spring snow in the ‘Gardens of the World’ yesterday.— AFP

BRICS fails to launch bank to counter...

Continued from Page 1 Officially leaders had been expected to consider the bank’s establishment, but South Africa and others had hoped to formally launch a $50 billion infrastructure fund at the two-day summit. The mooted bank is seen as a way of gaining influence on the world stage, countering Europe’s dragging economic crisis and addressing the $4.5 trillion in infrastructure spending the BRICS are estimated to need over the next five years. Instead of a $50 billion fund, BRICS leaders agreed only that the initial capital contribution would be “substantial and sufficient for the bank to be effective”. Key sticking points included how projects would be distributed and where the bank would be based, diplomats said.

Russian envoy to Africa Mikhail Margelov told AFP his country had pushed for a more incremental approach to establishing the bank. “We believe in a step by step way

of doing business,” he said, “we better talk about projects and then we talk about needed amounts of money.” The outcome of the summit will fuel suspicions that a grouping as diverse as BRICS will struggle to take concrete action to back up demands for a say in world affairs that reflects their growing clout.

Despite the BRICS’ failure to sign off on a deal, leaders insisted the grouping will be a force in world politics.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who underscored the growing importance his country attached to the group by making Durban his first summit destination in his new role as head of state, admitted the BRICS countries had a long road ahead. “The potential of BRICS development is infinite,” he said, adding “the real potential of BRICS cooperation is yet to be realised.” Together the BRICS economies account for 25 percent of global output and 40 percent of the world’s population.

Leaders hailed a slew of accords reached at the sum-

mit, including progress toward establishing a $100 billion virtual reserve fund to fight potential liquidity crises.

The “Contingent Reserve Arrangement” would function much like the International Monetary Fund’s credit lines, which act as deterrents against speculation as they are funds which can be drawn upon in crises. The group also discussed a high-capacity 28,400 km fibre-optic cable between the BRICS countries to “remove dependency on developed countries as interconnection points”. “We have firmly established BRICS as a credible and constructive grouping in our quest to forge a new paradigm of global relations and cooperation,” said Zuma.

The group also flexed its muscles on foreign policy, warning against mooted military action against Iran and calling on Syria’s leaders to admit humanitarian workers.

“We are concerned about threats of military action as well as unilateral sanctions,” the leaders said amid US and Israeli warnings they will not tolerate a nuclear-

armed Iran. In an apparent about-face for Russia and China, the BRICS also called for humanitarian workers to be allowed to have unimpeded access to Syria. Syria has so far refused to allow UN and aid groups into opposition areas, a stance Russia in particular has backed as part of its support for Bashar Al-Assad.

According to Glenn Ho, of consultancy KPMG, some of the less high profile decisions at the summit could have a real and lasting impact. “There was good intent and I think that the establishment of a BRICS Business Council will help propel things in between summits.”

Echoing the BRICS’ growing confidence, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said the summit came “at a point in time that is marked by deep economic changes, sweeping changes, which have made our BRICS nations key stakeholders and players.” The next BRICS summit will be in Brazil in 2014, but leaders will meet in Russia on the margins of the G20 in September. — AFP

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ANALYSIS

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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Issues

Knox case could pit treaty against US constitution

By Terry Baynes he possibility that American Amanda Knox could be convicted of murder and extradited to Italy for punishment could force US courts to enter legal territory that is largely uncharted, legal experts said. Italy’s top court on Tuesday ordered the retrial of Knox, 25, for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher. The move potentially pits a US constitutional ban on double jeopardy, or being tried twice for the same offense after an acquittal, against international extradition agreements, experts said. The issue hinges on whether a lower court decision overturning her conviction amounted to an acquittal, they said.

If Knox is retried after she was acquitted, that would violate her constitutional rights, said Christopher Blakesley, a law professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas who specializes in international criminal law. On the other hand, the United States entered into an extradition treaty and, in doing so, accepted Italy’s criminal justice system, he added. “If Knox is found guilty, there’s still a whole lot of room for battle before she would ever be extradited,” Blakesley said.

Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were accused of killing 21-year-old Meredith Kercher during a drug-fuelled sexual encounter in Perugia, Italy. The two were found guilty in 2009 and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison respectively. In 2011, an appeals court, comprised of a panel of judges and lay jurors, overturned the convictions of Knox and Sollecito after forensic experts challenged evidence from the original trial. Knox and Sollecito were released after four years in prison, and Knox returned to her family home near Seattle.

Prosecutors and Kercher family lawyers appealed to Italy’s high court, the Court of Cassation, calling the prior ruling “contradictory and illogical”. On Tuesday, the Court of Cassation agreed to overturn the appeals court’s acquittals. The high court has not yet provided a full reasoning for its decision, and a date has not yet been set for the new trial, which will be held before a different court of appeals in Florence. Knox’s Italian lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said via email that the new trial would likely occur in late 2013 or early 2014. Knox does not intend to return to Italy for the proceeding, he said, and the court of appeals can retry the case in absentia.

The Italian government could ask for extradition once the Italian courts have reached a final decision, Dalla Vedova said. If it does, the US Department of State would then have to decide whether to act on the request. If the State Department chooses to comply, it would then deploy the US Attorney’s Office to a US court to seek Knox’s extradition. What is unpredictable is how such a case would play out in front of a U.S. judge who would have to weigh the US constitutional protection against double jeopardy with the 1984 bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and Italy. The treaty contains a provision that attempts to protect against double jeopardy, but it is not clear whether that provision would bar extradition in Knox’s case.

The legal question would be whether Knox was acquitted, as US courts would define the term, or whether the case was merely reversed and still open for further appeal, said criminal lawyer and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz. “It’s very complicated, and there’s no clear answer. It’s in the range of unpredictable,” Dershowitz said.

Much of the complication stems from the differences between the Italian and US legal systems. In the United States, if a defendant is acquitted, the case cannot be retried.

In Italy, prosecutors and lawyers for interested parties, such as Kercher’s family, can file an appeal. Unlike American courts of appeal, which only consider legal errors in the courts below, Italian courts of appeal, which are comprised of both judges and jurors, can reconsider the facts of a case. Depending on the Italian high court’s reason for overturning Knox’s acquittal, it is possible that the court of appeals could consider new evidence that’s introduced, said Dalla Vedova. As a result, a defendant can effectively be retried in the course of one case in Italy.

Dalla Vedova said the high court’s decision does not raise a double jeopardy problem because the retrial would not be a new case but rather a continuation of the same case on appeal. Other defendants who have been acquitted in other countries and then convicted on appeal have attempted to raise the double jeopardy principle to avoid extradition, without much success, said Mary Fan, a law professor at the University of Washington who specializes in cross-border criminal law.— Reuters

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After pact, much still divides the Sudans

By Hereward Holland outh Sudan’s deal to sell oil to Swiss-based trader Trafigura, made public yesterday, shows how new detente with Sudan may revive trade, but much can yet derail a pact meant to stifle hostility along their disputed border. Landlocked South Sudan, independent since 2011 after decades of civil war, is to resume oil exports it shut off 14 months ago in a dispute over transit fees with Sudan’s government in Khartoum. The Trafigura deal, to pump crude to Sudan’s Red Sea terminal at Port Sudan, is a mark of its intent.

But among threats to the agreement the two Sudans signed this month to pull troops back from the frontier is a rebellion on the northern side that has long soured relations. Khartoum accuses South Sudan leaders in Juba of backing the revolt. They deny it and in turn accuse Sudan of backing rebels in the South.And both sides also face pressure from local constituencies along the roughly 2,000km border. For instance, South Sudanese villagers within a new demilitarised zone fear cattle-raiders and militias might exploit any security vacuum, possibly pressuring politicians in Juba to send troops back in.

“If anything happens, then I think we shall be coming back because the monitors and the international community are not around,” said Koang Chol, commander of the South’s withdrawing forces in the border town of Jau, as he stood on the abandoned trenches watching the troops pull back. In the short term, the promise of petrodollars have lured the two sides - whose relationship is chiefly defined by mistrust, belligerence and brinkmanship - to make a deal that will ease crippling austerity measures and drastically reduce the incentive to return to war, analysts and diplomats say.

Landlocked South Sudan produced about 350,000 barrels of oil per day after independence, about three-quarters of Sudan’s pre-partition total, but shut down its entire industry in January last year during a row with Khartoum over fees. The loss of oil revenues, the dominant source of state income and the foreign currency both Sudans use to import food and fuel, stoked sharp depreciations of their currencies and roaring inflation that hit their conflict-weary populations. It also strained the patronage networks which ruling parties in both countries rely on to maintain their grip on power and which depended largely on oil money.

“Both sides were under pressure to refill their coffers,” said Sara Pantuliano, from the Overseas Development Institute, a British think-tank. “Oil is very important. It can keep the two sides together if they keep their demands reasonable.”

South Sudan split from Sudan in July 2011, the culmination of a 2005 peace accord that settled many decades of civil war, but many issues relating to independence remain unresolved. Many hoped mutual dependence on oil fees would keep the two sides from outright conflict. But after Juba shut down its output six months after secession, the two came close to all-out war over the Heglig oilfield on the border in April last year.

African Union-brokered talks appeared moribund but a breakthrough came this month when the two sides agreed to a timeframe to implement economic, security and territorial deals they had signed in September but never carried out.

In the last few months spiralling inflation in Sudan and dwindling cash reserves in the South have made both governments nervous - and more receptive to cutting a deal with the other. But there are plenty of potential spoilers. A few miles south of the abandoned garrison town of Jau, residents aired their misgivings that militias could exploit the absence of South Sudan’s army (SPLA) to raid villages: “My fear is that if they hear the SPLA has withdrawn from that area they will come and kill,” said Mialual Jau, a local chief. “We need a peacekeeping force that can protect civilians.”

The two Sudans have agreed to maintain unarmed police in a Safe Demilitarised Border Zone and allow 1,126 United Nations peacekeepers to protect a joint team of 90 border monitors. But that will scarcely cover a ribbon of land, 20 km wide, running the length of the 2,000-km frontier. “That’s a small fraction of what’s required to monitor both sides of the border,” said Jonah Leff, a regional analyst for the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey.

Diplomats, academics and analysts also say the rebellion in Sudan’s southern states bordering the South could yet unravel the deal with the South, although Khartoum has been more conciliatory toward the rebels since signing the pact with Juba. Fighters once allied to South Sudan’s rebels during the civil war have been battling Sudan’s army in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since the South finally broke away. In a rare press conference on Tuesday, Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Taha invited rebels to take part in drafting a new constitution for the country, noting that the agreement with the South made such participation easier.

But the outgoing British ambassador to South Sudan,

S

Alastair McPhail, said the deal could yet be undermined if Khartoum insists Juba is supporting the rebellion: “South Sudan will be extremely frustrated if, as a result of any perception that they are continuing to help, that the oil doesn’t flow,” he said. Domestic politics could also hinder progress, as leaders under pressure from hardliners within their own constituencies who do not want to see peace with their neighbouring country. “History suggests the

consistent incursions and confrontations around the border will not stop, and it’s hard to see how a peaceful relationship can emerge without that, at the very least as a starting point,” said Matthew LeRiche, a fellow at the London School of Economics. “Even if some accommodation is found in the short term, a relationship based only in the mutual desperation for oil money is not a very strong basis for sustainable peace longer-term.” — Reuters

Man with key to Italy crisis will soon retire vote in February but failed to secure enough support to govern alone, is currently trying to garner enough backing from he chaos and uncertainty following Italy’s parliamentary other groups to win a vote of confidence in parliament as election last month is compounded by the imminent prime minister. His chances are slim and his own party leadretirement of the one man who has any chance of solv- ership is on the line. Bersani won the election by a whisker, ing the crisis, President Giorgio Napolitano. A wave of sup- claiming a victor’s bonus of seats that gives him firm control port for the populist 5-Star Movement produced an electoral of the lower house. But he is short of a majority in the powerearthquake in the Feb 24-25 poll, shaking the traditional ful Senate.

His repeated overtures to Grillo have been rebuffed with political system to its foundations and creating an enormous headache for the head of state, who combines figurehead insults, and Bersani rejects Berlusconi’s demands that he functions with the key power of appointing governments. instead form a left-right grand coalition with the scandalThe outcome has created a perfect impasse, with none of the tainted media magnate - something many on the left believe three biggest parliamentary groups capable of governing would haemorrhage even more of their votes to 5-Star.

Bersani will report back to Napolitano alone and fiercely at loggerheads with today, six days after the president asked each other - not just over a ruling coalition, him to try and form a coalition. He has but over who should succeed Napolitano. been seeking passive support from indiDespite cries of alarm from both business vidual members of other parties for a limitbosses and trade unions over an economy ed reform program so that they would drifting deeper into trouble, the parties refrain from voting against him in a confihave been unable to agree on anything dence vote. and are already into campaign mode for If Bersani fails, Napolitano is expected another vote which could come within to try to appoint a technocrat-type govmonths. “There is no time left. We are very ernment like the one he created under the close to the end,” said employers’ leader now outgoing prime minister Mario Monti Giorgio Squinzi, saying businesses were in Nov 2011, when he replaced Berlusconi desperate, soaring unemployment was as Italy faced a perilous debt crisis. tragic and the euro zone’s third largest Ironically, given Napolitano’s imminent economy needed a stable, effective govretirement, such an administration is ernment. known as a “president’s government” At stake are not just Italy’s fortunes but, because it relies on the personal authority potentially, the wider euro project, as Giorgio Napolitano of the head of state. The difference from the Rome grapples with massive public debts.

If there is a person in Italy capable of solving this puzzle it is Monti administration is that Napolitano would not be around Napolitano, a former communist in his late 80s with a long to give vital support to the premier, making the survival of lifetime of political experience who enjoys enormous respect. such a government uncertain.

Adding to the problems, a technocrat government would He is holding the line against a snap new election, which would probably resolve nothing and could make the situa- itself have to win a confidence vote from a broad right-left tion worse if held under the same, deeply flawed electoral alliance like the one that collapsed in December and brought Monti down when Berlusconi withdrew support. Napolitano law blamed for much of the present chaos.

But Napolitano’s seven-year term ends in mid-May and himself has said setting up another such administration the divided new parliament must meet by mid-April to elect would be tricky. So far, Bersani has adamantly refused to cut a a successor, raising the prospect that a fragile government new deal with Berlusconi, who he says is totally discredited, appointed by Napolitano will then have to rely almost imme- although this stance risks splitting the centre-left Democratic diately on a completely different and untried head of state to Party because a portion of its members are more open to give the institutional support it will need to stay afloat. “He such an alliance.

Whatever happens, the presidential election remains a might baptise this government but not take it to the altar,” political science professor Filippo Andreatta of Bologna key piece of the jigsaw, with Berlusconi threatening open conflict if Bersani tries to use his greater parliamentary numUniversity said of Napolitano, who will turn 88 in June.

Because of the dangers of a relative novice trying to bers to install another leftist like Napolitano. On the other supervise a highly complicated political situation, Napolitano hand, some kind of a deal over the presidency might ease is under pressure to extend his term, something he has negotiations on a government between Bersani and repeatedly rejected, citing his advancing years. As he put it at Berlusconi. The media magnate is widely believed to want a friendly face in Rome’s Quirinale Palace, the seat of the presithe weekend: “At the age of 88, overtime is not permitted.”

Yet finding a new president - a process involving a com- dency, to protect him from his many legal problems, includbined vote by both newly elected and fragmented houses ing a current trial on charges of having sex with an underage of parliament - at a time like this, when Italy desperately prostitute. While Bersani is unlikely to accept Berlusconi’s needs at least a few months of stability, looks like a leap in own preferred candidate - thought to be his long-term conthe dark. “There are no readily available people with that sigliere, Gianni Letta - he could put forward a figure with authority on the market right now,” Andreatta said. “There independent and moderate credentials to win centre-right are people who might become authoritative in time - but support.

Names being mentioned in that context are veteran centime is not what we have.”

The presidential ballot is not just an unwelcome extra ele- tre-left politician and former premier Giuliano Amato, curment of uncertainty, it is an intrinsic part of the crisis itself, rent technocrat interior minister Anna Maria Cancellieri and with centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi making his agree- former European commissioner Emma Bonino - raising the ment on the new head of state a condition for supporting a prospect of Italy getting its first woman head of state. government and avoiding another national election. But Despite the appearance of an inexorable march toward Berlusconi, centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani and 5-Star another parliamentary election, that would be in the interleader Beppe Grillo are as divided over who should be the ests of few in Italy, with the possible exception of the buoynext president as they are over forming a government. “The ant Grillo, and there are technical problems with holding a presidential election may even exacerbate the crisis,” said very early new vote. Neither politicians nor the electorate want a campaign in the summer; most parties have an interProfessor Gianfranco Pasquino of Johns Hopkins University.

A new vote could in theory come as early as June and est both in changing the electoral law to something less dysalthough that seems unlikely, nobody is betting on a new functional that may also undermine Grillo and in passing othgovernment lasting more than a year, even if it can be er popular reforms, including a cut in a hated housing tax, formed. Bersani, whose bloc took the largest share of the before going back to the voters. — Reuters

By Barry Moody

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Webber’s future in balance LONDON: Red Bull have dismissed reports that Australian Mark Webber is certain to leave the Formula One world champions at the end of the season after Sunday’s Malaysian Grand prix team orders furore.

“It’s pure speculation that Mark will not drive with the team in 2014,” Red Bull said when asked about comments by Webber’s manager Flavio Briatore that he was sure the current lineup would not continue. “Mark’s contract has been renewed for the last few years on an annual basis - he has continually chosen to drive for the team each year and the team has similarly wanted to continue working with him as he is an excellent driver and a competitive racer.

“We are two races into the current season and it’s far too early to be talking about 2014.”

Webber’s future at a team who have won the last three championships has been called into question after Sunday’s race led to a breakdown in trust between the drivers.

World champion Sebastian Vettel overtook Webber, despite being instructed not to by the team because of the need to look after the tyres and save fuel.—Reuters

‘King Happy’ dies at 90

Suspended referee named for World Cup shortlist seminar

OSLO: Norwegian speedskating great Hjalmar Andersen, who won three gold medals in three days to become the most decorated athlete at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, died yesterday only days after celebrating his 90th birthday, his family said.

Known affectionately as “King Happy”, Andersen died in an Oslo hospital after suffering a fall in his home on Monday. Two weeks previously he had said he hoped Norway would win the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and he would be there to watch. Andersen - the only triple gold medallist at the Oslo Games had achieved international renown in 1951 when he won the European 10,000 metre title, despite taking a fall and having to repeat the race after just a brief rest.

Already a world and European champion, Andersen opened a huge lead but fell 7,000 metres into the race when a photographer’s flash, set up near the track, blinded him. Although he got up and tried to continue, the fall damaged his skates and race officials pulled him from the ice. Getting just one hour rest, Andersen raced again, easily winning the 10,000 and receiving his trophy from Norway’s King Haakon, who delayed an official programme so he could watch the repeated race. —Reuters

CAPE TOWN: Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi, suspended by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last month after an error-strewn performance at the African Nations Cup, has been retained on FIFA’s shortlist for next year’s World Cup. Jdidi is among seven prospective World Cup referees from Africa named by FIFA to attend a seminar in Casablanca from April 27-30, the latest in a series of training camps, seminars and tests for those on the Brazil shortlist. Jdidi, 42, was suspended indefinitely after the Nations Cup semi-final where he sent off Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and denied a legitimate looking penalty claim but handed a dubious spot kick to opponents Ghana at Nelspruit, South Africa, on Feb. 6.

His suspension was announced the next day by CAF, who went on to rescind Pitroipa’s red card and allow him to play in the final in an unprecedented bending of the rules after Jdidi wrote a letter admitting he had made an error.

Jdidi has continued to handle matches in Tunisia’s Ligue 1 but has not been used for any international assignments since the suspension.

World Cup candidate refereeing teams from other continents will attend similar seminars in Asuncion, Dubai, Fort Lauderdale and Zurich in April.—Reuters

Deans will consider Smith for Lions tests if he’s eligible SYDNEY: Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will consider selecting George Smith for the British and Irish Lions series later this year if the 110-cap forward’s eligibility is resolved, the New Zealander told Reuters yesterday.

Former test captain Smith has been in spectacular form at openside flanker for the Canberra-based ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby this year after returning to Australia from playing in France and Japan.

Deans had earlier said the 32-yearold was not under consideration, largely because he was still under contract to Japanese club Suntory and therefore ineligible under Australian Rugby Union (ARU) rules. Brumbies coach Jake White is now seeking to extend the player’s loan from Japan, however, and Deans said that would open the door for a Wallabies return.

“If the Brumbies seek permission, that’s the logical progression for sure,” Deans told Reuters by telephone. “It’s always good to have a longer queue of players, there’s no doubt about that, so it would be great to be able to consider him.”

If Smith were to make the Wallabies team for the three matches against the Lions in June and July, he would be facing the tourists in a second series having played in all three of the matches in Australia’s 2-1 win in 2001. “(Experience) is a valuable asset in cauldrons like Lions series, they are the reason the word cauldron developed,” Deans said.

Calls for Smith’s recall have intensified since the hammer blow of a season-ending knee injury to his Brumbies team mate and the man who replaced him in the Wallabies number seven shirt, David Pocock. “David’s been an integral part of our programme for a

long time now, which is remarkable for such a young player,” Deans said of the 24-year-old.

“And he is a remarkable player. He’s had his share of misfortune. It’s a tough pill for him to swallow. Really tough for him and it’s not ideal for us, clearly.”

Deans said he was disappointed by the involvement of Wallabies Kurtley Beale and Cooper Vuna in an altercation on the Melbourne Rebels team bus last weekend, which led to both players being sent home from South Africa.

The players also face disciplinary action from the ARU and Beale, who finished last season playing at flyhalf for the Wallabies, would be a big loss to Australia should he be handed a long ban.

“It’s stuff obviously that we could do without,” Deans said. “What players have to understand, when you compromise people, particularly yourself, you get yourself into a circumstance where you can’t control your destiny. “ That’s the key to mastering your habits so you don’t leave your destiny in other people’s hands. The process will run its course and clearly there will be consequences. “ The Wallabies and the game will have to live with that.” New Zealand’s Chris Pollock , South African Craig Joubert and France’s Romain Poite were named on Tuesday as the referees for the three Lions tests.

Deans said they were the best officials from the neutral nations. “They’re all experienced refs, which is great because that is what we’ll need,” he said. “It’s going to be a very intense series, it’s going to be very physical and just as the decision-making for the playing group will be important, the decision-making of the adjudicators will be important.”—Reuters

Air Arabia Cycling Team wins S Africa’s Cape Rouleur 2013 SHARJAH: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, yesterday announced that its cycling team “Team Air Arabia” has won the amateur team category of Cape Rouleur 2013 multistage race in South Africa.

The airline’s involvement in road cycling is part of wider sports programme aimed to support Athletes across home communities in achieving their sports dream.

Held over four days, the Cape Rouleur covers over 525 kilometres of South Africa’s Western Cape, including more than 6,000 metres of climbing. ‘Team Air Arabia’, sponsored by Air Arabia secured overall first place in the Fastest Amateur Team Categor y, while one of the team members also finished first in his group’s general classification.

The trophies were presented to Team Air Arabia by legendry former Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche (the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia stage races in addition to the World Road Race Championship) and former World Cycling Championships

winner, Maurizio Fondriest.

Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: “In addition to helping promote the sport of road cycling in the region, our participation in this initiative also comes as part of our broader commitment to support communities at home and abroad. Through the success of the cycling team, we have been able to help individual athletes achieve their sport dreams and at the same time to create awareness for charitable projects in the UAE.” As part of its fundraising efforts, Air Arabia presented a team jersey signed by Stephen Roche and Maurizio Fondriest to the Dubai Animal Welfare Society (DAWS). The jersey will be auctioned at a later date to help raise funds for the organisation.

Air Arabia is well known for supporting individual athletes achieving their sports dream. In addition to cycling, Air Arabia supports a number of other sports such as the 2007 Air Arabia World Endurance Challenge, Bahrain Team Air Arabia in 2009, Air Arabia Sailing Adventure in 2010 and Air Arabia Para-Gliding in 2011.

VANCOUVER: Jason Garrison No. 5 of the Vancouver Canucks looks to make a pass while being checked by Matt Calvert No. 11 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period in NHL action at Rogers Arena.—AFP

Penguins, Rangers advance PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby scored the game’s only goal late in the second period as the Pittsburgh Penguins extended their winning streak to 13 with a 1-0 victory over Montreal on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 22 shots he faced but did not play in the third period following a collision in front of the Penguins’ net. Tomas Vokoun filled in and made 15 saves to give Pittsburgh just the fourth combined shutout in franchise history.

Fleur y appeared woozy after getting slammed into by teammate Tyler Kennedy and Montreal’s Brian Gionta late in the second period. He laid on the ice for a moment to collect himself, but did not come out of the dressing room for the third.

Carey Price made 24 saves for the Canadiens, but couldn’t stop Montreal from losing consecutive games for the first time this season. Crosby finally broke through in a tight game with 6:41 remaining in the second period, taking a long lead pass from Chris Kunitz then sending a wrist shot from the right circle over Price’s right shoulder for his 15th goal of the season.

Rangers 5, Flyers 2 In Philadelphia, Rick Nash scored twice, Derek Stepan had a goal and three assists, and New York extended its dominance of Philadelphia.

Brad Richards and Chris Kreider also scored for New York, which has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with Philadelphia. Rangers coach John Tortorella became the 30th coach in NHL history to reach 400 wins, and his team maintained its hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia, which lost for the third time in four games against New York this season and fell further out of the playoff race. The Flyers began the day in 13th place, five points behind the Rangers.

Canucks 1, Blue Jackets In Vancouver, Cory Schneider stopped 17 shots and Maxim Lapierre scored the only goal in a shootout and Vancouver won its fifth straight by defeating Columbus.

Schneider only saw two shots in the first period, but stopped 15 in the final 45 minutes for his seventh career shutout, and third this season. He stopped all three Columbus attempts in the shootout, including Matt Calvert’s deke attempt to clinch the win.

The Canucks moved past Minnesota into third place in the Western Conference, regaining the Northwest Division lead, though the Wild have two games in hand. Sergei Bobrovsky made 34 saves for Columbus, which lost its second in a row but is still on a 7-1-3 run.

Blackhawks 2, Flames 0 In Chicago, Ray Emery made 16 saves for his first shutout in more than three years, defensemen Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook scored, and Chicago snapped a two-game losing streak.

Emery improved to 12-0 in recording his 12th career shutout, and first since Feb. 1, 2010, when he blanked the Flames while with

Philadelphia. Emery was tested several times, but the Blackhawks outshot the Flames 35-16 in sending them to their 10th straight road loss (09-1).

Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2 In Toronto, Joffrey Lupul scored twice in the third period, and Ben Scrivens made 40 saves in Toronto’s victory over Florida.

Lupul scored on a power play 22 seconds into the third to put Toronto ahead 2-1. Florida tied it 23 seconds later when Shawn Matthias banked in the puck off Leafs defenseman Mike Kostka, and Lupul brought the Air Canada Centre crowd to its feet again at 3:12 with his second of the game.

Lupul has six goals in four games since returning from a broken forearm. Scrivens preserved the one-goal lead with a glove save off Tyson Strachan with 7:15 left. Dion Phaneuf also scored for Toronto. Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Florida.

Islanders 3, Capitals 2 In Washington, John Tavares broke a tie with 5:18 left to help New York beat Washington. Matt Moulson forced a turnover by Washington defenseman Mike Green next to the Capitals’ net and fed Tavares in the right circle for his 20th goal of the season. Michael Grabner and Josh Bailey also scored for the Islanders.

Mike Ribeiro and John Carlson scored for Washington. New York’s Evgeni Nabokov made 20 saves. Braden Holtby stopped 28 shots for Washington.

Jets 4, Hurricanes 1 In Raleigh, Evander Kane had a goal and three assists to lead Winnipeg past Carolina. Kane assisted Olli Jokinen’s goal in the first period and

goals by Tobias Enstrom and Alexander Burmistrov in the second to help the Jets extend their lead in the Southeast Division to six points over Carolina, which is in the midst of a 0-5-1 slide.

Ondrej Pavelec had 38 saves for Winnipeg.

Kane was credited with a third-period goal when Carolina defenseman Jamie McBain swatted at the puck and knocked it into the net past Justin Peters. Jiri Tlusty scored his 14th of the season for Carolina, which has scored one goal in each of its past five games.

Oilers 3, Blues 0 In St. Louis, Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 43 shots and Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist and Edmonton shut out St. Louis.

The victory was the first for the Oilers in four games, which included a 3-0 loss to the Blues on Saturday in Edmonton. It was the Oilers’ first win in St. Louis since Dec. 11, 2009.

Taylor Hall, who assisted on both of Eberle’s goals, also scored. It was his eighth of the season off a rebound from Eberle, who skated in on a breakaway.

Lightning 2, Sabres 1 In Tampa, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis each had a goal and an assist and Tampa Bay defeated Buffalo. Buffalo, which came into the game riding a three-game winning streak, was held to just 14 shots. Stamkos scored his league-leading 23rd goal of the season off a deflection past Ryan Miller at 16:01 of the first period.

St. Louis extended the lead to 2-0 at 8:15 of the second period with a power-play goal off a sharp pass from Teddy Purcell. Jordan Leopold scored for Buffalo at 16:52 of the third period.

Ryan Miller had 21 saves for the Sabres.—AP

NHL results/standings Toronto 3, Florida 2; Pittsburgh 1, Montreal 0; NY Islanders 3, Washington 2; Winnipeg 4, Carolina 1; NY Rangers 5, Philadelphia 2; Tampa Bay 2, Buffalo 1; Edmonton 3, St. Louis 0; Chicago 2, Calgary 0; Vancouver 1, Columbus 0 (SO).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Rangers NY Islanders Philadelphia

W 26 15 16 15 13

Boston Montreal Ottawa Toronto Buffalo

21 20 18 18 13

Winnipeg Carolina Washington Tampa Bay Florida

18 15 15 14 9

L OTL GF GA PTS 8 0 117 84 52 11 7 82 89 37 13 3 78 78 35 15 3 96 107 33 17 2 84 99 28 Northeast Division 7 3 89 66 45 7 5 98 78 45 9 6 86 72 42 12 4 102 97 40 16 4 87 102 30 Southeast Division 14 2 88 99 38 14 2 86 90 32 17 1 94 93 31 18 1 105 99 29 19 6 80 119 24

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 25 4 3 108 71 53 Detroit 17 11 5 90 83 39 St. Louis 17 13 2 92 89 36 Nashville 14 13 6 83 88 34 Columbus 13 13 7 75 86 33 Northwest Division Vancouver 18 9 6 88 85 42 Minnesota 19 10 2 86 75 40 Edmonton 12 13 7 77 91 31 Calgary 12 15 4 85 105 28 Colorado 11 16 4 79 100 26 Pacific Division Anaheim 22 6 4 104 83 48 Los Angeles 18 12 2 93 80 38 San Jose 14 11 6 76 82 34 Dallas 15 14 3 87 97 33 Phoenix 13 15 4 82 90 30 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

S P ORTS

An Olympic life and 7 vital minutes at Sochi Games CERGY: For Florent Amodio, it may be now or never. The French figure skater was just 19 at his first Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010, old enough to appreciate the experience but not at his peak as an athlete. He placed 12th.

Now 22, he will be nearly 28, “a little bit too old,” when the winter games travel to Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018. Which makes Sochi his big one.

For the 2011 European champion, the Olympiad in Russia next February represents his best shot of winning a medal something that could shape his life, bring fame, possibly fortune, and certainly an indelible place in sports history. “These are my games,” Amodio says. “These are the only games, I think, where I’ll be at the height of my powers.”

Seven and a half minutes. That’s how long Amodio and the other male skaters will have in total on the ice at Sochi’s Iceberg Skating Palace to convince judges to make them Olympic champions, to show off years of training, thousands of hours perfecting jumps, spins and steps, and months of work on routines honed to

shine at the games.

Seven and a half minutes divided into two skates - a short program of no more than 2 minutes, 50 seconds, and a free program that must not exceed 4 minutes, 40 seconds or be shorter than 4 minutes, 20 seconds.

Amodio calls the Olympics “the ultimate competition” - not more important to him than the annual world and European championships, but certainly bigger because they come around comet-like just once every four years and “there’s a 1,000 times more publicity.” “It’s a jolt to the heart, marvelous to live through,” he says.

“It’s a bit terrible, too, that it’s a concentration of all these years of work,” he adds.

“I don’t like this idea that an athlete’s whole life is summed up with one competition.” To cope with that pressure, he intends to avoid viewing the Olympics as his be-all and end-all. “For me, personally, it will be a competition like any other. That is how I will treat it.”

His world championships this March in London, Ontario, verged on disastrous. He lost his balance and slipped going into a

spin in his short program and ended up flat on his face on the ice. He also fell on his second jump in the long program. He finished 12th with a score - 216.83 - well short of his best and 50 points behind the champion, Patrick Chan from Canada.

Those championships brought a long and arduous 2012-2013 season to a close for Amodio. Time now to refocus. The Olympic clock is ticking. Despite his disappointment, Amodio started looking ahead as soon as the world event ended.

“Rendezvous in Sochi !!” he wrote to his supporters on Facebook.

Another post on his Instagram account showed him in a philosophical but positive frame of mind. “Dear Past, thank you for all the lessons. Dear Future, I am ready,” it read. But that’s not yet true.

To be ready for Sochi, Amodio must put together new skating routines - with new music, costumes and moves. When much of the rest of France will lounge on beaches this summer, he expects to be working.

His plan is to have the foundations of his Olympic program in place by October, leaving him four months to tweak and per-

fect it for the February games.

He says he doesn’t obsess about them but, already, “I’m aware that it is in a corner of my head. Sometimes, I do find myself running through my program, saying to myself, ‘This is how you’ll be at the Olympic Games.’”

Simply selecting his musical themes - “I have to find music that is somber, calm, beautiful, intense and very deep” - will take months, at least until June or July, he figures. He skated to The Black Eyed Peas and Michael Jackson when he won the European championships in 2011. The following year, he found musical inspiration watching the animated movie “Rio.” Its dance-y, carnival soundtrack felt “tailormade for me,” says Amodio, who was born in Brazil, abandoned as a baby and adopted by his French parents.

In his 4-minute-plus free program, there’ll be “something like four or five sections of music, so they have to be coherent and they have to suit the physical aspect of what we are doing,” he says.

In the first minute, Amodio includes his biggest jumps - quads where he spins four

times in the air and a high-scoring triple axel. “So I like to have a very somber and intense music that allows me to stay concentrated,” he says. Changes of music, tempo and mood punctuate the rest of the program, with a climactic finale.

“Everything is built to crescendo,” he says. “So the end is magnificent, fireworks.”

The Vancouver Games were Amodio’s first major international competition. He was happy with 12th place. “I did as well as I could.” The difference in Sochi will be that he’ll head there thinking a medal is possible. “You have to arrive feeling confident. I don’t like doing this but I think the technique you need to employ at the Olympic Games is to tell yourself, ‘I’m here to win.’

Simple as that.”

“The most brilliant thing of all about the Olympics is that you show yourself, your personality, to the whole world, really the whole world,” he says. “It’s with my personality that I want to make a mark.”

“Even if I’m not Olympic champion, I couldn’t care less. I just want them to remember and say, ‘Oh yes, he was that guy ...’”—AP

Relieved England head home after wake-up call for Ashes

PALLEKELE: Sri Lankan cricketers warm up during a practice session at The Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, ahead of their third and final one day international (ODI) match against Bangladesh today. —AFP

Is he back? Only Tiger Woods knows for sure ORLANDO: Life must be going well for Tiger Woods when he can make headlines in the gossip pages for dating Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn and in the sports pages for winning Bay Hill and returning to No. 1 in the world. All in the same week.

The studio photos of Woods and Vonn that were posted on their Facebook pages looked more suitable for a catalog showcasing their clothing sponsors. Far more natural were the poses Woods struck Monday afternoon with Arnold Palmer after winning his tournament left arm draped around Palmer’s shoulder, both unable to contain their laughter over whatever was said that could not be repeated. “But it was funny,” Woods said, breaking into a broad grin as he replayed the exchange in his mind. “Really funny, actually.”

Yes, Woods appears to be in a happy place.

Winning does that, and Woods is starting to win with alarming frequency. In the one year

ORLANDO: Tiger Woods bites his putter in this file photo following a putt during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. —AFP and two weeks since he limped off the course at Doral with tightness in his left Achilles tendon - the same injury that forced him to miss two majors in 2011 - Woods has won six times in his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour. In his three wins this year, no one got closer than two shots at any point in the final round.

The limp has been replaced by a swagger.

“He looks a lot more comfortable out there.

He doesn’t really miss many shots. And if he does, it’s not by a whole lot,” said Rickie Fowler, who played with Woods in the final group and has seen plenty of him at practice at The Medalist in South Florida, where both are members.

“You know when another guy is playing well and he’s on top of his game,” Fowler added. “He’s got a little something.”

Woods won Bay Hill a year ago and was declared the favorite to win a fifth green jacket at the Masters. Instead, he never broke par and wound up with his highest score as a pro at Augusta National and tied for 40th. He won the Memorial in his final event before the U.S. Open, and then shared the 36-hole lead at Olympic Club. He failed to finish in the top 20.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype because we know how good he was and believe he can be that good - if not better again. This latest win at Bay Hill, however, was different. It gave Woods consecutive wins for the first time since August 2009. Asked the last time he felt this good going into the Masters, he said, “It’s been a few years.” “I think

it shows that my game is consistent,” Woods said. “It’s at a high level.”

Woods lost part of his mystique when he stopped making putts. Now he seems to make everything. Fowler learned that on the 12th hole Monday after making a 40-foot birdie putt to get within two shots of Woods, only to stand on the edge of the green and watch Woods match it with a 25-footer of his own.

The last time Woods won back-to-back tournaments heading into Augusta was in 2001, the year he won the Masters to complete his unprecedented sweep of the majors.

Winning cannot be overstated, even for a guy who has won more than anyone in PGA Tour history except for Sam Snead.

Woods walked into his winner’s press conference with his cellphone in hand, scrolling down to read the messages, most of them from his staff. Rory McIlroy, whom he replaced at No. 1 in the world, sent him a text Tuesday morning. Vonn shared her thoughts on Twitter: “Number 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!” It wasn’t long before Woods was asked the correlation between going public about dating Vonn and winning a tournament to go back to No. 1 for the first time since October 2010. There was a time when Woods answered questions about his personal life by saying, “That’s none of your business.” But he had fun with this one.

“You’re reading way too much into this,” he said with a grin. The trouble with Woods is that he has never been an open book. Only he knows how badly his leg was injured. Only he knows how far along he was in the latest swing change under Sean Foley. Only he knows how much life as a divorced father of two has affected his game.

The greatest temptation Woods faces now is to resist wagging his finger at anyone who doubted whether he could get back to No. 1 in the world, whether he could challenge Jack Nicklaus and his record 18 majors. Woods has been stuck on 14 majors since 2008.

The majors will be the ultimate measures.

The Masters starts April 11, and if Woods isn’t wearing a green jacket in Butler Cabin on Sunday night, it won’t mean this was another false alarm. Golf is still hard. Woods only has a way of making it look easy.

Think back to one of the most dominant phases of his career. From August 1999 through March 2000, Woods won or finished second 10 times in 11 starts on the PGA Tour.

The Masters was his next tournament, and it didn’t look like there was any way he could lose. In the opening round, he three-putted for double bogey on No. 10 and three-putted from 12 feet for a triple bogey on No. 12.

Woods shot 75 that day, never caught up and tied for fifth. That summer, he won the next three majors.

For Woods, it has always been about giving himself chances. The Masters might be his best chance since 2009, when he coughed up a two-shot lead to YE Yang on the last day of the PGA Championship. Everything fell apart soon after that - revelations of his extramarital affairs, losing his wife in a divorce, finding a new swing coach, coping with more injuries to his left leg.

Woods never liked the notion that this is a comeback. When he won the Chevron World Challenge at the end of 2011 - his first trophy of any kind in the two years since his car hit the fire hydrant and his personal life imploded - he cited the lyrics of LL Cool J: “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.” —AP

AUCKLAND: Alastair Cook’s team return to England under no illusions they pulled off a great escape against New Zealand and can ill afford any further lapses in intensity ahead of back-to-back Ashes series later this year.

The world’s second-ranked test side were expected to win comfortably over a New Zealand team skittled for 45 runs by South Africa in January and rocked by the clumsy demotion of former captain Ross Taylor. Instead, despite benign pitches and patchy weather, they found a New Zealand side intent on ensuring that whatever advantage they gleaned on the field, they were made to earn it. The hosts bowled them out for under 200 twice and but for a dropped catch and a set of bails that refused to drop on the final day of the final test, Cook’s team could well have lost their first series to New Zealand since 1999.

“We have to give a lot of credit to New Zealand,” Cook told reporters after the tense third test at Eden Park ended in a draw and the series 0-0.

“They have played well and we haven’t played as well as we can do. They put us under a lot of pressure ... at certain times, we have just about managed to respond and hold on.”

Cook, who throughout the tour denied his side were taking the hosts lightly, struggled to take too many positives out of the series, other than their ability to save two of the matches.

In the first Test in Dunedin, Cook and Nick Compton both scored centuries in England’s second innings to resurrect their side after they were bowled out for 167 in the first. The Wellington weather probably saved New Zealand in the second test but most concerning for England was how comprehensively they were outplayed in the deciding test in Auckland.

Shoulders slumped and discipline flagged as England struggled in the field. Cook, at one point,

seemed so bereft of ideas on how to stop opener Peter Fulton and captain Brendon McCullum feasting off their bowlers ahead of a third innings declaration, that he scattered all nine fielders to the boundary. Matt Prior’s match-saving century at Eden Park will have restored some morale ahead of a busy home summer that includes a return series against New Zealand, the Champions Trophy oneday tournament and the first of their Ashes series against Australia. The result also showed that with wicketkeeper Prior, who scored 73 in the first innings at Eden Park, anchoring the lower middle order, they can fight their way out of trouble.

“We are disappointed that in this series we haven’t played as well as we can,” Cook said. “We haven’t been beaten, and I think that’s an important thing to have for a side, to have that toughness when you are behind the eight-ball to fight and make yourself a very difficult team to beat.”

There are further positives on the horizon for Cook and his team, with spinner Graeme Swann and paceman Tim Bresnan expected to return from elbow surgery for the international programme at home. World class batsman Kevin Pietersen, pending tests on his knee, should also be back to strengthen the squad.—Reuters

AUCKLAND: New Zealand’s Neil Wagner (second right) celebrates with teammates in this file photo.—AFP

13 horses running in Dubai World Cup DUBAI: Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom and two-time Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic champion Royal Delta lead a full field of 13 horses in Saturday’s $10 million Dubai World Cup. The pair and Dullahan represent one of the strongest American entries ever in the world’s richest horse race. Royal Delta trainer Bill Mott won the inaugural Dubai World Cup in 1996 with Cigar, but an American horse has not won the race since the track shifted in 2010 from dirt to tapeta surface.

Animal Kingdom drew the No. 12 post on Wednesday while Royal Delta - bidding to become the first filly to win the race - leaves from No.

8. Dullahan goes from No. 3. Barry Irwin, founder of Team Valor which co-owns Animal Kingdom, said he was glad with the outside draw, noting his horse won the 2011 Kentucky Derby from the No. 16 post in the 20-horse field.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Irwin said. “He’s not going to be in front anyway. He will be a midpack horse. We just didn’t want to be inside. If we were in the 1-2-3, we would be feeling it; 11-12-13 not great, but not bad.”

Mott, who brought Royal Delta to Dubai last year only to see her finish ninth, said she was “a little banged up” last year but appears to be doing much better this year.

“Hope she breaks well and has a clean trip,” Mott said of his starting post. “We are just hoping for a better trip, a smooth trip. That is all we can ask for.” Jerry Crawford, managing partner of Donegal Racing which owns Dullahan, said he, too, could live with the No. 3 gate saying it means less work for his horse which finished third at last year’s Kentucky Derby and beat Game On Dude in the Pacific Classic.

“We will save a lot of ground between the start and the first turn by being where we want to be,” Crawford said. “I much prefer the 3.

You can do the math. If you come straight over to the rail and save every step of ground, you still have

to run 40 feet further from 13 than the 1. It’s just mathematics at the end of the day.”

The early favorite is Hunter’s Light, which drew No. 4. If he won, it would be the second straight year that the champion horse came from the stables of Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum won. Monterosso, who drew No. 10 this time, was the surprise winner last year to give the Dubai ruler his first Dubai World Cup win since 2006. Also entered were African Story, Capponi, Kassiano, Meandre, Planteur, Red Cadeaux, Side Glance and Treasure Beach. The nine-race World Cup card has a total purse of $27.25 million.—AP

Al-Babtain group honors ‘Abu Dhabi Citroen World Rally Team’ KUWAIT: Al-Babtain Group, sole distributor of Citroen brand in Kuwait, honored Abu Dhabi Citroen rally team which participated in the second round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) in Kuwait , in a ceremony held on Thursday March 21st at Al-Babtain’s Citroen showroom.

Following the first round held in the rough Qatari desert, the drivers headed to Kuwait to race at their highest speed in the harsh conditions and under the bright sun of Kuwait on Friday and Saturday 22nd and 23rd of March. The second round was as fervent as the opening round in Qatar. Shahid Tahir, Al-Babtain Citroen’s Marketing Manager, warmly welcomed Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi & Scott Martin who drove Citroen DS3 RRC, and other two young Emirati drivers Mohamed Al Sahlawi and Mohammed Al Mutawaa who raced in their Citroen DS3 R3s. The event took place at Al-Babtain’s Citroen showroom at Al Rai area.

“We are very proud of the results Citroen rally

team has accomplished so far, and we wish them all the best in the coming rally championships. We are confident that Citroen will show the best performance during rally championship”, Tahir said.

Ghazi Al-Babtain, Business Development Manager at Al-Babtain Group, praised the excellent performance of the Citroen drivers and co-drivers and the good results they achieved in the opening round in Qatar and the second round in Kuwait. He thanked them for the time they have allocated to visit the Al Babtain Citroen showroom, and on behalf of Al-Babtain Group, he presented them souvenir. He emphasized that Al-Babtain Group would not miss any opportunity to be present in the automotive international events held in Kuwait.

Al Babtain supported Citroen rally crew by giving them Citroen cars for their logistics use while staying in Kuwait. After photo shooting session Shaikh Khalid Al Qasmi and Scott Martin gave autograph to Rally lovers.. Al-Babtain Group spares no effort to offer its clients the newest cars that cater to all their needs and aspirations, it is committed to bring the best for them and always seeks to remain the top car dealer in Kuwait.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

S P ORT S

McIlroy more into Masters prep than reclaiming No.1 HOUSTON: Rory McIlroy is more concerned with playing well in his final tuneup event ahead of next month’s Masters rather than reclaiming the world No.1 spot.

Tiger Woods recaptured the top ranking for the first time since October of 2010 by taking his third US PGA triumph of the year on Monday at Bay Hill, adding the Arnold Palmer Invitational to wins at Torrey Pines and Doral.

McIlroy, who has struggled in the early going this year as he adjusts to new clubs, would take back the top ranking with a victory in this week’s $6.2 million Houston Open at par-72 Redstone Golf Club, which starts today. “It’s always nice to say that you’re on top of the world and top of the rankings, but if you play the

golf that you want to and win the tournaments that you want to, then that takes care of itself,” McIlroy said.

“Getting into contention is the main goal, try to have a chance to win on Sunday. We’ll go from there.” The Northern Irish prodigy, who won last year’s PGA Championship and the 2011 US Open, shared eighth at Doral and skipped Bay Hill as he prepares for the fast and undulating greens of Augusta National, and for Woods at his best.

“I didn’t think I could go into the Masters under the radar,” McIlroy said. “I can sort of go in a little bit underneath him, so in a way it’s not a bad thing.

“It’s great for golf to have him playing well and hopefully I can just try and keep up with him.” McIlroy

and Woods traded motivating e-mails over Woods retaking the top ranking. McIlroy texted him “Well done” and Woods sent a clear message he wants to see McIlroy playing his best at the Masters in two weeks as well.

“He said everything was good there-told me to get my finger out of my ass and win this week,” McIlroy said.

“I enjoy his company. He gives me a lot of grief and I try to give him some back but it’s good. He’s fun to be around. He just seems like he’s in a really good place on the course, off the course, so it’s good to see.” McIlroy is ready for what could be a back-and-forth season of major shootouts and rankings rivalry with Woods, a 14time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18

majors won by Jack Nicklaus. “It doesn’t really bother me,” McIlroy said. “I want to get back to getting into contention in tournaments and trying to win.

“This is a good week to try and get into contention and have a chance with the Masters coming up but I’m just really focused on this week in Houston and trying to play well here.”

McIlroy said he feels comfortable with his clubs after nearly three months of events and practice as he prepares to play the first two rounds at Houston alongside Americans Keegan Bradley and Dustin Johnson. “It has been going well in practice,” McIlroy said. “Obviously it’s a lot different out on the course but I definitely saw some good signs at Doral.” — AFP

Haas upsets Djokovic

Paula Radcliffe

Radcliffe fears she may never race again LONDON: World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe admitted yesterday that she may never take part in a competitive race again because of ongoing complications with her foot injury.

Radcliffe, who set the women’s world record with a time of 2:15.25 during the 2003 London Marathon, was forced to pull out of the 2012 London Olympics shortly before the start after specialist treatment in Germany failed to cure the problem.

The 39-year-old, a gold medallist at the 2005 World Championships and 2002 Commonwealth Games, then underwent surgery in August when it emerged her injury was more serious than first thought.

At that point Radcliffe still retained hopes of participating in a 10-kilometre race, as well as the 2014 London Marathon, but now, with her injury problems persisting, she concedes she may never be able to return to the sport.

“Targets have gone out of the window,” Radcliffe told BBC Sport. “I’m very much in that limbo where I know and accept that realistically it may not be possible.

“But at the same time I have a little window of hope and I would rather be able to finish my career in a race, rather than a race I can’t actually get to the start line of.”

Radcliffe has endured severe pain in her left foot for 18 years, but despite that she

became world marathon champion in 2005 and twice won the world cross-country title. Next month marks the 10th anniversary of her world record, yet Olympic success has eluded Radcliffe, who finished fourth in the 10,000m in Sydney in 2000.

Despite the frustration of having to withdraw from the London Olympics only days before the marathon, Radcliffe targeted a return at this month’s World CrossCountry Championships.

When that became an impossible goal, she aimed for competing in a 10km race, but she now knows her career is dangerously close to an unwanted end.

“I’ve not even been able to run after the kids in the last few months, and you start to think about the first goal - to get back and be able to have a normal active life and then worry about if I can get back to competing,” she said.

“In all honesty with me, it was probably always going to be something going wrong with my body that would make my career start to wind down because I am always going to want to keep competing and keep getting out there.

“I would love to be able to run a couple more marathons before I finish, even if it’s just another half marathon. “At the same time I would still like to have a healthy foot in 20 years’ time.” — AFP

Powell returns to the track STAWELL: Asafa Powell will find the crowd smaller and the surface a whole lot different when he competes this weekend in the Stawell Gift, a centuryold handicap race held in a small town in western Victoria state.

Powell, who says he’s fully recovered from the left hamstring injury which caused him to pull up in the 100-meter race at last year’s London Olympics won by his countryman Usain Bolt, will start from scratch. Starting from a mark one meter ahead of him will be Australia’s best sprinter, Josh Ross, who has twice won the 131-year-old Stawell Gift and is one of only two runners to win it off scratch.

Other competitors will be lined up at various starting positions on the track according to their 100-meter qualifying times.

Powell says the turf track at the country town’s Central Park should pose no

problems because he trains on grass regularly at home in Jamaica.

“I’ve been working very hard after London,” the 30-year-old Powell said Wednesday. “I went into recovery and then started training in October.

“I’m in good shape, if not the best yet because I’m still in background training and I haven’t really started speed training. I’m strong right now and very excited to see what I can do on the track.”

Powell, who has set the 100-meter world record more times than any other runner, was encouraged to compete in Stawell by fellow Jamaican Michael Frater, who was eliminated in the Australian race’s semifinals last year.

Heats for the race take place Saturday with the semifinals and final on Monday.

Stawell is a former gold rush town located about 235 kilometers (145 miles) west of Melbourne. Its biggest single tourist attraction each year is the Gift. — AP

KEY BISCAYNE: Moments before the match, Tommy Haas sat in his courtside chair jiggling his legs, eager to face the world’s No. 1-ranked player and old enough to know such chances don’t often come along. Haas took advantage, beating three-time champion Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the Sony Open 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday. The upset snapped Djokovic’s 14match winning streak at Key Biscayne, where he won the tournament in the past two years.

Eight days shy of his 35th birthday, Haas became the oldest man in 30 years to beat a No. 1 player. “Playing against someone like Novak and coming out on top at this time of my career, it’s unbelievable,” Haas said. “This is what I play for.” Haas improved to 2-14 versus No. 1 players. The German’s only other win came against Andre Agassi in 1999. The topranked Djokovic has lost two of his past four matches after winning 22 in a row, including the Australian Open for his sixth Grand Slam title.

“All the credit to Tommy,” Djokovic said. “He played a great match and he was the better player, no question about it.”

The oldest player in the top 50, Haas is making his 13th appearance at Key Biscayne and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time. His opponent on Wednesday will be Gilles Simon of France, who rallied past Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

With Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer skipping the tournament, Djokovic’s defeat clears a path for Andy Murray, the 2009 champion and 2012 runner-up.

He beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 6-4 and was to play Wednesday against Marin Cilic of Croatia, who defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 7-6 (4).

No. 3 David Ferrer will play unseeded Jurgen Melzer on Wednesday. No. 4 Tomas Berdych will face No. 8 Richard Gasquet today.

On the women’s side, five -time Key Biscayne champion Serena Williams advanced to Thursday’s semifinals and tied the women’s record for career victories in the tournament by beating No. 5-seeded Li Na 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Williams’ opponent on Thursday will be defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska,

KEY BISCAYNE: Tommy Haas of Germany is congratulated by Novak Djokovic of Serbia after their match during the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center. — AFP

who hit a desperation shot behind her back for a winner en route to a win over Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Djokovic appeared out of sorts from the start of his evening match. During his second service game he became annoyed at fans shouting as he was about to serve.

“It’s definitely the worst match I have played in a long time,” Djokovic said. “I just didn’t feel good on the court. Conditions were really much, much different from what I have played in previous matches. Balls didn’t bounce at all.”

For the final few games, Haas wore a lavender shirt, a red sweatband, black shoes with lime trim and a blue cap. In other words, he won ugly.

“Yeah, I’m pretty pathetic I think when it

Saints in perfect order for heavy fixture list LEEDS: Former Australia forward Anthony Laffranchi insists St Helens are peaking at just the right time as the Super League enters a hectic period.

Coach Nathan Brown’s Saints currently sit level second with three others in the Super League table, one point behind early leaders and surprise packages Huddersfield Giants.

Next up on Friday is a trip to arch-rivals Wigan Warriors, one of the four teams level second, and they back that up by welcoming Castleford Tigers just three days later on Monday.

Laffranchi was rested for Saints’ 14-10 win against Salford City Reds last time out, his side’s fifth in their last six outings.

But the 32-year-old former Australian international insists he is itching to get back into the swing of things against Wigan, who dismantled Widnes 62-4 last time out to serve notice of their intent.

“These are the sort of games that I came across from Australia for,” he said. “Going to Wigan is one of the toughest trips in Super

League but we are playing well and excited about the challenge.

“After last season it’s nice to be a bit more stable under Browny, we knew it would come good after a sticky start and we are playing well now.

“Wigan and this Easter period in general is an acid test for us to show we deserve to be where we are in the table, we want to stay up there for when the big games come around at the end of the season.”

But, while Laffranchi is positive about the Easter period, Hull KR head coach Craig Sandercock has pulled no punches in his assessment of the fixture pile-up.

His side have the huge derby against Hull FC on Friday followed by the visit of Wigan three days later, a challenge that the former Newcastle Knights assistant feels is a step too far. “I don’t agree with it at all,” said Sandercock. “My most important job as a coach is to try and look after my players the best I can.

“We ban the shoulder charge because

Wataniya Telecom sponsors Kuwait Open Bowling Championship KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom recently sponsored Asia Bowling Federation Tour (AFB) Tournament of Champions- and the 10th Kuwait Open Bowling Championship. This championship is the first amongst the three previous

comes to color matching,” he said. “Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror before I go out and I’m like, ‘Jeez, what was I thinking?’ I guess if I maybe had a clothing contract it would be different.”Haas, who is ranked 18th, has been as high as No. 2 - way back in 2002. He tumbled to No. 373 at the beginning of 2011 after requiring hip and elbow surgery.

The German closed out the victory with a forehand winner, then shared a warm exchange at the net with a gracious Djokovic, who gave the crowd a wave as he left the court. “I was fighting,” Djokovic said. “I was trying, all the way up to the last ball. There are days where you just don’t feel good on the court. Nothing really goes your way. This is one of those days. But all the credit to him for making me play this bad.” — AP

ones to be organized by the supreme organizing committee of Kuwait Bowling Club, led by Sheikh Talal Al-Mohammad - President of the Asian Bowling Federation and the Kuwait Bowling Federation.

AFB Tour started on 11th March and ended on 13th March, followed on the same day with Kuwait Open Bowling Championship which ended on 17th this month. The tournaments included the top 16 male and 16 female bowlers of Asia, all qualified through their participation in the Asian Championships during the year of 2012.

On this occasion, Fatima Dashti - Public Relations Manager at Wataniya Telecom- commented on sponsoring this event saying “Wataniya Telecom has always been and will remain keen to support various social activities in particular the ones related to sports- which help drive the energy of our young people by encouraging their participation in positive activities. It also allows them to benefit from the skill and knowledge of other players’ who come from different countries to participate in such international tournaments.”

I t ’s wor th mentioning that Wataniya Telecom has spared no effort since its establishment to support various social activities whether they’re educational, athletic or spiritual ones. Wataniya is always eager to invest in CSR initiatives that benefit the people of Kuwait and help foster an environment of growth and development.

we’re concerned about player welfare but we let our boys play the biggest derby of the season and then back it up two days later. “I think it’s not a great idea. The derby takes a big emotional and physical toll on your team and to have to back up on Monday against Wigan, one of the best sides in the competition, is a big ask.”

Elsewhere Hull FC will be without Daniel Holdsworth for the derby game as the former Canterbury half-back continues his recovery from concussion.

And head coach Peter Gentle insists he and the medical staff will not be rushing the 28year-old back into action. “It’s a head injury and we have got to be very careful what we do with it and rest is the only solution,” he said.

“It may be two or three weeks but it’s something we can’t put a time on. “We’re dealing with someone’s health here and as much as you can see how much we miss him, I’m not going to jeopardise someone’s health for the sake of two points.” — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Knicks extend winning streak BOSTON: JR Smith scored 32 points, Carmelo Anthony added 29 and the New York Knicks extended their winning streak to five games with a 10085 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

The win moved the Knicks into second place in the Eastern Conference, percentage points ahead of the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics, who could face the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, lost their fifth game in a row and remained in seventh.

The Celtics, playing their second straight game without Kevin Garnett, were led by Jeff Green with 19 points and Paul Pierce with 16. But they committed 20 turnovers, while the Knicks, who average the fewest turnovers in the NBA, had just eight.

In Auburn Hills, Nikola Pekovic had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Minnesota Timberwolves to a rare road win.

The game matched one of the league’s worst home teams against one of the worst on the road. The Pistons haven’t won at home since before the All-Star break, losing seven straight, while Minnesota had lost 10 of its last 11 road games.

Reserve J.J. Barea matched a season-best with 21 points for Minnesota, while Luke Ridnour scored 15 and Ricky Rubio added 14 points

and nine assists.

Greg Monroe had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Detroit, while point guard Jose Calderon scored 14 points but only had one assist.

In Dallas, the Dallas Mavericks finally have a win over one of the top four teams headed to the Western Conference playoffs - just in time for their own postseason push.

Dirk Nowitzki had a season-high 33 points, including the first eight for Dallas in overtime, and the Mavericks moved within a game of .500 for the first time since mid-December with a 109-102 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

More importantly for the Mavericks, they’re just a game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff spot in the West with 11 games remaining. They’ve won nine of their past 12 and improved to 1-11 against the top four teams in the West.

Meanwhile, with the clock clicking down, Sacramento city officials took their last shot at keeping the NBA Kings in California’s capital by approving a public-private deal to build a new 18,500-seat arena and retail center downtown.

The city council’s approval of the arena Tuesday was the last step in what has been a full court press by

NBA results/standings NY Knicks 100, Boston 85; Minnesota 105, Detroit 82; Dallas 109, LA Clippers 102 (OT).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT NY Knicks 43 26 .623 Brooklyn 41 29 .586 Boston 36 34 .514 Philadelphia 27 43 .386 Toronto 26 44 .371 Central Division Indiana 44 27 .620 Chicago 38 31 .551 Milwaukee 34 35 .493 Detroit 24 48 .333 Cleveland 22 47 .319 Southeast Division Miami 56 14 .800 Atlanta 39 32 .549 Washington 26 44 .371 Orlando 18 53 .254

Charlotte GB 2.5 7.5 16.5 17.5 5 9 20.5 21 17.5 30 38.5

16 54 .229 Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City52 19 .732 Denver 49 23 .681 Utah 35 36 .493 Portland 33 37 .471 Minnesota 25 44 .362 Pacific Division LA Clippers 48 23 .676 Golden State 41 31 .569 LA Lakers 36 35 .507 Sacramento 25 46 .352 Phoenix 23 48 .324 Southwest Division San Antonio 53 17 .757 Memphis 47 23 .671 Houston 39 31 .557 Dallas 35 36 .493

40

3.5 17 18.5 26 7.5 12 23 25 6 14 18.5

Mayor Kevin Johnson to keep Sacramento’s only major league sports team from bolting to Seattle, where a new ownership group and arena deal awaits. He now must convince NBA owners to block the Maloof family from initiating the move, a deal made public in January.

Since then, the mayor, himself a former NBA All-Star, has scrambled to assemble a group to buy the team, convince Commissioner David Stern to consider a counter offer, and get approval for the financial deal that would build a $448 million arena on the site of a shopping mall - a development many say will revitalize a problem area in its bustling city core.

Next week, Johnson will present the arena plan and purchase offer to an NBA committee. The following week, the NBA Board of Governors will vote on whether the team can be sold, and whether it will stay or move.

“We want the folks of Seattle to get a team, we wish them well, but we want to keep what’s ours,” Johnson said after the 7-2 vote to approve the arena. “We’re going to New York to talk about the viability of this market and the love affair we’ve had with our team.”

The Sacramento investment group includes Silicon Valley software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle, co-owner of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Johnson announced late Monday that Paul Jacobs, CEO of the international technology company Qualcomm, also agreed to become part of the Sacramento bid.

“We have four billionaires who have said that Sacramento is worthy.

It’s been a long time since people have validated us in this way,” said city councilmember Steve Hansen, who voted in favor of the deal.

The NBA has said the aging Sleep Train Arena in the suburbs four miles north of downtown no longer is adequate.

“We’re in competition to keep the Sacramento Kings from being taken away from us,” said City Manager John Shirey as he began outlining the arena plan for council members. “We’ve known all along that we need to present the NBA a first-rate, quality place for them to play.”—AP

Photo of the day

Marvin Musquin prepares to race at the AMA Supercross series in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA www.redbullcontentpool.com

Adam with the Al Bayan Bilingual School Basketball team

Hoop Mountain Kuwait kicks off with a bang ‘Living a healthy lifestyle through basketball’

By Chidi Emmanuel

DALLAS: Mavericks guard Vince Carter (25) is fouled by Los Angeles Clippers forward DeAndre Jordan (6) as teammate Caron Butler (5) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP

KUWAIT: In a bid to promote basketball as a healthy lifestyle option, Hoop Mountain Kuwait and former NBA player for the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, Adam Harrington, recently organized an inaugural coaching class for some basketball teams in Kuwait. It was an exciting event where Kuwait Women National Basketball team and other local teams interacted with the NBA legend.

Adam, who is presently the Special Advisor and regular coach at Hoop Mountain camps in the US, said that the aim was to promote basketball and groom young basketball players to international standards as well as promote a healthy lifestyle in Kuwait. “We are trying to catch them young and develop their skills with this new brand of basketball. We offer top rated basketball coaching, instruction, camps and tournaments to high schools and middle schools for boys and girls,” Adam said. When asked about his views about Kuwait, Adam replied, “Kuwaitis are passionate about the game and this will make the coaching easier. We are providing an exclusive opportunity for the

young ones and giving them the right training that will guide and help them in future.”

Buttressing Adam’s points, the founder of the Hoop Mountain Kuwait, Musaed Nuri Al Saleh, said that the

Adam Harrington entire concept was aimed at creating an environment for young people to not only develop their basketball skills, but practice sportsmanship, teamwork and a healthy lifestyle through basketball.

In its message to Kuwait, Hoop Mountain Kuwait promised to use the

best US coaches to bring its proven teaching methods to the region. Hoop Mountain offers a selection of events including basketball clinics, college recruiting showcases, high school tournaments, all-star games, teaching and college recruiting camps.

Hoop Mountain Kuwait Hoop Mountain Kuwait is a franchise of Hoop Mountain US - one of the leading American basketball camps. It was established to give both young boys and girls in Kuwait an opportunity to learn basketball skills with a superior standard of coaching. Hoop Mountain Kuwait offers yearlong basketball camps, summer camps and invitational tournaments.

The basketball camp is open to Kuwaiti and expatriate children and will be managed by top-class coaches recruited by Hoop Mountain US. For all Hoop Mountain Kuwait basketball camps, the ratio of participants to coaches will never exceed 10: 1, ideal for optimal learning. For more information on Hoop Mountain Kuwait, email: Kuwait@hoopmountain.com or visit www.hoopmountain.com/kuwaitor Follow @HoopMTNQ8 on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook.

Disabled surfers brave the waves in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO: One minute, Renata Glasner is watching the waves crash on Leblon beach from her wheelchair. The next, she’s plowing through the turbulent waters on a specially adapted surfboard.

Glasner, a 35-year-old graphic designer who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis four years ago, is one of dozens of disabled people on this special strip of Rio de Janeiro beach who are conquering the waves. Men and women with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, people missing a limb, the blind, the deaf and even the paralyzed all hit the water here.

They all require a different kind of assistance depending on their disabilities and maneuver their boards in different ways - some standing, some on their knees, others like Glasner flat on their bellies and using their body weight to steer the boards. But every one of them emerges from the ocean beaming. “The taste of salt water has no price,” said Glasner, who began to lose control over her legs shortly after the birth of her first child and now requires a helper to hoist her from her amphibious wheelchair onto the surfboard. “It’s the taste of freedom. After you’re diagnosed with a disease like mine, you can’t even imagine you’re ever again going to experience that taste.”

Glasner is able to savor that experi-

ence on a weekly basis thanks to AdaptSurf, a Rio-based non-governmental organization that aims to make beaches accessible to the disabled and encourage them to practice water sports.

In a country where the lack of ramps and working elevators, the shoddy state of sidewalks and the shortage of pedestrian crossings make just leaving home risky for many disabled people, lobbying for their beach accessibility may seem like something of a frivolity.

But in Brazil, with its nearly 4,660 mile-long (7,500 kilometer-long) coastline, the beach is center stage for social interactions of all sorts: It’s largely there that families reunite, that friendships are forged, that couples come together or dissolve and deals are struck. For the disabled to be deprived of the physical benefits of the beach and also all the socializing that goes on there is doubly isolating, says AdaptSurf co-founder Henrique Saraiva.

“Imagine, you’re in a country that’s surrounded by beaches, where the beach is an almost mystical place. But when you’re confined to a chair, the farthest you can get is the sidewalk, and you sit there sweating under the sun and watching everyone play in the water,” said Saraiva. “It’s the most supremely frustrating experience.”

He and two friends created the

organization in 2007, some 10 years after a mugging left him partially paralyzed. The then-18-year-old Saraiva was cycling near his home in an upscale Rio neighborhood when he was set upon by several young men who were after his bike. One of them pulled a gun.

move my legs.” An extended hospitalization, a series of surgeries and months of uncertainty followed, with doctors unable to predict whether Saraiva would ever walk again. But the intense physical therapy sessions paid off and Saraiva eventually traded his wheel-

RIO DE JANEIRO: In this March 16, 2013 photo, Monique Oliveira is aided by an AdaptSurf volunteer as a wave breaks at Barra da Tijuca beach.

AdaptSurf is a Rio-based non-governmental organization that aims to make beaches accessible to the disabled and encourage them to practice water sports. The organization is the first of its kind in Brazil.—AP “I saw it and kind of froze and he fired. A single shot went in through my stomach and lodged in my spinal column,” he said. “Lying there on the street, I felt right away that I wasn’t able to

chair for the crutches that he still uses to get around. Despite his badly atrophied right leg, Saraiva pulled out his old board and tried to surf again. “It was magical. The water is the one place

where I can forget about my handicap,” said Saraiva. “It’s the one place where I can feel like I’m just one of the guys, just like everybody else.”

In a bid to share that experience with others, Saraiva founded AdaptSurf with the help of two friends. Similar organizations already existed in other places with vibrant beach cultures, such as California and Australia, but Saraiva says AdaptSurf was the first of its kind in Brazil. And it convenes every Saturday and Sunday of the year, weather permitting, he added.

“It was really touch and go at first,” Saraiva said. The group would show up at a designated spot on Rio’s upscale Leblon beach with one used surfboard and a couple of parasols. At first, there were just three participants, but AdaptSurf has steadily grown and recently received a generous donation to buy new mesh ramps and runways to help people cross the fine white sand and a fleet of special wheelchairs made from a fast-drying mesh and all-terrain monster tires.

“People who spend their whole lives in a wheelchair get on a board and manage to catch a wave and their selfesteem goes through the roof,” Saraiva said, adding that even for those participants with disabilities so severe they can’t do more than be wheeled, kneedeep, into the water, just being on the

beach does a world of good.

Now several dozen disabled people come from across this metropolis of 6 million to attend AdaptSurf, some braving hours-long bus rides to be there every weekend. The group has even had people come from as far as the capital, Brasilia, some 725 miles (1,170 kilometers) away.

Though they set up their parasols directly in front of a lifeguard station, AdaptSurf has never required its services - a fact Saraiva attributes to the care the group takes. When the ocean’s too choppy or the undertow too threatening, they forgo the water and practice their moves on land. Even when the water’s at its calmest, participants generally surf one at a time, with at least one able-bodied helper. Andre Souza, a 33-year-old who was paralyzed from the waist down in a 2001 motorcycle accident, had never surfed before he chanced upon AdaptSurf. Now, he hopes to enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the disabled surfer who’s spent the most time on a wave.

While the typical disabled surfer spends an average of about 10 to 15 seconds on any given wave, Souza last year spent slightly over three minutes riding a “pororoca,” a giant wave that sweeps up rivers in the Amazon region at certain times a year. He hopes to surf another pororoca later this year.—AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

S P ORT S

Asian heavyweights lick wounds inflicted by underdogs JORDAN: Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni was left to rue a profligate forward line as the Blue Samurai blew a chance to become the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Japan only needed to draw against a Jordan team they had thrashed 6-0 last June to secure a fifth consecutive finals appearance but were let down by poor finishing in a 2-1 reversal at Amman’s King Abdullah International Stadium on Tuesday.

“We wanted to qualify for the World Cup (on Tuesday) and it is a real shame and we are all disappointed,” Zaccheroni was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

“We paid the price for not taking our chances. Our finishing has let us down again. We had about 10 chances and Jordan had three,” the Italian added.

Shinji Kagawa, who scored Japan’s goal, echoed the Italian’s sentiments. “We’ve lost and we are gutted,” the Manchester United midfielder lamented after Japan wasted a golden opportunity to secure at least a point when Yasuhito Endo’s 70th-

minute penalty was brilliantly saved by Jordan keeper Amer Sabbah.

“We should have scored more goals and this game was there for the taking. We’ll just have to better in our next game at home.”

Japan, who lead Asia’s Group B on 13 points from six matches, host Australia on June 4 and wrap up their campaign away to Iraq a week later.

A deeper gloom descended on the Australian camp after Holger Osieck’s side rallied to salvage a 2-2 home draw against Oman to complicate their passage to Brazil.

Osieck fielded a side that lacked experience and urgency against Oman, leaving forward Tim Cahill slightly concerned over the remaining matches in the campaign.

“I asked for a high-tempo game. I don’t want the ball thrown into the box all the time,” said the 33-year-old New York Red Bulls striker, scorer of Australia’s first goal and a constant aerial threat as the hosts piled on the pressure late on.

“So we’ll learn as we go along but overall this is going to take

time because there’s a lot of young players and inexperience.

“I’m happy for the youngsters that they’re getting the experience but it’s going to be a difficult run in to the campaign.”

In Seoul, a winning goal deep into injury time helped South Korea overcome Qatar 2-1 to revive their Group A campaign after managing just one point from their last two matches.

“It was a dramatic victory,” Korean coach Choi Kang-hee said. “Because of the manner of victory, that gives the camp a lift going into the final games.”

Korea occupy second spot in the group on 10 points from five games as they chase an eighth straight finals appearance.

“We know what we have to do to get to the World Cup and our desire to get there is strong.

We have some rebuilding to do but at the moment the focus in on qualification,” Choi added.

Group leaders Uzbekistan, on 11 points from six games, increased their hopes of securing a maiden World Cup finals appearance while virtually crushing Lebanon’s hopes with a 1-0 victory over the West Asians. “It was a difficult match and we had

JORDAN: Jordan’s Ahmad Ibrahim (10) celebrates in this file photo after Jordan beat Japan 2-1 following their FIFA World Cup Group B Asian qualifiers round four football match. —AFP Theo Bucker said. “We are playto fight in every part of the field. coach Mirdjalal Kasimov said.

“We tried our best against ing in the final round of qualifyLebanon played well in the first half and they didn’t make any Uzbekistan... but they were the ing for the World Cup and that is mistakes in defence,” Uzbekistan better team,” Lebanon coach an achievement for us.”—Reuters

African struggle to reach Brazil JOHANNESBURG: A group-by-group analysis of the 2014 World Cup qualifying competition in Africa after the mini-league second round reached the halfway mark this week.

GROUP A South Africa were expected to dominate one of the weakest four-team sections, but a team with an unimpressive away record are two points behind Ethiopia and must visit Addis Ababa during June.

Ethiopia are on the rise, competing in the Cup of Nations two months ago after a 31year absence, with Salahdin Said a proven scorer and Shemeles Bekele a dazzling dribbler.

FRANCE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti (center) takes part in a training session with his players at the club’s training camp days ahead of a French League football match against Montpellier. —AFP

‘Scared’ a fair assessment after England stop playing LONDON: Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic claimed England were scared ahead of their World Cup Group H clash on Tuesday, and after the visitors “stopped playing” in the 1-1 draw it seems his words were not too out of place.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart was called into action on numerous occasions in the second 45 minutes as England, utterly dominant in the first half where they scored early on through Wayne Rooney, buckled under pressure following the break.

“First half, thoroughly in control; second half, we made it hard for ourselves and we had to dig deep,” a less than impressed Hart told Sky Sports News.

England are becoming experts at letting leads slip against ‘lesser’ opposition, evidenced by their 1-1 draws against Montenegro and Poland in their qualifying group.

Captain Steven Gerrard, who said England “stopped playing” after halftime, pleaded with the team to shake off their alarming habit of sitting on a 1-0 lead.

“There was a lot of experience out there and we showed that in the first half-we controlled the game. But the problem is, at 1-0 you’re always vulnera-

ble,” the midfielder told the FA’s website.

“You’ve got to go on and get that second goal to be in complete control and we didn’t do that.”

However Hart, despite his blunt assessment of England’s lopsided performance, said Montenegro had not posed too much of a threat and had been lucky to score through Dejan Damjanovic with 15 minutes remaining.

“It was a scrappy goal. I’d imagine they’ll say it was coming but I think that was the only way they were going to score, with the ball bobbling around and someone being in the right place at the right time.” The situation is not yet bleak for England who will still be favourites to qualify as group winners come October given they host both group leaders Montenegro and third-placed Poland, who are four points behind with a game in hand. “It is in our hands because we play Montenegro and Poland at home and we have to go to Ukraine,” said manager Roy Hodgson.

Montenegro, top of the table by two points, can go five clear when they host fourth-placed Ukraine in June. England’s next fixture is at home to Moldova in September.—Reuters

GROUP B Tunisia are looking good for a final-phase slot with victories over Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde Islands and Sierra Leone giving them a five-point advantage.

It is difficult to imagine the experienced Carthage Eagles slipping under new coach Nabil Maaloul as they seek to atone for a disappointing first round exit from the recent Cup of Nations.

GROUP C Tanzania have emerged as unexpected main challengers to hot favourites Ivory Coast, who are desperate to make Brazil having failed this year for the fifth consecutive Cup of Nations to justify favoritism.

Ivory Coast are one point ahead of Tanzania, whose shock home win over four time qualifiers Morocco catapulted them into contention, and the Elephants must visit Dar es Salaam during June.

GROUP D Zambia surrendered the advantage gained from a ‘boardroom’ victory over Sudan when they conceded a late goal with 10 men to drop two points in an away draw with minnows Lesotho. This result opens the door for 2006 and 2010 qualifiers Ghana, whose loss in Zambia will be irrelevant if they can win away to Sudan and Lesotho and at home to the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets).

GROUP E Congo Brazzaville are well placed with maximum points from three outings and a potentially crucial home fixture to come against surprise 2013 Cup of Nations runnersup Burkina Faso.

Gabon and Niger appear out of contention, leaving Burkina Faso to try and overcome a six-point deficit after a terrible start in which they forfeited the point from a home draw with the Congolese and lost to the Gabonese.

GROUP F It is proving tougher than expected for new African champions Nigeria with Malawi and Kenya holding the Super Eagles and Namibia defending bravely before conceding a match-winning late goal.

Success-starved Kenya were denied victory in Calabar by a stoppage-time goal but new Algeria-born coach Adel Amrouche must be encouraged ahead of the return match in Nairobi during June.

GROUP G Egypt may have been African champions a record seven times but American coach Bob Bradley knows what really matters is the World Cup with the Pharaohs’ last appearance

the benchmark for our coaching excellence internationally, with the club currently exploring other destinations around the world for future expansions,” a City statement yesterday read.

Coaching at the school takes the form of 10-week courses, all of which follow the same training techniques and philosophies of Roberto Mancini’s first team squad at City.

Former Arsenal and France star Patrick Vieira, now working as City’s football development executive, added: “Every time I visit the School of Football, I am amazed at the growing number of kids wanting to learn how to play the City way and how much talent they have at such a young age.

“It’s so important to have the correct coaching at a young age, as these early principles and values can ultimately end up driving, guiding and defining you as both a player, and as a person.”—AFP

GROUP H Algeria shrugged off a disastrous 2013 Cup of Nations, in which they took one point from a possible nine after being touted as possible champions, by beating Benin to lead Mali on goal difference. Although Benin cannot be dismissed, the struggle for supremacy is likely to come down to the Desert Foxes and the Eagles with the outcome of their September showdown in Algeria probably crucial.

GROUP I Fallen giants Cameroon are one point ahead of Libya and two above Democratic Republic of Congo in a tight contest that could go down to the wire between the Indomitable Lions and the Mediterranean Knights. Libya have two home fixtures to come compared with the one of Cameroon and the north Africans received a boost with African body CAF clearing them to play before their supporters after a long security-related ban.

GROUP J Another intriguing mini-league with onepoint gaps separating Senegal, Liberia, Angola and Uganda and the situation could become even tighter after the next round.

A Senegal side coached by former France star Alain Giresse look strongest on paper with a Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse strike force, but 2006 qualifiers Angola could emerge surprise winners.—AFP

Arsenal pays a price for sound finances LONDON: When Arsenal hired manager Herbert Chapman in 1925, the job ad told big spenders not to apply. Angry fans who have seen the London soccer team overtaken by lavishly funded rivals are now screaming for the club’s US owner to bury that tradition.

The club’s billionaire majority shareholder Stan Kroenke is one of a new generation of foreign owners who have bought into

the game in Britain, but while some of them have spent with abandon to get results on the field, Kroenke expects the club to stay true to sound financial principles.

The order to control the purse strings didn’t stop Chapman entering club folklore, leading Arsenal to the first of 13 league titles, making it the most successful team in England after Manchester United and

City plan worldwide coaching schools LONDON: Manchester City have revealed plans to create a series of international coaching centres across the world following the success of their football school in Abu Dhabi.

The Premier League champions’ coaching centre in Abu Dhabi, named the MCFC School of Football, has doubled in size since it opened a year ago and now caters for 550 boys and girls aged between five and 18 and is run by five coaches on weekday evenings and Saturdays. The success of the centre, based at Zayed Sports City, will become the blueprint for further international projects as City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners look to expand their club’s global brand.

City were bought by Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 and their huge investment culminated in last year’s Premier League title triumph.

“The success of the MCFC School of Football in Abu Dhabi is fast becoming

23 years ago. After a routine victory over Mozambique, they exceeded expectations with a win in Guinea and a late victory against Zimbabwe leaves them five points clear and favoured to head the final standings.

QATAR: Danish handball player Nikolaj Markussen poses with his new Eljaish shirt alongside team manager Khalid Al-Kuwari (left) during a press conference in the Qatari capital Doha upon his transfer to the Qatari club. —AFP

Liverpool, but the trophy cupboard has been bare for several years.

Arsenal, nicknamed “ The Gunners” after the munitions factory workers that founded the club in 1886, last won the English Premier League in 2004 and lifted the FA Cup in 2005. They have won nothing since, and supporters who pack the plush Emirates stadium, the club’s home since 2006, want a better return on some of the highest ticket prices in English soccer.

Even the annual consolation of a place in the European Champions League, wor th around 30 million pounds ($45 million), could slip from its grasp.

The top four from the Premier League qualify for the competition, and Arsenal is currently fifth behind local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Frustrated fans say the club is the victim of a lack of drive and investment by Kroenke, who took control two years ago in a deal valuing the club at 731 million pounds.

Those who work for the 65year-old Kroenke, who owns sports teams on both sides of the Atlantic, dismiss claims he is out of touch with English soccer and its passionate fans.

“He understands sports. He understands Arsenal,” club Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis said in an inter view. “ The guy I know is phenomenally ambitious for this football club and has given it support at every possible level,” he added, saying Kroenke comes to London every month.

While the Americans who control Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have tried to run the clubs along business lines, clubs like Chelsea and

Manchester City have muscled into the Premier League elite over the past decade thanks to hugely wealthy owners from Russia and Abu Dhabi who have been prepared to underwrite their financial losses.

Arsenal fans who have seen their club overtaken by these newly rich teams believe “Silent Stan” should do more.

“There is not enough energy or ambition to push the club hard to go for ward,” said Tim Payton of the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST), a lobby group of fans who own shares in the club.

“Kroenke owns the club, but he’s out of the country, and most of the rest of the board are over 70.

It does feel that coming fourth is the height of ambition rather than the minimum requirement,” he added.

Gazidis, 48, believes Arsenal will soon benefit from the completion of a financial transformation that began with the move to the 60,000-seater Emirates stadium from their former home at nearby Highbur y in nor th London.

“We will have a football club that will certainly be one of the leading clubs in financial power in Europe,” he said in his woodpanelled office in “Highbur y House”, a building with views on the old and new stadiums.

Gazidis points to a new 150 million pound sponsorship deal with airline Emirates signed last year, while a new kit supply deal is also being negotiated.

“We have a vision of a football club which stands on its own two feet, which relies on its own resources,” Gazidis said. “We think that football is about more than simply who is prepared to lose the most money.”—Reuters

Radcliffe fears she may never race again

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

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Disabled surfers brave the waves in Brazil

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Asian heavyweights lick wounds inflicted by underdogs

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VENEZUELA: Colombian forward Radamel Falcao (center) vies for the ball with Venezuelan defender Gabriel Cichero (left) and defender Andres Tunez during a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier football match. —AFP

Venezuela closer to World Cup dream BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi struggled in the thin air of La Paz, fluffing a gilt-edged chance to end his goal drought against Bolivia, while Colombia marksman Radamel Falcao was kept scoreless in Venezuela on Tuesday.

However, with a rampant Ecuador crushing Paraguay 4-1 in Quito, South America’s top three teams remain in charge of their World Cup qualifying chances as the race for the region’s fourth direct ticket to the 2014 finals in Brazil hotted up.

Uruguay, Copa America holders and the region’s best-performing team at the 2010 World Cup, lost 2-0 in Chile and sank below the qualifying line as their opponents and Venezuela climbed above them into fourth and fifth.

Argentina managed well in the thin air at

nearly 4,000 metres in La Paz to draw 1-1 with Bolivia, putting behind them the 6-1 defeat suffered by Diego Maradona’s team four years ago.

But they might have won had Messi made the most of a late chance. Messi stole the ball from a defender and came face to face with Sergio Galarza but a moment’s hesitation cost him dear and allowed the goalkeeper to block his shot.

That preserved Bolivia’s record as the only South American team to have denied the little ace a goal. “That’s another point we have added and (this result) strengthens the squad (but) we deserved all three,” Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella told reporters.

“Obviously we have good chances (of qualifying), we’ve gone from moderate optimism to

greater optimism,” he said after taking four points in four days following Friday’s 3-0 win over Venezuela in Buenos Aires.

Colombia went to Puerto Ordaz in Venezuela seeking a fifth win in a row after their 5-0 rout of Bolivia at home on Friday but they came away empty-handed as striker Jose Salomon Rondon scored the only goal for the home side.

Ecuador made it six wins out of six home matches in their Atahualpa stronghold nearly 3,000 metres up in the Andes mountains, with two goals from striker Jefferson Montero.

Musical chairs for the top three places has Argentina at home to Colombia on June 7 and visiting Ecuador in Quito four days later after the Ecuadoreans’ trip to Peru. Colombia host the Peruvians on their return from Argentina.

Uruguay have a bye on June 7 and will watch the middle positions in the table closely as Venezuela visit Bolivia and Chile travel to Paraguay.

“We have potential (but) we need to know why that potential isn’t surfacing,” said a worried Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez, whose team have taken only two points from their last six matches.

“The outlook is much more complicated ...

Our objective now is not fourth place, but fifth which gave us our ticket to the last World Cup.” Fifth place, currently occupied by Venezuela, is valid for a playoff with a qualifier from Asia. In 2009, it was against a team from the CONCACAF region - North and Central America, and the Caribbean - with Uruguay beating Costa Rica.

Panama leads as big guns tie MEXICO CITY: Panama’s surprise 2-0 victory over Honduras on Tuesday took them to the top of the table in CONCACAF qualifying for next year’s World Cup finals while big guns Mexico and the United States ended their clash goalless.

Costa Rica picked up their first win of the 10-game campaign with a 2-0 victory over Jamaica in San Jose. After three games, Panama, who have never qualified for a World Cup finals, lead on five points followed by Costa Rica, the US and Honduras all on four points while winless Mexico have three points from their three draws.

A draw with Mexico and victory over the United States in home games, had given Honduras hopes of taking strong control of the group at supposed minnows Panama, but Julio Dely Valdes’ determined team had other ideas.

A close range effort from Luis Tejada put Panama ahead in just the second minute of the game but Honduras roared back, Carlos Costly hitting the woodwork with a header in the 20thh minute.

Panama, who mix a high-speed attacking game with a physical approach, made sure of the three points when striker Blas Perez put the game beyond Honduras in the 75th minute, racing on to a through ball from substitute Nelson Barahona and firing home.

Costa Rica picked up their first win after Michael Umana opened the scoring with a side-foot finish having jinked into the box in the 22nd minute.

Jamaica enjoyed the better of the possession but Costa Rica substitute Diego Calvo grabbed the winner with a superb run, jinking past three defenders before curling the ball into the top corner.

The pressure was on Mexico at the Azteca Stadium against arch-rivals, the United States, and it showed as ‘El Tri’ failed to find the composed finishing touch to complete their dominant possession.

Mexico felt they should have had a penalty in the 76th minute when Javier Aquino went down under challenge from Maurice Edu but Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez waved away the appeals.

The hosts went close at the end with U.S. keeper Brad Guzan pulling off a superb save to keep out an Angel Reyna strike.

Chile’s Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli said: “We improved in recovering the ball and didn’t let a dangerous team like Uruguay, with lots of great players, have a leading role in the match.”

Venezuela, who have improved in leaps and bounds over the last decade with a first Copa America semi-final in Argentina in 2011 the highlight, can dare to dream of playing their first World Cup. They edged into fifth place on 15 points, equal with Chile if behind them on goals scored, leaving Uruguay sixth with 13.

Peru, who have 11 points, can still vie for a berth in their remaining six matches but Bolivia, with nine points, and 2010 quarterfinalists Paraguay with eight, face an almost impossible task to keep pace. — Reuters

FBI has cooperating witness for soccer fraud probe - sources

PANAMA: Panama’s Marcos Sanchez (left) vies for the ball with Honduras Luis Garrido during their FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 qualifier football match. — AFP The result was just the second time that the United States have managed a point at the Azteca in a qualifier, following another goalless draw in 1997. The US have never beaten Mexico at their national stadium in a qualifier.

After the final whistle fans, some of whom hurled objects at visiting U.S. supporters, chanted for the removal of coach Jose Manuel de La Torre.

The top three teams qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Brazil with the fourth-placed team going into a two-legged playoff against New Zealand for a chance of securing a fourth berth from the region. — Reuter

WASHINGTON: An FBI probe into alleged corruption in international soccer has recently intensified after investigators persuaded a key party to be a cooperating witness, U.S. law enforcement sources said. They said that the witness is Daryan Warner, the son of former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.

The sources declined to further discuss the role of Daryan Warner, who could not be reached for comment. They also would not say who might be charged, if anybody, or when. While the exact scope of the investigation is not clear, among the matters under scrutiny are two previously reported allegations involving Jack Warner, who is currently national security minister in his native Trinidad and Tobago.

The deepening of the probe indicates that a succession of corruption scandals involving FIFA and other international soccer bodies in the past few years may continue to cast a cloud over the sport for some time.

Jack Warner was formerly head of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), as well as previously being one of a number of vice-presidents of FIFA, soccer’s global governing body. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Since at least the summer of 2011, the FBI has been examining more than $500,000 in payments made by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) over the past 20 years to an offshore company headed by top U.S. soccer official Chuck Blazer. That was a period during which Jack Warner was also head of the CFU, a position he held from the early 1980s until 2011.

The precise reasons for many of those payments is unclear. In 2011, Blazer said that the

payments were meant to be repayments to him by Warner of “a significant amount of money” which Blazer said he loaned to Warner in 2004. Warner told the media in Trinidad that the payments were above board.

The Internal Revenue Service has joined in the investigation, which is looking into potential violations of US tax laws and of US anti-fraud statutes, including laws prohibiting wire fraud and mail fraud, law enforcement sources said.

“It’s shaping up like a major case,” one US official familiar with the matter said. In a telephone interview from Trinidad, Francis Joseph, a spokesman for Jack Warner, said that neither Jack nor Daryan Warner would have any comment on the investigation.

“Nobody will speak to you about that,” Joseph told Reuters.

In 2011, Jack Warner told the Parliament of Trinidad: “I will hold my head high to the very end. I am not guilty of a single iota of wrongdoing.”

Daryan Warner was first interviewed by the FBI late last year after flying to the United States, a US official said.

Jack Warner quit his FIFA and CONCACAF positions in June 2011 in the wake of allegations of bribery in a report by a lawyer commissioned by Blazer, a member of FIFA’s executive committee and former general secretary of CONCACAF. The report alleged that Warner collaborated with another FIFA vice president at the time, Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, to bribe Caribbean soccer officials so that they would back a bid by Bin Hammam to become FIFA’s president. Bin Hammam and Warner both have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. — Reuters

Business

UK’s banks told to plug 25 billion pound capital hole Page 22 Euro-zone woes dent shares, pull euro to four-month low Page 24

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Qantas, Emirates tie-up wins final approval

Jeep takes a radical turn with Cherokee Page 25 Page 23

NICOSIA: A woman waits to collect basic food supplies with her daughter at the Cyprus Red Cross in Nicosia yesterday. Cyprus secured a 10-billion-euro ($13-billion) bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund earlier this week that saved the euro-zone member from bankruptcy. — AFP (See Page 24)

Dubai gears up for more modest boom Scars of property crash, corporate debt overhang remain DUBAI: Four kilometers off the coast of Dubai, more than 200 tiny, man-made islands bake under the sun. Built five years ago, they were to be one of the emirate’s most spectacular projects, an archipelago of resorts and luxury housing laid out in the shape of a world map. Apart from a few facilities such as a villa and a beach club, the islands are empty. After creating them at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars, state-owned property firm Nakheel sold about 70 percent of the land. But most of the buyers have lacked the cash or the will to go ahead with development plans. A little over three years after a corporate debt crisis drove it to the brink of default, Dubai is still littered with relics of the disaster, in the form of unfinished real estate projects and battered balance sheets.

But it is laying the groundwork for another economic boom, based on its role as a tourism and business hub for the surrounding region, and a haven for money from India, China and fast-growing countries in Africa. The next boom is likely to be more gradual, partly because financing will not be as cheap and plentiful as it was during the excesses of the last decade. Growth will depend more directly on services that Dubai provides, rather than on the ability of its real estate market to suck up money. But in some ways, the next boom could rival the last one, boosting Dubai’s population about 50 percent by the end of this decade and pushing it deeper into a range of industries, from food processing to diamond trading. Florence Eid, chief executive of London-based research and advisory firm Arabia Monitor, said some aspects of Dubai, such as its role as a relatively safe financial centre, were set back by the crisis and shown to be weaker than assumed.

“But some have actually been strengthened in the last few years, including its role as an operating base for businessmen from around the region and as a centre for entrepot trade, which it has enjoyed since the pearl fishing and spice trading days of the Arabian Gulf,” she said. “The economy now appears to be embarking on another wave of growth during which it will serve similar functions as Hong Kong and

Singapore in Asia, supporting and profiting from growth in industry and trade in a large region surrounding it.”

DEBT: Dubai’s expansion plans are striking in that they are being announced while the emirate is still many years away from working through the debt pile it accumulated during last decade’s boom and bust. Standard Chartered estimates $48 billion of bonds and loans will mature between 2014 and 2016, including about $10 billion of restructured debt at stateowned Dubai World and Nakheel. Some of this debt might have to be restructured a second time, the bank said in a research report.

In December, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded its credit ratings of three Dubai banks, including the largest, Emirates NBD. It cited concern about problem loans and said it was prepared to cut the ratings further. But Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, signaled a push for growth in November, announcing plans for a huge tourism and retail development including the world’s largest shopping mall, over 100 hotels, and a park 30 percent bigger than London’s Hyde Park.

Since then a string of state-owned and private firms have said they are reviving projects mothballed during the crash or launching new ones. Plans even include more man-made islands: last month state-backed Meraas Holding said it would spend $1.6 billion to build an island housing the world’s largest ferris wheel, just a few kilometers from Nakheel’s archipelago. Hotel industry consultancy STR Global estimates, based on its contacts with companies in the industry, that Dubai hoteliers plan to add 19,000 new hotel rooms in the next few years - almost a third of the current number of about 63,000.

The government’s central projection is for the population to rise above 3 million people by 2020 from just over 2 million at present. Under an “aggressive” growth scenario, the population could be near 4 million by the end of the decade, it estimates.

Since fewer than 20 percent of Dubai’s population are local citi-

zens - the vast majority are expatriate workers - such growth would mean an influx of hundreds of thousands of people.

Construction work to accommodate them would require billions of dollars of fresh financing that may be hard to obtain in the wake of the global financial crisis. If growth does accelerate, it could produce the same kind of boom-and-bust cycle that plagued Dubai a few years ago. “There are certainly legitimate questions to be asked about investment risk in Dubai, given the wild swings in the property market and the boom period’s long record of broken promises, which extend to the highest levels,” said Jim Krane, author of the book “City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism”.

FEASIBLE: But there are grounds to think Dubai’s ambitions are feasible - or at least a large part of them. One of the emirate’s advantages is its geographical location, which lets it serve as an air transport hub between Asia, Europe and Africa; Dubai overtook Hong Kong to become the world’s third-busiest airport for international passenger traffic last year.

Double-digit annual increases in this traffic, which hit 58 million passengers last year, are helping Dubai attract growing numbers of tourists and investors. About a fifth of passengers leave the airport and come into the city; local industries are lobbying the government to raise this ratio with changes to visa arrangements and other steps. “The way Dubai has worked in the past few years, they’ll create enough demand generators to make sure they have customers for the new hotel rooms,” said Naureen Ahmed, manager of analysis at STR Global.

Taxes in Dubai are lower than in many European and Asian cities. This helped boost foreign direct investment flows into the emirate by 17 percent last year - a rapid rate during a period of global economic weakness. The more difficult financing environment since the global crisis could also benefit Dubai in a way, by preventing the wild investment that characterized the last boom. With loans harder to obtain, real estate developers are likely to be forced to build their projects in stages, ensuring each stage is viable before moving to the next one. —Reuters

Egypt firms struggling with sinking currency Central bank rationing dollar supplies CAIRO: After two years of political upheaval and weakness in the economy, companies in Egypt are struggling with a sinking currency and a shortage of foreign exchange, forcing some to make painful changes to their business plans. The central bank’s foreign currency reserves have tumbled to $13.5 billion, covering little more than two months’ imports, as tourism and investment have waned.

So the central bank is rationing US dollar supplies in auctions, making it hard for firms to get hold of dollars through the banking system. “Every single businessman in Egypt is facing this problem,” said Mohamed al-Sadat, vice chairman at Menco Group, a mechanical and electrical maintenance company based in Cairo. The business, which employs 200 people, buys components such as transformers and ceramics from abroad for use in construction projects. It needs dollars or sterling for the deals. “You have to get the money from any place, you have to have it, otherwise you are going to shut down and go home,” Sadat said. Some firms are turning to the unlicensed black market and paying inflated rates for hard currency, he said. The Egyptian pound is trading between banks at around 6.80 to the dollar, but black market street vendors are asking over 7.0. Business leaders say they expect the currency to depreciate further; it has dropped 9 percent against the dollar since the end of last year. Last week Moody’s Investors Service cut Egypt’s credit rating for the sixth time since the uprising against Hosni Mubarak two years ago, saying political instability threatened consumption and investment. The turbulence has made operating tough for Menco Group. The company

sealed a deal to import transformers three months ago, with payment to be made in sterling; it then had to reduce the order by more than 15 percent because the weakened Egyptian pound raised the cost.

The firm did not want to cancel the deal entirely because it would risk losing the trust of its supplier, Sadat said. “Four years ago I used to sit with my employees and make an annual plan: these are our targets, gentlemen, for the next year,” he said. “Now we do that every single month, maybe every 15 days, we sit together and put together a plan. It is very hard we do not have a vision of what will happen tomorrow.”

IMPORT COSTS Businesses of all sizes across Egypt are feeling such pressures, especially those that rely on imports, said Hussein Sabbour, head of the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association, which represents around 1,000 members. Restrictions on foreign currency trade have made day-to-day business a nightmare for importers, and working with foreign partners has become difficult, he said.

He gave the example of his own company, which has an engineering and design contract in Bahrain; part of the work is subcontracted to a Bahraini company which he pays on a regular basis through a bank transfer. While six months ago the payment used to be processed in 24 hours, now he is hitting a bureaucratic brick wall. “The bank says: why are you transferring it? Give me the documents, let me see it. So the bank is very afraid that people will send money outside Egypt for no reason,” he said.

Egypt tightened currency controls in December in response to a rush by some Egyptians to withdraw their savings from banks. This month the restrictions were eased for tourists moving currency across its borders, but stayed in place for Egyptians. It is not yet clear how much Egypt’s imports have been hit by the hard currency shortage, which has become more serious in the last three months.

According to the most recent official data, imports rose to $16.4 billion in the final three months of 2012 from $14.6 billion a year earlier, but the increase was essentially due to higher costs for importing energy.

“Importing used to be extremely easy, money was available in the banks...Now it can still be done, but it has become very expensive,” Sabbour said. Small and mediumsized companies have been hit the hardest, but even larger groups are rethinking the way they do business. Ahmed Monsef, chief executive of Toyota Group’s operations in Egypt, said he faced issues including how to obtain foreign currency and how to deal with banks to secure letters of credit.

His toughest challenge is working out how to price imported cars in Egypt, given changes in foreign exchange rates and weak consumer sentiment. “There are of course different prices, it constantly changes,” he said. While Egypt’s pound has fallen against the dollar and the euro, it has been fairly steady against the yen, so since December Toyota in Egypt has been taking an average price difference across the currencies, helping to moderate retail prices, Monsef said.—Reuters

News

in brief

Oman, PetroTel ink deal MUSCAT: Oman has signed a three-year oil and gas exploration and production sharing agreement with USbased private company PetroTel, the oil ministry said in a statement yesterday. “Under the agreement the company will explore for oil and natural gas in Blocks 39 and 67 which occupy an area of 13,379 km2 and is located in Dhofar,” the statement said. Oman produced an average of 918,000 barrels per day of oil in 2012, up 4 percent from 2011, according to government statistics. The sultanate, which depends heavily on oil exports, has signed a number of exploration agreements with foreign companies since 2005 in a bid to boost production.

Fitch upgrades Philippines MANILA: Fitch Ratings said yesterday that it had promoted the Philippines credit rating to investment grade, citing the nation’s resilient economy and improved fiscal management. The hike was the first to investment grade by any of the three major ratings agencies, in an endorsement of political and economic reforms by President Benigno Aquino’s nearly three-year-old administration. “The Philippine economy has been resilient, expanding 6.6 percent in 2012 amid a weak global economic backdrop,” the agency said in a statement posted on its website that announced the upgrade. Fitch said it had raised the country’s key longterm foreign currency issuer default ratings to ‘BBB-’, or investment grade, from ‘BB+’. It added that the Philippines had experienced stronger and more stable growth than other BBB- countries over the past five years, and was expected to continue performing strongly with growth of 5.5 percent in 2013. The ratings agency also cited fiscal reforms as well as improved governance carried out by Aquino since he took office in 2010 as among the reasons for the upgrade.

Saudi thwarts smuggling RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s customs authorities have thwarted an attempt to smuggle over 3,260 metric tons of refined petroleum products out of the country’s Gulf port of Dammam, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. King Abdulaziz Port Customs general manager Othman Al-Riqei was quoted as saying on Tuesday that the smugglers had tried to disguise their operation by mislabeling 296 large metal containers containing barrels. The report did not say which fuels were seized or where they were headed, but subsidized Saudi vehicle fuels are among the cheapest in the world and several countries in the region, including Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Pakistan, have struggled to meet their demand with domestic production. It was not clear from the report whether arrests had been made in the case. Fuel smuggling rings are uncovered periodically in Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter.

Agility sees $80m revenue DUBAI: Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility said yesterday it would book close to $80 million in revenues from a three-year contract which it won for work at the Majnoon oil field in Basra, Iraq. Agility said in a statement on the Kuwait stock exchange that it had been awarded the contract by Shell Iraq Petroleum Development to provide logistics services to the oil field; work would start in May 2013.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BUSINESS

German reliance on Deutsche Bank outweighs scandals FRANKFURT: Germany has become so dependent on Deutsche Bank to grease the wheels of its export driven economy that it looks willing to gloss over scandals involving its largest bank. Deutsche is one of several European banks under investigation by regulators in Europe and the United States for its suspected role in rigging benchmark interest rates. It is cooperating with German authorities in a separate inquiry into alleged tax fraud. Deutsche has denied allegations it misvalued derivatives and mis-sold mortgage-backed securities.

Such an array of inquiries could be expected to damage any bank’s reputation. But back-up from business leaders and key members of the bank’s supervisory board appear to be helping Deutsche’s new co-chief executives Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen put the scandals behind them. The two men, with more than 40 years experience at Deutsche between them, took over as co-CEOs on June 1. This bedrock of support is crucial for Deutsche, especially in a German election year when banks’ perceived excesses and misdemeanors could become a campaign issue.

The newest revelations for Deutsche will come in the next few days when the German regulator issues a report on the bank’s alleged involvement in the manipulation of Libor, a global interest rate benchmark. The report will test Germany’s commitment to keeping Deutsche strong for the sake of its export led economy.

That commitment is a common theme to surface in interviews Reuters has conducted with current and former Deutsche staff, business leaders, sources at the regulator and bank directors. Several sources familiar with the regulator’s report have said it will focus on “organiza-

tional flaws” rather than placing blame on Jain or Fitschen, making it less likely the Berlin political establishment will call for them to go.

THE INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND A web of support for Deutsche has emerged among German blue-chip and mid-sized companies, which have grown more dependent on the country’s largest bank since rivals including IKB, WestLB, LBBW, Commerzbank and Dresdner Bank shut down or slashed international investment banking and lending. Burkhard Lohr, Chief Financial Officer at K+S Group, a supplier of speciality fertilizers and salt, with activities in Canada, Chile and Brazil said a strong Deutsche was vital. “We need banks with a global network, because our markets are also global,” Lohr said. That view was echoed by Stefan Sturm, Chief Financial Officer of German healthcare group Fresenius SE. “What’s crucial is intellectual and financial capital. Particularly in the case of large complex projects which need to be completed seamlessly and in a short period of time,” he said. Thomson Reuters data show how Deutsche’s role as lender to German companies has grown since the financial crisis.

In 2008, it ranked only fifth among the biggest lenders to German companies, behind HVB, Dresdner Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Commerzbank.

Deutsche loaned 4.52 billion euros to German firms, giving it a market share of 7.23 percent. Four years later, Deutsche Bank is the second-biggest provider of large loans in Germany behind Commerzbank, with a lending volume of 10.82 billion euros, or 15.9 percent, the data show.

Achleitner is a firm believer in a strong German investment bank.

“What we need as a society is to come to an agreement over what we want. Do we want Germany to be home to a major bank of global importance? There aren’t that many companies left in the financial sector capable of competing with US firms,” Achleitner said in a written statement in response to questions. But Deutsche is still paying the price for its more free-wheeling past. Last week, it was forced to restate its 2012 earnings because of new litigation provisions of 600 million euros related to mortgage-related lawsuits and other regulatory issues including Libor. Seven employees have been suspended or dismissed for suspected involvement in manipulating inter-bank lending rates.

To ensure they retain the support of corporate Germany, Jain and Fitschen need to prove that ‘Project Pharos,’ a plan to become a more client focused lender really means a change in style. The restructuring efforts, set to be completed by 2015, has already seen about 1,400 jobs axed out of the investment bank, which had 9,094 staff at the end of 2012. The proprietary trading division, which used the bank’s own money to make bets with a notional value of up to $128 billion on mortgage-backed securities, has been shut. Deutsche has pared back risk taking, reducing the value at risk at its main trading units to 57.1 at the end December, from 95.6 at the end of 2010. A lower number for value-at-risk indicates a reduced likelihood of potential losses.

Internal rivalry once promoted at the bank has been toned down in favor of a greater emphasis on teamwork, insiders say. —Reuters

UK’s banks told to plug 25 billion pound capital hole

S&P puts Deutsche Bank on negative rating watch FRANKFURT: International ratings agency Standard and Poor’s put the biggest German bank’s long-term credit rating on negative watch yesterday after Deutsche Bank’s 2102 earnings were hit by writedowns and legal costs. S&P said in a statement it has placed Deutsche Bank’s “A+” long-term rating on “CreditWatch with negative implications.” The move “follows Deutsche Bank’s announcement that it has increased its provisions for litigation in 2012 by 600 million euros ($769 million) compared with the preliminary results it released in January this year,” the statement said.

The bigger-than-expected provisions forced the bank to restate its year-end net profit for 2012, which now stood at 291 million euros compared with 4.326 billion euros in 2011. “We view the group’s 2012 results as weak overall,” S&P said. “We believe ongoing economic, regulatory, and legal risks will continue to hurt the bank’s performance.” Deutsche Bank’s capitalization was “still below peers’ in our view, despite a significant improvement on the second half of 2012,” the rating agency continued.

“The revised results lower the starting point for our projected risk-adjusted capital (RAC) ratio at year-end 2013. This ratio is our measure of a bank’s capital cushion against unexpected losses.” Deutsche Bank is currently being investigated over allegations that some of its employees may have been involved in rigging the Libor and Euribor interest rates. And one of its co-chief executives, Juergen Fitschen, is among a number of top managers suspected of involvement in a tax evasion scheme in the trading of carbon emissions certificates.

Deutsche Bank said its so-called Core Tier One capital ratio-a measure of a bank’s ability to withstand unforseen risks-slipped to 7.8 percent in 2012 from 8.0 percent announced at the end of January. A Deutsche Bank spokesman declined to comment on S&P’s move, but insisted that the group was confident of attaining its target for a capital ratio of 8.5 percent at March 31.

Investors were not so sure and Deutsche Bank shares were the biggest losers on the Frankfurt stock exchange yesterday, shedding more than 3.0 percent in slightly softer market. — AFP

The need for a global German bank is even more acute for small and medium sized companies, the backbone of the economy. These small highly specialized manufacturers export goods around the world, but don’t have the capacity to maintain multiple relationships with banks to sort out their foreign exchange, interest rate hedging and export finance. Anshu Jain, who once cultivated trading superstars like Boaz Weinstein and Greg Lippmann, is using his new role to expand support in the “real economy” and in political circles. Since taking office, the Indian-born banker has met with approximately 50 German chief executives and visited Berlin around 10 times to meet high-ranking politicians. On one trip, he knocked on the doors of Vorwerk, a maker of vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances which exports to more than 70 markets from its base in Wuppertal, Germany. “Anshu Jain came to us well-prepared. He was exceptionally interested in our business,” said spokesman Michael Weber. “As an internationally operating company, it is important for us to have as our bank a global partner who is present in many different markets.”

WINNING MARKET SHARE Meanwhile, senior Deutsche staff see a huge opportunity to win market share in an environment which has seen Barclays disrupted by the departure of its CEO and UBS pull out of segments like fixed income. Crucially for Jain and Fitschen, Deutsche’s supervisory board chairman, Paul Achleitner, supports their strategy. A former Goldman Sachs executive who helped Deutsche make one of its biggest expansions into investment banking in 1998, when he advised it on a deal to buy Bankers Trust,

HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds shares firmer LONDON: Britain’s banks must raise 25 billion pounds ($38 billion) of extra capital by December to absorb any future losses on loans, the central bank said, less than investors had expected. The Bank of England said yesterday that major lenders should achieve a core tier 1 capital ratio - a bank’s main benchmark of health - of at least 7 percent of their riskweighted assets.

Replenishing capital buffers, decimated by the financial crisis and heavy fines for misconduct, is crucial to returning part state-owned lenders RBS and Lloyds to full private ownership by the 2015 general election. The move to strengthen banks should also allow them to lend more and support economic growth, central bank governor Mervyn King said.

He said the banks will not need taxpayers’ money to increase their capital. Matthew Fell, a director at UK business lobby the CBI, said it was difficult to see how banks can meet the capital targets without restricting lending.

Along with RBS and Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays dominate the market with 74 percent of deposits. Banks have already announced some plans to bolster capital which, along with their expected earnings this year, should cover half of the 25 billion pound shortfall.

The amount they have to raise is less than investors had expected after the central bank said last year the figure could be as high as 60 billion pounds. Shares in RBS were down 0.4 percent while Lloyds jumped 3.1 percent, with HSBC up 0.1 percent and Barclays up 0.8 percent. “You can pretty much guess HSBC is going to be in surplus and that Barclays, RBS and Lloyds have probably got a shortfall and I would guess the shortfall is probably biggest at

euro-zone countries such as Greece or Spain will have to hold even more capital above the 7 percent target.

RBS said its capital position was strong and that it was working with regulators, while Barclays said it was “profitable, strong and wellcapitalized”. Santander UK said it would continue to maintain its capital ratios above the industry average. HSBC and Lloyds declined to comment. Yesterday’s announcement outlined two phases: the December deadline for the minimum capital level, five years earlier than the globally agreed timetable under the Basel III accord, and regular stress testing of banks beyond 2014 that will lead to further capital increases.

The big banks are expected to have capital ratios of 10 percent by the end of 2018. Bailey, who is also chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, the UK’s new banking supervisor from April 1 when the Financial Services Authority is scrapped, will meet banks individually after the Easter holiday to vet their plans. From April, the central bank’s Financial Policy Committee, tasked with spotting broader risks in the financial system, has the power to direct regulators to force banks to comply with requests to bolster capital.

Bailey began his checks on how banks calculate risk on their books to determine overall capital requirements last November and has expressed concern about inadequate provisions for losses on loans. All four of Britain’s biggest banks have been hit with fines totaling more than 14 billion pounds so far for mis-selling loan insurance, putting further strain on capital. UK lawmakers are also putting pressure on regulators to increase competition in a sector. — Reuters

LONDON: Photo shows a view of the financial buildings and bank headquarter towers of Canary Wharf rising on the skyline in London. Major British banks must reinforce their capital by £25 billion ($38.8 billion, 29.5 billion euros) by the end of 2013 after underestimating the potential losses and fines they face over the next three years. — AFP RBS,” Shore Capital analyst Gary Cooper said.

The central bank did not give a breakdown of how much each bank needs to raise.

DIVIDEND CURBS Banks are expected to say how they will raise the money in the next few

weeks. Analysts say they will likely curb dividends and bonuses, although some new capital will be needed. Banks will have to hold a set amount of capital so they are not tempted to cancel loans to bump up their capital ratios.

Those that hold large amounts of risky commercial property or are exposed to struggling

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 .4280000 .3630000 .2970000 .2770000 .2950000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771780 .7519240 .3920000 .0720000 .7371300 .0420000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2843000 GB Pound/KD .4307570 Euro .3651120 Swiss francs .2994520 Canadian dollars .2794240 Danish Kroner .0489830 Swedish Kroner .0437730 Australian dlr .2975630 Hong Kong dlr .0366340 Singapore dlr .2286470 Japanese yen .0029980 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0774340 Bahraini dinars .7544120 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0758340 Omani riyals .7387290 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 2.987 5.283 2.906 2.251 3.313 229.280 36.787 3.614

.2880000 .4410000 .3770000 .3160000 .2910000 .3010000 .0068000 .0035000 .0779540 .7594810 .4110000 .0770000 .7445380 .0480000

.2864000 .4339390 .3678090 .3016640 .2814880 .0493450 .0440960 .2997610 .0369050 .2303360 .0030200 .0053070 .0022680 .0029220 .0036730 .0780060 .7599840 .4050920 .0763940 .7441860 .0070390

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

7.009 9.730 0.271 0.273

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

741.99 78.73 76.23

740.000 78.500 76.500

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 41.410 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.332 Tunisian Dinar 182.160 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 371.090 Sterling Pound 432.740 Canadian dollar 280.400 Swiss Franc 303.030 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 303.19 284.93 305.43 369.85 285.10 435.75 3.08 3.649 5.253 2.251 3.288 2.904 77.69 759.11 41.29 406.16

Selling Rate 285.450 283.970 433.915 368.445 301.170 755.735 77.695 78.355 76.085 402.390 41.313 2.248 5.256 2.897 3.630 6.956 700.225 4.010 9.820 4.035 3.375 92.020

SELL CASH 308.000 283.500 307.000 369.000 286.000 437.000 3.300 3.740 5.450 2.450 3.450 2.975 78.300 757.850 41.300 413.000

BUY Europe 0.4256870 0.0061791 0.0452228 0.3622226 0.0449691 0.4239250 0.0399137 0.2961094

0.4346870 0.0181791 0.0502228 0.3697225 0.0501691 0.4314250 0.0449137 0.3031094

Australasia 0.2888225 0.2312575 0.0001109

0.3008225 0.2412575 0.0001109

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.2735118 0.0001487 0.2833500

0.2825118 0.0001667 0.2855000

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo

Asia 0.0035929 0.0031674

0.0036479 0.0033974

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

0.0448568 0.0165000 0.0000443 0.0342386 0.0051935 0.0000244 0.0028529 0.0029311 0.0032693 0.0884120 0.0031323 0.0028737 0.0065148 0.0000729 0.2258387 0.0019512 0.0093336

0.0498568 0.0196000 0.0000503 0.0373386 0.0052635 0.0000295 0.0038529 0.0031111 0.0034993 0.0954120 0.0033323 0.0029137 0.0069848 0.0000759 0.2318387 0.0022562 0.0099336

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 0.7508679 0.0393343 0.0129916 0.1486163 0.0000794 0.0001737 0.3971117 1.0000000 0.0001751 0.0215511 0.0012143 0.7305483 0.0777645 0.0756000 0.0480051 0.0031859 0.1796923 0.0763038 0.0012880

0.7593679 0.0413643 0.0194916 0.1504063 0.0000799 0.0002337 0.4046117 1.0000000 0.0001951 0.0455511 0.0018493 0.7415483 0.0785475 0.0762400 0.0485551 0.0034059 0.1856923 0.0777538 0.0013880

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) 284.900 369.300 435.000 281.300 3.035 5.252 41.295 2.247 3.615 6.968 2.897 758.650 77.600 76.100

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Discounts abound as India’s car market tanks NEW DELHI: Indian car buyers are being bombarded with “buy now, pay later” offers after once-booming sales skidded to a 12-year low, highlighting the struggle to stimulate consumer demand in a sagging economy. “Go ahead, pinch yourself,” says an ad for German giant Volkswagen’s $13,400 Vento sedan, giving buyers a chance to trade in their old car, make a one rupee (two-cent) down payment and start paying for the new one a year later.

Other offers dangled include interest-free repayments and up to 20 percent discounts to lure buyers back into showrooms and reduce unsold vehicle pileups in Asia’s third-largest car market. “The slowdown has forced automakers to cut prices and offer massive discounts to move the metal,” Ammar Master, India manager at global industry forecaster LMC Automotive, said.

Passenger car sales fell 26 percent from a year earlier in February alone, the worst performance since 2000, and are projected to record their first full-year dive in the financial year to March 31 in a decade,

according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Sugato Sen, SIAM deputy director general, blames India’s sharp economic slowdown in which growth is expected to be just five percent this year-the weakest in 10 years. “If people don’t have to buy a car, they aren’t buying, they’re holding back on discretionary spending,” he said.

The downturn in India’s car market comes as sales in China, the world’s biggest market, have been gaining traction-highlighting the divergence between the two billion-plus population nations. China “keeps running out of (manufacturing) capacity in contrast to India where manufacturers right now are facing an excess capacity situation,” said Deepesh Rathore, India managing director of industry forecaster IHS Automotive.

India’s car numbers are a sharp turnaround from scorching growth in years up to 2010-11 when sales expanded by 20-30 percent annually, prompting foreign automakers to drive into the nation to offset weakness in developed markets. They poured billions

of dollars into plant investment but now are seeing the market shrink at a time when European sales have been dramatically contracting due to the euro-zone crisis. Ford, which has been betting big on India, reported its February Indian sales slid by 44 percent to 4,490 units, citing a “tough” market. GM’s domestic sales fell 20 percent to 7,106 units while Volkswagen’s sales were down eight percent. But India’s largest domestic vehicle maker Tata Motors, part of the Tata steel-to-tea conglomerate and maker of the world’s cheapest car, the Nano, suffered most, announcing passenger car sales down 70 percent in February.

R C Bhargava, chairman of Japanese-controlled carmaker Maruti Suzuki, which sells around one out of every two cars in India, said last week he did not want to fan “any optimism” and forecast next year would not be “any different”. “The industry is not going through a good phase,” he said. “The trend can change only with better economic growth and more money in the hands of people.” To reduce inventories, automakers have been shutting production lines but

investment slowdowns loom if the situation fails to improve, analysts warn.

More broadly, analysts say the market’s woes reflect a wider malaise in the economy, plagued by weak consumer demand, stubbornly high inflation, high interest rates and a subsidy-swollen fiscal deficit, “People aren’t getting the right vibes from this economy” to buy cars, IHS’s Rathore said. The lone bright spot has been sales of SUVs, which have become hugely popular with affluent consumers seeking a status vehicle offering more protection on India’s lethal roads. SUV purchases soared 35 percent in February.

French carmaker Renault, which re-entered India’s market just two years ago, has fared specially with its $14,300 Duster SUV that lifted its total car sales 10fold to 6,723 units in February. Longer term, India and its BRICS peers-China, Russia and Brazil-are still seen as the industry’s future. “The headroom in the Indian industry is tremendous,” remarked SIAM’s Sen, noting just 12 out of every 100 Indians own a car. — AFP

Qantas, Emirates tie-up approved ‘Game-changing’ global alliance

BEJING: Chinese commuters pass by a new building under construction in Beijing yesterday.

Chinese authorities have earned almost $5 trillion in profit by selling land obtained from farmers to developers over the years, state media reported. — AFP

China 3 big airlines post lower profits HONG KONG: China’s three major state-owned airlines posted sharp drops in annual profit because of the weak global economy, higher jet fuel prices and smaller foreign currency gains. China Southern, the country’s biggest carrier by passenger numbers, said yesterday that profit plunged by half compared with the previous year. Rivals Air China and China Eastern reported that earnings tumbled by about a third.

“Demand in the aviation industry in 2012 continued to be weak as a result of the slow recovery of the US economy, the on-going European debt crisis and the global recession,” Beijing-based Air China said. “Escalating operating costs from high jet fuel price and the intensifying competition added to the challenges faced by the industry.”

China Eastern said the average price of fuel rose 2 percent. The Shanghai-based carrier reported that profit fell 35 percent to 2.95 billion yuan.

Jet fuel costs rose the most for China Southern.

The airline, based in the southern economic hub of Guangzhou, said it spent 33 billion yuan ($5.3 billion) on fuel last year, 14.5 percent more than in 2011. Fuel is the biggest single expense for the airlines. Chinese airlines can do little to keep their fuel bill under control. One reason is that fuel for domestic flights is supplied by a state-owned

monopoly, which marks up prices “higher than an otherwise open market would allow,” Barclays analyst Patrick Xu wrote in a report.

Chinese carriers also don’t typically use hedging contracts to lock in part of their fuel bill, like other airlines do, because they lost a lot of money in 2008 using such techniques, Xu added. The three airlines also reported sharply lower foreign exchange gains as the yuan’s appreciation against the dollar slowed from the year before. Chinese airlines are vulnerable to currency fluctuations because while they mostly earn in yuan, their expenses for fuel and new airplanes are in dollars.

Air China, which said profit dropped 35 percent to 4.6 billion yuan last year, reported a net foreign exchange gain of 124 million yuan, compared with 3 billion yuan in 2011. The other two carriers also reported sharp declines in foreign currency income. China Southern carried 86.5 million passengers last year, or 7.2 percent more than 2011, but earnings fell by half to 2.6 billion yuan. The airline warned that “demand for short and mid-distance aviation will be further suppressed” as China rapidly expands its high speed rail network.

Authorities plan to expand the network to 18,000 kilometers by 2015, about double the 9,300 km currently.— AP

SYDNEY: Australia’s competition watchdog yesterday gave final approval for Qantas and Emirates to launch a “gamechanging” global alliance, saying the tie-up will benefit passengers. The decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, widely expected after a preliminary green light in December, allows the airlines to combine operations for five years. Under the alliance, they will coordinate ticket prices and flight schedules and struggling Qantas will shift its hub for European flights from Singapore to Emirates’ Dubai base.

It also means an end to Qantas’s partnership with British Airways on the socalled kangaroo route to London, which has spanned nearly two decades. “The ACCC considers that the alliance is likely to result in public benefits through enhanced products and service offerings by the airlines, and improved operating efficiency,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said. The decision comes after a six-month review and just days before the first joint flight from Sydney to London, via Dubai, is scheduled on March 31. However, the regulator said it was concerned that New Zealand was a key market where competition could be eroded.

To deal with this it imposed a condition on flights between Australia and New Zealand, forcing the airlines to maintain existing capacity on four overlapping trans-Tasman routes that were in operation before the alliance. “With this condition, the ACCC is satisfied that the relevant net public benefit tests are met,” the regulator said. The alliance is seen as vital to the sustainability of Qantas, which last year posted its first annual deficit since privatization in 1995, due to tough regional competition and high fuel costs for its international arm.

Qantas chief Alan Joyce called it good news for travelers and Australian tourism.

Oil climbs towards $110, robust US data supports LONDON: Oil rose towards $110 a barrel yesterday, extending gains after robust US data brightened the outlook for demand in the world’s biggest oil consumer.

Orders for US-made durable goods surged last month and home prices posted their biggest year-on-year gain in sixand-a-half years in January, data showed on Tuesday, suggesting the US economy had regained momentum early in the first quarter.

The rise was checked, however, by festering worries over the euro-zone. Brent crude rose 16 cents to $109.52 a barrel by 1030 GMT, after rising for a third straight day in the previous session. US oil fell 54 cents to $95.80 after ending $1.53 higher. “We look for strong US economic numbers to continue through the rest of this week, with the associated equity gains keeping (US crude) WTI supported at around the $95-$96 region,” Jefferies Bache analysts said. “However, we do feel that crude and product stock categories could offer some bearish surprises, especially within crude.”

Reflecting investor sentiment on the economies of the two regions, Brent’s premium to US crude remained near the $12.52 a barrel hit in the previous session, the smallest in eight months.

The spread has narrowed sharply from $23.45 in February. The improving US economy and increased pipeline flows from the Midwest have supported the US benchmark oil contract. Meanwhile, Brent has been pressured by increased supplies from the North Sea, while the strict conditions on a rescue plan for Cyprus underlined concerns about Europe’s financial stability.

CONFLICTING DATA The upbeat outlook for the United States was tarnished somewhat by other data on Tuesday showing a sharp drop in consumer confidence as Americans worried about the impact of tighter fiscal policy, particularly $85 billion in government budget cuts known as the “sequester”.

Elsewhere, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute late on Tuesday showed US crude oil stocks rose 3.7 million barrels last week, much higher than forecast in a Reuters survey of analysts. Inventories of gasoline and diesel both fell more than expected. The more closely-watched government data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) is set for release at 10:30 am yesterday. — Reuters

“Qantas is an Australian icon and the future of its international business is much brighter with this partnership,” he said, with its share price rising 1.74 percent to Aus$1.75 (US$1.84) in afternoon trade. “Customers are already responding very strongly to the joint network that Qantas and Emirates have built, and to the frequent flyer benefits that extend across it, with a significant increase in bookings.”

With services to Asia no longer tied to onward links to Europe, Qantas recently announced that new direct destinations from Australia are being considered, including Beijing, Seoul, Mumbai, Delhi and Tokyo-Haneda. For Emirates customers, it opens up Qantas’s Australian domestic network of more than 50 destinations and nearly 5,000 flights per week.

“This is a truly game-changing partnership that brings together two of the world’s best airlines and offers some of the highest quality travel experiences,” said Emirates chief Tim Clark.

Dubai Airports has earmarked major funds to further expand the capacity of the international travel hub and expects to handle 75 million passengers by 2015 and 98 million by 2020. Australian Transport Minister Anthony Albanese forecast lower fares for air travelers as a consequence of the deal. “The Flying Kangaroo has a special place in the heart of all Australians and this is good news for Australian travelers and the Australian economy,” he said.

“Millions of travelers stand to benefit from cheaper fares, reduced travel times and greater access to more destinations in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.”— AFP

SYDNEY: Qantas (right) and Emirates aircrafts are pictured on the tarmac of Sydney Airport. — AFP

Gold falls for 4th day as euro, stocks slide

OHIO: Photo shows the rain-soaked handle of a shopping cart outside the Walmart store in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. — AP

Wal-Mart tests in-store lockers for online orders SAN BRUNO: Wal-Mart Stores Inc will be testing this summer an option for consumers to be able to order product on its website and then have it kept in a physical locker at the store so they can pick it up without having to wait in line or talk to a store clerk. The test, which will be conducted in about a dozen stories in an undisclosed market, is part of the world’s largest retailer’s overall strategy to offer increasingly demanding web-savvy shoppers the ability to shop any way they want.

The company is also expanding its offerings online and improving a new “scan and go” shopping app so customers can immediately download coupons personalized to them. Officials disclosed the moves Tuesday at a media event at its company’s global e-commerce offices in San Bruno, Calif., located in Silicon Valley. The six-story offices, which house more than 1,000 employees ranging from engineers to merchandisers, includes (at)WalmartLabs, where many of the shopping innovations are coming from. It was formerly a webs analytics company called Kosmix which the discounter purchased in 2011 and then renamed (at)WalmartLabs.

The offices are different from the staid, sprawling corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. Clearly, it looks like an Internet startup. On the floor housing employees at (at)WalmartLabs, some workers are playing ping pong and pool. On

another floor, web analysts watch oversized screens of Walmart.com and Samsclub.com to track any technology problems with the site. The company conducts so-called “hack days” twice a year where most of the staff are allowed to pursue prototypes of their own liking. At the end of the day, they must show their work.

“We are tenacious about building the bestin-class e-commerce. We’re developing a density of talent that understands competition at Internet speed,” said Neil Ashe, who joined the discounter as president and CEO of the company’s global e-commerce division in January 2012. He had been president of CBS Interactive where he oversaw such online properties as cbs.com and CNET.com.

Wal-Mart used the one-day event to showcase how the discounter is meeting the challenges to fight off online rivals like eBay Inc and amazon.com, which have been luring shoppers to the Web with their vast offerings of products and low prices.

But the discounter is also following its own customers. More than half of its shoppers have smartphones and one third of its online traffic now comes from smartphones. For the holiday shopping season, that percentage figure was up to 40 percent. Over the past year, Wal-Mart has been launching a number of initiatives that merge its online business with the power of its 4,000 stores.—AP

LONDON: Gold fell for a fourth day yesterday, tracking losses in the euro and European shares after soft demand at an Italian debt auction added to worries over the debt crisis in Cyprus, while the dollar benefited from positive US economic data.

The euro hit a four-month low against the US currency, helping lift the dollar index to a 71/2-month high, as worries grew that the Cyprus rescue will prove a template for future bailouts, making private investors foot the bill.

Spot gold was down 0.4 percent to $1,592.44 an ounce by 1046 GMT, on course for a fourth session of losses, matching a similar run in late February and early March. It hit its weakest since March 15 at $1,589.49 on Monday. Prices were however still on course for their first monthly gain - up around 0.9 percent so far - after posting declines in every month since October. US gold futures for April delivery dropped 0.3 percent to $1,591.60.

“The focus will remain on Cyprus and its developments in coming sessions,” Danske Bank analyst Christin Tuxen said. “The US data was fairly strong yesterday and there is a picture now that the United States is leading the global economic recovery, alongside China of course, which is comforting for investors who would otherwise be looking for the safe havens like gold.” Orders for long-lasting US-made goods surged last month and home prices posted their biggest year-on-year gain in six-and-a-half years in January, the latest signs the US economy regained momentum early in the first quarter.

Upbeat US data in recent months has boosted confidence in the recovery of the world’s top economy, driving investors to high-yielding assets such as equities, while minimal inflationary pressure has muted gold’s appeal as a hedge against rising prices. Stock markets in Europe surrendered

early gains to drop sharply midmorning, under pressure from concerns over Cyprus and sluggish demand for Italian debt.

Cyprus is expected to complete capital control measures to prevent a run on the banks by depositors anxious about their savings before reopening its banks today.

TRADING THINS Trading was expected to thin ahead of the Easter holiday break, analysts said.

Liquidity should return next week, when an ECB policy meeting and US non-farm payrolls will be the main economic events.

“While gold may remain on the defensive in the near term, especially as trading conditions may be thin going into the holiday weekend, we continue to expect high levels of global liquidity to eventually buoy gold prices,” HSBC anlayst James Steel said in a note.

Reflecting the stalled momentum in gold, holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, were unchanged at 1,221.260 tons for the third session on March 26. Activity in Asia’s physical gold market slowed to a trickle as prices bounced in a small range, dealers said.

In other precious metals, spot silver dropped to a more than three-week trough of $28.22 but later edged up to $28.30, down 1.4 percent on the day. The popular Shanghai silver forward lost nearly 2 percent to a threemonth low of 5,860 yuan a ton.

Platinum and palladium also faltered.

Spot platinum lost 0.4 percent to $1,570.

Spot palladium inched down one percent to $752.52. “Palladium has been trading sideways over the past four sessions,” UBS said in a note. “As the broader bull trend is still in place, we will be watching for a closing break above resistance at $764.46, the 62 percent retracement of the latest sell-off.”

Palladium has not closed above that level since March 15. — Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Euro-zone woes dent shares, pull euro to four-month low German bunds up on fear of Cyprus bailout implications LONDON: The euro hit a four-month low, shares fell and safe-haven German government bonds climbed to their highest in three weeks yesterday, as poor data added to eurozone worries following its controversial bailout of Cyprus. Cyprus is expected to complete capital control measures yesterday to prevent a run on banks by depositors after the country agreed a bailout deal that will wipe out some senior bank bondholders and impose losses on large depositors.

The worry among investors and economists is that despite attempts by some officials to dismiss the idea, the plan could become a blueprint for any future euro-zone bailout. The

concerns, which come as failing growth and political uncertainty increase pressure on the region’s strained members, pulled the euro to a four-month low of $1.27930 and pushed up the dollar. “After the deal for Cyprus there is concern about what would happen if another country were to ask for financial help,” said Niels Christensen, currency strategist at Nordea.

“It is difficult to point at positive factors for the euro ... We need good economic data from the euro- zone to support the euro going forwards, and people fear that this is not very likely.” The first fall in euro-zone economic confidence after four months of gains added to

the downbeat mood. If struggling countries cannot sustain healthy growth rates in the coming years there will be little chance of them cutting their debts. German government Bund futures, an asset that investors value in times of increased tension, rose 50 ticks to their highest since March 4.

Italy, the first of the euro-zone’s big debtladen Mediterranean members to test the bond market since the Cyprus deal, cleared a 7 billion euro sale of five- and 10-year bonds, with yields on the shorter dated instrument rising, but falling for the longer. In an interview with Reuters, rating agency Moody’s warned the euro-zone’s problems and the

political stalemate in Rome were providing a headwind to the growth Italy needs to keep its debts manageable. The comments came as Italian industrial orders fell for a third straight month in January and retail sales added a seventh month of declines.

SHARES BUCKLE US data published on Tuesday, which signaled the world’s largest economy remains in recovery mode, had helped European stock markets early in the day, but euro-zone worries quickly sent them into reverse. Separate reports showed that demand for durable US manufactured goods surged in February, while US single-family home prices started the year with the biggest annual increase since June 2006.

By mid-morning the FTSEurofirst 300 was down 0.6 percent, with Paris’s CAC-40, Frankfurt’s DAX and Madrid’s IBEX down

between 1 and 2 percent. Adding to the gloom, Spain revised up its 2012 budget deficit to almost 7 percent. The US data had slightly lifted Asian shares, but the falls in Europe left MSCI’s index of world shares, which tracks 6000 stocks in 45 countries, down 0.2 percent. US stock futures also point to lower start for Wall Street.

In commodity markets, oil slipped back towards $109 a barrel, having broken that level with the help of the promising US data, and copper dipped to $7,609 a ton. Gold, which has rallied during the Cyprus turmoil, was on course for its fourth session of losses.

“Although markets are still grappling with the slowing European growth momentum, US domestic drivers of growth appear solid, with housing data overnight largely in line with expectations and durable goods orders slightly better than expectations,” analysts at ANZ said in a note. — Reuters

NICOSIA: A man sits on a bench close to the main bus stop in the capital Nicosia yesterday.

The chief executive of the Bank of Cyprus, the island’s biggest lender, has been sacked by the central bank governor as part of an international bailout deal. — AFP

Sacking of Bank of Cyprus executive deepens chaos NICOSIA: The chief executive of the troubled Bank of Cyprus, the country’s biggest lender, was sacked by the central bank yesterday just a day before the bailed-out island’s banks were finally due to reopen.

The firing of Yiannis Kypri was reportedly ordered by international lenders and deepened the crisis in Cyprus as authorities said they were finalizing controls aimed at preventing a run on the banks. The central bank said “indications are” the banks would reopen with restrictions on Thursday, but there was no definitive announcement on a closure that has already lasted 12 days and crippled the Mediterranean island.

The main opposition party on the Mediterranean island was also due to hold a major rally, following protests by thousands of bank workers and students on Tuesday against the 10-billioneuro ($13-billion) EU-IMF rescue package. The deal sealed in Brussels on Monday calls for the reform of Cyprus’s prized but bloated banking sector, delivers a major hit to big depositors including many Russians, and threatens Cypriots with years of austerity.

The euro hit a four-month low against the US dollar on concerns about fallout from the agreement, which Cyprus officials have said was needed to avert bankruptcy and a “catastrophic” exit from the euro. State media said under-fire Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades forced out Bank of Cyprus chief Kypri, 62, on the instructions of the “troika” of the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund.

His sacking was part of the restructuring of the Bank of Cyprus under the bailout deal, which involves it absorbing the remains of Laiki, the second biggest bank in Cyprus that has been wound down, Cyprus News Agency said. Demetriades, whose own handling of the crisis has come under scrutiny, said on Tuesday that authorities were making “superhuman” efforts to get shuttered banks ready to open on Thursday as promised. Hundreds of Bank of Cyprus workers protested outside the central bank on Tuesday to call for the governor’s resignation, despite efforts by London-educated Kypri to calm their fears about their jobs.

Officials were expected later to announce measures to stop Cypriots draining their accounts and the so-called “haircuts” that major depositors in Bank of Cyprus and Laiki will face. With Cypriot homes and businesses running short of cash, Cyprus Central Bank spokeswoman Aliki Sylianou told the state broadcaster that “indications are that banks will open tomorrow with some restrictions.

“The restrictions will be limited to allow the flow of capital as much as possible but we also need to protect the financial system.”

Finance Minister Michalis Sarris told the Financial Times newspaper that the capital controls will be imposed for a seven-day period and then reevaluated, and that they will be “very differentiated” according to various banks. He separately told state TV that uninsured savers at the country’s second biggest bank, Laiki or Popular bank, faced losses of up to 80 percent on deposits over 100,000 euros. Savers in Bank of Cyprus have already been warned they stand to lose 40 percent of their savings over 100,000 euros. Many Cypriots feel their country was unfairly treated compared to other euro nations that have been bailed out such as Greece and Spain.

Comments by Eurogroup chief of finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Monday which were interpreted as suggesting actions in Cyprus could act as a template for future bailouts also continued to cause worries. Luxembourg said it was “concerned” about the remarks what it fears is a new euro-zone position that oversized finance sectors must be scaled back in line with national economic output following the Cyprus debacle. The European single currency fell under $1.28 for the first time since November yesterday due to uncertainty over

Cyprus. London meanwhile announced that British pensions will no longer be paid into the Cypriot bank accounts of expatriates. The communist Akel party has announced that it would stage a major demonstration against the rescue package at 6:00 pm outside the presidential palace. Akel’s Demetris Christofias was president for five years until conservative Nikos Anastasiades was elected last month, and it was he who first sought a bailout in June. He has been widely criticized for balking at tough terms proposed by the troika and also for holding the reins too loosely on the banking system. — AFP

Iceland offers hard lessons for Cyprus STOCKHOLM: For Iceland, there was a sense of deja vu when Cyprus’s finance minister said capital controls would probably last “a matter of weeks”. Five years after a banking meltdown, the north Atlantic island has just extended its own controls indefinitely. When Iceland first announced those surprise plans after market hours in November 2008, the Confederation of Icelandic Employers director general rushed to parliament at night to try to persuade bleary-eyed lawmakers to reverse course. “They were talking about lifting them in three months. I feared they would be permanent,” said Vilhjalmur Egilsson. “But politicians had neither the energy nor intellectual capacity to realize that.”

He returned home empty-handed. An International Monetary Fund official woke him in the middle of the night with a phone call, worried about Egilsson’s opposition to the controls. “Everyone seemed tired with late night meetings, thrown into a state of confusion,” Egilsson said. “No one was thinking straight.” As in Cyprus, an overblown banking sector that was 10 times the size of Iceland’s economy was behind the implosion.

The government protected local depositors but allowed the foreign operations of the banks to collapse. Foreign creditors bore the brunt of the pain. Capital controls may have been a painful necessity to stop the Icelandic crown from collapsing, but a slide in the currency before the curbs were imposed helped the small economy return to growth quicker than many had expected. Cyprus, by contrast, cannot devalue because it is a member of the euro-zone.

Iceland appears at a loss as to how to lift the restrictions without sparking more capital flight by foreign investors. There are worries that this is dampening investment and creating asset bubbles, such as in real estate. “The capital controls will prove costly and be a deterrent in the long run,” said Jon Sigurdsson, CEO of Ossur, the Icelandic-based company that has made prosthetic limbs for the likes of South African “blade runner” Oscar Pistorius.

“The problem is that it is easy to justify to put capital controls on, but it seems more difficult to find a credible plan to take them off,” Sigurdsson said. Restrictions on capital movements exclude exporters and importers as well as interest payments on foreign debt. They include foreign holdings of deposits and bonds. Icelanders going abroad are allowed to buy a limited amount of foreign currency for things like holidays. —Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Jeep takes a radical new turn with Cherokee Newest Jeep breaks out of traditional design box DETROIT: The Jeep Cherokee is back, with a surprising design that could win some new buyers but lose some old fans.

The 2014 Cherokee midsize SUV makes its debut yesterday at the New York International Auto Show. The remake is so radical that observers might not realize it’s a Jeep. The new Cherokee ditches Jeep’s traditional boxy look for a more aerodynamic style. It replaces the brand’s signature round headlights with sharply angled slits.

The interior is plush and full of luxury options like automatic parallel parking.

Even Jeep’s seven-slat grille didn’t go untouched - it’s much smaller and creased in the middle to fold over the Cherokee’s nose. It’s a look more reminiscent of a Honda CR-V than the model it replaces the Liberty - and past Cherokees that helped establish Jeep as a symbol of toughness and off-road adventure. All this isn’t sitting well with some Jeep fans, who say the 72-year-old brand is straying too far from its rugged, utilitarian roots.

They bemoan the new styling and softer ride, saying it’s more suited for a trip to the mall than the Rubicon trail. “It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen on the road and to put a Jeep badge on it, let alone call it a Cherokee, is an insult to the name and heritage that Jeep has always delivered,” says Micah Myers, a longtime Jeep fan from Lexington Park, Md, who drives a 13year-old Cherokee. Chrysler Group, Jeep’s parent, acknowledges that the design is polarizing. But Jeep needs to win back the

suburbanites who have spent the last decade defecting to a newer batch of carlike, fuel-efficient competitors like the Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4. The new Cherokee goes on sale this fall.

In 2002, after Jeep replaced the aging Cherokee with the cheaper, smaller Liberty, a record 171,212 were sold in the US, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. Last year that fell to 75,482. The CR-V outsold the Liberty by more than three to one.

“They need to do something different, and that kind of vehicle is something different altogether,” says Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at the car-buying site Edmunds.com. “They have to stretch that brand.” Jeep - and other automakers - are also under pressure to meet increasing US fuel economy requirements.

That explains the aerodynamic style and the new nine-speed transmission under the hood. The all-wheel-drive Liberty currently gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, making it one of the worst performers among midsize SUVs. The new Cherokee will get up to 31 mpg on the highway. Finally, Jeep needs the SUV to appeal to customers around the world, not just adventurous types. The Cherokee will be built in Toledo, Ohio, but exported to more than 150 countries, including China.

“We wanted a design that is fluid and efficient yet still rugged and looks at home on the trail or at the theater,” said Mark Allen, Jeep’s design chief. The Cherokee

first went on sale in 1974, when Jeep was still owned by American Motors Corp. In 1984, American Motors released a new Cherokee that was smaller, narrower and lighter than the original, essentially inventing the sport utility vehicle. Sales soared.

More than 100,000 Cherokees were sold each year between 1986 and 2001. Offroaders were big fans because of the

fits neatly under its larger sibling, the Grand Cherokee SUV. It will also save Chrysler money, since the vehicle has always kept the Cherokee name in international markets.

But purists complain that the plush new model is nothing like Cherokees of old. For one thing, it shares a car underbody with Chrysler’s Italian partner, Fiat

NEW YORK: This undated image shows the 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited. — AP Cherokee’s capability.

In 2001, Jeep’s new owner, Chrysler, revamped the SUV again. It changed the name to Liberty, which tested better in focus groups and helped attract new buyers. The Liberty initially sold well, but then struggled as the midsize SUV market got more crowded and Chrysler - which went through bankruptcy in 2009 - invested little money in it. Krebs says bringing back the Cherokee name makes sense, since it

SpA, instead of a platform designed for off roading. Nearly 900 fans have already “liked” a Facebook petition asking Chrysler not to call the new SUV a Cherokee. David Silecchia, who has owned three Cherokee XJs from 1988, 1998 and 2000, thinks the 2014 Cherokee will sell, but not to rockclimbing adventurers like him.

“Jeep now seems to want to appeal to the people who go to the mall, throw a bunch of shopping bags in the back, drive

home and read a book,” said Silecchia, a student and information technology worker in Georgia. “The 2014 Cherokee is a nice vehicle, don’t get me wrong, but not a suitable “rebirth” of the Cherokee name.”

Chrysler insists that the new Cherokee can capably tackle rough terrain. It has more low-gear power for towing and climbing steep grades than the 2001 Cherokee.

At 184 horsepower, the base, four-cylinder engine is slightly less powerful than the 2001 Cherokee’s base V6, but it’s much more efficient. The new Cherokee also offers a 271-horsepower V6. The new Cherokee can tow up to 4,500 pounds, which is more than any other vehicle its size but about 500 pounds less than the 2001 version. A Trailhawk edition of the new Cherokee carries Jeep’s “trail rated” badge, which means it can handle a series of challenging off-road conditions, including fording water.

Dave Sullivan, an analyst with the consulting firm AutoPacific, says the higherpriced, fully-loaded versions of the Cherokee should be very capable. But he thinks the drastic redesign will cost Jeep some loyalists. Jeep, like Toyota, has been successful partly because its design changes are usually subtle, Sullivan says.

The two-door Jeep Wrangler, for instance, has changed little since it went on sale in 1987, but it’s by far the best-selling small SUV in the US. “This is not an edgy brand. It should not be about spending money on outrageous design,” he said. “It’s all about the off-road design and capability.”— AP

Euro-zone overrates ability to curb contagion: Moody’s

KAICO hosts Michelin dealers KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al Shaya & Al Sagar) KAICO, the exclusive Michelin distributor in Kuwait for over 62 years, recently hosted Michelin dealers meeting in Sheraton Hotel, Kuwait City. Over 50 Michelin dealers/ business partners of KAICO graced the occasion. Sadiq Ali, Divisional Manager - Tyres welcomed the guests and thanked them for their continuous support during the last 62 years, which resulted in a continuous market growth for Michelin every year.

“We are committed to serve our customers with the best solutions in terms of products, sales services and after sales services. We truly believe that “Customer is # 1, Customer is for life” with the pride that “we sell performance, not rubber”, mentioned Sadiq Ali in his presentation.

He also encouraged the dealers to grow with Michelin by preparing themselves to transform from Transactional Dealer category to Advocate Dealer category and more forward to Tyre Plus dealer category. Lejo, Deputy Divisional Manager, introduced two new Michelin products: Primacy 3, the comprehensive solution for wet braking, dry braking, and cornering in wet conditions and Pilot Super

Sport, an exclusive pattern, designed for high speed and sports cars, which ensures both safety and performance.

Ashish Tandon, General Manager of KAICO, thanked the all dealers and business partners for their continuous support of Michelin in 2012. He emphasized the win-win scenario in which KAICO and its business partners work hand in hand as one team to enhance the brand and sales. The three best Michelin dealers were awarded a crystal trophy for their best sales achievement in 2012. The event concluded with a raffle draw, group photo and dinner.

KAICO was established in 1936 and is jointly owned by Al-Shaya and Al-Sagar families with over 75 years of collective automotive experience in marketing, sales, parts and service and has integrated all its operations to maximize market penetration. KAICO is also the exclusive distributor in Kuwait for numerous other automotive brands including Mazda, Peugeot, Geely, Mobil Oil, BF Goodrich & Apollo Tires, Sherwin Williams Automotive Paints & VR-12 the Vitamin for Radiator. KAICO’s business activities also cover a leasing and tender division and Used Cars.

KIA partners with Al-Dawliya to ease automotive financing KUWAIT: National Agencies Group, the authorized dealer for KIA Motors in Kuwait, has proudly announced a new partnership with Al-Dawliya Financing in an effor t to open new financing opportunities for KIA customers. The weeks- old par tnership allows customers new access to Al-Dawliya’s outstanding rates from the convenience of KIA’s’Red Cube’ Showroom in Al Rai. “The new alliance between KIA Motors and Al-Dawliya Financing reflects our shared commitment to provide the customer with the most affordable financing while delivering the highest standards of customer satisfaction,”

explained Medhat Khalil, KIA Brand Manager.

To mark the beginning of the endeavor, National Agencies Group and Al-Dawliya have launched a joint campaign promoting popular KIA vehicles with monthly rates starting from KD 88. “Al-Dawliya has built a long heritage based on the belief that financing should be accessible, hassle-free and enabling for the consumer. It is in this spirit that we welcome National Agencies Group as an ally in advancing automotive finance in Kuwait,” said K halid M ourad, Direc tor of Credit Division at Al-Dawliya Financing.

LONDON: The euro-zone’s awkward handling of Cyprus’s bailout puts extra pressure on the bloc’s downgrade-threatened sovereign ratings and shows policymakers overestimate their ability to contain the crisis, credit agency Moody’s said. Cyprus clinched a 10 billion euro bailout from international lenders this week, but its terms have broken with past taboos by seizing up to 40 percent of the cash held in the island’s banks by wealthy individuals and firms. Market analysts fear that could set a dangerous precedent for future rescue efforts and make the region more prone to bank runs if depositors in other debt-strained countries think their money is no longer safe.

“Policymakers appear very confident that market conditions are benign enough and that they have the tools to avoid contagion to other peripheral economies and their banking systems,” Bart Oosterveld, managing director of sovereign risk at Moody’s said. “We think that that confidence may well be misplaced.” While Spain and Italy have so far proven resilient, analysts fear the chaos in Cyprus has increased the risk of contagion if investors think the same will happen if other countries ever seek financial help. The European Central Bank has sought to quash suggestions the tactics used in Cyprus could become a bailout blueprint.

But comments on Monday from Jeroen

Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, that it could be a model for dealing with future euro-zone banking crises has left market concerns difficult to erase. Oosterveld, speaking alongside two of the firm’s other sovereign analysts, declined to comment on whether Italy and Spain, which both have negative outlooks on their respective Baa2 and Baa3 ratings, were particularly vulnerable to a downgrade after the events in Cyprus. But they did say Cyprus remained at risk for a “prolonged period” of default and even of exiting the euro-zone.

LOOKING AT BERSANI For Italy, the difficult euro-zone backdrop and its own political troubles, were a headwind to its growth outlook and could have a future impact on its rating, said Dietmar Hornung, who oversees Italy for Moody’s. “The Cyprus situation and its impact on euro area sovereigns is negative and Italy is no exception,” Hornung said. Social cohesion as well as the health of the country’s banks would also play an important role. Italy has been in political deadlock since inconclusive elections last month. Pier Luigi Bersani, whose alliance won the largest share of the vote in February but fell short of a parliamentary majority, is meeting officials from rival parties to try to muster support to form a government. “In the

short term we are obviously looking at Bersani’s attempt to form a government and the implication for the credit profile,” Hornung said.

LESS PAIN IN SPAIN? The analysts were not so concerned about Spain, noting it had been easily selling bonds since the ECB said it would buy the debt of struggling countries, and that its fiscal situation was improving. “While there was a lot of market talk about Spain being the first to apply to the OMT (ECB bond buying) program, in the end, they didn’t need to and continued to enjoy market access,” Oosterveld said. Asked whether this meant it would change the outlook on Spain’s rating to stable from negative, he said: “Like with any other euro area country, the negative outlook of Spain’s Baa3 rating is driven by a combination of country specific and euro area wide factors... we are comfortable with our current ratings and outlooks.”

The picture in France was also unclear. Moody’s cut the rating of the euro- zone’s number two economy by one notch last year and has said a further cut could come if its outlook continues to worsen. “They are certainly moving in the right direction,” said Hornung. “...That being said, both in terms of economic strength and government financial strength, the turnaround has not been achieved yet.” — Reuters

The Solutions Summit brings in Sharp partners DUBAI: During a partner and distributors conference held recently at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, representatives from Sharp Middle East presented the company’s sales and marketing strategy for increasing market share in the region across the business solutions division. The Sharp Solution Summit also provided a platform for partners to preview Sharp’s latest printing innovations in the light production arena, such as its MX-M1204/1054/904 Series, which boasts impressive monochrome speeds of up to 120/105/90 pages per minute.

Designed for high volume, performance and power, the digital multifunctional system boasts exception-

al ease of use through its 10.1-inch LCD touch screen control panel and

Fumio Fred Yamaguchi

remarkable image quality through razor-sharp 1,200-dpi printing. Also present at the Summit were representatives of IDC who gave an insight into Sharp’s positioning and performance in the business solutions industry.

According to IDC, it was noted that Sharp Middle East has a market share of 18.5% in units (being ranked number two) and 15.1% in revenue (being ranked number three) within the office laser copier based devices market for 2012. Attendees from Sharp included Fred Yamaguchi, CEO of MEA + CIS operations and Tomoo Shimizu, Director - Business Solutions Division, amongst others.

“Sharp’s strategy focuses on devel-

oping the most innovative solutions to suit a wide range of business needs. The success of this strategy is demonstrated by the satisfaction of our customers and our year-on-year growth in market share. We’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the tremendous value and contributions our distributors provide, to make this all possible,” said Yamaguchi. During his presentation, Shimizu said: “Sharp’s Business Solutions division has recorded continued growth in the MFP sector, a true reflection of our leadership in this segment, as we continue to introduce units under the ‘profusion’ category - fusing products and solutions into a single innovation.”

Restaurant trying new pay-what-you-want experiment ST LOUIS: Customers ordering a bowl of turkey chili at a St Louis-area Panera Bread cafe can pay a penny, or $5, or $100. In other words, whatever they decide. Three years after launching the first of five pay-what-you-want cafes, the suburban St Louis-based chain yesterday is quietly beginning its latest charitable venture that takes the concept on a trial run to all 48 cafes in the St. Louis region.

The new idea experiments with a single menu item, Turkey Chili in a Bread Bowl, available at each St. Louis-area store for whatever the customer chooses to pay. The new chili uses all-natural, antibiotic-free turkey mixed with veg-

etables and beans in a sourdough bread bowl. The suggested $5.89 price (tax included) is only a guideline. All other menu items are sold for the posted price. Panera calls it the Meal of Shared Responsibility, and says the potential benefit is twofold: Above-the-cost proceeds go to cover meals for customers who cannot pay the full amount and to St Louis-area hunger initiatives; and for those in need, the 850-calorie meal provides nearly a day’s worth of nutrition at whatever price they can afford. “We hope the suggested donations offset those who say they only have three bucks in their pocket or leave nothing,” said Ron Shaich, founder, chairman and

co-CEO of the chain and president of its charitable arm, Panera Bread Foundation.

If the experiment works in St Louis, it could be expanded to some or all of the chain’s 1,600 bakery-cafes across the US, though Shaich said there is no guarantee and no timetable for a decision.

Panera has long been involved in antihunger efforts, starting with its Operation Dough-Nation program that has donated tens of millions of dollars in unsold baked goods. The first pay-whatyou-want Panera Cares cafe opened in the St Louis suburb of Clayton in 2010.

Others followed in Dearborn, Michigan, Portland, Oregon, Chicago

and Boston. At those nonprofit cafes, every menu item is paid for by donations. Kate Antonacci of Panera Bread Foundation said roughly 60 percent of customers pay the suggested retail price. The rest are about evenly split between those who pay more and those who pay less. The Panera Cares cafes generally bring in 70 to 80 percent of what the traditional format stores do, Antonacci said.

That’s still enough for a profit, and Panera uses proceeds for a job training program run through the cafes. The new idea is fairly low-profile. Shaich said Panera is relying on media reports and word of mouth - no direct marketing, no

advertising. Signs in the St Louis cafes will tout the idea, and hosts and hostesses will explain it to customers. “We don’t want this to be self-serving,” Shaich said. “We want to make this an intellectually honest program of integrity.” Panera isn’t alone. A restaurant known as One World Everybody Eats in Salt Lake City adopted the pay-whatyou-want idea a decade ago. Cafe Gratitude, a small vegan cafe chain in California, offers a single payment-bydonation menu item each day. Software known as freeware is frequently distributed under this model. The rock band Radiohead released an album, “In Rainbows,” in 2007 and let online buyers

decide how much to pay. Humble Bundle releases video games as paywhat-you-want downloads, with a percentage of money going to charity.

It doesn’t always work. Yogaview, which operates three yoga studios in Chicago, tried a donations-only format at its Wicker Park studio for nearly two years before turning to a traditional payment method. Co-owner Tom Quinn said that while many customers were generous, too many others were not. “You’d get a class with six people and there would be 12 bucks in donations,” Quinn said. “It got frustrating to see how some people weren’t owning up to it.” —AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Dubai Cruise Tourism makes a splash at Cruise Shipping Miami DUBAI: The Cruise Tourism Department of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) participated at Cruise Shipping Miami, the industry’s largest and most significant professional showcase from 11-14 March 2013, at the Miami Beach Convention Centre, in the USA. This was the 13th year that DTCM has participated in Cruise Shipping Miami, and ten coparticipants joined with DTCM on its stand to meet with industry partners with the aim of networking and sourcing new business for Dubai.

Dubai is the home port for five international cruise liner operators, namely TUI Cruises, MSC, RCCL, Costa Cruises, and AIDA, which operate regular weekly itineraries from Dubai and used to take Dubai as a hub for their winter operations. Cruise tourism is a significant new addition to family tourism in the region.

Every cruise ship is a resort-like facility that has full range of luxurious amenities including restaurants, swimming pools, kids’ play areas among many more recreational amenities for all members of the family.

Sea trade Cruise Shipping Miami featured more than 900 exhibiting companies from 123 countries and attracted well over 11,000 attendees. Speaking on the occasion, Helal Saeed Al Marri, the Director General of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: “DTCM has made excellent use of the opportunities afforded by this premier event to increase its exposure in the international cruise arena, as Cruise Shipping Miami is well known to attract the broadest range of industry players within the calendar of the world’s major

cruise conferences”.

He added: “The department has also strived to fully utilize the opportunity to meet with influential cruise line executives, expert conference speakers, and executives from CLIA and FCCA cruise associations in order to promote Dubai’s burgeoning cruise industry”.

Representatives from Dubai Cruise Tourism met with top executives from TUI Cruises, MSC, RCCL, Costa Cruises and many more cruise line operators to promote Dubai as a destination of choice for cruise tourism and to convince these operators to take Dubai as a hub for their cruise operations in the region.

Dubai Cruise Tourism also promoted the latest developments in terms of offering best services and facilitating procedures for cruise passengers, and assured international cruise tour operators that all of the relevant authorities were at work to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for stimulating new routes and markets such as China, India, Russia, Brazil, South America, and South Africa.

In addition, DTCM held a highly successful meeting with the delegation from Oman, which was headed by HE Maitha bin Saif Al Mahrougi, Under Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism, regarding cooperation between Dubai and Oman, with the aim of contributing to the awareness of the region as an attractive cruise destination to both companies and passengers. The meeting was also attended by Pier Luigi Foschi, Chairman and former President of Costa Cruises, member of the Carnival Cruises Board, and who was instrumen-

tal in both Costa and AIDA selecting Dubai as home port for their Middle Eastern operations, pledged to continue his support of DTCM’s efforts.

DTCM has taken on the task of promoting cruise tourism both locally and internationally, ensuring Dubai can offer all the facilities necessary to cruise liner operators in the region, with the aim of boosting the performance of this important and vibrant sector in a way that benefits Dubai and the entire region.

DTCM has played a significant role in attracting an increasingly keen interest from international cruise liner operators to organize regular itineraries from Dubai to the region’s ports.

These efforts were supported by Dubai’s tourism attractions, its excellent air connectivity and the availability of state of the art infrastructure, modern communication means, high level international hotel chains, beautiful beaches and international shopping malls in addition to easy visa procedures which are rarely found in other countries.

During the conference Hamad Bin Mejren, Executive Director of Business Tourism at DTCM, represented the department in a panel discussion titled ‘New Destination Deployment’, which included representatives and presentations from Rotterdam Ports, Holland, Busan Port and South Korea Ports, with over 200 delegates in attendance. Bin Mejren made full use of the opportunity to showcase Dubai to key cruise tourism industry delegates and take questions.

Speaking about the cruise tourism outlook in Dubai and the region, he said: “The cruise tourism sector in the region is strong and its continued

growth remains extremely promising, bringing with it huge economic and development opportunities. Hundreds of jobs will be created in the industry in years to come and Dubai is proud to be taking the lead in ensuring the sustained development of this lucrative sector. The Emirates once again proved its ability to steal the show and draw the attention of the world through its presence in Cruise Shipping Miami.”

Dubai’s cruise tourism industry is growing rapidly, and the increase in passenger numbers is clearly proportionate to the Emirate’s industry recognition. In 2011, the city hosted 396,554 cruise tourists, a number which increased to 407,825 in 2012. In order to cater to the increasing demand, the overall port facility has been expanded and cruises

Helal Almarri

currently operates from three facilities, spanning over 20,000 square meters, on a pier stretching 1,900 meters, at which up to six cruise ships can be accommodated at one time.

Further expansion is anticipated by 2014 and projections place the number of cruise ships expected to call on Dubai at 120 annually by 2015, carrying 450,000 passengers. There are expansion plans to Dubai’s cruise ship facilities in collaboration with Dubai Ports World.

Much of the attraction is the port terminal itself. The terminal provides touristfriendly infrastructure including currency exchange facilities, ATMs, a post office, cafe, business centre with complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, souvenir shops, electronics, and jewelry outlets, aerial and coach tour operators, and dedicated taxi ranks, all with easy access for the physically challenged.

The terminal also houses offices for representatives of government bodies such as Immigration, Customs and the Police. DTCM has set up round-the-clock information counters at the cruise terminals, and passengers are provided with free maps in various languages as well as pertinent information about Dubai.

Bin Mejren went on to add that the Middle East is increasing being recognized as a key growth market following major commitments to invest substantial amounts into new cruise terminals and associated infrastructure, which is, in turn, further increasing the positive outlook for the region’s cruise sector and helping to boost reciprocal tourism potential in key destinations across the GCC.

Turkish lira eases Central bank tightens liquidity

Canon launches IP security cameras KUWAIT: Canon Middle East, leader of innovating imaging solutions, has expanded its line-up of IT & Office products to meet its increased demand in Kuwait.

Canon also launched its first-ever range of IP (internet protocol) security cameras at a seminar aimed at retailers and distributors in Kuwait, as part of initiatives to further strengthen its presence in the country’s robust IT market.

“We see a huge demand for security products in the region and by being so strong in the imaging business, foraying into the surveillance camera market was only a natural progression for the company.

Canon’s technology will help raise the bar of the network camera sector, while offering customers the highest quality security solutions,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, Marketing Director, Canon Middle East.

The full HD IP cameras including VB600D, VB-M40 & VB-M700 IP were showcased with a live demonstration at the seminar giving retailers and distributors a first look and feel to the products. Over 80 guests were shown Canon’s latest products in the Pixma inkjet range such as the Pixma MG5340, MG6340 and models from the MX series were on display showcasing the cut-

ting-edge connectivity features.

Also on display were the latest in i-SENSYS laser models - including i-SENSYS 6780X and 8080X, showing retailers how easy and simple connecting to the internet is with Canon’s latest offering. Canon’s latest printers allows users to connect online and enables everyone to share images conveniently through its cutting-edge input to output solutions and new Wi-Fi capabilities including features such as Canon’s Air Print, which facilitates seamless wireless printing from devices including the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Naser Mohammed Al-Sayer Communications Co (NMAS), Canon Middle East’s authorized distributor in Kuwait, was responsible for hosting the seminar for end users in Kuwait. “Our alliance with Canon reaffirms our commitment to providing consumers in Kuwait with access to flagship technology and value added experiences. This seminar held for retailers and distributors was not only to introduce the products, but also engage with the channel community on the most appropriate and effective solutions that will help them boost their businesses,” said Nabil Iskandrani, General Manager, NMAS.

ISTANBUL: The Turkish lira eased slightly yesterday after the central bank cut its overnight lending rate and tightened liquidity in the previous session, the latest moves in one of the world’s most complicated monetary policy mixes.

Another flurry of details yesterday suggested the bank was moving away from its focus on protecting the economy against a hot moneyfuelled boom in the lira and credit, hunkering down instead for the threat of falling capital inflows if the global mood worsens.

Factoring in a rise in worries over the eurozone’s problems, the overall effect was to weaken the lira to 1.8214 against the dollar by 1030 GMT from 1.8157 late on Tuesday. Against its euro-dollar basket, it eased to 2.0752 from Tuesday’s 2.0741. The one-point cut in the overnight lending rate took markets by surprise on Tuesday and looked aimed at ensuring the

lira did not gain from moves that analysts said added up to a net tightening of monetary conditions.

In a presentation to economists yesterday, the bank said tighter liquidity and a recent deceleration in capital inflows would help dampen credit growth but the current account deficit was likely to widen in the short term. “Our best guess is that (yesterday’s) decision can be seen as preparation for a possible deterioration in the global economy and capital flows outlook, perhaps due to broad based risk aversion triggered by Cypriot developments,” wrote Inan Demir, chief economist at Finansbank.

Analysts said the central bank wanted to keep a flexible policy mix in case the euro-zone’s situation deteriorated again and ate into hopes a global recovery was underway. “In the meantime, (the bank) seems to be careful not to

Zubin appointed as Executive Board member of Kuoni Group KUWAIT: Zubin Karkaria, Chief Executive Officer - VFSGlobal Group, has been appointed as a member of the Executive Board of Kuoni Group effective 21 March 2013. Besides continuing in his existing role, he will also take on the role Executive Board member, and will now report to the Chief Executive Officer of Kuoni Group, Peter Rothwell.

Simultaneously, VFS Global has been made a separate business division of Kuoni Group.

As a member of the Executive Board, Zubin will play a role in the strategic direction and decision-making of the 106 year-old Kuoni Group. The Executive Board, whose members include the CEO, CFO, and Business Division Heads of the Group, is the preeminent managerial body of Kuoni Group.

Incidentally, Zubin is the first Asian to serve on the Executive Board of Kuoni Group.

Zubin, who joined Kuoni in 1991 in India, rapidly moved up from one managerial role to the next in the company’s Tour Operating Division, and was appointed as the Deputy CEO and Head Business Development for Kuoni India and South Asia in 2003. He was then appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of Kuoni India and South Asia in 2005, being responsible for all units of the company - Tour Operating, VFS Global, Business Travel and Kuoni Academy. He was responsible for the conceptualisation and launch of VFS Global in 2001, and has subsequently led VFS Global to become the largest global company in its field of providing visa

and other consular services to governments and diplomatic missions.

This development further underlines VFS Global’s increasing prominence within the Kuoni Group. In the words of Group CEO, Peter Rothwell, “Zubin is a highly accomplished and respected member of Kuoni’s top management. I am convinced that his rich experience and his dynamic leadership qualities will contribute positively to the functioning of the Executive Board and to the overall performance of the Kuoni Group. I welcome Zubin on the Executive Board.”

Zubin Karkaria

Ukraine begins new talks with IMF on $15bn loan Raising household gas prices still a sticking point KIEV: Ukraine’s government opened a new round of talks with the International Monetary Fund yesterday on a $15 billion loan to help it service foreign debt repayments set to peak at about $9 billion this year. The second visit since January by a mission from the IMF, which has been pressing Ukraine to pursue unpopular policies at home, takes place as Kiev has been able to tap more receptive international debt markets to meet some of its finance needs. Ukraine has to date signed seven loan deals with the Fund, and money owed to the IMF itself accounts for about two-thirds of the sum due for repayment this year.

But the last loan deal, also for $15 billion, was suspended in early 2011 part-way through when President Viktor Yanukovich’s government refused to make Ukrainian households pay more of the real cost of the gas it buys from Russia.

The Fund has urged the former Soviet republic to cut gas and heating subsidies for households in order to curb a ballooning budget deficit. But Yanukovich in February again pledged not

to raise gas prices, casting doubt on the prospects of a new IMF deal.

The IMF office in Kiev said on Wednesday that a Fund mission had arrived and begun its work on a new stand-by arrangement. It is scheduled to stay in Ukraine until April 10.

“We have a big interest in getting this money. We also have an interest in refinancing the credit which we received previously from the IMF,” Economy Minister Ihor Prasolov told reporters yesterday. “We have grounds - and our own calculations - for hoping that this stand-by program will be issued,” he said.

Ukraine’s budget deficit doubled last year to $6.7 billion or 3.8 percent of gross domestic product as the government increased welfare payouts and other spending in the run-up to an October parliamentary election. The Fund also says the Ukrainian hryvnia, pegged at about 8 per dollar since early 2010, is overvalued and it wants Kiev to allow greater exchange rate flexibility. Accepting the Fund’s painful lending conditions could have long-term political implications for

Yanukovich’s leadership. Domestic gas and heating prices are the main potential stumbling block. Ukraine buys natural gas from Russia and then resells it to households and heating companies at a discount, with the state budget absorbing billions of dollars in losses every year. Abolishing the subsidies, as suggested by the IMF, would be a politically risky move for Kiev and personally for Yanukovich who plans to run for a second five-year term in 2015.

Instead, for the last two years, his government has been trying to negotiate a discount on the above-market price of Russian gas supplies while cutting gas imports. But talks with Moscow have produced no results. Analysts said however that conditions on international money markets had considerably relaxed pressure for the moment on Ukraine as it resumed talks with the Fund. At the beginning of February, Ukraine sold a $1 billion tranche of a 10-year Eurobond with a yield of 7.625 percent and some analysts expect the same scenario to be repeated in the second quarter.—Reuters

undermine the currency or loan growth. Overall, this decision might be an intermediary step in transitioning to a different policy stance,” said Demir. Two-year bond yields rose to 6.40 percent after falling to 6.32 percent on Tuesday following the central bank announcement.

Istanbul’s main share index fell 0.3 percent to 83,723 points, underperforming the global emerging markets index , which rose 0.13 percent. Shares in insurer Yapi Kredi Sigorta fell 9.5 percent after Europe’s biggest insurer Allianz agreed to buy IT from Turkish lender Yapi Kredi Bank. Yapi Kredi shares fell 0.72 percent to 5.50 lira. “The news is negative for Yapi Kredi Sigorta as the sale price is below the current price. The transaction valuation is 5 percent below our estimate of 2 billion lira,” said Hasan Demir, Deputy Director of Research at Istanbul-based Tera brokers.— Reuters

Egypt eyes Libyan oil CAIRO: Egypt will import 900,000 barrels of oil a month from Libya starting in April and is paying off some of the money it owes to foreign energy firms, its oil minister was quoted as saying yesterday. Osama Kamal, cited by local media, said Egypt, where an economic crisis has led to fuel shortages, had recently paid $1 billion in debt to foreign energy firms and that another $1 billion would be coming in a fortnight. “The Libyan petrol shipments will arrive next month,” Kamal was quoted as saying in local newspaper Al Borsa. In Egypt “petrol” is used to refer to crude oil.

The Egyptian government is estimated to owe billions of dollars to oil producers working in the country, though the government last month disputed an estimate that put the debt at $9 billion.

On Monday the Libyan oil minister, Abdul-Bari AlAroussi said Libya plans to refine some of its crude oil in Egyptian refineries to support the Egyptian economy which is struggling after more than two years of political unrest. Kamal also said in comments carried by local daily Al-Mal newspaper he would will meet with several foreign firms this week to discuss new means to pump additional supplies of gas.

Egypt, which has endured over two years of political instability since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, is struggling with sliding currency reserves, falling tourism and a soaring budget deficit. It has cut back on some planned oil imports, traders said early this month, as it watches its foreign reserves fall and it seeks loan funding. The government is working on an economic program where it plans to cut back on subsidies of fuel. Last year it eliminated subsidies on 95-octane gasoline, the highest grade available, and it raised fuel prices in many sectors last month.

The government had plans to start a scheme to ration subsidized motor fuel using smart cards available to drivers of vehicles with smaller capacity engines in July. In remarks carried by local daily Al Masry Al Youm, Kamal said the government is looking at a proposal to replace the smart card plan with a system based on mobile phones, indicating the government has yet to finalise the rationing plan. He did not give a time frame.— Reuters

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

technology

Indie sensibilities embraced at gaming conference LOS ANGELES: It’s a time of transition for the video game industry. With last year’s launch of the Wii U, the impending arrival of the PlayStation 4 and the likelihood of a new Xbox on the horizon, the next generation of video game consoles is nearly here.

However, more than half of the attendees at this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco identify themselves as indie developers and their next creations will be for smartphones and tablets. So when it comes to the next generation of consoles, the question on their minds doesn’t seem to be “What’s next?” but rather “Who cares?”

The schedule for this year’s GDC illustrates the dramatic changes that are reshaping the gaming industry, an evolution that’s as much about business models as it is about pixels. GDC organizers have added a summit on free-to-play games, plan talks on topics like crowd funding and micro-transactions, and are presenting panels with such titles as “Making Money with Mobile Gaming” and “Why Won’t FarmVille Go Away?”

For the past 15 years, the Independent Games

Festival has served as the Sundance of GDC, specifically honoring and highlighting the work of indie developers. But the lines have increasingly blurred between the IGF and GDC, the 27-year-old conference that serves as the largest gathering of the gaming industry in the US outside the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Simon Carless, executive vice president at UMB Tech, which hosts GDC, IGF and several other technology conferences throughout the year, said 58 percent of developers surveyed by organizers plan to release their next game for tablets and smartphones.

That’s a big switch from 15 years ago when GDC was known as CGDC - the Computer Game Developers Conference. “I think what we’re seeing is that there’s many more small developers,” said Carless. “For example, 53 percent of developers identify as an indie developer and 46 percent of those surveyed work at companies with 10 employees or less. It’s simply a fact that people are more excited by platforms where there’s a low barrier for entry.”

Sony is angling to reignite developers’ enthusiasm

with the PlayStation 4. When the Japanese electronics giant announced the PS4 during a splashy press conference in New York last month, Sony boasted that the successor to the PS3 would essentially be a “supercharged PC,” a platform that would make it easier for developers to create and sell games. Sony plans to detail more about the PS4’s technology during a Wednesday panel at GDC. Nintendo will also be on hand with a today session outlining easier ways for developers to make apps for the Wii U, the touchscreen controller system that kicked off the latest generation of consoles last year but has failed to catch fire the way the original Wii did when it launched in 2006.

Microsoft will likely wait to tease how it plans to succeed its Xbox 360 console and camera-based Kinect system until E3 in July, although the company has scheduled several talks at GDC this week, including how to create games for Windows smartphones and second-screen experiences for Xbox SmartGlass, its companion app that connects mobile devices to Xbox 360s. Meggan Scavio, general manager of GDC,

said 23,000 attendees are expected at this year’s conference, which kicked off Monday at the Moscone Convention Center and continues through Friday.

While an increasing number of game makers are more interested in creating the next “Minecraft” instead of the next “Call of Duty,” Scavio noted that so-called triple-A games continue to have a place at the conference. “We’re still talking about all the really big titles,” said Scavio. “We’ve got talks on ‘Dishonored,’ ‘Borderlands 2’ and ‘Assassin’s Creed III.’ Bungie is going to be talking about ‘Destiny.’ The guys from ‘The Walking Dead’ game are doing panels. Hideo Kojima is going to be there. It’s not indie central yet.”

In perhaps the most impressive indication of indie dominance, the artsy PS3 platforming game “Journey” is up for the most awards at Thursday’s Game Developers Choice Awards, which honor the best titles of the past year and are selected by a jury of game creators. “Journey” was designed by thatgamecompany, a studio that went indie last year. — AP

Antarctic blue whales tracked by their song Using acoustic technology for world’s biggest creature

Japan venture to bring electric tuk-tuks to Asia TOKYO: A Japanese company is hoping to win a big slice of Asia’s tuk-tuk market, it said yesterday, betting battery-operated buggies could cut burgeoning city pollution.

“There is no single company in Asia that mass-produces electric bikes or tricycles,” said Terra Motors president Toru Tokushige. “I think it could have a big impact if a Japanese company is the pioneer in the market with products of such a futuristic design.”

Terra Motors unveiled the prototype of their electric tuk-tuk, a sleek-looking blue and white machine that can carry up to six people, including the driver. The vehicle, 3.3 metres (11 feet) long and 1.47 metres wide, is powered by a lithium battery, and can run 50 kilo-

metres (30 miles) on one full charge, the company said. Terra Motors is hoping to win the bid for part of a Philippine government contract that is expected to see 100,000 electric tricycle taxis on the country’s streets by 2016, using a $300 million loan from the Asian Development Bank.

The Japanese firm is aiming to become the world’s number one seller of electric tuk-tuks over the next two years, the company said, without providing precise figures. Tuk-tuks, a cross between a motorbike and a tricycle, are a common form of transport in urban areas across Asia. They usually have small, petrolpowered engines that are blamed for causing serious air pollution. — AFP

AUK transforms IT infrastructure with EMC DUBAI: EMC yesterday announced that the American University of Kuwait (AUK) has selected EMC and VMware virtualization and cloud infrastructure technologies to transform its IT infrastructure and help effectively manage its mission-critical applications, including Microsoft Exchange 2010, Oracle, Luminis Portal and LMS Moodle. AUK is using EMC VNX unified storage with EMC FAST Suite and VMware vSphere to better handle rapid business growth and improve response time for IT requests from staff and students.

Customer benefits * Increased Efficiency - AUK has improved storage utilization 400%, increasing available storage space from 6 TB to 24 TB, at zero additional cost with EMC VNX. * Improved Performance - VNX has enabled AUK to improve theper formanceof its Microsoft and Oracle mission-critical applicationsby 50%. * Streamlined Administration Seamlessintegration between Unisphere and VMware vSphere has allowedAUK to simplifymanagement, reducing time to deliver new IT resources to internal users

by 66%. * Rapid ROI - Increased efficiency and a cost savings of $35,000 will enable AUK to achieve a return on its investment in VNX in just 24 months.

Customer challenges With increasing demands from students, faculty and staff for 24/7 access to educational and administrative content, the American University of Kuwait (AUK) planned to replace its previous storage environment for improved performance of mission-critical applications.AUK needed a solution that couldprovide the increased system performance, cost-savings and the flexibility needed to meet the growing needs of its internal users as well as support its ongoing virtualization strategy.

AUK selected EMCVNXunified storage for its tight integration with VMware, as well as the performance and cost benefits of a FLASH 1st strategy. With VNX, AUK has achieved 400% greater storage utilization and 50% better performance.

Additionally, the better efficiency using VNX has enabled AUK to save $35,000 on maintenance cost and will insure ROI in only 2 years.

Apple in court in China over ‘Siri’ claim SHANGHAI: Apple appeared in a Shanghai court yesterday, accused by a Chinese firm of copying software used for the “Siri” personal assistant on its hugely popular iPhones. The Californian company’s products are big sellers in China, and chief executive Tim Cook said in January he expects it to surpass the US as the firm’s largest market, but the relationship is sometimes troubled.

Shanghai’s Zhizhen Network Technology Co. claims Apple infringed its patent for voice recognition software, and the two companies were summoned to present evidence at a pre-trial hearing, representatives of the Chinese firm said.

The legal challenge comes after Apple last year paid $60 million to Chinese computer maker Shenzhen Proview Technology to settle a long-running dispute over the “iPad” trademark, whose ownership was claimed by both companies.

State media have also attacked Apple in recent days, with the People’s Daily urging consumers in a commentary to “strike away Apple’s unparalleled arrogance” for alleged double standards in customer service and returns policies.

Apple has denied those accusations in statements to Chinese media. Zhizhen says it patented its “Xiao i Robot” software in

2004, while Apple’s Siri, which made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011, was first developed in 2007.

Siri, described by Apple as an “intelligent personal assistant”, responds to a user’s commands through voice recognition software. The Chinese company’s product operates in a similar way and works on Apple’s iOS system as well as rival Android.

It has wide application in areas including telecommunications, finance and e-commerce and Zhizhen claims more than 100 million users in China, according to a statement.

“The company will ask Apple to stop manufacturing and selling products using its patent rights, once Apple’s infringement is confirmed,” Si Weijiang, a lawyer representing Zhizhen, told AFP. “We don’t exclude the possibility of demanding compensation in the future,” he said. In court Apple denied the allegations and unsuccessfully asked for the case to be rejected, he added. Apple did not respond to requests for comment. The full case is scheduled to be heard in July, Zhizhen spokeswoman Mei Li told AFP. “We surely have confidence, our lawyers also told us they have confidence, but of course we will have to see how the judge will rule,” she said. — AFP

SYDNEY: An Australian-led group of scientists has for the first time tracked down and tagged Antarctic blue whales by using acoustic technology to follow their songs, the government said yesterday.

The blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, is rarely spotted in the Southern Ocean but a group of intrepid researchers were able to locate and tag some of the mammals after picking up on their deep and complex vocals.

Researcher Virginia Andrews-Goff said it was the first time acoustics have been used to lead researchers to the whales in real time, with those monitoring the whale noises working around the clock to pinpoint them.

“The acoustics led us to the whales,” she told AFP. “They are quite, almost alien-like, deep resonating sounds. They are quite intense. Very interesting to listen to.” Environment Minister Tony Burke said the researchers, who spent seven weeks working from small boats in freezing Antarctic conditions, were captivated by the remarkable behaviour of the whales they saw.

“The Antarctic blue whale can grow to over 30 metres in length and weigh up to 180 tonnes, its tongue alone is heavier than an elephant and its heart is as big as a small car,” Burke said.

“Even the largest dinosaur was smaller than the blue whale.” Andrews-Goff said the scientists were often out in boats only six metres in length, sitting alongside the 30-metre giants. “I felt like an ant next to one of these massive whales. They are huge,” she said. The scientists collected 23 biopsy samples and attached satellite tags to two of the whales, giving them never-before obtained data on the animals’ movements during their summer feeding season and their foraging behaviour.

“This method of studying Antarctic blue whales has been so successful it will now become the blueprint for other whale researchers across the world,” Andrews-Goff predicted. She said while one tag stopped working after 17 days, the second was still working after two weeks, although erratically. “We know very

SYDNEY: Scientists tracked down and tagged Antarctic blue whales by using acoustic technology to follow their songs. little about Antarctic blue whales’ movement, we don’t really know migration patterns, we don’t really know if some animals migrate and some animals don’t,” she said.

“We can assume that we know where the whales feed but by using these satellite tags we can actually see where they are spending a lot of their time and if that’s associated with environmental features like the sea ice edge.

“So the information that we can get from these tags is really useful.” The inaugural Southern Ocean trip of the Antarctic Blue Whale Project involved deploying acoustic buoys west of the Ross Sea to pick up blue whale songs, which can be detected from hundreds of kilometres (miles) away.

They recorded 626 hours of songs, with 26,545 calls from Antarctic blue whales analysed in real time, said lead acoustician Brian Miller.

“The researchers were then able to triangulate

the position of the whales from their vocalisations and direct the ship to the target area,” he added. Burke said the study proved it was not necessary to kill whales to conduct scientific research, a reference to Japan’s annual whale hunt in the Antarctic, which is conducted in the name of scientific research.

“The Antarctic blue whale barely escaped extinction during the industrial whaling era in the 1900s when around 340,000 whales were slaughtered,” Burke said in a statement.

“This research reinforces Australia’s commitment to non-lethal research of whales.”

Scientists on the voyage made 720 whale sightings, including of humpback, minke, fin and bottle-nosed species. The whale project aims to estimate the abundance, distribution and behaviour of the species. Andrews-Goff said estimates suggested there were only a “couple of thousands” left. — AFP

From tuna to tech, Hexagon breaks Swedish mould STOCKHOLM: In the shadow of well-known brands like Volvo and Ericsson, an acquisitionpacked decade has made technology firm Hexagon one of Sweden’s most valuable companies and a rare newcomer among its top blue chips.

The company, market leader in precision measurement technology used in fields from microchip making to surveying dam construction, is now worth more than Swedish world number two white goods maker Electrolux after taking its business so far from its roots as to be unrecognisable.

When Ola Rollen stepped through the doors at Hexagon as CEO in 2000, leaving a job as head of a division at engineer Sandvik , he entered a company with lots of businesses but no business idea and scarcely any growth prospects.

Founded in 1975, Hexagon was then a sprawling conglomerate with its fingers in everything from tuna fish imports to vehicle hydraulics and, as financier Melker Schorling told Rollen at a meeting in downtown Stockholm in 1999, it was basically garbage. Schorling had bought a controlling stake in the company the year before, aiming to build something from the ground up. Rollen, who first made a name for himself as a young CEO of metals firm Kanthal, had attracted his attention.

“He said: It can’t get much worse. Build what you want,” Rollen, now a trim and youthful 47, told Reuters from the company’s Stockholm office of Scandinavian wood design, with large windows overlooking the capital.

Rollen had to think of ways to realign a company so diverse it came as a surprise when he found it ran day-care centres. “We set up a number of criteria - that we would be world leading, that we would have large R&D content and little invested fixed assets - it should be easy to move the operations if there were shocks in the global economy,” he said. Focusing the business on telecommunications gear or vehicle components were among the options he was considering when he recalled US measurement technology firm Brown & Sharpe, which had once sought to recruit him - an offer he turned down.

While Hexagon had no previous business in the field, the firm offered a possible path toward leadership in a fragmented market being reshaped by innovation in fields like lasers.

To free up resources, Hexagon began selling off assets in less promising sectors, starting with its food business that under previous management thinking was a buffer for the cyclical engineering business but which was barely profitable.

Brown & Sharpe was fortuitously in receivership at the time and though it was as big as Hexagon, Rollen bought it, taking the first step down a road that would see the firm acquire more than 100 companies and shed virtually all its original business. “Very often I find company executives just have really poor imagination,” Rollen said. “Just because you run a paper mill doesn’t mean you have to keep on trudging on the same spot.”

Hexagon’s four biggest deals - Brown & Sharpe, Swiss Leica Geosystems, Canadian NovAtel and U.S. Intergraph - cost nearly $4 billion and group sales have more than quadrupled since 1999 to 2.38 billion euros ($3.08 billion). In the same period its operating margin has risen to 20.6 percent from below 5 percent, underpinning a rise in market capitalisation to 60 billion crowns ($9.28 billion) from just under 2 billion crowns. By comparison, the wider Swedish market index has gained 14 percent in that time.

Schorling owns Hexagon shares totalling 26.7 percent of capital and 47.7 percent of votes in the company, whose biggest owners also include H&M founder Stefan Persson.

Its rapid rise and acquisition-fuelled transformation makes Hexagon a rare bird among Sweden’s top 20 listed companies by market value, most of

which are businesses a century or more old, which critics say shows a lack of dynamism in Sweden.

But the growth has not come without risks, highlighted when its heavy debt burden was seen as too risky in the financial crisis following the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, when Hexagon only narrowly avoided breaching its loan covenants.

“If you are poor and are going to build something big, then you have to take risks,” said Rollen, who owns 2 million, or 0.6 percent, of Hexagon shares, according to the firm’s website.

Since then, Hexagon has lowered its net debt to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation ratio to its target of 2.5 to attain investment grade on any notes it issues, down from about five after Intergraph was acquired in 2010.

That still leaves it well above the Swedish engineering companies against which it is measured, despite now generating more than half its sales from software. Atlas Copco’s net debt to EBITDA ratio is 0.4.

“The worry about the debt levels has been the Achilles heel that has sent the share down in the past,” said Nordea equity strategist Mattias Eriksson, whose bank has a hold recommendation on the stock. —Reuters

TOKYO: Hiroshi Shimizu, president of Japan’s auto venture SIM-Drive, introduces its new electric concept car ‘SIM-CEL’ during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. The company is aiming at mass production of the electric vehicle in 2015. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Restaurant trying new pay-what-you-want ST. LOUIS: Customers ordering a bowl of turkey chili at a St. Louis-area Panera Bread cafe can pay a penny, or $5, or $100. In other words, whatever they decide. Three years after launching the first of five pay-what-you-want cafes, the suburban St. Louis-based chain yesterday is quietly beginning its latest charitable venture that takes the concept on a trial run to all 48 cafes in the St. Louis region.

The new idea experiments with a single menu item, Turkey Chili in a Bread Bowl, available at each St. Louis-area store for whatever the customer chooses to pay. The new chili uses all-natural, antibiotic-free turkey mixed with vegetables and beans in a sourdough bread bowl. The suggested $5.89 price (tax included) is only a guideline. All other menu items are sold for the posted price.

Panera calls it the Meal of Shared Responsibility, and says the potential benefit is twofold: Above-the-cost proceeds go to cover meals for customers who cannot pay the full amount and to

St. Louis-area hunger initiatives; and for those in need, the 850-calorie meal provides nearly a day’s worth of nutrition at whatever price they can afford.

“We hope the suggested donations offset those who say they only have three bucks in their pocket or leave nothing,” said Ron Shaich, founder, chairman and co-CEO of the chain and president of its charitable arm, Panera Bread Foundation. If the experiment works in St. Louis, it could be expanded to some or all of the chain’s 1,600 bakery-cafes across the US, though Shaich said there is no guarantee and no timetable for a decision.

Panera has long been involved in anti-hunger efforts, starting with its Operation Dough-Nation program that has donated tens of millions of dollars in unsold baked goods. The first pay-whatyou-want Panera Cares cafe opened in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton in 2010.

Others followed in Dearborn, Michigan, Portland, Oregon, Chicago and Boston.

At those nonprofit cafes, every menu

item is paid for by donations. Kate Antonacci of Panera Bread Foundation said roughly 60 percent of customers pay the suggested retail price. The rest are about evenly split between those who pay more and those who pay less.

The Panera Cares cafes generally bring in 70 to 80 percent of what the traditional format stores do, Antonacci said.

That’s still enough for a profit, and Panera uses proceeds for a job training program run through the cafes.

The new idea is fairly low-profile.

Shaich said Panera is relying on media reports and word of mouth - no direct marketing, no advertising. Signs in the St. Louis cafes will tout the idea, and hosts and hostesses will explain it to customers. “We don’t want this to be selfserving,” Shaich said. “We want to make this an intellectually honest program of integrity.” Panera isn’t alone. A restaurant known as One World Everybody Eats in Salt Lake City adopted the pay-whatyou-want idea a decade ago. Cafe Gratitude, a small vegan cafe chain in

California, offers a single payment-bydonation menu item each day.

Software known as freeware is frequently distributed under this model.

The rock band Radiohead released an album, “In Rainbows,” in 2007 and let online buyers decide how much to pay.

Humble Bundle releases video games as pay-what-you-want downloads, with a percentage of money going to charity.

It doesn’t always work. Yogaview, which operates three yoga studios in Chicago, tried a donations-only format at its Wicker Park studio for nearly two years before turning to a traditional payment method. Co-owner Tom Quinn said that while many customers were generous, too many others were not.

“You’d get a class with six people and there would be 12 bucks in donations,” Quinn said. “It got frustrating to see how some people weren’t owning up to it.”

A study published in Science magazine in 2010 found pay-what-you-want customers will pay substantially more if they know a portion goes to charity. But

that same study, led by Leif Nelson of the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, found that inclusion of a charitable component made people less likely to buy - possibly, Nelson said, because they stressed over the appropriate amount of generosity.

“There is some concern that turkey chili will simply become a little less popular,” Nelson said of the Panera experiment. “On the other hand, I think that those who choose to buy it will be reluctant to pay low prices.”

Shaich is optimistic based on what he’s seen firsthand. He worked at the opening of the Clayton store, making food and waiting on customers. He saw well-to-do college fraternity boys leaving without paying a dime, but more often, he saw people being generous.

Even those clearly in need dug into their pockets. “A lot of cynics think Americans are just gaming the system,” Shaich said.

“Our experience is very different. People do the right thing and are willing to take care of each other.” —AP

US health law to raise claims cost to around 32%: Study

KINHASA: British Foreign Secretary William Hague (L) talks to journalists next to Congolese Prime Minister Matat Ponyo (C) yesterday in Kinhasa as part of a visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Britain is to launch a £179 million five-year healthcare programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo which it hopes will reach six million people. — AFP

Tomatoes, peppers, strawberries in Greenland’s Arctic valleys KANGERLUSSUAQ: On the Arctic Circle, a chef is growing the kind of vegetables and herbs - potatoes, thyme, tomatoes, green peppers - more fitting for a suburban garden in a temperate zone than a land of Northern Lights, glaciers and musk oxen.

Some Inuit hunters are finding reindeer fatter than ever thanks to more grazing on this frozen tundra, and for some, there is no longer a need to trek hours to find wild herbs.

Welcome to climate change in Greenland, where locals say longer and warmer summers mean the country can grow the kind of crops unheard of years ago. “Things are just growing quicker,” said Kim Ernst, the Danish chef of Roklubben restaurant, nestled by a frozen lake near a former Cold War-era US military base.

“Every year we try new things,” said Ernst, who even managed to grow a handful of strawberries that he served to some surprised Scandinavian royals. “I first came here in 1999 and no-one would have dreamed of doing this. But now the summer days seem warmer, and longer.” It was minus 20 degrees Centigrade in March but the sun was out and the air was still, with an almost spring feel. Ernst showed his greenhouse and an outdoor winter garden which in a few months may sprout again.

Hundreds of miles south, some farmers now produce hay, and sheep farms have increased in size. Some supermarkets in the capital Nuuk sell locally grown vegetables during the summer.

Major commercial crop production is still in its infancy. But it is a sign of changes here that Greenland’s government set up a commission this year to study how a changing climate may help farmers increase agricultural production and replace expensive imported foods.

Change is already underway. Potatoes grown commercially in southern Greenland reached over 100 tonnes in 2012, double that of 2008. Vegetable production in the region may double this year compared with 2012, according to government data.

Some politicians hope global warming will allow this country a quarter the size of the United States to reduce its dependency on former colonial master Denmark for much of its food as political parties push for full independence.

Greenland, which is self-governing aside from defence and security, depends on an annual grant from Denmark of around $600 million, or half the island’s annual budget. But the thawing of its enormous ice sheets have seen a boost in mining and oil exploration, as well as an interest in agriculture.

“I expect a lot of development in farming sheep and agriculture due to global warming,” said Prime Minister Kuupik Kleist, whose government set up the commission. “It may become an important supplement to our economy.”

Locals love recounting how Erik the Red first arrived in the southern fjords here in the 10th century and labelled this

ice-covered island “Greenland” to entice others to settle. There is evidence that the climate was warmer then, allowing Viking settlements to grow crops for five centuries before mysteriously dying out.

The scale of this new agriculture is tiny. There are just a few dozen sheep farms in southern Greenland, where most of the impact of climate change can be seen. Cows may number less than a hundred. But with 57,000 mostly Inuit human inhabitants, the numbers to feed are also small.

“You need to put this into perspective.

We used to be high Arctic and now we are more sub Arctic,” Kenneth Hoegh, an agronomist and former senior government advisor. “But we are still Arctic.”

The symbolism is enormous, however, highlighting a changing global climate that has seen temperatures in the Arctic increase by about twice the global average - about 0.8 degrees Celsius since preindustrial times.

“There are now huge areas in southern Greenland where you can grow things,” said Josephine Nymand, a scientist at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources in Nuuk. “Potatoes have most benefited. Also, cabbage has been very successful.” Sten Erik Langstrup Pedersen, who runs an organic farm in a fjord near Nuuk, first grew potatoes in 1976. Now he can plant crops two weeks earlier in May and harvest three weeks later in October compared with more than a decade ago. He grows 23 kinds of vegetables, compared with 15 a decade ago, including beans, peas, herbs and strawberries. He says he has sold some strawberries to top restaurants in Copenhagen.

But Pedersen is sceptical about how much it will catch on.

“Greenlanders are impatient. They see a seal and they immediately just want to hunt it. They can never wait for vegetables to grow.”

There is still potential. Hoegh estimates Greenland could provide half its food needs from home-grown produce which would be competitive with more expensive Danish imports.

But global change is not all about benefits. While summers are warmer, there is less rain. Some experts say that Greenland could soon need irrigation works - ironic for a country of ice and lakes. “We have had dry summers for the last few years.” said Aqqalooraq Frederiksen, a senior agricultural consultant in south Greenland, who said a late spring last year hurt potato crops.

On the Arctic circle, a flash flood last summer from suspected glacier melt water - which some locals here blamed on warm weather - swept away the only bridge connecting Ernst’s restaurant to the airport. It came right in the middle of the tourist season, and the restaurant lost thousands of dollars.

It was an ominous reminder that global warming will bring its problems. Still, for Pedersen and his fjord in Nuuk, the future looks good. “The hotter, the better,” Pedersen said. “For me.” — Reuters

WASHINGTON: A new study finds that insurance companies will have to pay out an average of 32 percent more for medical claims under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

What does that mean for you? It could increase premiums for at least some Americans.

If you are uninsured, or you buy your policy directly from an insurance company, you should pay attention.

But if you have an employer plan, like most workers and their families, odds are you don’t have much to worry about. The estimates from the Society of Actuaries could turn into a political headache for the Obama administration at a time when much of the country remains skeptical of the Affordable Care Act. The administration is questioning the study, saying it doesn’t give a full picture - and costs will go down. Actuaries are financial risk professionals who conduct long-range cost estimates for pension plans, insurance companies and government programs.

The study says claims costs will go up largely because sicker people will join the insurance pool. That’s because the law forbids insurers from turning down those with pre-existing medical problems, effective Jan. 1. Everyone gets sick sooner or later, but sicker people also use more health care services.

“Claims cost is the most important driver of health care premiums,” said Kristi Bohn, an actuary who worked on the study. Spending on sicker people and other high-cost groups will overwhelm an influx of younger, healthier people into the program, said the report.

The Obama administration challenged the design of the study, saying it focused only on one piece of the puzzle and ignored cost relief strategies in the law, such as tax credits to help people afford premiums and special payments to insurers who attract an outsize share of the

sick. The study also doesn’t take into account the potential price-cutting effect of competition in new state insurance markets that will go live Oct. 1, administration officials said. At a White House briefing Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said some of what passes for health insurance today is so skimpy it can’t be compared to the comprehensive coverage available under the law. “Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don’t pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus,” she said. “They’re really mortgage protection, not health insurance.” Sebelius said the picture on premiums won’t start coming into focus until insurers submit their bids. Those results may not be publicly known until late summer. Another striking finding of the report was a wide disparity in cost impact among the states. While some states will see medical claims costs per person decline, the report concluded that the overwhelming majority will see double - digit increases in their individual health insurance markets, where people purchase coverage directly from insurers.

The differences are big. By 2017, the estimated increase would be 62 percent for California, about 80 percent for Ohio, more than 20 percent for Florida and 67 percent for Maryland.

Much of the reason for the higher claims costs is that sicker people are expected to join the pool, the report said.

Part of the reason for the wide disparities is that states have different populations and insurance rules. In the relatively small number of states where insurers were already restricted from charging higher rates to older, sicker people, the cost impact is less.

The report did not make similar estimates for employer plans that most workers and families rely on. That’s because the primary impact of Obama’s law is on people who don’t have

coverage through their jobs.

A prominent national expert, recently retired Medicare chief actuary Rick Foster, said the repor t does “a credible job” of estimating potential enrollment and costs under the law, “without trying to tilt the answers in any particular direction.”

“Having said that,” Foster added, “actuaries tend to be financially conservative, so the various assumptions might be more inclined to consider what might go wrong than to anticipate that everything will work beautifully.”

Actuaries use statistics and economic theory to make long-range cost projections for insurance and pension programs sponsored by businesses and government. The society is headquartered near Chicago.

Bohn, the actuary who worked on the study, acknowledged it did not attempt to estimate the effect of subsidies, insurer competition and other factors that could offset cost increases.

She said the goal was to look at the underlying cost of medical care.

“We don’t see ourselves as a political organization,” Bohn added. “We are trying to figure out what the situation at hand is.” On the plus side, the report found the law will cover more than 32 million currently uninsured Americans when fully phased in. And some states - including New York and Massachusetts - will see double-digit declines in costs for claims in the individual market.

Uncertainty over costs has been a major issue since the law passed three years ago, and remains so just months before a big push to cover the uninsured gets rolling Oct. 1. Middleclass households will be able to purchase subsidized private insurance in new marketplaces, while low-income people will be steered to Medicaid and other safety net programs. States are free to accept or reject a Medicaid expansion also offered under the law. — AP

Medico Technology introduces unique antimicrobial solution KUWAIT: Medico Technology (Exclusive Distributor of Zoono Range of Products for Kuwait) announces the launch of unique and a most innovative antimicrobial solution.

Our primary Mission is to lead a fight against microbial threat and through world-class research facilities and scientist provide high performance superior antimicrobial product designed for maximum protection achieving a 99.99% bacteria free operation.

We welcome and are excited to partner with revolutionary and innovative products that enhance our daily lives and keep our homes clean, stated Mr. Navin Thakker (Chairman - Honest Group of Companies) at the inaugural function at Horeca Kuwait 2013. Today Medico Technology offers a totally new inventive concept in sanitizing, disinfecting and protecting people, homes and businesses. Every product is Non Alcoholic, Non Toxic, Water based, environment friendly and Food Safe. The product provides a continual defense against damaging microbes and its longlasting barrier helps to enhance our life, prevent cross contamination and cleaner environment confirmed Mr. Santan Dias (CEO of Medico Technology) The key point of difference is that unlike all other sanitizers or disinfectants, it is securely bonded

to the applied surface and therefore provides ongoing lasting antimicrobial efficacy which others cannot provide - stated by Paul Hysop (CEO & MD of Zoono Group) during his first visit to Kuwait for the Product Launch.

Zoono is proven to eliminate commonly found bacteria, viruses, mould, mildew, fungi, algae and other organisms.

Proven to kill Legionella, Salmonella, Influenza, H1N1 and other bacteria spread via cross contamination. Zoono Products have been tested by organizations including Dow Corning - USA, Biotest - Australia, Mikrolab Germa ny, Abbot Laboratories - UK, Burea Veritas - New Zealand, Yale University, Arizona University & Iowa University. Zoono has been approved to use in Food production areas by various authorities worldwide.

Harmless to humans and pets,

Zoono is utilized in Hospitals, Clinics, Schools, Kindergartens, Hotels, Restaurants, Kitchens, Shopping Malls, Theatres, Airports, Public Toilets, Central Kitchens, Banks, Masjids etc., Zoono Group is a New Zealand based company

that started redeveloping a unique technology. Zoono is now present in almost 42 countries including UAE, Turkey & Saudi Arabia. Zoono products has efficacy of 24 hours on human skin areas and 30 days on any surface.

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Short of water, Peru’s engineers ‘make our own’ BUJAMA: The message emblazoned on a billboard outside the Peruvian capital sounds almost too good to be true: drinkable water for anyone who wants some in this arid village.

Even more intriguingly, the fresh, pure water on offer along a busy road in this dusty town some 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Lima, has been extracted, as if by magic, from the humid air.

Within the enormous, raised, double-paneled billboard inviting all takers is concealed a tube, wires and mechanical equipment that draws the water from the air and purifies it.

Inhabitants from far and wide who flock here toting liter bottles and buckets say this purified water is a wonderful alternative to

the stagnant well water that used to be the only water source for many in this town. “The water that we get in our houses very often is dirty. By contrast, here we have good water that we can use and drink without having to worry,” Francisco Quilca, 52 told AFP. His wife Wilma Flores says that it gives her peace of mind, “knowing that the water is disinfected. We can drink it and we can use it to wash our vegetables in,” she said. The United Nations on Friday marked its World Water Day initiative which aims to cut water-borne diseases like cholera, dysentery and diarrhea around the world.

It is a perennial problem in Lima and the surrounding area, where about one million of the more than eight million people lack reli-

ably clean water. Faced with the ongoing water shortage, some innovators at Peru’s University for Engineering and Technology hit upon the novel idea.

“If the problem is water, we’ll make some,” said Alejandro Aponte, one of the people who worked on the project, which was both an engineering feat and a marketing challenge.

Enough water is sucked from the air by this huge contraption located on the edge of a busy highway in Peru to fill a 100-liter tank each day. The system required a location where the humidity was at least 30 percent not a problem in Lima, where the dewpoint sometimes hits an unbearably sticky 98 percent, despite the barren landscape where

there is very little evident vegetation and not very much actual rainfall. The interdisciplinary effort required figuring out not only how to draw moisture from the air on a large enough scale, but how to let people know that the water was available for their consumption.

Engineers on the project have installed five generators to suck moisture out of the air and convert it into liquid. The purification structure is sandwiched between two huge billboards which advertise the availability of the water.

Once they had worked out the mechanics of extracting the moisture from the air, “the university asked us to think up this panel,” said Aponte, who is creative director of the Mayo Draft ad agency.

He said the project-part water generator, part advertising billboard-has filled a real need here, as “there are many people who have no access to clean water,” he told AFP. “We have seen that this has a huge potential if you get to use it in other areas of Lima, or even other countries that have many water problems,” said Aponte, who said he has received overseas queries about the project.

Carlos Cardenas, who works as a driver and travels regularly by the Pan-American Highway that runs along Peru’s coast, stops alongside the sign, taking several glasses of water before moving on.

“I often stop here to get water because it is quite good, and not nearly as polluted as it seems to be in other places,” he said. — AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Training programs in time management SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements 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 Al-Shuyoukh 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

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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.

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irst Education Company arranged two training programs at Marina Hotel during this month titled “Time Management & Effective Communication” and “Strategy Building, Leadership & Managerial Efficiency with Creative Thinking”. The Expert Trainer for the program was Dr. Kalim Khan, Director of Rizvi Institute of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai India.

A Production Engineer by education, MBA and Ph. D. in the field of Quantitative Techniques. An academician by choice, Dr. Kalim Khan entered the field of management education very early in his career. He is now renowned brand in the field of management education and is especially known for his knowledge and expertise in the area of Quantitative Techniques and Marketing Research. In the last twelve years he has taught across the leading management institutes affiliated to the University of Mumbai, His wealth includes more than

a hundred thousand students serving corporate India and abroad.

Dr Khan is member of various advisory board committees, academic councils of institutions, businesses and universities. Dr. Khan is also the one of the most sought after trainer in corporate India.

He has conducted successful programs with Abbott, Airtel, BASF, Colgate Palmolive, Crompton Greaves, Larsen & Toubro, Philips, Tata Communications, Tata Motors, Godrej & Boyce, Mahendra & Mahendra, Hinduja Group etc. to name a few. He is specialized in Systems Management, Quality Management, Problem Solving and Decision making, Negotiation Skills, Application of Quantitative Techniques for Decision Making, Sales Force Management, Customer Experience Management, Six Sigma, Market Research and its Applications etc.

The most creditworthy achievement of Dr. Khan is publishing books. He has

co-authored two books with his colleague Prof. Cyrus Gonda. His maiden book: “Where is My Ketchup?” has been in the best selling list of Crosswords, Oxford Bookstore and Strand. His second book : “Seal the Hole in the Bucket” has received phenomenal accolades from practitioners and academicians in Marketing. His latest book : “Be a Super Salesperson” is an attempt to equip all

budding sales and marketing professionals with the absolutely necessary ingredients of perfect selling skills. Dr. Khan is in process of writing a book on leadership, which expected to be published during 2013. The programs were attended by 47 participants representing several companies and institutions involved in banking, investment, finance, healthcare in addition to the telecom sector.

JAMM to exhibit Artworks in Kuwait

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ASSE organises technical meet

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merican Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Kuwait Chapter as part of continuous efforts in its professional journey, organized its 81st Technical meet and 8th for the term 2012-13 on 11th March 2013 at Kohinoor Banquet hall, Fahaheel Kuwait titled “Challenges in commercialization of Ocean Renewable Energy” The meet kicked off with a welcome address by Loganathan, Actg. Secretary & Treasurer of Kuwait Chapter with the briefed of the agenda. Mr. Vasudevan, President welcomed the participants and introduced the speaker Dr. S. Neelamani.

Dr. S. Neelamani is a Senior Research Scientist and Program Manager for the Coastal Management Program, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait. He was a Faculty member in Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India from 1990 to 2003. He got BE (HONS) in Civil Engineering from Madras University in 1984, M. Tech. in Marine Technology from IIT Kharagpur in 1986 and Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1990. He was the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship offered by the AvH foundation, Bonn Germany during 1996 to 1998.

He has more than 250 scientific papers published in the reputed international and National Journals and conferences. He has coordinated about 50 research projects and 50 consultancy projects in the area of coastal engineering. He has organized 23 training programs. He has visited many countries in Europe, Asia and USA for conferences and for delivering invited lectures. His specialization is physical modeling of Coastal and Ocean Engineering problems and design of different marine structures including analysis of extreme design parameters, hydrodynamic forces on marine structures and scour problems. He was awarded the Scientific Achievement Award in Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research during the year 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 for his distinguished scientific contribution and achievements.

The technical session was very much interactive and it was followed by Question & Answer session. The program was very much beneficial to all the members.

Ashok Garlapati, Administrator, ASSE-IPS, USA & Advisory Committee member ASSE Kuwait Chapter briefed on the ASSE-USA election procedures. He requested and encouraged all the ASSE members of the chapter to utilize the e-ballot system and cast their votes.

Loganathan D, made few announcement on the upcoming ASSE Kuwait Chapter Activities.

As a token of appreciation EC, AC Members presented a memento to the Speaker of the Day Dr. S. Neelamani.

The meet concluded with a vote of thanks by Loganathan. High Tea was served at the end of the meet.

AMM, an independent art advisory, will exhibit international works of art to reflect the arabesque splendors and refinements of the Alhambra Palace, often associated with many Arabian and Spanish songs and ballads telling the stories of love, war and chivalry. The artworks will be exhibited in Kuwait at JAMM Art in industrial Shuwaikh from 22 - 27 April 2013.

From dusk to dawn, the natural surroundings, the reflections of paradise of the water ripples and the architecture in itself are what essentially makes the the Alhambra Palace so famous in history.

JAMM has invited three international artists including Reza Derakshani, Amira Behbehani and Akim Monet to create artworks to reflect the epic stories behind the Palace.

“We are very excited to partner and showcase works by three exceptional artists linked to the theme of Moorish Spain. It was a time of beauty, culture, sophistication and poetry and the artworks shown will certainly reflect that,” said Sheikha Lulu M. Al-Sabah, Founder and Director of JAMM Art. The Iranian artist Reza Derakshani’s

large canvas entitled Every Green Day and Every Dark Night, mirrors the beauty, poetry and colors of Andalusia.

Derakshani’s passion for beauty and his nuanced perception of the light and dark of the world has found expression in many different forms from music, graphic design, book illustration, film animation and calligraphy to studies in traditional and western classical visual arts. Yet it is within contemporary painting that he has experienced true liberation and fulfillment as an artist. The challenging techniques, innovation and mental stimulation inherent to contemporary art have led him to create a meditative solitude that results in pure freedom of self-expression.

Derakshani’s large expansive canvases, layers of quickly laid down materials and luminous colors create a textured and complex surface with compositional systems footnoting miniature paintings.

The resulting contrasting areas of luminosity and opacity evoke a sense of poetic rhythms and musical harmonies.

Kuwaiti artist Amira Behbehani researched the ornate designs of the jewelry worn during the Andalusia civi-

lization. After being inspired by the designs and the colors of these jewels from the past, Behbehani’s canvas bursts with rich colors such as ruby red, emerald green, canary yellow and turquoise blue. Swiss/American photographer Akim Monet presents 14 images from his

series Seeking Al-Tawhid in Andalusia.

These images, created from the inverse of a negative, present the marvelous relics of the Andalusia civilization.

The exhibition will run from 22-27 April at JAMM Art in industrial Shuwaikh (next to the Contemporary Art Platform)

Opening of ‘Francophonie’ week in Kuwait

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n the occasion of the “Francophonie” week, the winner of the Goncourt literary prize in 2012, Jerome Ferrari, was in Kuwait on March 13 for a lecture in French. This event was organized by the French Institute of Kuwait and the French School of Kuwait, at Al-Islamiyyah American Cultural Center (Gulf Road). The Goncourt literary prize was awarded to JÈrÙme Ferrari on November 7, 2012 for his novel “The

Sermon on the fall of Rome” published by Actessud. The Goncourt literary prize is the oldest and most famous of French literary prizes but also the most coveted in France.

Born in 1968 in Paris, the writer, JÈrÙme Ferrari, is professor of philosophy at the French LycÈe in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). He previously taught at Algiers International High School and at Fesch Ajaccio High School. The Sermon on the

fall of Rome is his seventh novel. His book will be translated in 17 different countries.

This meeting was attended in particular by the Ambassador of France in Kuwait Mrs Yafi, Dr Fahed Al Rashed and Hessa Al Rashed representing Mrs. Mona Al Khaled for the French school. Added to this event a ceremony took place for ‘Empedocle’ Prize in philosophy competition organized by the French School of Kuwait, and his philosophy teacher Khouani. French

schools of Gulf, India and Istanbul participated. The winner is Antoine Boustani, from the French school ‘lycÈe Georges Pompidou in Dubai.

Prizes were given by Ferrari himself member of the jury ‘Empedocle’ as professor of philosophy, Mrs Hessa Al Rashed and GÈrard Lahourcade principal of the LFK. On Thursday March 14, Ferrari met at the French School of Kuwait, students for a debate and convivial moment.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

An event with renowned artist from Indian Cinema. “Aye Mere Humsafar” will be held on Friday 12th April @ American International School (AIS). A concept of real voice from Bollywood. High energy orchestra with Melody Queen Alka Yagnik charming playback singer Vinod Rathod (accompanied by female playback singer & standup comedian Sangeeta Kopalkar and young standup comedian Ashok Mishra.

W H AT ’ S O N

Over 20 awards distributed at Horeca 2013 exhibition

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uwait Marriott Hotels recently participated in the globally renowned hospitality and food exhibition ‘HORECA 2013’ in Kuwait, which was held on March 18th until 20th at the prestigious Arraya Ballroom - Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait Hotel.

The event, organized by the Leaders Group for Consulting and Development, covered the hospitality, catering as well as the food industry sectors in Kuwait and across the GCC. Over 39 exhibitors showcased their respective products with a diversified participation of over 100 chefs in 8 categories to impress a renowned panel of judges. During the three day exhibition, the international culinary art show, along with a series of live competitions proved Marriott’s continued passion and excellence in dishing up worldclass cuisine through its talented chefs.

Beginning with the fruits and vegetable carving competition, Chef Vipula Surendra representing JW Marriott Kuwait City hotel and Chef Charminda Anura from Courtyard by Marriott, were proud winners of the bronze medal and merit certificate for Chocolate Show

piece and Live fruit and vegetable carving respectively. ‘Live Cooking from the Basket’ competition saw the winning display skills of Chefs Ramesh Sing Chauhan and Vineet Pathak from JW Marriott who won the silver medals along with Chefs Manirul Islam and Ram Bisht from Courtyard by Marriott who received the bronze medals and Chefs Gamini Reginol and Shaikh Ahmed who both received merit certificates.

Moreover, Courtyard by Marriot’s Chef Ruwan Bindusara was pronounced silver medal winner of the ‘Dessert platter’ challenge while the ‘Live sushi’ competition merit certificate was awarded to Chef Umesh Shelar from JW Marriott.

Chef Manjula Senarathna was also awarded coveted bronze medal for his winning performance at the wedding cake competition. Bronze medals were also awarded to Chefs Mahmoud Awad, Arsenio Dela Cruz, and Wajira Attanayaka at the ‘Cold platter of fish, poultry and meat’ competition while merit certificates were awarded to the skilled Chefs Fathi El Ghamri and Marwan Ahmed from JW Marriott along

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

with chefs Omar Moktar and Ashaduzzaman from Courtyard by Marriott, for the ‘Live Arabic mezza’ competition. In addition to that, Chef Sujoy Dey received the merit certificate at the live cold sandwich making competition while Chef Wai Yan from JW Marriott along with Chef Mahmoud

Awad both received bronze medals for the cold canape making competition.

Kuwait Marriott Hotels’ philosophy and intensive chef training programs to reach world-class standards serve as a testament to the organization’s dedication to ongoing professional development and investment in its associates.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

Students of Al Muthana Nursery learnt to make sandwiches. They were all very excited to learn something new.

Earth Hour 2013 observed at Kuwait Marriott Hotels

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he JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City, Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Kuwait City and Arraya Ballroom managed by Marriott International participated in the Earth Hour - a global environmental awareness event organized on March 23rd - to send a powerful message about environmental awareness and care for the planet.

All three properties successfully observed Earth Hour by taking energy-saving measures for one full hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, further underscoring the company’s international commitment to environmental sustainability.

Numerous measures were taken such as turning off exterior signage lighting; dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, public areas, office areas and the Marriott staff housing complex. In doing so, 4,126 kWh was saved at the Courtyard by Marriott, 2,223 kWh at Arraya ballroom and 1,300 kWh at JW Marriott. Marriott guest’s participation in the initiative was optional through a letter which was sent to their rooms in addition to elegant posters displayed in the hotel’s lobby. “Being part of a global movement that unites diverse communities and organizations from all corners of the globe to participate in securing a sustainable future for the planet, falls in line with our ongoing Spirit to Serve environmental programs,” expressed George Aoun, Cluster General Manager for JW Marriott Kuwait City Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Kuwait City.

HSBC celebrates Mother’s Day with kids from dar Al Tafoola orphanage

H

SBC employees in Kuwait ensured that this year’s Mother’s Day was celebrated in a heartwarming and special way by reaching out to children from the Dar al-Tafoola.

A group of women from HSBC surprised the children with special gifts donated for each child by HSBC Kuwait staff and then spent the day entertaining the children with activities that included storytelling, arts, crafts and games.

“Mother’s Day is a special celebration that these children do not get to enjoy.

Today we made this possible for them and it was very touching. I feel honored to have been able to take part in this event on behalf of all HSBC staff,” said Jeanette Farah “As a leading international organisa-

tion in Kuwait, HSBC reaches out to the community and enables employees to make a difference where it is needed.

Mother’s Day was one of those very special events that I am sure touched the hearts of the children, the management of the Orphanage and also the employees who participated,” said Simon Vaughan Johnson, CEO of HSBC in Kuwait.

The team responsible for the children at the Dar al-Tafoola was very grateful for this gesture and thanked the participants for their personal initiative.

HSBC participates in a number of community activities every year including blood donation days, beach cleanups, Kid’s Read events and the distribution of food to underprivileged people during Ramadan.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on shortstay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes.

Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database.

Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, firsttime applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico 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). nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA On the occasion of Easter Sunday and Family Day, the South African Embassy will be closed from Sunday, March 31 to Monday, April 1, 2013. The Embassy will resume it’s normal working hours on Tuesday, 2 April 2013, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the working hours will be from 8:00 to 16:00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8:30 to 12:30. nnnnnnn

The president and members of the Indian Arts Circle, held a farewell reception at Caesars Dakshin Restaurant for one of their long serving executive committee members Mr & Mrs G M Chinwala. President M Mathews expressed his praise and gratitude to Chinwala for his outstanding services to the IAC as well as the community during his tenure. He wished them well in their future. Several members also spoke and reminisced their association with Chinwala. On his part Chinwala thanked everybody present for their hospitality and felicitations.

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

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 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 08:15 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 Baker 18:20 18:45 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Swarm Chasers Untamed & Uncut Wildest Latin America Shamwari: A Wild Life Shamwari: A Wild Life World Wild Vet Shamwari: A Wild Life Dark Days In Monkey City 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 Dark Days In Monkey City Wildest Latin America Shamwari: A Wild Life Shamwari: A Wild Life World Wild Vet Animal Cops Philadelphia Animal Precinct The Really Wild Show Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Weird Creatures With Nick Breed All About It Breed All About It Monkey Life Bondi Vet Shamwari: A Wild Life Dark Days In Monkey City Wildest Latin America Wildest Islands Wild France Animal Cops Philadelphia

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:35 Come Dine With Me 02:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 02:55 Masterchef: The Professionals 03:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:05 Bargain Hunt 05:50 House Swap 06:40 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 07:05 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 07:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 08:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 09:10 Homes Under The Hammer 10:00 Bargain Hunt 10:45 Antiques Roadshow 11:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:20 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:45 Masterchef: The Professionals 13:10 Come Dine With Me 14:00 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 14:30 French Food At Home 14:55 Holmes On Homes 15:40 Bargain Hunt 16:25 Antiques Roadshow 17:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Homes Under The Hammer 18:50 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 19:20 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 19:45 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 20:10 French Food At Home 20:35 Come Dine With Me 21:30 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 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

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

04:55 05:20 05:45 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Bananas In Pyjamas Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Bananas In Pyjamas Lazytown Krypto: The Super Dog Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Bananas In Pyjamas Ha Ha Hairies Lazytown Krypto: The Super Dog Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Krypto: The Super Dog Lazytown A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Tom And Jerry Tales Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Johnny Bravo Tiny Toons 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom And Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show Tiny Toons 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Moomins The Garfield Show Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom And Jerry Tales Moomins Dexters Laboratory Johnny Bravo Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show

00:00 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 News Special 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Inside Africa 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 World One 12:30 Leading Women 12:45 Future Cities 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 Leading Women 19:45 Future Cities 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

Outback Truckers Driven To Extremes Finding Bigfoot Mythbusters How Stuff’s Made Auction Kings Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Sons Of Guns

07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Ultimate Survival 08:45 Crash Course 09:10 Crash Course 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Auction Kings 10:30 Auction Hunters 10:55 How Do They Do It? 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Outback Truckers 12:45 Driven To Extremes 13:40 Finding Bigfoot 14:35 Border Security 15:05 Auction Kings 15:30 Auction Hunters 16:00 Inventions That Shook The World 16:55 Crash Course 17:20 Crash Course 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Do They Do It? 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Kings 21:00 Baggage Battles 21:30 James May’s Man Lab 22:25 Superhuman Showdown 23:20 Mythbusters

00:15 The X-Testers 00:40 Gadget Show - World Tour 01:05 How Tech Works 01:35 Scrapheap Challenge 02:25 The X-Testers 02:50 The X-Testers 03:15 Bang Goes The Theory 03:45 Da Vinci’s Machines 04:35 Oddities 05:00 Oddities 05:25 The Kustomizer 06:15 Science Of The Movies 07:05 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 08:00 Da Vinci’s Machines 08:50 Building The Future 09:40 Scrapheap Challenge 10:30 Science Of The Movies 11:25 Gadget Show - World Tour 11:50 How Tech Works 12:15 NASA’s Greatest Missions 13:10 Building The Future 14:00 Scrapheap Challenge 14:50 Bang Goes The Theory 15:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 16:10 The X-Testers 16:35 The X-Testers 17:00 Gadget Show - World Tour 17:25 How Tech Works 17:55 Science Of The Movies 18:45 The Kustomizer 19:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:30 Bad Universe 21:20 Oddities 21:45 Oddities 22:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 22:35 How Tech Works 23:00 Bad Universe 23:50 Oddities

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 06:25 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25

OUTCAST ON OSN ACTION HD

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 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Doc McStuffins Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm A.N.T Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Shake It Up

10:50 Shake It Up 11:15 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 11:40 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:05 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 12:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 12:55 Jessie 13:20 Jessie 13:45 A.N.T. Farm 14:10 A.N.T. Farm 14:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 15:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 15:25 Shake It Up 15:50 Austin And Ally 16:15 Jessie 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Girl vs Monster 18:25 Prank Stars 18:35 Prank Stars 18:45 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 19:10 A.N.T. Farm 19:35 Good Luck Charlie 20:00 Jessie 20:30 That’s So Raven 20:50 Cory In The House 21:15 Phil Of The Future 21:40 Hannah Montana 22:05 Good Luck Charlie 22:30 Good Luck Charlie 22:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:45 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 The Hive 09:20 Doc McStuffins 09:35 Doc McStuffins 09:50 Zou 10:05 Zou 10:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 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 Zou 17:10 Zou 17:20 Mouk 17:35 Mouk 17:45 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 18:10 The Hive 18:20 Cars Toons 18:25 Doc McStuffins 18:40 Doc McStuffins 18:55 Zou 19:10 Zou 19:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 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 00:25 00:55 01:25 02:20 03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 12:05 12:35 13:05 13:35 14:05 York 15:00 15:30

Chelsea Lately Style Star Style Star THS THS Style Star Extreme Close-Up THS THS THS Style Star Opening Act Opening Act THS Khloe And Lamar Khloe And Lamar Married To Jonas Married To Jonas Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star THS

16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:30

Extreme Close-Up Giuliana & Bill E! News Fashion Police THS Kourtney And Kim Take Miami Chasing The Saturdays E! News Chelsea Lately

00:15 Guy’s Big Bite 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Outrageous Food 02:20 Unwrapped 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Guy’s Big Bite 04:00 Guy’s Big Bite 04:25 Unique Eats 04:50 Food Crafters 05:15 Charly’s Cake Angels 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 07:35 Unwrapped 08:00 Unwrapped 08:25 Unwrapped 08:50 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 09:15 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 09:40 Symon’s Suppers 10:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 10:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 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 Reza’s African Kitchen 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 - Back To Basics 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Reza’s African Kitchen 19:40 Charly’s Cake Angels 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Chopped 21:20 Chopped 22:10 Iron Chef America 23:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 23:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 23:50 Unique Sweets

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted Couples Who Kill Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted 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 Evil, I Evil, I I Almost Got Away With It

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:05 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:15 06:40 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 11:45 12:40 13:35 14:00 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 16:45 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:55 23:20 23:50

Kimchi Chronicles Around The World For Free The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Adventure Wanted Banged Up Abroad City Chase Marrakech Around The World For Free Kimchi Chronicles David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles Around The World For Free The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Adventure Wanted Banged Up Abroad City Chase Marrakech Endurance Traveller Street Food Around The World David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Travel Madness Travel Madness Adventure Wanted Banged Up Abroad City Chase Marrakech Exploring The Vine Kimchi Chronicles Street Food Around The World David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 Around The World For Free Kimchi Chronicles David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 Making Tracks

00:00 Hustle And Flow-18 02:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 04:00 Goal!-PG15 06:00 Killer Mountain-PG15 08:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 10:00 True Justice: Urban WarfarePG15

CEREMONY ON OSN CINEMA 12:00 Warbirds-PG15 14:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 18:00 Warbirds-PG15 20:00 The Crazies-18 22:00 Outcast-R

01:00 The Tourist-PG15 03:00 Ceremony-PG15 05:00 Happiness Is A Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown-PG 06:30 We Bought A Zoo-PG 09:00 The Tourist-PG15 11:00 Golden Christmas 3-PG15 13:00 Blank Slate-PG15 15:00 Hidden Crimes-PG15 16:45 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close-PG 19:00 The Lincoln Lawyer-PG15 21:00 Leaves Of Grass-PG15 23:00 Awaydays-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The New Normal 02:00 Weeds 02:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 03:00 Louie 04:00 Til Death 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 06:30 Less Than Perfect 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Til Death 08:30 Modern Family 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Less Than Perfect 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Til Death 13:00 Hope & Faith 13:30 Less Than Perfect 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Ben And Kate 19:30 The Mindy Project 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds 23:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

01:00 05:00 09:00 10:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Homeland Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle Live Good Morning America Castle The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Finder Franklin & Bash Awake The Carrie Diaries

00:00 02:00 06:00 08:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. New York Homeland C.S.I. New York Covert Affairs The Ellen DeGeneres Show Covert Affairs C.S.I. New York The Ellen DeGeneres Show Covert Affairs The Finder Franklin & Bash Awake The Carrie Diaries Damages

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 Mine

Hustle And Flow Street Kings 2: Motor City Goal!

Killer Mountain True Justice: Vengeance Is

10:00 12:00 14:00 Mine 18:00 20:00 22:00

True Justice: Urban Warfare Warbirds True Justice: Vengeance Is Warbirds The Crazies Outcast

00:00 Arthur-PG15 02:00 The Romantics-PG15 04:00 The Search For Santa Paws-PG 06:00 Beware The Gonzo-PG15 08:00 The Tooth Fairy 2-PG 10:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 12:00 The Search For Santa Paws-PG 14:00 Wild Wild West-PG15 16:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 18:00 Sleepless In Seattle-PG 20:00 The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou-PG15 22:00 Arthur-PG15

01:15 03:00 05:15 07:15 PG15 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:45 21:00 23:00

Bruc-PG15 Oscar And Lucinda-PG15 Swing Kids-PG15 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnBound By A Secret-PG15 TT3D: Closer To The EdgePage Eight-PG15 Bound By A Secret-PG15 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 The Evening Star-PG15 Black Snake Moan-18 Gandhi-PG

01:00 One Angry Juror-PG15 02:45 War Horse-PG15 05:15 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 06:45 Real Steel-PG15 09:00 New Year’s Eve-PG15 11:00 War Horse-PG15 13:30 StreetDance 2-PG15 15:00 Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story-PG 16:45 New Year’s Eve-PG15 18:45 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol-PG15 21:00 We Need To Talk About KevinPG15 23:00 The Sitter-18

01:15 Teo: The Intergalactic Hunter 02:45 The Tooth Fairy 2 04:30 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil 06:00 Wheelers 08:00 Maroons 10:00 Barbie: A Perfect Christmas 11:30 Rainbow Valley Heroes 13:15 The Adventures Of Scooter The Penguin 14:45 The Tooth Fairy 2 16:15 Hugo 18:15 Three Investigators And The Secret Of Terror...

20:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins 21:45 Barbie: A Perfect Christmas 23:15 Hugo

00:00 02:00 04:30 06:00 08:00 10:00 11:45 14:15 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax-PG The Avengers-PG15 A Mother’s Choice-PG15 Treasure Buddies-PG A Thousand Words-PG15 Three Inches-PG15 The Avengers-PG15 According To Greta-PG15 A Thousand Words-PG15 Source Code-PG15 Crazy, Stupid, Love.-PG15 Peacock-PG15

01:00 01:30 05:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 10:00

Futbol Mundial Premier League Darts Super League ICC Cricket 360 Super Rugby Super Rugby Highlights Top 14

12:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 13:00 PGA Tour Highlights 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 18:00 NRL Premiership 19:30 Futbol Mundial 20:00 ICC Cricket 360 20:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 21:00 Inside The PGA Tour 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 Super Rugby Highlights 23:30 Top 14

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:30 11:30 13:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 20:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

UFC The Ultimate Fighter NHL Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 WWE Bottom Line Super Rugby Trans World Sport Super League NHL Super Rugby Premier League Darts ICC Cricket 360 Futbol Mundial NHL Super Rugby European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Futbol Mundial Premier League Darts

00:00 Top 14 Highlights 00:30 NRL Full Time 01:00 World Pool Masters 02:00 World Cup Of Pool 03:00 AFL Premiership 05:30 NRL Full Time 06:00 Golfing World 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 PGA European Highlights 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup Of Pool 11:00 Top 14 Highlights 11:30 ICC Cricket 360 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 AFL Highlights 14:00 Golfing World 15:00 NRL Full Time 15:30 World Pool Masters 16:30 World Cup Of Pool 17:30 PRO 12 19:30 Super League 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Super League 23:00 ICC Cricket 360 23:30 Golfing World

Tour

00:00 WWE Bottom Line 01:00 NHL 03:00 Ping Pong World Championships 04:00 US Bass Fishing 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE NXT 09:00 Ping Pong World Championships 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE SmackDown 15:00 WWE Vintage Collection 16:00 UAE National Race Day Series 17:00 UFC Unleashed 18:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 19:00 UFC Ultimate 100 Knockouts 22:00 UFC Unleashed 23:00 WWE Experience

01:00 03:25 05:45 08:00 10:05 12:00 15:15 17:25 19:30 21:15 23:00

The Wild Bunch-U North By Northwest-PG Destination Tokyo-FAM Mr. Skeffington-FAM The Human Comedy-FAM Giant-PG The Prize-PG Never So Few-PG Dodge City-U Dial M For Murder-PG Splendor In The Grass

34

stars CROSSWORD 142

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You are full of optimism and enthusiasm for new enterprises and plans. In fact, you may be foolishly over-confident and take on more challenges than you can really meet. This can, in fact, be a very productive time for you if you can keep your expectations within reasonable bounds. Taking care of business is where most of your emotional orientation is concerned now. You crave organization and practicality, and you want to get things accomplished with the least effort. Your aim should be to have a place for everything and everything in its place, this includes your relationships as well.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Increased physical courage and a strong sense of adventure combine to make this a very interesting time. You need to do something innovative, daring, unusual, liberating, exciting, and challenging. You are inclined to act on some of the wilder impulses and desires you feel from time to time. If you have an inventive streak, you could make a startling discovery or breakthrough now. A relationship may end or a temporary time out may occur in a relationship today. This is a time to let go of something or someone you once cherished but which no longer has a positive purpose in your life. Conflicts between duty and pleasure, or between the mundane and a yearning for love and emotional satisfaction are likely now.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A widely distributed system consisting of all the cells able to ingest bacteria or colloidal particles etc, except for certain white blood cells.

4. A four-sided polygon.

12. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

15. A drug combination found in some overthe-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

16. Elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface.

17. A state of southwestern India.

18. A large drinking bowl.

19. Made from or covered with gold.

21. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

22. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

25. Capital and largest city of Iraq.

27. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

29. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

31. Mollusk with a low conical shell.

35. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (1880-1957).

38. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

41. The fourth month of the Hindu calendar.

42. A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch.

44. A name that has been assumed temporarily.

46. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

47. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.

49. United States puppeteer who created a troupe of puppet characters (1936-1990).

51. A motley assortment of things.

53. The cry made by sheep.

55. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

56. Lake in northwestern Russia near the border with Finland.

58. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

60. In societies practicing shamanism.

63. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

65. The Mongol people living the the central and eastern parts of Outer Mongolia.

69. A syllabic script used in writing Sanskrit and Hindi.

70. Hormone produced early in pregnancy by the placenta.

72. A branch of the Tai languages.

73. (Greek mythology) God of love.

74. Relating to or lying near the palate.

78. A master's degree in business.

79. An inactive volcano in Sicily.

80. Brazilian tree with handsomely marked wood.

81. Tag the base runner to get him out.

82. A roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector.

83. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

84. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

2. (possibly Roman) Goddess of horses and

mules and asses.

3. Lean end of the neck.

4. An alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding.

5. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

6. (astronomy) A measure of time defined by Earth's orbital motion.

7. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

8. (music) Characterized by avoidance of traditional Western tonality.

9. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners.

10. Not divisible by two.

11. A colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.

12. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

13. The provision of money temporarily (usually at interest).

14. A small cake leavened with yeast.

20. American Revolutionary patriot.

23. A public promotion of some product or service.

24. Type genus of the Amiidae.

26. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

28. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

30. Young of domestic cattle.

32. A fractional monetary unit in Bangladesh and India and Nepal and Pakistan.

33. A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention.

34. A feudal lord or baron in Scotland.

36. Large genus of tropical subshrubs or herbs some of which yield fibers of mucilaginous substances.

37. Large swift fly the female of which sucks blood of various animals.

39. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

40. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

43. Involving two dimensions.

45. Title for the former hereditary monarch of Iran.

48. Relating to the abomasum (the fourth compartment of the stomach of ruminants).

50. Sole genus of the family Naiadaceae.

52. A succulent orange-sized tropical fruit with a thick rind.

54. Lacking motor coordination.

57. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

59. A state in northwestern North America.

61. United States writer noted for his stories about life during the California gold rush (1836-1902).

62. Gone by.

64. An African river that flows northwest into Lake Chad.

66. A genus of Lamnidae.

67. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

68. Jordan's port.

71. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

75. A unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters.

76. A boy or man.

77. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Certain people could require more of your understanding and less of your criticism. Use your common sense to work out which way a business or financial arrangement could be heading. Spending less time with your partner or mate may be a good short term move. You may be feeling somewhat insecure about your current love relationship and unsure how to relieve your fears because you’re not really sure what is sparking your feelings of insecurity. If you can’t identify something in your mate that is causing your doubts, look to your past experiences for the cause. It’s likely you’re comparing your current relationship with a past bond that ended on a bad note. While there may be similarities, your current romance is very different and very unlikely to go down the same road as any of your past loves.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Education is the key to your day, and this could manifest in a number of different ways. You could decide to take up a new study course, learn something from a wise relative or friend, or teach something to a younger person. Being strong doesn’t mean you can’t be sensitive too. Your sense of responsibility and sheer determination may not allow you to admit any feelings of vulnerability and sensitivity that may be coming to your attention. A power struggle could result, and a careful compromise may have to be found.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You approach your work and important projects with an unusual degree of imagination, idealism, and optimism now. Be careful! You are prone to shoot for the stars now, but never get off the ground. You may speculate, gamble, or put all your eggs in one basket. Romance becomes an end in itself as a new cycle begins for you.

This marks a time when love, creativity, and self expression can satisfy a deep yearning to be appreciated and admired. Remember being wanted for who you are instead of what you can give is the ultimate compliment.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may experience a passing notoriety, an unexpected word from without that lets you know they’re watching you, and not always when you’re expecting it. When you raise your flag, anyone can see it, and often does, but not often with import.

You’re entering a period of emotional change now: feeling two ways at once without getting too deep into either polarity is possible. This is an excellent time for personal relationships and friendships. You are able to share feelings, interests, and concerns openly and honestly with others. You can see connections and possibilities you may have overlooked before. Now is a time for communicating and sharing your plans and dreams.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) Circumstances can arise that cause misunderstandings or misconceptions about the work you are attempting to accomplish. Even if you become overly engrossed in your work, you should still make every attempt to remain attentive to your intimate relationships; otherwise, your indifference will be quite disappointing to your loved ones. Hidden passions, fears, jealousies, longings, desires, or needs surface in you now and can stir up trouble in your closest relationships. You are likely to be compulsive or demanding in a close relationship. On the positive side a relationship can be deepened and reborn now, given new life by your willingness to reveal yourself completely to your loved one.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Don’t let annoying disagreements get your temper in a huff, try and work on patience do your best to act like you are in a meditative and mellow mood today. It’s something to try for and with practice it will be beneficial habit. Also an instinctive urge to get serious about taking care of yourself at many levels is emphasized now. A significant development in a close relationship or strong feelings of attraction to someone you encounter, are very likely at this time. You are very congenial and cooperative now and more interested in the similarities than in the differences between yourself and others.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Try to avoid getting embroiled in philosophical or spiritual disputes.

There’s no way you’re going to convince die hard religious fanatics that there is an alternative perception available to them. As long as you’re comfortable in your own beliefs and don’t force your opinion on others you’re likely to attain the goodwill and friendship of others without having to defend your beliefs. You find yourself revealing secrets or very private matters, and also asking very penetrating questions of others. Superficial answers don’t satisfy you now. There is great depth to your conversations. This is an excellent time to learn more about your own inner depths and those of a romantic partner.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Under any circumstances, don’t be hasty today, and try not to repeat yourself too many times because you didn’t get what you wanted the first time you either asked for it or tried to take it. Feelings and actions at cross-purposes make this day one that you might not want to put too much effort into, let things ride as much as you can. If you can say it then you can have it, so don’t hesitate to voice your desires and you can get whom you want. Chances are you’ll be hearing news that make not only your heart go pitter pat but the person of your desire as well.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You encounter people now who are very considerate, understanding and nonjudgmental. You are also likely to form relationships with people based on a deep level of mutual appreciation and understanding for each other. You are in touch with your more sensitive, spiritual qualities, and you are able to express a greater level of sensitivity and greater empathy than usual. The party is underway and for the moment, you are in control. Strut your stuff and don’t stand still, because it’s you that’s getting the attention. Just have some amount of restraint as any gossip that ensues from this time could follow you around like a dark cloud.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Don’t run the risk of disapproval from those you are trying to impress the most by expressing yourself in an arrogant manner. It is an ideal time to put Long term plans related to your home or family life into action.

Love, relationships, beauty, and pleasure are emphasized now. A new romance or friendship may occur or an old or current one may take a turn for the better.

You feel especially attractive or friendly, and the warmth you radiate is noticed and appreciated by others in contact with you.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 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

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

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

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

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

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

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

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. 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

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

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

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Timberlake’s ‘20/20’ album sells 968K in 1st week This film image released by Focus Features shows Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes in “The Place Beyond the Pines.”—AP

Moody ‘Pines’ is too self-serious T

File photo shows Justin Timberlake during the BRIT Awards 2013 in London. — AP

Review

J

ustin Timberlake’s comeback album has sold nearly 1 million units its first week out. Nielsen SoundScan announced Tuesday that the singer’s third album, “The 20/20 Experience,” has moved 968,000 units. It’s the 19th album in Nielsen’s 22-year history that has sold more than 900,000 albums in its debut week. “20/20” is Timberlake’s third album and the follow-up to his multiplatinum, Grammy-winning 2006 album, “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” The new CD features the pop hit “Suit & Tie.” “The numbers are pleasantly surprising,” said Tom Corson, the president and chief operating officer of RCA Records, which released Timberlake’s album.

The label had projected that “20/20” would sell 500,000 to 600,000 units, Corson said. Timberlake, 31, was strategic about promoting his comeback effort: He performed at the Grammy Awards, hosted and hit the stage on the TV comedy show “Saturday Night Live” and spent an entire week on the TV talk show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” The singer also partnered with Target for the album’s deluxe edition and “20/20” streamed on iTunes a week before it was released. Timberlake came up with the idea of a weeklong stint himself, Fallon said. “I think he mentioned it to me like a year ago that he’s working on something and wanted to do a week on our show,” Fallon said Tuesday.

“20/20” is an unconventional album that features a mesh of R&B, soul, pop and futuristic sounds. The 10 tracks average seven minutes each. Corson believes Timberlake’s key to promoting the album was “less is more.” “While it felt like he was everywhere, he didn’t do a lot of things because he didn’t have to. But he did big things,” he said. Fallon even joked that other celebrities are trying to follow in Timberlake’s footsteps with a weeklong stay on his show. “We’re getting a lot of phone calls now to do themed-weeks for people,” said Fallon, who added that the show’s writers and producers developed a load of material for “Timberweek.”

“We have enough for another month,” he said. “We could have ‘Timbermonth.’ Trust me, NBC is already pitching it to me.” Of the 19 albums to sell more than 900,000 in a single week, Timberlake holds three slots.

His albums with ‘N Sync, 2000’s “No Strings Attached” and 2001’s “Celebrity,” sold 2.4 million and 1.9 million in their first week, respectively. Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne and Taylor Swift have two albums each that have hit that level. The excitement over the new album has also boosted sales of Timberlake’s other solo albums, Nielsen Co. said. Last year, “FutureSex/LoveSounds” and 2002’s “Justified” sold 39,000 and 21,000 copies each, but this year they’ve already sold 29,000 and 17,000, respectively.

“As the marketing sort of picks up for the new record and the single goes to radio ... you definitely start to see interest,” said David Bakula, Nielsen’s senior vice president of client development and analytics for entertainment. Bakula said ‘N Sync sales are up, too.

“20/20” was streamed 7.73 million times on Spotify in its first week, putting it second behind the 8 million streams set by Mumford & Sons’ “Babel” last year. Steve Savoca, Spotify’s head of content, said Timberlake’s colossal first-week numbers are another example of how streaming music helps artists sell albums. Fallon said Timberlake worked tirelessly ahead of the five shows and he’s proud of his friend’s success.

“Justin was here till 11 o’clock most nights choreographing dance moves so he nailed it the next night,” he said. “And he was sick at the time.” Corson said this week’s success could change the expectation of Timberlake’s follow-up to “20/20,” which will likely be released later this year. “It sure should,” he said with a laugh. “Part two is now even more anticipated.”

Timberlake could even show up for a stint on Fallon again. “We are already talking about it,” Fallon said. —AP

he first image you see in “The Place Beyond the Pines” is of Ryan Gosling’s shirtless torso, ripped and tatted atop a skin-tight pair of leather pants. Don’t get too excited. The long tracking shot that comes next is actually a better indication of where director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance is headed. His camera follows Gosling’s character from behind, Dardennes-style, through a garishly lighted traveling circus. Gosling’s bleachblonde “Handsome Luke” lights a cigarette and strides calmly but purposefully through his depressing surroundings into a loud and crowded tent, where he confidently climbs onto a motorcycle before entering a ball-shaped cage with two other riders to perform a death-defying stunt.

Over the next two-plus hours and across three connected stories, it will become clear that everything is very dramatic and everyone is doomed. You can try to redeem yourself but it’s no use; the past always catches up with us. Not a terribly novel concept but one that Cianfrance and co-writers Ben Coccio and Darius Marder hammer home with the utmost seriousness. Gosling previously worked with the director on the 2010 drama “Blue Valentine,” in which he played the husband in a young married couple (opposite an Oscar-nominated Michelle Williams) that was slowly, irreparably crumbling.

That story also that was fraught with heartache but we actually felt something because the characters were complex and real and their relationship was vividly detailed. “The Place Beyond the Pines” aims admirably for an epic sense of Greek tragedy, and it does have some powerful individual moments, but the characters are all so underdeveloped that the whole effort feels like studied posturing. Rather than helping to create a recognizable sense of place, the artful grunginess with which Schenectady, NY, is depicted feels self-conscious and smothering. That’s down to the face tattoo Luke sports: a dagger with a drop of blood under his left eye, which is meant to look like a teardrop.

(Once again, he is doing the quietly brooding Brando thing.) In this first section of Cianfrance’s triptych, Luke runs into Romina (Eva Mendes), a waitress he had a fling with when he was in town a year ago. (Schenectady, FYI, means “the place beyond the pines” in Iroquois.) Turns out her infant son is the child Luke was totally unaware he had. At the encouragement of a loner mechanic (an effectively creepy Ben Mendelsohn), Luke starts robbing banks to support the boy, even though he and the underwritten Romina would seem to have a stable life now with her new boyfriend (Mahershala Ali).

This brings us to Bradley Cooper, who anchors the second section. Cooper and Gosling’s paths cross

only briefly in one scene, but it is, of course, pivotal.

Cooper plays rookie police officer Avery Cross, who finds himself caught up with a group of more seasoned cops (led by Ray Liotta) who want to take him under their wing and make him part of their corrupt little gang. Cooper finds the understatement in his character’s conflict - his usual charisma is strangely muted here - but the theme of struggling to escape one’s past is overstated once more, especially as Avery tries to establish himself outside the shadow of his own powerful father.

Finally, Cianfrance skips ahead 15 years for part three. Luke’s son, Jason (now played by a wiry and intense Dane DeHaan), and Avery’s son, AJ (a swaggering, trash-talking Emory Cohen), happen to cross paths themselves on AJ’s first day at a new high school. Of all the tables in all the lunchrooms in all the world, he has to sit down at Jason’s. A palpable sense of danger permeates every moment they spend together but the coincidence is too clever, the parallel is too precious. Naturally, they are destined to have their legacies destroy them, too. Ultimately, none of this registers the way it should because it’s so monotonously morose. “The Place Beyond the Pines,” a Focus Features release, is rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use and a sexual reference. Running time: 140 minutes. Two stars out of four.— AP

Ratings dip but ‘American Idol’ gets the ads

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File photo shows Canadian singer Justin Bieber performing on stage in Zurich, Switzerland. — AP

Bieber flies back to LA and into more trouble

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op sensation Justin Bieber flew from Europe back to his Los Angeles area home on Tuesday and into an argument with one of his neighbors - the latest in a series of odd incidents involving the teen singer.

Deputies were called to the 19-year-old’s house in Calabasas, California, on Tuesday morning after a neighbor claimed that he had been threatened and struck by Bieber, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

A police report alleging battery and threats

by Bieber had been filed and was being investigated, Whitmore said. No charges have been filed against the Canadian pop star and Whitmore declined to give details, citing an ongoing investigation. Under California law, a misdemeanor battery charge can include unwanted touching or spitting.

The alleged altercation took place after the “Boyfriend” singer flew overnight from Poland, startling photographers and Lodz airport offi-

cials by stripping off his shirt on a freezing evening as he walked through security and to his private jet. Bieber’s publicist did not return calls for comment on Tuesday’s incident, which follows odd behavior by the singer during his European tour, including turning up late for a London concert and wearing a gas mask on a night out. A source close to the star said the Calabasas dispute stemmed from a neighbor who came by to complain about parties at the house while Bieber was away. Words were exchanged but no physical altercation took place, the source said, citing the singer’s security detail. Celebrity website TMZ.com said the dispute was provoked by Bieber driving a newly delivered Ferrari up and down the street at high speed early on Tuesday morning. The Bieber source disagreed with that claim. Bieber has been playing concerts around Europe for his “Believe” tour for several weeks, and his next concert is scheduled for Munich, Germany, on March 28. —Reuters

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store

Singer Pink performs during her “The Truth About Love” tour at Madison Square Garden in New York. — AP photo

Top Songs: 1. “Just Give Me a Reason (feat. Nate Ruess),” P!nk 2. “Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz),” Ryan Lewis, Macklemore 3. “Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko),” Rihanna 4. “When I Was Your Man,” Bruno Mars 5. “Suit & Tie (feat. JAY Z),” Justin Timberlake 6. “Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera),” Pitbull 7. “(hash)thatPOWER (feat. Justin Bieber),” will.i.am 8. “Harlem Shake,” Baauer 9. “Started from the Bottom,” Drake 10. “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons Top Albums: 1. “The 20/20 Experience,” Justin Timberlake 2. “The Truth About Love,” P!nk 3. “Night Visions,” Imagine Dragons 4. “Same Trailer Different Park,” Kacey Musgraves 5. “The Heist,” Ryan Lewis, Macklemore 6. “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Bruno Mars 7. “Some Nights,” Fun. 8.”Spring Break...Here to Party,” Luke Bryan 9. “I Am Not a Human Being II (Deluxe Version),” Lil Wayne 10. “Now 45,” Various Artists. —AP

n the heyday of “American Idol,” the notion that it could fall ratings victim to a zombie slugfest or standard crime drama would have been laughable. That was then. With Fox’s singing contest shedding about 20 percent of its audience so far this season to hit new lows, it’s been leapfrogged repeatedly in total viewers by series including the CBS procedurals “Person of Interest” and “NCIS.” In a harsher blow to a blockbuster that once ruled the advertiser-adored young adult segment, “American Idol” has been overtaken this season by AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” despite the addition of glossy new “Idol” judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.

But in its 12th season, “American Idol” is managing to hit the right notes with sponsors if not always with fickle viewers: It has retained its status as TV’s advertising leader among series and the loyalty of its biggest backers, including Ford and Coca-Cola.

“It’s still a top 10 show,” said Brad Adgate of media-buying firm Horizon Media.

“Compared to several years ago, it’s not the ratings force it once was. ... But even if it loses 20 percent” again, it’s still valuable to Fox. And there’s this confident prediction: When it comes to advertising dollars, the series “will have the top price for the 2012-13 season,” said analyst Jon Swallen of Kantar Media. Last season, “American Idol” grossed a leading $836 million in ad revenue.

ance night episode, Myers said. (That figure that is expected to rise as the show heads toward its finale and, presumably, bigger audiences.)

It’s true that growing cable competition and the fragile economy have made the broadcast ad market vulnerable. But by comparison, ABC’s sitcom “Modern Family” saw its fortunes improve, with its rate of $250,000 per commercial for the 2011-12 season rising to $330,000 at this’s season start. Another test is coming in May. At the annual “upfronts” in New York, broadcast networks will gather billions of dollars in advertising commitments for the 2013-14 season based on their series’ past and predicted viewership. In its 13th year, will the “American Idol” share of that bonanza shrink as much as this year’s ratings?

“You’re going to see a significant drop” in May, said Deana Myers of SNL Kagan. But “American Idol” can claim to be a winner for Fox despite its weakened condition. Yes, “Idol” is averaging about 15 million weekly viewers this year, compared to its 2006 peak of 30 million, according to Nielsen figures.

Yes, the audience’s median age has jumped more than 18 years, to 50.4, from season one to last year - meaning that youth-obsessed Madison Avenue is facing consumers more likely to be eyeing retirement funds than a prom date. And yes, the show’s alumni include success stories Kelly

Photo released by Fox, “American Idol” Season 11, from left, Judges Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Host Ryan Seacrest answer questions from television critics during the 2013 FOX Winter TCA at the Langham Hotel, in Pasadena, Calif. — AP But the trajectory inevitably is headed down. At the start of the 2011-12 season, “American Idol” was collecting about $500,000 for a 30-second commercial on its Wednesday episodes, said analyst Deana Myers of SNL Kagan. That put it in an exclusive top tier, along with NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” By May 2012, when Phillip Phillips had been crowned the winner, the singing contest had posted its lowest-rated season since it debuted in summer 2002, and “Sunday Night Football” had snatched the No. 1 ratings spot away from singing contest for the first time since 2003.

The result: The current 2012-13 season began with prices cut to $340,000 per spot for the higher-rated Wednesday perform-

Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood, but more recent winners, such as Lee DeWyze and Phillips, have yet to prove themselves as stars in music, movies or elsewhere.

“Idol” also faces a crowded talent contest field and younger challengers like NBC’s “The Voice.” A second, spring edition of that show debuted Monday night and was up 9 percent over its fall premiere with 13.4 million viewers. But there is value yet to be found in the aging but still sturdy Fox show. Not many shows can draw weekly audiences of 10 million-plus today, given the splintered media world in which broadcast, cable, online amusements and video games clamor for consumer attention. —AP

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

LIFESTYLE

China F A S H I O N

Fashion Week

Models parade creations of the Minzu University of China Collection.

Models show off the latest creations from the Mao Geping stylist collection during a show for fashion week in Beijing, China, yesterday.

Kanebo launches ‘Ultimate’ cream from Sensai Range in Vavavoom

Carla Bruni says Sarkozy charges are ‘painful’ C

arla Bruni said the charges faced by her husband and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy in connection with a probe into illegal party funding were “painful” for her and her family, local media yesterday.

“It’s painful to talk about it and equally painful to not talk about it. It’s painful for the family,” the singer said, wiping away a tear, in an interview with Le Parisien published yesterday. But the one-time

first lady and former model said her husband was feeling “serene and combative” after he was charged on Thursday with taking advantage of France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, when she was weakened by ill health. The decision came after Sarkozy was summoned for face-toface encounters with former members of Bettencourt’s staff, including her butler, in an investigation into allegations he accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from the elderly L’Oreal heiress to fund his 2007 election campaign.

Bruni told Le Parisien: “It’s unthink-

Game of Thrones returns with season 3 same exclusively on OSN

he multi-award winning hit series Game of Thrones returns exclusively to OSN First HD on Monday, 1st April at 22:00 KSA at the same time as the US so viewers see it first only on OSN. The highly anticipated third season that

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promises to be even more epic than the first is guaranteed to satisfy fans with plenty of action, new cast members and old favourites.

With 8 Emmys, a Golden Globe plus numerous other awards, the adventure fantasy series is based on George R. R.

Martin’s novel series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, the first of which is called ‘Game of Thrones.’ While Season 2 was based solely on ‘A Clash of Kings’, the next instalment of Martin’s series, ‘A Storm of Swords’, will be split into two seasons.

Season 3 will have a host of new characters to look forward to - Olenna Tyrell played by Diana Rigg (The Avengers T V show) also known as The Queen of Thorns, Mackenzie Crook ( The Office) as a wildling called Orell, Paul Kaye, (Dennis the Pennis) will play Thoros of Myr, and Clive Russell (The Bill and Sherlock Holmes) will play Brynden ‘Blackfish’ Tully.

The series is a true spectacle, an engrossing, groundbreaking fable that will bring a new level of realism to the fantasy genre that will surprise and captivate audiences. OSN viewers will undoubtedly fall to their knees praising the genius of Martin and HBO producers with the epic new season.

Tune in exclusively on OSN First HD from 1st April at 22:00 KSA and watch the plot unfold at the same time as the US.

able to imagine that a man like him could take advantage of the weakness of a woman the same age as his mother.” Investigators suspect up to four million euros ($5.2 million) of Bettencourt’s cash made its way into the coffers of Sarkozy’s UMP party.

Bettencourt is now 90 and has been incapacitated since 2006, according to doctors. On Monday, Sarkozy used his Facebook page to insist the charges against him were “unfair and unfounded”. If convicted, Sarkozy could face up to three years in jail, a fine of 375,000 euros ($484,000), and a five-year ban from public office. —AFP

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care ingredient able to tackle both these sources of genetic damage, increasing skin’s ability to repair itself, and restoring silkier skin from within , delivering an ultimate anti-ageing skincare experience for supremely silky skin that glows with timeless radiance.

Why are the hands of Japan’s silk spinners so beautiful? It was this intriguing question that led SENSAI to unlock the secret of Koishimaru Silk. Originally reserved for the exclusive use of the imperial family, this silk of silks turned out to hold the power to beautify the skin.

Deeply hydrating and able to stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid, Koishimaru Silk surrounds skin cells in an ‘Endless Ocean of Moisture’. Bathed within this life-giving environment, the skin is restored to health and profoundly moisturised.

China firm says first lady’s style not for sale

he Chinese fashion brand that designed bags and clothes for the country’s new first lady has turned down the chance to make a fortune from her endorsement, saying yesterday no similar items will be on offer. Peng Liyuan, long a household name in China as a military folk singer, has set off a media and Internet frenzy with her elegant style as she accompanies husband President Xi Jinping on a state visit to Russia and African countries. Photographs of the couple were plastered across state media front pages. Picture slide shows on major Chinese web portals put the focus on Peng instead of her husband, an unusual approach to political news coverage in the country.

Her prominence is a marked contrast to recent first ladies, who were rarely seen, and commentators have proclaimed it a step forward for Beijing’s “soft power”. Even though none of Peng’s apparel bore conspicuous logos, intrigued Internet users still managed to identify one manufacturer as Exception, a Chinese brand based in the southern city of Guangzhou. For days the company kept silent despite its apparent publicity windfall, declining repeated AFP requests for comment.

Finally yesterday it confirmed in a statement posted on its verified weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter that it made some of Peng’s clothes, together with Wuyong, another Chinese label. Her choice showed “trust and support for national brands”, it added. But it had no plans to

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awarid Trading Company, the exclusive distributor of Kanebo Cosmetics, the Leading Japanese skin Care Brand , Launched its new product “ Ultimate Cream” from Sensai Range , at Vavavoom showroom in Marina Mall Kuwait .

With ULTIMATE, SENSAI combines Koishimaru Silk with another Japanese legend, the divine sakura tree, or cherry blossom. Although well-known as a herbal remedy, the sakura tree holds a deeper secret now unlocked within the Sakura Eternal Complex, a new ingredient able to support the genes to change skin’s destiny.

As we age, our genes’ ability to repair themselves diminishes, leaving them vulnerable to the onslaught of UV rays and Reactive Oxygen Species. The Sakura Eternal Complex is the world’s first skin-

offer Peng’s admirers the opportunity to imitate her, it said. “On this occasion the design and manufacturing are specialized and custom-made and the items are not for sale publicly,” it said.

But other business-minded Chinese vendors are cashing in on the enthusiasm. Imitations of

Peng’s clothes were being offered on Taobao, China’s biggest online marketplace, within hours of her stepping off the plane in Moscow. A trenchcoat resembling the one she wore then was available for 1,822 yuan ($290) in a Taobao shop yesterday.—AFP

People visit an Exception fashion store in Beijing yesterday after the brand shot to prominence when their clothing was worn by China’s new First lady Peng Liyuan during her first trip overseas. —AFP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

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t’s yours, but it isn’t. A rented apartment or house can be a wonderful place to live, and a challenging place to decorate. The restrictions are many: Landlords often want their white walls to stay white. Many won’t let you do even the most minor construction. Some even ask renters not to nail anything to the walls. Complicating things further, many rental properties have small rooms and no-frills, builder-grade light fixtures, doors and cabinetry with little personality.

How can you inject some of your personality into a rented space without enraging your landlord? The first step is to go all in. “So often people think of their rental as not theirs, and therefore go through life not creating a beautiful home or nest,” says designer Kyle Schuneman, author of “The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces” (Potter Style, 2012; $24.99 paperback, 256 pages). “Life is too short to not create a sanctuary that represents your unique vision.”

Home decorating blogger Wanda Hoffs gives the same advice to her readers at recreateanddecorate.com. As an Army wife, Hoffs has lived in many rental properties around the country and has learned to decorate each one as if it

were truly hers. Here are five ideas from Hoffs and Schuneman that can help you embrace your rented space.

Plan carefully “Usually rentals are small, and I am a firm believer in function before form,” Schuneman says. “Sometimes it’s a puzzle piece to get those ‘must haves’ into your space-the desk, the bed, the couch.” He suggests using old items in new ways: Does the desk become a footboard? Should a small bookcase from your old living room be tucked into the corner of your new kitchen?

If your current furniture doesn’t fit well into a rental, Hoffs suggests spending wisely on new items. Rather than buying an expensive new piece that fits your rental perfectly, “use thrift store furniture and paint it yourself,” she says.

Used furniture can be “so inexpensive that you can sell it at a yard sale if need be” when you decide to move out of the rental. “It’s not about where you buy it,” Hoffs likes to tell her blog audience. “It’s how you use it.”

Change walls with little or no paint “Wallpaper used to be only for the homeowner crowd,” Schuneman says, “but now with companies like Tempaper (tempaperdesigns.com), you can put up temporary wallpaper that peels on and peels back off when you’re ready to move.” Hoffs suggests using wall decals, which come in a huge range of styles and sizes, or even duct tape.

“It comes in many great colors and patterns,” she says, “and can be used on a wall in many different patterns, such as the trending chevron pattern, stripes, or even to create a border around a wall grouping.” If you want to do just a bit of painting that could be easily repainted before you move out, Hoffs and Schuneman both suggest painting a stenciled design on one wall. Or paint a band of bold color along the top of your walls. To make the eventual repainting easier, Hoffs says, “always know the original color and brand of paint.”

texture to a room. It can be framed or stapled to a large art canvas to be hung on the walls,” to add a burst of color. You can also attach fabric temporarily to a wall using spray starch.

Lush plants are another option: “Bring in plants to add life, color and to warm up your home,” Hoffs says. Even if you’re not a gardening expert, “there are many low-maintenance ones for those who do not have a green thumb.”

When it’s time to move, they’re easy to take with you.

The floor is your fifth wall “Your floors are a blank slate for design,” Schuneman says. “Treat it as your fifth wall and find a beautiful rug to ground the whole space.” Schuneman is a fan of Flor carpet tiles, which can be arranged to make what appears to be a rug of any size. “I love using Flor tiles for rentals because they can be put together in different configurations when you move and can be personalized, so only you have that certain pattern that represents your style,” he says.

Make temporary swaps Although you can’t change the cabinets in your rented kitchen or bath, Hoffs points out that you can swap out the In this undated publicity photo provided by courtesy Kyle Schuneman, a bold sofa pattern and plaid carpet add personality to a rented apartment in this design by Kyle Schuneman, as seen in ‘The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces,’ by Kyle Schuneman (Potter Style, 2012). — AP photos hardware on doors and drawers at a very small cost. “You can always change these back to the original ones when you start to move,” she says, as long as you remember where you’ve stored the originals.

The same goes for light fixtures. A change of lighting can add “instant drama” to your home, Hoffs says, so consider swapping out the current fixtures with ones that reflect your taste. Leave this job to the professionals; in many states it’s illegal for renters to do this themselves. And be sure to store the landlord’s fixtures carefully and reinstall them properly before moving out. — AP

Infuse with color “If you’re afraid to touch your walls or have a really difficult landlord,” Schuneman says, “bring in the color through fabrics and textures around the room. If you leave your walls white, hang a bold curtain on the windows and a coordinating couch that really pops.” Hoffs agrees: “Fabric can be a great, inexpensive way to add color, pattern and

In this undated publicity photo provided by courtesy Kyle Schuneman, stencils create the look of patterned wallpaper on a rental apartment wall for a burst of color as seen in ‘The First Apartment Book: Cool Design for Small Spaces,’ by Kyle Schuneman (Potter Style, 2012).

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ome-decorating television shows and shelter magazines have many Americans dreaming about inviting an expert interior designer into their homes. It looks so effortless when a popular designer arrives in a whirlwind of creative ideas and quick-working craftsmen. By the end of an hour of cable TV, he or she has transformed a hopelessly drab home into a stylish oasis.

But what’s it really like to hire a designer? How can you make sure it’s a successful - and not too expensive collaboration? As with a good marriage, says interior designer Phoebe Howard, the relationship between designer and homeowner is about communication, trust and respect.

Finding candidates Many homeowners find a designer by asking friends whether they’ve used one. Designer Cathy Davin, founder and president of Davin Interiors in Pittsburgh, says new clients are often referred to her by previous clients. Others discover her online, she says. Interior designers generally keep a portfolio of photos of rooms they’ve designed on their websites. Browse through as many as you can in your area, noting photos that fit with your vision for your home.

Training varies: An interior designer “typically has a bachelor’s degree in interior design, and in several states must be certified,” Davin says. They can collaborate easily with engineers, contractors and architects, and should have a full understanding of color, propor-

tion and other elements of design.

A decorator “might be just someone who has a flair for decorating and wants to hang up a shingle,” Davin says, and it’s possible their style will fit perfectly with yours. But they probably won’t have as much training as a designer. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) offers a database of certified members that is searchable by location.

As you meet with potential designers or decorators, see who makes you feel comfortable, Howard says.

You’re going to “open up your personal space” to the person you hire, so along with vetting their work, make sure your personalities mesh.

Discussing money Howard, who is based in Florida, says a good designer should be able to tell you whether you can have what you’re envisioning for the money you’re able to spend.

Be realistic and clear when discussing your budget. Get cost estimates in writing and be sure you know exactly what is included. If you make any changes to a project after hiring a designer, get those adjustments in writing as well. The folks at ASID suggest keeping a folder with printouts of all agreements and correspondence about your project. Extra calls or extra meetings cost money and slow the project down, so have notes ready and be prepared each time you call or meet with your designer.

Agreeing on style Davin suggests starting with a meeting at your home with all decision-makers present. Couples should try to work out disagreements before sitting down with the designer; experts can be good sounding boards but they won’t want to take sides in a battle.

As you make design choices, Howard says, do your homework: Touch the fabrics and study the colors to be sure you like them. Comb through websites and magazines, showing your designer what you have in mind.

And trust your instincts: If a designer or a particular decision really feels wrong, don’t go with it. But also remember that you’ve brought in a professional for their creative input.

Sharing control Do “get yourself to a certain comfort level, because you have to take the leap of faith,” Davin says. “A lot of people’s fear is that they’re going to end up with this crazy living room that doesn’t feel like them at all.” But if you’ve taken time to choose someone who shares your taste and understands what you want, then “allow them to stretch you and push you” at least a little, she says.

Discuss timing. Design projects can move slowly.

Davin says redecorating a master bedroom or family room can take at least three months. Design and decorating work for a home that’s not yet built might take 18 months or more. The wait can be frustrating, but also Interior designer Phoebe Howard seated on a daybed in a finished bedroom she designed in New York City.

This undated publicity photo shows a finished bedroom designed by Interior designer Phoebe Howard in New York City. — AP photos useful: Your vision for the project may evolve as you work with a designer, so you might be glad to have some extra time to make choices. Schedule a big project for a time when you can give it your full attention, ASID suggests.

Staying flexibile When choosing a designer, be sure to ask previous clients how the person handled changes or challenges.

“It’s impossible to install a job of any size without something going wrong,” Howard says. “Something’s going to break. Something’s going to be measured wrong. .

Things happen and things get fixed.”

Try not to make too many changes, since that can increase the possibility of confusion and mistakes. If a problem arises, it’s best to cool down before approaching the designer. And at the end of the project, Howard advises clients to leave home during the final installation work.

“The installation is the moment that the decorator worked for months and months and months on,” she says. “They need to have their space to kind of make a mess and get things done.” So rather than critiquing the project when it’s only partially installed, she says, wait for the “red carpet moment” when the finished product is revealed. — AP

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

lifestyle T r a v e l

By Karen Samelson

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Icy water swirls amid the carved rocks in Reynolds Creek.

Virginia Falls near St Mary’s Lake is one of the many waterfalls that are easily accessible to hiker.

Icebergs can still be seen floating in the month of August at Iceberg Lake, elevation 6,000 feet, in Glacier National Park.

agged peaks, a lucky glimpse of a bear or moose, and, of course, glaciers-these sights are just the tip of the iceberg at Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Red, blue, yellow and white wildflowers fill the alpine meadows, even into August, and a few mountain goats or bighorn sheep may be grazing, too. The melting snow and rocky terrain create plenty of waterfall photo ops, and the glaciers carved out several large, windy lakes where visitors can take a boat cruise or try fishing for trout.

The park, which sits on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountain Range, borders Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park, and the two are designated an International Peace Park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site. Clearly, this place is special, compelling some visitors to return year after year. The area is a mountainous hub for hikers, campers and backpackers, but there’s also a network of historic lodges for those who prefer a comfy bed and indoor plumbing.

The lodges are an integral part of the history of the park, which was established in 1910. The Great Northern Railway built several grand hotels and smaller chalets in the early 20th century to promote the park-and rail travel to see the “American Alps.” It’s still possible to arrive by train, thanks to Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which picked us up in downtown Milwaukee, chugged across the Great Plains and deposited us across the street from the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier, Mont.

The lodges, with huge wooden beams holding up the structures, have different themes, such as American Indian at the 1913 Glacier Park Lodge and Swiss chalet at the 1915 Many Glacier Hotel, and were built a day’s ride by horseback away from one another.

The lodges are rustic and pricey (our small room ran $200), but the ambience is a big draw, offering a sense of history and a reminder of genteel days of yore.

But don’t dawdle-rooms already are limited for July and August, according to www.glacierparkinc.com.

Campers may have better luck: Most campgrounds are first come, first served (though campers are advised to arrive by 8 am to snag a site at the highly coveted, wooded Many Glacier Campground), but the two that take reservations still list plenty of open sites at www.recreation.gov. Although the park is open year-round, most facilities don’t open until May or June.

If Glacier is on your “bucket list,” don’t put it off too long. The Grand Canyon isn’t going to disappear, but the glaciers are receding, so consider moving the park up a spot on your list. The area had 150 glaciers in 1850. Now there are 26. A computer-based model suggests that if the warming trend continues, the largest glaciers could be gone by 2030; at least one researcher says it could even be 2020.

Many visitors will want to see one of the park’s glaciers. A few can be seen from the road, but most, including the popular Grinnell and Sperry glaciers, are visible only to those who put on their hiking boots or rent a horse. Jackson Glacier is visible from an overlook on the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the 50mile main road through the park. The road is a mustsee: It goes over Logan Pass and crosses the Continental Divide.

It’s a narrow, winding road with no guard rails much of the time, so think about letting someone else do the driving while you enjoy the scenery. And don’t even think about taking your RV over it-vehicles over 21 feet long are prohibited.

The park operates a free shuttle service that runs from the St. Mary’s Visitor Center on the east side of the park to the visitor center at Logan Pass, making stops at a campground and trailheads along the way.

Buses also depart from the Apgar Transit Center on the west side to take visitors to the pass. Hikers can get on and off at specified stops. At Logan Pass, elevation 6,646 feet, Deb Williams keeps the lines of tourists waiting for shuttle buses orderly. Deb, who hails from Minneapolis and proudly claims former Bucks player Jon Leuer as her nephew, is one of the park’s 1,000 volunteers and has been working there for 21 summers.

“Look at my ‘office,’ it’s so beautiful up here,” she said, standing in the parking lot, pointing to the peaks and meadows around her.

Visitors looking for less hiking and more history can go over the pass in one of the iconic Red Buses, 17-passenger vintage touring coaches that offer narrated tours. The cars, which date to the 1930s, have been restored and run on cleaner-burning propane.

The cost starts at $30, depending on the tour. If you decide to drive, note that the parking lot at Logan Pass is usually full by 10:30 am, the park says. And you’ll definitely want to stop at the pass, for the view and a hike.

The 1.5-mile hike to the Hidden Lake overlook is one of the most popular in the park, and for good reason. It begins as a boardwalk crossing a large meadow of spectacular wildflowers, with steps going up the natural terraces. Eventually the boardwalk ends, and

Ranger Bob Schuster points out Salamander Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana. — MCT photos

visitors can walk past any remaining snowbanks, and through an area where mountain goats romp, to the delight of kids (human, that is) and adults alike. They’re tame enough that visitors joke they’re on the park payroll.

After gaining 460 feet in elevation, the trail reaches the overlook, which provides a stunning view of Hidden Lake below and a great spot for a sack lunch.

The trail continues-downhill-to the lake, but when we were there it was closed because of bear activityapparently the fish were spawning so the grizzlies were in ursine heaven.

Bears are both a draw for visitors and a safety concern. The park is home to about 300 grizzlies, and management takes them seriously. Trails often are “posted” for bears if there is significant bear activity going on, and sometimes they’re closed, such as if a carcass they’re feeding on lies nearby. The tinkle of bear bells on tourists’ daypacks and the sight of a can of bear spray (a type of pepper spray) hanging on hikers’ chests are common at Glacier. Campground hosts give new arrivals friendly reminders about keeping a pristine camp-all food and cooking utensils go in a hard-sided vehicle when not in use. (Bear boxes are provided for backpackers and bicyclists.) Luckily, these aren’t Yosemite bears that have learned to get into cars.

Despite the warnings, we never saw any bears on the well-traveled trails, only scat, and a retired bear biologist who was hiking behind us on the Iceberg Lake Trail didn’t expect to see any with all the people

cier shrinking over the decades, said the lake at its foot has grown dramatically, and hikers no longer can step onto to the glacier because there’s too much water to get there safely.

He says the glaciers are definitely receding, though 2020 may be a little early for extinction. “They’re going to be gone.”“As far as saving the glaciers, it would take major change,” Bob said.

Even if you’re not thinking about global climate change, weather is a big concern at Glacier. It can change quickly in the mountains, so being prepared with adequate clothing, gear and food is key. Bob was careful not to underplay the bear danger-just be aware. But, he said, “weather surprises some people.”

According to the park newspaper, the No. 1 cause of death there is from drowning. It warns that stream and river crossings can get slick at times, and falling into the water can also lead to hypothermia.

Indeed, the weather can change dramatically, even in early August. We had one night not much below 60 degrees when we were only half in our sleeping bags, but after a storm blew through two nights later it got close to 32, and the day of the glacier hike it was cloudy and in the 50s-maybe. But the T-shirts and shorts returned a day later when we did the 9-mile round-trip hike to the stunning Iceberg Lake, which true to its name had plenty of icebergs left, sheltered on three sides by jagged cliffs.

On the way we saw our second moose, this time a bull. Moose also can be dangerous, but he continued to browse, head down, about 40 feet off the trail,

on the trail. Still, hikers are reminded to take all the precautions and talk or sing along the trail to let the bears know they’re there, especially in areas with dense vegetation or tasty patches of huckleberries, which are similar to blueberries.

Young backpackers Chris Huston and Amanda Roberson, who boarded our train in La Crosse, Wis., also reported no bear or mountain lion encounters on their five-day trek, though they did see a cow moose, marmots and ptarmigan. Even in the backcountry they said they saw a fair number of people, except the day they went 13.8 miles and up 2,080 feet to get over Triple Divide Pass.

As challenging as the 46-mile trip was, Chris wrote in an email after he was safely home in Rochester, Minn., “It is an amazing feeling to be able to look down upon everything from the top of a mountain.” Hikers willing to fork out the cash to spend the night in one of two historic, primitive backcountry huts can make the trek to see Sperry Glacier. Spending two nights at the Sperry Chalet, a steep 6.4-mile hike from the trailhead near Lake McDonald Lodge on the park’s west side, is the best way to see the glacier, which is an 8mile round trip from the chalet. Plan on booking by November, though.

Within easier reach is Grinnell Glacier, which is a 5.5-mile hike from the Many Glacier Hotel on the park’s east side. Or you can cheat as we did and take a boat ride across two small lakes, trimming the round trip to about 8 miles, with a 1,600-foot elevation gain.

The boat ride ($24.25) hooks up with a free rangerled hike, which provided both fascinating commentary and enough chatter to scare away any bears.

Although the hike is listed as strenuous, the group of 20-plus included three generations of a North Carolina family, with the young kids leading and grandparents bringing up the rear.

Ranger Bob Schuster, 70, knows the trail well: He first started working in the park in 1967. Bob grew up in Sun Prairie, Wis., and got a biology degree from St. Norbert College before moving to Oregon. He used to teach high school biology and geology during the winters, so he was happy to name the flowers and explain that Grinnell Lake’s lovely turquoise color results from “glacier milk,” suspended fine rock particles ground up by the moving glacier.

After a lunch stop with a few trees for a windbreak, we climbed over the moraine and up to the glacier.

Young and old alike-bundled up tight after feeling the breeze off the ice-were impressed to see the glacier up close, well, pretty close. Bob, who has seen the gla-

despite the dozen camera-happy hikers trying in vain to get a good shot.

Not far away, we spotted a few remaining white beargrass flowers in one of the lush meadows, but not a bear was in sight. The only grizzlies we saw were from the road, including one that ambled across the highway outside the park in broad daylight on our last day as we headed out for huckleberry pie (a must-try, according to the bear biologist, who apparently knows the food preferences of homo sapiens, too).

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg at Glacier.

Hidden Lake overlook is a popular 1.5-mile hike from the visitor center at Logan Pass.

A young mountain goat follows its parent in a lush meadow near Logan Pass.

A female hand is compared with the cast of a grizzly bear paw print.

Bieber flies back to LA and into more trouble

36

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

Indian revellers dance on the street during Holi festival celebrations in Allahabad yesterday. ‘Holi’, the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India and Nepal at the end of winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month. — AFP

F

rom soldiers in the north to teenagers in the south, Indians of all hues threw water-filled balloons and smeared colored powder on each other to celebrate the festival of Holi yesterday. The revelry began in the early hours with children engaging in water fights, using plastic guns and balloons to splash each other and any unsuspecting person in sight from the rooftops of homes in the Indian capital Delhi. Soldiers in the disputed state of Kashmir as well along the Wagah border between India and Pakistan rubbed brightly-colored powder on each other’s faces and danced to Bollywood songs heralding the “festival of colors”.

In Mumbai, home to the Hindi film industry, usually riotous celebrations appeared to have been muted, perhaps in response to a call by leading actors to conserve water as millions of Indians face their worst drought in decades. Although the festival is usually celebrated with wild “rain dances” and the throwing of buckets of water, the drought in central parts of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, led many to push for a “dry” Holi.

The call for austerity did not reach Delhi, where one jewellery store offered a gold water pistol on sale for the princely sum of 8 million rupees

($147,000), according to a report in the Hindustan Times newspaper.

The store, P.P. Jewellers also sells silver water pistols for 50,000 rupees ($920) which “are a hotselling gift item this Holi”, shop owner Rahul Gupta told the newspaper. Holi, a public holiday, marks

the arrival of spring and is especially popular in northern India and other parts of the world with large Hindu communities.—AFP

Love of art is blind for sightless museum visitors

H

er eyes see nothing, but when Barbara Appel runs her fingers over the face of a Picasso sculpture in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, she sighs with pleasure. Most people go to museums to look at exhibits, but for some at MoMA, love of art is literally blind. Each month, a small group with various levels of impaired vision accompanies an expert guide to the famed Manhattan museum. For Appel, who is 62 and suddenly lost her sight just over a decade ago, the Art in Sight program is a lifeline to a vital part of her world that she feared had vanished.

“With this, I really feel I’m connected, I’m connected to something I’ve always loved, something that gave me so much motivation,” she said, recalling the inspiration she drew from museums in her career as a jewelry designer. On this month’s tour, a group of about 20 visited an exhibit called “Inventing Abstraction, 19101925.” Most of the works were fragile paintings or drawings, so touching was not allowed.

Visitors had to rely instead on their guide-and their imaginations-to visualize the rule-breaking, hard-todescribe works of Vasily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and other early 20th century iconoclasts. At each piece, the group paused not just for a careful description from the guide, but a conversation about the work’s meaning. Much time was spent at a 1918 sculpture by Marcel Duchamp with the deliberately awkward title, “A

Regarder (l’autre cote du verre) d’un oeil, de pres, pendant presque une heure,” or “To be looked at (from the other side of the glass) with one eye, close to, for almost an hour.” “It’s a long rectangle base which is just the base, not the artwork,” the guide, Jennifer Gray, said, pointing at the box under the actual Duchamp.

As she detailed the sculpture, a cracked glass screen filled with geometric shapes, one of the visitors lifted a mini-telescope to her eye. Barbara Appel, who uses a wheelchair, looked vaguely in the right direction as her husband Barry filled in the gaps. “The glass is cracked,” he said. “Really? That’s interesting,” she exclaimed. Then Barry Appel peered through the Duchamp piece. “I’m looking into the future,” he quipped. When it was time to move on to another Duchamp, Gray reorientated the group, saying: “The box behind, behind me, behind my voice.” Carrie McGee, who oversees MoMA’s programs for the disabled, said the blind were first invited to tour sculptures in the 1970s.

Then a decision was made to take on the challenge of showing the unique visitors paintings and other objects that couldn’t be touched. “We often brainstorm to make the experience as multi-sensory as possible,” she said. For example, when blind visitors were taken to a version on loan to the MoMA of Edvard Munch’s iconic “Scream,” they were invited to reenact the openmouthed, hands-on-face pose at the center of the

painting. One of the guides-all outside art experts brought in by the MoMA-said working with the partially sighted had opened her own eyes. “It helps me to see the art better, because I have to describe it in a way that is more discernable,” Deborah Goldberg said. “They’ll discover things that we overlook frequently.”

But the direct connection made by touching sculpture is unbeatable. After the regular tour, MoMA staff agreed to take Appel to the Picasso exhibit, which includes one of the first steps in the development of Cubism, a bronze head of the artist’s lover Fernande Olivier. Appel’s expression, eyes fixed somewhere on the ceiling, was of pure concentration and delight as her left hand navigated the unusual contours.

She touched the angular nose and cheeks. “This is her face, here,” she said. “Feel the sharpness of her nose,” her husband suggested. “You touch what’s being described to you and it becomes total reality,” Appel said. “I’m still seeing. I’m still taking in the arts as I did.

There’s wonderful sight in the mind of a person.” — AFP

File photo shows Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan speaking to the media during a charity event in Mumbai, India. — AP