31 Mar 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

Bank of Cyprus big savers could lose up to 60%

Pyramids found in Sudan show ‘democratisation’

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Animal Kingdom wins $10m Dubai World Cup

City cruise, Chelsea slip, United close on title

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PM denies Kuwaitis on trial over UAE ‘coup’ Govt not against citizens, to cut ‘unnecessary’ expats

SAKHNIN: Israeli Arabs deploy a giant Palestinian flag during a rally in this northern Arab-Israeli town yesterday commemorating the 37th anniversary of ‘Land Day’. — AFP

Arab Israelis, Palestinians mark ‘Land Day’ SAKHNIN, Israel: Arab Israelis and Palestinians rallied yesterday, some clashing with Israeli forces, to commemorate Land Day, marking the 1976 killing of six Arab Israelis protesting plans to confiscate Arab land.

Thousands marched from the centre of the northern Israeli town Sakhnin to the central event at the memo-

rial site dedicated to the six, killed by Israeli forces during mass protests against plans to confiscate Arab land in the Galilee region. They waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans honouring the dead and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Some 1,000 people rallied in Israel’s southern Negev

region, expressing support for Palestinian prisoners and a Palestinian state. They also protested the state’s plan to resettle tens of thousands of desert-dwelling Bedouin in permanent townships and take thousands of hectares (acres) now inhabited by the Bedouins.

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Max 34º Min 17º High Tide 02:38 & 13:55 Low Tide 08:27 & 21:10

RIYADH/KUWAIT: Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah yesterday dismissed allegations that Kuwaiti citizens were involved in a United Arab Emirates cell accused of planning to overthrow the state after the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted him as saying two Kuwaiti citizens are among 94 suspected Muslim Brotherhood members on trial in the UAE. The two are “suspected of involvement in financing this cell”, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah allegedly said in the interview published by the paper. The UAE’s attorney general was quoted in January as saying the group was linked to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and had sought to infiltrate state institutions with the aim of seizing power.

The trial started early this month. The Muslim Brotherhood is not banned in Kuwait, which has the most open political system in the Gulf, and several opposition politicians are openly affiliated with the group.

In a meeting with a number of Kuwaiti journalists yesterday, Sheikh Jaber also said the government “has no objection” to take any step in the interest of citizens “and will never stand against it”. “Some (people) might be confused over the government’s position over the writing off of loans. This position is of two parts, and the Sheikh Jaber government, which can never be against its people, has no objection to take any step in the interest of the Kuwaiti people,” he said.

The government, he affirmed, would never undermine Kuwaiti banks “and the writing off of loans is an issue with technical and social dimensions, and both should be balanced”. “Any decision we take should aim at preserving reputation of our banking sector at the regional and international level,” he added. Sheikh Jaber said the issue was not about money to be paid to buy the interests of loans. “I think things are being solved ... without damaging our banks and citizens’ interests.”

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Karzai in Qatar over Taleban peace talks

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Egypt, Iran resume N Korea in ‘state of war’ direct flights again with South Saudis seek to end tweeters’ anonymity SEOUL: North Korea yesterday declared it was in a “state of war” with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict. The United States said it took the announcement “seriously”, but noted it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing. It was the latest in a string of dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fuelling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control.

“As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol,” the North said in a government statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. “The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally Continued on Page 13

Kingdom to allow women’s sports clubs RIYADH: Saudi Arabia may try to end anonymity for Twitter users in the country by limiting access to the site to people who register their identification documents, the Arab News daily reported yesterday. Last week, local media reported the government had asked telecom companies to look at ways they could monitor, or block, free Internet phone services such as Skype. Twitter is highly popular with Saudis and has stirred broad debate on subjects ranging from religion to politics in a country where such public discussion had been considered at best unseemly and sometimes illegal.

Early this month, the security spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry described social networking, particularly Twitter, as a tool used by militants to stir

social unrest. The country’s Grand Mufti, Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, last week described users of the microblogging site as “clowns” wasting time with frivolous and even harmful discussions, local newspapers reported. “A source at (the regulator) described the move as a natural result of the successful implementation of (its) decision to add a user’s identification numbers while topping up mobile phone credit,” Arab News reported.

That would not necessarily make a user’s identity visible to other users of the site, but it would mean the Saudi government could monitor the tweets of individual Saudis. The English-language daily and sister paper to the Saudi-owned pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, did not explain how the authorities might be able

to restrict ability to post on Twitter. Both newspapers belong to a publishing group owned by the ruling family and run by a son of Crown Prince Salman.

Internet service providers are legally obliged to block websites showing content deemed pornographic. One of the big investors in Twitter is Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of King Abdullah who also holds significant stakes in Citi Group, News Corp and Apple through his Kingdom Holding Company. The countr y ’s telecom regulator, Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) did not immediately responded to requests for comment on the report.

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in the

news

PACI releases ‘Kuwait Finder’ Android app KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) released yesterday the maps and location application “Kuwait Finder” for users of Android systems. In a press statement on the occasion, PACI Director General Musaed Al-Asousi said the new software allows easy finding of locations anywhere inside Kuwait. He pointed out that the app allows users to search locations by the PACI number placed in every location, home, etc or by nearby locations. The app also allows search by area, block, street and more as well as search by location such as hospitals, hotels, malls and more, AlAsousi said. He added that users can search for certain route and share the search/location on social media, email, etc. The app includes a map in which one can find directions to and from a location.

Top court upholds Kenyatta election NAIROBI: Kenya’s Supreme Court yesterday upheld Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential election victory, throwing out a bid by his rival for a new poll amid fears of violence.

The court unanimously ruled that the March 4 election had been fair and credible and that Kenyatta and his running mate had been “validly elected”. Kenyatta’s main rival Raila Odinga accepted the ruling, but supporters protested in his stronghold in western Kenya. “The presidential election ... was conducted in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner in compliance with Uhuru Kenyatta the provisions of the constitution and all relevant provisions of the law,” Chief Justice Willy Mutunga said. “It is the decision of the court that the 3rd and 4th respondents (Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto) were validly elected,” Mutunga said.

India alarmed by Saudization policy NEW DELHI: India is to discuss with Saudi Arabia the Gulf country’s new labor policy “Nitaqat”, which if implemented is believed to hit Indian expatriate workers hard in the country, Chief Minister of India’s southern state Kerala Oommen Chandy said yesterday. “India is trying to find a solution to the issue based on its cordial relations with that country,” several media reports quoting Chandy as saying. Saudi’s Nitaqat policy commands that five to 25 per cent of staff of a private company with a minimum of 49 employees must be Saudis. Since the deadline to implement Nitaqat expired on March 27, it has triggered panic among hundreds of thousands of Indian expatriates whose remittances form a core for India’s economy. The panic of losing jobs was further escalated when an Indian mission official in Riyadh, according to media reports, said a large number of Indian workers may visit the embassy following the deadline of “Nitaqat”. On the issue, India has a promise from Saudi Arabia that it will give maximum consideration to Indian workers.

Egypt orders arrest of popular satirist CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor yesterday ordered the arrest of popular satirist Bassem Youssef over alleged insults to Islam and to President Mohamed Morsi, in the latest clampdown on critical media.

Judicial sources told AFP that several complaints had been filed against Youssef, whose razor-sharp humour - delivered on his weekly television program Albernameg (The Show) has spared few public figures. He is accused of offending Islam through “making fun of the prayer ritual” on his show, and of insulting Morsi by “making Bassem Youssef fun of his international standing,” the sources said. follow his example, a source said. In typically manner, Youssef confirmed a warrant had been issued against him.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LOCAL

Envoy condemns ‘exploitation’ of Gitmo detainees case US Embassy protest today KUWAIT: Kuwait’s ambassador in Washington expressed regret for what he described as ‘exploitation’ of the two Kuwaiti Guantanamo Bay prisoners’ case “for personal and media gains”, in a statement published by a local daily yesterday.

Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah’s comments came in response to the statements of lawyer Adel Abdulhadi, who had recently announced his plan to stage a protest in front of the American embassy building in Kuwait today to demand the release of Fawzi Al-Odah and Fayez AlKandari. “[Al-Abdulhadi] does not realize the political and legal dimensions of this issue”, the Kuwaiti ambassador said, adding that “the Kuwaiti embassy is continuing its efforts to secure the safe return of Al-Oudah and AlKandari”.

A security source quoted by Al-Qabas yesterday assured that preparations were under way to secure the American embassy “by stationing security and intelligence officials around the embassy’s perimeter two hours before the

demonstration - scheduled to start after sunset in order to deal with any illegal activity”. In addition to that, all entrances leading to the embassy are set to be closed while riot police and special task forces are to be summoned, the source added. (Qabas) Meanwhile, lawyer Barry Wingard, who is defending Al-Kandari, said his client and AlOdah were “on their way” to a military hospital to be force-fed if they continued their hunger strike that has been ongoing for nearly 50 days. “If they are sent to a military hospital, it would be a human tragedy”, Wingard said on a phone call with Al-Watan daily. “Once they are at the hospital, Al-Kandari and Al-Odah will be handcuffed, put on a chair with a belt tightened around their waists, and then be force-fed by a tube inserted in their noses and into their stomachs”, he said, adding that the procedure takes place without anesthetization.

Stating that Al-Odah and Al-Kandari had lost one-third of their weight, Wingard criticized Kuwait’s foreign ministry for “failing to condemn

what is happening with the Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo”. He explained that while the hunger strike had started because some prison guards had offended the Holy Quran, it was currently motivated by “frustration and despair”.

In the meantime, Khalid Al-Odah-Fawzi’s father and the founder of Kuwait Family Committee (an organization that was formed in 2004 by relatives of the Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo) — expressed support for the planned protest which he hoped “would leave an echo with the American administration”. “We demand that the American administration respect human rights, international law and the United States Constitution, which guarantees freedoms”, Al-Odah said in a recent statement, calling upon his government to “move for the return of the children of Kuwait ”. He also expressed hope that an agreement could be reached to secure the release of Al-Odah and Al-K andari during a planned visit of an American government delegation to Kuwait next May.

Six young leaders to represent Kuwait in Total seminar ABU DHABI: Total announced yesterday the participation of six Kuwaiti young leaders in the first session of its ‘Alreyada, Connecting Young Leaders 2013’ seminar, to be held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al-Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, UAE, from April 3 to 6 in Abu Dhabi.

The seminar will bring together around 50 undergraduate students and 10 young professionals from across the Middle East to familiarize them with the challenges faced by the energy sector in the region and to discuss HR, leadership, partnership and sustainable development programs on local and global levels.

Participants of the seminar comprise male and female young leaders from the Middle East including the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen.

Experts from Total and regional

Sultan Al-Hajji leaders from business, science, research and the community will address major energy issues and challenges through presentations and round table discussions. In smaller workshops, students and young professionals, who will act as their mentors, will have the opportunity to actively contribute by sharing ideas, expressing their views and asking questions about the main topics of the seminar.

The program features keynote speeches from industry leaders and experts including Ali Al Jarwan, CEO of ADMA-OPCO; Nader Sultan, former CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Company and Dr. Abdullah Sultan, Director of Center for Petroleum and Minerals at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia.

Highlighting the educational objectives of the Alreyada seminar, Sultan Al Hajji, Vice President for Institutional Development at Total UAE, said: “In line with Total’s commitment towards empowering young minds, the Alreyada seminar aims to facilitate the balanced development of the Middle East region by enhancing knowledge and developing human capital.” “The four-day seminar will see the region’s experts sharing their invaluable knowledge and discussing major energy issues with future executives and decision makers from the UAE and the

region. The program will also address leadership challenges of the Middle East oil producers,” he added.

On hosting the initiative in Abu Dhabi, Al Hajji commented: “The UAE and its capital city Abu Dhabi have always been dedicated to sustainable development and growth. Energy and developing a knowledge based society are key elements of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 which is set to further transform the nation.

Abu Dhabi’s commitment to developing safe, secure and reliable energy is an inspiration for the entire region, and therefore the emirate is a natural choice for hosting the first edition of our Alreyada initiative.”

During the seminar, Total will also conduct a workshop on the topic ‘How to foster long-lasting partnerships’ and the results will be presented at the end of the seminar by the young leaders themselves.

KUWAIT: Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah addressing the press conference yesterday.

Kuwait backs all citizens with artistic talents KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud AlSabah emphasized yesterday Kuwaiti leaders’ eagerness to support citizens who excel in arts and letters and honor the most distinguished among them.

“His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah greatly suppor t and sponsor the prestigious State Incentive and Merit Awards,” Sheikh Salman, also chairman of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), told KUNA yesterday.

He went on to say that “The State of Kuwait is keen on honoring the distinguished Kuwaitis in the fields of culture, arts, social and humanities sciences, particularly the pioneering ones who left their

hallmarks on the Kuwaiti cultural and artistic life”. Sheikh Salman said that the incentive and merit awards are meant to show the State’s appreciation of Kuwaiti artists, intellectuals and writers whose contributions enriched Kuwaiti and Arab cultures.

He underlined the need for focusing on those who played an important role in preserving the national heritage with its different aspects in the nominations for this year’s awards.

The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters is the main government body involved in Kuwait’s artistic life. It oversees the operations of the national museums, performing arts institutes, the libraries, archaeological excavations, the conservation of Cultural Heritage, and it organizes all kinds of cultural events. The NCCAL played an impor tant role during the 1970s and 80s in supporting the development of a lively artistic scene in the country.— KUNA

News

in brief

Health insurance increase KUWAIT: MP Abdullah Al-Mayouf recently filed a proposal to increase the health insurance collected for household labor to KD 50 and to KD 100 for private sector employees. He also proposed increasing the health insurance payable by visitors to KD 250, excluding the fees to be collected for surgeries and treatment in public hospitals and clinics.

KUWAIT: Some of the fish destroyed by the municipality yesterday.

Municipality continues inspection campaign

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Field inspection campaigns carried out by Hawally municipality branch and covering restaurants in Hawally and Salmiya areas resulted in the closure of two restaurants, a store belonging to one of these restaurants and 104 kg of fish being destroyed after it was found unfit for human consumption.

Four citations were handed out for dealing with food items that had expired or were found damaged. All of these food items were destroyed on the spot.

The campaign was headed by acting emergency department head, Habeeb Fadhel, who told reporters that he ordered shutting down of two restaurants since the 104 kg worth of rotten fish stock could have endangered the life of consumers.

The fish were stored in 20 freezers in one of the basements of a building at Salmiya that belonged to one of the restaurants.

The other restaurant in Hawally was closed after cockroaches and insects were found there, and cleanliness was found wanting.

The team of inspectors also handed out four citations for using expired food items, lack of cleaning and opening a store without obtaining a license from municipality.

Fadhel said similar surprise checks will continue to ensure that outlets selling food items adhered to all norms across the governorate.

Road accidents A car accident at Salmiya resulted in the breaking of the right leg of a 21-year-old Indian expat, who was then taken to Mubarak hospital.

Another car accident at Sharq, opposite Mughal Mahal restaurant, injured two Kuwaiti men - aged 25 and 28 — and caused a minor injury to a 35-year-old Egyptian woman who refused to go to hos-

pital. The other two were sent to Amiri hospital.

One more car accident, opposite Saad Al Abdullah security college, caused chest pain for a 30-year-old Egyptian expat, an eye injury to a 55-year-old Egyptian, and a head injury to a 24-year-old Bedouin. All were sent to Al Sabah hospital.

As an Asian maid was trying to cross the road opposite Al Jabriya cooperative society, a passing car hit her, breaking her left hand and injuring her in the head. The 30year-old lady was rushed to Mubarak hospital and admitted to the emergency room.

Another 29-year-old Indian expat was hit by a passing car at the UN roundabout and suffered multiple injuries. He was taken to Al Sabah hospital.

A motorcycle accident at Salmiya restaurant street resulted in multiple injuries for a 29-year-old Kuwaiti man. He was taken to Mubarak hospital.

Expats quota system KUWAIT: Well-informed sources at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor disclosed that the ministry had previously rejected the Expats Quota System suggested by the international Organization for Migration (IOM). The sources explained that the system was suggested four years back during a workshop held by IOM on nationalizing labor force. “At that time, MSAL’s labor affairs department manager, Hadi Al-Enezi, rejected the recommendation on grounds that expatriate laborers in Kuwait and other GCC states come to work for a certain period according to contracts that they sign with their sponsors,” stressed the sources, noting that expats were not in Kuwait as immigrants, or seeking political asylum or as applicants for citizenship the way it happens in Europe and the US.

NBK organizes health awareness day KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait has recently organized a visit of the department of physical therapy at Ibn Sina Hospital for all its employees.

Therapists from Ibn Sina Hospital were available at NBK’s Head Office and Arraya building for two days offering NBK staff free checkups, in addition to providing consultations and advice in order to raise the employees’ awareness about their health.

The visit aimed to educate the employees about spinal injuries, ways to prevent them, and how to maintain proper posture

while working at a desk. This initiative comes as part of a comprehensive program aiming at building up health awareness amongst NBK employees.

NBK goes far beyond banking to serve the community in myriad ways. This initiative demonstrates NBK’s lasting commitment to the community.

NBK strongly supports health care awareness. Throughout the years, NBK also organized several social awareness programs including Blood Donation drives and Breast Cancer awareness campaigns.

PM denies Kuwaitis on trial over UAE ‘coup’ Continued from Page 1 On housing, Sheikh Jaber said the government planned to build new cities, and that the minister of state for housing had invited international companies to build integrated cities.

“The money has been allocated and the land is there, and what remains is to call the companies capable of building these cities,” he said. Sheikh Jaber said he would work with the parliament to issue legislations to exempt housing projects from routine procedures, noting that construction companies might bring around 100,000 workers to the country and red tape can derail this.

On the composition of the population in Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber said the government planned to cut “unnecessary foreign workers”, attract “productive” expatriates with their families, and crack down on expatriates living illegally in Kuwait. Sheikh Jaber said the government was sending undercover persons to ministries and government departments to watch firsthand performance of employees.

Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah meanwhile said the government and parliament agreed to put as priority insurance against unemployment.

Sheikh Mohammad, also minister of state for municipal affairs, said other laws to be prioritized are the private sector bill, the small size enterprises, the BOT and the food authority.

Other laws include a telecommunication authority, cooperative societies, uniform media, amending the nationality act and the use of open-space lands, he noted. Sheikh Mohammad added that laws of education, health, housing and retirees did not need changes.

Minister of information Sheikh Salman AlHumoud Al-Sabah said the government would table the uniform media bill to the parliament once finished. Sheikh Salman, also minister of state for youth affairs, said there were legislative shortcomings in the press law, so the government amended the law and included e-publishing and social media networks. This law, he added, would facilitate the job of journalists.

The government, he explained, replaced prison sentences with fines “which will boost Kuwait’s media image”.

The prime minister, commenting on the government’s image in media, said government projects were not properly displayed in media, contrary to other countries where “officials concentrate on marketing their development projects in media”. Sheikh Salman, in the same vein, said the government has formed a committee, which would write domestic and external media policies.

The government, he added, was about to establish media offices in every state institution to interact with the public. The prime minister is keen on boosting role of media to ultimately activate the role of government’s spokesman, said the information minister.

Sheikh Jaber said he would receive citizens once a week to hear their complaints against government bodies. He said he would punish any government official who fails to serve citizens properly. He added that the government was considering to give governorates more authorities, which would, for example, reduce traffic congestions. The private sector can play a role too, he said.

Shifting to the parliament, Sheikh Jaber said

the government believed MPs were free to state their views. He, however, denied allegations that the so-called Iraqi “Mahdi Army” exists in Kuwait. Asked about some members of AlSabah family using media for personal agenda, Sheikh Jaber said “political ambitions among (ruling) family members is legitimate if it falls in interest of Kuwait”.

On relations with Iraq after a group of Iraqis hampered a UN team from carrying out maintenance of border signs and damaging a border fence, Sheikh Jaber said: “we have overcome this border problem, and agreed (with the Iraqi side) to remove (Iraqi) houses in the (border) area.” He said HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah met Iraqi deputy prime minister during the Arab summit in Doha recently and discussed the prime minister’s visit to Baghdad. He added he was awaiting the Iraqis to offer the invitation. He said the visit would be important to iron out all sticky issues.

On how the government would spend surplus and reserve of future generations, Sheikh Jaber said the future generations should benefit from this reserve because “the country’s oil production will stop during their lifetime”. He asserted that the reserve was in “safe condition and was not affected by the economic crisis”.

Sheikh Jaber denied he branded as “traitor” every Kuwaiti citizen who remained in the country during the 1990-91 Iraqi invasion and occupation of the country. This is nonsense, he said.

“I stayed for eight days during the invasion, following the situation on streets until the (legitimate) government told me to leave the country to run Kuwait radio which was broadcasting from the Saudi city of Khafji.”— Agencies

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LOCAL

Expat reduction ‘not possible’ within current working system Expert sheds light on ‘realties’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Earlier this month, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Thikra Al-Rashidi announced that the ministry will implement a strategy to decrease the number of expat employees in Kuwait by 100,000 annually in order to reach the target of reducing their numbers by one million within 10 years. After that announcement, Senyar Capital for financial advisory and research conducted a study on the issue and concluded that it was not possible to execute such a strategy within the current working system involving a sponsor (Kafeel).

According to economic expert and analyst Dr Hajjaj Bukhodor, the ministry’s plan would be impossible to apply even if it was well-intended.

“The reality and the actual situation of the Kuwaiti labor market is not as the minister sees it. I think that if the ministry decided to execute this strategy within the present labor laws and regulations, the number of expat laborers will further increase, especially the marginal laborers,” he told the Kuwait Times yesterday.

He gave many reasons for his opinion. “The current sponsor system is encouraging some people to practice the illegal visa trade, which is a reason behind the rising number of marginal laborers.

Different laws encourage importing manpower - especially the ‘Tenders Law’, due to which projects go to companies that offer the lowest bid, which is not necessary the best,

because such companies usually use more marginal laborers,” explained Bukhodor.

Work atmosphere is another reason. “The work environment is not ideal. There is favoritism in some cases, and lack of encouragement for high productivity in others. All of this leads to the use of more marginal workers. The wage system is also leading to an increase in the number of margin laborers, as they are paid for the hours of work they put in and not for their

Hajjaj Bukhodor

productivity, such as in the case of allowance for Kuwaitis working in the private sector,” he added. The culture of the Kuwaiti society also plays a role. “People here depend on expats. In their house, they depend on maids and domestic workers for cleaning, maintenance, repairing and other chores. In other areas of life and work, too, they have to depend on expats. Also, some practices at the workplace encourage increasing the number of expat employees,” stressed Bukhodor.

“For all these reasons, the proposal of the Minister of Social Affairs is a dream, which will be impossible to realize if the ministry doesn’t consider the things that I just mentioned and tries to solve it through action and not just words,” he further said.

Bukhodor had conducted and proposed a study about changing the sponsor system since more than 20 years ago. “My project was called the ‘laborers bank’, which suggested setting up an institution that would record the personal data of expat workers. So when an employer will need manpower for his project, he will use the laborers from this bank instead of demanding manpower from abroad.

This project involves replacing the Kafeel system and eliminating visa trading. It should also provide qualified manpower of good standards.

This center should be also connected with different embassies outside Kuwait and with local authorities inside the country,” concluded Bukhodor.

KUWAIT: The Rumaithiya house in which fire broke out yesterday.

Panel rejects labor authority amendment Kuwaiti boy burnt to death KUWAIT: A parliamentary committee rejected a government proposal as per which a Public Authority was to be established to handle expatriates labor forces’ affairs which are currently handled by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. A draft law to establish the authority, which would pave the way for scrapping the spon-

sorship system, was approved by the parliament in its first hearing while the second voting is scheduled to take place next Tuesday.

In their most recent meeting, the parliament’s health, social and labor affairs committee rejected an amendment that requires releasing an emergency decree for the regula-

tions by which the authority would run its affairs. Instead, the committee kept the original article which requires the regulations to be passed in a draft law. According to cabinet sources quoted by Al-Anba yesterday, the government, once the amendment was to be approved, planned to come up with procedures

for hiring expatriate labor forces through the authority, including the fees that will be collected from employer. They added that Parliament Speaker Ali Al-Rashid included the proposed amendment in Tuesday’s schedule for the session after the cabinet requested urgency in this issue. —Al-Jarida & Al-Anba

News

in brief

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A seven-year-old Kuwaiti child was burnt to his death yesterday in a fire that broke out in his family house at Al Rumaithiya area.

Security sources said the personnel at the operations room at Ministry of Interior received a report at 11 am that day about a fire in a house at Al Rumaithiya.

There were a few children trapped in the house in Salmiya when both, south and north, fire centers proceeded to the site.

As soon as they arrived, they found that the room where the children were trapped was at the first floor. The family was able to rescue all the children except for one seven-year-old, who died in the fire.

Fire department called upon citizens and expats not to lose any time in reporting a fire as time was a very important factor.

It also advised people not to lock the children in a room as that prevents them from escaping any accident, and also hampers firemen in rescuing them.

Kuwait-Bahrain relations KUWAIT: Bahrain’s ambassador to Kuwait, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, said his country’s relations with Kuwait were too deep to be affected by the terrorist cell that was recently arrested in Bahrain. “Al-Sabahs and Al-Khalifa families have been historically enjoying brotherly relations that go way beyond such incidents,” the ambassador said, noting that the joint security committee between both countries would discuss the issue in detail during its meeting scheduled for April 6-10.

Health services KUWAIT: A number of MPs demanded a quick remedy from the Ministry of Health to rescue the health services from plunging to a nadir. They said that the health sector needs a strong prescription and one that can help rescue it from a “virus” that has gripped it, afflicting it with inefficiency, negligence and apathy. They pointed out that the bed capacity was limited and cadres needed to be strengthened.

MP Khalil Abdullah said the health services’ infrastructure was not capable of dealing with a large number of patients, while MP Abdul Hameed Dashti said the Minister of Health should be aware that medical services were in a poor state. MP Abdullah Al-Maayoof said people have lost trust in government hospitals.

NA-govt cooperation KUWAIT: MP Saad Al-Bous said the talk of money being wasted in the oil sector was rather imaginary and the huge figures being bandied about were so fanciful that if the current grilling motion against the minister was not taken up, he would himself prefer to go through the grilling so that the truth comes out. Al Bous said that the National Assembly Council has extended its hand of cooperation towards the government, especially after His Highness the Prime Minister announced that a budget amounting to KD 125 billion has been allocated for the five-year plan. He said the move proved that the government was serious in achieving objectives. He said he considered the one voterone vote decision as historical and held that it brought justice after the earlier system that had deprived 13 tribes from being represented in the parliament. The new electoral system has ended the monopoly of four tribes who used to control the majority of council seats.

KUWAIT: Lt Israa Boland and Sgt Anwar Al-Blooshi from the traffic department delivered an informative lecture to the students of Bader Intermediate School for children at Ahmadi educational area. The lecture was organized by Arabic language department under the supervision of the school principal, Suaad Abu Ejel, and teacher, Abeer Mohammad Tana.

Teachers to be trained on using modern technology KUWAIT: Hawalli educational area director Abdullah Al-Harbi stressed the importance of deploying modern technology in education, and noted that the Hawalli area had come a long way through many e-learning programs.

Speaking during an occasion connected with the ongoing weeklong training course on using I-Pads, held at Ahmed Al-Rob’ie Secondary School, Al-Harbi stressed that Hawalli educational area was keen on developing teachers’ knowledge and know-how to utilize modern technology in their lessons.

“The trained teachers being trained now

will later on train their colleagues in turn and this will help execute the e-learning programs in the future,” he underlined.

On her part, Hawalli senior PC supervisor, Mona Salem, stressed that 100 teachers were taking part in the first training course that includes 10 I-Pad programs which could be used for educational purposes.

“After completing their training, teachers will be able to prepare their lessons using I-Pads and show them through data shows in class,” she underscored, noting that using such teaching aids would help students understand their lessons more easily.

Kuwait naturalization list KUWAIT: Sources revealed that the council of ministers has divided those on the list to be naturalized into three groups. As per the law passed by NA council recently, no more than 4,000 people are to be naturalized during the current year. Informed sources said that the three groups will comprise of soldiers who participated in the wars and old workers in the oil sector besides the relatives of martyrs, holders of high university certificates and the sons of widows and those divorced. Sources added that these groups should be having 1965 statistics report and there should be no criminal cases against them.

Stem Cells center KUWAIT: The health ministry will soon start building a special KD 6 million-worth center for stem cells and umbilical cords at the Al-Sabah health zone, informed sources said. The sources added that this gigantic project, donated by the Charity Projects Foundation, would be built adjacent to the maternity hospital. He said a special committee comprising an engineering and technical team had been formed to follow up the project and draft a plan for its execution. The sources also noted that once started, the project would be executed within two years.

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait sponsored the 7th annual ceremony held by the Public Authority of Industry to reward its outstanding and retired employees, which took place recently with attendance of Minister of Commerce an Industry Anas Al-Saleh.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LOCAL In my view

In my view

Assaults on students

Be fair to bedoons

By Abdallah Bwair

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net labeed@kuwaittimes.net

I

T

he long pending issue of the bedoons of Kuwait requires serious attention of all sides, given that it is snowballing into something bigger and bigger each day.

The word bedoon in Arabic means ‘without’ and it has become a sort of definition for some people. Now they are ‘doubly without’, the doubly deprived, because they do not have any nationality or passport, or a country of origin, and as a result have become people ‘without’ any formal residency.

For three centuries, Kuwait was known in the region north of the Arabian Gulf as a destination for many immigrants who left their old cities or villages and went looking for a better life and a community where there was justice.

Meanwhile, many of those immigrants remained connected with their regional tribes and families whom they considered their roots.

Then, after independence in 1961, exploration of oil started which brought huge privileges and facilities to its citizens. Many people from the regions bordering it came to Kuwait in the initial phase, ripped their original passports or proofs of identity and even lived in the desert, waiting for a miracle that a day would come when they would be granted Kuwaiti nationality out of blue.

As a country that has a good legal system, we should establish special courts within the purview of our courts to start a filtering process and grant nationality to those who are legally eligible. Such nationality must be granted only through the due process of law.

Leaving the issue open, as is happening, will open the doors for even more suffering and irritants for the whole society, locally as well as internationally. Our friends all around the world will only be more concerned about the situation.

What we definitely need is to apply the basic human rights criteria and be fair to Kuwait and this group of people at the same time.

If they have original passports or proof as to how they are connected to this country, then they must show it. If they cannot do that and their demands are found baseless, then the special courts must clearly declare that there were reasonable doubts about their case and it must be dismissed.

kuwait digest

The greedy cooperatives

By Aziza Al-Mufarej

T

here is an original blood relationship and a clear biological similarity between the scary Dracula, the vampire with his black attire and sharp fangs, and the supermarkets in our posh areas called cooperatives.

It is most likely that these cooperatives are actually the spiritual offspring of Dracula who left them to grow among us and gave them the beautiful family name of “cooperative” as a camouflage so that we do not link these to him as enterprises built on sucking blood and stealing.

We have been witnessing small shops and little enterprises in the corners of the cooperatives whose owners keep changing because the cooperatives have no mercy and keep demanding increasingly high rents, forcing the owners of small enterprises into losses. The poor fellows have no option but to vacate these shops to escape losing all his investment.

The boards of directors of these cooperative societies deal with these merchants just as vampires deal with their victims. Even ice cream, popcorn and cotton candy stalls are not spared the high, greedy and illogical rents.

We cannot blame companies and shops for hiking their prices to make profits. We have seen the cooperatives treating merchants harshly. Their extreme greed and high rents make business places available at highly exaggerated prices, thus forcing compelling the investors to raise prices. Often, businesses fail because the monthly income does not cover the rent of that tiny place.

Investors are forced to terminate their contracts with the cooperatives and cut their losses.

This does not mean that merchants are innocent; they are greedy, too. The taxes they pay for importing their goods are minimal, still they sell those goods at prices much higher than what similar goods cost in the Gulf.

The prices continue to increase, and face no barrier of ethics. We ruminate about the times when Kuwait was known for its low prices compared with rest of the countries. We used to fill the trunk of the car with goods for KD 20 only, but now we pay KD 60, and it still seems as if we have not bought a thing. Also, there is now rampant cheating, such as reducing the quantity in any package, using materials that compromise on quality and selling counterfeit products claiming them to be original.

At the end, it is the citizen who ends up as a victim of all this. He receives a salary and then finds himself falling prey to merchants who cooperate (no pun intended) with each other at the cooperatives to snatch his salary, with ample help from boards of directors of cooperative societies. These directors dream of becoming big businessmen, just like others, by committing manipulations during their tenures.

Greed has replaced the principle of cooperation, and some people in the form of humanoids have entered this field only to fatten their bank accounts. The cooperatives that used to be merciful for shareholders have now become the front desk of the vampires. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

Copy, paste solutions

By Ibrahim Al-Awadhi

T

he Savings and Credit Bank recently implemented the government’s recommendation to increase the cap on housing loan from KD70,000 to KD100,000, which raises questions about the ways in which the state is planning to resolve the snowballing housing crisis in the country. It is clear that the cabinet has not even taken the trouble to probe the root cause of the problem and come up with solutions on that basis. They proposed increasing the housing loan cap as if it was the only solution available, but ignored the concomitant disadvantages, including the increase in the state’s financial burden, especially in view of the fact that the government was already paying KD192 million annually to the citizens in rent allowances.

Furthermore, how can the government guarantee that the property prices would not increase as a result of the increase in housing loan, especially when these prices have zoomed by 20 percent last year as supply dipped and demand rose?

Can the government also ensure that prices of building material do not go up, since it has been our experience that prices of consumer products rise every time a employees in the private sector receive a financial advantage?

What stops Cabinet members from investigating the real reasons behind the failure of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare to provide houses at the rate of an average of 6000 houses a year? There is speculation going on that suggests that the real issue was lack of land since the Kuwait Oil Company controls most of the country’s open land. In that regard, the KOC recently announced ‘freeing’ of 4800 square kilometers and handing them to the PAHW in order to “help address the housing crisis,” according to Chairman Sami Al-Rushaid.

This comprises 27 percent of Kuwait’s total area, pegged at 17,818 square kilometers. If we take into account the area of houses, streets and other public services, we can say that the state can possibly resolve the housing crisis altogether by utilizing the 4800 square kilometers that the KOC has freed.

There could be other reasons preventing the PAHW from doing so which I am unaware of, but if it is so, then why cannot the government seek help from the private sector which was still suffering the repercussions of the financial crisis and is lacking any real investment opportunities? Contracts can be signed with companies to build residential projects without burdening the state’s funds, and companies would benefit by managing public facilities and services. I am not saying that this is the best proposal, but it is necessary to come up with realistic solutions that are better than the ‘copy and paste’ solutions which failed to factor in the negative repercussions. — Al-Rai

t seems that assaults, both verbal and physical, on students in campus have become a daily routine in Kuwait. A student suffered a perforated eardrum, according to a recent report that came only two days after a similar case was reported elsewhere. In both cases, the students were injured after they were physically assaulted in class by none other than their teachers who are supposed to be role model for their students.

In another incident that was reported recently in the press, a child’s arm was fractured after he was assaulted in a Jahra private school by his teacher. The expatriate teacher later explained that she wanted to discipline the student for disobeying her instructions. After reading this case, perhaps students should enroll themselves in martial arts classes so that they can learn to defend themselves from assaults that happen inside their schools.

A story also appeared in the press recently about a teacher who beat up his student so bad that he had to be carried back home after school. The case only came to light when the student’s father was shocked to see his son arrive from school in a bad shape. The child said that his Arab teacher hit him repeatedly with a stick and kicked him until he fell to the ground. He added that the school failed to provide him proper medical attention, and only asked a teacher to take him home. The father is quoted in the report as vowing to take legal action against the assailant.

Meanwhile, a female citizen recently complained against a teacher who reportedly assaulted her daughter both physically and verbally. This happened despite instructions to avoid hitting students that the Ministry of Education issued after the death of a student who collapsed in class last month.

In the most recent case, as told by the girl’s mother, the 17-year-old was reportedly assaulted by a teacher when she entered the class and sought to take back her scarf which her sister had borrowed. The teacher reportedly grabbed the girl by her arm, dragged her into the class and beat her up repeatedly with the other hand until other teachers stepped in to stop the assault. The teacher also assaulted the girl verbally by saying that her parents ‘failed to raise her properly’.

And in Al-Riqqa, an assistant principal of an elementary school came up with a novel way to discipline her students - she called out three of them to the front during the morning assembly and cut off their hair in front of other students. When she was confronted later by the students’ parents, the ‘educator’ reportedly dared them to report the case to police.

Where is the Ministry of Education at a time when such events have been happening with such frequency?

What steps does the Ministry plan to take against the oppressive teachers? Will favoritism, wasta (unlawful mediation) and other things work in such cases?

kuwait digest

Opposition’s call for change

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

A

hmad Al-Saadoun, Musallam Al-Barrak and other former MPs and politicians have been calling for a change in the way Kuwait is governed and managed, and for that they are advocating that someone from outside the ruling family be appointed as prime minister. They say it will ensure better accountability without hurting anyone’s sensitivities. They have also advocated for some sort of a ‘positive coup’ regarding the management philosophy and limiting the government’s mobility.

To support their argument, they claim that if their demands are conceded, these will help improve the quality of the government’s performance. It will also help the fight against corruption will end all problems in the government and administration.

However, they ignore the fact that the main problem is not in the management system or the people appointed in the government, nor is it in the mechanism by which the prime minister and his crew are politically questioned. The root cause of the problem lies in the way people think, a mindset conditioned by half a century of a corrupted and underdeveloped educational system.

There is no way to ring in a movement to change for the better, unless the state’s educational system is changed. Reform is certainly not achieved by replacing people in office as long as the public collectively insists on electing their legislators and those who monitor the performance of their government on a basis that has nothing to do with logic, national interest or even narrow personal interest.

A tribal or sectarian lawmaker who gives with one hand takes back double the amount from the public funds with the other. Therefore, radical change in the governing system can never be achieved by handing over all or part of the state’s resources to the opposition, given its weak management skills and lack of clear comprehension of priorities, especially with regards to education.

The importance of reforming the education domain, and how crucial it was for the larger reforms, cannot be overstressed. Change will not happen as long as nothing is done to improve the lack of development in the education sector. Thus, the government has no other choice but to make use of this opportunity and carry out an educational revolution that has been long overdue. It is not an impossible or even a hard thing to do. One final note: The Ministry of Education statistics indicate that there are more than 30,000 Kuwaitis who cannot properly read or write.

This is the state of affairs after more than 50 years of adopting the same educational system. Can we expect reform in any field while we are so underdeveloped in education? — Al-Qabas

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LOCAL

Gulf Bank hosts Injaz Job Shadow Program

KUWAIT: Fatma Al-Saroui Girls School students with the Internal Relations employees of Gulf Bank.

Sustainable development at crossroads QUITO, Ecuador: Kuwait’s President of the Parliamentary caucus and House Speaker Ali Fahad AlRashed said yesterday that sustainable development is at a crossroads, adding that growth is no longer a solution to the social, economic and environmental challenges, but became part of the problem.

Al-Rashed said in a press statement after his participation in the 128th Conference of the InterParliamentary Union (IPU) which was hosted by the Ecuadorian capital Quito that “physical growth is very important if we want to eradicate extreme poverty.”

He confirmed what was stated in the final communique of the conference on the need of participation and responsible transparency as the basis of democratic governance, which is a goal and an empowerment tool for sustainable development “since there is no prosperity without respect for democratic values, the rule of law and human rights.”

Al-Rashed stressed the need that democratic governance be among the goals of sustainable development.

He added that the conference stressed the need to strengthen the parliament because it plays a key role in the structure of democratic governance by giving it bigger regulatory and legislative authorities, noting that strong parliaments will play a bigger role in the future to achieve the goals of sustainable development. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently hosted a Job Shadow day as part of Injaz Kuwait’s Program. During comprehensive sessions held, 10 students from Fatma Al Saroui Girls School received presentations from Gulf Bank personnel about the banking industry and the skills required to succeed in a modern office environment. The day included visits to two different Gulf Bank branches.

The students first visited Al Saleh Building, where they met with the Bank’s Learning and Development Team for a brief introduction about job functions at the Bank. Each student received a booklet about Gulf Bank’s history, vision, promises, and core values to help them better understand how the Bank operates. Following this initial session, students visited Shaab branch, to see firsthand how the Bank interacts with its customers and delivers its services.

At the end of the sessions, the students met with the General Manager of Human Resources, Salma Al- Hajjaj, who provided them with some advice and guidance that might help them develop their problem-solving skills and overcome the challenges in different working areas, especially in the banking sector, with the view to encourage them in the future to join Gulf Bank which provides suitable job opportunities for young talents.

Moreover, each student was rewarded for completing the session, and a fun competition was held

where Students were given the opportunity to answer questions about what they learned and a prize was given to the winner.

Gulf Bank’s partnership with Injaz Kuwait on the Job Shadowing program is based on the Bank’s 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, which is focused on the two critical areas of youth and education. The Job Shadowing program gives

the Bank an opportunity to present itself to Kuwait’s future business leaders, increasing their understanding of the banking industry and demonstrating the importance of operating as a team. Gulf Bank looks forward to building a prosperous future for Kuwait’s next generation and by joining forces with INJAZ Kuwait the Bank is confident of achieving great results.

Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager of Human Resources at Gulf Bank with students during the tour.

Youngsters take lead role to solve traffic problems New transport authority needed

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The continuing problem of traffic in Kuwait, along with delayed and ineffective solutions, led a group of 10 young Kuwaitis to start a campaign called ‘Le Mita Za7ma’ (Till When the Jam) in May 2012. This campaign became popular and officials from different institutions started reacting to it - which was the goal of the campaign.

The organizers of the campaign held a press conference at the Kuwait National Library on Wednesday. During this conference, officials from different institutions discussed the reasons behind the traffic problem and the possible solutions to it. The event was held under the auspices of the M inistr y of Information.

The campaign consisted of three phases. The first phase was aimed at changing the idea of campaigning for

personal issues to doing so for a public cause. The second phase involved collecting the opinions and solutions provided by the participants. And in the third phase, the solutions were registered in a file that was presented to H.H the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.

Brig Nasser Al-Enezi from the Roads Engineering department at the Ministry of Interior noted that the ministry has been working on a national strategy for the traffic and transport sector. “This strategy will be executed within five years. The biggest problem is with the laws and regulations that are delaying our work. The main goal of our strategy is ensure efficient transportation, safety on roads, sustainable development, partnership system, and others,” he said during the conference. He also spoke about the graphs illustrating traffic and transportation performance as being

part of the strategy. “There will be a responsible institution for the roads, so that the blame won’t be put on different authorities or persons,” added Enezi.

Muhannad Al-Khayaat from the Ministry of Public Works did not agree that replacing traffic signals with roundabouts would solve the traffic problem. “Why should we change the road design because of a few traffic violators who disregard the red signal and cause an accident? We can control the signal lights, but we can’t control the roundabouts, unless we place traffic lights there,” he explained.

“The roads were designed to handle traffic until up to the year 2015, considering the expected increase in the number of vehicles. But the population growth since after the liberation in 1991 was abnormal, and the traffic crisis star ted in 2003. The expec ted growth was 1,600,000, but the popula-

tion increased by more than 3,250,000.

Therefore, after the two projects - Jamal Abdul Nasser Road and the Jahra Road are finished, the drivers will definitely get some relief from traffic congestion,” Khayaat added.

Adel Al-Houti, from the Public Transport Company under the Ministry of Communication, stated that some public institutions took wrong decisions in the past and Kuwaiti people were paying for those mistakes now.

“One of these decisions was decreasing the number of school buses, which led to an increase in the number of individual vehicles. We strongly support establishing a new transport authority, which will solve much of these problems. This was even one of the recommendations of the GCC conference in 2004 on traffic and transport. And since then, all GCC countries have followed it except Kuwait,” he pointed out.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LOCAL NBK sponsors ‘512 PlayStation Football Tournament’

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah receives a commemorative plaque from columnist and author Abdullah Buwair, who published a biography about the former premier titled ‘Nasser Al-Mohammad - Man of the Moment’.

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) sponsored the “512 PlayStation Football Tournament” at 360 Mall Exhibition Hall.

“512 PlayStation Football Tournament” is the largest gaming event of its kind hosted in Kuwait. NBK gave away KD 5000, the largest cash prize for the first winner.

“NBK plays a vital role in supporting youths and social initiatives”, said Ahmad Abul, NBK Public Relations Officer. “Youths deserve utmost attention and support that eventually contribute to the furthering of their potentials and performance.”

“NBK’s booth represented a brief about the bank’s exclusive UEFA Champions League 2012/13campaign offering its MasterCard Credit Cardholders seven travel packages for two to attend the final games.

This campaign is one of many exclusive sport campaigns NBK offers to its customers”, Abul added NBK’s participation in this event is geared towards contributing towards the enhancement of youth and sports. NBK’s sponsorship

comes in line with the bank’s customary and ongoing spirit of corporate citizenship as well as the vital role it plays in supporting all youths and social issues.

Multinational mugging net in Salmiya police custody Six injured in Jleeb scuffle KUWAIT: Salmiya detectives arrested four suspects responsible for several mugging reported recently in the area. They were arrested from a neighborhood that was under surveillance after several incidents of mugging were reported there. Officers caught four men red-handed just after they attacked a pedestrian. The suspects had Sudanese, Lebanese, Egyptian and Jordanian nationalities, respectively. They were referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Border arrests A man was arrested at the Nuwaiseeb border checkpoint (south) for being in possession of drugs and alcoholic drinks. The Kuwaiti man was returning home from Bahrain when border security officers decided to search his car. They found six bottles of liquor including one containing vodka in addition to an amount of drug pills kept in a plastic bag. The man said he brought the contrabands for personal use. He was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Meanwhile, a man was arrested at the Kuwait International Airport shortly after arriving from Egypt for being in possession of drugs. Police decided to search the man’s suitcase after they noticed he was nervous, and found drug pills concealed in a secret pocket. The man claimed to have brought the drugs from his home countr y for personal use. He was taken to the

Criminal Investigations General Department for further action.

In other news, three fugitives were arrested in separate cases reported recently, with two of the arrests happening at the Kuwait International Airport. The first case involved an Egyptian man who was put under arrest shortly after arriving from his home country when police discovered that he is wanted in a case of swindling filed earlier in Kuwait. Airport officials later apprehended a Kuwaiti man at the arrival lounge after discovering that he was wanted for multiple charges.

Meanwhile, officers at the Salmi border checkpoint (west) arrested a truck driver who was found wanted in a case of theft. He was taken to the Salmi police station for further action.

Jleeb scuffle Six people were hospitalized following a scuffle between two groups of people reported recently in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. According to preliminar y investigations, the fight star ted between two men over a KD30 debt that one of them failed to return to the other in time. The two Asian men were soon joined by friends on either side, some of whom were armed with pocketknives. Five people were arrested.

In a similar incident, an Egyptian man was hospitalized in a critical condition following a fight with three compatriots reported recently in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The man was rushed into the intensive care unit as soon as he arrived at

the Farwaniya Hospital while bleeding from several stab wounds. Investigations are ongoing in search for the runaway suspects.

Motorcyclist dead A motorcyclist was killed in an accident reported late Thursday night when he crashed into a minibus at the Fahaheel Road. Police and paramedics arrived at the crash site located in front of a hotel in Al-Miseelah shortly after the case was reported. The motorcyclist was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance but died as soon as he reached there. He was identified as a 31-year-old Kuwaiti man. The driver of the minibus was taken to the Adan police station.

Auto theft Investigations are on in two cases of car theft in which female drivers were duped into leaving their vehicles and rushing out as they were led to believe their cars had caught fire. The first case was filed by a Kuwaiti woman who told Salmiya police that two men alerted her while she was driving in the area about smoke coming out from underneath her car’s engine. The two then got into her car as soon as she stopped to check the engine and then drove away. Police were soon approached by a Moroccan woman who filed a similar case, leading detectives to launch investigations in search for two people suspected of committing auto theft crimes.

KUWAIT: On the occasion of the Family Day, the National Guards club hosted an open day event for Al Nama kindergarten children. The celebrations included several activities, competitions and drawing recreational sketches.

The children enjoyed the day, making merry as they scampered all over the club facilities.

PwC announces winners of PIN2 Challenge KUWAIT: PwC, the world’s leading professional services firm, announced over the weekend the winners of the PIN2 Challenge at an awards ceremony held at the Chamber of Commerce. The PIN2 Challenge is a business plan competition driven by PwC and sponsored by Zain, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co., Wharton Club of the Middle East, and 4 Films Printing Group Company. Over a period of three days, participating teams presented great ideas and well developed business plans to a panel of judges comprised of five senior executives from the sponsoring organizations. The PIN≤ Challenge kick-started in October 2012 targeting high school students in Kuwait and inviting them to develop plans that address issues of sustainability, technology, design and governance with mentorship from the sponsoring organizations. Over the course of six months, the PIN≤ Challenge attracted 13 teams, comprised of 100 students from the American International School, Al Bayan Bilingual School, New English School, and Universal American School.

The top three winners of the PIN≤ Challenge are as follows: 1- The Global Youth Initiative team was awarded first place for its Youth Community and Sports Center (YCSC). The idea of the project is to set up a youth community and sports center. The proposed center is intended to give teenagers an afterschool outlet where they can spend their time engaged in various social, athletic and communal activities.

2- The Little Entrepreneurs team was awarded second place for its Recycle Kuwait business idea.

The idea of the project is to set up a business that will produce basic accessories and furniture items from recycled and reused materials. The project’s business model is founded upon raising awareness about reusing and recycling materials and reaching out to the community for their supply of materials. The team intends on sourcing materials from consumers and turning them into creatively iconic household items.

3- The AAT Corporation team was awarded third place for its Green It business idea. The idea of the project is to set up a consultancy firm that will focus on helping hospitals, schools and the owners of buildings become green and energy efficient. The focus is on ensuring these buildings implement energy efficient technologies and designs that will allow them to become LEED certified.

On this occasion, Fouad Douglas, Country Senior Partner of PwC Kuwait office and the Chair Judge of the competition said, “The students demonstrated strong entrepreneurial mindsets and tackled key business issues analytically and creatively. It was impressive to see that most teams addressed the issue of sustainability directly and had a strong understanding of the main business challenges of today and tomorrows world.

“At PwC, we encourage our own talent to grow, develop and lead their own projects; either when catering to clients or seeing-through a cor-

porate social responsibility initiative like this one.

Through this initiative we hope to continue building future leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit to excel in their professional lives.”

The inaugural year of the PIN≤ Challenge has provided students with an unforgettable and valuable experience by developing their analytical and problem-solving skills, communication and team spirit. Students worked in diverse teams incorporating challenges relevant to the prevailing social, economic, and technological environment, which allowed them to develop and grow.

The students also developed strong relationships with their mentors that will continue even after the competition has ended. These relationships helped give the students new perspectives on how to tackle business issues in addition to giving them insight on their future aspirations for their careers. This will continue to be an integral part of the PIN2 Challenge as it expands its reach in Kuwait and the Middle East region.

Omar Al Omar, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Executive Officer states that, “Zain’s participation in this program positively demonstrates Zain’s commitment to support the youth, who have the skills and creative abilities to contribute to the growth of society. Focusing on the development of entrepreneur-

ial talents and capacity building, Zain’s participation in the PIN2 Challenge plays a pivotal role in the betterment of society, whereby implementing the basic values of human development as part of Zain’s long term CSR and strategic objectives.”

Emad Al-Ablani, NBK Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Group, said “NBK is dedicated towards supporting young people and empowering them towards achieving their goals.

NBK’s sponsorship to the PIN≤ Challenge comes as part of our continuous efforts to develop and support young talents. NBK is elated with the outcome of the program and looks forward to seeing the participants moving into key leadership roles in the near future.” Faisal Al-Mutawa, Ali Abdulwahab Al Mutawa Commercial Co., Chairman and Managing Director said: “We’ve repeatedly witnessed how entrepreneurs and the private sector, as a whole, continue to have an active role in the advancement of societies across the world, especially when they exist in an environment that supports and champions innovation, competition, and achievement. We were keen on supporting PwC’s PIN≤ Challenge in Kuwait for those very reasons, and we were happy to see students engaged in the challenge, competing side by side with their fellow students.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

In Pakistan underworld, a cop is said to be a king

19 perish as building collapses in Tanzania

Page 11

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Papal ritual signals better ties with Islam Two Muslims participate in a foot-washing ceremony VATICAN CITY: The inclusion of two Muslims in a footwashing ceremony by Pope Francis is one of several gestures of openness towards the Muslim world that could change perceptions of the Vatican, observers said. The two teenagers-a boy and a girl-were among the 12 inmates at a youth prison in Rome taking part in the unprecedented version of a traditional Holy Thursday ritual as part of a series of pre-Easter papal ceremonies. “It was a very important moment,” said Mustafa Cenap Aydin, founder of the Istituto Tevere, an association for Christian-Muslim dialogue in Rome.

The Turkish Muslim met with the pope as one of dozens of representatives of world religions after the Argentine’s momentous election earlier this month. “After September 11, there has been a stereotype that excludes Muslims from public life. But the pope’s was a gesture of openness that shows that exclusion is not Christian,” he said, referring to the 2001 attacks on the United States. The Vatican and the Muslim world have had difficult ties in recent years and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, broke off ties with Francis’s predecessor Benedict XVI for what it regarded as controversial statements.

Benedict had strongly called for protection of Christian minorities after a January 2011 suicide bombing at a church in Egypt. He had already sparked fury in the Muslim world in 2006 when he recounted an anecdote in which a Byzantine emperor described the Muslim Prophet Mohammed as a warmonger who spread evil. Both AlAzhar and the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation based in Saudi Arabia have signalled their hopes for better relations under Francis.

In meetings with religious leaders and foreign ambassadors following his inauguration, the pope also indicated an interest in closer ties. “It is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam,” he said. Francis-the first nonEuropean pontiff in nearly 1,300 years-said he wanted to “build bridges connecting all people”.

Muslim commentators have also picked up on the fact that the pope chose to name himself after St Francis of Assisi-a mediaeval Italian saint who met with the sultan of Egypt Al-Kamil in an apparent effort to end the Crusades.

“Francis is the name of dialogue in difficult situations,” said Professor Adnane Mokrani, an Islamic theologian from

50 killed in Nigeria JOS: Attacks on villages surrounding a central Nigerian city at the heart of unrest between Christians and Muslims have killed more than 50 people this week, officials said yesterday, as authorities pleaded for peace over the Easter holiday. The attacks around Jos, a city in Nigeria’s fertile central belt, come as a string of unsolved killings continue to plague the region that has seen thousands killed in massacres in recent years.

While a combined police and military presence still patrols Jos and other parts of Plateau state, many of the villages attacked sit in remote, rural corners of the area that sometimes have only a single police officer on duty.

The most recent killings happened Friday night in the Barkin Ladi area, said Lt. Jude Akpa, a militar y spokesman. Attackers raided a village called Bokkos and killed nine people, fleeing before soldiers arrived, Akpa said. Emmanuel Lohman, a government official there, said gunmen armed with assault rifles struck a village called Ratas and opened fire in the night while many there were sleeping.

Witnesses said the shooting lasted for almost two hours before the attackers fled. The Christian villagers there, who farm the fertile soils of Plateau state, blamed nomadic Hausa-Fulani cattle herdsmen for the attack.

Such attacks remain common as Christian farmers clash with the herdsmen over land and grazing rights. Other attacks often are rooted in disputes over political and economic power in the region, which sits on the divide of Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north and largely Christian south. Muhammadu Nura, the state secretary of a cattle breeders association, said Hausa-Fulani people had been killed in “reprisals,” but denied herders were involved the attacks.

In recent days, witnesses and government officials say more than 50 people have been killed in attacks.

That includes an assault Wednesday on a village in the Riyom local government area that killed 28 people and an attack Thursday in the Bokkos local government area that killed 18 civilians. The military said it killed six while trying to repel attackers in Thursday’s assault.

Jos and surrounding Plateau state have been torn apart in recent years by violence pitting its different ethnic groups and major religions - Christianity and Islam against each other. Human Rights Watch says at least 1,000 people were killed in communal clashes around Jos in 2010, attacks that saw whole villages killed. While major massacres haven’t happened in the last few years, so-called “silent killings” continue and the two faiths have moved into different areas of the city.

Major attacks by Islamic extremists, including car bombings, also have hit the area in recent years as Nigeria’s weak central government appears unable to stop the killings. With Easter today, government officials urged those living in Jos and the surrounding villages to be calm and peaceful during the holiday. Plateau state Gov. Jonah Jang, a Christian long criticized for not doing more to stop the killings, said his government will continue to work for peace and prosperity in an area long beset by tension. “Christians must claim this season, which symbolizes hope, by rededicating their lives to the teachings and path of Christ so as not to lose eternity,” he said in a statement. — AP

Tunisia who teaches at the Vatican’s prestigious Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. “There are major positive signs of openness,” he said.

Mokrani said that Thursday’s foot-washing ceremony was “very beautiful, a human gesture”, adding: “Even as a Muslim I followed this Holy Thursday ritual because it represents the core of the Christian message”. Despite diplomatic efforts by the Vatican under Benedict, Mokrani said Muslim leaders have remained “a bit cold”. “Perhaps with this transition, things could change,” he added. But Cenap Aydin was more skeptical, saying that while there was a lot of “enthusiasm” and “interest” among Muslims in the new pope, this was not reflected “at an official level”.

Vatican experts meanwhile played down the significance of Thursday’s ceremony in relation to Islam, saying it was intended mainly to show that the Christian message was open to all. “They could just as well have been young Buddhists or Sikhs. He washed their feet because they were isolated youngsters, he did not want to make any distinctions,” said Marco Tosatti, who writes for La Stampa daily. “It is not a given that all Muslims will appreciate the gestures since imams are careful of any attempt by Christians to attract Muslims to their religion.” — AFP

VATICAN CITY: This handout picture shows Pope Francis on ground during the Lord’s Passion at St Peter’s basilica. — AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

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Is global warming causing harsher winters?

PARIS: Millions of people in northern Europe are still battling snow and ice, wondering why they are being punished with bitter cold when-officially-spring has arrived and Earth is in the grip of global warming. Yet some scientists, eyeing the fourth year in a row of exceptionally harsh late-winter weather in parts of Europe and North America, suggest warming is precisely the problem.

In a complex tango between ocean and atmosphere, warming is causing icy polar air to be displaced southwards, they contend. “The linkage is becoming clearer and clearer, I think, although the science has not yet been settled,” said Dim Coumou of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) near Berlin. The theory derives from a long-studied Arctic phenomenon called a positive feedback-in plain words, a vicious circle.

Rising temperatures are melting the Arctic’s floating cap of sea ice, especially in summer. In 1979, when satellite measurements began, summer ice covered some seven million square kilometers, roughly equivalent to 90 percent the area of Australia. In September 2012, summer ice hit its lowest extent on record, at just 3.4 million sq. kms. Take away reflective ice, and you have a dark sea that absorbs solar radiation, which in

turn reinforces the melting, and so on.

But the theory suggests the added heat, stored over a vast area of surface water, is also gradually released into the atmosphere

polar vortex, a powerful circular wind that essentially pens Arctic air to the roof of the world, begins to weaken.

Finding itself released, a mass of moist

cling the northern hemisphere in a sturdy and predictable fashion, this high-altitude wind takes a lazy looping path, zigzagging over the United States, the Atlantic and Europe. The southern parts of the loops get a bout of cold weather that becomes stalled in place. “Heat that is stored in the (Arctic) ocean can rapidly transfer to the atmosphere, and this affects the dynamics” of northern hemisphere weather patterns, said Coumou in a phone interview. “We’ve had a couple of winters (in Europe) where you’ve had rather shorter-term cold spells, of a duration of maybe 10, 20, 30 days... It’s been the same in the continental US and Canada where they’ve seen similar quite bizarre cold spells but of a relatively shorter period.”

ARCTIC WARMING ‘STACKS THE DECK’ Charles Greene, director of the Ocean Resources and Ecosystems Program at Cornell University in New York, said Arctic warming added a joker or two to the climate pack. “With the changes in sea ice, we set up a situation where we stack the deck, increasing the probability of these invasions of cold Arctic air,” he said. “But what’s less predictable is which regions in the mid-latitudes will get hit. We’re not sure yet how it will interact with other parts of the climate system in any given year, for instance how it will interact with El Nino and La Nina.”

BERLIN: Snow-covered beach chairs stand at the lido of Strandbad Wannsee in Berlin, Germany. —AP during the Arctic autumn. It increases air pressure and moisture in the Arctic, reducing the temperature differential with lower latitudes. Here’s what happens next: The

cold air spills southward, bringing snow and chill down into North America and Europe.

And it tends to stay there, because of what happens to the jet stream. Instead of encir-

Greene also postulates that Superstorm Sandy last October wreaked its havoc because of a high-pressure zone over Greenland, possibly strengthened by changes triggered by sea-ice loss in the Arctic. Like a barrier closing off a street, this mass of air forced Sandy to turn sharply west so that it slammed into the US East Coast. Normally, late-season hurricanes follow a northeastern track and peter out at sea. The warming-and-winter scenario is far from unanimous in climatology. Other experts call for more evidence, especially from longer-term data.

“Looking at what’s happening right now, in early spring, it’s too early to say whether it is due in part to a temporary climatic swing,” said David Salas-y-Melia of Meteo France, the French meteorological agency. Jeff Knight of Britain’s Met Office pointed to a natural climate variation called the North Atlantic Oscillation, whose phases tend to span 30-40 years. Several decades of relatively harsher winters alternate with relatively milder ones-but there can also be years within these phases that buck the trend. “In Europe, the effect of climate variability is quite large,” said Knight.

“There are possible links to explain why sea ice might influence atmospheric circulation, but the jury is very much still out at the moment.” —AFP

Egypt, Iran resume direct flights again First direct Cairo-Tehran flight in over 30 years CAIRO: The first direct flight connecting Egypt and Iran in more than 30 years took off from Cairo International Airport yesterday, airport officials said. The Air Memphis plane, chartered by Egyptian businessman Ramy Lakah, is the first direct flight between the capitals since the two countries severed ties after Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. The flight, which was carrying the Iranian charge d’affaires and his family to Tehran, will then fly back to Egypt’s southern city of Aswan, airport officials said.

Egyptian officials said recently that scheduled charter flights between Iran and Egypt would be announced soon, but no date has yet been set.

Civil Aviation Minister Wael El-Maadawy had said the flights would link the historic cities of Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel in southern Egypt with the Islamic republic. Iran has been reaching out to Egypt since Islamists came to power in the wake of the 2011 revolution that ousted veteran president Hosni Mubarak, a staunch critic of Tehran.

Earlier this month, Egypt and Iran signed a

memorandum of understanding to promote tourism between the two countries. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the first Iranian president to visit Cairo in more than 30 years, was given a red-carpet welcome by Islamist President Mohamed Morsi when he arrived in February. Morsi, who hails from the powerful Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, has attended a Non-Aligned Summit in Iran, becoming the first Egyptian president to travel to Tehran since the Islamic revolution.—AFP

‘Aleppo button’ disease afflicts war-torn city ALEPPO: The latest affliction to hit weary residents of Aleppo is written on their faces. Some call it the “Aleppo button”, a welt caused by leishmaniasis, an illness that is sweeping the

they keep growing. “It’s a fly that comes from pomegranates, it bites you and you catch the Aleppo button,” he says.

The welts cover his nose and have

countryside of Aleppo province until the civil war. But as the conflict forces people from their homes and into the city, once Syria’s economic hub, the disease has taken hold in Aleppo like

ALEPPO: A Syrian boy receives an injection for the ‘Aleppo button’ at a clinic in the northern city of Aleppo. —AFP Syrian city. Transmitted by flies, the parasitic disease arrived along with the thousands of Syrians displaced from their homes by fighting.

Mohamed, 11, first saw the unsightly welts caused by the disease appear on his face three months ago, and

cropped up around his mouth. While painless, they could leave scars that last for life. His mother, sister and cousins have also contracted the same infection. The disease, which is not fatal but weakens the immune system, was largely confined to the

never before.

“Between 200 and 250 people with leishmaniasis come for treatment” each day, according to 23-yearold Ali, a medical volunteer at a makeshift clinic in the city. In the hallway where he receives the latest

DAR ES SALAAM: Rescue workers search for survivors at the building collapse site in downtown Dar es Salaam, Tanzania yesterday. —AP

patients, a dozen men, women and children offer up their faces and arms, covered with the welts. In the neighboring room, under a sheet, a man pours the antiseptic Betadine over his leg. The disease has devoured all the skin on his calf.

Homemade insect repellent-But most of those affected are children, with Ali saying they represent around 50 percent of those with leishmaniasis in Aleppo. “The children spend most of the time outside of the house and they play in the street, among the rubbish,” says Aisha, a 16-year-old student who has worked as a nurse since the revolution began. To be protected from the disease, people should at the very least be sleeping under mosquito nets, Ali says.

“But at 1,000 Syrian pounds ($10), how can a family with several children buy one for each of them?” With summer approaching and the number of flies expected to multiply, one former physics student has decided to take matters into his own hands.

Rabie, 30, working with his cousin and a friend, tours the Tariq Al-Bab neighborhood armed with a strange machine that spits out white smoke.

“It’s petrol mixed with insecticide,” he said, a thin surgical mask on his face. “We decided to organize ourselves now that summer is coming, to kill the flies responsible for the transmission of the disease to humans before they begin biting people,” he said. Before fighting began in Aleppo nine months ago, local authorities carried out an insect eradication campaign each year. —AFP

19 perish as building collapses in Tanzania DAR ES SALAAM: More bodies, including those of two children, have been pulled out of the rubble of the building that collapsed in Tanzania’s economic capital of Dar es Salaam, bringing the toll to 19, a local government official said yesterday. “So far the number of people who are dead is 19. This includes two children,” regional commissioner Saidi Mecky Sadicky said.

He said rescuers were still looking for two children. Several dozen people in all are still missing around the site, which was littered with huge chunks of concrete. “The operation is still going on but we have very little hope to find anyone alive,” Sadicky said.

Eighteen people have been rescued alive from the remains of the 16-storey building that came crashing down on Friday morning, he said. Hundreds of rescuers worked through the night in search of those still trapped in the rubble from the shell of the tower, which was being built near a mosque in the Kisutu area of Tanzania’s economic capital. Sadicky said between 60 and 70 people were reported to have been at or near the construction site Friday morning, meaning that between 25 and 35 people could still be trapped. Hundreds of people, including residents and army rescuers, clawed through piles of rubble in the hunt for survivors, alongside earthmovers and excavators.

“I thought there was an earthquake and then I heard screaming. The whole building fell on itself,” witness Musa Mohamed told AFP on Friday shortly after the collapse

Sadicky said the rescue team was boosted Friday evening after the Chinese embassy told Chinese construction firms to provide additional earthmoving equipment. Dozens of Chinese construction workers were at the site yesterday morning instructing operators of excavators and forklifts that were sifting through the rubble. Local residents turned out to supply rescuers with food, water and medication.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete visited the scene of the disaster in the coastal city and posted messages of condolence on his Twitter account. “We pray for those who have been afflicted by this tragedy,” he said.

“We pray for togetherness in this time of need,” he added. In 2008, another building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam claimed at least four lives. “It looks like the city authorities are not serious with the enforcement of construction and housing laws. Incidents of collapsing buildings are on the increase,” resident Rashid Abdallah said.

The ill-fated building is a joint project between the state-owned National Housing Corporation and Ladha Construction Limited being built under a private public partnership arrangement.

Sadicky said investigations into the cause of the accident are underway and police are holding the owners of the building and officials from both the construction firm and Dar es Salaam City Council for questioning. Kikwete ordered on Friday that those responsible should be taken to task. —Agencies

Displaced Congolese struggling to reunite KINSHASA: For many families it was an ordinary working day in November when the M23 rebels moved into the provincial capital of Goma in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The mother was in the field, the father was in the city, the older sister was carrying the infant on her back: the fighting had all of them running in different directions,” said Albert Mbuyi of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), recalling how people panicked as the fighting erupted. Mbuyi works to reunite families that have been torn apart by conflict. Four times the size of France, the vast impoverished DR Congo makes such reunions a daunting task, yet the ICRC last year managed to reunite 940 children with their parents.

According to the UN refugee agency, the M23 rebellion and other unrest in the troubled central African country has displaced more than 2.2 million Congolese since the start of 2012. As Goma fell temporarily into rebel hands, some 250 children were displaced, but four months on, the ICRC estimates that nearly half of them have been

reunited with their families again. But the process of finding missing relatives is not an easy one.

One of the main challenges is in tracing the children’s origins. Some of them may just be toddlers, unable to provide vital information to facilitate the search for their relatives.

With the help of photographs, aid workers post the children’s portraits in places where they might be spotted by someone who recognizes them, such as refugee camps as well as healthand food distribution centers. Any information collected about the child is fed into a database and, step by step, ICRC staff are then able to piece together the possible whereabouts of their relatives. “On average, it takes three months to trace a family and reunite the child with the family,” Mbuyi said.

Earlier this month, a plane carrying 67 children spent two days travelling the eastern part of DR Congo, reuniting children with anguished families who were sometimes found hundreds of kilometers away from where the child had been picked up by aid workers. But ICRC family reunion coor-

dinator Veronika Hinz said the reunions also mean that the families will now have another mouth to feed, so the children are given a food kit that will help out their family for about a month.

The older children, who have sometimes been exploited as soldiers or even sex slaves, are given tools and supplies to be able to start up small businesses in order to help them integrate into local society again. “We pay particular attention to this integration, because a child who isn’t (integrated), is easily recruited as a soldier,” said Hinz, adding that they check on how the family is doing three months after a child has returned home.

A UN-backed agreement was signed last month aimed at restoring peace to eastern DR Congo, but clashes have since pitted two factions of the M23, army mutineers who still control large stretches of territory in the unstable east. On Thursday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved the creation of a peacekeeping brigade of more than 2,500 troops with orders to “neutralise” and “disarm” the armed rebel groups.—AFP

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Europe’s financial crisis leads to suicide surge LONDON: The harsh spending cuts introduced by European governments to tackle their crippling debt problems have not only pitched the region into recession they are also being partly blamed for outbreaks of diseases not normally seen in Europe and a spike in suicides, according to new research. Since the crisis first struck in 2008, state-run welfare and health services across Europe have seen their budgets cut, medical treatments rationed and unpopular measures such as hospital user fees introduced.

Those countries that have slashed public spending the hardest - namely Greece, Spain and Portugal - have fared the worst medically. “Austerity measures haven’t solved the economic problems and they have also created big health problems,”

said Martin McKee, a professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research.

He said worsening health was driven not just by unemployment, but by the lack of a social welfare system to fall back on.

“People need to have hope that the government will help them through this difficult time,” he said. The paper was published online Wednesday in a special series of the journal Lancet. McKee said Greece in particular was struggling. Based on government data, he and colleagues found suicides rose by 40 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year.

Last year, the country also reported an exponential rise in the number of HIV cases among drug users, due in part to

addicts sharing contaminated syringes after needle exchange programs were dropped. In recent years, Greece has also battled outbreaks of malaria, West Nile virus and dengue fever. “These are not diseases we would normally expect to see in Europe,” said Willem de Jonge, general director of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Greece. In 2011, MSF helped Greece tackle a malaria outbreak that broke out after authorities scrapped spraying programs to kill mosquitoes.

“There’s a strong willingness in the government to respond (to health problems) but the problem is a lack of resources,” de Jonge said. Outside Madrid’s Hospital Clinico San Carlos, several patients grumbled about deteriorating medical care. “The cutbacks are noticeable in many ways,” said

Mari Carmen Cervera, 54, an unemployed nurse. Cervera’s mother was initially admitted to the hospital with a serious heart problem that required surgery. Cervera says her mother was discharged too early and had to be brought back when she had trouble breathing one night.

“While she was (hospitalized), she wasn’t being properly washed by the nursing staff, so I had to do it myself,” she said. “I personally think what has happened to my mother is a consequence of negligence and I am going to make an official complaint as soon as (she) is well enough to come home again.” Hans Kluge of the World Health Organization’s European office, advised countries against radical health reforms during an economic crisis.

“In every health system, there is fat to cut,”

Ex-Anglican leader says British Cameron alienating Christians PM’s ‘secularist’ approach hits Church-state ties LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron is alienating Christians by promoting gay marriage, an influential former leader of the world’s 80 million Anglicans said yesterday. In a strongly worded article, former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said Cameron’s plan to legalize gay unions hid an “aggressive secularist” approach that threatened the link between church and

state. The comments echoed widespread concern about the policy among some Christians - and also highlighted the challenge facing Cameron whose efforts to modernize his centre-right Conservative Party have antagonized some traditional party voters. “The danger I believe that the government is courting with its approach both to marriage and religious freedom, is the alienation of a

WUPPERTAL: A member of the Catholic Italian Parish performs the role of Jesus nailed to a cross during a Passion Play in Wuppertal, western Germany. The Good Friday procession of ‘Missione Cattolica Italia’ is the biggest of its kind in Germany. —AFP

large minority of people who only a few years ago would have been considered pillars of society,” Carey wrote in Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper.

Carey’s comments come at a bad time for Cameron, who as the economy flounders is attempting to woo right-leaning voters with tough talk on immigration and the European Union. The former Anglican leader also condemned what he saw as a lack of government support for Christians who choose to wear a cross at work, a practice that has been challenged in the past due to rules on religious expression at the workplace. He cited a survey by pollster ComRes saying more than two thirds of Christians in Britain felt they were a “persecuted minority” and that more than half who voted Conservative in 2010 would not do so in 2015. “It was a bit rich to hear that the prime minister has told religious leaders that they should ‘stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation’ when it seems that his government is aiding and abetting this aggression every step of the way,” Carey said. Cameron’s Downing Street office rejected Carey’s accusations, and praised the church’s role in charities and education, but did not address the issue of gay marriage. “This government strongly backs faith and Christianity in particular, including backing the rights of people wanting to wear crosses at work and hold prayers at council meetings,” Downing Street said in a statement.

“The prime minister values the profound contribution that Christianity has made and continues to make to the country, which is why he strongly backs it,” the statement continued. Carey was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991 to 2002. Current Archbishop Justin Welby this month said some gay relationships were “stunning” in quality, but he is also opposed to gay marriage. As elsewhere in Europe, the number of regular churchgoers in Britain has been declining in recent decades.—Reuters

Suspense in Italy over bid to end political impasse ROME: Suspense mounted in Italy yesterday ahead of an expected announcement by President Giorgio Napolitano on how to resolve political deadlock following elections that left no clear winner.

“Mission Impossible”, “Have Pity Please” and “Paralysis” read some of the headlines in the Italian pressmore than a month after an inconclusive vote in the eurozone’s third largest economy.

Several analysts said the 87year-old Napolitano could resign-a drastic move that would give his successor greater leeway in ending the crisis, including by calling new elections. The latest round of talks between political leaders ended on Friday with no solution in sight after the three main political forces proposed different visions for a future government.

“There is not even a point of contact between the three main parties,” said Antonio Polito, a columnist for the top-selling Corriere della Sera daily. Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left coalition, which secured the most votes in the elections but failed to win a majority, ruled out an alliance with Silvio Berlusconi’s centreright grouping which came a very close second. Berlusconi, a

ROME: Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano leaves after a press conference yesterday at the Quirinale, the Italian presidential palace in Rome. —AFP scandal-tainted billionaire tycoon who has been prime minister three times in a 20-year political career, has said a crossparty deal is the only viable solution.

The other option would be a cabinet of non-political figures like the outgoing one of Prime Minister Mario Monti, a former European commissioner drafted in after Berlusconi’s 2011 ouster.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement party has ruled out support for a political cabinet but has left open the possibility of backing a technocratic government and voting for laws on a case-by-case basis. Italians fed up with austerity and politicians’ perks voted in their millions for the Five Star Movement led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, which won a quarter of the vote and became Italy’s single biggest party.

Developments in Italy are being closely watched by European capitals under similar pressures over budget cuts, as well as investors concerned that Italy could plunge back into the turmoil of the euro-zone debt crisis. The budget discipline and economic reforms that Monti has managed to implement have however kept investors calm so far and reactions on stock and bond markets have been relatively muted despite the political crisis.

Monti will remain in charge until a new government is formed, although he has been governing with interim powers since December when lawmakers from Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party withdrew their parliamentary support. Business leaders have warned that bickering politicians have no time to lose as Italy endures a painful recession and severe unemployment. The government is forecasting the economy will shrink by 1.3 percent this year, and some analysts predict the end result could be even worse.

Despite winning praise abroad for his reforms, Monti came a distant fourth in the polls at the head of a centrist coalition as the social cost of his measures has become increasingly evident with unemployment hitting record highs.

Most analysts predict that Italy will be forced to hold new elections within months at the earliest or a year at the latest, since stability is unlikely with the current three-way split of parliamentary forces. While the crisis has not had wider repercussions for the euro-zone yet, a race is on to resolve it by Tuesday, when the markets reopen after the Easter holiday. —AFP

he said, recommending countries start with straightforward measures such as buying more generic drugs or eliminating unnecessary hospital beds.

Still, McKee and colleagues found not all countries mired in debt are unhealthy.

Despite massive losses in its banking sector, Iceland rejected a bailout deal prescribed by the International Monetary Fund. McKee and colleagues didn’t find any bump in suicides and the population may even be healthier since it nearly went bankrupt - which could have been a result of global junk food chains pulling out of the country due to rising food costs. Elsewhere, the researchers noted a drop in road accidents as more drivers opted for public transport. In turn, that has led to a shortage of organ donations and transplants, particularly in Spain and Ireland.—AP

Little Cyprus thumbs its nose at EU ‘bullies’ NICOSIA: The moment word broke that Cypriot lawmakers in Parliament had voted down a bailout deal that would have raided everyone’s savings to prop up a collapsing banking sector, a huge cheer rose up from hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside that echoed through the building’s corridors. Many relished it as a kind of David-against-Goliath moment - a country of barely a million people standing up to the will of Europe’s behemoths who wanted it to swallow a very bitter pill to fix its broken-down economy. “Shame on Europe for trying to snatch people’s savings. It’s a mistaken decision that will have repercussions on other economies and banking systems,” said protester Panayiotis Violettis. “People have stopped trusting the EU which should be our protector.” Fighting back is not a new experience for Cypriots. From the 1950s guerrilla war against British rule to Greek Cypriots’ defiant refusal in 2004 to accept a UN-backed peace plan to reunite the island, they are used to holding their own against big opponents. Just as quickly as Cyprus’ euro area partners decided that a deposit grab was the only way out, so Cypriots decided their tiny island was ground zero in Europe’s new financial scorched earth policy and that it had to be resisted at all costs. “Better die on your feet than live on your knees,” one placard among the throngs of protesters read. Another said: “It starts with us, it ends with you” as a warning to other Europeans that their savings were no longer safe.

Politicians seized on the public mood. “This is another form of colonization,” Greens lawmaker Giorgos Perdikis spouted in Parliament. “We won’t allow passage of something that essentially subjugates the Cypriot people for many, many generations. “Unfortunately, instead of support and solidarity, our partners offered blackmail and bitterness,” said Parliamentary Speaker Yiannakis Omirou. The indignant leader of the country’s Orthodox Christian Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, added: “This

isn’t the Europe that we believed in when we joined.

We believed we would receive some kind of help, some support.” The country’s foreign minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, even acknowledged that Cypriot negotiators had contemplated exiting the euro instead of accepting their euro area partners’ terms. In the end, Cyprus accepted a deal that would safeguard small savers but where depositors with more than 100,000 euros in the country’s two most troubled banks would lose a big chunk of their money. Nonetheless, Europe was stunned at the sheer brazenness. How could a pipsqueak country on Europe’s fringes thumb its nose to continental juggernauts Germany and France and dare to turn down a deal meant to save it from economic chaos? It’s not the first time the country has pushed back in defiance, even against what many would consider as insurmountable odds. The island’s majority Greek Cypriots fought former colonial ruler Britain to a draw in a four-year guerrilla campaign in the 1950s that aimed for union with Greece. That conflict ended in the country’s independence in 1960. Just 14 years later, a Turkish invasion prompted by an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece resulted in the island’s division into an internationally recognized, Greek-speaking south and a breakaway, Turkishspeaking north.

The invasion and its fallout remains an existential matter in the minds of Cypriots and it still informs many of the political and economic decisions the country and its people make. “Greek Cypriots lost nearly everything during the 1974 invasion,” said University of Cyprus History Professor Petros Papapolyviou. “So they reason, what else do we have to lose? Why accept another injustice?” In 2004, Greek Cypriots again defied international expectations when they voted down a United Nationsbacked reunification plan they believed was unfairly weighted against them. —AP

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Guns handout draws fire in shot US lawmaker’s city LOS ANGELES: A local businessman defended Friday a plan to hand out free guns to people in crime-hit parts of Tucson, where US lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head in a 2011 massacre. As local politicians slammed the plan, former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky said that arming over 30 local people had nothing to do with the Giffords shooting, which revived America’s perennial gun control debate.

“I think what happened to Ms Giffords was a horrific incident. But her incident and citizens protecting themselves in their homes are completely unrelated,” he said. “This is about individuals, single parents protecting their families,” added

McClusky, who said he hopes to give guns to 36 individuals, who will be trained and undergo background checks, to be ready to use them within about 60 days.

Giffords was shot in the head at point blank range in January 2011 while meeting constituents in Tucson, in an attack by a deranged gunman that killed six people, including a US federal judge. Local politicians have attacked the plan.

“Arizonans in Tucson and across the state are demanding that we reduce gun violence and create safer communities,” said Arizona lawmaker Victoria Steele, who represents Tucson. “Handing out shotguns is not a solution,” she said, cited by

Philadelphian jumps on tracks to help fallen man PHILADELPHIA: The recovering drug addict with a long rap sheet who had just sat down on the bench at a north Philadelphia train station often wondered if he was a good person, and perhaps never considered that anyone thought he was a hero to anybody. But there was no self-doubt when Christopher Knafelc’s instincts kicked in Thursday afternoon and he leaped onto the tracks to help a complete stranger he’d just seen flail and fall off the platform.

Now, Knafelc, 32, is being hailed as a hero and he’s holding his head a little higher, viewing the good deed he did, and the praise that followed, as another sign that he is on the right path in life. “It did help reinforce that I’m a good person,” Knafelc told The Associated Press in a Friday interview at his mother’s south Philadelphia apartment. “I questioned that a lot because of my colorful past.”

Still, Knafelc deflected the praise yesterday by saying he was just doing the “right thing.” Knafelc said he has battled substance abuse - including heroin and the powerful pain drug Oxycontin - since he was in middle school in Baden, a small town outside Pittsburgh, and spent years in and out of rehab. “I created a pretty deep hole to come out of,” he said. Court records show Knafelc pleaded guilty in 2010 in Pennsylvania to charges of theft, driving under the influence, child endangerment and driving without a license.

Two years ago, he came to Philadelphia, where his mother and a cousin live, to get a fresh start, he said.

He said he has been sober since 10 days after his daughter’s birth in July 2010, when he picked her up from her crib and she smiled at him. “That was the

most powerful thing I’ve ever felt in my life to this day,” Knafelc said. “It was better than any high from drugs.” On Thursday afternoon, he instinctively jumped down to help the men on the tracks, knowing that a train would be arriving any minute.

He called up to people on the platforms to get the trains stopped and held the man’s head and neck stable until firefighters arrived. Train traffic was halted.

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority spokeswoman Jerri Williams said she spoke with Knafelc soon after his heroics. “He’s clean and sober for about 2 1/2 years but still trying to get his life together,” she said. “I think by doing this good Samaritan deed he’s kind of surprised himself.” Williams said she saw that as Knafelc recounted the incident on the tracks, “I could see the light go off, the a-ha moment” when he realized that after he was helped by many people in his past, he was able to finally help someone else in return. “This almost instinctive move to save this guy made him see ‘I am a good person,’” Williams said. “It’s amazing. This incident may be the start of really good things for him.”

Knafelc agreed with that assessment, and he connected the help he’s been given by family members to survive his addiction with the favor he did the man on the tracks Thursday. “I’ll never be able to repay them, financially or any other way,” Knafelc said.

“The next best thing I can do is pay it forward.” Investigators do not know what caused the man to fall on the tracks.

Surveillance video shows him walking slowly toward the platform’s edge and then over it. He was taken to a hospital and listed in stable condition. — AP

US lawmakers tighten belts amid budget cuts WASHINGTON: Members of Congress are traveling less and worrying more about meeting office salaries. Their aides are contending with long lines to get inside their offices and fewer prospects of a raise. Such are the indignities thrust upon the men and women who brought the country $85 billion in government spending cuts this month.

There probably won’t be much sympathy for a senator or congressman making $174,000 a year who is in no danger of being furloughed or laid off, at least until the next election. Still, there has been an effort, especially in the Republican-led House, to show that no one should be exempt from sacrifice.

“As those who are charged with the care of taxpayers’ dollars, we need to lead by example,” Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich, who chairs the House Administration Committee, said last week in promoting a bill to slash the budgets of House committees by 11 percent. Earlier in March - after Congress and the White House failed to come up with an alternative to across-the-board cuts in most federal programs - the House imposed an 8.2 percent reduction in lawmakers’ personal office budgets.

That came on top of 11 percent cuts to members’ office budgets during 2011-2012.

“We’ve drastically reduced travel both for myself and my staff,” said Republican Rep John Campbell, who must cross the country to visit his southern California district. He said he tends to stay in Washington on twoday weekends rather than return home. “I’m more productive here when I’m not rushing to get home,” he added.

Campbell said other “little things” he is doing to economize include reducing the office phone bill, cutting off magazine and newspaper subscriptions and using email rather than letters to communicate with voters. Rep Luke Messer, a freshman Republican from Indiana, said he hired fewer people when he came to Washington because “we essentially began the term knowing there was a high possibility of a sequester”Washington-speak for the automatic spending cuts. So far, congressional staffers appear to have escaped the furloughs that are likely to send thousands of public servants home without pay for several workdays over the next six months and disrupt some government services. “I hope to avoid that,” said Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., “but we will take any steps to ensure we don’t exceed our budget.” Under House rules, a lawmaker must pay for excess spending out of his or her own pocket.

The fiscal pressures are weaker in the Senate, where senators have staff budgets about double the amount of the $1.3 million average in the House and where the office cuts ordered because of the sequester were limited to 5 percent. While staffers still have

their jobs, they may have a harder time getting to them. Security officials have cut costs by closing 10 entrances and several side streets around the Capitol complex, creating long lines to get through screening stations.

People “have started to adjust to those changes at the entrances,” although it is still a challenge on busy days, said Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer.

Gainer, who oversees nearly 1,000 security and administrative employees, said he hopes to abide by the 5 percent sequester cut without layoffs by enlisting 70 or 80 people for a voluntary retirement program.

Some House members also are feeling the pinch during the two-week Easter break, a prime time for foreign “fact-finding” tours.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced last month that members must book commercial flights rather than make use of more convenient but more expensive military aircraft.

Some Democrats have complained the GOP enthusiasm for frugality has come at too high a cost. “At a time when most members of this body are representing newly formed congressional districts with a need to open new offices or move to new locations, we find ourselves with an 8.2 percent decrease in the very operating budgets that support constituent services,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla. Wasserman Schultz, who also is the Democratic Party’s chairwoman, criticized House Republicans for cutting budgets while spending some $3 million for the legal defense of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bars federal recognition of samesex marriages. “We are past the point of cutting what we want, and we are now into cutting what we need - our ability to attract and retain expert staff,” said Rep. Robert Brady of Pennsylvania, the senior Democrat on the House Administration Committee. —AP

House Speaker John Boehner

Fox News, which first reported McClusky’s plan.

Arizona House Minority Leader Chad Campbell called it “ideological extremism at its worst” and “a political gimmick that could have dangerous consequences,” according to Fox. McClusky, a real estate and property management consultant, confirmed that he got the idea from a program called the Armed Citizen Project, launched in Houston by a master’s student at the University of Texas, Kyle Coplen. The Armed Citizen Project’s website describes it as “a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to training and arming residents in mid-high crime areas with defensive shotguns, for free!” — AFP

WASHINGTON: In this file photo, former Arizona Rep Gabrielle Giffords, who was seriously injured in the mass shooting that killed six people is aided by her husband, Mark Kelly, as she speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington. — AP

3 dozens indicted in US cheating scandal Atlanta Public Schools under scrutiny ATLANTA: Juwanna Guffie was sitting in her fifth-grade classroom taking a standardized test when, authorities say, the teacher came around offering information and asking the students to rewrite their answers. Juwanna rejected the help.

“I don’t want your answers, I want to take my own test,” Juwanna told her teacher, according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.

Juwanna - now 14 - watched as Fulton County prosecutors announced that a grand jury had indicted the Atlanta Public Schools’ ex-superintendent and nearly three dozen other former administrators, teachers, principals and other educators of charges arising from a standardized test cheating scandal that rocked the system.

Former Superintendent Beverly Hall faces charges including conspiracy, making false statements and theft because prosecutors said some of the bonuses she received were tied to falsified scores. Hall retired just days before the findings of a state probe were released in mid2011. A nationally known educator who was named Superintendent of the Year in 2009, Hall has long denied knowing about the cheating or ordering it.

During a news conference Friday, Howard highlighted the case of Juwanna and another student, saying they demonstrated “the plight of many children” in the Atlanta school system. Their stories were among many that investigators heard in hundreds of interviews with school administrators, staff, parents and students during a 21-month-long investigation. According to Howard, Juwanna said that when she declined her teacher’s offer, the teacher responded that she was just trying to help her students.

Her class ended up getting some of the highest scores in the school and won a trophy for their work.

Juwanna felt guilty but didn’t tell anyone about her class’ cheating because she was afraid of retaliation and feared her teacher would lose her job. She eventually told her sister and later told the district attorney’s investigators. Still confident in her ability to take a test on her own, Juwanna got the highest reading score on a standardized test this year. The other student cited by Howard was a third-grader who

SAN FRANCISCO: In this file photo, Atlanta superintendent of public schools Beverly Hall smiles after she was named the 2009 Superintendent of the Year at the American Association of School Administrators’ National Conference on Education in San Francisco. — AP failed a benchmark exam and received the worst score in her reading class in 2006. The girl was held back, yet when she took a separate assessment test not long afterward, she passed with flying colors.

Howard said the girl’s mother, Justina Collins, knew something was wrong, but was told by school officials that the child simply was a good test-taker. The girl is now in ninth grade, reading at a fifth-grade level.

“I have a 15-year-old now who is behind in achieving her goal of becoming what she wants to be when she graduates. It’s been hard trying to help her catch up,” Collins said at the news conference. The allegations date back to 2005. In addition to Hall, 34 other former school system employees were indicted. Four were high-level administrators, six were principals, two were assistant principals, six were testing coordinators and 14

were teachers. A school improvement specialist and a school secretary were also indicted.

Howard didn’t directly answer a question about whether prosecutors believe Hall led the conspiracy.

“What we’re saying is, is that without her, this conspiracy could not have taken place, particularly in the degree that it took place. Because as we know, this took place in 58 of the Atlanta Public Schools. And it would not have taken place if her actions had not made that possible,” the prosecutor said. Richard Deane, an attorney for Hall, told The New York Times that Hall continues to deny the charges and expects to be vindicated. Deane said the defense was making arrangements for bond.

“We note that as far as has been disclosed, despite the thousands of interviews that were reportedly done by the governor’s investigators and others, not a single person reported that Dr Hall participated in

or directed them to cheat on the CRCT,” he said later in a statement provided to the Times. The tests were the key measure the state used to determine whether it met the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Schools with good test scores get extra federal dollars to spend in the classroom or on teacher bonuses.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much bonus money Hall received.

Howard did not say and the amount wasn’t mentioned in the indictment. “ Those results were caused by cheating. ... And the money that she received, we are alleging that money was ill-gotten,” Howard said. A 2011 state investigation found cheating by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Educators gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in, investigators said.

Teachers who tried to report it faced retaliation, creating a culture of “fear and intimidation,” the investigation found. State schools Superintendent John Barge said last year he believed the state’s new accountability system would remove the pressure to cheat on standardized tests because it won’t be the sole way the state determines student growth. The pressure was part of what some educators in the system blamed for their cheating. A former top official in the New York City school system who later headed the Newark, NJ system for three years, Hall served as Atlanta’s superintendent for more than a decade, which is rare for an urban schools chief. She was named Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009 and credited with raising student test scores and graduation rates, particularly among the district’s poor and minority students. But the award quickly lost its luster as her district became mired in the scandal. In a video message to schools staff before she retired in the summer of 2011, Hall warned that the state investigation launched by former Gov. Sonny Perdue would likely reveal “alarming” behavior.

“It’s become increasingly clear that a segment of our staff chose to violate the trust that was placed in them,” Hall said. “There is simply no excuse for unethical behavior and no room in this district for unethical conduct. — AP

US congressional inaction could cost college students WASHINGTON: Congressional inaction could end up costing college students an extra $5,000 on their new loans. The rate for subsidized Stafford loans is set to increase from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on July 1, just as millions of new college students start signing up for fall courses.

The difference between the two rates adds up to $6 billion.

Just a year ago, lawmakers faced a similar deadline and dodged the rate increase amid the heated presidential campaign between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. But that was with the White House up for grabs and before Washington was consumed by budget standoffs that now seem routine. “What is definitely clear, this time around, there doesn’t seem to be as much outcry,” said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. “We’re advising our members to tell students that the interest rates are going to double on new student loans, to 6.8 percent.”

The new rates apply only to those who take new subsidized loans. Students with outstanding subsidized loans are not expected to see their loan rates increase unless they take out a new subsidized Stafford loan. Students’ nonsubsidized loans are not expected to change, nor are loans from commercial lenders.

But it translates to real money for incoming college freshmen who could end up paying back $5,000 more for the same maxed-out student loans their older siblings have. House Education Committee Chairman John Kline, R-Minn, and the committee’s senior Democrat, George Miller of California, prefer to keep rates at their current levels but have not outlined how they might

accomplish that goal. Rep Karen Bass, D-Calif, last week introduced a proposal that would permanently cap the interest rate at 3.4 percent.

Adding another perspective to the debate, Obama will release his budget proposal on April 10. Neither party’s budget proposal in Congress has money specifically set aside to keep student loans at their current rate. The House Republicans’ budget would double the interest rates on newly issued subsidized loans to help balance the federal budget in a decade. Senate Democrats say they want to keep the interest rates at their current levels, but the budget they passed last week does not set aside money to keep the rates low.

In any event, neither side is likely to get what it wants. And that could lead to confusion for students as they receive their college admission letters and financial aid packages. “Two ideas ... have been introduced so far - neither of which is likely to go very far,” said Terry Hartle, the top lobbyist for colleges at the American Council on Education. House Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis, have outlined a spending plan that would shift the interest rates back to their pre-2008 levels.

Congress in 2007 lowered the rate to 6 percent for new loans started during the 2008 academic year, then down to 5.6 percent in 2009, to 4.5 percent in 2010 and then to the current 3.4 percent a year later. Senate Democrats, led by Sen Patty Murray, D-Wash, say their budget proposal would permanently keep the student rates low. But their budget document doesn’t explicitly cover the $6 billion annual cost. Instead, its committee report included a window for the Senate Health, Education and Pension

Committee to pass a student loan-rate fix down the road.

But so far, the money isn’t there. And if the committee wants to keep the rates where they are, they will have to find a way to pay for them, either through cuts to programs in the budget or by adding new taxes. “Spending is measured in numbers, not words,” said Jason Delisle, a former Republican staffer on the Senate Budget Committee and now director of the New America Foundation’s Federal Budget Project.

“The Murray budget does not include funding for any changes to student loans.”

Some two-thirds of students are graduating with loans exceeding $25,000; 1 in 10 borrowers owes more than $54,000 in loans. And studentloan debt now tops $1 trillion. For those students, the rates make significant differences in how much they have to pay back each month.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that of the almost $113 billion in new student loans the government made this year, more than $38 billion will be lost to defaults, even after Washington collects what it can through wage garnishments.

The net cost to taxpayers after most students pay back their loans with interest is $5.7 billion.

If the rate increases, Washington will be collecting more interest from new students’ loans. For some, though, the interest rates seem arbitrary and have little to do with interest rates available for other purchases such as homes or cars.

“Burdening students with 6.8 percent loans when interest rates in the economy are at historic lows makes no sense,” said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success. — AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

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

In Pakistan underworld, a cop is said to be a king KARACHI: A corrupt, low-level cop with a healthy dose of street smarts rises to control hundreds of illegal gambling dens in Pakistan’s largest city. By doling out millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, he protects his empire and becomes one of the most powerful people in Karachi.

The allegations against Mohammed Waseem Ahmed - or Waseem “Beater” as he is more commonly known - emerged recently from surprise testimony by a top police commander before a crusading anti-crime Supreme Court judge.

The story has given a rare and colorful glimpse into the vast underworld in Karachi, a chaotic metropolis of 18 million people on Pakistan’s southern coast.

The sprawling city has become notorious for violence, from gangland-style killings and kidnappings to militant bombings and sectarian slayings. Further worrying authorities have been signs that the Pakistani Taliban are using the chaos to gain a greater foothold in the city.

For months, the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has been leading special hearings on Karachi’s crime, berating the city’s top police officers for failing to act. This past week, he demanded they move in to clean up socalled “no-go” areas - entire neighborhoods where police fear to tread according to local press reports.

Further fueling the problem is rampant police corruption, undermining efforts to combat the city’s violent gangs and extremists. Among the public, the police nationwide are seen as the country’s most crooked public sector organization, a high bar given claims of pervasive corruption throughout the government. The allegations surrounding Ahmed further fuel questions about the overlap between Karachi’s underworld and its police forces.

After the testimony to the Supreme Court earlier this year, police officials in Karachi provided The Associated Press with additional details over his reported

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani men play cards in a field in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. For months, the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry has been leading special hearings on Karachi’s crime, berating the city’s top police officers for failing to act. (Right) A plainclothes Pakistani police officer fires a tear gas canister at a hideout of criminals, during a crackdown operation against criminals in Karachi, Pakistan. — AP rise. The AP made repeated attempts to contact Ahmed, who has been removed from the force and fled to Dubai, but was not successful. Ahmed came from a poor family in Karachi’s old city and joined the police force in the 1990s. He soon started working as a “beater,” a low-level thug who works for more senior cops to collect a cut from illegal activities in their area, such as gambling, prostitution and drug dealing, said half a dozen police officers who knew him personally at the time.

They all spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Ahmed, who sports a bushy black mustache and usually dresses in a simple, white shalwar kameez, earned a reputation for carrying out his illicit work efficiently, said two police officers who have known him ever since he joined the force. That reputation helped him forge relationships with more senior figures, and eventually he was collecting money for some of the top police officers and civilian security

The risk and reward at the dawn of civilian drone age WASHINGTON: The dawn of the age of aerial civilian drones is rich with possibilities for people far from the war zones where they made their devastating mark as a weapon of choice against terrorists. The unmanned, generally small aircraft can steer water and pesticides to crops with precision, saving farmers money while reducing environmental risk. They can inspect distant bridges, pipelines and power lines and find hurricane victims stranded on rooftops.

Drones - some as tiny as a hummingbird - promise everyday benefits as broad as the sky is wide. But the drone industry and those eager to tap its potential are running headlong into fears the peeping-eye, goanywhere technology will be misused.

Since January, drone-related legislation has been introduced in more than 30 states, largely in response to privacy concerns.

Many of the bills would prevent police from using drones for broad public surveillance or to watch individuals without sufficient grounds to believe they were involved in crimes.

Stephen Ingley, executive director of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, says resistance to the technology is frustrating. Drones “clearly have so much potential for saving lives, and it’s a darn shame we’re having to go through this right now,” he said. But privacy advocates say now is the time to debate the proper use of civilian drones and set rules, before they become ubiquitous. Sentiment for

curbing domestic drone use has brought the left and right together perhaps more than any other recent issue.

“The thought of government drones buzzing overhead and constantly monitoring the activities of law-abiding citizens runs contrary to the notion of what it means to live in a free society,” Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said at a recent hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. With military budgets shrinking, drone makers have been counting on the civilian market to spur the industry’s growth. Some companies that make drones or supply support equipment and services say the uncertainty has caused them to put US expansion plans on hold, and they are looking overseas for new markets.

“Our lack of success in educating the public about unmanned aircraft is coming back to bite us,” said Robert Fitzgerald, CEO of the BOSH Group of Newport News, Va, which provides support services to drone users. “The US has been at the lead of this technology a long time,” he said. “If our government holds back this technology, there’s the freedom to move elsewhere ... and all of a sudden these things will be flying everywhere else and competing with us.” Law enforcement is expected to be one of the bigger initial markets for civilian drones.

Last month, the FBI used drones to maintain continuous surveillance of a bunker in Alabama where a 5-year-old boy was being held hostage. — AP

Guatanamo hunger strikers ready to die WASHINGTON: His body ravaged and weakened by a 50-day hunger strike staged in protest at alleged mistreatment of Qurans at Guantanamo jail, Abd Al-Malik Abd Al-Wahab has a message for his loved ones. “Tell my family if I die to forgive me,” said Abd Al-Wahab, a 33-year-old Yemeni national who has spent 11 years-or a third of his life-behind bars at the controversial US detention facility in Cuba.

Abd Al-Wahab, whose comments were relayed to AFP by his lawyer, is among dozens of detainees who are staging a hunger strike at the military prison amid allegations-vehemently denied by US officials-that guards improperly handled Qurans during searches in February. The scale of the protest is hotly disputed by officials at the camp and rights lawyers acting for detainees. Several attorneys representing prisoners say the majority of the estimated 130 prisoners at Guantanamo’s Camp 6 wing, which houses “low-value” detainees, are on hunger strike. US authorities put the number of hunger strikers at 37, a four-fold increase since the first tally released on March 11.

Navy Captain Robert Durand, a spokesman for the prison, said 11 of the hunger strikers were being fed with feeding tubes, while two of those had been hospitalized for rehydration and observation. For David Remes, a lawyer representing 15 detainees, including 13 hunger strikers, the protest at the prison is “is unprecedented in its scope, in its duration, in its determination.” Remes spoke to Abd AlWahab and another prisoner he represents, Uthman Uthman (formal name: Uthman Abd Al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman), for approximately an hour and a half via telephone on Friday. The lawyer was adamant

that the hunger strikers are prepared to die unless there are changes to the protocols that govern how Qurans are handled at the jail. Uthman has lost more than 20 kilograms since starting the strike. “It’s the ultimate expression of desperation,” said Remes. “It’s a matter of personal autonomy... the detainees are determined to take it all the way unless the military stops searching their Qurans.” Uthman, meanwhile, said prisoners at Guantanamo had little faith in the camp’s new commander and did not trust International Committee of the Red Cross monitors who had visited them. “Nobody would talk to them,” Uthman was quoted as saying by Remes.

Abd Al-Wahab, meanwhile, told Remes that detainees feel “death is with them, death is coming to them” after more than seven weeks on hunger strike. He insisted that the only way a resolution can be found is if US authorities change the procedures for handling Qurans. “I don’t want them to insult it (the Quran) even though I need it to live,” he told his lawyer. “We want a clear rule. No way we can hide anything in the Quran even if we wanted because the religion prohibits it.”

Guantanamo officials have pointedly rejected suggestions that copies of the Quran have been mistreated at any time. In comments earlier this month, Durand said that there had been no incidents of desecration of the Quran by guards or translators, during a routine search for contraband. “No JTF-Guantanamo guard touches any detainee’s Quran at any time. The Quran is treated with the utmost respect,” he said. “We take allegations of Quran abuse seriously, and we also watch for manufactured claim of Quran abuse by detainees or outsiders.”— AFP

officials in Karachi, they said.

The heavyset 40-year-old also attracted the attention of a local boss who controlled the largest concentration of illegal gambling dens in Karachi, located in the city’s rough and tumble Ghas Mandi area, where Ahmed worked, said the policemen and a local journalist. The two teamed up to expand their gambling empire to other parts of Karachi and surrounding Sindh province.

Gambling was not always illegal in Pakistan, a nation of 180 million people that gained independence from Britain in 1947 as a sanctuary for Muslims who did not believe they could thrive as part of what is now India, a majority Hindu state. Despite the religious undertones of Pakistan’s founding, the country’s major cities, such as Karachi and Lahore, were relatively liberal places in the first few decades after independence.

Alcohol flowed freely in nightclubs filled with dancing girls.

But in 1977, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali

Bhutto banned gambling and alcohol for Muslims in an attempt to appease Islamic hard-liners. Drinking and gambling, which are forbidden in Islam, didn’t stop, but much of it was driven underground. The gambling dens in Ghas Mandi are hidden behind nondescript facades down dark alleyways with tangled electrical wires hanging overhead in one of the oldest and densest populated parts of Karachi.

In one den, a dozen men dressed in shalwar kameez sat in a semicircle on the floor playing a local card game, mang patta, beneath bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The men sipped tea and tossed 100 rupee ($1) poker chips at the dealer. In an adjacent room, a handful of men played chakka, a game that involved guessing the numbers that would appear when the dealer rolled three dice out of what looked like an old leather Yahtzee cup. Rupee notes were placed on a table as bets and held in place by a large metal washer.

Everyone stopped their games when the Muslim call to prayer came over a loudspeaker from a nearby mosque - and they promptly resumed the dice and cards once the prayer ended. Ahmed earned tens of thousands of dollars each day from hundreds of such gambling dens, said the policemen and journalist who knew him. He also collected extortion money from drug dealers and brothels and smuggled diesel fuel into Karachi from neighboring Iran, where it is much cheaper, they said.

He distributed cash to senior officials, and the pay-outs made him one of the most powerful people in Karachi’s police force, said his acquaintances. He won significant influence over who was posted to senior positions, thus providing him with protection, they said. Known as a man of few words who rarely loses his cool, Ahmed also handed out money to Karachi’s powerful criminal gangs and traveled with roughly a dozen armed guards as an insurance policy. — AP

Karzai in Qatar to discuss peace talks with Taleban Taleban to open an office in Qatar KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai travelled to Qatar yesterday to discuss Taleban militants opening an office in the Gulf state for peace talks that could end more than a decade of war. Until earlier this year, Karzai was opposed to the Islamist extremists having a meeting venue in Qatar as he feared that his government would be frozen out of any negotiations. The militants refuse to have direct contact with Karzai, saying he is a puppet of the United States, which supported his rise to power after the military operation to oust the Taleban in 2001.

But, with NATO-led combat troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Karzai agreed to the proposed Taleban office in the Qatari capital Doha and is expected to firm up the plan with the emir of Qatar today. Any future peace talks still face numerous hurdles before they begin, including confusion over who would represent the Taleban and Karzai’s insistence that his appointees are at the centre of negotiations. “ We will discuss the peace process, of course, and the opening of an office for the Taleban in Qatar,” presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi said before Karzai left Kabul. “If we want to have talks to bring peace to Afghanistan, the main side must be the Afghan government’s representatives-the High Peace Council, which has members from all the country’s ethnic and political backgrounds,” Faizi added. A statement from Karzai’s office said he was accompanied on the two-day state visit by foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul and Salahuddin Rabbani, chairman of the High Peace Council.

Negotiating with the hardline Taleban regime that had harbored

Al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks was for many years an anathema to countries fighting in the UN-backed coalition against the militants. But the search for a political settlement became a priority as the insurgency raged on with Taleban leaders able to fuel the violence from safe havens across the border in Pakistan.

Kabul has repeatedly stressed that it would only start talks if the militants broke all links with AlQaeda and gave up violence, and Faizi said that any Taleban office in Qatar must be held to strict conditions. “It can only be an address where the armed opposition sit and talk to the Afghanistan government,” he said. “This office cannot be used for any other purposes.”

The UN this week welcomed news that Karzai would visit Qatar, and issued another call for the Taleban to come to the peace table.

“You are Afghans, you care, I assume, about your country, you care about (a) peaceful stable future of the country,” Jan Kubis, the UN envoy to Afghanistan, said.

But the Qatar office could mean little if the Taleban refuse to negotiate with Karzai or the governmentappointed High Peace Council. “The opening of the Taleban office in Qatar is not related to Karzai, it is a matter between the Taleban and the Qatar government,” Taleban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. “If Karzai visits, it is not our concern. Our representatives who are already in Qatar won’t see or talk to him.”

Neighboring Pakistan, which backed the Taleban’s 1996-2001 rule of Afghanistan, is seen as key to any workable peace deal and it has expressed support for the Taleban office in Doha. But cross relations have worsened sharply in recent weeks, with Kabul accusing

Islamabad of wrecking efforts to end the bloody 11-year insurgency.

The Islamist militants broke off tentative contacts with the US in Qatar

a year ago after the failure of attempts to agree on a prisoner exchange as a confidence-building measure. — AFP

Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai

Four arrested over anti-Muslim attack COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s police arrested four people and were looking for more suspects yesterday over the smashing of a Muslimowned clothing store that raised religious tensions in the country, a spokesman said. Police Superintendent Buddhika Siriwardena said a search was under way for those who torched and vandalized a section of the three-storeyed clothing store and warehouse on Thursday night in the Papiliyana suburb of Colombo.

Local media video footage showed at least one man in saffron robes, typically worn by Buddhist monks, bringing down a CCTV camera of the store by throwing a stone at it while those in the crowd clapped. The clip was also posted on the website YouTube. However, there were no monks among those in custody, Siriwardena said, but added that the four men arrested were Buddhists from the majority Sinhalese community.

The owners of the clothing store, which maintains a chain of upmarket shops across

the country, said their main warehouse and head office suffered extensive damage in Thursday’s “totally unprovoked” attack. “We sincerely hope there will be no repetition of such violent attacks on innocent civilians and establishments to disturb peaceful co-existence within Sri Lanka,” the company said in a statement. Sri Lanka stepped up security at the weekend after Thursday’s violence which the main Muslim political party in the ruling coalition said was a “sequel” to an on-going hate campaign against minority Muslims.

Siriwardena said there had been no fresh reports of unrest from any part of the country and the situation had been quickly brought under control. The government in a statement on Friday urged people not to be provoked.

The recently formed Buddhist nationalist group, the monk-led Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), or Buddhist Force, denied involvement and said men impersonating monks may have been involved in the attack.

Army units were called in to disperse Thursday’s mob, who pelted stones, smashed parked vehicles and torched clothing at the Fashion Bug store. Despite the attack, other retail stores of the chain were open over the weekend. In January, mobs hurled stones at another Muslim-owned clothing chain near Colombo, while Muslim businessmen have also complained of random stone-throwing, intimidation and calls for boycotts of their shops.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is a Buddhist, urged monks earlier this year not to incite religious hatred and violence.

The United Nations estimates that Sri Lanka’s ethnic civil war claimed at least 100,000 lives between 1972 and 2009, when Tamil separatist rebels were crushed in a major military offensive. Less than 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 20 million are Muslim. The majority are Sinhalese Buddhist, while most Tamils are Hindu. — AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

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

Muslims vanish as mobs approach Myanmar’s biggest city SIT KWIN: The Muslims of Sit Kwin were always a small group who numbered no more than 100 of the village’s 2,000 people. But as sectarian violence led by Buddhist mobs spreads across central Myanmar, they and many other Muslims are disappearing. Their homes, shops and mosques destroyed, some end up in refugee camps or hide in the homes of friends or relatives. Dozens have been killed. “We don’t know where they are,” says Aung Ko Myint, 24, a taxi driver in Sit Kwin, a farming village where on Friday Buddhists ransacked a store owned by the town’s last remaining Muslim. “He escaped this morning just before the mob got here.” Since 42 people were killed in violence that erupted in Meikhtila town on March 20, unrest led by hardline Buddhists has spread to at least 10 other towns and villages in central Myanmar, with the latest incidents only about a twohour drive from the commercial capital, Yangon.

The crowds are fired up by anti-Muslim rhetoric spread over the Internet and by word of mouth from monks preaching a movement known as “969”. The three numbers refer to various attributes of the Buddha, his teachings and the monkhood.

But it has come to represent a radical form of anti-Islamic nationalism which urges Buddhists to boycott Muslim-run shops and services. Myanmar is predominantly Buddhist but about 5 percent of its 60 million people are Muslims. There are large Muslim communities in Yangon, Mandalay and towns across Myanmar’s heartland where the religions have co-existed for generations.

But as violence spreads from village to village, the unleashing of ethnic hatred, suppressed during 49 years of military rule that ended in March 2011, is challenging the reformist government of one of Asia’s most ethnically diverse countries. Duskto-dawn curfews are in effect in many

areas of Bago, the region where Sit Kwin lies, while four townships in central Myanmar are under a state of emergency imposed last week.

“I will not hesitate to use force as a last resort to protect the lives and safeguard the property of the general public,” President Thein Sein said in a nationally televised speech on Thursday, warning “political opportunists and religious extremists” against instigating further violence. The unrest has made almost 13,000 people homeless, according to the United Nations. State-run media reports 68 people have been arrested.

RUMOURS The trouble in Sit Kwin began four days ago when people riding 30 motorbikes drove through town urging villagers to expel Muslim residents, said witnesses.

They then trashed a mosque and a row of Muslim shops and houses.

“They came with anger that was born from rumors,” said one man who declined to be identified. Further south, police in Letpadan have stepped up patrols in the farming village of 22,000 people about 160 km from Yangon. Three monks led a 30-strong group towards a mosque on Friday. Police dispersed the crowd, many of whom carried knives and staves, and briefly detained two people. They were later released at the request of township officials, police said.

“I won’t let it happen again,” said police commander Phone Myint. “The president yesterday gave the police authority to control the situation.” The abbot who led the protest, Khamainda, said he took to the streets after hearing rumors passed by other monks by telephone, about violence between Buddhists and Muslims in other towns. He said he wanted revenge against Muslims for the destruction by the Taliban of Buddhist statues in Bamiyan province in Afghanistan in 2001.

“There is no problem with the way they live. But they are the minority and we are the majority. And when the minority insults our religion we get concerned,” he

destroyed three mosques and 17 shops and houses, he said. No Buddhist monks were involved, said witnesses.

YANGON: Photo shows debris from a destroyed mosque in Gyobingauk, Bago Region, about 125 miles from Yangon, Myanmar. — AP told Reuters. “We will come out again if we get a chance.” Letpadan villagers fear the tension will explode. “I’m sure they will come back and destroy the mosque,” says Aung San Kyaw, 35, a Muslim. “We’ve never experienced anything like this.” Across the street, Hla Tan, a 67-year-old Buddhist, shares the fear. “We have lived peacefully for years. Nothing can happen between us unless outsiders come. But if they come, I know we can’t stop them,” he said.

North of Sit Kwin, the farming town of Minhla endured about three hours of violence on both Wednesday and Thursday.

About 300 people, many from the nearby village of Ye Kyaw, gathered on Wednesday afternoon. The crowd swelled to about 800 as townsfolk joined, a Minhla policeman told Reuters. They then

VERY NERVOUS The mob carried sticks, metal pipes and hammers, said Hla Soe, 60, a Buddhist who runs an electrical repair shop in Minhla. “No one could stop them,” he said.

About 200 soldiers and police eventually intervened to restore a fragile peace. “I’m very nervous that it will happen again,” he said.

About 500 of Minhla’s township’s 100,000 people are Muslims, said the police officer, who estimated two-thirds of those Muslims had fled. However, Tun Tun is staying. “I have no choice,” says the 26year-old, whose tea shop was destroyed and looted by Buddhists, one armed with a chainsaw. He plans to rebuild his shop, whose daily income of 10,000 kyat ($11) supports an extended family of 12. On the

wall of his ransacked kitchen is a portrait of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He did not believe she could do anything to help.

Tun Tun traced the rising communal tension in Minhla to speeches given on Feb 26 and 27 by a celebrated monk visiting from Mon State, to the east of Yangon.

He spoke to a crowd of 2,000 about the “969 movement”, said Win Myint, 59, who runs a Buddhist community centre which hosted the monk.

After the 969 talks, Muslims were jeered and fewer Buddhists frequented his tea shop, said Tun Tun. Stickers bearing pastel hues overlaid with the numerals 969 appeared on non-Muslim street stalls across Minhla.President Thein Sein’s ambitious reform program has won praise, but his government has also been criticized for failing to stem violence last year in Rakhine State in western Myanmar, where officials say 110 people were killed and 120,000 were left homeless, most of them Rohingya Muslims. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar said on Thursday he had received reports of “state involvement” in the recent violence at Meikhtila.

Soldiers and police sometimes stood by “while atrocities have been committed before their very eyes, including by wellorganized ultra-nationalist Buddhist mobs”, said the rapporteur, Tomas Ojea Quintana.

“This may indicate direct involvement by some sections of the state or implicit collusion and support for such actions.” Ye Htut, a presidential spokesman and deputy minister of information, called those accusations “groundless”. “In fact, the military and the government could not be concerned more about this situation,” he said in a Facebook post. Late on Friday, three monks were preparing to give another “969” speech in Ok Kan, a town 113 km from Yangon. — Reuters

Landslide buries 83 Chance of survivors ‘slim’ in Tibet landslide

LAIZA: A boy plays inside one of the newly-dug bunkers at Je Yang IDP camp, where 8,000 people have been living after they fled from their villages since June 2011 when the war between Kachin Independence Army and Myanmar’s government troops broke, in the town of Laiza. — AP

Conflict threatens Myanmar reforms LAIZA: When Myanmar’s post-junta government took power two years ago vowing to bring democracy to one of the world’s most repressed nations, Da Shi Naw was under no illusion his own life would improve any time soon. But the 61-year-old farmer never dreamed it would actually get worse - a lot worse. First, a 17-year ceasefire between the army and ethnic Kachin guerrillas relapsed into fighting that tore through his family’s fertile rice fields, forcing him to flee into the mountains on foot.

Then, after a year in a packed displaced camp far from home, war edged close once more. Government troops began pounding rebel positions near the Kachin stronghold of Laiza with artillery and airstrikes that shook the ground here until late January.

The battles triggered such a panic, authorities took the extraordinary step of urging people to dig their own bomb shelters.

And so, one cold day when camp administrators began handing out shovels, Da Shi Naw, humbled by fate, began plowing the ground a few steps from his tiny hut. He dug a rectangular cavity into the earth, a simple, makeshift hide covered with bamboo poles just big enough to climb into with his wife and their two-yearold grandson. “We have nowhere left to run,” he told The Associated Press, “We have begun to lose hope.”

Two years into President Thein Sein’s historic term as Myanmar’s first civilian president in half a century, this Southeast Asian nation has moved closer to democratic rule than any other time since a 1962 army coup. Although few initially believed that Thein Sein, a former general, was sincere about reform when he took office on March 30, 2011, his administration has since orchestrated a top-down revolution that has stunned the world and given hope to millions of people, allowing freedoms unheard of just a few years ago.

Yet even as Myanmar basks in world praise and foreign investors rush in, some parts of the country have taken phenomenally tragic turns for the worse - plagued by explosions of ethnic and sectarian violence so grave, the government has acknowledged they threaten the very process of reform itself.

Here in the north, where the army is still battling rebels of the Kachin Independence Army, residents do not speak of the country’s newfound freedoms.

There is no talk of economic liberalization, of the end of censorship or the sus-

pension of western sanctions. There is no discussion, either, of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s rise as an elected lawmaker after nearly two decades under house arrest. Here, the only subject is the tragic counter-narrative to progress, the story of a region where roads and bridges have been severed by fighting, where families have been separated and 100,000 people have been displaced.

“We feel our lives are going backward,” Da Shi Naw said. “It has never been this bad.” And Kachin state is not alone. Last week, bloody anti-Muslim pogroms ripped through the nation’s heartland for the first time, raising the specter of new instability.

In the central city of Meikhtila, Buddhist mobs armed with machetes burned mosques and Muslim shops in a rampage that left charred corpses piled in the streets and more than 12,000 people, mostly Muslims, homeless.

The unrest has spread since, with mosques ransacked in several villages north of the capital, Naypyitaw. Thein Sein declared a state of emergency for the second time during his term, deploying the army to Meikhtila to restore order. It was a jarring move given the military’s long history of oppression. But Muslims welcomed the troops’ arrival, and analysts say the move further strengthened the army’s power.

In a national speech Thursday, Thein Sein said such conflicts were to be expected “during our period of democratic transition.” But “we must face and overcome these challenges together,” he said, calling on his countrymen “to rise above the old ways of doing things.” “As a nation, it is our firm belief that only an inclusive democratic society based on equality for all citizens will ensure peace and stability,” he said, “especially in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith country such as ours.”

Such words of assurance, though, still ring hollow for many. In western Rakhine state, where Buddhist-Muslim unrest exploded twice last year, human rights groups accused the state itself - its own idle security forces - of failing to stop the violence, and in some cases facilitating it.

More than 120,000 people, mostly Muslims, are still displaced there, and Thein Sein’s government has failed to ease still-festering tensions, enforcing instead the de facto segregation of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, whose movement has been heavily restricted. — AP

BEIJING: A huge search and rescue operation yesterday failed to locate any survivors, more than a day after a giant landslide in Tibet buried 83 mine workers under two million cubic meters of earth. One rescue worker described the chance of survivors being found as “slim”, while an emergency response team attempted to prevent a secondary disaster. A three-kilometer section of land buried the copper mine workers’ camp in Maizhokunggar county, east of Tibetan capital Lhasa, at 6:00 am on Friday.

Rescue teams using sniffer dogs and radar combed the mountainside yesterday in a huge search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, altitude sickness and further landslides. Chinese officials made the grim announcement that no survivors had been found at 10:00 am yesterday, 28 hours after the landslide, while rescuers continued their search.

“The miners’ survival chances were slim due to the scale of the landslide,” a Xinhua report said, citing a rescue worker.

The Tibetan landslide came on the same day as a gas blast in a northeast China coal mine killed 28 people. State media said 13 others were rescued after the accident at Babao Coal Mine in the city of Baishan in Jilin province. State-run China National Television (CNTV ) said on its news website that “rescue workers have established three defensive lines” around the landslide disaster zone to prevent “secondary disasters”, without giving details.

It also said that some of the 2,000-strong rescue team had set up temporary accommodation half-way up the mountain as a safety measure against further landslides. The disaster zone is located 4,600 meters above sea level. The Xinhua report quoted a rescue worker saying there were cracks along nearby mountains, which indicated further landslides were possible. It also said that rescuers had been suffering from slight altitude sickness and that “further minor landslides” had hampered their efforts.

“Temperatures as low as minus three degrees Celsius have also affected the sniffer dogs’ sens-

es of smell,” the report added. State broadcaster China Central Television (CC T V ) yesterday showed dozens of bulldozers shifting earth as others headed to the disaster area in Tibet. The Tencent news website said 15 dog teams and 15 teams using radar monitoring equipment were accompanying 200 bulldozers and heavy lifting vehicles.

The victims of the disaster worked for a subsidiar y of the China National Gold Group Corporation (CNGG), a state-owned company and the nation’s biggest gold miner by output.

Almost all of them were Han Chinese, the national ethnic majority, with only two of them ethnic Tibetans, Xinhua said. Most were migrant workers from the provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. China’s new president Xi Jinping,

who is currently visiting the Republic of Congo in Africa, and new premier Li Keqiang had ordered “top efforts” to rescue the victims, Xinhua added.

Mountainous regions of Tibet are prone to landslides, which can be exacerbated by heavy mining activity. In recent years China has discovered huge mineral resources in Tibet, including tens of millions of tons of copper, lead and zinc, and billions of tons of iron ore, according to state media reports. CNGG could not be reached yesterday. An official from Maizhokunggar county said all of her colleagues were at the scene, but could not be reached for updates. More than 300,000 cubic meters of debris had been removed by noon yesterday, officials told Xinhua. — AFP

LHASA: Rescuers work at the site where a landslide hit a mining area in Maizhokunggar County of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region yesterday. — AP

B-2 bombers sent to Korea on rare mission ‘Diplomacy not destruction’ WASHINGTON: The stealthy, nuclear-capable US B-2 bomber is a veteran of wars in Iraq and Libya, but it isn’t usually a tool of Washington’s statecraft. Yet on Thursday, the United States sent a pair of the bat-winged planes on a first-of-its-kind practice run over the skies of South Korea, conducting what US officials say was a diplomatic sortie.

The aim, the officials said, was two-fold: to reassure US allies South Korea and Japan in the face of a string of threats from North Korea, and to nudge Pyongyang back to nuclear talks. But whether North Korea’s young new leader, Kim Jong-un, interprets the message the way the White House hopes is anybody’s guess. His first reaction, according to North Korean state media, was to order his country’s missiles ready to strike the United States and South Korea. A senior US official said Kim’s late father, Kim Jong-il, was at least more predictable: He would issue threats that got the world’s attention without provoking open conflict, and then use them as leverage in subsequent

diplomatic negotiations. This time, US intelligence analysts are divided over whether Kim Jong-un is pursuing the same strategy. “It’s a little bit of an ‘all bets are off’ kind of moment,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said the idea for the practice bombing run, part of annual US-South Korean military exercises named Foal Eagle, emerged from government-wide discussions over how to signal to Seoul and Tokyo that Washington would back them in a crisis. It is less clear whether Washington informed China, North Korea’s neighbor and only major ally, in advance. The plan was approved by the White House and coordinated with South Korea and Japan, the official said.

REASSURING ALLIES While the 20-year-old B-2 often flies for long durations - 44 hours is the record - Thursday’s flight of approximately 37-1/2 hours was the plane’s first non-stop mission to the Korean peninsula and back from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, Air Force officials said.

With Pyongyang threatening mis-

sile strikes on the US mainland, as well as US bases in Hawaii and Guam, the flight seemed designed to demonstrate how easy it would be for the United States to strike back at North Korea. It is far from clear that Pyongyang, which has had mixed success in its missile tests, can make good on its own threats.

“This is useful reminder to the South Koreans that the US nuclear arm can reach out and touch North Korea from anywhere. We don’t need to be sitting there at Osan Air Base,” south of Seoul, said Ralph Cossa, president of the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum CSIS think tank. “This also reminds the Chinese that North Korean actions have consequences. It tells them that the US is taking North Korean threats seriously but we’re not panicking,” he added. The senior US official said that once the Foal Eagle exercises are concluded, the Obama administration hopes to pivot to a diplomatic approach to North Korea, and hopes Pyongyang will reciprocate. US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to travel to East Asia in

about two weeks, the first of a parade of senior Washington officials headed toward the region.

45-MINUTE NAPS Thursday’s drill was a rare moment in the limelight for the B2 “Spirit” bomber, which began life with a slew of cost and development troubles for manufacturer Northrop Grumman Corp but has become a mainstay of US nuclear deterrence. Long-duration missions, in which the bomber is refueled in midair, are “a challenge on your body and mind, staying sharp,” said an Air Force captain and B-2 pilot.

Under the service’s security rules, the pilot could only be identified by his radio call sign, “Flash.”

The captain, who did not participate in Thursday’s practice mission over South Korea, said flight doctors have devised special regimens to keep the plane’s two-man crew sharp. They include 45-minute naps, on a cot in the back of the plane, that end a half hour before “critical events” such as in-air refueling or dropping ordinance, he said. — Reuters

NEWS

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

Arab Israelis, Palestinians mark ‘Land Day’ Continued from Page 1 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza also held rallies, some erupting into clashes with Israeli forces.

In the contested West Bank zone east of Jerusalem referred to as E1 known locally as Bab Al-Shams, a delegation of 20 Palestinians, including prime minister Salam Fayyad, planted olive trees to mark Land Day. Fayyad’s office quoted him as saying the act also reiterated “that our people’s presence in Bab Al-Shams and every corner of our land will remain deeply rooted, just like olive trees are rooted in our land”.

Twice in recent weeks, Palestinians have formed encampments in the zone by that name that Israel evacuated. Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said police dispersed the event and confiscated the saplings. A few dozen Palestinians held a rally outside Jerusalem’s Old City and, on the nearby Mount of Olives, some 200 Palestinians planted trees on land belonging to a Palestinian family. Samri said three people were arrested for trespassing on state-owned land.

At the West Bank Qalandia check point near Jerusalem nearly 200 Palestinians clashed with Israeli

forces, who responded with tear gas. And near Qalqiliya some 20 Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers, wounding two of them. The soldiers responded with tear gas. Israeli security forces and Palestinians also clashed at Beit Ummar, near Hebron, and at AlKhader in the Bethlehem region. There were no injuries or arrests in the events, in which security forces fired tear gas at stone throwers.

In the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya dozens of people joined a rally, while at Khan Yunis in the south olive trees were planted in commemoration. Sami Abu Zuhri of Hamas, which rules Gaza, told people in Khan Yunis that the Islamist movement was “continuing our resistance to liberate all of Palestine,” and would “continue to strike inside Israel”. In Rafah, near Gaza’s southern border with Israel, some 500 Palestinians took part in a rally during which some threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with live fire that wounded one person. The security presence in Jerusalem and the West Bank was boosted on Friday “following information that groups of Palestinians were ready to engage in violent demonstrations,” Samri said. — AFP

N Korea in ‘state of war’ with South Continued from Page 1 over,” the statement said, adding that any US or South Korean provocation would trigger a “a nuclear war”.

The two Koreas have technically remained at war for the past six decades because the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises. The White House labelled the latest statement from Pyongyang as “unconstructive” and, while taking it “seriously”, sought to place the immediate threat level in context. In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was “not really new”. The Defence Ministry vowed to “retaliate thoroughly” to any provocation, but added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border.

Late yesterday, the North ratcheted up its threats, warning it could shut down the Kaesong industrial complex, a joint South-North venture that provides the regime with crucial hard currency. “We warn that stern measures will be taken if (South Korea) continues to make reckless remarks defaming our dignity,” a state body said, adding that the fate of the complex depends entirely on the attitude of Seoul. Established in 2004 as a symbol of cross-border cooperation, Kaesong had managed to keep functioning despite repeated crises in interKorean relations. But there have been concerns that its operations would be affected by Pyongyang’s move on Wednesday to sever a military hotline used to monitor movement in and out of the zone.

Most observers however still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle. “The North Koreans in

recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art,” said Gordon Flake, a Korea specialist and executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington. “When they have already declared the armistice null and void, I do not think a declaration of war breaks new ground,” Flake said. But he added that the situation had now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carried the potential for rapid escalation.

Both China and Russia have called for calm, with a Russian diplomat voicing particular concern yesterday.

“We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return,” Grigory Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry pointman on North Korea, told the Interfax news agency. France yesterday urged North Korea to refrain from any new provocation and return on the path of dialogue. Meanwhile Britain said threatening statements would only further isolate Pyongyang.

On Friday North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, after US stealth bombers flew over South Korea. The high-stakes standoff has its roots in North Korea’s successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February. Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclearcapable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers in the war games.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft out of bases in Guam and the US mainland were intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending South Korea against any act of aggression. — AFP

A Kashmiri boy rides a cycle through a mustard field on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday. — AP

Saudis seek to end tweeters’ anonymity Continued from Page 1 Last week it did not comment on the report it was seeking to restrict Skype use. A spokeswoman for Kingdom Holding said Prince Alwaleed was not available to comment.

“There are people who misuse the social networking and try to send false information and false evaluation of the situation in the kingdom and the way the policemen in the kingdom are dealing with these situations,” said Major General Mansour Turki, the security spokesman, at a news conference on Mar 8. At a separate interview with Reuters this month, Turki argued that a small number of supporters of al Qaeda and activists from Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority used social media to stir wider sympathy for their goals and social unrest. However, he also argued against banning the site.

Two weeks ago one of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent clerics, Salman Al-Awdah, who has 2.4 million followers on the site, used Twitter to attack the government’s security policy as too harsh and call for better services. He warned it might otherwise face “the spark of violence”. Two leading Saudi human rights activists were sentenced to long prison terms this month for a variety of offences including “internet crimes” because they had used Twitter and other sites to attack the government. Some top princes in the monarchy now use Twitter themselves and Crown Prince Salman, King Abdullah’s designated heir and also Defence Minister, recently opened an official account.

Separately, Saudi Arabia is to license women’s sports clubs for the first time, Al-Watan daily reported, in a

major step for an ultra-religious country where clerics have warned against female exercise. Last year the conservative Islamic kingdom, where women must have permission from a male relative to take many big decisions, sent women athletes to the Olympics for the first time after pressure from international rights groups.

Until now, women’s exercise facilities, including gyms, have had to be licensed by the Health Ministry and designated as “health centres”.

Last April Watan, owned by a Saudi prince, reported the government had set up a ministerial committee to allow women’s sports clubs. The General Presidency of Youth Welfare, which functions like a sports ministry, only regulates men’s clubs. In 2009 a member of the country’s highest council of clerics said girls should not play sports lest they “lose their virginity” by tearing their hymens. State-run girls’ schools do not have exercise classes. Watan said on Friday the Interior Ministry had decided to allow women’s sports clubs after reviewing a study that showed flaws in the existing system.

In August two Saudi women, a judoka and a sprinter, became the first to compete for their country in the Olympics. At least one had trained abroad. Saudi women are barred from driving and must seek the permission of a male “guardian”, usually a father, husband or brother, to marry, travel abroad, open a bank account, work or have some forms of elective surgery. In January King Abdullah named 30 women to the Shura Council, an appointed body that debates future legislation and then gives nonbinding advice to the government. Abdullah is viewed as having pushed for greater women’s education and opportunities to work, sometimes in the face of opposition from powerful conservative clerics. — Reuters

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ANALYSIS

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

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Washington Watch

Implications of Iran’s fall from favor in opinion

By Dr James J Zogby n “Looking at Iran: Iran’s Rise and Fall in Public Opinion”, I detail the dramatic shifts that have occurred in Arab and Muslim attitudes toward Iran, its regional policies and its nuclear program. Once viewed positively by sizable majorities in almost every country across the region, Iran has experienced a precipitous decline in its favorable ratings. The change, it appears from my findings, is largely due to concerns with Iran’s policies in Iraq, Syria, and the Arab Gulf region. At the same time, I observe a worrisome sectarian divide that has opened up between Sunni and Shia Muslims in several countries, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan. Majorities point to Iranian policies as the cause. But local grievances and violent acts perpetrated by sect-based extremist groups have also played a significant role in aggravating tensions. The effect of the divide is somewhat muted, but definitely not erased, by ethnicity and cultural issues, which still define the identities of most Arabs and Muslims.

Iran’s nuclear program was once strongly supported throughout the region by the general public, though not necessarily by their governments. Now it is a subject of concern in most countries. Just six years ago, most Arabs and Muslims were willing to defend Iran against international pressure, now they want the international community to do something to rein in Iran’s ambitions. Sanctions against Iran, once strongly opposed, are now supported by a majority of Arabs and Muslims in most countries. While there is an uptick in support for military action against Iran, should it persist in its nuclear program, majorities in almost all countries remain opposed to this option.

Finally, the United States has experienced a slight improvement in its favorable ratings in Arab opinion and, more importantly, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of Arabs and Muslims who now see (or hope to see) the United States playing a positive role in promoting peace and stability in the region. This has been due, in part, to the US’ lower profile and less aggressive posture in the region, and renewed expectation that in a second term Barack Obama may fulfill the hopes Arabs and Muslims had for his presidency.

All of this has some important policy implications, which should be considered: Arab and Muslim public opinion remains in flux and regional sensitivities remain high. Given this volatile setting, policy makers should consider options carefully. Iran should recognize its current regional isolation and the precariousness of its position and not overplay its hand. In the past, their defiant behavior might have won support from an appreciative regional audience. Now it is seen as threatening and unsettling provocation.

Governments in the region should address the domestic concerns and coordinate policies to rein in the extremist groups that are fueling sectarian discontent and alienation, creating fertile ground that is exploited by both Iran and its allies, and Sunni sectarian terrorist groups. Israel should be pressed to address and resolve the matter of long-denied Palestinian rights. Should the Palestinian situation explode in renewed violence and massive repression, and should the United States, as expected, side with Israel, this could inflame regional passions reopening a door that Iran had closed on itself.

In this context, it is important to consider that the new governments in Arab Spring countries are less able to control angry protests. The attack on Israel’s embassy in Egypt and repeated raids on the US Embassy next to Tahrir Square are clear examples. The United States should recognize the benefits that have accrued from its lower profile and its effort to work with allies by “leading from behind.” Should the United States change course and either resume a belligerent posture or take unsupported and unpopular unilateral military action against Iran, this might only serve to refocus the region’s attention away from Iran’s meddlesome behaviors. Regional attitudes could once again shift in Iran’s favor. Finally, all parties should consider the wisdom of bellicose threats and suggestions of military action.

This applies to the United States, Israel, and Iran. These only exacerbate tensions and deepen regional divides.

They also play into the hands of those in Iran who have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to turn threats (or an actual attack, should it come to that) into an increase in support across the region.

I

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the president of the Arab American Institute

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

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

Threat may be more bark than bite

By Jean H Lee cross North Korea, soldiers are gearing up for battle and shrouding their jeeps and vans with camouflage netting.

Newly painted signboards and posters call for “death to the US imperialists” and urge the people to fight with “arms, not words”. But even as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is issuing midnight battle cries to his generals to ready their rockets, he and his million-man army know full well that a successful missile strike on US targets would be suicide for the outnumbered, out-powered North Korean regime.

Despite the hastening drumbeat of warfare - seemingly bringing the region to the very brink of conflict with threats and provocations - Pyongyang aims to force Washington to the negotiating table, pressure the new president in Seoul to change policy on North Korea, and build unity inside the country without triggering a full-blown war. North Korea wants to draw attention to the tenuousness of the armistice designed to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula, a truce Pyongyang recently announced it would no longer honor as it warned that war could break out at any time.

In July, it will be 60 years since North Korea and China signed an armistice with the US and the United Nations to bring an end to three years of fighting that cost millions of lives. The designated Demilitarized Zone has evolved into the most heavily guarded border in the world. It was never intended to be a permanent border. But six decades later, North and South remain divided, with Pyongyang feeling abandoned by the South Koreans in the quest for reunification and threatened by the Americans.

In that time, South Korea has blossomed from a poor, agrarian nation of peasants into the world’s 15th largest economy while North Korea is struggling to find a way out of a Cold War

A

chasm that has left it with a per capita income on par with subSaharan Africa. The Chinese troops who fought alongside the North Koreans have long since left. But 28,500 American troops are still stationed in South Korea and 50,000 more are in nearby Japan. For weeks, the US and South Korea have been showing off their military might with a series of joint exercises that Pyongyang sees a rehearsal for invasion.

On Thursday, the US military confirmed that those drills included two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers that can unload the US Air Force’s largest conventional bomb - a 30,000pound super bunker buster - powerful enough to destroy North Korea’s web of underground military tunnels. It was a flexing of military muscle by Washington, perhaps aimed not only at Pyongyang but at Beijing as well. In Pyongyang, Kim Jong Un reacted swiftly, calling an emergency meeting of army generals and ordering them to be prepared to strike if the US actions continue. A photo distributed by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency showed Kim in a military operations room with maps detailing a “strike plan” behind him in a very public show of supposedly sensitive military strategy.

The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the Federal Intelligence Service, told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric is “not completely new”, citing past provocations. “To sum up: we assume that North Korea does not want a war,” Gerhard Schindler was quoted as saying. North Korea cites the US military threat as a key reason behind its need to build nuclear weapons, and has poured a huge chunk of its small national budget into defense, science and technology. In December, scientists launched a satellite into space on the back of a long-range rocket using technology that could easily be converted for missiles; in February, they tested an underground nuclear device as part of a mission to build a bomb they can load on a missile capable of

reaching the US. However, what North Korea really wants is legitimacy in the eyes of the US and a peace treaty. Pyongyang wants US troops off Korean soil, and the bombs and rockets are more of an expensive, dangerous safety blanket than real firepower. They are the only real playing card North Korea has left, and the bait they hope will bring the Americans to the negotiating table. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said North Korea’s “bellicose rhetoric” would only deepen its international isolation, and that the US has both the capability and willingness to defend its interests in the region.

Narushige Michishita, director of the Security and International Studies Program at Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, isn’t convinced North Korea is capable of attacking Guam, Hawaii or the US mainland. He says Pyongyang hasn’t successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. But its medium-range Rodong missiles, with a range of 1,300 km, are “operational and credible” and could reach US bases in Japan, he says.

More likely than such a strike, however, is a smaller-scale incident, perhaps off the Koreas’ western coast, that would not provoke the Americans to unleash their considerable firepower. For years, the waters off the west coast have been a battleground for naval skirmishes between the two Koreas because the North has never recognized the maritime border drawn unilaterally by the UN. As threatening as Kim’s call to arms may sound, its main target audience may be the masses at home in North Korea. For months, the masterminds of North Korean propaganda have pinpointed this year’s milestone Korean War anniversary as a prime time to play up Kim’s military credibility as well as to push for a peace treaty. By creating the impression that a US attack is imminent, the regime can foster a sense of national unity and encourage the people to rally around their new leader.— AP

Foot-wash final straw for traditionalists

By Nicole Winfield ope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world’s poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy. Francis’ decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls - a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict’s papacy: reviving the pre-Vatican II traditions of the Catholic Church.

One of the most-read traditionalist blogs, “Rorate Caeli,” reacted to the foot-washing ceremony by declaring the death of Benedict’s eight-year project to correct what he considered the botched interpretations of the Second Vatican Council’s modernizing reforms. “The official end of the reform of the reform - by example,”“Rorate Caeli” lamented in its report on Francis’ Holy Thursday ritual.

A like-minded commentator in Francis’ native Argentina, Marcelo Gonzalez at International Catholic Panorama, reacted to Francis’ election with this phrase: “The Horror.” Gonzalez’s beef?

While serving as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the thenCardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s efforts to revive the old Latin Mass so dear to Benedict and traditionalists were “non-existent”.

Virtually everything he has done since being elected pope, every gesture, every decision, has rankled traditionalists in one way or another. The night he was chosen pope, Mar 13, Francis emerged from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica without the ermine-rimmed red velvet cape, or mozzetta, used by popes past for official duties, wearing instead the simple white cassock of the papacy. The cape has since come to symbolize his rejection of the trappings of the papacy and to some degree the pontificate of Benedict XVI, since the German pontiff relished in resurrecting many of the liturgical vestments of his predecessors.

Francis also received the cardinals’ pledges of obedience after his election not from a chair on a pedestal as popes normally do but rather standing, on their same level. For traditionalists who fondly recall the days when popes were carried on a sedan chair, that may have stung. In the days since, he has called for “intensified” dialogue with Islam - a gesture that rubs traditionalists the wrong way because they view such a heavy focus on interfaith dialogue as a sign of religious relativism.

Francis may have rubbed salt into the wounds with his comments at the Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum, which re-enacts Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, praising “the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters” during a prayer ceremony that recalled the suffering of Christians in the

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Middle East. Francis also raised traditional eyebrows when he refused the golden pectoral cross offered to him right after his election by Monsignor Guido Marini, the Vatican’s liturgy guru who under Benedict became the symbol of Benedict’s effort to restore the Gregorian chant and heavy silk brocaded vestments of the pre-Vatican II liturgy to papal Masses.

Marini has gamely stayed by Francis’ side as the new pope puts his own stamp on Vatican Masses with no-nonsense vestments and easy off-the-cuff homilies. But there is widespread expectation that Francis will soon name a new master of liturgical ceremonies more in line with his priorities of bringing the church and its message of love and service to ordinary people without the “high church” trappings of his predecessor.

There were certainly none of those trappings on display Thursday at the Casal del Marmo juvenile detention facility in Rome, where the 76-year-old Francis got down on his knees to wash and kiss the feet of 12 inmates, two of them women. The rite re-enacts Jesus’ washing of the feet of his 12 apostles during the Last Supper before his crucifixion, a sign of his love and service to them. The church’s liturgical law holds that only men can participate in the rite, given that Jesus’ apostles were all male. Priests and bishops have routinely petitioned for exemptions to include women, but the law is clear. Francis, however, is the church’s chief lawmaker, so in theory he can do whatever he wants.

“The pope does not need anybody’s permission to make exceptions to how ecclesiastical law relates to him,” noted conservative columnist Jimmy Akin in the National Catholic Register. But Akin echoed concerns raised by canon lawyer Edward Peters, an adviser to the Vatican’s high court, that Francis was setting a “questionable example” by simply ignoring the church’s own rules. “People naturally imitate their leader. That’s the whole point behind Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. He was explicitly and intentionally setting an example for them,” he said. “Pope Francis knows that he is setting an example.”

The inclusion of women in the rite is problematic for some because it could be seen as an opening of sorts to women’s ordination. The Catholic Church restricts the priesthood to men, arguing that Jesus and his 12 apostles were male.

Francis is clearly opposed to women’s ordination. But by washing

the feet of women, he jolted traditionalists who for years have been unbending in insisting that the ritual is for men only and proudly holding up as evidence documentation from the Vatican’s liturgy office saying so. “If someone is washing the feet of any females ... he is in violation of the Holy Thursday rubrics,” Peters wrote in a 2006 article that he reposted earlier this month on his blog.

In the face of the pope doing that very thing, Peters and many conservative and traditionalist commentators have found themselves trying to put the best face on a situation they clearly don’t like yet can’t do much about lest they be openly voicing dissent with the pope. By Thursday evening, Peters was saying that Francis had merely “disregarded” the law - not violated it.

The Rev John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger who has never shied from picking fights with priests, bishops or cardinals when liturgical abuses are concerned, had to measure his comments when the purported abuser was the pope himself. “Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do,” Zuhlsdorf wrote in a conciliatory piece. But, in characteristic form, he added: “What liberals forget in their present crowing is that even as Francis makes himself - and the church - more popular by projecting (a) compassionate image, he will simultaneously make it harder for them to criticize him when he reaffirms the doctrinal points they want him to overturn.”

One of the key barometers of how traditionalists view Francis concerns his take on the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. The Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that brought the church into the modern world, allowed the celebration of the Mass in the vernacular rather than Latin. In the decades that followed, the so-called Tridentine Rite fell out of use almost entirely.

Traditionalist Catholics who were attached to the old rite blame many of the ills afflicting the Catholic Church today - a drop in priestly vocations, empty pews in Europe and beyond - on the liturgical abuses that they say have proliferated with the celebration of the new form of Mass. In a bid to reach out to them, Benedict in 2007 relaxed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass. The move was aimed also at reconciling with a group of schismatic traditionalists, the Society of St Pius X, who split from Rome precisely over the Vatican II reforms, in particular its call for Mass in the vernacular and outreach to other religions, especially Judaism and Islam. Benedict took extraordinary measures to bring the society back under Rome’s wing during his pontificate, but negotiations stalled. The society has understandably reacted coolly to Francis’ election, reminding the pope that his namesake, St Francis of Assisi, was told by Christ to go and “rebuild my church”. For the society, that means rebuilding it in its own, preVatican II vision.

The head of the society for South America, the Rev Christian Bouchacourt, was less than generous in his assessment of Francis.

“He cultivates a militant humility, but can prove humiliating for the church,” Bouchacourt said in a recent article, criticizing the “dilapidated” state of the clergy in Buenos Aires and the “disaster” of its seminary. “With him, we risk to see once again the Masses of Paul VI’s pontificate, a far cry from Benedict XVI’s efforts to restore to their honor the worthy liturgical ceremonies.” — AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

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Evans to race Giro d’Italia

Ryder regains consciousness

Tigers sign record smashing deal

FRANCE: Cadel Evans, bidding to revive his career after struggling since winning the 2011 Tour de France, has gone against convention and decided to race in May’s Giro d’Italia in an effort to improve for this year’s Tour. The 36-year-old Australian could only finish seventh in last year’s Tour and blamed his poor form on a virus.

“The team will put everything into the Tour de France,” he said in a statement from his BMC team yesterday. “My situation is a bit strange because there are not many riders who perform better with two grand tours than one in their legs. In my situation, with the racing I missed last year, I need and I feel comfortable with this programme.” Briton Bradley Wiggins, who won last year’s Tour after his Team Sky destroyed Evans’ hopes early on, will also ride this year’s Giro and the Tour but has made the Italian race his major aim. Chris Froome may take over as team leader in France. Most pundits feel it is now very difficult for a rider to win the Giro, the world’s second most famous stage race, and June and July’s Tour in the same year. Evans hopes to break the mould and instead use the Giro as preparation for the Tour. He told Reuters last week he is committed to being team leader on the Tour and that the media have a “short-term memory” when it comes to his potential. —Reuters

WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has regained consciousness and is talking to friends and family as he recovers from an alleged assault in Christchurch earlier this week, his manager said yesterday. Ryder, 28, was rushed to hospital early on Thursday with serious head injuries after being involved in two altercations outside a bar and fast food restaurant in Merivale, a suburb of Christchurch.

Local media reported Ryder had sustained a fractured skull and a collapsed lung in the assault. Two men have been charged with assault and will appear in court on April 4. “Jesse’s condition has improved to the extent that he is now out of the induced coma and off the ventilator,” Ryder’s manager Aaron Klee said in a statement issued through New Zealand Cricket. “Jesse is awake and talking to us, but he is obviously still working through the immediate effects from being in the coma and the drugs the medical team have been using. “Naturally we are thrilled with this progress. “This is only the start of the recovery process for Jesse and there is still a big battle ahead to full health, but the progress is positive.”

Ryder had been expected to travel to India for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament with the Delhi Daredevils this week, but had been in a selfimposed exile from international cricket after a series of alcohol-related incidents.—Reuters

NEW YORK: The Detroit Tigers made Justin Verlander the highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball, signing their ace right-hander to a record smashing fiveyear contract extension on Friday. The Tigers did not announce terms of the deal but according to media reports, Verlander will remain under contract to Detroit through the 2019 season and could become MLB’s first $200 million pitcher.

Verlander has two years remaining on his current five-year $79.5 million deal and combined with a new five-year $140 million extension that includes a club option for 2020 for another $22 million, he would become baseball’s richest hurler.

He reportedly would make $28 million each season from 2015-2019. The deal, which comes two days before the Major League season opens on Sunday, easily surpasses the seven-year, $175 million extension Felix Hernandez signed in February with the Seattle Mariners.

“Justin is one of the premier pitchers in baseball and we are thrilled to keep him in a Tigers uniform for many years to come,” said Detroit president, chief executive and general manager Dave Dombrowski on the Tigers’ website. “Justin has been a Tiger for his entire career and he is on pace to be one of the greatest pitchers in this illustrious franchise’s history.” —Reuters

Wheatcroft leads in Houston, McIlroy, Mickelson make cut HOUSTON: Unheralded American Steve Wheatcroft carded another five-underpar 67 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Houston Open on Friday, while major winners Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson fought hard to just make the cut at Redstone Golf Club.

The 35-year-old Wheatcroft only earned a start for the event through Monday qualifying but now sits at 10under, holding the 36 hole lead over fellow Americans Jason Kokrak (69) and D.A. Points (71) who are tied second at nine-under.

England’s Brian Davis (70) and former British Open winner Stewart Cink (66) are joint fourth at seven-under. World number two McIlroy will get the chance to continue to hone his wayward game before the U.S. Masters after he ground out a two-under-par round of 70 to make the cut on the number at one-under.

McIlroy, a week from being deposed

by Tiger Woods from golf’s rankings summit, managed three birdies and just the lone bogey in a more accomplished effort than his opening round of 73.

“It was okay. It was definitely more consistent today than yesterday,” McIlroy told reporters. “I gave myself quite a few chances. It could have been a couple better, but, you know, it was an improvement on yesterday.”

The Northern Irishman’s season has been less than stellar, with the twice

major winner adding next week’s Texas Open in San Antonio to his schedule as he seeks form ahead of the year’s first major at Augusta National which starts on April 11.

Since signing a new equipment deal with Nike in the offseason, he has missed the cut in Abu Dhabi, lost in the first round of the WGC Match Play Championship and walked off mid-round at the Honda Classic when headed for another missed cut.

Mickelson needed three back nine birdies to also make the cut on the number. Wheatcroft, who has been a PGA Tour member three previous times but currently has just conditional status on the secondary Web.com Tour, was excited to be in unfamiliar territory.

“Bogey-free so far, excited with where I’m at obviously,” Wheatcroft told reporters. “I just have to approach the weekend the same as I have through the first 36.

“I don’t have to worry about the money list out here. I don’t have to worry about my status out here. “If I win, it’s great. It’s kind of a win or nothing. I just get to go play golf this week. Everybody else can worry their status on the PGA Tour.

“Hopefully I can make enough money to get either temporary status out here or if I win, that’s obviously the goal.”—Reuters

Jamie Benn in action in this file photo

Stars shine over Wild DALLAS: Jamie Benn, Ray Whitney and Cody Eakin each had a goal and an assist to help lead the Dallas Stars to a 5-3 victory to end the Minnesota Wild’s seven-game winning streak on Friday.

Erik Cole and Tomas Vincour also scored for Dallas, which moved within one point of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. Jaromir Jagr also earned his 1,000th career NHL assist.

After a 7-4 loss to Minnesota at home on Monday, the Stars had three days off to regroup and rebounded with a strong effort, scoring twice on power plays in the third period.

Kari Lehtonen, who gave up six goals on 41 shots Monday, made 30 saves for the win. Devin Setoguchi, Jared Spurgeon and Torrey Mitchell scored for Minnesota, which also had its fivegame road winning streak end.

Lightning 5, Devils 4 In Tampa, Alex Killorn scored with 15.1 seconds left in the third period and Tampa Bay won in a shootout over New Jersey to give new Lightning coach Jon Cooper a victory in his NHL debut. The Lightning pulled even at 4 when Killorn scored from the right circle. Teddy Purcell and Victor Hedman scored for Tampa Bay in the shootout.

Cooper was hired as the eighth coach in Lightning history Monday, one day after the team announced the firing of Guy Boucher.

Cooper had been coaching Syracuse of the AHL, Tampa Bay’s top minor league team.

Steven Stamkos scored his 24th and 25th goals this season and added an assist for the Lightning. Nate Thompson had the other Tampa Bay goal. The Devils got goals from Andrei Loktionov, Tom Kostopoulos, Andy Greene and Ryan Carter.

Blue Jackets 6, Flames 4 In Calgary, Vinny Prospal had the go-ahead goal and an assist in a four-goal second period to help Columbus beat Calgary in the Flames’ first game since they traded longtime captain

Steve Wheatcroft

Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh. Mark Letestu, Matt Calvert, Derick Brasard, Ryan Johansen and R.J. Umberger also scored for the Blue Jackets.

Columbus, 1-2-1 on its four-game trip, climbed within a point of St. Louis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets also evened their record at 14-14-7 and snapped Calgary’s eight-game home winning streak.

Brian McGrattan, Mikael Backlund, Dennis Wideman and Curtis Glencross scored for Calgary. Iginla was traded to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night for a 2013 first-round draft pick and college prospects Ben Hanowski and Kenneth Agostino. Many of the fans in the crowd, announced as a sellout of 19,289, wore red jerseys with Iginla’s name on the back.

The appreciative fans then stood up and gave a standing ovation in the first period when a stirring video tribute to Iginla was played on the Jumbotron. While the fans rose to their feet, officials didn’t immediately drop the puck as all

Calgary players banged their sticks against the boards.

Ducks 2, Blackhawks 1 In Chicago, Sheldon Souray scored with 2:08 left in regulation to break a tie, Jonas Hiller made 25 saves and Anaheim defeated Chicago to end a four-game losing streak.

Souray’s drive through a screen from the left point hit the stick of Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson and deflected past Ray Emery, who suffered his first loss of the season.

Anaheim’s Corey Perry scored at 1:15 of the second period in the meeting of the top two teams in the Western Conference, played before a season-high of 22,105 at the United Center.

With the win, Anaheim (23-7-4) improved to 50 points, three behind conference-leading Chicago (25-5-3). Chicago’s Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal at 2:26 of the third period to extend his point streak to eight games. He has six goals and nine assists during the span.—AP

NHL results/standings Tampa Bay 5, New Jersey 4 (SO); Anaheim 2, Chicago 1; Dallas 5, Minnesota 3; Columbus 6, Calgary 4.

Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Rangers NY Islanders Philadelphia Montreal Boston Ottawa Toronto Buffalo Winnipeg Carolina Washington Tampa Bay Florida

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 27 8 0 121 15 11 8 86 16 14 3 78 16 15 3 100 13 17 3 87 Northeast Division 21 7 5 104 21 7 4 94 19 9 6 89 19 12 4 108 13 16 5 91 Southeast Division 18 15 2 88 15 15 2 89 15 17 1 94 15 18 1 110 10 19 6 85

GA PTS 84 54 94 38 81 35 110 35 103 29 83 72 72 100 107

47 46 44 42 31

103 96 93 103 123

38 32 31 31 26

Western Conference Central Division 25 5 3 109 73 53 17 12 5 90 85 39 17 14 2 94 93 36 14 14 7 85 96 35 14 14 6 87 95 34 Northwest Division Vancouver 19 9 6 92 86 44 Minnesota 20 11 2 93 83 42 Edmonton 13 13 7 83 95 33 Calgary 13 16 4 93 114 30 Colorado 11 18 4 83 108 26 Pacific Division Anaheim 23 7 4 106 88 50 Los Angeles 19 12 2 97 82 40 San Jose 16 11 6 82 82 38 Dallas 16 14 3 92 100 35 Phoenix 14 15 5 92 98 33 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

Chicago Detroit St. Louis Columbus Nashville

Farewell to the greatest basketball league ever NEW YORK: Thanks for nothing, greedy college administrators. Because of you, we’re bidding farewell to the greatest basketball conference there ever was - and perhaps ever will be.

At least the Big East as we knew it is going out in style. That’s only appropriate, given all it has meant to the game over the last three-plus decades.

But watching Syracuse and Marquette advance to a regional final, assuring one will make it to the Final Four, and knowing top-seeded Louisville could very well give the league another team in Atlanta only heightens the sting of what’s about to happen.

Seven basketball-playing schools are jumping off a sinking ship to form a new version of the Big East, joined by three other schools that don’t have major football programs. That league will carry on the legacy of what was launched in 1979, but it’s unreasonable to expect “Big East, The Sequel” to come anywhere close to match-

ing the impact of the original. For this, we should all be ticked off. Seriously, when does it stop? Not anytime soon, I’m afraid.

In the mess that is college realignment, we’ve seen longtime rivalries ripped apart, once-sturdy leagues now scrambling for their lives or gone altogether, schools falling over themselves to start football programs or move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision - all in the name of the almighty dollar.

Supposedly, this is progress. Just try telling that to a hoops fan. The major conferences have far too much power, there’s no one with the backbone or the authority to bring a little sanity to the madness, and we’re left with a wake for the Big East.

“It’s a good league, always been a good league,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Friday, talking about the league his school will soon be leaving.

The Orange’s next loss - or three more wins - will mark the end of their time in a conference they helped start.

When this latest round of football-driven Scrabble is done, we’ll have Syracuse playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference instead of the Big East (ditto for Pittsburgh and Notre Dame), we’ll have Maryland playing in the Big Ten instead of the ACC, and we’ll have once-mighty UConn playing in some new league with a bunch of Southeastern and Southwestern schools that used to comprise Conference USA. Seriously, schools are changing conferences about as often as Taylor Swift writes a breakup song - maybe she could do one for the Big East - and there’s still no indication that the dust is close to settling. UConn might wind up in the ACC, too. Or maybe some ACC schools will bolt for the Southeastern Conference.

After all, as Derek Dooley once said: It’s not really about the money - it’s about the amount. At this very moment, there is surely some college president or athletic director or booster trying to figure out a way to squeeze a few more bucks out of the pie.

Who cares if college kids have to take crosscountry trips on school nights for conference games? Who cares if a once-great basketball conference is carved up like an apple pie at a Fourth of July picnic?

“There’s no question leaving the Big East will be sad,” Syracuse assistant coach Mike Hopkins said, taking a second to think long-term amid the instant gratification of facing Marquette on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four. “It already is in so many ways.”

No one has taken a bigger beating in all this conference realignment than the Big East, largely because of a decision it made about a decade after its founding to add football to its roster of sports.

A bunch of schools giddily joined up, but they had no loyalty to the original concept. Of the eight teams that first played Big East football, seven have already moved on to other conferences or soon will be.

Because of that, we may never again see one conference put three teams in the Final

Four, as the Big East did in 1985 with Villanova (the eventual national champion), Georgetown and St. John’s - certainly not a league that has nine teams, which was the Big East membership at the time.

If conferences continue to expand, we might see a league match the record 11 teams the Big East put in the NCAA field two years ago in its more bloated alignment - though, that’s the very state that contributed to its demise.

No matter what, there’s no denying what the Big East once was - and still is for another week or so.

The best in the land.

“I wish we weren’t playing each other,” said Marquette coach Buzz Williams, whose school will be moving on to the new Big East. “Maybe if we were in different regions, maybe we could both continue to play.”

Very shortly, it won’t matter. All that will be left are memories, tattered clippings and old TV footage.—AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

S P ORTS

Hornets fall to Heat NEW ORLEANS: LeBron James scored 36 points, hitting six consecutive 3-pointers in less than six minutes during the first half, and the Miami Heat rebounded from their first loss in nearly two months to beat the New Orleans Hornets 108-89 on Friday night.

The Heat, whose 27-game winning streak ended in Chicago on Wednesday, looked ready to start a new one while clinching the top seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs. James kept shooting 3-pointers after making his first one with 1:55 left in the first quarter, and he did not miss until he already had set a season high with his sixth. James finished with seven 3s, one shy of his career high.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points and seven assists.

Norris Cole scored 12 points and Chris Bosh 10.

Spurs 104, Clippers 102 In San Antonio, Tim Duncan had a season-high 34 points, including a game-winning three-point play with 2.2 seconds left, and San Antonio won its seventh straight game at home.

Duncan also had 11 rebounds for San Antonio (55-17), Tony Parker added 24 points and eight assists, and Tiago Splitter had 14 points. Blake Griffin had 18 points, Jamal Crawford added 16, Chris Paul had 14, Caron Butler 11 and Willie Green had 10 for Los Angeles. The Spurs extended their lead in the Western Conference to 21/2 games over Oklahoma City, which lost 101-93 to Minnesota.

INDIANAPOLIS: Derrick Nix No. 25 of the Michigan State Spartans attempts a shot against Mason Plumlee No. 5 and Ryan Kelly No. 34 of the Duke Blue Devils during the Midwest Region Semifinal round of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.—AFP

Nocioni lifts Caja as Panathinaikos roll BELGRADE: Former Chicago Bulls forward Andres Nocioni produced a vintage performance to keep Caja Laboral Vitoria in the hunt for a berth in the Euroleague playoffs after a rollercoaster 86-82 win at Khimki Moscow on Friday.

The competition’s six-time winners Panathinaikos Athens reached the last eight with a match to spare in the second group stage after an 82-60 rout of Germany ’s Bamberg and holders Olympiakos Piraeus, their bitter cross-town rivals, stayed on course with a 78-73 success at Fenerbahce.

Quadruple former champions Maccabi Tel Aviv also edged closer to the quarter-finals with a 101-58 home rout of hapless Besiktas Istanbul while last season’s runners-up CSKA Moscow beat Real Madrid 81-72 in a battle of the top contenders.

The 33-year old Nocioni, who has had a topsy-turvy season in Europe’s premier club competition, rolled back the years by scoring 24 points, including four crucial three-pointers, to keep Caja in the hunt for one of the three remaining berths in their eight-team top pool.

Khimki, who are also involved in a fierce five-team dogfight to join group winners Barcelona in the quarter-finals, had fought back from a 10-point deficit in the final quarter before Nocioni stepped up to the plate and buried a long-range effort to swing the tie Caja’s way.

“It’s a big victory for us and it gives us an opportunity to advance to the knockout stage if we win our last home game (against Montepaschi Siena),” Caja coach Zan Tabak told the competition’s official website (www.euroleague.net).

Centre Maciej Lampe, who poured 21 points for the winners, added: “It was great to be in this wonderful arena, I spent three years here and have fantastic memories but the most important thing is that we came away with a lifeline win.”

Panathinaikos joined the already qualified trio of CSKA, Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul from the other pool after Lithuania shooting guard Jonas Maciulis netted a game-high 24 points in just 23 minutes on the court, hitting six of seven three-pointers.

Centre Stephane Lasme and forward James Gist added 11 apiece for Panathinaikos, who will be looking for a win at home against CSKA in their final group match that could lift them into the top two and ensure home court advantage in the

best-of-five quarter-final playoff series.

Four teams from each pool advance to the quarter-finals, whose winners will progress to the May 10-12 Final Four in London.

Maccabi looked out for the count halfway through the second group stage with two wins and five defeats but came storming back and hauled themselves into the hunt with a sixth successive victory after an impressive display against Besiktas in their Nokia Arena.

Americans Devin Smith and Ricky Hickman netted 16 points each and their compatriot Nik Caner-Medley chipped in with 15 to boost Maccabi’s confidence ahead of a crucial visit to 2010 champions Barcelona in the last round.

“I am really pleased with the club and the players who knew how to turn a very difficult situation into a wonderful one,” said Maccabi coach David Blatt, who won the 2007 European Championship with Russia.

“After we beat Besiktas last time their coach said that they played poorly and that we weren’t a strong team. Perhaps we are not as strong as in past years but we are still strong enough to rout them and I never thought it would be this easy,” he added.

CSKA also appeared to be in trouble at one stage in the top 16 but five wins on the trot, capped by an effervescent performance against eight-time winners Real, elevated them into the driving seat of their section.

Former Toronto Raptors guard Sonny Weems led the charge with 21 points and four assists, playmaker Milos Teodosic added 17 points and seven assists and fellow Serbian centre Nenad Krstic amassed 16 points.

“We played good defence against a team of great shooters and it’s a very important victory for us because it’s always been our goal to finish top of the group,” said Weems.

Teodosic added: “It’s easy to collect seven assists when you have team mates like I have, it’s all because of them. We never stopped believing in ourselves and are now very close to winning the group.” Real looked certain to clinch that group when they romped to a 9-1 record but three successive defeats have made that objective unlikely ahead of their final game at home to Efes. The Turkish side also did themselves no favours in the battle for top spot with a 70-64 home defeat by Spaniards Unicaja Malaga but the victory turned out to be meaningless for the visitors, who were eliminated from the playoffs after Panathinaikos won their match.—Reuters

SCOREBOARD PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Complete scoreboard of the third and final one-day international between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Pallekele on Thursday: Sri Lanka: K. Perera c Nasir b Mahmudullah 56 T. Dilshan c Nasir b Shahadat 125 K. Sangakkara c Anamul b Razzak 48 T. Perera b Razzak 4 A. Mathews st Rahim b Razzak 6 J. Mendis b Gazi 5 D. Chandimal b Rahman 0 L. Thirimanne not out 25 N. Kulasekara lbw b Razzak 11 S. Senanayake b Razzak 0 L. Malinga not out 5 Extras (lb2, nb1, w14) 17 Total (for nine wickets; 50 overs) 302 Fall of wickets: 1-116 (K. Perera), 2-203 (Sangakkara), 3-212 (T. Perera), 4-228 (Mathews), 5-233 (Mendis), 6-238 (Chandimal), 7-263 (Dilshan), 8-291 (Kulasekara), 9-291 (Senanayake).

Bowling: Shahadat 10-0-71-1 (nb1, w3), Rahman 10-0-65-1 (w1), Gazi 10-1-52-1 (w3), Razzak 10-062-5 (w7), Mahmudullah 10-0-50-1

Bangladesh (target 183 in 27 overs): Anamul Haque c Chandimal b Mathews 40 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Senanayake 29 Jahurul Islam c Sangakkara b Mathews 26 Mushfiqur Rahim run out 9 Nasir Hossain not out 33 Mohammad Mahmudullah lbw b Senanayake 6 Mominul Haque c Sangakkara b Malinga 11 Ziaur Rahman c T. Perera b Malinga 0 Sohag Gazi not out 4 Extras (b4, lb13, w9) 26 Total (for seven wickets; 26 overs) 184 Fall of wickets: 1-77 (Ashraful), 2-97 (Anamul), 3119 (Jahurul), 4-126 (Rahim), 5-144 (Mahmudullah), 6-166 (Mominul), 7-166 (Rahman).

Bowling: Kulasekara 4-1-29-0 (w5), Malinga 6-029-2 (w2), Mathews 5-0-39-2, Senanayake 6-026-2 (w1), T. Perera 5-0-44-0 (w1).

Result: Bangladesh win by three wickets (D/L) method Series result: Three-match series drawn 1-1

Timberwolves 101, Thunder 93 In Minneapolis, Nikola Pekovic had 22 points and 15 rebounds and Ricky Rubio added 17 points and seven assists to help Minnesota stun Oklahoma City. Chase Budinger scored 13 points off the bench and Andrei Kirilenko played superb defense on Thunder star Kevin Durant in the second half to help the Wolves deal the Thunder an unexpected setback in their pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Durant had 36 points and seven rebounds, but was just 4 for 9 in the final 22 minutes. Russell Westbrook added 18 points and nine assists for the Thunder.

Celtics 118, Hawks 107 In Boston, Paul Pierce had 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, and Jeff Green scored 27 points to carry Boston to the victory over Atlanta. Jason Terry was 5 of 7 on 3-pointers and finished with 24 points for Boston, which won its second straight following a five-game losing streak. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 18 points but shot just 7 of 23 from the floor and 0 for 6 in the second half. Jeff Teague added 17 points and seven assists. The Celtics, who closed to 11/2 games behind the Hawks for the Eastern Conference’s sixth playoff spot, won the season series 3-1.

Grizzlies 103, Rockets 94 In Memphis, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol scored 21 points apiece and Memphis snapped a two-game losing streak. Randolph added 12 rebounds, Tony Allen scored 16 points, connecting on 8 of 12 shots, and Mike Conley finished with 15 points and 10 assists. Allen also had a strong defensive effort in limiting the Rockets’ James Harden to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting. Harden came into the game fifth in the league in scoring with a 26.2 average. Chandler Parsons and Donatas Motiejunas led the Rockets with 16 points apiece, despite not playing in the fourth quarter as Houston coach Kevin McHale used his reserves to try to put more pressure on the Grizzlies defensively. Carlos Delfino had 15 points for Houston, while James Anderson scored 10.

Knicks 111, Bobcats 102 In New York, JR Smith scored 37 points, his third consecutive 30-point outing, and New York beat Charlotte for its season-high seventh straight victory. Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and Raymond Felton added 18 for the Knicks, who have the longest current streak in the NBA. They built a 30-point lead that was reduced to single digits for the second game in a row. Gerald Henderson tied a career high with 35 points for the Bobcats. Kemba Walker added 16, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 14 and Ben Gordon finished with 12. Smith had 23 points at halftime, shooting 9 of 11 from the field.

Magic 97, Wizards 92 In Orlando, Tobias Harris had 30 points and 11 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic break an eight-game losing streak. Maurice Harkless added 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while reserves E’Twaun Moore and Andrew Nicholson scored 15 and 14, respectively, for Orlando.

John Wall led the Wizards with 35 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Martell Webster was the only other Wizard in double figures, scoring 19.

Harris had the key basket, a 15-foot floater that gave the Magic a 93-88 lead with 1:22 left in the game. Wall made two free throws to get the Wizards within 93-90, but after the Magic missed Wall couldn’t convert at the other end and the Magic sealed the win from the free throw line.

76ers 97, Cavaliers 87 In Cleveland, Evan Turner scored 23 points and

PORTLAND: Utah Jazz guard Mo Williams (left) works to dribble around Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews during the second half of an NBA basketball game.—AP Philadelphia sent Cleveland to its season-high seventh straight loss. Jrue Holiday had 20 points and Thaddeus Young added 18 for the Sixers, who are 2-16 on the road since Jan. 2. Philadelphia used a 20-2 run that began late in the second quarter and extended into the third to take control of the game. Turner, who had three points at halftime, scored 13 in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. CJ Miles scored 19 points for Cleveland, which had lost six in a row on two previous occasions. The Cavaliers played again without their starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving (bruised shoulder) and Dion Waiters (sore knee).

Raptors 99, Pistons 82 In Auburn Hills, DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay scored 21 points apiece and Toronto ended a fivegame slide by extending Detroit’s home losing streak to eight games. The Raptors led 46-45 at the break and took control by outscoring Detroit 23-5 in the first eight minutes of the third period. Gay, who had just two points at halftime, scored 19 points during the third. Amir Johnson added 20 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jonas Jerebko scored 20 points to lead the Pistons, who also got 17 from rookie Andre Drummond.

Jazz 105, Trail Blazers 95 In Portland, Mo Williams scored 26 of his 28 points in the second half, and Utah rallied with a 19-3 run in the final minutes to beat Portland and

draw even with the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Paul Millsap added 25 points and 10 rebounds as the Jazz (37-36) ended a nine-game losing streak on the road, their longest since dropping 17 straight in the 1981-82 season.

The Blazers (33-39) dropped 31/2 games back with their third straight loss. Portland, playing without forward LaMarcus Aldridge because of a sprained right ankle, got 24 points from rookie Damian Lillard. J.J. Hickson added 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Nuggets 109, Nets 87 In Denver, rookie Evan Fournier scored a season-high 19 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and Denver extended its home winning streak to 18 games. Denver improved to 33-3 at the Pepsi Center this season, the best home record in the league. Wilson Chandler had 16 points and Corey Brewer and Kosta Koufos added 13 points apiece for the Nuggets, who are one win shy of matching their longest home winning streak since Jan. 28-April 20, 1989, despite missing injured point guard Ty Lawson. He was ruled out for the third time in four games after an exam Thursday of his strained heel also revealed a plantar fascia tear in his right foot.

Deron Williams scored 19 points for the Nets, who missed a chance for their team-record 21st road win of the season. It was the Nets’ sixth consecutive loss to the Nuggets in Denver.—AP

NBA results/standings Orlando 97, Washington 92; Boston 118, Atlanta 107; NY Knicks 111, Charlotte 102; Toronto 99, Detroit 82; Philadelphia 97, Cleveland 87; Memphis 103, Houston 94; Miami 108, New Orleans 89; Minnesota 101, Oklahoma City 93; San Antonio 104, LA Clippers 102; Denver 109, Brooklyn 87; Utah 105, Portland 95.

NY Knicks Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia Toronto Indiana Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland Miami Atlanta Washington Orlando Charlotte

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 45 26 .634 42 30 .583 38 34 .528 29 43 .403 27 45 .375 Central Division 46 27 .630 39 31 .557 35 36 .493 24 49 .329 22 49 .310 Southeast Division 57 15 .792 40 33 .548 26 46 .361 19 54 .260 17 55 .236

GB 3.5 7.5 16.5 18.5 5.5 10 22 23 17.5 31 38.5 40

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 53 20 .726 Denver 50 24 .676 Utah 37 36 .507 Portland 33 39 .458 Minnesota 26 45 .366 Pacific Division LA Clippers 49 24 .671 Golden State 41 32 .562 LA Lakers 37 36 .507 Sacramento 27 46 .370 Phoenix 23 50 .315 Southwest Division San Antonio 55 17 .764 Memphis 48 24 .667 Houston 39 33 .542 Dallas 35 37 .486 New Orleans 25 48 .342

3.5 16 19.5 26 8 12 22 26 7 16 20 30.5

B’desh clinch thriller to level ODI series PALLEKELE: Nasir Hossain hit an unbeaten 33 under pressure as Bangladesh levelled the one-day series against Sri Lanka 1-1 with a three-wicket win in the thrilling third and final match on Thursday.

Bangladesh, chasing a rain-revised target of 183 off 27 overs, won the day-night match with six balls to spare in Pallekele to register their fourth one-day victory against Sri Lanka in 33 matches.

The tourists needed 17 to win off the last 12 deliveries, but Nasir eased the pressure when he smashed three fours in an over from seamer Thisara Perera before Sohag Gazi hit the winning boundary.

“It’s a huge win for us,” said Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim. “It was a challenge for us to do well against big teams, so I am very happy with the effort. We have not been in such situations before and that’s why the boys were panicking, but we pulled it off.”

Bangladesh began their chase on an impressive note when Anamul Haque (40) and

Mohammad Ashraful (29) put on 77 for the opening wicket in 12.5 overs before completing the upset win in the penultimate over.

Sri Lanka won the first one-dayer by eight wickets in Hambantota, while the second match at the same venue was abandoned due to rain.

Tillakaratne Dilshan earlier scored a 128-ball 125 to help Sri Lanka post a challenging 302-9 in 50 overs. The in-form opener, who made an unbeaten 113 in the first match, hit 12 fours in his 16th one-day hundred. “We were disappointed as we had runs on the board. The bowling let us down today. We batted brilliantly even though we lost our way in the middle,” said Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.

Dilshan, who reached his century with a single off left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, was the seventh man out, caught by Nasir at mid-wicket off paceman Shahadat Hossain in the 47th over.

Razzak, who removed Nuwan Kulasekara and Sachithra Senanayake off successive balls

in his last over, finished with 5-62, his fourth five-wicket haul. He also completed 200 wickets in one-day internationals. Sri Lanka were reduced to 263-7 before Lahiru Thirimanne hit a 15-ball 25 not out late in the innings to help his side cross the 300-mark.

The hosts got off to a solid start after electing to bat as Dilshan and Kusal Perera (56) added 116 for the opening wicket.

Dilshan then put on 87 for the next wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (48), who completed 11,000 one-day runs during his 49-ball knock.

Perera started impressively as he lofted Shahadat over long-on for the first six of the match and then hit the same bowler for three fours in an over.

Playing his seventh one-dayer, Perera fell after completing his maiden half-century as he was caught by Nasir at point while attempting to cut off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will now play a oneoff Twenty20 international in Pallekele on Sunday.—AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

S P ORTS

Serena captures Miami title

CANBERRA: Lionel Mapoe (front) of the Bulls is tackled by a Brumbies player during round 7 of the rugby Super 15 match. —AFP

Brumbies’ Lealiifano kicks late penalty to beat Bulls CANBERRA: Christian Lealiifano kicked a penalty after the fulltime hooter to give the ACT Brumbies a 23-20 victory, that moved them back to the top of the point standings, over the Bulls in their Super Rugby clash in Canberra yesterday.

Bulls centre JJ Engelbrecht had scored a 78th-minute try, which was converted by Morne Steyn to give the South Africans hope of a draw before Lealiifano slotted the longrange penalty after the Bulls had been penalised from the kickoff.

The Brumbies had earlier taken advantage of Morne Mellet being yellow-carded by referee Jonathon White for constantly collapsing the scrum, to stymie the visitors’ second half momentum and slot two penalties.

The victory moved them to 27 points on the table. Last year’s champions the Waikato Chiefs had earlier moved to 25 points after they had beaten the Auckland Blues 23-16 in Tauranga. Much of the first half was played between the 22-metre areas as both sides seemed content to kick for territory and attempt to work off errors inside the opposition half.

The Brumbies forwards surprisingly outmuscled the bigger Bulls pack, allowing their team to make better use of the field position.

Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White missed two long-range penalties while inside centre

Lealiifano slotted three closer to the posts to give the home side a 9-3 lead. Bulls flyhalf Steyn had slotted a 20th-minute penalty as half time approached.

The Brumbies forwards then began a rolling maul and a series of pick-and-gos to give their side some momentum before fullback Robbie Coleman ran a superb angle from behind the point of attack and scored the only try of the first half, two minutes after the halftime hooter had sounded.

The match opened up more in the second half with Bulls winger Lionel Mapoe losing the ball over the line in the tackle, before Jurgen Visser finished off a well-worked backline move to score his first Super Rugby try in the 48th minute. Steyn added the conversion then slotted his second penalty of the match four minutes later that brought the visitors to 14-13 and sensing the momentum had shifted. Bulls loosehead prop Mellett, however, was sinbinned for constantly collapsing the scrum with 17 minutes remaining, which allowed the Brumbies to add two further Lealiifano penalties.

Engelbrecht then finished a counterattacking movement that had swept from halfway after the Bulls had turned the ball over and Steyn converted from wide out to look like the visitors had earned two points for the draw.—Reuters

MIAMI: World No. 1 Serena Williams rallied to defeat world No. 2 Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-3, 60 yesterday in the WTA Miami final, winning the event for a record sixth time to claim her 48th career tour title. Williams, who had shared the all-time Miami women’s title mark with Steffi Graf, won the last 10 games in adding to a trophy haul that included crowns in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 and runner-up efforts in 1999 and 2009.

It was the 11th match victory in a row for Williams over Sharapova, coming in their first meeting as the top two players in the world rankings, and gave the 31-year-old American a 12-2 edge in their all-time rivalry. Williams became only the fourth woman in the modern era to win the same event six times, joining Graf, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Graf’s husband, Andre Agassi, won the Miami men’s title six times.

Williams, a 15-time Grand Slam singles champion, also became the oldest women’s champion in Miami history, four months older than Evert when the legend won here in 1986 at 31 years and two months of age.

Sharapova suffered her fifth championshipmatch loss at Miami and still looks for her first Miami title after having been denied a 29th career WTA triumph.

Four-time Grand Slam title winner Sharapova had won 11 matches in a row without dropping a set since losing to Williams in a Doha semi-final.

Sharapova’s only two victories over Williams came in 2004 in the Wimbledon final and the WTA Los Angeles final.

The $8.5 million hard court event, which also includes an ATP Masters tournament, concludes today with Britain’s Andy Murray facing Spaniard David Ferrer in the men’s final.

Williams saved three break points in the third game of the match and held. Then the two traded breaks, Williams netting a backhand to surrender the fifth game before Sharapova swatted a backhand beyond the baseline to allow Williams to equalize at 3-3.

Sharapova broke again in the ninth game, Williams denying the Russian’s first chance with a 112-mph ace but following with a double

KEY BISCAYNE: Serena Williams poses for photographers with the winner’s trophy after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia during the final of the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center. —AFP fault and then netting a forehand on the run to give Sharapova a 5-4 edge. Sharapova then held at love and claimed the first set when Williams sent a forehand long, ending a run of 13 sets in a row lost to the American since a 2008 quarter-final on clay at Charleston, South Carolina. Williams, who made 20 unforced errors to 15 winners in the opening set, smacked her bench with her racquet during a changeover after dropping the set, then held at love to open the second set and broke Sharapova for a 2-0 edge.

Sharapova broke back at love in the third

Murray to face Ferrer in final

Chiefs down Blues in intense encounter TAURANGA: Centre Richard Kahui celebrated his first Super Rugby start in 10 months with a try, storming defence and attacking thrust to help the Waikato Chiefs to a 23-16 victory over the Auckland Blues in their Super Rugby clash in Tauranga yesterday.

Kahui, who had his fourth shoulder reconstruction last year and then needed keyhole surgery to clean up scar tissue before the season started, was key in shutting down an attack-minded Auckland backline. The 27-year-old made his comeback off the bench last week but was given his first start against the young Blues side and did not seem to be concerned with his shoulders, smashing into tackles and running straight and hard the entire game.

His industry was rewarded with a charge-down try in the second half that put the game out of reach for the Blues in an intense encounter.

The Chiefs dominated territory and possession and made three clean line breaks in the first half only to be cut down by the last defender, or to make an error as they tried

to make the final pass.

The home side also crossed for two tries, to fullback Gareth Anscombe and winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma, but both were ruled out by the television official when referee Jonathan Kaplan asked for them to be reviewed.

Anscombe managed to slot three first half penalties, while Auckland’s Chris Noakes replied with two as the hosts went into the break with a 9-6 lead.

Replacement prop Ben Tameifuna did manage to smash over and emulate his uncle Sona Taumalolo, who became a cult figure at the Hamilton-based team for his ability to burrow over when attacking close to the line, to give the Chiefs a 16-6 lead early in the second half.

Kahui then charged down a Francis Saili clearing kick, raced through and grabbed the ball to score. Anscombe converted both tries. Auckland winger George Moala crossed for a 78th minute consolation try but it was not enough to stop the Chiefs achieving their fourth successive victory over their northern neighbors. —Reuters

Toulon end losing streak PARIS: Jonny Wilkinson kicked 17 points for Toulon as the Top 14 leaders ended a fourmatch losing streak away from home yesterday with a 43-11 rout of Stade Francais.

The former England fly-half - who confirmed reports he was all set to extend his contract with Toulon for another year kicked seven from seven while his side ran in four tries in the first Top 14 match to be played under a closed roof on its debut in Lille. Defeat for Stade means for the fourth season running they will not contest the end of season title play-offs. “The pressure was on us against a good side but we responded to the challenge perfectly,” said Wilkinson.

“We are almost there with reagrds to extending my stay and I have said all season if I thought I could contribute something to the team next season I wanted to stay. “I love playing with really good players and good coaches and that is what we have here,” added the 33-year-old, who has been there since 2009. Wilkinson got the first score on the board in the seventh minute with a penalty after Stade’s kicker Jules Plisson had missed an opportunity down the other end.

Wilkinson added another penalty in the 19th minute but Plisson reduced the deficit to three points (6-3) a few minutes later.

The inimitable Wilkinson then made it 93 with an impeccable drop goal - a league leading eighth of the season - from distance in the 26th minute.

The league leaders extended their lead further in the 30th minute as Fernandez Lobbe touched down after the try had been created by a delightful kick by Alexis Palisson behind a virtually non existent

Stade defence.

England fullback Delon Armitage selflessly passed to Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, even though he could have probably touched the ball down himself, and Wilkinson converted for 16-3.

Wilkinson added another penalty four minutes before the break as Toulon eased away against a Stade side devoid of inspiration although Plisson gave them the last score of the half with another penalty to make it 19-6 at half-time.

However, the hosts lost scrum-half Lucas Rubio, their third choice in that position promoted to start his first Top 14 game because of injuries to the other two, and had to be replaced by Australian flyhalf/centre Paul Warwick. Stade, though, gave Toulon a shock early in the secondhalf as Waisea Vuidravuwalu blocked Palisson’s clearing kick and the Fijian wing touched down in the corner - Plisson missed the conversion to leave Toulon 1911 ahead. Toulon restored their supremacy as Palisson was at the end of a sweeping backs move in the 57th minute to score their second try which was brilliantly converted by Wilkinson from the left touchline for 26-11.

Stade’s problems were exacerbated as they were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes when Julien Arias was sin-binned and former All Black backrow forward Chris Masoe made them pay with a try in the 67th minute while Wilkinson converted for 33-11. Toulon added another try through Steffon Armitage which was converted by Wilkinson for 40-11 and Matt Giteau rounded off the rout with a penalty from long range on the final whistle.—AFP

and fifth games to seize a 3-2 lead, only to have Williams break back at love in the sixth to pull even.

Williams held serve, then broke again to 5-3 when Sharapova netted a forehand and held again to force a third set.

Williams broke Sharapova to open the third set on a forehand by the Russian that was ruled just beyond the baseline after a challenge by the American. Sharapova’s fifth double fault handed over another break and Williams held for a 4-0 advantage, broke again and finished off the victory with a service winner.—AFP

KEY BISCAYNE: Andy Murray of Great Britain celebrates match point against Richard Gasquet of France during the semifinals of the Sony Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center.—AFP

MIAMI: Britain’s Andy Murray fought back for a 6-7 6-1 6-2 win over France’s Richard Gasquet to reach the final of the Sony Open where he will face Spaniard David Ferrer today.

Murray recovered after making a mess of the first set where he was serving for it at 5-4 but double-faulted on break point and ended up losing out in the tie-break.

Gasquet had been playing some inspired tennis but he was outplayed in the second set and the Scotsman never looked in danger in the third.

“The first set was a tough one to lose, because I obviously served for the set and then at the end of the set you kind of look up at the stats and I had hit over 20 winners and lost the set,” the Scotsman told reporters.

“So I realised I had to cut out the unforced errors. I did a good job of that. Halfway through the second set I started to find the right way to play, the right shots to go for and I did well after that,” he said. Gasquet had to receive treatment for a blisters and an ankle problem but refused to blame his ailments for his defeat.

“I didn’t lose because of that. I lost because he was better,” said the Frenchman. “He serves well. He returns very good. He runs a lot. He defends. He’s the best defender in the world and he never misses. He’s a very good player.”

A victory over Ferrer in the final would move Murray above Roger Federer into second place in the world rankings.

Ferrer ended German Tommy Haas’s dream of reaching the Sony Open final with a 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory in Friday’s semi-final.

The 34-year-old Haas, whose career looked close to finished after a series of injuries, beat world number one Novak Djokovic on his way to the last four and threatened another upset at Key Biscayne.

After the German clinched the first set, Ferrer turned things around in the second but trailed 3-1 in the third with Haas sensing a real chance of his first Masters Series final in 11 years.

But Ferrer fought back, taking advantage of some unforced errors from the fading German to secure the victory and his first place in a final at Miami.

Ferrer is bidding to lift his second Masters 1000 victory, having triumphed over Jerzy Janowicz in Paris last November. The Spaniard was a beaten semi-finalist in Miami in 2005 and 2006.—Reuters

Hurricanes shake off rust against Kings WELLINGTON: Wellington Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett was prepared to put his side’s 46-30 victory over South Africa’s Southern Kings behind them yesterday and target bigger Super Rugby challenges down the road.

The home side notched a bonus point inside the first 40 minutes with four tries then bumbled through the second half and never really put the visitors away until Brad Shields scored his side’s fifth try with 15 minutes remaining.

Alapati Leuia then scored an intercept try with eight minutes remaining, while flyhalf Beauden Barrett added 16 points from the boot as the Hurricanes recorded their third successive win after dropping their first two games.

“Maybe coming off the bye (last week) some of our skills weren’t where we want to be,” Hammett told repor ters at Wellington Regional Stadium.

“Hopefully we can put that one out of our system and be happy that we scored six tries, got five points in the bag and now we can go away and prepare for next week.”

The Hurricanes opened the scoring early when Ben May notched his first Super Rugby try, in his 55th game, when he crossed in the third minute after some effective build-up work by both backs and forwards. Captain Conrad Smith, scrumhalf TJ Perenara and lock Jeremy Thrush, also crossed to ensure the Hurricanes had secured a bonus point, while flyhalf

Beauden Barrett slotted three conversions and penalty. The home side, who dominated the forward exchanges in the first half were also their own worst enemies, as they gave away silly errors, which Kings flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis punished with three penalties that kept his side within touching distance, while he also converted Stephen Sykes’ first half try. “There was lots of good stuff, getting four tries in that first half,” Hammett added. “The four tries were really well constructed.”

The match, however, lost all shape after the break with the Hurricanes unable to get any momentum as they dropped the ball and were penalised heavily for silly errors.

“We attempted to do that in the second half but we were just a bit inaccurate.

“Sometimes that happens when you get leads and you feel like that you were right on top of it you don’t quite put the screws in. “At this level unless you’re 100 percent on in terms of that intensity then it can happen.”

Kings’ centre Ronnie Cooke scored a 48th minute try, which Catrakilis converted to drag his side to 29-23. The match, however, went into a dull arm-wrestle before Shields and Leuia scored to blow out the scoreline. Replacement hooker Hannes Franklin grabbed the King’s third try with less than five minutes remaining, though by then there was no chance of a comeback. The Hurricanes host the New South Wales Waratahs next Saturday.—Reuters

WELLINGTON: Steven Sykes (top) of the Kings takes the line out throw during round 7 of the rugby Super 15 match at the Westpac Stadium.—AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

S P ORTS Photo of the day

Bale fires Spurs to victory Swansea 1

Tottenham 2

SWANS E A : G a re t h Ba l e fi re d Tottenham into third place in the Premier League as the Welsh star’s brilliant strike inspired a crucial 2-1 win at Swansea yesterday.

Bale teed up Jan Vertonghen for Spurs’ opener in the seventh minute, before lashing home his 27th goal of the season for club and country to double the lead.

Michu got one back for Swansea with his 20th goal of a fine first season in English football to set up a nervous finish for Spurs.

But Andre Villas-Boas’ team held on to climb t wo points above Chelsea and remain four points ahead of fifth placed Arsenal.

Spurs’ top four challenge is back on track after successive defeats against Liverpool and Fulham and they had Bale to thank as the Wales international shone on his return to his homeland.

Tottenham were ahead after just seven minutes when Bale produced a sublime lof ted pass to catch Dwight Tiendalli out of position and play in Vertonghen.

The Belgium defender brought the ball down and slotted beyond the advancing Michel Vorm to give the visitors the lead.

Swansea should have been two goals down just six minutes later.

Moussa Dembele put Emmanuel Adebayor clear on goal, only for the Togo striker to fire tamely at Vorm.

But the lead was doubled in the 21st minute courtesy of yet another moment of magic from Bale. When Vertonghen found Bale on the edge of the Swansea penalty area, the midfielder displayed all his talents as he took one def t touch before dispatching an unstoppable s t r i k e p a s t Vo r m . N a t h a n D ye r missed a gilt-edged chance to get Swansea back in the match after 35 minutes. The winger was picked out

by Tiendalli but smashed his header against the bar from just four yards.

M i ch u a l s o h eaded wi de f ro m another excellent Tiendalli centre.

Swansea enjoyed further pressure af ter the inter val and Brad Friedel, playing due to Hugo Lloris’ knee injury, had to be alert to deny

Michu after Wayne Routledge had fed him from a quick free-kick.

Their attacking ambitions left the hosts stretched at the back and form er Swansea lo an st ar Gy lf i Sigurdsson drew a sharp stop from Vorm with a wicked dipping strike.

M ichu then wasted another excellent opportunity as he headed wide from a good position.

But Michu gave the Swans hope in the 70th minute as he found the net fo r t he f ir st t im e since t he League Cup final win over Bradford.

Substitute Ki Sung-yueng delivered a superb corner and Michu made no mistake as he directed a header in off the far post.

Bale raced up the other end, taunting and teasing the Swansea defence, b efo re ro lli ng a sho t against the outside of the post, but it was brief respite for Spurs.

Temperatures were raised on both benches after Spurs fitness coach Jose Mario Rocha tried to prevent Swansea tak ing a quick throw.

Words were exchanged between Rocha, Steffan Freund and Swansea’s Alan Cur tis and Oscar Garcia as play continued, although the situation was eventually diffused and Spurs held on.—AFP

Anthony Perrin performs a high jump trick in Lyon, France. www.redbullcontentpool.com

West Ham ease drop fears West Ham 3

West Brom 1

LONDON: Andy Carroll scored a brace of goals as West Ham United overcame West Bromwich Albion 3-1 yesterday to allay concerns that they were sliding towards the relegation zone.

The on-loan Liverpool striker struck at either end of each half, sandwiching a 28th-minute effort from Gary O’Neil, to give Sam Allardyce’s side a six-point cushion above the bottom three.

Graham Dorrans replied for West Brom from the penalty spot with two minutes remaining, but the visitors then had Youssouf Mulumbu sent off for an injurytime meltdown that saw him kick the ball at O’Neil. West Ham had lost five of their previous seven matches but Sam Allardyce’s side began the game at Upton Park with plenty of purpose.

However, they had to overcome a couple of early scares before stamping their authority on the match. West Brom’s Gareth McAuley had a sixth-minute goal ruled out

for a clear foul on West Ham goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who then produced a superb save to repel Romelu Lukaku’s deflected free-kick.

The home side made the breakthrough in the 16th minute with a goal that showcased Carroll at his uncomprising best.

From O’Neil’s left-wing corner, the former Newcastle United man soared above Jonas Olsson to send an emphatic header thudding into the net.

The second goal arrived before the half hour, with O’Neil guiding the ball past visiting goalkeeper Ben Foster to complete a counter-attack led by Ricardo Vaz Te. The hosts had a scare in the 63rd minute when Jaaskelainen had to save from Billy Jones, but 10 minutes from full-time, Carroll made sure of victory with a sublime goal.

James Collins lofted a free-kick into the West Brom area and Carroll watched the ball drop over his shoulder before meeting it with a crisp volley that found the far corner. Dorrans replied in the 88th minute, drilling his penalty down the centre of the goal after Lukaku went down under pressure from Winston Reid and Matt Taylor.

There was to be no fightback, however, and Mulumbu completed a day to forget for the away side when he was shown a straight red card for losing his cool in added time.—AFP

Barca held as Messi notches goal record MADRID: Lionel Messi notched up another goal-scoring record yesterday but Barcelona’s cruise towards a 22nd title was halted when Borja Oubina hit a late equaliser which handed Celta Vigo a deserved 2-2 draw.

The visitors were without a number of first-team regulars and were punished for a slow start when Natxo Insa prodded home from close range to put Celta in front seven minutes before half-time.

The lead only lasted five minutes though as Messi released Cristian Tello to curl home a fine equaliser and the roles were reversed 18 minutes from time when Tello cut the ball back for Messi to drill low into the net.

The goal was Messi’s 43rd league goal of the campaign and also secured another record for the World Player of the Year. By scoring for the 19th straight game, he became the first player to score against every other side in the Spanish league in consecutive matches. However, Celta gave their chances of survival a huge boost as Oubina headed home Fabian Orellana’s cross at the back post two minutes from time.

With Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain in mind, Barcelona assistant manager Jordi Roura made seven changes to the side that had beaten Rayo Vallecano a fortnight ago.

Messi started as captain in the absence of Carles Puyol, Xavi, Victor Valdes and Andres Iniesta. Even the Argentine failed to shine in a drab opening quarter devoid of any clear-cut

opportunities at either end.

Indeed in keeping with the quality to that point, the opening goal nearly came as a result of an awful error by Gerard Pique on 28 minutes as he miscued a routine clearance towards his own goal forcing Jose Manuel Pinto into a save before the keeper also turned Park Chu-Young’s follow-up effort behind for a corner.

Moments later Messi was denied what appeared a stonewall penalty as he turned Vadim Demidov inside the area, but referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz was unmoved.

Tello and Oubina then fired just off target as the game began to open up, but Barca’s slackness at the back was finally punished as Celta went in front on 37 minutes.

Marc Bartra unnecessarily gave the ball away and after Park had fed Oubina on the right side of the area, his weak effort towards goal was prodded home by Insa from close range. The visitors were level two minutes before the break when Messi’s lovely ball over the top released Tello who curled in a precise finish off the far post.

The second-half followed a similar pattern to the first as Barca struggled to find their usual rhythm early on and were only sparked into life when Iniesta and David Villa were introduced with 25 minutes remaining. Villa was only denied a certain goal with virtually his first touch by a great interception from Roberto Lago after another fine run and cross by Tello.—AFP

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina (left) in action with Celta’s Gustavo Cabral, during a Spanish League soccer match. —AP

DUBAI: Joel Rosario, centre, jockey of Animal Kingdom of US, holds the trophy after he wins the US dollars 6,000,000 (4,679,275 euro) first place prize of Dubai World Cup at Meydan racecourse.—AP

Animal Kingdom rules in Dubai DUBAI: Animal Kingdom galloped to a resounding victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup yesterday, in the process becoming the ninth American-trained winner in the 18-year history of the world’s richest race.

Trained by Graham Motion, the five-year-old horse tracked front-running Royal Delta before jockey Joel Rosario sent him clear early in the home straight.

He won by two lengths from fast-closing Red Cadeaux, with Planteur replicating his finishing position 12 months ago in third place, a further 4 3/4 lengths in arrears at the end of the 2,000metre test.

For Rosario, victory came on his first ride at Meydan, the state-of-the-art racecourse opened in 2010. “I’ve never been here before but I knew we had a chance,” Rosario said. “I watched a lot of past races and had an idea where we needed to be (through the race).”

Victory for Animal Kingdom was just reward for connections of a horse that was due to contest last year’s World Cup until he injured a leg three weeks beforehand and was withdrawn.

However, Motion was handsomely compensated for his patience with the injury-prone Animal Kingdom, who returned from the 2011 Belmont Stakes with another injury.

He had earlier won the Kentucky Derby on just his fourth racecourse start. “I’m numb,”

Motion said afterwards. “In many ways it was a little like the Kentucky Derby in that he seemed to draw off so easily. I thought it would be a shame if something came and beat him after that.” Australia’s Arrowfield Stud recently acquired a 75 per cent share in Animal Kingdom from the American entity, Team Valor, and is expected to stand him as a stallion in due course.

Before then, Animal Kingdom might take aim at the Royal Ascot meeting in June. Stall 12 had been billed as a possible impediment to Animal Kingdom, who habitually likes to settle in rear before charging home with a late run.

However, after a moderate break this time, Rosario took the horse forward so that he emerged from the first bend immediately behind Royal Delta.

Godolphin’s Hunter’s Light, the much-fancied local hope, stalked the pace but raced with too much zest to sustain his effort. He came home in seventh place.

As the winner powered clear, Red Cadeaux came out of the pack to claim $2 million for finishing second. “ This horse never ceases to amaze me,” said Red Cadeaux’s jockey, Gerald Mosse.

“To run second in the Dubai World Cup and get within two lengths of Animal Kingdom, I’ve got to be happy with that.”

Victory for Animal Kingdom redressed the balance for American-trained horses, which have suffered a series of disappointments since the World Cup surface was changed from dirt to a synthetic surface three years ago.

The horse was already proven on synthetics, having won the 2011 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park, in Kentucky, ahead of winning the Kentucky Derby.

The World Cup was deprived of last year’s winner at the eleventh hour when Monterosso was withdrawn in the morning through lameness. Monterosso’s intended jockey, Mickael Barzalona, switched to African Story but the combination could only finish fifth in the 12strong field.

In the main supporting race, the $5 million Sheema Classic over 2,400 metres, Japan’s Gentildonna threw down a challenge to St Nicholas Abbey, who led early in the home straight, but the Irish challenger ran on too strongly to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths.

The winner is trained by Aidan O’Brien for the the long-established partnership comprising Derrick Smith, John Magnier and Michael Tabor, which was also responsible for $1 million UAE Derby winner Lines Of Battle. O’Brien said Lines Of Battle would now be prepared for a tilt at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.—AFP

Juventus outclass Inter MILAN: Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri scored one apiece for Juventus as the champions reinforced their Serie A title defence with a commanding 2-1 away win to Inter Milan here at the San Siro yesterday.

Inter began the day 18 points adrift of the leaders and despite having a game in hand had hoped to close the gap as they continue to battle for a top three place that would all but guarantee Champions League football next season.

However, the Nerazzurri, who welcomed several players back late from World Cup qualifying matches in South America, were outclassed in the first half and, despite Argentine Rodrigo Palacio producing a superb leveller 10 minutes after the restart, the hosts were silenced again when Matri struck on the hour. Juventus now sit 12 points ahead of secondplaced Napoli, who face Torino in a tricky away game later Saturday, and 21 ahead of Inter, who dropped one place to sixth after Lazio’s 2-1 win against Catania. Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni admitted the early goal had upset his plans.

“Their first goal after only a few minutes obviously gave Juventus the

momentum and we didn’t really get going until the second half,” said Stramaccioni.

“We were playing open football and really came into it in the second half, but they scored their second when we were playing our best football.”

Juve counterpart Antonio Conte once again flirted with controversy when he pumped his fists in celebration in the direction of Juve’s fans after the match. But afterwards he said the champions must remain cautious.

“It’s another step in the right direction,” said Conte, who won the title with Juve last year in his first season in charge. “But Napoli and Milan won’t wait for us if we slip up, so we have to keep on winning.” Juve started strongly and took the lead when Quagliarella produced a great strike from the edge of the area which left Samir Handanovic clutching at thin air. Dominated in midfield, Inter were reduced to feeding Antonio Cassano a series of long balls, none of which produced the desired effect although the Inter striker forced a fine fingertip save from Gianluigi Buffon.

An alert Buffon then produced a

fine block on the goalline from Palacio’s back post header from Alvaro Pereira’s cross while at the other end Quagliarella’s effort with the outside of his boot was tipped to safety by Handanovic.

Handanovic then parried a Pirlo

drive, following a nice spell of onetouch football and then Palacio, from Cassano’s cross, spurned a chance to level just before the break.

Stramaccioni made only one change at the interval with Fredy Guarin replacing Pereira in midfield.—AFP

MILAN: Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, of Chile (center) challenge for the ball with Inter Milan’s midfielder Mateo Kovacic (right) and Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, of Slovenia, during a Serie A soccer match. —AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

S P ORT S Soccer results/standings Arsenal 4 (Gervinho 11, Cazorla 48, Giroud 67, Arteta 77-pen) Reading 1 (Robson-Kanu 68); Manchester City 4 (Tevez 41, Silva 45, Kompany 56, Perch 69-og) Newcastle 0; Southampton 2 (Rodriguez 23, Lambert 35) Chelsea 1 (Terry 33); Sunderland 0 Manchester Utd 1 (Bramble 27-og); Swansea 1 (Michu 71) Tottenham 2 (Vertonghen 7, Bale 21); West Ham 3 (Carroll 16, 80, O’Neil 28) West Brom 1 (Dorrans 88-pen); Wigan 1 (Kone 81) Norwich 0; Everton 1, Stoke 0.

Playing today Aston Villa v Liverpool Playing tomorrow Fulham v QPR English Football League results Championship Charlton 3 Bolton 2; Ipswich 3 Leeds 0; Nottingham Forest 2 Brighton 2; Peterborough 2 Cardiff 1; Sheffield Wednesday 2 Barnsley 1; Wolves 3 Middlesbrough 2.

Played Friday Blackburn 1 Blackpool 1; Crystal Palace 0 Birmingham 4; Derby 3 Bristol City 0; Leicester 0 Millwall 1; Watford 3 Burnley 3.

Division Two Bristol Rovers 0 York 0; Burton 0 Chesterfield 1; Fleetwood 2 Gillingham 2; Plymouth 1 Exeter 0.

Played Friday Barnet 0 Dagenham and Redbridge 0; Bradford 2 Southend 2; Oxford 1 Morecambe 1; Northampton 1 Torquay 0; Port Vale 3 Cheltenham 2; Rochdale 1 Aldershot 1; Rotherham 1 Wimbledon 0; Wycombe 0 Accrington 1.

Scottish Premier League results Aberdeen 2 (McGinn 10, 55) Hearts 0; Dundee 0 Motherwell 3 (Higdon 9, Law 63, 79); Hibernian 1 (Griffiths 59) Inverness CT 2 (Draper 48, Shinnie 65); Ross County 0 Kilmarnock 1 (Fowler 2).

Playing today St Mirren v Celtic Playing tomorrow St Johnstone v Dundee Utd Scottish Football League results First Division Airdrie 0 Falkirk 1; Cowdenbeath 1 Partick 2; Hamilton 2 Dumbarton 3; Livingston 2 Dunfermline 2; Raith 2 Morton 1.

Second Division Ayr 2 East Fife 1; Forfar 2 Arbroath 4; Queen of the South 2 Brechin 1; Stenhousemuir 0 Albion 1; Stranraer 1 Alloa 2.

Third Division Clyde 2 East Stirling 0; Montrose 0 Rangers 0; Peterhead 2 Annan Athletic 0; Queen’s Park 0 Elgin City 1; Stirling 1 Berwick 0.

German Bundesliga results VfB Stuttgart 1 (Maxim 63) Borussia Dortmund 2 (Piszczek 29, Lewandowski 82); SC Freiburg 2 (Kruse 69, 90+2) Borussia Moenchengladbach 0; Fortuna Duesseldorf 1 (Schwaab 41-og) Bayer Leverkusen 4 (Kiessling 22-pen, 88, Schuerrle 62, 84); FC Augsburg 0 Hannover 2 (Rausch 61, 90+1); Mainz 05 1 (Szalai 1) Werder Bremen 1 (Hunt 69); Schalke 04 3 (Hoeger 71, Rafael 79, Pukki 83) Hoffenheim 0.

Playing today VfL Wolfsburg v Nuremberg; Greuther Fuerth v Eintracht Frankfurt.

Italian League results Palermo 2 (Ilicic 21, Miccoli 35) Roma 0; Udinese 0 Bologna 0; Lazio 2 (Legrottaglie 79-og, Candreva 81-pen) Catania 1 (Izco 50); Cagliari 2 (Pinilla 11, 39-pen) Fiorentina 1 (Cuadrado 73); Inter Milan 1 (Palacio 54) Juventus 2 (Quagliarella 3, Matri 60); Parma 3 (Benalouane 18, Paletta 52, Amauri 65) Pescara 0; Atalanta 0 Sampdoria 0; Genoa 2 (Borriello 6, Jankovic 71) Siena 2 (Emeghara 43, Rosina 52-pen); Chievo v AC Milan - late kickoff; Torino v Napoli - late kickoff.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd 30 25 2 3 70 31 77 Man City 30 18 8 4 55 26 62 Tottenham 31 17 6 8 53 38 57 Chelsea 30 16 7 7 59 32 55 Arsenal 30 15 8 7 59 33 53 Everton 30 13 12 5 47 35 51 Liverpool 30 12 9 9 57 39 45 West Brom 31 13 5 13 41 41 44 Swansea 31 10 10 11 41 40 40 Fulham 29 9 9 11 40 44 36 West Ham 30 10 6 14 35 44 36 Southampton 31 8 10 13 44 53 34 Stoke 31 7 13 11 27 36 34 Norwich 31 7 13 11 28 47 34 Newcastle 31 9 6 16 41 56 33 Sunderland 31 7 10 14 33 43 31 Wigan 30 8 6 16 36 56 30 Aston Villa 30 7 9 14 31 56 30 QPR 30 4 11 15 26 48 23 Reading 31 5 8 18 36 61 23 Note: Top four clubs qualify for the Champions League and the bottom three teams are relegated.

English Football League tables Championship Cardiff 38 23 6 9 61 Hull 38 21 5 12 55 Watford 39 20 7 12 75 Crystal Palace 39 18 11 10 67 Nottingham 39 16 13 10 58 Brighton 39 15 15 9 56 Leicester 39 17 8 14 59 Bolton 39 14 12 13 57 M’brough 39 17 3 19 57 Birmingham 39 13 13 13 54 Leeds 39 14 10 15 49 Derby 39 13 12 14 57 Burnley 39 13 11 15 53 Charlton 39 13 11 15 49 Millwall 37 14 8 15 47 Ipswich 39 13 10 16 39 Blackpool 39 11 14 14 54 Blackburn 38 11 14 13 46 Huddersfield 38 12 11 15 40 Sheffield 38 13 7 18 43 Peterborough 39 13 6 20 57 Wolves 39 12 9 18 48 Barnsley 38 12 8 18 48 Bristol City 39 11 6 22 54

40 45 51 53 50 40 35 53 61 59 57 54 54 54 52 55 53 49 64 53 65 56 60 70

75 68 67 65 61 60 59 54 54 52 52 51 50 50 50 49 47 47 47 46 45 45 44 39

Division Two Gillingham Port Vale Northampton Burton Albion Cheltenham Rotherham Exeter Fleetwood Southend Chesterfield Oxford Utd Bradford Morecambe Bristol Rovers Wycombe Redbridge Rochdale Wimbledon Torquay Plymouth Accrington Barnet York Aldershot

33 43 49 52 49 54 48 46 47 38 57 46 55 59 55 55 62 69 53 49 61 52 58 51

76 70 68 66 65 64 63 59 56 56 56 55 52 52 49 48 48 48 46 46 46 45 42 41

41 40 40 40 41 39 40 41 40 40 41 39 41 40 39 41 40 41 41 40 41 41 41 40

21 20 20 19 17 19 18 15 15 15 16 14 13 14 14 12 12 13 11 11 12 11 8 9

13 10 8 9 14 7 9 14 11 11 8 13 13 10 7 12 12 9 13 13 10 12 18 14

7 10 12 12 10 13 13 12 14 14 17 12 15 16 18 17 16 19 17 16 19 18 15 17

60 72 60 61 55 62 59 51 55 46 51 52 52 51 45 52 56 48 46 42 44 43 42 36

Cowdenbeath 30 6 Airdrie Utd 30 4

11 13 43 7 19 35

Second Division Queen of South31 26 4 Alloa 31 Brechin 27 Arbroath 30 Forfar 29 Ayr 31 Stenhousemuir 30 Stranraer 29 East Fife 29 Albion 29

16 15 12 12 11 8 8 7 6

54 29 70 19

1

82 19 82 — champions 7 8 53 32 55 3 9 50 45 48 6 12 43 53 42 3 14 53 62 39 5 15 49 55 38 12 10 48 54 36 5 16 35 59 29 6 16 42 47 27 3 20 38 67 21

Third Division Rangers 31 21 8

2

Queen’s Park Montrose Peterhead Berwick Elgin Stirling Clyde Annan East Stirling

8 10 11 12 12 14 16 14 18

75 24 71 — champions 49 37 49 54 59 45 37 27 44 52 48 43 53 58 38 51 51 36 36 54 34 45 60 32 43 77 29

1 5 7 9 8 9 8 7 10 12 8 13 12 11 12 13 17 15

69 62 50 46 34 39 35 35 30 49 29 29 43 30 33 23 30 16

29 31 31 31 30 30 30 30 31

14 12 12 12 10 10 10 8 8

7 9 8 7 8 6 4 8 5

German Bundesliga table Bayern 26 22 3 Dortmund 27 15 7 Leverkusen 27 14 6 Schalke 27 12 6 Mainz 27 10 9 Eintracht 26 11 6 SC Freiburg 27 10 9 M’gladbach 27 9 11 Hamburg 26 11 5 Hannover 27 11 4 Nuremberg 26 8 10 Stuttgart 27 9 5 Werder 27 8 7 Wolfsburg 26 8 7 Dusseldorf 27 7 8 FC Augsburg 27 5 9 Hoffenheim 27 5 5 Greuther 26 2 9

11 32 35 43 30 37 33 37 34 46 32 46 52 40 40 40 52 42

69 52 48 42 39 39 39 38 38 37 34 32 31 31 29 24 20 15

Italian Serie A standings Juventus 30 21 5 4 59 19 68 Napoli 29 16 8 5 50 26 56 AC Milan 29 16 6 7 52 32 54 Fiorentina 30 15 6 9 54 37 51 Lazio 30 15 5 10 39 36 50 Roma 30 14 5 11 60 51 47 Inter Milan 29 14 5 10 45 39 47 Catania 30 13 6 11 40 38 45 Udinese 30 10 12 8 38 38 42 Parma 30 10 8 12 39 39 38 Cagliari 30 10 8 12 37 49 38 Sampdoria 29 10 7 12 35 33 36 Bologna 30 10 6 14 39 38 36 Torino 29 8 12 9 34 36 35 Chievo 29 10 5 14 31 44 35 Atalanta 30 10 6 14 30 42 34 Genoa 30 6 9 15 31 47 27 Siena 30 8 8 14 31 42 26 Palermo 30 4 12 14 25 43 24 Pescara 30 6 3 21 21 61 21 Note: Sampdoria (one point), Torino (one point), Atalanta (two points) and Siena (six points) all docked points for involvement in the “Calcioscommesse” illegal betting scandal.

Matches on TV (Local Timings) English Premier League

Scottish Premier League table Celtic 31 20 5 6 Motherwell 32 15 8 9 Inverness 32 12 14 6 Ross County 32 11 12 9 St Johnstone 31 11 11 9 Kilmarnock 31 10 11 10 Aberdeen 32 10 11 11 Hibernian 32 10 10 12 Dundee Utd 31 9 13 9 Hearts 32 8 10 14 St Mirren 30 8 9 13 Dundee 32 4 8 20

74 54 58 40 38 45 38 40 46 30 36 20

Scottish Football League tables First Division Partick 29 20 5 4 68 Morton 30 18 7 5 65 Livingston 28 12 8 8 48 Falkirk 30 12 7 11 41 Dunfermline 31 12 6 13 54 Raith 29 9 10 10 40 Dumbarton 29 10 3 16 46 Hamilton 28 8 8 12 34

29 41 49 39 37 40 40 44 51 43 47 59

24 37 44 41 51 42 72 39

65 53 50 45 44 41 41 40 40 34 33 20

65 61 44 43 42 37 33 32

Aston Villa v Liverpool Abu Dhabi Sports HD

15:30

Spanish League Real Valladolid v Osasuna Aljazeera Sport +2 Real Mallorca v Deportivo Aljazeera Sport +2 Espanyol v Sociedad Aljazeera Sport +7 Atletico v Valencia Aljazeera Sport +2

13:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

German Bundesliga Wolfsburg v Nuremberg 16:30 Dubai Sports SpVgg Greuther v Eintracht 18:30 Dubai Sports 2 French LeagueNice v Marseille15:00 Aljazeera Sport +9 Brest v Lille OSC 18:00 Aljazeera Sport +4 Lyonnais v Sochaux 22:00 Aljazeera Sport +4

City crush Newcastle Man City 4

Newcastle 0

MANCHESTER: Manchester City can cling onto their Premier League title for a few more days after a routine 4-0 victory over Newcastle United yesterday brought Manchester United’s lead at the top of the table back to 15 points.

Roberto Mancini’s team had been facing the prospect of falling 21 points behind the league leaders had they lost to Newcastle and then been defeated by United in Monday week’s Manchester derby.

However, goals from Carlos Tevez, David Silva, returning club captain Vincent Kompany and a James Perch own goal ensured a comfortable win. City settled the outcome of the game with two goals inside the final five minutes of the first half at the end of a period of slowly mounting pressure at the Etihad Stadium.

After 40 minutes, Silva’s pass to the left found defender Gael Clichy, who sent over the perfect cross that Tevez, arriving fractionally ahead of marker Jonas Gutierrez, slid into the open net from point-blank range for his 16th goal of the season.

There were chances for Tevez, who shot into the side netting, and Edin Dzeko, who saw a 12yard shot saved by Rob Elliot, before Silva doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time.

Samir Nasri showed tidy skill on the edge of the area to slip a defender and feed the ball to Silva, who, from the corner of the six-yard area, gave Elliot no chance with a vicious shot into the far corner.

The goals had been coming, although Newcastle might have drawn first blood with the first notable chance of the game when Vurnon Anita floated in a 25th-minute cross that Papiss Cisse volleyed against the foot of Joe Hart’s post.

Dzeko responded, after good work along the byline from Nasri, with a close-range shot that

LONDON: Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez (right) has his shot saved by Newcastle United’s English goalkeeper Rob Elliot (left) during the English Premier League football match. —AFP A Silva corner led to a blocked Tevez shot and Elliot kept out. Gareth Barry followed up with a an opening that Barry drove goalwards from 20 wild shot over the open net.

There were also threatening free-kicks, from yards, with Kompany, back after a 60-day injury Tevez and Silva, as the pressure grew and absence, cleverly sticking out a boot to divert Newcastle began to wilt. Silva had the ball in the the ball past the wrong-footed Elliot.

The Newcastle goalkeeper had a chance to back of the Newcastle goal after 38 minutes, only for the effort to be ruled out, correctly, for make amends moments later and duly saved offside. Trailing by two goals, the Newcastle well as Dezko shot at the end of another flowing manager Alan Pardew brought on Perch as part City move. But Elliot had little chance as Yaya of a tactical re -shuffle at the interval that Toure created City’s fourth goal after 69 minutes.

With Newcastle’s defence over stretched, brought about immediate improvements.

With City’s defence truly tested for the first Toure was able to slalom his way through three time, there was an element of panic creeping in defenders and head towards the right-hand as Yohan Cabaye played a clever one-two with byline, from where his shot deflected off the Moussa Sissoko before sending a low, first-time boot of Perch before Elliot palmed it into his own goal. volley whistling past the far post.

It was a stroke of good fortune but no more Cabaye was also on hand moments later to shoot over from 20 yards, a chance that proved than City’s complete domination had merited to be Newcastle’s last hope of a route back into and before the final whistle, Elliot saved well, the game because, after 56 minutes, Kompany once more, from a shot by substitute Scott Sinclair.—AFP further extended the lead.

Kone has Wigan dreaming of another escape

LONDON: Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud leaps over Reading’s goalkeeper Stuart Taylor after he saves a goal attempt from Giroud during the English Premier League soccer match. —AP

Arsenal demolish Reading Arsenal 4

Reading 1

LONDON: Ivory Coast striker Gervinho inspired Arsenal to a 4-1 demolition of struggling Reading yesterday as the Gunners boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League for the 16th successive season.

Gervinho scored the first at the Emirates Stadium and had a hand in second half goals for Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud on his first Premier League start since December.

Hal Robson-Kanu pulled one back for Reading in Nigel Adkins’ first match since taking over as Royals manager, but Mikel Arteta’s late penalty condemned the visitors to defeat and saw them drop below Queens Park Rangers to the foot of the table. There was even better news for Arsenal from Southampton, where Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat meant the fifth placed Gunners are now just two points outside the top four.

After successive victories over Bayern Munich and Swansea, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger kept faith with goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and recalled Aaron Ramsey, Bacar y Sagna, Ger vinho and Tomas Rosicky to his starting line-up.

Adkins only made two changes from predecessor Brian McDermott’s last game in charge, with Russia striker Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie both included.

Reading had lost their last six in all competitions, but began brightly, forcing a corner that Alex Pearce nodded two yards wide of Fabianski’s far post.

Arsenal were content to keep possession in the opening exchanges, but came alive after a minute’s applause in tribute to former midfielder David Rocastle, who died of cancer on March 31, 2001.

Gervinho was the architect in the 11th

minute as he turned Nicky Shorey on the right touchline and fed Giroud inside the penalty area. Pearce managed to clear but only as far as Cazorla on the edge of the box and his pinpoint cross picked out Gervinho to side-foot home.

Giroud thought he should have had a penalty when he was felled in the box by Reading goalkeeper Stuart Taylor but referee Chris Foy waved away the protests.

A bursting run from Gervinho that took him from his own half into the opposition penalty area should have ended in at least a shot on target but again his finishing let him down.

Reading then had a lucky escape when the ball appeared to strike Mikele Leigertwood’s hand following a corner and Foy failed to award the penalty.

Seven minutes before the break, Cazorla had a golden opportunity for Arsenal to score the second goal that their build-up play deserved but his left-footed strike missed by a matter of inches. Gervinho also wasted a great chance just before the break to leave Wenger frustrated on the touchline. Any concerns that Arsenal may live to rue those missed opportunities evaporated two minutes after the break.

Gervinho’s short pass into the feet of Cazorla gave the Spaniard time to pick his spot and he unleashed a perfect curling shot from the edge of the penalty area that left Taylor grasping at thin air.

A superbly-timed tackle from Laurent Koscielny then denied Pogrebnyak the opening to register Reading’s first shot on target. Pearce managed that from the resulting corner but his volley was comfortably held by Fabianski. A simple finish from Giroud after another quick break from Gervinho made it 3-0 in the 67th minute.

However, Reading continued to fight for everything and they got their reward less than 90 seconds later when Jobi McAnuff picked out Robson-Kanu to head in.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was brought on for the final 15 minutes and the England youngster had an immediate impact.

A clumsy challenge from Adrian Mariappa finally saw Foy point to the spot, with Spanish midfielder Arteta slotting home.—AFP

WIGAN: Wigan’s latest ‘Great Escape’ act in preser ving their Wigan 1 Premier League status took another positive step yesterday as leadNorwich 0 ing scorer Arouna Kone’s late goal gave them a 1-0 win over slumping Nor wich.

The Ivory Coast striker’s 11th goal of the campaign not only gave Wigan their first ever league win over Norwich in six meetings but pushed them up to fourth from bottom ahead of Aston Villa because of a better goal difference.

Villa play Liverpool today. Norwich’s alarming slide into the relegation battle continues as defeat leaves them with just one win in their last 14 league games and just four points above the bottom three having also played a game more than Wigan. The first-half had been a humdrum affair with Norwich playing any football of note though good approach work was let down by poor finishing.

Emblematic of that was French defender Sebastien Bassong’s effort which went so far of the mark that it ended up as a throw-in.

The hosts, looking a long way from the side that beat Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals and then Newcastle in the league, had just the one effort from Kone but that went wide. The second-half too was a drab affair with Norwich’s Bradley Johnson unleashing a decent effort on the hour mark on what was his 200th league start but it drifted just wide of the goal.

Wigan fans thought they had stolen the lead in the 69th minute when Antolin Alcaraz, who passed a late fitness test on his troublesome groin, saw his goalbound header cleared off the line by Jonny Howson. That appeared to spark the Wigan players into action as James McCarthy fired a great drive past the post and then Jordi Gomez had his goalbound shot blocked.

However, their pressure paid-off as Kone pounced to convert Gomez’s superbly judged pass and give Wigan fans real cause for optimism that their side was capable of securing their Premier League status.—AFP

Everton’s Euro bid on course LIVERPOOL: Everton remain in the hunt for Everton 1 a Champions League place after a superb solo goal from Kevin Mirallas clinched a 1-0 Stoke 0 win over Stoke yesterday.

Thanks to Mirallas’s moment of inspiration in the first half at Goodison Park, David Moyes’ sixth placed team are only four points behind fourth placed Chelsea in the battle to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition. After spending much of the season comfortably in mid-table, Stoke are now only four points above the relegation zone. Stoke’s ability to trouble teams from long throws is well documented, but Everton still seemed unprepared as an early panicked clearance fell to Robert Huth. The German’s header was well saved by Tim Howard and Stoke’s luck was out as Jon Walters saw his follow-up come back off the crossbar.

Everton appealed in vain for a penalty when Leon Osman’s shot struck Marc Wilson on the arm. Moyes’ men were gradually working up a head of steam and Nikica Jelavic headed straight at Asmir Begovic from a Leighton Baines cross. The hosts’ spell of pressure paid dividends in the 28th minute thanks to a fine individual goal from Mirallas. When Howard punched a cross clear, the ball fell to Mirallas on the halfway line and the Belgian forward skipped away from Steven Nzonzi and eluded Geoff Cameron’s challenge before guiding a cool finish past Begovic. Stoke’s response featured a disallowed goal as defender Ryan Shawcross saw his close-range effort ruled out for offside. Tony Pulis’s team threatened again through Walters, who cut inside before unleashing a shot that Howard did well to keep out.—AFP

Serena captures Miami title

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

17

City crush Newcastle

19

Arsenal demolish Reading in english premier league

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LONDON: Sunderland’s Irish defender John O’Shea (right) vies with Manchester United’s Ecuadorian midfielder Antonio Valencia (left) during the English Premier League football match. — AFP

United march towards EPL title Man Utd 1

Sunderland 0

SUNDERLAND: Manchester United emerged from a potentially problematic trip to Sunderland with a 1-0 win yesterday to take another step towards a Premier League triumph that now seems inevitable.

An own goal from Titus Bramble extended United’s unbeaten run in the league to 20 games and sent the 19-time English champions 18 points clear of Manchester City, who were due to tackle Newcastle United later on

Saturday.

Sunderland, who have now gone seven games without a win, have not scored in more than seven hours of football and rarely threatened to find that elusive goal.

They are now serious candidates for relegation and the pressure is mounting on their manager, Martin O’Neill. It was an excellent day for United manager Alex Ferguson, who engineered victory with a team that was far from full strength.

With the title virtually guaranteed, Ferguson had Monday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay at Chelsea in his thoughts.

Wayne Rooney was rested and Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck made cameo appearances as substitutes after their mid-week action for England, although fellow internationals Chris Smalling and Michael Carrick were both involved again.

There was also no sign of Rio Ferdinand at the end of a week of controversy sparked by his withdrawal from the national squad and fuelled by abusive chants from England’s fans.

There was some early encouragement for

Sunderland, who had beaten United only once in 23 previous Premier League encounters.

Stephane Sessegnon twice suggested his pace might pose problems for United’s defence and Craig Gardner had two shots blocked.

But there was a concern for O’Neill in the way Anderson was allowed space to advance into the area before his shot was repelled by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in the 12th minute.

That warning was ignored, however, and further slack defending led to United’s opening goal in the 27th minute. There should have been little danger when van Persie collected the ball near the corner flag, but former United defender Phil Bardsley allowed him to advance to the edge of the area.

It was a fatal mistake, as van Persie was able to unleash a shot that clipped Bardsley before it took a decisive deflection off the knee of Bramble and flew into the net.

Sunderland were unable to craft a genuine firsthalf threat to the goal of David De Gea and only Mignolet prevented them going further behind before the interval as he twice saved from van

Persie and also coped well with a shot from Ashley Young.

The second half was a non-event as United, anxious to conserve their energy before the trip to Stamford Bridge, went into cruise control.

Their chances dried up, although Sunderland, again lacking firepower in attack, were unable to capitalise on United’s restrained approach.

Bardsley did manage a shot in the 59th minute, heralding Sunderland’s best spell of the game, but United’s stranglehold was not seriously jeopardised and they went close to a stoppage-time goal when Mignolet saved from van Persie.

In fact, their major concern was a collision on the hour between De Gea and Nemanja Vidic, with the Spaniard requiring lengthy treatment before he could continue.

There is no relief in sight for Sunderland, who now face awkward games against Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle United. United, in contrast, have taken 50 points from their last 18 games and are on course to beat Chelsea’s points record of 95. — AFP

Chelsea stumble at Southampton Southampton 2

Chelsea 1

SOUTHAMPTON: Rafael Benitez’s plan to protect his Chelsea stars ahead of the FA Cup tie with Manchester United backfired as the Blues slumped to a 2-1 defeat at struggling Southampton yesterday.

This was the first of two games in 48 hours for Chelsea and Benitez made seven changes to keep his squad fresh before United’s visit to Stamford Bridge for Monday’s quarter-final replay.

But first half goals from Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert, scored either side of a John Terry equaliser, ensured they will now face United having suffered a major blow in their efforts to secure a top four finish. Tottenham’s victory at Swansea meant Benitez’s side slipped back to fourth, just two points ahead of Arsenal who lie fifth.

Meanwhile, Southampton’s victory leaves Mauricio Pochettino’s side four points above the relegation places. With a Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan also looming next week, Benitez admitted he would be forced to rotate his squad in an attempt to maintain a challenge on three fronts.

Juan Mata was ruled out because of illness while centre back Gary Cahill is not yet fully recovered from the knee injury that kept him out of England’s recent World Cup qualifiers.

Otherwise, the interim manager opted to name Ashley Cole, Ramires, David Luiz, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba among his substitutes, with all five likely to start against United.

Clearly Benitez believes his line-up was strong enough to defeat Pochettino’s struggling side and maintain Chelsea’s grip on third place.

However, the first half suggested otherwise with Southampton dominating possession and reaching half-time deservedly in front.

The warning signs for Chelsea were there as early as the second minute when Lambert and Rodriguez offered the first glimpse of their threat when they

LONDON: Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin (right) competes with Chelsea’s Oscar during their English Premier League soccer match at St Mary’s stadium. — AP

combined to create a shooting chance that Rodriguez fired over. The opening exchanges highlighted the uncertainty at the heart of the Chelsea defence where Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry looked less than convincing.

Terry in particular appeared uncharacteristically vulnerable as both Southampton strikers found a way past the Chelsea captain to create openings. Those misses were quickly forgotten though, when Rodriguez made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute after an incisive move.

The former Burnley forward collected a pass from Lambert and exchanged a slick one-two with Steve Davis on the edge of the Chelsea area before placing the ball beyond Petr Cech with an assured right-footed finish. The lead was no more than Southampton deserved although the shock of conceding did seem to spur Chelsea into action and within 10 minutes the visitors were level.

A Victor Moses chip almost caught out Artur Boruc who tipped the ball away for a corner but the reprieve proved temporary with Marko Marin’s corner finding Terry unmarked in front of goal and the defender easily directed his header beyond Boruc.

Relief for Benitez, but it would not last and two minutes later Lambert restored Southampton’s lead.

Ryan Bertrand fouled Davis 30 yards out and Lambert curled the resulting free kick up and over the wall and beyond Cech’s dive.

Chelsea’s response was certainly positive with Moses playing a more prominent role. The Nigeria international again came close with an attempted chip, saved this time by Kelvin Davis who had appeared as a half time replacement for the injured Boruc. But with a second goal failing to materialise, Benitez was forced to draw on the replacements he had hoped to keep in reserve until the United game with Hazard and Ramires quickly thrown into the action but had little impact on the course of the game. — AFP

Business

Egypt to get help from US, EU wheat exporters Page 22 Kuwait’s non-oil GDP could grow at 5% Page 23

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

Nissan Al-Babtain holds its annual after sales meet

Dawn of a new era: BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe Page 26 Page 25

NICOSIA: People wait in the line as a woman, right, use the ATM machine outside of a cooperative bank in capital Nicosia on Friday. Banks in Cyprus are open for normal business for the second day, but with strict restrictions on how much money their clients can access, after being shut for nearly two weeks to prevent people from draining their accounts as the country’s politicians sought a way out of an acute financial crisis. —AP

Big Cyprus bank customers to lose up to 60% savings CB confirms tough terms in bailout l Euro-zone deposits safe NICOSIA: Major depositors in Cyprus’s biggest bank will lose around 60 percent of savings over 100,000 euros, its central bank confirmed yesterday, sharpening the terms of a bailout that has shaken European banks and saved the island from bankruptcy.

Initial signs that big depositors in Bank of Cyprus would take a hit of 30 to 40 percent - the first time the euro-zone has made bank customers contribute to a bailout - had already unnerved investors in European lenders this week.

But the official decree published yesterday confirmed a Reuters report a day earlier that the bank would give depositors shares worth just 37.5 percent of savings over 100,000 euros. The rest of such holdings might never be paid back.

The toughening of the terms will send a clear signal that the bailout means the end of Cyprus as a hub for offshore finance and could accelerate economic decline on the island and bring steeper job losses. Banks reopened to relative calm on Thursday after an almost two-week shutdown and the imposition of capital controls. The streets of Nicosia were calm yesterday, filled with crowds relaxing in its cafes and bars. There is no sign for now that ordinary customers in other struggling euro-zone countries like Greece, Italy or Spain are taking fright at the precedent set by the bailout.

“Cyprus is and will remain a special one-off case,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, one of the architects of the euro-zone’s response to a debt crisis now in its fourth year, told German mass-selling daily Bild.

“The savings accounts in Europe are safe.” European officials have worked hard this week to stress that the island’s bailout was a unique case - after a suggestion by Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem that the rescue would serve as a model for future crises rattled European financial markets.

“Together in the Eurogroup we decided to have the owners and creditors take part in the costs of the rescue - in other words those who helped cause the crisis,” said Schaeuble.

“Cyprus’s economy will now go through a long and painful period of adjustment. But then it will pay back the loan when it is on a solid economic foundation.”

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday that the 10-billion euro ($13 billion) bailout had contained the risk of national bankruptcy and would prevent it from leaving the euro.

Cypriots, however, are angry at the price attached to the rescue - the winding down of the island’s second-largest bank, Cyprus Popular Bank, also known as Laiki, and an

unprecedented raid on deposits over 100,000 euros. Etyk, a bank worker’s union, called a rally outside parliament for Thursday to protest against potential job cuts and a hit on their pension funds.

Cypriots hoped for further relaxation of the first capital controls in the euro-zone yesterday after authorities on the bailed-out island dropped domestic restrictions on credit card payments.

The central bank said Friday it would make daily efforts to relax the restrictions it has imposed to avert a bank run, after lifting its 5,000-euro ceiling on domestic credit and debit card payments.

The move came after President Nicos Anastasiades said Cyprus’s 10-billion-euro ($13-billion) rescue package from the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund had saved the country from “economic collapse”.

Anastasiades vowed to keep Cyprus in the euro, but had harsh words for the so-called “troika” of international lenders behind the huge bailout.

“We will not leave the euro and I stress that,” the rightwinger, elected in February on the back of a promise to secure a rescue package, told a conference of civil servants.

“We will not engage in risky experiments that will

endanger the future of our country.” But he criticized other euro-zone states for enforcing the tough terms of the deal agreed after all-night talks in Brussels on Monday. “Nobody can ignore the insensitivity of our partners,” he said.

He also took aim at international lenders and at Cyprus’s previous government for pouring money into the country’s second-largest lender, Laiki, or Popular Bank, which will be wound up under the terms of the bailout. The rescue calls for severe cuts to Cyprus’s prized tax-haven style banking system-bloated with Russian money and exposed to toxic Greek debt-and also threatens to deepen the economic recession the small Mediterranean island was already suffering. The most controversial element is an unprecedented raid on deposits over 100,000 euros.

Laiki is to be shuttered, and deposits there over that amount could be lost altogether. At the Bank of Cyprus, the country’s largest lender, account holders will lose 37.5 percent of their money, according to a document published by private broadcaster Sigma TV that it said was a central bank decree. The document said the lost cash would be converted into shares. Authorities had feared the levy on deposits would cause savers to make a run on the banks when they reopened on Thursday after a forced closure of nearly two weeks. —Agencies

Xi wraps up first foreign trip BRAZZAVILLE: China’s new President Xi Jinping yesterday wrapped up his first foreign trip which has seen him sign energy deals with Russia and scores of accords with countries in resource-rich Africa.

Xi ended his tour with the first-ever visit by a Chinese president to the Congo, a small and impoverished country in central Africa, which has significant oil resources and other untapped mineral wealth. On his second and last day in Brazzaville he met members of the Chinese community and attended the inauguration of a Chinese-built hospital and the capital’s largest university library before his plane took off for Beijing shortly after 1130 GMT. Xi, who was travelling with his wife Peng Liyuan-another first for a Chinese leader-on Friday inked 11 communications, banking and infrastructure deals worth millions of dollars in the Congo.

He said that he hoped to “deepen mutual understanding and friendship (with the Republic of the Congo) and lift bilateral ties to a new and higher level”, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported. They build on two further accords worth several billion dollars already underway, one of which will finance the building of more than 500 kilometres (300 miles) of highway between Brazzaville and the economic capital on the Atlantic Coast, Pointe-Noire.

These agreements add to dozens of energy deals signed between Russia and China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, at the start of the trip. Seeking to shore up ties with Africa where trade soared to $200 billion last year, Xi visited Tanzania, South Africa and now Congo, praising the “continuous progress” on the continent. In Tanzania, where he signed 16 trade, cultural and development accords, Xi hailed Africa as a “continent of hope and promise” and urged countries to respect its “dignity and independence”. Xi said China would “intensify not weaken” its relationship and noted commitment to provide a $20 billion credit-line to African nations over the next two years.

Addressing leaders in Tanzania’s economic capital, Xi highlighted Beijing’s “sincere friendship” with Africa. China’s relationship with Africa has caused many in the west to question the Asian nation’s motives, accusing it of neo-colonialism and overlooking abuses as it seeks oil and other natural resources to fuel its economic drive. On Friday in an address to Congo’s parliament, Xi said that both nations shared a desire to develop. “We have the historic mission of achieving national development and the happiness of our people,” the Chinese leader said.

“In the future, the development of China will represent an unprecedented opportunity for

Africa, just as Africa’s development will be for my country.” China is already Congo’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade ballooning to five billion dollars in 2012 from $290 million in 2002, according to Xinhua.

China’s business boom has seen financial and trade ties rocket in recent years as it sources many of its raw materials from Africa. But ahead of Xi’s visit to Congo, many expressed doubt that he will bring job opportunities with him, as Chinese companies that set up shop in Africa often bring their workers with them. “It’s like we don’t have able hands in Congo,” a teacher at a training college told AFP. “If you import labour when there are no able people or specialists, that’s OK. But they even bring their own chauffeurs. There’s no transfer of abilities.”

Xinhua said however that more than 85 percent of the staff of some 2,000 Chinese companies operating in 50 African countries are Africans.

In South Africa, Xi attended the summit of the BRICS group of emerging economic powers-Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa-at which they agreed to launch a new development bank while failing to set up an infrastructure fund. South African President Jacob Zuma, after meeting Xi on Tuesday, hailed China’s economic success as an inspiration for Africa’s biggest economy, but urged more equitable trade ties. —AFP

BRAZZAVILLE: Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso (right) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (second right) inaugurate a Chinese-built hospital in Mfilou, a neighborhood west of Brazzaville yesterday. —AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

BUSINESS

Egypt to get help from US, EU wheat exporters CAIRO: Egypt will receive payment facilities from American and European suppliers of wheat, an Egyptian newspaper yesterday quoted minister of supplies Bassem Ouda as saying, as the world’s biggest wheat importer struggles to pay for imports.

Two years of turmoil since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak has badly hit an economy starved of tourism revenues and with a depreciating currency. “American and European exporters of wheat will provide payment facilities to Egypt to import wheat during a period of

up to nine months,” Ouda told Al-Shorouk newspaper. He did not say whether Egypt would be given a full nine-month window to pay or whether payments would be divided over nine months. A ministry official who asked not to be named said yesterday the minister did not want to reveal the details of the deal “to protect the interests of Egypt”.

He said Egypt also wanted to reach agreements with non-US or European suppliers.

Russia is also a major supplier.

“All exporters are welcome to present their

Bayt.com weakly report

How to choose the best CSR initiative

views to the ministry with the facilities they would like to give to us to import wheat from them,” he said. Egypt subsidizes bread for its 84 million people. Bakers have threatened a strike, seeking overdue subsidy payments they put at nearly $60 million.

A cabinet report on Wednesday showed the country now holds 2.116 million tons of grain, enough to last 85 days. Egypt buys around 10 million tons a year, but state purchases since January have fallen to less than a quarter of the volume in the same period last year. — Reuters

Qatar economy grew 6.2% in 2012, 6.6% in Q3 RIYADH: Qatar’s rate of economic growth more than halved last year to 6.2 percent as a surge in global oil prices abated, but its construction, finance and manufacturing sectors expanded by a around a third and should grow again this year.

Output in mining and quarrying, which includes oil and gas and accounts for almost half of the Arab Gulf state’s GDP, rose only 1.7 percent last year following a surge in oil prices which drove the economy overall to 13 percent growth in 2011, the country’s statistics authority said.

But the construction and finance sectors, which each account for more than a tenth of GDP, both grew by 34 percent, while manufacturing expanded by 28 percent.

Quarterly growth in the fourth quarter slowed to 0.1 percent from the 1.7 percent rise in the third quarter, the statistics authority said, but was still 6.6 percent year-onyear.

Earlier this month Finance Minister Youssef Kamal said Qatar, the world’s top natural gas exporter, expects more rapid growth in its non-hydrocarbon economy this year.

“We expect in 2013 to see 9 percent growth in the nonhydrocarbon sector. In the hydrocarbon sector, we do not expect to see an increase before 2017,” he told a financial conference. — Reuters

I

n recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has fast gained prominence and support among management. Organizations no longer see themselves solely as profit-making machines but as contributing and conscientious members of the community as a whole.

For current Gen X’s in the workforce, salary is not the only deciding factor for job satisfaction. Consider these statistics from Bayt.com’s Employee Motivation in the MENA survey (2013): a majority (59 percent) of MENA companies engages in CSR activities. The top CSR causes that professionals feel their organization should be involved in are: providing job opportunities (35 percent), preserving the environment (30 percent), supporting orphans (28 percent), providing training and job opportunities (27 percent), medical support programs (such as blood donation drives) (26 percent), and human rights support (25 percent).

Taking all of these factors into consideration, here are a few questions from the HR experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, to help you find a social cause that will be both fulfilling and enhancing to your corporate profile: 1. What are your organization’s values?

While there is a range of CSR initiatives for your company to pick and choose from, the best match should be the one that fits in well with your corporate mission, vision and values statement.

NICOSIA: Two men walk in the old city of the capital Nicosia yesterday. Banks in Cyprus are open for normal business for the second day, but with strict restrictions on how much money their clients can access, after being shut for nearly two weeks.—AP

Dubai bourse may wait for long to see a rally DUBAI: This year’s best-performing Gulf Arab stock market has stumbled in the last few weeks, and while fund managers say a strong economic outlook means the long-term direction is still up, it may be months before the rally resumes.

Dubai’s main equities index jumped about 20 percent in the first two months of this year to levels last seen at the end of 2009. It was boosted by signs that the emirate was recovering from the property market crash and corporate debt crisis of 2009-2011.

Confidence returned to the real estate sector as residential property prices began to rebound, and growth in banks’ outstanding bad loan provisions slowed. But in late February the stock market’s uptrend stalled and this week it has fallen sharply - a reminder of the limits of Dubai’s regained confidence, and its vulnerability to any interruption in the good news. Ali Adou, portfolio manager at The National Investor in the United Arab Emirates, said the economic picture had not darkened but investors no longer felt Dubai stocks were particularly cheap.

“The valuations discount between the UAE and other emerging markets is limited now that’s why a correction is needed for this discount to widen again and attract investors,” he said. “There isn’t a reason to be bearish as the macroeconomic picture is still intact. A correction would provide an entry to investors who are looking for exposure to the UAE markets.”

By Lama Ataya

Dubai index dropped 1.6 percent on Wednesday to 1,837 points, trimming its year-todate gains to 13.2 percent.

Technical analysis suggests the drop was a bad omen for coming weeks because the index broke below support at the March low of 1,860 points. That triggered a double top formed by the February and March peaks; the height of the pattern points down to around 1,770 points.

One reason for the recent slide is the passing of the dates on which shareholders in some companies are entitled to annual dividends, analysts say; interest in those stocks has suddenly declined. But there have been other reasons. The Dubai market has been weighed down by a 30 percent plunge in the shares of major construction firm Arabtec after it announced its intention in late February to raise $1.8 billion of capital.

The announcement coincided with a management shake-up led by Arabtec’s top shareholder, Abu Dhabi state fund Aabar Investments; in the long run, the changes could help Arabtec expand around the Gulf. But for now at least, shareholders have been focusing on the fact that the capital raising could dilute their holdings. Another blow was a dividend announcement by Emaar Properties , Dubai’s biggest real estate developer and therefore a symbol of the emirate’s economic recovery. Emaar’s shares soared as much as 52 percent between the end of December and a peak of 5.70 dirhams in mid-

March. But in late February it announced a 2012 dividend of 10 fils per share - the same level as in the previous two years, but lower than some investors had hoped. The stock’s rally subsequently petered out and it has lost 11 percent in the last two weeks.

Most analysts do not expect such disappointments to have a long-term impact on the market. “Emaar at 5 dirhams is close to book value and if your outlook is positive over the next year and a half, it’s still a good time to buy,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Dubai’s Shuaa Asset Management. The recent profit-taking should bring back bargain-hunters in this and other stocks, he added. HSBC has an overweight rating on Emaar with a target of 7.7 dirhams.

But for coming weeks, possibly months, the market may have seen its best levels.

“Technically, stocks are overbought and the market will consolidate around these levels or a bit lower,” Khan predicted. Adou said budget airline Air Arabia and Aramex , a package delivery and logistics company, were proxies for growth in Dubai’s tourism and services sectors and were therefore defensive plays which would outperform during a market downtrend.

Khan said Dubai’s pull-back would ultimately prove healthy for the market. “On a mediumterm view, fundamentals and valuations have room to fill up. The UAE is recovering and the blue chips will reflect that.” — Reuters

2. How much are you willing to invest in time and other resources?

While all causes are noble, your com-

pany’s resources are limited. If you have zeroed down on a list of options for CSR initiatives, run a feasibility study for each.

Can you afford to lose the manhours? Do you have the financial resources to back this project? Is it logistically feasible? A good idea would also be to approach this the other way round: first define your available resources (financial, man hours, skills), then select the CSR projects that match well to these limits.

3. Do your employees feel strongly about the cause?

For your CSR program to be successful, it is important that the cause you select will be one that your team is passionate about. After all, it is their enthusiastic participation that will make your effort a success. A good idea would also be to associate with a cause that is timely, such as flood relief.

4. What will your team gain?

While this may not be a deciding question, it is important to consider the answer to this. CSR activities definitely boost your corporate brand equity and your team’s motivation levels, but what does your team gain? Does this initiative give them valuable project management skills for time-sensitive projects? Does it offer opportunities to develop better internal relationships among your teammates? Can your team gain valuable jobrelated skills while making a social impact?

Make sure you answer all of these questions in order to create a truly meaningful and memorable CSR project for your company and staff.

Burgan Bank to hold its AGM, Shafafiyah Forum on April 1 KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced that it will hold its Annual General Assembly Meetings for Shareholders tomorrow, April 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm at Al Shaheed Tower.

As always, and in line with its commitment towards being transparent with its investors, Burgan Bank, following the AGM, will hold its annual Al Shafafiyah forum which will highlight the main events for 2012 as well as its outlook for the current year to shareholders, partners, institutional investors and other members of the financial community.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercial Bank and third largest by assets in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and financial institutions sectors, as well as having a growing retail and private bank customer base. Burgan Bank has five majority owned subsidiaries, which include Gulf Bank Algeria - AGB (Algeria), Bank of Baghdad BOB (Iraq & Lebanon), Jordan Kuwait Bank JKB (Jordan) Tunis International Bank - TIB (Tunisia), and fully owned Burgan Bank Turkey, (collectively known as the “Burgan Bank Group”).

The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years through an expanded revenue structure, diversified

funding sources, and a strong capital base.

The adoption of state-of-the-art services and technology has positioned it as a trendsetter in the domestic market and within the MENA region.

Burgan Bank’s brand has been created on a foundation of real values - of trust, commitment, excellence and progression, to remind us of the high standards to which we aspire. ‘People come first’ is the foundation on which its products and services are developed.

Earlier this year, ‘Brand Finance’ - the international brand valuation companyrated Burgan Bank brand as AA with positive outlook. The rating places Burgan Bank Brand at 2nd amongst the most valuable banking brands in Kuwait.

Excellence is one of the Bank’s four key values and Burgan Bank continually strives to maintain the highest standards in the industry. The Bank was re-certified in 2010 with the ISO 9001:2008 certification in all its banking businesses, making it the first bank in the GCC, and the only bank in Kuwait to receive such accreditation. The Bank also has to its credit the distinction of being the only Bank in Kuwait to have won the JP Morgan Chase Quality Recognition Award for twelve consecutive years.

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal - cash

Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2770000 .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 Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.987 5.283 2.906 2.251 3.313 229.280 36.787 3.614 7.009 9.730 0.271

.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

0.273

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

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 GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 303.06 284.35 305.68 370.57 284.90 436.56 3.09 3.646 5.257 2.214 3.295 2.902 77.64 758.58 41.26 405.87 741.47 78.67 76.17

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

Bahrain Exchange Company 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 Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 307.000 282.000 308.000 369.000 286.000 437.000 3.300 3.730 5.400 2.450 3.450 2.978 78.300 757.500 41.800 411.000 740.000 78.500 76.500

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc

BUY Europe 0.4270553 0.0061566 0.0450792 0.3614178 0.0448271 0.4241508 0.0397347 0.2962678

SELL 0.4360553 0.0181566 0.0500792 0.3689178 0.0500271 0.4316508 0.0447347 0.3032678

Australasia 0.2875540 0.2312409 0.0001118

0.2995540 0.2412409 0.0001118

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.2739360 0.0001488 0.2835000

0.2829360 0.0001668 0.2856500

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

Asia 0.0035948 0.0031691 0.0449179 0.0165100

0.0036498 0.0033991 0.0499179 0.0196100

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling

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

0.0000443 0.0342580 0.0052001 0.0000244 0.0028547 0.0029503 0.0032711 0.0885532 0.0031378 0.0028723 0.0065441 0.0000730 0.2262382 0.0019497 0.0093554

0.0000503 0.0373580 0.0052650 0.0000296 0.0038547 0.0031303 0.0035011 0.0955532 0.0033378 0.0029123 0.0070141 0.0000760 0.2322382 0.0022517 0.0099554

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 0.7512658 0.0393261 0.0129967 0.1486950 0.0000794 0.0001738 0.3973239 1.0000000 0.0001752 0.0215277 0.0012152 0.7309380 0.0778056 0.0756400 0.0480305 0.0031876 0.1792045 0.0763447 0.0012887

0.7597658 0.0413561 0.0194967 0.1504450 0.0000799 0.0002338 0.4048239 1.0000000 0.0001952 0.0455277 0.0018502 0.7419380 0.0785886 O.0762800 0.0485805 0.0034076 0.1852045 0.0777947 0.0013887

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 285.300 368.700 435.800 282.700 3.035 5.262 41.335 2.248 3.619 6.965 2.899 759.550 77.700 76.200

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait’s non-oil GDP could grow at 5% NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Recently-released data show that Kuwait’s non-oil economy grew by a subdued 0.9 percent in real terms in 2011 as key sectors continued to feel the fallout from the financial crisis. In addition, growth in earlier years was revised down from previous estimates, which now show that the non-oil economy contracted for three straight years between 2008 and 2010.

We expect growth to have picked-up somewhat in 2012, thanks partly to strong growth in the consumer sector, and our forecast for non-oil growth of 5 percent in 2013 remains unchanged. But faster implementation of government capital spending projects and a more aggressive approach to economic reforms are needed to put Kuwait’s economy on a permanently higher growth path.

Real oil sector output jumped by 14.1 percent in 2011, as Kuwait (and other Gulf OPEC producers) responded to rising oil prices by increasing supplies and sought to offset steep falls in Libyan output. This increase was more or less in line with expectations.

However, because of lower-than-expected non-oil output, overall real GDP growth in 2011 came in weaker than the 7.6 percent we had estimated, at 6.3 percent.

Sector performance The sluggish performance of the non-oil economy in 2011 was driven by falls in output in three sectors: trade, manufacturing (including refining) and finance and business services. The fall in the latter, at 7.2 percent, was especially large and by itself subtracted some 1.9 percent points from non-oil growth as a whole.

Within this category, the fall in output came almost entirely from ‘financial institutions’, which includes investment companies that continued to deleverage in the wake of the financial crisis. Output in this segment was 53 percent lower in real terms than its peak in 2007. The bulk of this deleveraging is now likely behind us. As a result, the sector’s negative contribution to non-oil growth should ease going forward.

Elsewhere, there were strong performances from the utilities (+10.9 percent) and community and personal services (+6.4 percent) sectors - both of which have close government links. In the latter, for example, public administration and defense, education, health and social security account for 84 percent of total output. These will have benefitted from the huge 20 percent rise in public spending on wages and salaries seen in FY 2010/11.

GDP by expenditure Looked at by expenditure types, the figures broadly confirm the view of an economy driven by oil exports and government spending, while investment spending remains weak. Exports were the fastest growing segment in 2011 - unsurprising, given the policy-driven increase in oil production described above. Similarly, government consumption grew by a very solid 9.7 percent, again likely reflecting the solid rise in public employment costs seen during the fiscal year.

Gross investment declined by 4.0 percent. These numbers can be very volatile, and the fall does come after a 19.8 percent increase seen a year earlier (though this in itself followed a sharp fall the year before). We estimate that the public sector (including oil) typically accounts for around half of all investment in the economy, so the government’s poor record in delivering on major infrastructure projects has hit investment levels hard. Gross investment in 2011 was still 7 percent lower in real terms than at its peak in 2008. More puzzling is the apparent weakness in private sector consumption, which rose by just 2.3 percent in 2011 following a fall of 11 percent in 2010. The consumer sector has generally been strong in Kuwait over

the past few years. Moreover, February 2011 saw the KD1,000 Amiri grant awarded to each Kuwaiti, which judged by other metrics seemed to have a significant impact on consumer spending levels. As such, we tend to interpret weak consumption figures more as a reflection of the statistical challenges in measuring consumption, than as a sign that it has provided less support to the economy than previously thought.

Revisions In addition to the new 2011 data, there were some major revisions to the GDP data between 2006 and 2010, generally resulting in weaker economic growth than previously thought. Real non-oil growth averaged 1.3 percent between 2006 and 2010, rather than the 3.8 percent reported earlier. Of the revisions, by far the largest was to 2010, where rather than growing strongly, GDP is now said to have fallen by 2.4 percent. The sources of the revision were mostly the utilities, communication, and finance sectors, where output was revised down by a combined KD2.3 billion. Parallel revisions on the expenditure side came from weaker private consumption and net exports.

Effective philanthropy

By Nadeem Shafi

ALBANY: A customer counts her change after a purchase at Lodge’s store in Albany NY. US consumers earned more and spent more in February, helped by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes, according to the Commerce Department on Friday. — AP

Banks score major win in private Libor suits NEW YORK: The world’s biggest banks won a major victory when a US judge dismissed a “substantial portion” of the claims in private lawsuits accusing them of rigging global benchmark interest rates. The 16 banks had faced claims totaling billions of dollars in the case, which had been considered the biggest legal threat that they faced aside from investigations being pursued by regulators in the United States, Europe and Britain.

The banks include: Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc, Credit Suisse Group AG, Deutsche Bank AG , HSBC Holdings PLC, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Scotland and WestLB AG. They had been accused by a diverse body of private plaintiffs, ranging from bondholders to the city of Baltimore, of conspiring to manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor), a key benchmark at the heart of more than $550 trillion in financial products.

In a significant setback for the plaintiffs, US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan granted the banks’ motion to dismiss federal antitrust claims and partially dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims of commodities manipulation. She also dismissed racketeering and state-law claims. Buchwald did allow a portion of the lawsuit to continue that claims the banks’ alleged manipulation of Libor harmed traders who bet on interest rates.

Small movements in those rates can mean sizable gains or losses for those gambling on which way the rates move.

The ruling comes at a time when the banking industry is facing legal and regulatory challenges on multiple fronts, including how they originated and sold mortgage loans, as well as questions of whether some have become so big they pose a systemic risk to the global financial system.

While the door was left open for private litigants to refile lawsuits, Buchwald’s decision may make it more likely that banks will talk settlement with a significant win in their pocket. The decision also could cast doubt on some of the highest analyst projections about potential Libor damages, and quell some concerns that the banks have not reserved enough for litigation expenses. The judge’s decision comes amid a sprawling regulatory probe in the United States, UK and Europe that has resulted in three banks - Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Barclays Plc and UBS AG - agreeing to a $2.6 billion settlement. More banks are expected to settle in the coming months. Those settlements yielded a trove of internal bank emails that Judge Buchwald said could be used if the plaintiffs want to revise their claims.

As of March 5, at least 22 lawsuits had been consolidated before Buchwald. Several had sought class action status. Others such as Charles Schwab Corp were asserting claims directly on

their own behalf. In a 161-page opinion, Buchwald said she recognized her ruling might be a surprise since several defendants had paid billions of dollars in penalties to government regulatory agencies.

“We recognize that it might be unexpected that we are dismissing a substantial portion of plaintiffs’ claims, given that several of the defendants here have already paid penalties to government regulatory agencies reaching into the billions of dollars,” the judge said. But she said unlike government agencies, private plaintiffs needed to meet many requirements under the statutes to bring a case. “Therefore, although we are fully cognizant of the settlements that several of the defendants here have entered into with government regulators, we find that only some of the claims that plaintiffs have asserted may properly proceed,” she wrote.

Michael Hausfeld, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, noted the judge had granted the parties the ability to amend and refile their lawsuit. “We have the decision under evaluation,” he said. “We are considering filing an amended complaint or taking an appeal, but we haven’t decided yet.” Representatives for the various banks either declined comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The plaintiffs’ lawsuits, like the regulatory probes, center on the way the London interbank offered rate is set-and whether the plaintiffs were harmed by the alleged manipulation of Libor.

Libor, a family of benchmark rates, is set every day in London by a panel of international banks. Banks submit what it costs to borrow from one another for durations ranging from overnight to one year. The rate underpins hundreds of trillions of dollars of investments and trades. The plaintiffs alleged that the banks on the Libor panel conspired to send in artificial rates. Three banks have reached settlements with authorities to date. Most recently, Royal Bank of Scotland agreed to pay $612 million to US and British authorities. UBS agreed in December to pay $1.5 billion.

Barclays agreed to pay $453 million in June.

The three settlements appeared to do little in convincing Judge Buchwald that the plaintiffs’ case should proceed. But the judge left the door open for the plaintiffs to use information that has emerged in the regulatory settlements. In the Barclays case, for example, one trader asked another to submit a three-month dollar Libor rate of 5.36 percent or higher. The next day, Barclays’ submission was 5.36 percent. “Because the Barclays settlements brought to light information that plaintiffs might not previously have been able to learn, we grant plaintiffs leave to move to amend their complaint,” she said. —Reuters

Dear Readers; Usually most of us spend money on philanthropy (philanthropy is most commonly taken to mean charitable work and/or donations). Public and private organizations have devised ways of contributing to social causes. Social responsibility initiatives of organizations invest significant amounts of money to serve society through community development activities and donations. However, most of these donations and community development activities are carried out without much planning and strategizing. Many of the donations are sporadic and one time. Though these donations “do good” for the society, there is a case for more effective philanthropy. Typically, any donation or community development activity is planned to address the most important challenges faced by us as a society.

There are many challenges faced by the society irrespective of geography. Some of those challenges are more universal than others. The United Nations have identified these challenges as “millennium development goals”, they include global issues like poverty, hunger, education, health, climate change etc, as well as other country specific ones. An interesting aspect of these challenges is that they are closely interrelated. Climate change can affect crops leading to increased price of essential commodities resulting in hunger and poverty.

Poverty is the main cause of lack of education and health.

In order to address these complex situations, organizations are taking strategic approaches to address these issues comprehensively rather than separately.

Leading organizations across the globe have taken certain steps to address the challenges faced by our planet and have developed ready to use frameworks and guidelines. These frameworks and guidelines help organizations strategize and streamline philanthropic activities and enhance their impact on the society. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a leading practice that provides guidance on how to identify the most important challenges for society, how to measure their impact, and effectively communicate it to the public.

Organizations expect a return for every investment.

Investments that make high impact on society will not only enhance its impact on the society, but also build the image of the organization that donates the money.

Adopting a leading practice framework will help organizations to measure the impact of their philanthropic investments and benchmark and compare the impacts made by other global organizations.

Global trends indicate that more than 11,000 organizations across the globe have adopted this framework to streamline and upgrade their corporate social responsibility agenda to a more comprehensive and holistic Corporate Sustainability Strategy. Those organizations who have moved from a sporadic, one time philanthropic approach to a strategic approach covering all aspects of sustainability are discovering tangible benefits developing their business strategy with sustainability at it’s core.

This practice is resulting in enhanced brand image, discovering new markets, and operational efficiency improvements.

First step in this direction is to take stock of past investments and initiatives on philanthropy and social responsibility and assess those initiatives against a robust maturity model covering all aspects of the organization at a strategic, tactical and operational level. Comparing what is done by similar leading organizations on each of these aspects, organizations can identify what needs to be done to raise the bar so that international recognition can be obtained. This “to do list” can be prioritized and planned as a strategic sustainability program to be implemented on a time horizon.

During the implementation of these structured strategic programs, the progress needs to be monitored and communicated to the stake holders on a progressive basis.

This is an excellent opportunity for organizations that publish their Corporate Social Responsibility report (which

is typically a photo magazine of good initiatives done during a year) to a more comprehensive, structured and leading practice Corporate Sustainability Report that can be made globally visible through GRI Web site. Market indices like Dow Jones Sustainability Index are using these published reports and benchmarks to assess how sustainable an organization is. A recent study by Harvard Business School has concluded that those organizations which implemented a strategic approach to Corporate Sustainability have significantly outperformed their counterparts on market capitalization and profitability.

The most interesting part of this story is that there is no significant change in the investment requirements to make this strategic shift in approach. Initial investment to develop a strategy and program can be amortized over the period where the organization will have a formalized investment plan.

A recent study by Ernst & Young on such initiatives with retail industries leaders association reveals that leading organizations have certain characteristics in this regard.

• Executive Engagement: When executives understand that Sustainability is not necessarily a cost center but rather drives strategic growth and innovation, there is potential to free up resources and integrate sustainability priorities into the overall business strategy.

• Investment in people: People capability development is the most important part of sustainability. Once a group of people within the organization understand how to benefit from sustainability initiatives, then others can be trained and wider benefit realization can be made possible.

• Measurement and Tracking: Setting matrices, developing baselines and implementing information systems will help achieving higher sustainability maturity. GRI guidelines are the most widely used guideline for measurement and performance reporting.

• Goal setting: Strategic direction and related tactical goal setting, allocating the responsibility of goal achievement within the organization to appropriate departments will help coordinating strategy implementation and enrolls the whole organization into this strategic agenda.

Most important end point of these efforts is that you can tell a nice story about what you are doing for the society. A story that is simple and compelling. A story that will make your organization look good, globally. A story that will become your organizational success story.

Nadeem Shafi is Partner Assurance, Ernst & Young Training Center.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

BUSINESS Booz & Company Report

A viable tool for sustainable development in MENA Corporate social responsibility DUBAI: Sustainable economic development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will depend on job creation, education, poverty alleviation, and careful environmental management. While government, civil society organizations, and academic institutions should all be involved in this effort, companies have a particularly important role to play. They must be involved and contribute to the betterment of the societies in which they operate. And, they can do this through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that align with national development objectives. In line with this, Management consulting firm Booz & Company has conducted extensive interviews -and drawn on its work with CSR leaders in the Middle East - to define what CSR means in the region; study how CSR is practiced; identify best practices among CSR leaders; and, propose how to build the corporate capacity for sustainable CSR practices.

A strategic imperative Governments, private companies, civil society organizations, and academia will need to coordinate and commit themselves to sustainable development if the MENA region is to achieve its economic potential.

“Corporate leaders and government officials interviewed in our study most frequently cited the need for robust job creation to nurture economic growth and spread benefits among the population as the most salient issue,” said Ramez Shehadi, a Partner with Booz & Company. “Today, half of the region’s population is under the age of 25 and there is widespread unemployment. The task ahead is formidable.”

Indeed, the World Economic Forum estimates that, to keep employment at 2011 levels, the region needs to create 75 million jobs by 2020 -a 43 percent increase on the number of jobs in 2011.

Moreover, job creation is not the only aspect of sustainable development that leaders must confront. There is also the environmental impact of a growing population and increased economic output on a fragile ecosystem. The Arab states have over 60 percent of the world’s oil reserves, but only 0.5 percent of its renewable fresh water resources.

Consequently, most countries in the region suffer from severe water shortages, waste management and poor air quality. “ The scope of these sustainable development challenges demands a high level of attention and coordination between the region’s most powerful stakeholders,” explained Salim Ghazaly, a Principal with Booz & Company. “In particular, the region’s companies can play a critical role by establishing CSR initiatives.”

The European Commission defined CSR in 2002 as “a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis.” Today, CSR needs to become a mainstream corporate principle in the MENA region. And, as major stakeholders in these countries, companies have a responsibility to foster sustainable development and improve the societies in which they operate.

Building a CSR agenda In the MENA region, CSR activities have increased over the past decade.

Unfortunately, however, companies in the MENA region rarely align their individual CSR initiatives with national development priorities. As a result, their CSR projects have insufficient impact. To bridge this divide and to improve CSR as a discipline, companies and governments should follow a four-step process: 1. Define CSR for the MENA Region Citizens in developing and developed countries have different ideas of what CSR work should accomplish.

According to research from the Corporate Social Responsibility Monitor, citizens in developed economies tend to expect companies to focus on “core corporate issues”. By contrast, citizens in developing countries expect companies to address national problems.

Adding to the challenge of defining CSR in the MENA region is the dispute over the term itself. Some MENA corporate leaders interviewed by Booz & Company dislike the label CSR; they prefer to talk of “corporate responsibility,” “corporate philanthropy,” “corporate citi-

•

•

parency encourages a candid discussion of CSR issues with all stakeholders. Second, transparency requires the company to create clear guidelines for how the business will respond to CSR issues.

Integrate with the Operating Model: The CSR function must be integrated into a company’s daily operations. At the very least, a company’s businesses, functional units, and partners must coordinate and communicate on CSR initiatives.

Furthermore, the commitment to CSR must be translated into specific goals that are embedded in corporate policies and processes.

Leverage Business Capabilities: To design effective CSR initiatives, executives need to leverage their company’s specific strengths. If a company’s strengths play to national development needs, it has a particular obligation as a responsible corporate citizen to contribute to achieving these goals through CSR initiatives.

•

Although corporate social responsibility is a relatively new concept for the Middle East, Booz & Company’s in-depth research illustrates how this complex undertaking can significantly contribute to regional development

•

Dr Mounira Jamjoom

2. Study Current CSR Activity One clear sign that CSR in the region is gaining momentum is the number of companies that have joined the UN Global Compact -a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning their operations and strategies with 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anticorruption. The list of signatories from the MENA region has grown from just three in 2003 to 262 by the end of 2012.

“In our research and interviews with executives, we found that CSR is practiced in different ways by the various types of companies in the region: stateowned enterprises (SOEs), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, including family-owned businesses), multina-

fulfills the court’s dual objectives to satisfy the pari passu clause: non-discrimination in payment priority and equal treatment among bondholders,” the Argentine document said.

“This proposal is a voluntary option: plaintiffs can choose between being paid ‘equally’ on the same terms as the exchange bondholders, or obtaining, and seeking to execute on, judgments for the full amount of their claim,” it went on to say.

According to the filing, plaintiffs will receive “significant compensation” while the country’s capacity to pay will be preserved.

The proposal also calls for repaying small individual investors with cash for the interest that has accrued since 2003 and so-called Par and GDP bonds. Meanwhile, institutional investors are to be offered mainly high-return discount bonds. Argentina defaulted on some $100 billion in debt in 2001, and has since restructured its debt twice, covering around 75 percent of the nominal value of the bonds.

But hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management, which bought up some of the original defaulted debt at steep discounts, refused to go along with the restructuring and are suing to recover 100 percent of the bonds’ value, a total of $1.3 billion. In an October ruling, the appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that Argentina would have to repay both sets of the bonds. Analysts do not expect the Buenos Aires plan to be accepted, leaving Argentina little legal recourse but to comply and multiply its debt problems or appeal to the US Supreme Court.—AFP

Salim Ghazaly

Ramez Shehadi

zenship,” or “the business contribution to sustainable development.”

All this reinforces the understanding that the local economic and cultural context is critical if CSR is to contribute to national sustainable development goals. A regional definition of CSR must encompass the internal policymaking and operational decisions of companies, while also taking environmental issues into account.

Argentina sets terms for debt repayment NEW YORK: Argentina on Friday offered two New York hedge funds to repay its debt to them with cash and new bonds on conditions similar to those used in a 2010 debt swap. The South American nation is facing a court order to pay out $1.3 billion (one billion euros) to bondholders on debt it defaulted on during its 2001 financial crisis.

The offer was contained in a filing to the New York Court of Appeals. “The Republic proposes, following the terms of the 2010 exchange offer, to compensate plaintiffs with their choice of par or discount,” said the document filed by the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, as expected, shortly before midnight. Argentine President Cristina Kirchner has already said she is willing to reextend the restructuring terms of 2005 and 2010 to hedge funds NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management, which she has branded “vultures.” That offer would repay the investors around 70 percent of their capital in nominal terms as the bonds mature in the next 28 to 33 years. Those terms were already accepted by holders of 92 percent of the bonds but have been rejected by the holdouts. If Argentina’s latest offer is rejected, the government would be forced to repay the hedge funds in full now, as New York judge Thomas Griesa ordered late last year in a landmark judgment.

But because of “pari passu” or “equal treatment” clauses in the restructured bond contracts, Buenos Aires could be forced to pay back all others at the same time, possibly forcing it to default on all its debt. “The proposal

tional corporations (MNCs), and social business,” remarked Dr Mounira Jamjoom, a Senior Research Specialist at the Ideation Center, Booz & Company’s think tank in the Middle East.

“Understanding how each one approaches CSR today is a critical step to aligning CSR initiatives in the future.”

• SOEs: Given that SOEs have close relationships with the government and are often among the best-run companies in the country, they can lead by example on many CSR issues.

• SMEs: SMEs tend to be closer to their communities, and these strong ties help them stay in tune with local needs and demands. Their autonomy allows flexible decision-making to implement CSR as they see fit.

• MNCs: Multinational firms are generally keen to transplant their CSR guidelines and operating policies to their subsidiaries overseas, in part to overcome the possible bias against foreign companies. Although their tendency is to manage CSR from the

•

top down, some MNCs are starting to give greater autonomy to their MENA subsidiaries to plan local efforts and engage in grassroots community actions.

Social Businesses: Over the past few years the region has seen the proliferation of “social businesses,” a new hybrid of conventional business and charity. A social business focuses on social missions, making them a priority over all aspects of operations, even profits.

3. Identify CSR Best Practices Booz & Company has identified six best practices for designing a CSR program that aligns with national development goals: • Engage senior leaders: For CSR initiatives to succeed, senior leaders must be visibly engaged and active in steering the company’s CSR strategy both internally and externally.

• Strengthen Corporate Governance: Good corporate governance - particularly enhanced transparency around business decision making makes internal and external CSR initiatives much more effective. There are two reasons for this. First, trans-

•

•

Partner with Experts: Companies should tap into the credibility and expertise of civil society organizations, public-private partnerships, and social business ventures.

Measure Results: One CSR best practice virtually absent from MENA companies is measuring the results and impact of CSR initiatives. MENA executives often measure “inputs,” such as the money and employee hours spent, but not outcomes.

Companies need to begin measuring the results of CSR initiatives so they can assess and refine their approach.

4. Create an Environment for CSR “The corporate sector must drive CSR, but other institutions -specifically the government, academia, and civil society organizations -need to actively support this push by vocally encouraging these initiatives and fostering an environment in which CSR can flourish and mature,” added Shehadi.

• The Role of Government: Governments in the region need to create an environment where CSR is encouraged and expected from

companies. After all, governments have a strong interest in CSR as it is a very cost-effective means of enhancing sustainable development.

The Role of Academia: The education sector has an important role to play in shaping the attitudes of future business leaders. “Outside the MENA region, CSR is an established part of MBA programs,” said Ghazaly.

“Business schools and other educational institutions in the MENA region should follow this example.”

“The role of business schools is crucial in the transition towards more sustainable development in MENA”, comments Dr Dima Jamali, a professor in the Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut, and the Chair of the Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship Track. “Business schools should sensitize future managers and leaders to the moral and ethical aspects of decision-making, and the significant responsibilities that they have to shoulder to help the region win the battle of balanced and inclusive development. They have to provide the cognitive infrastructure and improve the supply of skills and knowledge pertaining to CSR. Mainstreaming CSR into the business school curriculum is the most immediate challenge in this respect across the region particularly that CSR continues to be treated in the majority as a peripheral topic.

Business schools also have a role to play in producing relevant scholarship that advances knowledge about CSR in MENA, and liaise with different actors in society in pursuit of an active and constructive CSR discourse” she added.

The Role of Civil Society: Civil society organizations in the region are growing and attracting more support as governments realize that they are useful partners in reaching development goals.Civil society organizations are well positioned to partner with private companies to carry out CSR initiatives, lend credibility to these initiatives, and monitor the performance of the private sector on diverse issues such as child labor, fair trade, community involvement, and environmental protection. “One promising type of civil society activity is “venture philanthropy ” - a growing global philanthropic movement looking to change the whole concept of “giving” with a transparent, results-oriented approach,” said Dr Jamjoom.

To conclude, sustainable development is critical for the MENA region’s long-term prosperity and stability.

Companies, as good corporate citizens, must become involved in sustainable development and contribute to the broader improvement of their societies.

They therefore need to align themselves with these national goals that are built around sustainable development, using the powerful tool of CSR initiatives to help achieve them. The onus of these major development goals does not rest solely on the shoulders of private enterprises. Governments, academia, and civil society organizations have important roles to play in their own right, as well as in partnership with companies, so that they can create an environment in which CSR will flourish.

Obama pitches public works spending on jobs New call for national infrastructure bank MIAMI: President Barack Obama, trying to show that the economy remains a top priority, has promoted a plan to create construction and other jobs by attracting private money to help rebuild roads, bridges and other public works projects.

Obama fleshed out the details during a visit Friday to a Miami port that’s undergoing $2 billion in upgrades paid for with government and private dollars. The quick trip was designed to show that the economy and unemployment are top priorities for a president who also is waging high-profile campaigns on immigration reform and gun control. Obama said the unemployment rate among construction workers was the highest of any industry, despite being cut nearly in half over the past three years.

“There are few more important things we can do to create jobs right now and strengthen our economy over the long haul than rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and economy,” Obama said. “As president, my top priority is to make sure we are doing everything we can to reignite the true engine of our economic growth - and that is a rising, thriving middle class.”

Among the proposals Obama

called for, which require approval from Congress, are: • $4 billion in new spending on two infrastructure programs that award loans and grants.

Higher caps on “private activity bonds” to encourage more private spending on highways and other infrastructure projects. State and local governments use the bonds to attract investment.

Giving foreign pension funds tax-

exempt status when selling US infrastructure, property or real estate assets. US pension funds are generally tax exempt in those circumstances.

The administration says some international pension funds cite the tax burden as a reason for not investing in American infrastructure.

• A renewed call for a $10 billion national “infrastructure bank.”

Arriving at the expansive port in Miami, Obama stood inside a double-

MIAMI: US President Barack Obama delivers remarks from the wharf near the PortMiami tunnel project in Miami, Florida on Friday. — AFP

barreled, concrete-laced hole in the ground, touring a tunnel project that will connect the port to area highways. The project has received loans and grants under the programs Obama touted and is expected to open next summer. The president made private-sector infrastructure investment a key part of the economic agenda he rolled out in his State of the Union address last month. In the speech, he also called for a “Fix-It-First” program that would spend $40 billion in taxpayer funds on urgent repairs.

Congressional approval is not a sure bet, considering that House Republicans have shown little appetite for Obama’s spending proposals. In fact, the infrastructure bank is an idea Obama called for many times in the past, but it gained little traction during his first term.

Obama’s focus on generating more private-sector investment underscores the tough road new spending faces on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers often threaten to block new spending unless it’s paid for by cutting taxes or other spending.

“These are projects that are helpful to the economy and shouldn’t break down on partisan lines,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.—AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

BUSINESS

The dawn of a new era: BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe The sporty Coupe to arrive in Mideast later this year KUWAIT: BMW Group Middle East has confirmed that the all-new BMW 4 Series Coupe - the brand’s newest compact Coupe series - will arrive in the Middle East in Q3 of this year.

Spotlighted at the 83nd Geneva International Motor Show earlier this week, the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe offered visitors an early glimpse of this sporty mid-range executive Coupe will look like. Representing a new era for the sporty coupe, the 4 in the model designation stands for increased sportiness,

exclusivity and individuality. Its standalone character clearly sets it apart from the BMW 3 Series and hints at an interesting evolution in the BMW brand’s design language.

As with all BMW sport coupes, the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe is synonymous with superior dynamism, elegance and driving enjoyment. BMW integrates typical design characteristics, such as short overhangs and a long sweeping bonnet, with an extended wheelbase 50 millimetres longer than the BMW 3 Series,

a roofline lowered by 16 millimetres, and an overall length extended by 26 millimetres to create an even more dynamic look.

The car’s outstanding elegance is further defined by hallmark BMW front-end features, notably the kidney grille and twin circular headlights, have a slim, sporty design and ensure the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe is immediately recognisable as a BMW. The front-end design displays a clear link with the BMW 3 Series family, but its sporting take on the theme accentuates the dynamic leanings of the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupe.

Once inside, the interior of the BMW Concept 4 Series Coupeis dominated by BMW Individual colours and materials which ooze luxury.

Black and Schiparelli Brown as well as sustainably tanned leather radiate exclusivity and sporting appeal, while the clever use of superimposed design lines and surfaces emphasise the model’s outstanding dynamic ability.

In addition to a discreet embossed ‘BMW Individual’ designation on the upholstery and entry sills, the seats have decorative hand-plaited leather elements running along the seat edges that are echoed on the foot mats and leather cupholders.

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive is the exclusive importer for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce automobiles in Kuwait. One of the oldest premium car importers in

the region, AA&SA began its relationship with the BMW Group in 1986 when it became their exclusive importer in Kuwait.

Over the years the company has expanded its reach in the luxury market with the opening of a multi-million dollar showroom in Shuwaikh adjacent to the Airport Road. The importership offers a full range of Customer Support Facilities including a state-of-the-art Workshop,

Quick Ser vice, Body Shop, Parts & Accessories, a BMW Premium Selection (BPS) used car division, Vehicle Financing and 24 hrs Road-side Assistance.

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive has concluded a successful 2012 year as the third top per forming market in the Middle East, with a 37 percent increase in BMW and MINI vehicle sales over 2011 the highest growth witnessed by any BMW Group Middle East importer.

Agility’s financial results for Q4 2012 KUWAIT: Agility (AGLTY) yesterday announced its financial results for the fourth quarter 2012, reporting a net profit of KD9.6 million and earnings per share of 9.71fils, an increase of 179 percent and 181 percent respectively compared to the fourth quarter of 2011. Fourth quarter revenues stand at KD 383.7 million, an increase of 9 percent relative to the fourth quarter of 2011.

Full year results 2012 For the full year ended December 31, 2012, net profits stand at KD 34.3 million, or 34.42 fils per share; an increase of 27 percent and 28 percent respectively over the full year of 2011. Revenues increased by 7 percent to KD 1.4 billion.

The Board of Directors met today and proposed a dividend distribution of 30 percent cash and 5 percent bonus shares for fiscal year 2012.

The Board of Directors also approved a forward looking minimum dividend policy recommendation of 30fils per share cash distribution for the fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 2015. As with all such recommendations, this will be subject to the approval

of the General Assembly of the Shareholders as well as the concerned authorities.

“We have worked hard in the past few years to refocus the company and outline a vision for the future, which is already reaping results,” said Tarek Sultan, Agility’s Chairman and Managing Director.

“In 2012, we continued to improve profitability, invested strategically in the business, and maintained a healthy balance sheet. All this is impressive in light of the fact that the global economy was - and continues to be - weak.”

Core business Revenue for Agility Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) for the full year 2012 was KD1.18 billion, an increase of 2.2 percent from FY 2011.

GIL has shown an improvement in its operational and financial performance during 2012. This has been driven by focused execution of its core strategy: to leverage its global footprint and market-leading position in emerging markets; grow business with existing and new customers; concentrate on key global accounts and strategic trade lanes; maintain financial discipline; and achieve productivity gains through technological transformation.

“Agility’s GIL business will to some extent always be tied to the global economy and trade volumes; which continue to be volatile. That said, our approach is to focus on what we can control.

Our goal is to realize GIL’s full potential over the next three to five years, by maintaining our momentum when it comes to executing against our core strategy. Although we still have work ahead, GIL has made significant progress in

becoming a more efficient, productive, and customer-focused business. GIL’s competitive advantage going forward is its strong platform in emerging markets, which continue to drive global growth.”

Infrastructure group Agility’s Infrastructure companies contributed KD243 million to full year 2012 revenue, a 19 percent increase over 2011. Agility’s Infrastructure companies continue to occupy profitable niches in

the marketplace; serving as a healthy hedge against volatility in the global economy because they are in relatively stable, high-growth sectors in emerging markets.

Agility’s Real Estate business remains the main contributor to the Infrastructure group. By focusing on revenue enhancement and improving utilization, Agility Real Estate has grown its revenues by 12 percent in 2012. Tristar, a fuel transport company, and National Aviation Services, a ground handling company, are also significant contributors to the Infrastructure group, improving their revenues in 2012 by 44 percent and 32 percent respectively. Other entities within Agility ’s Infrastructure portfolio have also shown growth over the last several years, and the company is taking a number of actions to further enhance the potential of these companies.

Agility remains open to investing in businesses that are operationally and financially healthy, under its Infrastructure portfolio. In 2012, this took the form of the acquisition of United Projects for Aviation Services (UPAC), in which Agility acquired an 88.2 percent stake. UPAC manages commercial real estate at the Kuwait International Airport and various ground handling and maintenance services at the private terminal of the airport.

Forward view “We commit to our stakeholders that we are building a business that is strong and stable, by anyone’s measure,” said Sultan.

“Our strategy going forward is two-fold: within Agility’s core Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) business, it is to realize value by focusing on executing our commercial strategy, maintaining financial discipline, and accelerating technological transformation to drive productivity and customer-service.

Within the Infrastructure group of companies, our strategy is to grow the individual potential of our portfolio companies.”

“Throughout this process to drive ongoing improvement, we will continue to remain focused on our customers. Efficient, personal, customized partnership, especially in emerging markets, is the bedrock of our business. I also want to recognize and thank our employees. Our people define our character, our performance, and the specialized knowledge that differentiates us a company.”

Business, labor close on deal for immigration bill WASHINGTON: Prospects for a Senate deal on an ambitious rewrite of the nation’s immigration laws improved markedly as business and labor appeared ready to set aside their differences over a new low-skilled worker program holding up the agreement.

The AFL-CIO and US Chamber of Commerce had been fighting over wages for tens of thousands of low-skilled workers who would be brought in under the new program to fill jobs in construction, hotels and resorts, nursing homes and restaurants, and other industries. But on Friday, officials from both sides said there was basic agreement on the wage issue, and Sen Chuck Schumer, said a final deal on the low-wage worker dispute was very close.

That likely would clear the way for Schumer and seven other senators in a bipartisan group to unveil legislation the week of April 8 to over-

haul the US immigration system, strengthening the border, cracking down on employers, allowing in tens of thousands of new high- and lowskilled workers and providing a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

“We’re feeling very optimistic on immigration: Aspiring Americans will receive the road map to citizenship they deserve and we can modernize ‘future flow’ without reducing wages for any local workers, regardless of what papers they carry,” AFL-CIO spokesman Jeff Hauser said in a statement. “Future flow” refers to future arrivals of legal immigrants. Under the emerging agreement between business and labor, a new “W” visa program would bring tens of thousands of lowerskilled workers a year to the country. The program would be capped at 200,000 a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate, depending on unem-

ployment rates, job openings, employer demand and data collected by a new federal bureau pushed by the labor movement as an objective monitor of the market.

The workers would be able to change jobs and could seek permanent residency. Under current temporary worker programs, personnel can’t move from employer to employer and have no path to permanent US residence and citizenship.

And currently there’s no good way for employers to bring many low-skilled workers to the US. An existing visa program for low-wage nonagricultural workers is capped at 66,000 per year and is supposed to apply only to seasonal or temporary jobs.

The Chamber of Commerce said workers would earn actual wages paid to American workers or the prevailing wages for the industry they’re working in, whichever is higher. — AP

Jazeera Airways ranked No 1 in Mideast in January 2013 KUWAIT: Award-winning Jazeera Airways yesterday issued its January 2013 Operational Performance Report which showed that the airline has carried increasing number of passengers on key routes that include the destinations of Amman, Beirut, Bahrain, Assiut, Dubai, Jeddah, Luxor, and Sohag.

The monthly report, which presents market share figures based on official statistics from Kuwait’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), also showed that Jazeera Airways was the leading airline serving popular expats destinations of Amman, Assiut, Luxor, and Sohag.

Jazeera Airways grabbed a 39 percent market share on the Kuwait-Amman route, a 6.4 percent increase in market share from January 2012, and witnessed a 27.5 percent increase in passengers during the month, compared to January 2012.

On routes serving Egyptian cities, Jazeera Airways was the leading airline on the Kuwait-Assiut route with a 63 percent market share, on the Kuwait-Luxor route with a 72 percent market share, and on the KuwaitSohag route with a 50 percent market share.

The airline’s market share increased by 17.6 percent from January 2012 on the KuwaitAssiut route, by 1.9 percent from January 2012 on the Kuwait-Luxor route, and by 15.4

percent from January 2012 on the KuwaitSohag route.

Passengers on routes serving Assiut, Luxor and Sohag increased by 42.1 percent, 27.4 percent and 33.9 percent respectively from January 2012. The airline was also the leading Kuwaiti airline on routes serving high demand cities of Beirut with a 39 percent market share, Bahrain with an 11 percent market share, Dubai with a 17 percent market share, and Alexandria with a 21 percent market share. Passengers also increased on routes serving Beirut, Bahrain and Dubai.

Passengers on the Kuwait-Beirut route increased by 6.8 percent from January 2012, while passengers on the Kuwait-Bahrain and Kuwait-Dubai routes increased by 17.3 percent and 8.3 percent respectively from January 2012. Jazeera Airways’ monthly report for January 2013 also showed that the airline continued to lead in on-time performance (OTP) against all other airlines in the Middle East with a 92.93 percent performance, as ranked by the independent US-based OTP tracker FlightStats. On the KuwaitJeddah route, Jazeera Airways’ market share increased by 2.3 percent from January 2012 to a 17 percent market share in January 2013, accompanied by a 17.9 percent increase in passengers compared to January 2012.

Schaeuble says euro-zone savings deposits are safe BERLIN: German Finance Minister Wolfgang cue - in other words those who helped cause Schaeuble has said savings accounts in the the crisis.” Schaeuble said he was confident euro-zone are safe, adding that Cyprus is a Cyprus would be able to completely pay back “special case” and not a template for future the help. “Cyprus’s economy will now go rescues. In an interview with Bild newspaper through a long and painful period of adjustment. But then it will pay back published yesterday, Schaeuble the loan when it is on a solid distanced himself from comeconomic foundation.” ments on Monday by Eurogroup Schaeuble said the euro was chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem, stronger today than at any time who said the rescue program since 2010.“Yes, you could see agreed for Cyprus - the first to that during the Cyprus crisis,” impose a levy on bank deposits he said. “The entire turbulence would serve as a model for did not have any impact on the future crises. other countries in Southern “Cyprus is and will remain a Europe.” He said it was different special one-off case,” Schaeuble said. “The savings accounts in Wolfgang Schaeuble in early 2012, when elections in Greece caused interest rates Europe are safe.” Schaeuble said the problem in Cyprus was that two large across Southern Europe to rise.

“The financial markets have seen: we are banks in Cyprus were in effect no longer solvent and the Cyprus government did not better prepared now. We’ve accomplished quite a bit,” Schaeuble said. He said he was have enough money to guarantee savings.

“That’s why the other euro zone countries against thinking about individual countries had to help,” he said. “ Together in the leaving the euro-zone. “What is more imporEurogroup we decided to have the owners tant is that we are strong enough to keep and creditors take part in the costs of the res- everyone in the boat,” he said.— Reuters

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

BUSINESS

Nissan Al-Babtain holds its Annual After Sales Customer Seminar 2013 KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Co, the exclusive agent for Nissan cars in Kuwait, held for the fourth consecutive year its Annual After Sales Customer Seminar at Crowne Plaza Hotel- Farwaniya, on Wednesday, March 27, 2013 under the patronage Al Babtain Group Top Management.

Ruwan Wickramasinghe, National Parts Manager at AbdulMohsen AbdulAziz Al Babtain Co, opened the ceremony and warmly welcomed the guests. He explained that the company is always keen to improve the strong relationship with its clients by providing them with continuous support and that it tends to reinforce this relationship in order to maintain and develop customer loyalty being an important pillar of the company’s success. He also added that Nissan-Al Babtain aims at providing Nissan customers with automotive parts and accessories at affordable and competitive prices, thus earning the highest level of its customers’ satisfaction and loyalty.

Mohamed Shalaby, COO of Al Babtain Group, attended the seminar and emphasized the importance of the after sales services for it boosts the com-

pany’s position in the market. He also praised Nissan Al Babtain’s efforts to maintain the satisfaction of the clients. “I am confident that this special relationship between the company and its customers based on mutual trust and loyalty will constantly improve”.

He stressed that the company always seeks to enhance its efforts to guarantee the highest level of customer’s satisfaction in sales operations and aftersales services. “We are committed to ensure that our customers receive high standard services and benefit from the special offers tailored to their specific budgets and lifestyle needs.”

A large number of customers and representatives attended the ceremony, including vehicle fleet owners, representatives of insurance companies, independent garages and wholesale and Retail parts dealers.

The Aftersales Director at Nissan Gulf Free Zone Company (NGF) David Graves and his team attended the event to share their after sales experience with the team of Nissan Al Babtain. Graves emphasized that building a good relationship with the customers

and maintaining a mutual trust between them and the company will only have a positive effect on the company’s performance and improve its position in the market. “Year after year, Nissan Al Babtain proves its commitment to keep, and develop, its relationship with its entire clientele”, he added.

Furthermore, Nissan Al Babtain after-sales services offer peace-of-mind motoring with economical maintenance packages and exclusive long term maintenance plans.

During the event it had been highlighted that Al Babtain Co - Nissan has been ranked “Top Box” in the Independent Customer Satisfaction Survey, in SSI and CSI for the second consecutive year amongst the rest in Kuwait. Compared with the 2011 customer satisfaction ranking, the company made a significant improvement in all areas to claim “Top Box” position.

The Independent report clearly stated that Nissan Al Babtain sticks to the highest standards by maintaining a client-focused organizational structure to improve customer satisfaction, adopting easy-toreach locations, and providing its customers with con-

tinuous support through its after-sales services.

Furthermore, the company has been distinguished by the quality of cars delivered, by providing all the necessary information about its products at all NISSAN-Al Babtain showrooms.

During the ceremony, Nissan Al Babtain’s loyal customers were honored for their continuous support and commitment extended towards Nissan Brand.

Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain Company is the authorized dealer of Nissan Motor Co, Ltd in Kuwait and has been honored by Nissan Motor Company, which recently granted Al Babtain as “Best Distributer for Nissan”. It has been awarded this prize in recognition of outstanding performance at the level of Sales, Marketing, Aftersales service, Spare Parts and Customer Service, within the overall performance of distributers all over the world. Nissan Al Babtain ranked first among automotive dealers of new car sales category as per the “Service Hero” Consumers survey for 2012. Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain Co is the second Nissan distributer after Taiwan for Nissan Motors outside Japan.

Infiniti JX awarded ‘SUV of the Year’ BBC TopGear announces award

LuLu Exchange holds raffle draw to celebrate its 1st anniversary KUWAIT: LuLu Exchange, one of the leading remittance companies in the country, held a raffle draw to mark their first anniversary of successful operation. The draw, which was held at the Lu&Lu Hypermarket in Al-Rai on 28 March, 2013, presented cash prizes to 23 winners.

Sabir Pallitharammal was presented the first prize bonanza of KD 400, while each of the other lucky winners was awarded KD 50 each.

LuLu Exchange’s anniversary celebration, which was inaugurated on February 6 by Vidhu P Nair - Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy, is slated to end on May 5, 2013. Prizes worth KD 3,000 will be distributed to lucky winners during the three-month celebration period.

In addition, during the duration of this celebration, gift vouchers ranging from KD 10 to KD 50 are being given to lucky customers making their remittances through LuLu Exchange.

Speaking on the occasion of the raffle draw, Adeeb Ahamed, CEO of LuLu Exchange said, “This is the first promotion that perfectly ties in with our aim to turn every customer visit

We are very happy for the twenty three winners and look forward to more exhilarating promotions and events to come in the near future.”

With eight branches spread across

into an exciting experience. Our choice of gift giveaways for this raffle complemented the look on each of the winners’ faces, making us feel that we successfully fulfilled our duty.

Kuwait, LuLu Exchange offers not only remittance and forex solutions, but also a host of services and products. Business with correspondent banks has also grown quite consider-

ably as a part of their commitment to clients. LuLu Exchange has been constantly growing by garnering the trust of customers.

The exchange house is well known for its customer-centric approach and value-laden service which provides safe, reliable and quick services to its customers to send money to their loved ones across borders. LuLu Exchange has strategic partnerships with Western Union Worldwide Remittance Services, and Transfast which only further guarantees that clients’ hard earned money reaches its destination in a fast and secure way.

Currently the exchange house caters to markets all over the world, with direct online remittance arrangements to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Philippines, and Indonesia. LuLu Exchange has steadfastly focused on bringing greater value to its wide base of customers worldwide.

Le Meridien announces major renovation for Mideast, Africa DUBAI: Starwood Hotels & Resorts yesterday announced a significant commitment to its Le Meridien hotels in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region through a comprehensive renovation strategy. Le Meridien and its ownership groups will invest more than $200 million in the renovations of 13 hotels and resorts in the MEA region over the next 3 years. The French-born brand has had a major presence in emerging Middle Eastern and African markets for more than 30 years, and as this region continues to evolve as an international business and leisure travel hub, Le Meridien has developed a focused approach to ensuring its global portfolio continues to meet high brand standards.

“Since acquiring Le Meridien in 2005, Starwood and its hotel ownership groups have made a tremendous effort to enhance and create a consistent portfolio around the world,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and Westin. “Le Meridien now boasts the best performance measures in brand history, and our focused efforts on the Middle East and Africa

hotels will only help ensure Le Meridien maintains its best portfolio ever.”

Le Meridien recently announced 10 new hotel openings over the next year, an unprecedented number for the brand, and as the European-rooted brand continues to grow globally, the consistency of its portfolio remains a key priority. The 13 Le Meridien hotels and resorts completing or currently undergoing renovations include: Le Meridien Dubai Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa (Dubai) Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (Dubai) Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort (Fujairah, United Arab Emirates) Le Meridien Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) Le Meridien Al Khobar (Saudi Arabia) Le Meridien Makkah (Saudi Arabia) Le Meridien Heliopolis (Cairo, Egypt) Le Meridien Re-Ndama (Libreville, Gabon) Le Meridien Mandji (Port Gentil, Gabon) Le Meridien Ile Maurice (Pointe Aux Piments, Mauritius)

Le Meridien Pyrmaids Hotels & Spa (Cairo, Egypt) Additionally, Le Meridien will this year add a new hotel in Egypt, where the brand currently operates four properties. Le Meridien Cairo Airport will open in September 2013. Located at Terminal 3, it will be the only hotel with direct access to Cairo International Airport terminals.

Le Meridien Cairo Airport will feature 350 guestrooms, a 24-hour restaurant, specialty restaurant, coffee bar, lobby bar, lounge, fitness center, and swimming pool. The hotel will have approximately 750 square meters of meeting space, including a business center, ballroom, and six meeting rooms, for a variety of business functions.

Many of these renovated hotels along with Le Meridien Cairo Airport will integrate the Le Meridien Hub(tm) experience into existing public spaces, re-interpreting the traditional lobby into a social gathering place for curious and creative minded travelers to converse, debate, and exchange.

DUBAI: Less than a year since its introduction to the region, the all-new Infiniti JX has been awarded as the ‘SUV of the year ’ by BBC TopGear Middle East.

Recognized by the popular automotive magazine for its combination of luxury, versatility and value, the Infiniti JX has witnessed an overwhelming response since its introduction to the Middle East in August 2012.

BBC TopGear Middle East is based on Britain’s top-selling car magazine which is packed with reviews of what’s new from hot hatches to people carriers, exclusive world-first features, the fastest super cars, road tests and essential price guides. The regional version of BBC TopGear is written and produced in Dubai and is distributed across Middle East markets.

“Since its launch in the Middle East, the Infiniti JX has revolutionized the crossover segment with its seductive styling, break-through world first technologies, and interior flexibility and roominess,” said Juergen Schmitz, General Manager, Infiniti in the Middle East. “It is an honor to be awarded “SUV of the Year” by BBC TopGear Middle East, a name synonymous with the highest levels of automotive media, and is a true indication of the success this model has seen in the region.” “ The Infiniti JX35 is BBC TopGear Middle East’s SUV of the year because it manages to combine luxury, versatility, and great value under one bonnet in a way that is new (and exciting) in its segment. Everyone here at our organization admires the car, and we’re proud to award it SUV of the year,” said Adel Habib, Managing Director of BBC TopGear

English Edition for the Middle East.

Key standard features of the Infiniti JX include: l Generous second and third row legroom to accommodate adults in comfort l Unique access to third row without removing a second row child seat l 3.5-litre DOHC V6 engine and sport-

tuned Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) l 20-inch split five-spoke aluminumalloy wheels l Infiniti Hard Drive Navigation System with eight-inch WVGA color touchscreen display l Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection and front and rear sonar sensors l 13-speaker Bose 2-channel Premium Sound system, including subwoofers, AM/FM radio, single in-dash CD/DVD reader with MP3 playback capability and speed-sensitive volume control.

Gulf Bank announces winners of Al-Danah daily draws KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its Al-Danah daily draws on March 24, 2013, announcing the names of its winners for the week of March 17 to 21. The AlDanah daily draws include draws each working day for two prizes of KD1000 per winner.

The Al-Danah daily winners are: (Sunday 17/3): Hassan Sabah Marzah Ali, Essa Abbas Reda Murad (Monday 18/3): Aisha Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Mulaifi, Mona Haji Jassem Mohammed (Tuesday 19/3): Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen Nasser Al-Herz, Mahbouba Jafour (Wednesday 20/3) Hardev Singh, Mariam Abdullah Sayer (Thursday 21/3) Salama Mohammed Mutlaq Al-Rheli, Sulaiman Abdulmajid Johar.

Gulf Bank’s new Al-Danah 2013 draw lineup includes daily draws (2 winners per working day each receive KD1000), as well as two additional prizes per quarter. Al-Danah’s 2nd Quarterly draw will be held on 27 June (KD250,000,

KD125,000, and KD25,000), 3rd Quarter - 26 September (KD500,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000) and the final draw held on 9 January, 2014 announcing winners of KD50,000, KD250,000 and the AlDanah Millionaire.

Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah allows customers to win cash prizes and simultaneously encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account.

Al-Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al-Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the AlDanah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an AlDanah winner.

To be part of the Al-Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

technology

China ‘opposes’ US curbs on IT imports BEIJING: China expressed “resolute opposition” and “strong dissatisfaction” with a new US cyberespionage rule limiting imports of Chinese-made information technology products, state media reported yesterday. The remarks underscore growing tension between the world’s top two economies after the United States accused China of backing a string of hacking attacks on US companies and government agencies.

China says the accusation lacks proof and that it is also a victim of hacking attacks, more than half of which originate from the United States.

The new provision, tucked into a funding bill signed into law on Thursday, requires NASA, as well as the Justice and Commerce Departments, to seek approval from federal law enforcement officials before buying information technology systems from China. The United States imports about $129 billion worth of “advanced technology products” from China, according to a May 2012 report by the US Congressional Research Service.

State media including Xinhua, the China Daily and the People’s Daily, quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce as saying the US bill

“sends a very wrong signal”. “This will directly impact partnerships of Chinese enterprises and American business as they conduct regular trade,” said Shen Danyang, the commerce ministr y spokesman.

“This abuse of so-called national security measures is unfair to Chinese enterprises, and extends the discriminatory practice of presumption of guilt,” the article in the official People’s Daily said, quoting Shen. “This severely damages mutual trust between the US and China.”

The United States should eliminate the law,

Shen said. Technology security lawyer Stewart Baker wrote in a blog post this week that China could claim that the United States is violating World Trade Organization rules. However, because Beijing hasn’t signed a WTO agreement setting international rules for government procurement, it may not be successful in its challenge, Baker said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei also urged the US to abandon the law at a news conference on Thursday. “This bill uses Internet security as an excuse to take discriminatory steps against Chinese companies,” he said. — Reuters

Dell opens window on efforts to sell company 71 potential bidders to jostle for $24.4bn deal

This undated image provided by the US Patent office shows the patent Apple is seeking for an iPhone that has a display that wraps around the edges of the device, expanding the viewable area and eliminating all physical buttons. — AP

Apple patents iPhone with wraparound display NEW YORK: Apple is seeking a patent for an iPhone that has a display that wraps around the edges of the device, expanding the viewable area and eliminating all physical buttons. The patent application reveals that Apple has put some thought into a device that takes advantage of a new generation of displays, which don’t have to be flat and rigid like today’s liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs. At a trade show in January, chief competitor Samsung Electronics Co showed off a prototype phone with a display that is bent around the edges, presenting “virtual buttons” for the user’s touch.

Apple Inc.’s patent filing shows a phone

similar to a flattened tube of glass, inside of which a display envelops the chips and circuit board. This allows “functionality to extend to more than one surface of the device,” the filing said. The design also means there’s no frame or bezel surrounding the display, meaning it can take up more of the device’s surface area. The company filed for the patent in September 2011, though the application became public only Thursday. Like others, Apple often files for patents on designs that never come to fruition. It also doesn’t comment about future products until it’s ready to launch. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Dell’s financial advisers tried to persuade 71 potential bidders to make an offer for the troubled personal computer maker before two of them emerged to challenge a proposed $24.4 billion deal with the company’s founder, according to documents filed Friday.

The wide-ranging efforts to ignite a bidding contest for Dell Inc. are among the morsels of new information contained in a voluminous recitation of the events that have thrust the world’s third largest PC maker on to the auction block. The bidding has boiled down to a group led by company CEO Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners vying against separate alternative proposals submitted during the past week by buyout specialist Blackstone Group LP and billionaire investor Carl Icahn. The other potential suitors contacted by Dell’s financial advisers weren’t identified in Friday’s disclosures.

For now Dell’s board is standing behind its nearly two-month old agreement to sell the Round Rock, Texas, company to Michael Dell and Silver Lake for $24.4 billion, or $13.65 per share.

But the board is still holding out the possibility that it might side with one of the offers from Blackstone or Icahn once they finalize their bids in the next few weeks. Blackstone has pledged to offer more than $14.65 per share for most of Dell Inc.’s outstanding stock while Icahn says he plans to pay $15 per share for up to 58 percent of the company’s outstanding stock.

Dell hopes to complete a sale by Aug. 2, although it still hasn’t even set a date for a shareholder meeting to approve whichever deal gets the board’s final blessing. Friday’s regulatory filing

provided Dell’s board with its best chance yet to convince shareholders that it has gone to great lengths to ensure the company is sold for the highest possible price, given the challenges facing PC makers at a time sales of desktop and laptop machines have been declining as more people embrace smartphones and tablets.

Dell’s disclosures underscored the bleak outlook in Friday’s filing by including snapshots of internal financial projections that were lowered during the past eight months as the company’s management and board came to grips with the depths of the PC downturn. In July Dell’s management presented a forecast calling for an operating profit of $5.6 billion on revenue of $66 billion in the current fiscal year ending in January 2014.

After mulling a variety of information, Dell’s board concluded the company is more likely to post an operating profit of $3 billion, a 46 percent decrease from the July prediction. The board is now planning for revenue of $56.5 billion for the current fiscal year, a 14 percent drop from the earlier forecast.

Michael Dell, the company’s CEO and founder, believes he will be in a better position to engineer a turnaround if he doesn’t have to cater to Wall Street’s fixation on whether revenue and earnings are growing from one quarter to the next. That’s why Dell would end its 25-year history as a publicly held company if its CEO’s debt-laden proposal wins out. The deal would saddle Dell Inc. with more than $15 billion in debt, including a $2 billion loan from Microsoft Corp. Blackstone and Michael Dell also have left open the possibility of working together, if Blackstone should end up in

control of the company. Icahn hasn’t indicated whether he would want to retain Michael Dell if his bid succeeds.

Michael Dell’s deal is facing resistance from major shareholders who believe the sales price isn’t high enough. Southeastern Asset Management, the company’s second biggest shareholder after Michael Dell, contends Dell Inc. is worth nearly $24 per share. The Memphis, Tennessee, firm had suggested that it work with Michael Dell on a buyout last June, according to Friday’s filing.

A month after Southeastern floated the buyout idea, Michael Dell met with a Silver Lake representative at an industry conference and set up an August meeting to discuss how they might work together.

Silver Lake initially was competing against another unidentified buyout firm that dropped up of the bidding in early December. Silver Lake at first proposed paying $11.22 to $12.16 per share before finally settling on $13.65 per share after being prodded by Dell’s board to raise its offer on several occasions, according to the company’s filing. After the deal with Michael Dell and Silver Lake was announced in early February, company adviser Evercore Partners contacted 67 different potential suitors and fielded unsolicited inquiries from four other parties, according to the filing.

Only 11 of the potential bidders that spoke with Evercore were interested in exploring a deal. The documents didn’t identify any of the other suitors besides Blackstone and Icahn.

To keep Blackstone at the negotiating table, Dell agreed to pay up to $25 million of the firm’s expenses. — AP

Q & As about T-Mobile’s new plans NEW YORK: T-Mobile USA swept away its old phone plans over the weekend in favor of Simple Choice, which does away with traditional service contracts but introduces installment plans for phone buyers.

Here are some questions and answers about the revamp.

Mobile shines in exploding world of games SAN FRANCISCO: The booming popularity of play on smartphones or tablet computers in a realm once dominated by videogame consoles was a hot theme at the major Game Developers Conference that ended here Friday.

Seminars, talks and panels ran the gamut from how to get smartphone games noticed in the growing sea of “apps” to behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of blockbusters tailored for consoles or personal computers. “You are seeing this massive cornucopia of games now,” Tech Savvy videogame analyst Scott Steinberg said on the final day of the weeklong GDC. “There is an explosion in the type and variety of games and a tremendous number of ways to play.”

The power of small studios and independent developers has risen along with demand for fresh and entertaining games to play on mobile devices or online as services in the Internet “cloud.”

Meanwhile, new-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony are expected to be released this year, reviving interest in immersive blockbuster titles while ramping up connections to content streamed online. Industry tracker ABI Research said that successful launches of new Xbox and PlayStation models later this year could get console sales growing again after years of decline.

“Mobile gaming has certainly diminished the opportunities for console manufacturers in the casual game market and this has impacted Nintendo the hardest,” said ABI analyst Sam Rosen.

“The evolving business models and added competition have also created additional pricing pressures that encourage price cuts sooner than manufacturers would like.”

ABI said that Nintendo’s freshly-released Wii U console has faced a “challenging market” since the Japanese firm shipped nearly three million units during the holiday season at the end of last year. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, along with established videogame titans, wooed developers at GDC while independent mobile game makers shared tips on how navigate the expanding world of play. Games remain the most popular applications down-

loaded to mobile devices.

Hit games are “absolutely vital” to the success of smartphones or tablets and have expanded the range of players, Windows Phone senior marketing manager Casey McGee said while at GDC to promote the software giant’s mobile platform. McGee contended that players are demanding games that can be played in small doses on the move as well as titles to enjoy at home on consoles when time provides.

“It is like books and magazines,” McGee told AFP. “You want some really thoughtful, deep campaign games that are like books; you read them cover to cover and sometimes go back and read them again.

“Then, there are also magazines,” he continued. “Things you love for an hour, maybe you love for a week, but they turn over more. That is where you see a lot of independent games and more casual games come into play.”

Research In Motion began courting app makers long before the new BlackBerry smartphone platform launched in January, vice president of global alliances Martyn Mallick said at GDC. “Sometimes there is a misperception that the business user doesn’t want to have fun,” Mallick told AFP while discussing the effort to win game developers to the BB10 platform.

“That is completely false; business users love to play games.” Games are an “absolutely critical” part of a smartphone platform, he noted.

Companies that make chips powering smartphones or tablets have been busy boosting processing and graphics capabilities with mobile games in mind. Qualcomm and rivals Nvidia, and ARM each staked out places on the GDC show floor. A Qualcomm chip due out this year promised to deliver ultra-high-definition video along with surround sound for games on mobile devices.

“We see a lot of opportunity in the ecosystem for gaming,” said Qualcomm senior director of marketing Michelle Leyden Li. “I know a lot of folks who became gamers when they got a smartphone; we see this trend developing,” she noted. “Consoles will stay. We are making gamers out of people who were not gamers before.”—AP

Q: How does this help me?

A: It makes it easier to understand the cost of buying a phone and cancelling service.

Basically, you know you’ll be paying off the phone over two years, even if you leave T-Mobile.

There’s no early termination fee, and you don’t have to wait to be eligible for a new phone at a discounted price. Also, once you’ve paid off your phone, your monthly bill declines.

Q: Is it any cheaper?

A: Sort of. T-Mobile’s service plans are relatively cheap, and at least in the case of the iPhone, it’s not charging that much for the phone. The full price for the 16-gigabyte iPhone 5 is $580, compared with $650 at the other carriers. On the installment plan, you pay $100 down and $20 per month for two years. T-Mobile has been undercutting the bigger carriers for a while, and this is a continuation of that strategy.

Q: Do I still need to pass a credit check?

A: Yes, if you want to get the phone on an installment plan. If you fail, you have to pay the full price up front. You also need to pay in advance for monthly service - the so-called prepaid option - while those who pass a credit check can sign up for monthly billing.

Q: Do I pay interest on the installment plan?

A: No, T-Mobile is basically extending interestfree financing on phones.

Q: Can I buy a phone on an installment plan and move it over to another carrier?

A: No, the phones are “locked” to T-Mobile until you pay them off. You can pay off the phone early with no penalty if you like.

Q: What kind of data plans do they offer?

A: T-Mobile likes to say that all of its plans offer “unlimited” data, but they’ll slow down drastically once your phone hits a certain level of usage in its billing cycle. For the basic, $50-per-month service plan, that limit is at 500 megabytes - enough for a frugal smartphone user. For another $10 per month, they give you 2.5 gigabytes. If you add $20 instead, you get true unlimited data service.

Q: Sounds great. What’s the downside?

A: T-Mobile’s data network coverage is poorer in rural areas. It’s the last of the four major carriers to build out an LTE network, which offers higher data capacities and speeds. T-Mobile also doesn’t have access to lower frequency bands that help Verizon and AT&T with indoor coverage. — AP

HAVANA: Rogelio Garcia, 10, left, and Luis Macias, 20, celebrate as they play the video game, “Comando Pintura” at a technology fair in Havana, Cuba. The developers of “Comando Pintura” also created “Gesta Final,” a 3-D shoot-’em-up video game that puts a distinctly Cuban twist on gaming, letting players recreate decisive clashes from the 1959 revolution and giving youngsters a taste of the uprising in which many of their grandparents fought. —AP

Crisis hotlines turning to text to reach teens NEW YORK: They stream in from teens around the United States, cries for help often sent in by text message. “I feel like committing suicide,” one text read. “What’s the suicide hotline number?”

Another asked: “How do you tell a friend they need to go to rehab?”

DoSomething.org, an organization that encourages activism among young adults, gets plenty of text messages asking for help, but it isn’t a hotline. So the nonprofit’s CEO, Nancy Lublin, is leading an effort to establish an around-the-clock text number across trigger issues for teens in the hope that it will become their emergency line, perhaps reaching those who wouldn’t otherwise seek help using more established methods of telephone talking or computer-based chat.

“Most of the texts we get like this are about things like being bullied,” Lublin said. “A lot of things are about relationships, so we’ll get texts from kids about breakups, or ‘I like a boy, what should I do?’ But the worst one we ever got said, ‘He won’t stop raping me. It’s my dad. He told me not to tell anyone. Are you there?’”

Lublin hopes the Crisis Text Line, due to launch in August, will serve as a New York-based network, shuttling texts for help to partner organizations around the country, such as The Trevor Project for gay, lesbian, bisexual and questioning youth or other groups already providing hotlines on dating and sexual abuse to bullying, depression and eating disorders.

As more teens have gone mobile, using their phones as an extension of themselves, hotline providers have tried to keep up. Fewer seem to operate today than in decades past. A smattering reach out through mobile text, including Teen Line in Los Angeles, though that service and others offer limited schedules or specialize in narrow areas of concern when multiple problems might be driving a teen to the brink.

Some text providers operate in specific places or rely on trained teen volunteers to handle the load across modes of communication.

Several agreed that text messaging enhances call-in and chat options for a generation of young people who prefer to communicate by typing on their phones, especially when they don’t want parents, teachers, friends or boyfriends to listen in.

Katie Locke, 26, in Philadelphia was one of those teens in 2006, when she found herself in a suicidal panic after a fight with an old friend. At 18, she said she grabbed her phone, left her college dorm room and headed out in the cold to sit on a bench to talk with a worker on a crisis phone line she knew from one of her favorite blogs. The number was the only one she had handy and it didn’t offer text, which she would have preferred.

“People don’t always have the (mobile phone) minutes or aren’t in a position where they can speak aloud if they’re in danger from somebody around them,” Locke said. “I know for me there were other times when I probably should have called a crisis hotline and didn’t because of the anxiety about calling. That was such an enormous barrier, to have to dial a phone number.” Brian Pinero, director of the National Dating Abuse Helpline run by a nonprofit called Love is Respect, knows that lesson well. The organization launched phone and computer-based chat in 2007, and chat quickly grew to the more heavily used method of contact. The Austin, Texas-based group launched text in 2011 and it’s now about 20 percent of the operation, Pinero said. According to research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, one in four teens is a “cell-mostly” Internet user.

Texting among teens increased from about 50 texts a day in 2009 to about 60, with the number running into hundreds for some.—AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Inside Oklahoma clinic, a ‘menace’ to public health

Dar Al-Shifa Cardiac Lab recognized for procedures KUWAIT: Dar Al-Shifa Hospital is one of the first private hospitals to provide both diagnostic angiography and stent implantation in Kuwait making it the referral center for cardiac catheterization for private and public hospitals. The Cath lab is available 24 hours on a daily basis for primary coronary intervention in acute heart attack patients.

The Cardiac Cath lab provides coronary angiography, coronary angiography and stent implantation using drug eluting stents and the most advanced bio absorbable stents

Dr Saad Al-Kandari along with left ventricular angiography, intra aortic balloon pump insertion, pericardiocentesis (pericardial fluids drainage) and renal artery ablation for hypertensive patients.

The Cardiology department houses many sub specialties that include invasive and non invasive cardiology which is a combination of cardiac catheterization, coronary intervention, pulmonary artery study etc and echocardiography followed by a daily holter monitoring,12 leads holter monitoring which is a portable device for continuously monitoring various electrical activity of the cardiovascular system for at least 24 hours, exercise stress treadmill and extensive stress echo tests, comprehensive CT coronary study, MRI car-

diac study at resting and with adenosine stress test, a test widely used for those unable to exercise.

Dr Saad Al-Kandari, Consultant Cardiologist at Dar Al-Shifa Hospital said, “Over the years, Dar Al-Shifa Hospital has been consistent with advancing both the available technologies as well the medical staff. With the addition of the new lab, we have achieved a high rate of successful cases under the renal ablation coupled with acute heart attacks that were treated with primary coronary stenting, cardiac arrest and brady arrhythmia treated acutely with intra cardiac pacemakers and rescue coronary stenting”.

Continuing on the sub specialties in the cardiology department are Hypertensive heart disease which in collaboration with Dar Al-Shifa hospital’s nephrologists and general internal medicine, hypertensive patients are being evaluated and treated with the aid of simple medical therapy to the most advanced interventional procedure, newly adopted and developed for the first time in Kuwait in the Cath lab, called Renal Ablation conducted solely by cardiologists. The procedure consists of an ablation catheter and a radio-frequency generator where in the physician inserts the flexible catheter into the femoral artery and threads it into the renal artery after which the catheter tip is in place within the renal artery, activating the generator to deliver a controlled, low-power radio-frequency energy to deactivate the surrounding renal nerves.

And lastly ,acute clinical cardiology ,allowing the hospital expertise to deal with any cold cardiology case to the most critical cardio vascular presentation inclusive of cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema , and so on.

“Primary coronary intervention for acute heart attack is a break through procedure and an obligation on behalf of the hospital to alert the public of the availability of a full time service that could mean life or death” added Dr Kandari.

US study: Fewer dying in hospitals, more at home NEW YORK: Sur veys show most Americans would rather die at home than in a hospital. Now, a new government study suggests more and more people getting their wish. The researchers studied the deaths of patients admitted to a sampling of hospitals. They determined that hospital deaths accounted for 29 percent of US deaths in 2010, down from more than 32 percent in 2000. Meanwhile,

other reports indicate deaths in the home grew from 23 percent to 27 percent over the decade. Deaths in nursing homes held steady at around 21 percent.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the figures Wednesday. CDC officials said the growing availability of hospice care may be one factor for fewer hospital deaths.—AP

TULSA: The crisp, stucco exterior of an Oklahoma dental clinic concealed what health inspectors say they found inside: rusty instruments used on patients with infectious diseases and a pattern of unsanitary practices that put thousands of people at risk for hepatitis and the virus that causes AIDS. State and local health officials planned to mail notices Friday urging 7,000 patients of Dr. W. Scott Harrington to seek medical screenings for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Inspectors allege workers at his two clinics used dirty equipment and risked cross-contamination to the point that the state Dentistry Board branded Harrington a “menace to the public health.”

“The office looked clean,” said Joyce Baylor, who had a tooth pulled at Harrington’s Tulsa office 11/2 years ago. In an interview, Baylor, 69, said she’ll be tested next week to determine whether she contracted any infection.

“I’m sure he’s not suffering financially that he can’t afford instruments,” Baylor said of Harrington.

Health officials opened their investigation after a patient with no known risk factors tested positive for both hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. After determining the “index patient” had a dental procedure about the likely time of exposure, investigators visited Harrington’s office and

found a number of unsafe practices, state epidemiologist Kristy Bradley said.

“I want to stress that this is not an outbreak. The investigation is still very much in its early stages,” Bradley said. Harrington voluntarily gave up his license, closed his offices in Tulsa and suburban Owasso, and is cooperating with investigators, said Kaitlin Snider, a spokeswoman for the Tulsa Health Department. He faces a hearing April 19, when his license could be permanently revoked.

“It’s uncertain how long those practices have been in place,” Snider said. “He’s been practicing for 36 years.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is consulting on the case, and agency spokeswoman Abbigail Tumpey said such situations involving dental clinics are rare. Last year a Colorado oral surgeon was accused of reusing needles and syringes, prompting letters to 8,000 patients, Tumpey said. It wasn’t clear whether anyone was actually infected.

“We’ve only had a handful of dental facilities where we’ve had notifications in the last decade,” Tumpey said. The Oklahoma Dentistry Board lodged a 17-count complaint against Harrington, saying he was a “menace to the public health by reasons of practicing dentistry in an unsafe or unsanitary manner.” Among the claims was one detailing the use of rusty

instruments in patients known to have infectious diseases.

“The CDC has determined that rusted instruments are porous and cannot be properly sterilized,” the board said.

Health officials are sending letters to 7,000 known patients but cautioned that they don’t know who visited his clinics before 2007.

The letters urge the patients to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV - viruses typically spread through intravenous drug use or unprotected sex, not occupational settings.

Harrington could not be reached for comment Thursday. A message at his Tulsa office said it was closed, and the doctor ’s answering service referred callers to the Tulsa Health Department.

Phone numbers listed for Harrington were disconnected. A message left with Harrington’s malpractice attorney in Tulsa, Jim Secrest II, was not immediately returned. Harrington’s Tulsa practice is in a tony part of town, on a row of some of the city ’s most upscale medical practices. The white-and-green stucco, two-story dental clinic has the doctor’s name in letters on the facade. According to the complaint, the clinic had varying cleaning procedures for its equipment, needles were re-inserted in drug vials after their initial use and the office had no written infection-protection procedure.

Harrington told officials he left

questions about sterilization and drug procedures to his employees.

“They take care of that, I don’t,” the dentistry board quoted him as saying. The doctor also is accused of letting his assistants perform tasks only a licensed dentist should have done, including administering IV sedation. Also, the complaint says the doctor’s staff could not produce permits for the assistants when asked.

Susan Rogers, executive director of the state Dentistry Board, said that as an oral surgeon Harrington regularly did invasive procedures involving “pulling teeth, open wounds, open blood vessels.” The board’s complaint also noted Harrington and his staff told investigators a “high population of known infectious disease carrier patients” received dental care from him.

Despite the high-risk clientele, a device used to sterilize instruments wasn’t being properly used and hadn’t been tested in six years, the board complaint said. Tests are required monthly.

Also, a drug vial found at a clinic this year had an expiration date of 1993 and one assistant’s drug log said morphine had been used in the clinic last year despite its not receiving any morphine shipments since 2009. Officials said patients will be offered free medical testing at the Tulsa Health Department’s North Regional Health and Wellness Center.—AP

Three astronauts blast off on express ride to ISS BAIKONUR: A crew of two Russians and an American blasted off Friday on a Russian rocket for the International Space Station, in a trip scheduled to be the fastest ever manned journey to the facility. The trio successfully launched from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with a journey time expected to be just six hours compared with the previous time of over two days, an AFP correspondent reported. Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin and American Chris Cassidy are expected to spend the next five months aboard the station after they dock later on Friday.

The initial stages of the launch on the Soyuz-FG rocket were completed without a hitch, mission control in Moscow said, leaving the Soyuz-TMA capsule ready for its fast track ride to the ISS. The slash in travel time has been made possible because technological improvements mean the Soyuz will only need to orbit the Earth four times before docking with the ISS whereas previously some 30 orbits had to be made. The manned “express” flight comes after Russia successfully sent three Progress supply capsules in August, October and February to the station via the short six hour route rather than two days.

CINCINNATI: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Primate Team Leader Ron Evans works with 2 month-old “Gladys”, a Western Lowland Gorilla, as he acts as a surrogate mother, on Wednesday.—AP

Vinogradov, a veteran of two previous space flights, said at the prelaunch news conference that the shortened flight time has several advantages for the crew. Firstly, as the crew only start to experience the tough effects of weightlessness after 4-5 hours of flight they will be in better shape when they arrive at the station for the docking procedure.

“During the initial time the crew feels completely normal and works normally,” he said. Also, the reduced time means that the Soyuz capsule will be able to deliver biological materials for experiments aboard the ISS in time before they spoil, something that would not have been possible with a two day trip.“With such a short time the crew could even take an ice cream-it would not be able to melt,” said Vinogradov. After docking at 0231 GMT Friday, on board they will join incumbent crew Chris Hadfield of Canada, Tom Marshburn of NASA and Russia’s Roman Romanenko.

Hadfield has over the last months built up a huge following with colorful tweets from space and spectacular pictures of the Earth below. “A long & big day ahead as 3 friends launch in their Soyuz rocket from Baikonur to dock with us...

Godspeed,” he tweeted ahead of the trio’s launch.—AFP

KAZAKHSTAN: International Space Station crew members US astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov (bottom) and Alexander Misurkin wave as they board the Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome .—AFP

ABC News correspondent Matt Guttman, left, and Primate Team Leader Ron Evans, center, watch as Primate Keeper Ashley O’Connell carries Gladys, a 2 month-old Western Lowland Gorilla on her back.

Baby gorilla thrives with human surrogates in Ohio CINCINNATI: A baby gorilla being raised temporarily by human surrogate parents is doing well - learning to roll over, sit up and getting ready to walk on all fours. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden primate specialists say “Gladys” is in good health, developing and growing quickly with loving care from 10 humans imitating a gorilla mom’s behavior.

This week she began supporting

herself on all fours. “The next step, she’ll be able to walk around by herself,” said Ron Evans, primate team leader. Gladys also is teething and has begun eating some cooked foods, such as sweet potatoes and carrots, besides being bottle-fed five times a day. “She’s at the age now where she really starts growing by leaps and bounds,” Evans said.

She came to Cincinnati last month

from Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, after she was born there Jan. 29 to a first-time mother who showed little maternal instinct. It was decided to move her to Cincinnati’s zoo because of its extensive experience in raising gorilla babies and its availability of experienced gorilla mothers.

Human surrogates dress in black, wear furry vests and kneepads and make gorilla sounds to help prepare

Gladys for the transition to a real gorilla family. They have been showing her to other gorillas and letting them touch her. The Cincinnati Enquirer (http://cin.ci/WYwKZK ) reports that zoo specialists think she will be ready within a few months, and there are four potential adoptive moms among their gorillas.

“The gorillas have to decide who this baby’s mom is going to be,” Evans

said.

“That will be the day that all this hard work pays off,” said primate keeper Ashley O’Connell, crawling around with the 9-pound gorilla riding on her back. O’Connell just had her own first child five months ago.

“I feel like I’m the mother of two right now,” she said. “If I have to be away from my own child, this is where I want to be.”—AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

New requirements for ballast water dumped by ships MICHIGAN: The Environmental Protection Agency issued new requirements Thursday for cleansing ballast water dumped from ships, which scientists believe has provided a pathway to US waters for invasive species that damage ecosystems and cost the economy billions of dollars.

Commercial vessels are equipped with tanks that can hold millions of gallons of water to provide stability in rough seas.

But live creatures often lurk in the soupy brews of water, seaweed and sediment. If they survive transoceanic journeys and are released into US waters, they can multiply rapidly, crowding out native species and spreading diseases.

Ships are currently required to dump

ballast water 200 miles from a US shoreline. But under the new general permit released by the EPA, vessels longer than 79 feet - which includes an estimated 60,000 vessels - must also treat ballast water with technology such as ultraviolet light or chemicals to kill at least some of the organisms. The new guidelines don’t apply to vessels staying within the Great Lakes, a decision that environmentalists criticized as leaving the door open for ships to ferry invasive species around the lakes.

The permit imposes international cleanliness standards that the Coast Guard also adopted in regulations it issued last year. The EPA said studies by its science advisory board and the National Research

Council endorsed the standards, which limit the number of living organisms in particular volumes of water. Environmental groups contend the limits should be 100 or even 1,000 times tougher, but industry groups say no existing technology can go that far. “The numeric limitations in today’s permit represent the most stringent standards” that ballast water treatment systems can “safely, effectively, credibly, and reliably meet,” the EPA said in a statement with the 200-page report it released on the permit late Thursday.

But environmental groups, whose lawsuits forced the EPA to adopt ballast discharge standards in the first place, said they’re too weak. “The EPA had an oppor-

tunity to lead the world in solving this globally dangerous problem, but they have missed the mark ... again,” said Mary Ellen Ashe, executive director of Great Lakes United. She also criticized the EPA for exempting ships that never leave the Great Lakes, where ballast water is blamed for introducing invasive species including zebra and quagga mussels. Those organisms have spread across the lakes, clogging water intake pipes and unraveling food webs by gobbling microscopic plankton on which fish depend.

Environmentalists contend that those exempted ships can carry exotic species around the lakes even if they weren’t responsible for bringing them to the US

The EPA said treatment technologies are “unavailable and economically unfeasible” for those vessels.

But it said any built before 2009 would have to take other steps such as limiting the amount of ballast water they pick up near shore. Under the EPA permit and the Coast Guard regulations, ships built after Dec 1 will have to comply with the treatment standards immediately. The requirements will be phased in for existing vessels over several years, with treatment technology being installed as ships are taken out of service for maintenance.

A coalition of environmental groups said there should be a hard deadline to retrofit all existing ships. —AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

NBK’s ‘Walk... Instagram... and Win’ 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 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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awraa Shaker Bouhamad, Fatmah Al Qadfan and Nour Alhoda Kahwaji won the best photos in National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Instagram competition launched during Annual Walkathon this month. The “Walk... Instagram... Win” competition rewarded the three winners each with new Samsung Galaxy Camera. Participants of the NBK Walkathon took pictures during the walk, and posted it on

Instagram with the hash tag #NBKWalkaton. The winning photos were chosen by a committee from NBK. This competition aimed to encourage people to participate in social events and take part in social responsibility. The walkathon is one of the many initiatives NBK organizes throughout the years to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle for members of the community. NBK is keen to support cus-

“Chaine Des Rotisseurs” at the JW Marriott Hotel

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he members and invited guests of the elite ìChaine des Rotisseursî Kuwait Chapter enjoyed an elegant gala dinner at the renowned Terrace Grill steakhouse at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City. The dinner was graced by the Ambassadors of the United States, Canada, Italy and the United Arab Emirates along with the founder of HORECA ñ Mr. Nouhad Dammous

tomers through all channels and views social media networks as important aspects for supporting the lifestyle and banking habits of NBK clients. For more information regarding banking transactions, events and competitions check out National Bank of Kuwait official facebook page NBK - Official Page or follow NBK on Twitter @NBKPage, and on Instagram @NBKPage.

US Education Group (USEG) visits Kuwait

who was awarded by the Chaine Des Rotisseurs for his efforts in the hospitality industry in the Middle East. The theme of the evening was an inspiration of silver and white colors, with a creative and stylish menu with delicious dishes presented by international chefs from the JW Marriott that emphasized the quality that the Terrace Grill is known for in Kuwait.

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omorrow April 1, 2013, at the Marina Hotel from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, the US Education Group (USEG) will return to Kuwait to promote US colleges and universities.

Representatives from more than 20 U.S. universities and colleges will be on hand to answer questions from Kuwaiti students and their families.

The EducationUSA adviser from the US Embassy will be present at the fair to address students’ questions about education in the US. In addition, a US Embassy Consular Officer will answer questions about the student visa process.

Representatives from USEG will provide information about admission standards, financial aid opportunities, summer programs, and student life at different US universities. The US universities

that will be represented at the event are: American Consortium of Universities: Guilford College, University of North Carolina- Greensboro, Valparaiso University, West Chester University, Colorado State University, DePaul University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College, Iowa State University, Kent State University, Miami University of Ohio, Middle Tennessee State University, Minot State University, Ohio State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, Saginaw Valley State University, State University of New York, Brockport University of Buffalo, the State University of New York, University of California, Irvine University of Central Florida, University of Michigan, Flint University of South Florida, University of Toledo.

Monjed Salha becomes Holiday Inn Salmiya’s General Manager Ambassadors of the U.S, UAE, Italy, Canada along with Mr. George Aoun, Mr. Nouhad Dammous from Horeca, ‘Bailli Delegue’ Mr. Mohamed Najia and members of committee and Chaine.

Madhu Balakrishnan guest in Prathibha dance program

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rathibha School of Dance (PSD), one of the leading dance schools of Kuwait, located in Mangaf since 2008, is a part of all socio - cultural organizations / functions in Kuwait.

PSD is happy to announce the Mega show “Arangetram - 2013” where children perform their artistic talents in Indian traditional dances like bharatanatyam, kuchipudi, folk dance, and other North and South Indian varieties. Children from various schools (around 15 Indian schools) in Kuwait, who are the students of Prathibha School of Dance, will be participating in this program to explore their talents in front of the audience. The well-known Singer from India Madhu Balakrishnan will be one of the chief celebrity guests who will be enthralling the audience with his mesmerizing voice with melodious songs. High officials will be present in this fabulous occasion.

The Complete Show will be powered by most famous “D’Lite’s Music Band Kuwait” and as an added attraction they will entertain the crowd with their Musical ExtravaganzA.

‘Bailli Delegue’ Mr. Mohamed Najia and Mr. Nouhad Dammous and family.

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oliday Inn Salmiya is proud to announce the appointment of Monjed Salha as the hotel’s new General Manager. Monjed joins the hotel with over 20 years of experience and expertise in the field of Hospitality in several international companies across the 3 continents of Europe, Asia & Africa.

Monjed Salha, holder of British nationality of Lebanese origin, holds a diploma in business administration from Greenwich University in the United Kingdom, has previously held the same position at the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai. Throughout his career he has held various positions in a number of International Chains in several departments, including rooms division, revenue management and sales & marketing.

In addition to his academic qualifications, he has attended a number of workshops and management programs at Cornell and Ashridge universities that enriches his expertise and opportunities to lead various managerial roles at InterContinental Hotel Group. Monjed Salha expressed his delight to join the Holiday Inn Salmiya and lead the great success of the hotel in becoming a ‘’Great Hotel That Guests Love’’ through offering them superior service delivered by passionate people. The management of the Hotel wishes Monjed Salha a great start in his new role and a continued success.

IMAX film program Effective from 31st March 2013

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Journey to Mecca Born to be Wild 3D

Monjed Salha

5:30pm 8:30pm

** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 11:30am, 8:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 12:30pm, 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 7:30pm

Thursday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 5:30pm, 8:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 11:30am Tornado Alley 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 6:30pm

Monday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm

Friday: Fires of Kuwait Tornado Alley 3D To The Arctic 3D Flight of Butterflies 3D Born to be Wild 3D

Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 11:30am, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm

Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 2:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30pm Journey to Mecca 4:30pm

Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am Tornado Alley 3D 11:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm

2:30pm 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm 4:30pm, 7:30pm 6:30pm 9:30pm

Notes: All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request.

“Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request.

Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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.

AIS DP Visual Arts Program

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T

he American International School of Kuwait, International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the Visual Arts, is a rigorous two-year investigation of art making, art criticism and art history.

Students choose a theme and create twelve to twenty-four artworks.

Before each artwork is created it is thoroughly investigated and analyzed.

Students find artists of influence and artworks of inspiration, they research technical processes, and cultural and contextual meaning, they delve into the function and significance of their work and the work of others both in the contemporary art world and within the river of art history. Graduates of the AIS DP Visual Arts program are thoroughly equipped for university level study and beyond with tools that will serve them throughout their art careers.

The Visual Art IB DP program at AIS encourages, and promotes students to be creative, conceptual thinkers. The Diploma Program students at the American International School of Kuwait had the opening of their culminating Visual Arts exhibition, MAGNUM OPUS at the AIS Art Gallery on the 18th March 2013. The result of one and half years of effort in multiple media, the exhibition features over 150 exciting, conceptual thought provoking artworks by ten students, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, digital media and installations.

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

Memac Ogilvy continues to raise the bar on creativity

M

emac Ogilvy picked up a total of 17 awards at the 7th Dubai Lynx Awards Ceremony. ‘Sawa Mninjah’ (together we succeed) campaign bagged five including 2 Gold trophies in the Direct, Promotions and Activation categories, while “Le Charcutier” campaign was awarded with one Gold trophy in the print category. The final count was split in 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 9 Bronze trophies for Dubai office.

Edmond Moutran, CEO and Chairman, Memac Ogilvy & Mather Holding, Middle East & North Africa, added: “In the last 4 years we have won Agency of the year once and had the runner-up spot twice. This year Memac Ogilvy continues to raise the bar on creativity, showing maturity and consistency within our objectives. I am highly proud of our team in Dubai who continues to produce amazing awardwinning work: 42 shortlists which translated into 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 9 Bronze trophies, ranked the Dubai office as the 2nd most awarded agency in the Arab World this year”.

The Middle East is witnessing a

remarkable improvement in the eyes of global industry. With that transition, Middle Eastern networks are achieving much better results in global creative festivals. This has resonated with adopting higher standards, increasing

expectations year on year at the Dubai Lynx Awards. Consequently wins are getting harder and harder to reach.

“The Lynx awards are being judged just like any other international award Cannes or Clio” said Erik Vervroegen,

Jury President of Film, Print, Outdoor, Radio and Craft. “Shortlisted agencies should be very proud to have made it this far. If they got a Bronze or Silver they are rock stars but if they got Gold or Grand Prix, then they are world class”, he added.

“We are extremely happy and proud of the Lynx and the Middle East for following such high standards” said Ramzi Moutran, Creative Director of Advertising at Memac Ogilvy Dubai.

“This year, Lynx was another positive step towards improving the region’s creative reputation. There were no “Stand-out Agencies” but a much better quality across the board. It was a tough awards festival but as long as this trend continues, our region will further rise in the global rankings for creativity”, he added. Memac Ogilvy was awarded respectively for the following campaigns: Sawa Mninjah was awarded 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze; Le Charcutier 1 Gold; Sprite 1 Silver and 1 Bronze; Fanta 1 Silver; Rennie 1 Bronze; IKEA 1 Silver; Dove Men and Care 1 Bronze; Kleenex Arabesque 1 Bronze and Fitworx 1 Bronze

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

ASK and GES crowned champions

T

he Office of Admissions at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) recently held its 3rd Annual High school Football Tournament (HSFT).

This year, nine schools participated with their boys and girls teams. The four finalists were The English Academy, The American School of Kuwait, Gulf English School (GES), and LyceeFrancais Du Koweit (LFK).

For the second consecutive year, the GES boys team was crowned the champion of the 3rd Annual Football Tournament. Also winning the tournament for the second year in a row was the ASK girls team. Sponsored by the AUK Office of Admissions, the Football

Tournament is held annually to engage High school students in different activities, and to provide a venue to promote healthy competition among students.

According to Maher Dabbouseh, Director of Admissions at AUK, the purpose of such activities is to encourage youngsters to compete against one another in friendly matches while touching base with the “lively, active, and diverse environment of AUK.” The final award ceremony was held on March 19th, whereby the champions of the tournament and the title winners were recognized. AUK President, Dr Winfred Thompson, was present in the awards ceremony to

hand trophies and medals to the winning teams.

This year, the boys title winners included; Rabiea AlJerbi, from ASK,as the “Golden Boot” awardee after scoring 10 Goals in the tournament; Sulaiman Al-Attar, from GES, as the “Most Valuable Player”; and Haydar Dashti, from GES, as the “Best Goal Keeper” by conceding 3 goals only through-out the whole tournament.

From the girl teams; Emily Halal, from ASK, came as the “Golden Boot” awardee;”RacilHammine”, from LFK,as the “Most Valuable Player”; and Deemah Al-Selmi, from ASK,as the “Best Goalkeeper” by conceding only one goal throughout the whole tournament.

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

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

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 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

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

X-MEN FIRST CLASS ON OSN ACTION HD

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 02:00 Lazytown 02:20 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:50 Imagination Movers 03:20 Handy Manny 03:30 Handy Manny 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Special Agent Oso 04:00 Timmy Time 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:00 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Jungle Junction 07:25 Jungle Junction 07:50 Cars Toons 07:55 Lazytown 08:20 Imagination Movers 08:45 Timmy Time 08:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:20 The Hive 09:30 Doc McStuffins 09:45 Zou 10:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:15 Toy Story Toons 10:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:45 Doc McStuffins 11:00 Handy Manny 11:10 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 11:25 Mouk 11:35 Lilo And Stitch 12:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 12:10 Doc McStuffins 12:25 Doc McStuffins 12:35 Doc McStuffins 12:50 Doc McStuffins 13:05 Doc McStuffins 13:15 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 13:30 Mouk 13:45 Lilo And Stitch 14:10 Cars Toons 14:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 14:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:05 The Hive 15:20 Mouk 15:35 Zou 15:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:20 Doc McStuffins 16:35 Doc McStuffins 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Lazytown 17:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:05 Mouk 18:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 19:00 Animated Stories 19:05 Timmy Time 19:15 Pajanimals 19:25 Doc McStuffins 19:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:10 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Pajanimals 20:45 Handy Manny 21:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 21:25 Pajanimals 21:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 22:00 Timmy Time 22:10 Animated Stories 22:15 A Poem Is...

22:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 22:30 Jungle Junction 22:45 Handy Manny 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Little Einsteins 23:50 Special Agent Oso

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 The Daisy Chain-PG15 02:00 The Last Exorcism-18 04:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 08:00 The Man Inside-PG15 10:00 Sucker Punch-PG15 12:00 True Justice: Dead DropPG15

SNOWTOWN ON OSN CINEMA 14:00 16:00 18:15 PG15 20:00 22:00

The Man Inside-PG15 X-Men: First Class-PG15 True Justice: Dead DropAlien-18 Botched-18

01:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 03:00 Larry Crowne-PG15 05:00 A Dog Named Duke-PG15 07:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 09:00 Certain Prey-PG15 11:00 Larry Crowne-PG15 13:00 Elevator Girl-PG15 15:00 The Winning Season-PG15 17:00 Ghost Machine-PG15 19:00 The People vs George LucasPG15 21:00 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard-18 23:00 Snowtown-R

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

Classifieds SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (28/03/2013 TO 03/04/2013) SHARQIA-1 KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 1:30 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 5:45 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 7:45 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 12:15 AM SHARQIA-3 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) MUHALAB-1 TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) MUHALAB-2 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) SIDE EFFECTS (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 2:00 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 4:00 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 6:00 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 8:15 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 10:30 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 12:45 AM FANAR-1 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) FANAR-2 KON-TIKI (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) FANAR-3 HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED MARINA-1 KON-TIKI (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

1:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM

KON-TIKI (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 AL HAFLA (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

1:30 PM 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 2:00 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 4:00 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 6:00 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 8:15 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 10:30 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 12:45 AM AVENUES-1 THE TALL MAN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) LOVE AND HONOR (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2 HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) HIMMATWALA (DIG) (HINDI) LOVE AND HONOR (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 1:45 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 3:45 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 5:45 PM THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 7:45 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 12:15 AM 360ยบ- 1 G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360ยบ- 2 AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360ยบ- 3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.1 G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)

1:00 PM

NO FRI+SAT THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 1:30 PM FRI+SAT THE CROODS (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (DIG-3D) 5:30 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 7:45 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 12:15 AM AL-KOUT.2 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.3 KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1 G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-2 IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-3 KON-TIKI (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) PLAZA JAFFA (DIG) (TELUGU) NO THU+ TUE+WED AL HAFLA (DIG) THU+ TUE+WED G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG) LAILA THE CROODS (DIG) NO WED OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) NO WED G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG) NO WED AJIAL.1 RED WINE (DIG) (MALAYALAM) RED WINE (DIG) (MALAYALAM) AJIAL.2 RANGREZZ (DIG) (HINDI) THU RANGREZZ (DIG) (HINDI) THU

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation, small room for bachelor for Filipino only, Farwaniya near Gulfmart, available from April 25. Contact: 94418396.

26-3-2013

FOR SALE Bedroom set (double bed) almost new, KD 120, cupboard KD 30, table KD 20, window A/C KD 30, please contact Mob: 66047733.

(C 4352) 25-3-2013

TUITION French Native Teacher gives private tuition according to your needs. Contact: 50956987. (C 4359) 28-3-2013

Esteves, Passport No: E5346712, issued in Kuwait on 03-06-2003, embraced Islam. Change my name to Khalid Antonio Esteves.

Address India: H.No: 995, Zuari - Fursa Vaddo, Velha Goa, Ilhas - Goa - 403108.

(C 4355) I, Dmello Fiolina Lourdina, Passport No: H4917403, issued in Panaji on 29-102009, converted to Islam.

Change name to Mariyam Khalid Esteves. Address India: H.No: 1077, Tollecanto, Velim Salcete, Goa. (C 4356) 27-3-21013

112

Prayer timings Fajr:

04:20

Shorook

05:40

Duhr:

11:52

Asr:

15:23

Maghrib:

18:05

Isha:

19:23

No: 15764

5:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM

6:30 PM 9:30 PM

6:45 PM

CHANGE OF NAME I, Mohammed Abdul Kader, Shahira Manzil Chnnoth P O Velloor, Kannur Dist, Kerala, Passport No: K2083947, hereby changed my name as Abdul Kader Chekkintakath.

(C 4360) 30-3-2013 I, Joshina John, holder of Indian Passport No. F1283793 issued at Cochin on 23-12-2004 hereby change by name as JOSHINA JOHN. (C 4357) 28-9-2013

10:00 PM

I, Apolinario Antonio

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI QTR THY JZR JZR RJA THY ETH GFA UAE FDB MSR QTR KAC THY DHX FDB BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD IRC IRC GFA MEA JZR JZR UAE KAC MSR KAC GFA KAC QTR KAC FDB MSR SVA KNE JZR RJA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 31/3/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 148 DOHA 774 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 6666 AHWAZ 6507 SHIRAZ 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 871 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 610 CAIRO 742 DAMMAM 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 140 DOHA 774 RIYADH 57 DUBAI 575 CAIRO 500 JEDDAH 472 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 640 AMMAN

Time 0:05 0:15 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:10 1:30 1:45 1:55 2:25 3:10 3:15 3:30 4:20 4:35 5:40 5:50 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:25 8:50 9:00 9:15 9:20 9:30 10:10 10:30 10:40 10:55 11:35 12:00 12:45 12:55 13:00 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 14:35 14:50 15:55

QTR JZR ETD SYR FDB UAE ABY SVA GFA UAL JZR JZR KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC FDB KAC AXB KAC MSR JAI KAC AFG OMA FDB ABY JZR MEA CLX KAC KAC KLM ALK UAE KAC ETD QTR GFA QTR DHX QTR AFG FDB AIC JZR UAL JZR JZR DLH JAI PIA THY

134 787 303 341 71 857 127 510 215 982 177 777 502 542 144 786 166 63 618 393 674 606 572 102 415 647 61 129 481 402 870 562 514 417 229 859 172 307 136 217 6130 372 146 405 59 981 239 981 185 135 636 574 205 772

DOHA RIYADH ABU DHABI DAMASCUS DUBAI DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES DUBAI JEDDAH BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH PARIS DUBAI DOHA KOZHIKODE DUBAI LUXOR MUMBAI NEW YORK KABUL MUSCAT DUBAI SHARJAH SABIHA BEIRUT LUXEMBOURG AMMAN TEHRAN AMSTERDAM COLOMBO DUBAI FRANKFURT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA KABUL DUBAI CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI LAHORE ISTANBUL

16:15 16:15 16:35 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:50 18:00 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:40 18:55 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:45 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:45 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:40 23:00 23:10 23:20 23:40 23:45

Airlines THY AIC KAC UAL KAC DHX JAI DLH ETH THY UAE FDB MSR QTR QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA THY JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB QTR KAC ETD IRA KAC KAC IRC GFA KAC IRC MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC JZR KAC JZR MSR UAE GFA FDB

Departure Flights on Sunday 31/3/2013 Flt Route 321 ISTANBUL 976 GOA 283 DHAKA 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 283 DHAKA 371 BAHRAIN 573 MUMBAI 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 6667 AHWAZ 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 6508 SHIRAZ 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI

Time 0:00 0:05 0:10 0:10 0:10 0:40 1:05 1:20 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:15 4:25 5:15 5:35 6:30 6:35 7:00 7:10 7:25 8:25 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:25 9:30 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:30 11:10 11:25 11:30 11:30 11:55 12:00 12:25 12:30 12:30 12:50 13:00 13:20 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

QTR MSR KAC KNE KAC KAC SVA KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD FDB JZR SYR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR JZR UAL QTR FDB JZR AXB MSR JAI FDB ABY AFG OMA MEA CLX DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA DHX FDB KAC QTR KAC QTR KAC KAC KAC

141 576 673 473 561 617 503 513 641 238 135 304 72 538 342 128 858 511 216 184 266 982 145 64 134 394 619 571 62 120 415 648 403 713 171 417 308 230 860 343 137 301 218 373 60 205 147 351 6131 411 1283 415

DOHA SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI JEDDAH AMMAN DOHA MADINAH TEHRAN AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI CAIRO LATAKIA SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH JEDDAH MUSCAT BEIRUT NAIROBI BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI CHENNAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA KOCHI DOHA BANGKOK DHAKA KUALA LUMPUR

14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:20 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 19:25 19:35 20:05 20:15 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:45 20:55 21:15 21:45 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:40 23:45 23:50

34

stars CROSSWORD 145

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) A sense of emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level, combined with an emphasis on idealism. It’s ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns, and you may have little tolerance for people who do not operate at this level. The new, the unusual, the eclectic these are the things that instinctively appeal to you. If you are single and looking for someone special to spend your time with then now is a good time for an unexpected encounter. It could be from someone you’ve known for quite some time or a stranger you literally bump into. Take the time today to say hello, be friendly and take a risk, it could pay off in a great way with a long term romance.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may have an important professional conference or a conversation about your career. This is an excellent time to seek out your superiors or those in a position to help you advance. You are most likely objective and can make some clear decisions about where you are headed or what the next step to achieve your important personal goals should be. Your judgment is sound at this time. Slow down today, you might be inclined to jump to conclusions at this time, and say and do things which you may regret later. You may suddenly decide to act on some idea or plan you have been considering, which can be good as long as you don’t move so abruptly and quickly that you override other people’s say in the matter.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Made from residue of grapes or apples after pressing.

5. Having escaped, especially from confinement.

12. A bachelor's degree in naval science.

15. The sixth month of the civil year.

16. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

17. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

18. (sport) Used of your own ground.

19. Infections of the skin or nails caused by fungi and appearing as itching circular patches.

20. God of wealth and love.

22. Large long-armed ape of Borneo and Sumatra having arboreal habits.

24. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

26. Make attractive or lovable.

27. The quality of being fraudulent.

29. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

30. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

31. One who works hard at boring tasks.

35. Related by blood.

37. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

40. The 3 goddesses of fate or destiny.

42. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

44. A genus of Ploceidae.

48. The United Nations agency concerned with the interests of labor.

49. A small cake leavened with yeast.

50. An anti-inflammatory drug that does not contain steroids.

51. Indian religious leader who founded Sikhism (1469-1538).

53. Before noon.

54. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

56. A submachine gun operated by gas pressure.

57. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

58. The cry made by sheep.

60. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

63. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

64. An oil port in southern Iraq.

66. Having three dimensions.

69. Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended.

71. Type genus of the Apogonidae.

75. Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained.

79. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

80. Large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses.

81. A variety of leaf bug.

83. A notable achievement.

84. Pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness.

85. Small genus of tropical South African trees and shrubs.

86. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

DOWN 1. Shrubby tree widely distributed along tropical shores.

2. Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc..

3. The ninth month of the Moslem calendar.

4. Supply with battlements.

5. The administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma.

6. One of the two main branches of orthodox Islam.

7. A nation in northern North America.

8. South American cavy.

9. Seed of a pea plant.

10. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

11. Port city in the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf.

12. Divulge information or secrets.

13. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India and western Burma.

14. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

21. A blind god.

23. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

25. A short high tone produced as a signal or warning.

28. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element.

32. Pertaining to one of the small sacs (as in a compound gland).

33. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

34. American Sauk leader (1790-1848).

36. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

38. A nurse who has enough training to be licensed by a state to provide routine care for the sick.

39. An associate degree in applied science.

41. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself).

43. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

45. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

46. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

47. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

52. Large arboreal boa of tropical South America.

55. State in northeastern India.

59. Discrimination in favor of the able-bodied.

61. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

62. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.

65. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

67. English monk and scholar (672-735).

68. The sciences concerned with gathering and manipulating and storing and retrieving and classifying recorded information.

70. Small buffalo of the Celebes having small straight horns.

72. A Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland or Scotland or the Isle of Man. 73. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

74. A quantity of no importance.

76. An emergency procedure consisting of external cardiac massage and artificial respiration.

77. Inquire about.

78. Being one more than six.

82. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

If you’ve been chasing down that extra credit line, looking for a better deal on a mortgage or equity loan, this is a likely time to pull it all together, as long as you’ve got all paperwork and in a row. That may mean scrambling for some last minute details or information to make it under a deadline, but there’s real potential here.

Disputes in close partnerships are likely at this time. Your relationships have a very competitive, aggressive quality, and conflicts over power and dominance may erupt. You won’t compromise yourself to please anyone, so knowing this you may just want to be alone today.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) A new sense of creativity and enthusiasm awakens in you during this time. You are able to see life with new eyes and new appreciation.

You have a fresh outlook on life and begin approaching life in a new way during this time period. If it feels right then go ahead and take the risk and ask that special someone whatever it is you’ve been holding back! This is a time when inspiration and opportunity both are in the air, so be ready to take a risk and make your move.

Leo (July 23-August 22) The day can bring passing notoriety, an unexpected word from without that lets you know someone’s watching you, and not always when you’re expecting it. You’re entering a period of emotional change now and could be feeling two ways at once without getting too deep into either emotion is possible. This is a good time for you in your emotional relationships. Your ability to express yourself confidently and openly wins you the respect and admiration of others. You can promote ideas and goals that you believe strongly in and. They quietly accept your proposals and ideas, and may even provide some support.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are biking with the wind behind you, which gives you extra smooth power that effortlessly eats up the miles. Keep up the pace without straining so when it’s time to take a rest or the wind changes, you’ll have the accomplishment you need under your belt. Sustain without strain for the greatest gain. Be careful today as you could be inclined to be compulsive or demanding in a close relationship, perhaps even emotionally driven to force things to explode in some situation. Positively, a relationship can be deepened and renewed now by your willingness to reveal yourself completely to your loved one.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) During this time period you feel a lot of tension between your goals, dreams, and aspirations versus your responsibilities. Typically, the struggle is between responsibilities to family members (children, parents, spouse) and career goals and ambitions, although your particular responsibilities and goals may be of a somewhat different nature. Your mind is directed inward and reflecting on your personal life, and the overall direction you are headed in, is very likely now. Thoughts of the past and the choices you made are also prominent. Making a decision regarding your home or your family life is favored at this time.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may find you could use a little more space at home as everyone there, including yourself, is taking up a lot more psychic space than usual right now. That can be claustrophobic and you can get on each other’s nerves — or you can use it as the opportunity to connect more by opening that personal space and letting people in. Or, you can just get out of the house and take a break from it all.

Whatever you choose, you will find yourself with matters coming to a head and you’ll be making conclusions about just how well your internal game plan is working out. Literally and figuratively, good fences make good neighbors, but only when located strategically. Time to finish yours, test it.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This time is filled with stimulating discussions about controversial topics, unusual or offbeat ideas, or “crazy” schemes. The tempo of your life increases and may leave you feeling frazzled. Because you are quite restless, you may do or say things in haste that you will regret later. Personal relationships and friendships may be drawing more energy from you than you want to give. It’s likely you’re feeling as though there isn’t any time just for you. If so, take a step back from your more intimate relationships and make some time to take care of your personal needs. A little selfindulgence is definitely in order.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Overall energy, positive assertiveness rise for a few days and may make up for other low points. Where it’s mixed with highs, be careful not to overdo or strain yourself, as the letdown later may leave you more drained than you had anticipated.

You’re on a high today but don’t bite off more than you can really chew on. Happiness and a desire to share your good fortune and joy with others is the mood now. As long as you don’t overextend yourself, this is a good time to indulge your feelings of kindness towards others and also to be kind and indulgent to yourself.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Don’t try to keep it under too much control today, just ride with it and see where it leads you. No times like interesting times, and here they are, so enjoy them. Don’t make dates you can’t break, or you’ll be forced to break the dates you make. Just free your mind and see what happens. Getting noticed and getting the job done may not seem to go hand in hand, as personal issues interfere with other obligations. Personal and partner issues will be the main focus for most of the day. Try to get as much resolved in this area without destroying it out of frustration.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Positive elements today are the little things in life, so invest in the small for the long haul and you’ll be sure of a return. Look to get dividends, not a big turnover, and you’ll be right in the flow as they grow. Creativity and a talent for new approaches are the keys to your success, so don’t hold back, go with the flow. Oh it’s a day to bump into the unexpected someone today. They might be a hottie or not but don’t blow them off even if you don’t think they are. For whatever reason the universe put them in that place and time for you to meet. Don’t just assume it’s a chance meeting, there is such a thing as destiny.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 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

36

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Judge: Jolie didn’t plagiarize ‘Blood and Honey’

A

federal judge says actress Angelina Jolie didn’t steal the story for her movie “In the Land of Blood and Honey” from a Croatian author. City News Service reports Friday’s tentative ruling in Los Angeles will quash the lawsuit accusing Jolie of copyright infringement. In 2011, author James Braddock sued Jolie and the film company that made the film, saying it was partly based on his book “The Soul Shattering.” US District Judge Dolly M Gee wrote in a tentative ruling that the plots, characters and themes in the two works were not “substantially” similar, though both centered on war romances. Jolie wrote, directed and co-produced the film.

Braddock has been ordered to tell the court why his complaint should not be dismissed with prejudice.

Bieber’s monkey quarantined in Germany Scorsese developing ‘Gangs of New York’ TV series

J

ustin Bieber had to leave a monkey in quarantine after landing in Germany last week without the necessary papers for the animal, an official said yesterday. The 19-year-old singer arrived at Munich airport last Thursday. When he went through customs, he didn’t have the documentation necessary to bring the capuchin monkey into the country, so the animal had to stay with authorities, customs spokesman Thomas Meister said. Bieber performed in Munich on Thursday, beginning the latest leg of his European tour. He later tweeted: “Munich was a good time.

And loud. The bus is headed to Vienna now. U coming?” He didn’t mention the monkey. The Canadian singer is giving several concerts in Austria and then in Germany over the next week. Bieber had a trying stay in London recently. The star struggled with his breathing and fainted backstage at a show, was taken to a hospital and then was caught on camera clashing with a paparazzo. Days earlier, he was booed by his beloved fans when he showed up late to a concert.

M

artin Scorsese is developing a TV series based on his 2002 film “Gangs of New York.” The director is partnering with Miramax, which released the Oscar-nominated film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis.

The planned show doesn’t yet have a TV network. The series expands on the brutal, 19th-century New York gang world of the film. Miramax says the series will chronicle the birth of organized crime in not just New York but also in cities such as Chicago and New Orleans. In a statement Thursday, Scorsese says the era was too rich to fully explore in a two-hour film. He says the series “allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life.”

Jeremy Renner’s daughter is called Ava Berlin

T

he 42-year-old actor was “thrilled” to welcome his first child into the world on Thursday and has now revealed her name along with the identity of mystery mother Sonni Pacheco. In a statement, the star’s spokesperson told People magazine: “They are beyond thrilled.

Mother and daughter are doing great.” The news was announced yesterday by Us Weekly who were told by two sources. The ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ star was overheard earlier this year at the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles telling Eva Longoria he would be a father for the first time. It was reported: “Jeremy is delighted he is becoming a dad. “He realizes it’s unconventional to have his baby mama, an ex-girlfriend, living with him and his roommate, but he just doesn’t care.” The name of the mother had been a source of mystery after it was said she was an ex-girlfriend who Jeremy was putting up in his Los Angeles home until the birth. Previously, a source said: “They used to date but it wasn’t serious. [He is] being ultra-secretive about it, but she has been going on about her life and not hiding it.”

Bell and Shepard welcome baby girl

K

risten Bell and Dax Shepard have given birth to a baby girl. The couple who got engaged in 2009 announced on Twitter they have welcomed Lincoln Bell Shepard - their first child together - into the world. Dax, 38, wrote to his followers: “Lincoln Bell Shepard is here.

She has mom’s beauty and dad’s obsession with breasts. Hooray!” The new mother was nervous towards the end of her pregnancy, and admitted she was relying on the help of friends who had already made the leap to parenthood. Kristen, 32, had recently said: “I’m gathering advice from everyone. I have a lot of friends with kids and work with a lot of people with children, so I’m just asking what’s their best bit of advice. “The nice thing is that, hands down, every person I know that has ever had a kid has looked at me with confidence and said, ‘Oh, this is the best thing you’ll ever do with your entire life.’ So, that’s nice to know.” Dax and the former ‘Veronica Mars’ actress have been together since 2007, but plans for a wedding are on hold as a protest in favor of same-sex marriage.

India.Arie laughs off skin-lightening talk

I

ndia.Arie is laughing off talk that she may have lightened her skin. The R&B songstress is known for singing about being authentic and celebrating one’s true self. But some accused India.Arie of lightening her skin when a publicity photo for her song “Cocoa Butter” released this week made it look as though she were several shades lighter than her dark brown complexion. But India.Arie took to Twitter on Friday to deny the accusations, saying she has no desire to bleach her skin because she loves herself and her brown skin “more than ever.” She also said that “magnificent lighting” is the cause for her “glow.”

She added that she’d like to keep the conversation going, though, on the issue of racism and colorism in the black community.

Price serenades Hayler at their wedding

K

atie Price sang ‘Save The Best For Last’ for new husband Kieran Hayler. The couple celebrated their second marriage yesterday after a ceremony in the Bahamas in January, and although the event was quite secretive it has emerged the former glamour model serenaded her 200 guests.

The Daily Mirror newspaper reports Katie, 34, sang Vanessa Williams’ 1992 ballad for the part-time stripper-and-actor - her third husband after Peter Andre and Alex Reid - at the low key wedding in seaside town Weston-super-Mare, in South West, England. It has also been said she intends to release the track as a single later in the year. The theme for the nuptials was apparently inspired by Roald Dahl’s book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ along with influences from India and the Caribbean. Although Katie had opted for a strapless white High Street wedding dress, she apparently decided against a “softer bridal look” when consulting make-up artist Gary Cockerill. A source said: “Gary suggested a softer bridal look for a change but Katie told him she wanted to focus on her face and cleavage.” It was added in The Sun newspaper the groom - wearing a dark suit with a white carnation in the button hole - was crying when he saw his new wife. An insider revealed: “Kieran was overwhelmed with happiness. It was very romantic and him crying made everyone else well up, too. “Katie looked incredible. Everyone gasped when she walked in.” —Agencies

37

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

&

M u s i c

How ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ pulled off the year’s biggest box-office surprise “O lympus Has Fallen” provided the biggest box office surprise so far this year with this weekend’s $30 million opening, about $10 million above industry and analysts’ projections. Bigger may ultimately prove better when it comes to president-in-peril movies. Sony is in post-production on its similarly-themed Roland Emmerich film “White House Down,” and the $150 million epic starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx is expected to be a blockbuster.

But it’s good to be first, and the strong debut for “Olympus” is a coup for Film District, which marketed and distributed the $70 million Millennium Films production. To put the success of “Olympus” in perspective, it easily topped the $25 million debut that Bruce Willis managed with “Good Day to Die Hard” in February. And its opening was bigger than the bows of Sylvester Stallone’s “Bullet to the Head,” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The Last Stand” and Jason Statham’s “Parker” combined, according to Box Office Mojo.

It was the biggest opening ever for Film District, which was founded in September 2010 by Peter Schlessel, in partnership with Graham King and

Timothy Headington. The Film District marketing department, led by Christine Birch, identified the target demographic as older, male and maybe military, and nailed it. The “Olympus” audience was 73 percent over 25 and 53 percent male. A series of special pre-release screenings at military bases paid off, too-cities with large armed forces populations like Norfolk, Va., El Paso, Texas, and Honolulu all overperformed, Film District distribution chief Jim Orr told TheWrap.

The gender breakdown suggests “Olympus” turned into a date-night movie, no small feat for an R-rated action film. “I think Gerard Butler gets a lot of credit for that,” Orr said. “He’s an action star.” That’s something Butler may have needed to be reminded of. He’s never been able to match the box-office success of 2007’s “The 300,” and was coming off a string of misfires in non-action roles.

He topped a first-rate ensemble cast that included Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Melissa Leo, Robert Forster and Ashley Judd. But the biggest name and one the marketing campaign focused on-was director Antoine Fuqua. The

“Training Day” director attracted an audience, and they loved the film. It received an “A-”CinemaScore, very strong for an action film.

“When we saw the Saturday numbers coming in, we knew word of mouth was a factor,” Orr said. Fuqua didn’t waste any time either, which was critical, since it was

important for “Olympus” to beat the bigger, more-hyped “White House Down” to market. “That made a difference,” Orr said, “and gave us some flexibility.” April 5 was the original release date for “Olympus,” but Film District switched off that to avoid “The Heat,” the Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy FBI movie, and get in ahead of “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” which opens Thursday. “The Heat” subsequently shifted its release date to June 28 the same day “White House Down” debuts.

The irony of dueling movies and dates isn’t lost on Orr. He was at Paramount back in 1998, when that studio debuted “Deep Impact,” a movie about a giant lethal mass hurtling toward earth. Two months later, Disney rolled out “Armageddon” - about a giant lethal mass hurtling toward earth. For the record, there was plenty of room in the market for both films. “Armageddon” opened to $36 million and went to make $201 million domestically. “Deep Impact” opened to $41 million, and made $140 million. “I sure don’t think our opening will hurt ‘White House Down,’” Orr said. “In fact, I think the buzz around our success could help it.” —Reuters

Can Kardashian give ‘Tyler Perry’s temptation’ a Boost Like Madea?

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im Kardashian hits the big screen Friday in “Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor,” and we’re pretty sure Meryl Streep isn’t losing any sleep.

But the reality star’s presence should provide a box-office boost for the movie, industry analysts said Tuesday ‘It’s always a little trickier for Tyler Perry when he doesn’t bring Madea with him,” BoxOffice.com editor-in-chief Phil

Contrino told TheWrap. “And this should bring some people out, even if it’s to see her fall on her face.”

Or see her break out as an actress.

Whether she’s great, competent or lousy in the PG-13-rated drama remains to be seen; like most of Perry’s films, “Temptation” hasn’t been screened for critics. But It’s not a huge role. “Temptation” follows a heated romance between the ambitious and married Judith (played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Harley (Robbie Jones), a handsome social media billionaire who aggressively courts her.

Kardashian plays Judith’s co-worker at the high-end couple’s therapy business.

The casting of Kardashian drew early fire from Perry’s devoted fan base, many of whom wondered what the E! Entertainment reality star was doing in a film about marriage, given that hers to Kris Humphries lasted not quite three months. “Y’all gave me a new movie title, ‘Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad

Black Woman Cause You Hired Kim Kardashian, Don’t Make Me Take Off My Earrings and Boycott Yo A**,’“ Perry wrote on his website.

He defended his choice and said that he wanted more young people to hear the message of faith, forgiveness and the power of God that “Temptation” sends. “I said to one of my producers, ‘who else is out there that young people are looking up to?’”

Perry said. “One of them showed me pictures that his daughter had taken of several hundred kids lined up around the corner to get into a Kardashian

store. They wanted to meet Kim. I thought, what better person! She literally has millions of young people following her.”

That would be 17 million, if you’re counting Twitter followers. “I thought and still do think, that it would be very responsible of her to be a part of this film, Perry said. He even suggested she could be a role model. “Millions of young people adore her and are following her every move. If one of those young people see this film and find the strength to live a better life and not go through what these characters went through in this movie, then we have all done what I feel I’m being led to do here.”

This won’t be the 32-year-old Kardashian’s first movie. She made her film debut in 2008’s “Disaster Movie,” (she earned a Razzie nomination for that one) and returned to the big screen in 2009’s “Deep in the Valley.”

Neither made much of a ripple at the box office. That’s something Perry knows a little about, His 12 films have brought in more than $630 million globally and made an average of $52 million, impressive since most are made for well under $20 million. His “Madea” films dominate the list of his biggest earners; 2009’s “Madea Goes to Jail,” which opened to $41 million and went on to make $90 million, is his highest grossing film.

Three previous Perry’s films have debuted on Easter weekend (“Why Did I Get Married Too?,”“Madea’s Big Happy Family” and “Meet the Browns”), and all opened between $20 million and $30 million, and distributor Lionsgate would be very happy with a debut in that range. An opening for “Temptation” along the lines of last year’s “Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds” is more likely. That one opened to $15 million in February and went on to take in $35 million domestically. —

Tribeca Film Fest is talkin’ to Eastwood, Roach, Goldberg and more

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lint Eastwood, Jay Roach, Richard Linklater and Gloria Steinem are among the directors, writers and actors who will participate in the “Tribeca Talks” series at this years Tribeca Film Festival, TFF organizers said. Directors Darren Aronofsky and Paul Verhoeven, actors Ben Stiller, Ethan Hawke and Ellen Page, actordirectors Whoopi Goldberg and Adrian Grenier and singer Elaine Stritch will also take part in the “Tribeca Talks” programs, which will take place during the late-April festival launched by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal 11 years ago in downtown New York.

The “Tribeca Talks: Directors Series” will consist of four events. Eastwood will be interviewed by “Black Swan” director Aronofsky following a screening of the documentary “Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story.” Linklater will talk to Hawke and Delpy, the stars of his new film “Before Midnight,” which also screens at Tribeca.

Roach, whose HBO film “Game Change” has won a number of awards over the past year, will have a conversation with his “Meet the Parents” star Ben Stiller. And director Mira Nair (“The Reluctant Fundamentalist”) will speak to actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard.

The “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie” series will spotlight eight films, including “Tricked,” in which director Paul Verhoeven crowd-sourced the script by writing an opening segment and then inviting fans to supply additional scenes. Other films in the series include the documentary “How to Make Money Selling Drugs”; “Out of Print,” about the changes in the publishing industry; “Inequality for All,” a doc in which economist Robert Reich dissects the unequal distribution of wealth; “I Got Somethin’ to Tell

You,” Whoop Goldberg’s film about comic Moms Mabley; a 20th anniversary retrospective of films sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, whose work includes the miniseries “And the Band Played On”; and “Wadja,” the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first Saudi film directed by a woman, followed by a conversation between director Haifaa Al-Mansour and journalist/activist Gloria Steinem.

The series will also spotlight the interactive videogame “Beyond: Two Souls,” with a conversation with creator David Cage and actress Ellen Page. Another series, “Tribeca Talks: After the Movie, Beyond the Screens, the Artist’s Angle,” will present the world premieres of the documentaries “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” and “Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic.” Stritch herself will appear to speak about her career with director Chiemi Karasawa after the former film.

“Tribeca Talks: Industry” will consist of five panels, dealing with the issue of race in Hollywood and the shortage of people of color behind the scenes, the evolving role of sponsorship, the line between journalism and creativity in documentaries, changes in audience data analysis, and the growth of digital filmmaking.

“Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper” will consist of three events sponsored by Barnes & Noble. One will deal with changes in the concept of films for women, one with filmmakers who write themselves into their movies, and one with the sometimes contentious use of the writing credit in documentaries. The full schedule is available at the Tribeca Film Festival website. “The Industry” and “Pen to Paper” panels are free of charge. The festival begins on April 17 and runs through April 28. —Reuters

(From left) Bollywood actors Mukul Dev, Jaaved Jaffrei and Sharman Joshi pose with actress Soha Ali Khan as they attend a press conference for the forthcoming film “War Chod Na Yaar” in Mumbai late March 29, 2013. —AFP

A Minute With: ‘Twilight’ author Stephenie Meyer on ‘The Host’

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wilight” author Stephenie Meyer brings her romantic futuristic thriller “The Host” to movie fans on Friday, trading the vampires and werewolves for aliens who invade planet Earth, taking over human bodies. The film stars, Saoirse Ronan as Melanie Stryder, whose body is taken over by an alien soul called Wanda. Eventually the two-inone female team work to save the human race from total annihilation.

Meyer, 39, who was raised Mormon and attends church regularly, talked with Reuters about “The Host,” working as a producer on the project and how her life has changed since the first “Twilight” film came out in 2008.

Q: How did Saoirse Ronan play Melanie and Wanda in the same body?

A: They have conversations throughout the entire film, but (she plays) two different characters that have different chemistry with two different guys. She’s one person, but emoting a separate person when she’s with Jared and another when she’s with Ian. Q: How did things evolve for you that you are now producing your adaptations? It didn’t start that way on “Twilight.”

A: It’s not normal for an author to be very involved. On “Twilight,” I think they were nervous about me, but I totally behaved. I came on set, I was excited, so they didn’t mind having me around. With each movie I was able to be more involved. I worked really closely with (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” Director) Chris Weitz, especially with the casting of the side characters. We saw eye to eye really well.

Q: Did the success of “Twilight” give you producing clout?

A: After “Twilight” did really well, I think my opinion had more weight.

With “The Host,” from the very beginning (producer) Nick Wechsler came to me and said, ‘Let’s do this together.’

And he meant it. I was going over the (script) notes with Andrew and the actors would come to me and say, ‘What do you think?’ It was a nice group. All our opinions were valued by each of us.

Q: You live in Arizona, just north of Phoenix. Do you ever think you should move to Los Angeles and work full-time in Hollywood?

A: I would never come and live here. No offense to the people that do, but I can’t imagine raising kids in this town. There are a lot of plastics, even kids getting plastic surgery. And

For a while it was Bernard. ‘He’d be like, Hi I’m Bernard.’ He doesn’t like the reaction when people say, ‘Oh you’re that kid.’

Q: How has life changed for you since your film success?

A: People let me make movies, which is kind of cool. That certainly wasn’t something anyone was going

the materialism - that overwhelming sense of what you look like being the most important thing, I think that would be really difficult to live with every day. It’s hard enough to be here for a week at a time. Every day you start feeling less-than because everyone’s so beautiful and polished.

Q: Your three sons range from ages 10 to 15. Do they think you’re the coolest mom ever because you created “Twilight?”

A: I think it’s a detriment for them.

It’s embarrassing to have your mom be that “Twilight” lady. They would all love it if nobody knew my name.

(With my oldest), people tease him a little bit. I know a lot of girls talk to him who might not otherwise. My middle son (Seth), he has a fake name.

to let me do before. I’ve grown a lot in my confidence and in my ability to do interviews. I don’t freak out as much about all these people taking pictures.

I do have to be away from my kids more than I’d like, but they’re so cool and mellow about it.

Q: Have you been able to fulfill any personal wishes since “Twilight” brought you to the pop culture forefront?

A: I’ll tell you a story that’s in the first “Twilight” book, where a little piece of me sank through to the novel. When Bella sees Edward’s piano for the first time, she (vows) if she ever had a windfall, she would want to get her mom a piano like that. Well I was able to get my mom a piano like that. It was really exciting to get to do that. —Reuters

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

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eople power may have come to modern-day Egypt and not Sudan, but the unearthing of ancient pyramids in Egypt’s southern neighbor shows that greater social equality existed there 2,000 years ago, a French archeologist says. Three years of digging by a French team at Sedeinga, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Egyptian border, has unearthed 35 pyramids that emphasize the contrast between the two ancient cultures, said Claude Rilly, director of the mission.

“Pyramids were so fashionable that everybody that could afford to build one, did,” said Rilly, referring to the latter part of the Meroe kingdom, around 100-200 AD. “So we have really a kind of inflation, what I call a democratization of the pyramid which is without equivalent anywhere, especially in Egypt.” Sudan’s remote and relatively undiscovered pyramids contrast with their grander and better-known cousins to the north. Egyptian pyramids, built far earlier than those in Sudan, held the tombs of kings, the royal family and nobles-but never the middle class, Rilly said.

French archeologist Claude Rilly, the director of the Sedeinga exavation mission, speaking to journalists in his office at the Sudan National Museum in the capital Khartoum.

Sudanese royalty also got their pyramids, but later so did many other lesser souls, said the 53-year-old archeologist, who began studying hieroglyphics when he was only seven. “It reached layers of the population which have never been concerned by building of pyramids in Egypt,” Rilly said. “This is really something new, which we didn’t expect.” That is why there is such a large number.

Sometimes they were built so close together, typically in a circular pattern, that there isn’t enough room to squeeze between them.

The pyramids are in a necropolis of about 40 hectares (99 acres) that is thought to hold more than 1,000 tombs.

One quarter have been found and opened so far, he said.

The structures come in various sizes, with some no more than a meter (yard) high. All of them were made from mud brick, which wasn’t expensive but still required a designer and workmen to construct. That meant that the poorest people could not afford pyramids but were buried in surrounding pits, he said in his office at Sudan’s National Museum.

Archaeologists began work on the site in the 1960s, focusing on a section reserved for princes. But during the past three years they discovered that more common folk had also been buried there. Little remains, however, of Sedeinga’s grandest structure. That was a temple which Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III built for his wife Queen Tiye, grandmother of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamen. It appears to have been heavily damaged during flooding perhaps around 400 or 500 BC, said Rilly, whose team is funded by the French government and the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

Despite the large number of pyramids recently unearthed, little has been found inside because of plundering by tomb raiders, both ancient and modern. But the robbers missed one tomb that has yielded “a rich site” for archaeologists-the skeleton of a child buried with four decorative collars and anklets of bronze. The youngster was four or five years old “and we wondered why they took so much precaution to bury a young child like that,” said Rilly. Egypt occupied northern Sudan for about 500 years until roughly 1,000 BC but its cultural influence faded during the 700-year reign of the Meroe kingdom from about 350 BC. Inscriptions found in the Sedeinga tombs are in Meroitic, a phonetic writing simplified from the Egyptian.

Rilly, a world expert in the language, said Meroitic is still little understood. But he has been able to decipher details about the social structure of families, concluding that this part of the necropolis holds “a lot of women.”

Many were priestesses of the goddess Isis, of whom Queen Tiye was considered an incarnation.

In one of those female tombs late last year Rilly himself made a rare discovery as he dug amid extreme heat

Workers excavating a site at Sedeinga.

A general view of the excavation site at Sedeinga, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Egyptian border. —AFP photos

after water entered the structure. He found a sandstone slab bearing an image of the main Egyptian god Amun. It had originally been part of a wall in Queen Tiye’s temple, and is the only entirely preserved divine figure to have been recovered. Finds like this are rapidly advancing knowledge about the ancestors of today’s Sudanese, said Rilly, who is hopeful of more revelations. The first archeological digs in Sudan took place only about 100 years ago, much later than in Egypt or Greece. “The field to research is still very open and this is a science... changing all the time. That is very stimulating,” he said. — AFP

An unearthed sandstone slab bearing the image of the Egyptian diety Amun at Sedeinga.

Workers excavating a tomb which held the sandstone slab of Amun.

Workers excavating a site at Sedeinga.

Workers excavating a site at Sedeinga.

The skeleton of a child buried with a decorative collar and bronze ankle bracelets at Sedeinga.

The inside of a tomb with two large interior columns and a small door leading to the burial chamber at Sedeinga.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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Contenders take part in the Awoulaba beauty pageant final in Abidjan. — AFP photos

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frican” curves or an “international” silhouette? On the airwaves and the catwalks of Ivory Coast, a war of words has broken out between admirers of voluptuous female figures and those who plump for a more streamlined, traditionally Western, shape. The young Ivorian singer “Princesse Amour” is hoping for a hit with her song celebrating “lalas”, the name she has given to slender, small-breasted women. Dressed in ultra-tight skinny jeans, she sings over a pounding beat, her lyrics encouraging women to embrace their “little lemons”.

“I noticed that some girls were embarrassed to have small breasts” and “felt like they had to fake it by stuffing their bras,” she told AFP. Her use of the term “lala” is no accident. It’s a reference to “lolo”, the word used to describe voluptuous women by Ivorian musical heavyweight Meiway in his 2000 hit “Miss Lolo”. His latest smash, “Wiggle Your Bottom”, a celebration of big booties, has had the whole of Abidjan shaking their stuff in recent months. At a concert last year, Meiway told a handful of Europeans in the crowd: “You white people, you like your women flat and thin. Here, we like them big, with curves.”

But the aesthetic at the Miss Ivory Coast beauty

pageant is infinitely more “lala” than “lolo”. Victor Yapobi, president of the organizing committee, says: “Our beauties comply to international standards: minimum height 1.68 meters (five feet six inches), 90 centimeters (35 inches) around the hips.” In Africa, “young women are becoming more and more slender”, he says, pointing out that a slim woman is still considered a marketing plus for brands. But away from the podium, old habits die hard. “Being thin is synonymous with being sickly and malnourished in African society,” laments Micheline Gueu, a candidate for Miss Ivory Coast in a regional heat in the southeastern town of Aboisso.

‘Honour the real African woman’ At the other end of the scale, however, the “awoulaba” (voluptuous women in the local Baoule language) also complain that their beauty is underrated. On International Women’s Day on March 8, the “Awoulaba” beauty contest celebrating curvy women was reinstated after a seven-year lull. The crown was taken by Esteve Alexandrine N’Goran, who told the audience of a thousand that she was there to “honour the real African woman”. Emotional after her victory, the 38-

Miss Awoulaba 2013 poses between her runners-up during the Awoulaba beauty pageant final Abidjan.

year-old business woman and mother-of-three said that she wanted to show that women like her were both “beautiful” and “comfortable with themselves”.

“Roundly Beautiful”, an organization set up in Abidjan in 2009 to support plus-sized women, lent its backing to the event. The group aims to “rid big women of their complexes” according to its president, Djeneba Dosso. But Dosso admits that curves are not just a question of aesthetics. Ivorian women “don’t exercise and eat badly” she said, so her group encourages larger women to break bad habits. Celebrated Ivorian artist Augustin Kassi is an inspiration to many.

Since 1985 he’s been painting “fat women” as he describes them, in bright, joyful works of art. A consistent opponent of what he sees as “cultural alienation”, for him Miss Ivory Coast is a symbol of the “voluntary denigration of African beauty”. He advocates diversity.

“The world is made up of different things” he says, paintbrush in hand. “It’s a rainbow.”—AFP

ante D’Orazio, a photographer at the heart of the supermodel era, said Friday the switch to digital cameras means greater detail than ever before, but the loss of something more important: beauty. “The sense of emotion is gone. It creates a detachment from the subject. The character of the personality is gone,” D’Orazio said of the digital production chain and its torrent of perfect, heavily-edited pictures. “That’s the danger of post-production in digital. People kill anatomy.

They have no sense of anatomy. The sense of realism takes away from the sensuality.”

D’Orazio, speaking at the opening of a sale in New York of some of his most famous fashion shots, knows a thing or two about beautiful women. After getting his first job with Andy Warhol, the New York-born photographer went on to become famous for his late 1980s and 1990s pictures of models like Kate Moss, Helena Christensen, Christy Turlington and Eva Herzigova. The pictures are variously poetic, even sculptural, often smoldering and sometimes borderline pornographic.

D’Orazio, 57, said the supermodel era that he’s credited with helping to create is truly over.

“The term started with these girls,” he said, gesturing at the huge, provocative prints of models in the private sales gallery of Christie’s in Manhattan. “Everybody else is just usurping the title.” His former muses are still world famous, but for the most part have moved on.

“They’re busy with their kids and that,” he said. But their now iconic images have become “collectible”-a development he hopes will fuel sales at his Christie’s exhibit, titled “Other Graces.” According to D’Orazio, commercial fashion photography is not what it was and the abandonment of film has a lot to answer for.—AFP

Photographer Sante D’Orazio poses between two of his photographs at Christie’s in New York. — AFP

Models parading a creation from Jefen Xie Feng Collection during the China Fashion Week in Beijing. Beijing Fashion Week began on March 25 with local and Asian designers now playing a major role in an event previously dominated by European fashion houses. — AFP photos

Newly found Sudan pyramids show ‘democratization’

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SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2013

Antique watches are displayed yesterday in Mer, near Blois central France during the 10th edition of the Mer Watch exchange. European countries change to summertime overnight on 30 to 31 March putting clocks forward by one hour. — AFP

Fiesta Kuwait official partner with Guinness World Records

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iesta Kuwait has been chosen as the official partner and representative for the Guinness World Records in Kuwait following its successful campaign in holding several record breaking events and protecting the Guinness’ brand name.

General Manager of Fiesta Kuwait, Ashraf Karam explained how his company managed to achieve success in a relatively short period of cooperation with the Guinness.

“As of 2010, Kuwait had only ten world records since the encyclopedia was established in 1954,” Karam said. He added that his company helped break 73 world records through events organized in Kuwait by March 2013.

He said the first two records were broken in events held in cooperation with Lebanon, including the largest Lebanese flag that was made in Kuwait and sent to Lebanon on October 10, 2010, as well as the world’s largest cultural exchange program that was held in cooperation with the Ba’aqlain library on January 17, 2011.

In Kuwait, the company helped record the world’s largest flag that was raised without a pole with 200 helium-balloons which were used to lift a 7000 square

Christie’s scientific specialist James Hyslop poses for photographs with a sub-fossilized pre-17th century Elephant Bird egg.

meter Kuwaiti flag on March 13, 2010.

Fiesta Kuwait also broke the world’s record in flying pigeons during an event that was held in cooperation with AlSayer Group on February 2011, during which 5500 peace doves were flown in commemoration of Kuwait’s national holidays.

Moreover, Fiesta Kuwait organized the world’s largest diabetes testing in an eight-hour event that was held in the Marina Mall, featuring 1211 people. It

also helped break the world’s record for the largest squash racket during 2012 Qatar PSA World Squash Championship.

Regarding their future plans, Karam announced that an annual event will be organized in Kuwait to give citizens and residents an opportunity to break world records, adding at the same time that the company planned to hold similar events soon in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

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t’s a foot long, nearly nine inches in diameter, and would once have made a really, really, big omelet. A London auction house is hoping buyers will be scrambling to take a crack at this natural wonder, a massive fossilized egg laid long ago on the island of Madagascar by a nowextinct elephant bird.

Christie’s said Wednesday that the oversized ovum - laid sometime before elephant birds were wiped out several hundred years ago - is expected to sell for up to 30,000 pounds (roughly $45,000). Flightless, fruit-gobbling elephant birds resembled giant ostriches and could grow to be 11 feet high (3.4 meters). Christie’s says their eggs are 100 times the size of an average chicken’s. The egg is being sold during a travel and science sale on April 24.— AP

A chicken egg is displayed next to a sub-fossilized pre-17th century Elephant Bird egg to scale the size difference at Christie’s auction house’s premises in London.

—AP photos