2nd Jun 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

Indian minister draws flak over ‘Kuwait gaffe’

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RAJAB 23, 1434 AH

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Hagel issues stern warning to Beijing Growing threat of cyberattacks worries US

SINGAPORE: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a two-pronged message to Beijing - holding out hope for a slowly improving military relationship with the Asian giant while issuing a stern warning on cyberattacks coming from that country. But he was met with immediate skepticism from the Chinese delegation in the audience, who questioned America’s role in the Pacific.

Speaking yesterday at a security conference in Singapore that he helped to form more than a decade ago, Hagel said: “The United States has expressed our concerns about the growing threat of cyber intrusions, some of which appear to be tied to the Chinese government and military.” While he is not the first US official to publicly blame China for computer-based attacks that steal data from US government and corporate networks, he delivered the rebuke in China’s backyard, with members of Beijing’s government in the audience.

His comments triggered a wry response from Maj Gen Yao Yunzhu, director of the Center for ChinaAmerica Defense Relations, at the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Military Science, who challenged him to better explain America’s intentions in its building up of the military across the region. “Thank you for mentioning China several times,” she told Hagel, minutes after he concluded his remarks, and began taking questions from the audience.

As an audible murmur and some quiet chuckles rose from the crowd, she added that America’s new shift to the Pacific has been widely interpreted as an “attempt to counter China’s rising influence, and to offset the increasing military capabilities of the Chinese PLA. However, China is not convinced.” She asked Hagel how he can assure China that the increased military deployments to the region are part of an effort to build a more positive relationship with Beijing.

“That’s really the whole point behind closer militaryto-military relationships,” Hagel responded. “We don’t want miscalculations and misunderstandings and misinterpretations. And the only way you do that is you talk to each other.” He said the US welcomes a strong and emerging China that takes on responsibilities Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: Pigeons perch on a tree branches in Kuwait City. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Erdogan defiant as Turkey burns ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan made a defiant call for an end to the fiercest anti-government demonstrations in years yesterday, as thousands of protesters clashed with riot police in Istanbul and Ankara for a second day. The unrest was triggered by government plans for a replica Ottoman-era barracks housing shops or apartments in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, long a venue for political protest, but has widened into a broader show of defiance against Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Police fired teargas and water cannon down a major shopping street as crowds of protesters chanting “shoulder to shoulder against fascism” and “government resign” marched towards Taksim, where hundreds were injured in clashes on Friday. A police helicopter buzzed overhead as groups of mostly young men and women, bandanas or surgical masks tied around their mouths, used Facebook and Twitter on mobile phones to try to organize and regroup in side streets.

“If this is about holding meetings, if this is a social movement, where they gather 20, I will get up and gather 200,000 people. Where they gather 100,000, I will bring together one million from my party,” Erdogan said in a televised speech. “Every four years we hold elections and this nation makes its choice ... Those who have a problem with government’s policies can express their opinions within the framework of law and democracy,” he said.

Police later pulled back from Gezi Park in Taksim, where the demonstration started peacefully on Monday with people pitching tents in protest at trees being torn up for the redevelopment. Waiters scurried out of luxury hotels lining the square, on what should be a busy weekend for tourists in one of the world’s most visited cities, ferrying lemons to protesters, who squirted the juice in their eyes to mitigate the effects of tear gas. “People from different backgrounds are coming together.

Continued on Page 15

ISTANBUL: Smoke rises as Turkish protesters and riot policemen clash yesterday, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul. — AFP

Max 41º Min 28º High Tide 06:44 & 18:35 Low Tide 00:08 & 12:46

Iraq uncovers chemical weapon plot BAGHDAD: Iraq has captured a suspected AlQaeda cell that planned to produce chemical poisons such as mustard gas to attack Iraqi forces and to ship overseas for attacks on Europe and the United States, the government said yesterday. The announcement was made as investigators look into allegations over the use of sarin nerve gas in next-door Syria where rebels and President Bashar AlAssad’s forces have blamed each other for using chemical weapons.

During the height of the Iraq war, Al-Qaeda in Iraq used chlorine gas in its explosives to poison areas where their bombs detonated and Saddam Hussein used chemical gas to

attack Iraqi Kurdish villages in the north. Five men were caught before they could manufacture any gas or chemical weapons in makeshift factories in Baghdad and another province, Mohammed Al-Askari, a defense ministry spokesman told reporters.

“They got some programs from Al-Qaeda outside Iraq, they were working ... to produce mustard gas ... and other gas,” he said. “There are some confessions about organized cells to smuggle them outside Iraq through a neighboring country in order to target Europe, America and different capitals.” Officials showed reporters three suspects dressed in yellow jumpsuits with their heads covered by

Saudi, Egypt ink $1.6b deal RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Egypt yesterday signed a 6 billion riyal ($1.6 billion) agreement to link their electricity grids, a project that will allow power trading between the two countries. Peak-time summer power consumption in Saudi Arabia falls between noon and mid afternoon, when air conditioners are most intensively used, while in Egypt peak time is after sunset.

Egypt’s Electricity Minister Ahmed Moustafa Emam said the linkage is expected to take 24-30 months to complete. “Egypt will pay for around 40 percent of the cost while Saudi Arabia will pay for the remaining 60 percent,” Emam said after the signing ceremony in Riyadh. “The Project will allow both countries to share power of up to 3,000 megawatts, and will achieve a return on investment of 13 percent for each country.”

Power lines will be extended by around 1320 kms, 820 kms in Saudi Arabia and 480 kms in Egypt. The kingdom’s majority state -owned utility, Saudi Electricity Co (SEC), and Egypt’s state power company Egyptian Electric Holding Co will share the cost of a 20 km undersea cable.

Emam said since peak hours in Egypt and Saudi Arabia fall at different times of the day, both countries will be able to divert resources as necessary to meet increased demand. He declined to give details on prices, saying tariff and commercial agreements have not yet been finalized. Emam said it would cost Egypt around 30 billion Egyptian pounds to generate an additional 3,000 megawatts itself. Saudi Transport, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah bin AbdulRahman Al-Husayen said the project, when completed, will effectively lead to linking the power grids of 14 Arab countries, including the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council. — Reuters

masks. They also displayed bottles of chemicals and other lab equipment as well as remote controlled toy helicopters authorities said the men planned to use to disperse the gas.

Bolstered by the Sunni Muslim rebellion against Assad in Syria, Al-Qaeda in Iraq is regaining ground and since the start of the year has stepped up its campaign of attacks to stoke sectarian conflict in Iraq. Western powers, including the United States and Britain, say there is growing evidence of chemicals weapons use in the conflict in neighboring Syria, where fighting has killed more than 80,000 people in two years. — Reuters

Arab Spring marks end of silence, submission Drive for reform shifting to slow lane DUBAI: On a recent blustery night, with a sandstorm kicking up, Kuwait’s own Arab Spring was playing out on a quiet road of villas and tall palms. There a group of protesters gathered to recite a speech - one after the other, word for word - that accused Kuwait’s ruler, of suppressing dissent. The speech had been delivered last year by Musallam AlBarrack, then a parliament member, and had earned him a five-year prison sen-

tence for supposedly insulting the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed A-Sabah.

In previous times, that might have been the end of the affair. But 57-year-old Al-Barrack’s supporters were determined to demonstrate that the Arab Spring stops for no one, and this week they won a partial victory when a court reversed the sentence and gave Barrack a chance to continue his principled dissent.

Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: In this file photo, Islamist, nationalist and liberal opposition groups march together in Kuwait City to protest the government’s amendment of the electoral law and to support a boycott on the country’s elections. — AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

LOCAL

12,000 vehicles registered illegally in Kuwait: Report More speed cameras to track violators

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The tightening up of checking procedures by the Ministry of Interior in different sectors for over a month ago has resulted in the revelation of various violations and the arrest of many violators.

One of such violations involved the illegal registrations of about 12,000 vehicles (according to a local Arab daily), because these registrations were made in the names of people employed as domestic workers, such as drivers, servants, and cookers. According to the nation’s traffic and immigration laws, these workers are not allowed to own vehicles.

Theses illegal licenses were issued without being officially recorded in the Traffic Department. “After the confiscation of some vehicles whose owners are not eligible to register vehicles in their names, the investigators are checking and verifying the original files at the Traffic department. These illegal licenses were most probably issued through payment of bribes to

employees at the Traffic Department.

The investigations will lead to the naming of those who committed these illegal acts,” Colonel Adel Al-Hashsh, PR and Moral Guidance Director of the Ministry of Interior told the Kuwait Times.

“Intensive inspections and trafficchecking also led to the identification of hundreds of drivers who had driving licenses that they were not qualified to have, as they don’t meet the necessary

requirements and conditions.

These driving licenses were withdrawn. We are conducting checks in different departments, including technical checking, general registration, and others to reveal violations or false licenses. It’s not an easy job as there are about a million licenses in Kuwait,” he added.

Speaking about speed cameras, Al-Hashash advised drivers to be more careful while driving, as such cameras have been

installed in all areas across the six governorates. “Besides all the new cameras installed over the past few months that have recently begun operating, there are also mobile speed cameras operated by policemen in different locations. These focus on the safety lines of the roads, in addition to registering speed and other violations,” he explained.

Furthermore, there are other cameras that can lead to the imposition of indirect fines on

violators. “Besides the speed cameras on traffic lights, there are monitoring cameras installed on the top of the light signals over those tall poles. These cameras were originally monitoring the traffic to control the light signal, but now they also register different violations including overspeeding, jumping the red light, crossing the safety lines, using tinted windows, using mobile phones during driving, and other violations,” stressed Al-Hashash.

News

in brief

Abdally Earthquake KUWAIT: An earthquake measuring 3.8 degree on the Richter scale was recorded at the Abdally area on Thursday 10:37 pm. The epicenter of the earthquake was 18 kilometers inside the earth, 70 kilometers North of Kuwait City, the capital, 80 kilometers North East Al-Jahra City and 33 kilometer South West of Umm Qasr area in Iraq. The Chairman of the National Net for Earthquakes at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Dr. Abdullah Al-Enazie, said that the earthquake had nothing to do with oil related activities as it was far from the oil fields in that area. He said it was the first time that an earthquake struck these areas, as usually earthquakes happen in areas close to oil fields in Al-Rawdatain. He said that the earthquake was felt by residents of North Abdally and its farms and certain areas of Al-Jahra. However, it did not cause any material damage and there were so far no reports about anyone suffering any damage.

Surprise Interior check First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah is set to pay surprise visits at a number of security departments in order to assess the quality of work and determine response systems in place in catering to security concerns and the needs of the public, a local newspaper reported yesterday. According to sources quoted in the Al-Rai’s report, the step comes ahead of plans to change the ministry’s structure “by scrapping a number of departments, creating new ones, merging others and reshuffling sections within some departments.” “These plans aim to trim the bloated ministry structure in accordance with certain requirements that include redirecting security officers to more active places such as police stations that suffer staff shortage,” said sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

National labor Sources at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor revealed that ministry has planned to organize the labor market in Kuwait by recommending an increase in the percentage of Kuwaiti workers in all sectors and stepping up supervision to ensure that the plan is actually implemented and does not just remain on paper, with only the names of Kuwaiti citizens being listed in the files of business owners, while the actual work is done by expats, as has been common until now. The sources said the labor department has finalized the strategy and sent it to Minister of Social Affairs Thekra Al-Rashidi, Undersecretar y Abdelmohsen Al-Mutairi and Assistant Undersecretary Jamel Al-Dawsary. They added that the minister was likely to send the plan to the council of ministers soon, and that the strategy included forming a team that would prepare a database on labor movement and market requirements.

Youth project launched The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education launched here yesterday the sports for the youth project aimed at encouraging youngsters to seek sports activities after school hours. Ministry official Mona Al-Fraij told KUNA that the Ministries, in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and cooperative societies, will rent football pitches for the youth in order to allow them to practice their favorite sport.

This project is aiming at combating obesity and other ills as well as spreading awareness on the benefit of sports, said the official.

KAC compensations should go to state treasury: Ministry

KUWAIT: National Guard hosted a graduation ceremony for its foundation course officers. Military Education Commander Brig Adnan Sulaiman Al-Saeed said that National Guard is achieving quality in the training field. Al-Saeed congratulated the officers those who graduated and called upon them to put more efforts to raise fighting level among cadres of the National Guard.

KUWAIT: Compensation that Kuwait received in lieu of the destruction of its national carrier’s fleet during the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion must be ploughed into the state’s treasury instead of going to the newly privatized Kuwait Airways, a senior government official told a local newspaper in a statement published yesterday.

The Iraq Airways Company paid $500 million as per a settlement reached earlier this year to end the row with its Kuwaiti counterpart over the subject which involved an international court order settling the above payment. But according to Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othaina, the general assembly of the Kuwait Airways Company can pursue the money that the state departments owed it for financing and allow the compensation to be added to the state’s funds.

“During the early stages of the KAC transitioning into a shareholding company, the financing process was not clear,” Al-Othaina told Al-Jarida on Thursday. He added that the company faced two choices at the time: be funded by the IAC’s compensations, or by closing its final account statements for previous fiscal years which remained open since state departments failed to pay their dues to the KAC. Al-Othaina, who is also the state’s Minister of Housing Affairs, explained that law number 22/2012 regarding the KAC privatization did not include granting the company the dues granted through court orders against the Iraqi Airways or the Republic of Iraq, or any other rights pertaining to Iraq. “The Kuwait Airways Company has now been established as an independent entity with a capital of KD250 million, and the Kuwait Investment Authority became the decision maker when it comes to financing it,” he said. — Al-Jarida

Corona virus to attack respiratory system KUWAIT: Dr Ghanim Al-Hujailan said that corona virus was one of the viruses that attacks the respiratory system and it was the responsibility of anyone afflicted by it to protect himself and those who were still safe.

A person attacked by this virus should ensure that he or she uses a piece of cloth or a handkerchief while sneezing or coughing, and maintain a safe distance from other people. Similarly, other people should also maintain distance and ensure that they do not mix with an infected patient and regularly wash their hands, avoiding touching their nose and eyes at all times.

Regarding those traveling during the Hajj season, he said so far there were no international recommendations, nor at the region level, but nevertheless advised Hajjis to observe necessary precautions.

The doctor said in a majority of cases where the virus proved fatal, the patients were either elderly people or those with chronic diseases and poor immunity.

The Corona virus is found usually in bats and the symptoms mainly are belabored breathing and fever.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

LOCAL

‘Brotherhood’ cell not on Kuwait-UAE talks agenda KUWAIT: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan AlNahyan is scheduled to arrive in Kuwait today in order to take part in the meetings of the joint higher committee formed by the two countries, a local daily reported yesterday.

In the meantime, sources familiar with the visit told Al-Rai that the meetings are unlikely to discuss a

UAE FM to arrive today network connected with the Muslim Brotherhood, members of which were arrested in the UAE on accusations of attempting a coup and threatening the national security. A number of Kuwaitis were reportedly part of the network.

“The two sides will avoid getting into details about the cell and the suspects involved,” said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Instead, the discussions, which are set to conclude tomorrow (Monday), will focus on “activating the signed agreements between the two states” and “discussing the possibility of developing economic and commercial cooperation that can fulfill the ambitions of people in both countries”, the sources said.

They further explained that the ambitions pertain to the UAE’s desire to contribute to the development

projects in Kuwait, such as the Madinat Al-Hareer (Silk City) project, and help Kuwait become a gateway for trade between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Iraq. Minister Al-Nahyan is heading a large UAE delegation that includes officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Emirates Businesswomen Council and various corporations and departments in the country.

Burgan Bank opens new branch in Al-Qasr KUWAIT: Burgan Bank has inaugurated recently a new branch located in Al-Qasr District -Jahra Governorate, extending the bank’s offer of financial services to residents of Jahra, and continued focus on client service. The branch is the 25th in Kuwait, and the 217th across the Burgan Bank Group extensive network of branches in the Middle East and North Africa (Kuwait - Jordan - Turkey - Algeria - Iraq Tunisia - Lebanon).

The branch was officially inaugurated by Jahra’s Governor, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Homoud Al-Jaber AlSabah as well as Burgan Bank’s Chairman, Majed Essa Al-Ajeel, along with senior executives of the bank’s management. The new branch is located in Al-Qasr - Jahra, Block 3, and will operate on Sunday ’s to Thursdays from 8:30 am to 3.00 pm.

100,000 persons face travel ban in Kuwait KUWAIT: A 100,000 people of Kuwaiti and other nationalities were currently banned from leaving Kuwait due to court orders against them, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting official statistics as of last weekend.

According to security sources who provided the numbers to Al-Qabas, the list included 58,000 Kuwaitis and 42,000 expatriates hailing from 12 countries.

This number has increased by 10,000 during the month of May alone, said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Most common cases pertained to non-payment of dues as per court orders, including cases in which the disputed amount was less than KD100,” they added.

A person facing a travel ban for financial reason can have the ban automatically lifted after paying the amount at the airport, seaports or land border checkpoints, but only if there are no other court orders against them. A Ministry of Interior insider explained in the meantime that travel ban orders were being enforced as per regulations which were aimed at guaranteeing the rights of the creditors. A travel ban supported by a court order is only lifted by the Ministry of Justice through channels specifically assigned for this task, said a security source who explained why the Interior Ministry was not authorized to lift the ban in such a case.

The Ministry of Interior’s assistant undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Immigration, Major General Sheikh Faisal Al-Nawaf, said there was no reason to stop issuing all kinds of visitor visas, but security and political considerations must not be ignored, particularly since the prevalent complex situation requires caution at all levels.

Al-Nawaf said there was an intention that the ministry should not ask for good conduct testimonials and gather fingerprints of expat laborers. He said a study in this regard will soon be released as part of several studies to improve work at the immigration department.

About the nationality and passports sector, he said he has received several applications from citizens wishing to register their foreign wives in their nationality files. He said it could be done now, according to certain rules and conditions. He said the department has started to prepare lists of citizens’ wives, who meet the conditions for naturalization, but the decision to naturalize them was a sovereign one and it was in the hands of the First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud.

Al-Nawaf denied that there were instructions to stop issuing article 17 passports to bedoons, but said there were certain conditions applicable, including that the applicant must figure in the 1965 census and should be unencumbered from any security restrictions.— Al-Jarida

Study recommends new authorities, more auditing powers KUWAIT: The Finance Ministry should be tasked with settling financial disputes between state departments as well as ending the system of changing orders and inflating the projects’ worth, said a report released by a government team and published by Al-Qabas yesterday.

The government team was set up with the purpose of suggesting solutions to check repeated financial violations noticed in annual State Audit Bureau reports about the performance of state departments. It came up with 19 recommendations as well as demands to amend 18 legislations and enforcing five new ones. Among the laws that the report recommended for amendments was law number 40/1964 under which the State Audit Bureau itself was established. It said this amendment should increase the number of contract classifications that required the bureau’s prior approval before being signed. A similar amendment was proposed to the law number 37/1964 which pertained to public tenders. As per the recommendation, there was need to increase the number of contracts that required approval from the Central Tenders Committee. The report called for establishing an independent authority for tax, an independent body for financial and administrative monitoring, and a decision to assign the Civil Service Commission to coordinate with the Central Agency for Information Technology to link it with databases of state departments such as the Public Institution for Social Security, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health.

This link would help avoid spending money unlawfully by employees or citizens. — Al-Qabas

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

LOCAL

Kuwait fully prepared against any potential threats: Official Risk of terror attacks in Kuwait remains high: US report KUWAIT: Kuwait’s armed forces are prepared against any potential terrorist threats against the country, a senior military official told a local newspaper a day after a United States report suggested that the risk of terrorist attacks in the Gulf state remains high. “A toplevel coordination mechanism between the army, police force and National Guard is in place in that regard, and the security conditions at our borders are very reassuring,” said the Ministry of Defense insider who spoke to Al-Anba on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a Ministry of Interior insider undermined the statements regarding Kuwait mentioned in the US Department of State Country Report on Terrorism for 2012, saying that the risk of terrorist attacks was there in every country around the world with varying risk levels “including the United States.”

“All security services in Kuwait are working highly efficiently, especially with regards to detecting any suspicious movement, be it one involving a terror-related risk or anything that may affect the national security,” said the source who also requested anonymity.

He further credited it for enabling Kuwait to remain “terror-free for at least the past eight years,” and added that security operations were conducted in coordination with security services in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The US report released on Thursday

indicates that Kuwait “lacked legal provisions that deal specifically with terrorism and terrorists’ financing, although the government maintained its efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism, notably through other legal statutes and official statements.” While it points out that “there were no significant attacks attributed to terrorists or terrorist organizations in 2012,” it indicates that “the risk of terrorist attacks in Kuwait remained high.”

“As in previous years, the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, National Guard, and Ministry of Interior conducted a number of exercises aimed at how to respond to terrorist attacks, including joint exercises with regional and international partners,” the report reads in the overview of Kuwait’s section under the Middle East and North Africa chapter.

The following is the report in detail: Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The Government of Kuwait lacks a clear legal framework for prosecuting terrorism-related crimes, often having to resort to other legal statutes to try suspected terrorists, which hampered enforcement efforts.

The government extended the application of the biometric fingerprinting system to include all land and sea entry points. The Interior Ministry announced plans to start operation of the advanced computer tomography x-ray monitor system at Kuwait International Airport

to boost airport security authorities’ ability to detect contraband items, including explosives and metals, without the need for human inspection, thus reducing the chance for human error. However, the project announced by the government to install retina scanning capabilities at ports of entry had not been implemented by year’s end.

After the full implementation and distribution of smart civil ID cards to Kuwaiti citizens, the Public Authority for Civil Information started issuing the new smart ID cards to expatriates. With electronic chips that save large volumes of data, including photographs and fingerprints, the new ID cards are meant to enable holders to travel freely within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Holders of the cards can also use them for electronic signature.

On May 28, Kuwait’s Court of Appeals commuted the death sentences of three defendants (two Iranians and a Kuwaiti), convicted of belonging to an Iranian espionage cell, to life in prison. The court also upheld the life imprisonment sentence for the fourth defendant (a stateless man) and the acquittal of two other Iranians, but overturned the life sentence imposed by a lower court against a Syrian defendant and acquitted him. The cell’s seven members (four Iranians, a Kuwaiti, a Syrian, and a stateless man) were apprehended in May

Woman dies in huge university blaze

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Firefighters from seven fire centers fought a huge blaze that engulfed two buildings at the Al-

Shidadia University in an incident which left an Asian expat woman dead. The two buildings, the Education College for Girls and the Arts College, were spread over an area

Fire-fighters battle the blaze at the Al-Shidadia University.

of 4,000 square meters and were under construction.

Farwaniya fire Operations room received a report at 1.49 am about a fire breaking out in a building in Farwaniya area. The Farwaniya fire center along with AlArdiya and technical rescue team responded to the call immediately.

When they arrived at the site, they found that the fire was in an apartment at the second floor. Firemen formed two teams, one for rescue and the other for fighting fire. The blaze was brought under control, but an Asian expat woman who flung herself out of a second floor window, died in the mishap. One resident of the building was suffocated due to smoke fumes and was treated at the site.

Three firefighters suffered due to excessive heat from the blaze while they were fighting the flames and were sent to a hospital for treatment.

Investigations were on to determine the cause of the fire.

(Left) Smoke billows from the university building yesterday. (Right) Fire-fighters at the site in Farwaniya.

Three women arrested on charges of prostitution KUWAIT: Police arrested three women on Friday, a day after they arrived in Kuwait on invitations to indulge in prostitution. According to a security source with knowledge of the case, an operation to arrest the suspects went underway after Undersecretary Assistant for Criminal Security Affairs in the Interior Ministry, Major General Abdulhameed Al-Awadhi, received information that three Spanish prostitutes “who are ranked high on international prostitution lists” have arrived in Kuwait.

Investigations revealed that the three were ‘hired’ online for a ten-day stay in Kuwait during which they were to receive KD90,000 in total. The first prostitute was arrested after she was lured by an undercover officer who handed her numbered currency notes. Later, the other two were also arrested. The source who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity indicated that the suspects have visited Kuwait on previous occasions also for the same purpose.

Investigations were on to identify those who had signed up for the prostitutes’ services during their stay in Kuwait.

Man who stabbed policeman arrested Jahra detectives arrested a man on Friday, a day after he stabbed a senior police officer trying to check those committing reckless activities during a wedding in the area. The suspect, a Kuwaiti

man in his twenties, was charged with attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed weapon, public shooting as well as damaging public property. He was also held responsible for a patrol vehicle that suffered damage during a melee. He attacked the head of the Taima Police Station, Major Ghunaim Al-Atl who led a security team in response to reports about someone firing shots in public in Al-Oyoun. The man was among a group of people who reportedly fired celebratory gun shots and performed dangerous stunts at the parking lot of a wedding hall in the area. Investigations were on to arrest the remaining suspects.

Traffic campaign Fifteen people were caught driving without a license during a traffic campaign carried out on Thursday night in Hawally. The campaign included setting up of several checkpoints in areas around the governorate, during which dozens of citations were reportedly issued for violations ranging from reckless driving and driving in the wrong lane. Five people were cited for illegal racing.

In the meantime, dozens of people were arrested while 20 cars were impounded during a security campaign in Al-Abdaly which started at 10 pm Thursday and ended at 1 am Friday.

According to a source familiar with the

campaign, police at eight checkpoints arrested 43 lawbreakers and fugitives, impounded 20 vehicles and detained four stolen cars. A total of 98 traffic tickets were issued during the campaign, while 42 sharp edged weapons and some batons were also seized.

Smuggling bid foiled Customs officials foiled an attempt to smuggle tons of ammunition rounds’ casings at the Shwaikh Port on Friday.

The officers decided to search a number of containers after their customs clearance papers read ‘scrap steel’. They found a large number of M16 rifle’s bullet cases, as well as cases for tank and artillery shells. An investigation was opened to determine the people behind smuggling the casings.

Bootlegger held A bootlegger was arrested during an operation carried out on Friday in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The Asian man was pulled over in the area after he was identified as being the main suspect in an ongoing investigation into sale of alcohol. He was placed under arrest after 38 bottles of homebrewed liquor were found in his car. The man admitted that the bottles were prepared for sale, and that he brewed the drinks himself. He was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

2010 on charges of espionage, terrorist plotting, and vandalism. The Court of Appeal’s verdicts are not final, and are expected to be challenged at the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court equivalent), whose rulings are final.

Countering Terrorist Finance: Kuwait is a member of the Middle East North Africa Financial Action Task Force, a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body.

Of particular note is the fact that Kuwait lacked comprehensive legislation that criminalizes terrorist financing. In June 2012, Kuwait was publicly identified by the FATF as a jurisdiction with strategic anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism deficiencies, for which it has developed an action plan with the FATF to address these weaknesses. Kuwait had a comprehensive confiscation, freezing, and seizing framework that applies to all offenses under Kuwaiti criminal legislation. The lack of specific legislation related to terrorist finance precluded immediate freezes, although cases prosecuted under other elements of the criminal code were able to initiate freezing and confiscation of assets. Kuwait lacked an effective monitoring framework for transfers outside of the formal sector, and lacked explicit laws and regulations requiring due diligence on customer data.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

continued monitoring and supervising charities, including enforcing the ban on cash donations, except during Ramadan; implementing an enhanced receipt system for Ramadan cash donations; and coordinating closely with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs to monitor and prosecute fraudulent charities. The monitoring of foundations was not as comprehensive as it was for charities.

Despite these obstacles, competent authorities continued efforts to combat financial crimes. The Central Bank of Kuwait engaged the International Monetary Fund in a 12-month technical assistance program aimed at addressing weaknesses in Kuwait’s anti-money laundering/terrorist finance regime, and reached out to other partners as well.

Regional and International Cooperation: On December 25, GCC heads of state signed a collective security agreement to enable member states to respond quickly to, and take appropriate preventive measures, to confront potential security threats. The pact stipulates full cooperation between the six member states and delineates mutual responsibilities to preserve collective security and stability. It also promotes security coordination and information exchanges to help combat transnational and organized crime and terrorism. To be implemented, the 45-article treaty must be approved by the GCC countries’ parliaments and Shura councils.

Municipal elections to be held on July 6 KUWAIT: Chairman of the Higher Elections Committee Judge Ahmad AlAjeel said an Amiri Decree has been issued to call for the Municipal Council elections in ten constituencies.

Elections will be overseen by judges, according to the law. He said the decree will be published on Sunday while elections will be held on July 6.

Al-Ajeel said candidates’ registration will start on Monday, while the Committee will make sure the candidates meet all the conditions including that for good reputation, which was

also an applicable condition during the National Assembly elections held last December.

He said elections will be conducted according to the old system and votes will be counted manually. Despite the Committee’s demands for automated counting, the system has not been approved yet. Meanwhile Alwatan newspaper said that several members of the Municipal Council, in addition to several potential candidates, were waiting for the call for elections to register their candidacy and inclusion of

forgotten areas in the elections law so that more than 42,000 voters can exercise their franchise. They said such a large number of people are not supposed to be excluded in a state that is considered an example of true democracy. They said there is no justification for not including the areas that are not mentioned in the Municipal Council’s law and such a move does not require much work, but rather needed a quick decision before the call for elections.

This can happen anytime before June 13, even if a special session is required.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

LOCAL

India to seek solution to deportation issues Minister Ravi draws flak over ‘Kuwait gaffe’

By Sajeev K Peter

Zain Kuwait hosts successful employee Leadership Boot Camp KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, recently held an employee leadership boot camp; an intensive training program that focused on the development of skills of employees in leadership positions.

Zain’s human resources strategy aims to build on and improve the skills of its employees, who stand as one of the company’s greatest assets. The Zain Leadership Boot Camp shed light on several important topics that are geared to help employees develop their skills and be better equipped for senior roles within the organization. These topics included managing processes and results, problem solving and decision making, customer satisfaction, innovation, and results orientation.

For eight days, employees were exposed to self-adaptability and accountability exercises, working towards realizing their own potential through a ‘can do’ approach. The boot camp was able to develop personal leadership philosophies within the participants, helping them on their journey to becoming better leaders, and mastering skills in order to improve the company and accelerate their careers. Nawal

KUWAIT: A visiting Kerala minister said on Friday that the state government will pile pressure on the Indian government to initiate talks with the Kuwaiti authorities to find an early solution to the problems pertaining to deportation of Indians following the campaign against illegal residents in the country.

“I have realized that there is some confusion regarding the issue of deportation which needs to be sorted out,” said Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Home Minister of Kerala state of India, while addressing a media conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Friday.

The minister, who arrived in Kuwait on a brief visit, said that the Indian embassy officials will soon meet the Kuwait authorities in this regard.

The minister said he had discussions with the Indian embassy officials including Vidhu P Nair, Acting Ambassador. He held meetings with Indian community members here who have conveyed their growing concerns to the minister over the continuous crackdown.

Vidhu P Nair told the Kuwait Times yesterday that the embassy officials are expected to meet the authorities over the next couple of days regarding the issue. He also informed that Indian Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi and Kerala’s Nonresident Kerala Affairs Minister K C Joseph spoke to him over the phone on Friday to discuss the matter.

“The Indian embassy is entitled to get a list of deportees from the authorities. At the moment the authorities do not provide any information as to how many Indians are detained and how many were deported,” Radhakrishnan said.

KUWAIT: Kerala minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan addresses a press conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kuwait on Friday.

“Secondly, there is a growing concern regarding the destination of the people being deported,” he said. The issue came to the fore on Friday when 25 Keralites, deported among others from Kuwait, landed in Delhi airport. The stranded workers now seek help to reach their hometowns in Kerala.

“At the same time, legal residents here need to be retained and protected from harassment,” the minister said answering a specific question.

The minister said in addition to the airfare, Rs 4,000 (approx KD 20) will also be given to each person to meet his/her incidental expenses.

These arrangements have been made by the department of NORKA, he informed.

Meanwhile, Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar

Ravi drew sharp criticisms from people across India on Friday when he said he was not aware of the ‘Kuwait situation’. “The message was not communicated to me,” he told journalists in an obvious ‘diplomatic gaffe’ on Friday when his attention was drawn to the issue of deported Indian workers.

Kerala’s NORKA minister K C Joseph said on Friday that the Indian Embassy in Kuwait has not informed the Kerala government regarding the Kuwaiti campaign which has been going on for the last two months.

“I will take up the matter with the Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Overseas Minister Vayalar Ravi so that they can raise the issue with the Indian External Affairs minister and the Prime Minister. Because, only through country-to-country discussion, the problems can be sorted out,” he said.

Nasaruddin, a Trivandrum native, who was among the deported from Kuwait, told journalists in Delhi on Friday that thousands of Indians are in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh deportation center, waiting to be deported. According to him the detained workers live a harrowing life in the over-crowed cells.

The Kuwait government launched the campaign two months ago to reduce the number of expatriates by 100,000 every year over the next 10 years.

Expatriates in Kuwait make up about twothirds of the country’s population which is numbering around 3.8 million. According to the statistics issued by the director general of immigration for 2012, there are around 93,000 illegal residents in Kuwait. Out of these, 38,000 are domestic workers.

Bourisli, Zain Kuwait’s Human Resources Director said: “This is just one of the many training programs we provide at Zain as part of our long-term commitment to investing in our employees and encouraging them to continually develop their skills.

Our Leadership Boot Camp was developed to progress worthy employees quickly, so they can inspire and engage with others, and motivate their teams to achieve greater results.”

EU delegation hails GCC SG Al-Zayani The Head of the EU delegation in Riyadh, Ambassador Adam Kulach warmly congratulated GCC SG Al-Zayani on the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and conveyed a message to the Secretary General with a view to the EU-GCC ministerial meeting which will take place in Manama on 30 June 2013.

Ambassador Kulach underlined that the EU and the GCC have been partners for over 25 years and successfully developed a multifaceted cooperation in both regional issues - cooperation in Yemen for instance has been exemplary - as well as on a number of bilateral and sectoral issues. He also noted that there was ample room for improvement and he expressed hope that the EU-GCC ministerial in Manama on the 30th of June will record significant progress in this relationship. The EU-GCC ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place on the 30th of June in Manama under the co-chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. The European Union has a broad region to region relationship

Gulf Bank hosts ‘Be the Change’ team bonding activity

Ambassador Adam Kulach with the countries of the Gulf through the GCC. The relationship between the EU and the GCC is governed by a Cooperation Agreement signed in 1988 as well as a Joint Action Program agreed in 2010 and expiring this year, a new version of the Joint Action Program could replace the current one and provide a framework document for EU-GCC relations in the years to come.

Both sides are committed to negotiations towards a Free Trade Agreement.

The EU has also been committed to sharing its experiences of advanced integration with the GCC which has been undergoing a similar process inspired by that of the European Union.

Al-Haifi clarifies on treatment timings 100% rise in customs duty on tobacco products KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi said the decision to separate the citizens and the expatriates in the outpatient clinics has been misunderstood in certain quarters as if the expats were not to be examined. He said it was not true as expats will be received at the emergency department round-the-clock.

He said the decision was merely an organizational move meant for outpatient clinics only, which dealt on the basis of prior appointments. One can take an appointment in the morning or the evening.

He said the decision to treat expats and citizens during different hours was only meant to be implemented on a trial basis for six months in the Jahra hospital. Only if it proved successful would it be applied to all other hospitals. He said the trial would allow everyone to know their capacities and the needs of the clinics in the afternoon.

Al-Haifi said the National Committee on Fighting Smoking at the Ministry of Health had achieved a lot, most important of which was a national plan to fight tobacco use and a 100 percent increase in the customs duty on tobacco and tobacco- products.

The ‘no smoking’ law has been implemented at all the health ministry affiliated facilities and efforts were being made to

implement it in other government bodies also. He added that the issue of including a reference to the harms that tobacco usage can wreak on human beings in the school curricula was being coordinated with the Ministry of Education.

Also, an attempt was on to support and establish “Say No to Smoking” clinics in all the health zones, apart from implementing a ministerial decision that banned smoking in public places including restaurants, hotels and cafes to curb the menace.

The minister was speaking during a ceremony to mark the International Day of fight against tobacco. He said the MoH had formulated a national program to fight noninfectious chronic diseases and was pursuing it with significant interest within the government’s working program.

He said the ministry was keen on executing decisions and recommendations of the WHO as well as the political declaration issued by the United Nations in September 2011. He said the programs were aimed at encouraging sound health behavior among people in order to fight noninfectious chronic diseases and related risk factors.

Tobacco is considered one of the most important causes of diseases that the MoH was seeking to fight as it harmed any individual’s health as well as prove financially disastrous.

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently launched a team bonding activity initiative entitled ‘Be the Change’ to honor its new employees. The initiative aims to highlight the paradigm shift in the Bank’s outlook towards banking and operating at a different level aimed at a customer centric approach to serving its customers.

The event included a number of activities that focused on teamwork and bonding to achieve success in the workplace. The activities were based on experiential learning that engaged the participants and highlighted the skill sets required for collaboration, team bonding and respect for self and others at the work place.

The event kicked off with a motivational talk by Salma Al-Hajjaj, Gulf Bank’s new General Manager of Human Resources , which focused on self worth, importance of self motivation and developing the right attitude and drive for succeeding in life.

Vikram Issar, Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Consumer Banking spoke to the new employees regarding how teamwork is vital to success in business and the opportunities for a young workforce in Kuwait. In addition, Carlos Ribeiro, Chief Financial Officer & General Manager- Finance & Support and Mark Magnacca, Chief Marketing Officer at Gulf Bank attended the event to interact with staff and to support the initiative.

‘Be the Change’ is one of the many initiatives organized by Gulf Bank as part of its endeavor to create an agile and customer centric bank through staff engagement and a training & development strategy aimed at young workforce. The Bank firmly believes that building talent through working together in an inclusive environment, and helping new staff to settle-in is imperative to the success of the Bank.

New 6-lane bridge to replace Amghara bridge KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works began demolishing the Amghara Bridge on the Sixth Ring Road in order to construct a new six-lane bridge, with three lanes in each direction.

The Ministry said an alternative road will serve the motorists until the new bridge was completed.

It said it was keen on providing alternative roads during the construction period and all instructions and traffic signs would be put up to ensure that the motorists are not put to any dis-

comfort. Their well being and safety would be ensured in coordination with the traffic department.

Meanwhile, Public Relations Director at the Public Works Ministry Ahmad Al-Mutairi said that despite the nature of the current works that involved certain services, the ministry was keen to provide alternative roads during the interregnum period.

The project manager and contractor, Eng Emad Amin, said the old bridge had to be

demolished and replaced with a new one at the same spot. He said the new bridge and the closed portion of the Sixth Ring Road as soon as the rubble of the demolished bridge is removed.

He said this bridge was part of the first stage of the project to develop the Amgharah intersection with the Sixth Ring Road. The second stage will be executed during next week, which will involve construction on the second bridge of Amgharah intersection that may last for a period of up to 11 months.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

Asian arms build-ups ‘could be dangerous’

India vows to weed out corruption in army Page 13

Page 12

OKLAHOMA: Overturned trucks block a frontage road off I-40 just east of 81 in El Reno, Okla after a tornado moved through the area. — AFP

Battered Oklahoma hit by tornadoes Mother and child among 5 killed CHICAGO: Tornadoes killed at least five people and wreaked massive damage Friday in Oklahoma near the battered city of Moore, still recovering from a monster twister less than two weeks ago. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death toll, but said it had no further details on the victims.

But the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed a mother and child were killed as they traveled in their car on Interstate 40 near Oklahoma City.

At least 12 people were injured in the storm, with that number expected to rise, the agency told AFP. Media reports, citing local hospitals, put the injury toll at 39 or even higher, but officials said it would take time to get an accurate count. “We will have to wait for

flood waters to recede before we get out to assess damage,” spokeswoman Keli Cain said, adding that if the rain continued, that could take several days.

Several people were hurt in crashes and overturned vehicles, including semi-trailers and trailers, Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokeswoman Betsy Randolph told NBC television affiliate KFOR. “It is a heartbreaking situation,” Randolph said. While storms continued to pass through the state, Cain said, “they’re much less severe.” However, “there’s still a lot of flooding in areas,” she said, warning residents to stay off roads and avoid high water.

Weather forecasters lifted an emergency for parts of the tornado-prone midwestern state, though flash flood warnings, severe

thunderstorm watches and tornado watches remained in place. Photos showed streets looking like rivers, with stranded cars submerged in water as high as their door handles in some places. National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma warned the severe weather was shifting eastward yesterday, with the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys set to receive the bulk of the storms. “Large hail, damaging winds and isolated strong tornadoes are all possible,” the weather center said on its website.

In Missouri, which borders the Mississippi River, Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency Friday night, urging “Missourians to closely monitor weather conditions, so they can take shelter or move to higher ground if

needed.” Reports said five twisters had struck the area around Oklahoma City, with winds of up to 90 miles per hour, accompanied by very large hail. Flash floods also hit the area, the Tulsa World newspaper said. One large tornado touched down west of Oklahoma City, the state’s biggest city, news reports said.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said earlier she was “heartsick” that Moore, struck by a powerful tornado on May 20, could be hit once again. KFOR television, meanwhile, reported extensive damage around the cities of El Reno and Yukon.

More than 170,000 people were said to have lost power in the Oklahoma City metro area. Officials for Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport said on Twitter that passengers

had been evacuated to an underground tunnel and that flights in and out had been suspended.

The airport was re-opened by around 3:30 am local time (0830 GMT), but all early departures had been cancelled, they said. Friday’s storms were far less damaging than the Moore tornado nearly two weeks ago that left 24 dead and demolished large swathes of the town with winds above 200 miles per hour, affecting a total of 33,000 people. With an average of 1,200 tornadoes per year, the United States is the most hurricane-prone country in the world.

They are particularly prominent in the Great Plains states of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in Florida. — AFP

‘Perfect poison’: Ricin unleashed Obama, US politicians targeted

MANILA: A police officer looks at a delivery van where part of a wall from a high-end condominium unit landed in Manila yesterday, following a powerful explosion late the night before. — AFP

Death toll in Manila explosion rises to 6 MANILA: The death toll from a powerful explosion that ripped through an upscale apartment complex in the Philippine capital has risen to six, including the crew of a passing delivery van that was hit by debris, authorities said yesterday. The explosion Friday night punched a large hole in the wall of the apartment building and sent concrete chunks flying onto the street below, which was teeming with pedestrians.

Three people in the van were crushed to death. The Office of Civil defense said three more bodies were recovered at the Serendra building, a plush condominium complex surrounded by restaurants and shops in Taguig city in metropolitan Manila. Five others, including a 9-year-old, were injured. Authorities were initially looking into a gas supply issue, and residents were kept out of other buildings as officials assessed the supply maintenance.

A telephone operator at the Taguig city police station, who declined to give her name because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said the explosion came from an appliance and was not caused by a bomb. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who visited the site with President Benigno Aquino III, told reporters that the building was evacuated and all possible angles were being investigated. He said a forensic examination was not yet finished.

“This could be an accident, this could be an explosion of chemicals. This could be anything. Let us not speculate,” he said. He urged the public to refrain from speculating if the blast was linked to recent travel advisories issued by the US, British, Canadian and Australian governments for the restive southern Philippines, where they cited a risk of kidnappings and terrorist activities. Muslim militants have targeted the Philippine capital in the past, but most attacks have been confined to the southern region, where minority Muslims have fought for self-rule for decades. — AP

JACKSON: Mailings of the deadly poison ricin, including to President Barack Obama, have been on the rise, and copycat attacks are made possible by the relative ease of extracting the poison, experts say. The key ingredient - castor beans - is easy to find.

Crude instructions for extracting the lethal poison in them can be found on the Internet. And it doesn’t require a chemistry degree or sophisticated lab equipment.

The FBI is investigating at least three cases over the past month and a half in which ricin was mailed to Obama and other public figures. “I can absolutely promise you that when these kinds of things happen, we’re going to have copycats. We expect them. We prepare for them. And we catch them,” said Murray Cohen, founder of the Atlanta-based Frontline Foundation, which trains workers in how to respond to bioterrorism and epidemics.

Security and counterterrorism expert Michael Fagel, who teaches at Northwestern University and is a veteran of ricin investigations, said ricin may be employed because castor beans are so easy to come by. The plants grow wild along highways and in other spots in the US. They are also considered ornamental by some gardeners and are cultivated for medicinal castor oil and other products. “And you can go on the Internet and find out any one of a gazillion recipes on how to make ricin,” Fagel said, adding that it takes only a beginner’s knowledge of science to “weaponize” it. If inhaled, ricin can cause respiratory failure, among other symptoms. If swallowed, it can shut down the liver and other organs, resulting in death. The amount of ricin that can fit on the head of a pin is said to be enough to kill an adult if properly prepared. No antidote is available, though researchers are trying to develop one.

Despite the poison’s fearsome reputation, a draft of a 2010 Homeland Security Department handbook lists only one person killed by ricin, and that was a 1978 assassination in London involving injection with a ricin pellet. Someone associated with Bulgaria’s secret police used a special

NEW YORK: In this image, the envelope that contained the ricin tainted letter mailed to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is shown. —AP umbrella to fire the pellet into a Bulgarian dissident. The first of the three recent ricin investigations in the US began in April. An Elvis impersonator, Kevin Curtis, was jailed and accused of sending poisoned letters to Obama, a US senator and a Mississippi judge. Then Curtis was suddenly released from jail when the FBI shifted its focus to his longtime foe, James Everett Dutschke. He was charged with making ricin. The FBI said Dutschke, a former martial arts instructor and unsuccessful candidate for various political offices, bought his castor beans on eBay and may have used a coffee grinder to turn them into a powder from recipes he downloaded on his computer.

Then in May, three poison-tainted letters were mailed from Spokane, Washington, to Obama, a federal judge, a post office and an Air Force Base near Spokane. The FBI is trying to locate a fifth letter it suspects was mailed to the CIA in Virginia. Matthew Ryan Buquet, a 37-year-old janitor and a registered sex offender, was charged last week with mailing a threatening communication.

He has pleaded not guilty. In the most recent case, authorities say ricin-laced letters were sent to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Washington gun control group. — AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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

Iran press, experts slam ‘comical’ presidential debate TEHRAN: Iranian newspapers and experts yesterday give a resounding thumbs down to the first of three televised

debates between the eight approved candidates in this month’s presidential election. Their verdict on Friday’s four-

TEHRAN: An Iranian woman walks past posters of presidential candidate Hasan Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, next to his campaign headquarters, in Tehran yesterday. The 11th presidential election after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, will be held on June 14. —AP

hour state television debate echoed criticism from the hopefuls themselves of a format that they charge stifled real discussion of the issues.

Conservative candidate Mohsen Rezai, a former commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards, told his own Tabnak website he would boycott the next two debates scheduled for Wednesday and Friday if the format does not change. The reformist Bahar newspaper called the quality of the debate “comical”. Another reformist daily, Etemad, commented: “Television has turned the most important political event into an entertainment program.”

Even the hardline Kayhan newspaper said the debate had “failed to live up to expectations”. Conservative candidate Mohammad Gharazi said after the studio debate that “four hours was too much for both the candidates and the audience”.

All eight candidates who had secured the approval of Iran’s conservative-led electoral watchdog the Guardians Council to stand in the June 14 election took part.

But despite its length, the debate failed to provide a platform for real dis-

cussion between the candidates of how they would reverse the rapid deterioration of the economy in the face of EU and US sanctions. The first debate focused on the economic policies of the candidates.

The lone reformist candidate, former first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref, refused to take part in one section of the program in which each candidate was given multiple choice questions about his program. “This way of organizing the debate and asking questions is an insult to all eight candidates and to the Iranian people,” he said.

His criticism led the front page of the repeatedly banned reformist daily Shargh. Each candidate was asked by the moderator to respond to a randomly chosen question on unemployment, inflation, international economic or sanctions imposed because of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. He then had three minutes to respond, and then each of the rest had 90 seconds to either outline his own prospective or to challenge the speaker. Economic expert Hossein Raghfar told the reformist Aftab that “none of the candidates had any estab-

lished economic plan”.

“It had been expected that each candidate would present his own solutions to control inflation, unemployment or support for domestic production, but none of them showed a clear solution which means they did not have an established plan,” said Raghfar. “In such circumstances, we cannot expect an improvement in the situation in the country,” he added.

Analyst Mohammad Saleh Sedghian said that he thought the debate was useful.

“But there were some problems. For example, each candidate was answering questions like in an exam situation,” he said.

“There was no debate on their various economic policies, and this would not give the electorate a clear idea of each candidate’s economic plans,” he added.

Mohammad Mehdi Forqani, communications professor at a Tehran university, was quoted by the Mehr news agency as saying the debate “did not have the element of challenge for the candidates.” “The multiple choice system of questioning was also not dignified for candidates in a presidential contest,” he added. —AFP

More than 1,000 Iraqis killed in May violence Iraq hit by worst violence since 2008 BAGHDAD: The worst violence since 2008 hit Iraq in May, raising fears of all-out sectarian strife, as political leaders met yesterday for talks on persistent disputes that have paralyzed the government. Authorities have failed to bring the wave of unrest under control, and have so far not addressed the underlying political issues that analysts say are driving the attacks, while the UN envoy to Iraq has warned that the vio-

were released ahead of a meeting of leading politicians including Prime Minister Nuri AlMaliki and several of his key rivals planned for later. The long-discussed meeting is aimed at resolving a wide variety of disputes between the country’s political blocs, some of which have persisted for several years. Analysts often link political instability to increases in attacks.

UN envoy Mar tin Kobler warned on

BAGHDAD: A handout picture shows devices allegedly confiscated by Military intelligence from what they described as a “Terror Cell”. The Ministry announced the arrest of an Iraqi cell that was preparing to launch chemical attacks against targets inside Iraq and in Europe and North America, in collaboration with other intelligence agencies. —AFP lence is “ready to explode”.

Figures for the May death toll ranged from more than 600, according to the government, to more than 1,000, according to the United Nations.

Either would make the violence the deadliest since 2008. An AFP count based on information from security and medical sources indicated that 614 people were killed and 1,550 wounded, while data from government ministries put the toll at 681 dead and 1,097 wounded.

The UN gave a significantly higher toll of 1,045 killed and 2,397 wounded. The figures

Thursday that “systemic violence is ready to explode at any moment” if Iraqi leaders do not resolve their disagreements. But so far, all efforts to bridge their differences have failed.

While violence has mainly targeted the government and members of the Shiite majority in the past, unrest in May was more wideranging, with major attacks on Sunnis as well.

The violence has struck all aspects of daily life. Bombings cut down worshippers in mosques, shoppers in markets and people mourning those killed in attacks. One Baghdad

car bomb even tore through a group of people cheering a bride ahead of her wedding.

Although violence in Iraq has fallen from its peak at the height of the sectarian conflict in 2006 and 2007, when the monthly death toll repeatedly topped 1,000, the numbers of dead have begun to rise again.

There has been a heightened level of violence since the beginning of the year, coinciding with rising discontent in the Sunni Arab minority that erupted into protests in late December. Members of the minority, which ruled Iraq from its establishment after World War I until Saddam Hussein’s overthrow by USled forces in 2003, accuse the Shiite-led government of marginalizing and targeting their community.

Analysts say government policies that have disenfranchised Sunnis have given militant groups both fuel and room to manoeuvre among the disillusioned community. The government has made some concessions aimed at placating protesters and Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, but underlying issues have yet to be addressed.

Both analysts and officials say that dealing with political issues, including Sunni grievances and disputes over issues ranging from control of territory to power-sharing, is key to curbing the violence. “The government should genuinely (take) steps toward the negotiation with the street, with the (Sunni) protesters,” said Maria Fantappie, an Iraq analyst with the International Crisis Group. “So far, the government has not taken any genuine steps towards really... engaging into a dialogue with the protesters,” she said.

John Drake, an Iraq specialist with risk consulting firm AKE Group, agreed. “Engagement and dialogue would likely be the most effective way to tackle the violence. An increase in security force operations and arrests will only provoke the situation further,” Drake said. But Iraqi authorities are approaching the unrest as a security issue alone, and have failed to address its root causes. So far, Baghdad’s response has largely been limited to actions by security forces, a shakeup of senior officers, and announcing a series of vague new securityrelated measures. —AFP

NGO law becomes test for Egyptian president CAIRO: A draft law regulating Egyptian civil society groups has become a barometer of the Islamist government’s commitment to the ideals of the democratic uprising that brought it to power, with the text raising concerns both at home and abroad.

President Mohamed Morsi, who referred the bill to the Islamistdominated senate on Wednesday, pledged that he “does not aspire to control civil society,” in a departure from his overthrown predecessor Hosni Mubarak’s strongman tactics.

NGOs in Egypt have denounced the bill, which regulates the funding and activities of non-governmental organizations, going so far as to condemn it as “aggression against civil society”.

Western powers such as the United States, a major funder of NGOs in Egypt, are closely monitoring the issue. In a statement, the US State Department said it was “concerned” by the civil society draft law which “imposes significant government controls and restrictions on the activities and

funding of civic groups”. “ The United States believes the proposed law is likely to impede Egyptians’ ability to form civic groups that are critical to advancing freedoms, supporting democracy, and acting as appropriate checks on the government,” it said.

Before Mubarak’s ouster in early 2011, many rights groups failed to secure operating licenses, and their activities were monitored by the then all-powerful security services. The interim military government which then took power ordered raids on the offices of foreign NGOs in which Americans were among staff members referred to trial on charges of receiving illicit foreign funds.

The raids dealt a serious blow to relations between the military and Washington, its main foreign aid donor. Morsi, once a political prisoner under Mubarak and leader of the formerly banned Muslim Brotherhood, has insisted that he must reform a corrupt inherited bureaucracy and instill transparency. His aides say that the NGO bill, which will be dis-

cussed in the senate, was drafted in that spirit. But many NGOs, already wary of the Islamist president, say it is an attempt to assert control over the foreign funding of projects such as human rights advocacy.

The draft law will create a steering committee, headed by the social affairs minister that must approve requests for foreign funding. It will be able to turn down the requests from NGOs if it deems a project illegal. Foreign funding, for example, may not be used for political campaigning.

The courts will have the final say in any dispute. The draft law would “curb the right to freedom of association through legal restrictions even more severe than those imposed by the Mubarak regime,” said a statement signed by 40 NGOs. Previous drafts of the law had given the security services oversight of NGOs. The US-based Human Rights Watch group said the presidential draft contained some improvements over previous versions. But “it would allow the government

and its security agencies to arbitrarily restrict the funding and operation of independent groups,” the watchdog said in a statement.

The presidency has denied that the bill would allow security services control over civil society groups. “I confirm this draft law completely removes the security role,” Wael Zoghby, who helped compose the bill, told a news conference last week.

Nermeen Mohamed, a presidential aide who also helped to draft the bill, says its current incarnation is the product of more than three months of consultations with civil society groups. “The consultation process resulted in substantial differences between the Presidency’s draft and other drafts,” she wrote in a blog post, referring to previous proposals. A presidential aide said in a briefing that the minister who heads the steering committee that decided on foreign funding may choose other members as he sees fit. Civil society groups themselves will also be represented on the committee. —AFP

TEHRAN: Iranians shop at the main bazaar in Tehran yesterday. —AFP

Ray of light, dark clouds in Iran nuclear program VIENNA: An important recent development in Iran’s nuclear program, if it continues, might help to ease international fears that Tehran wants the bomb, but serious questions still remain, analysts and diplomats said. This potentially positive step, as highlighted in recent quarterly reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency, concerns uranium enriched by Iran to a fissile purity of 20 percent.

This material is of major international concern because if further purified to 90 percent-a process well within Iran’s technical capabilities-it would be suitable for a bomb. According to the IAEA’s most recent report last week, Iran has produced 324 kilograms (714 pounds) of 20-percent enriched uranium, well above the around 240 kilograms thought to be needed for one nuclear device-which is reportedly also Israel’s “red line”.

But more than 40 percent of this has been converted into another form, triuranium octoxide, which experts say is tricky-although not impossible-to convert back to the original uranium hexafluoride. Iran says that it is converting this uranium in order to provide fuel for a reactor in Tehran, and four others that outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad last February ordered constructed, for nuclear medicines.

Tehran also calls it a “confidence-building” measure in so-far fruitless talks with six world powers on hold until after Iranian presidential elections on June 14. But the problem, says Mark Hibbs, analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, is that Iran’s output is “way beyond” what it needs. Plans for four more reactors are also “pie in the sky,” he said.

At the same time, the rate at which Iran is converting the 20-percent enriched uranium remains below the production rate-meaning that the size of the overall stockpile continues to creep ever higher. Moreover, Iran’s output of 20percent enriched uranium is set to triple once new machinery at its Fordo enrichment facility is up and running. Iran is also putting in more modern enrichment machines at its Natanz

plant, used to enrich uranium to five-percent purities for nuclear power, which will enable Tehran to process fissile material more quickly.

As the IAEA cannot vouch for Iran’s activities being peaceful, its 35-nation board of governors, which meets in Vienna from Monday, has passed several resolutions calling on Tehran to suspend all enrichment, as has the UN Security Council. Iran refuses, calling the UN resolutionsand related UN and Western sanctions, which last year began to cause it economic problemsillegal and the IAEA, which derives some 65 percent of its budget from Washington and its allies, “politicized”.

PLUTONIUM But even if Iran manages to soothe some of the concerns about uranium, there are also other areas of worry. Not least of these is progress, as outlined in the last IAEA report, in building the new IR-40 reactor at Arak, which Western countries fear could provide Iran with plutonium, an alternative to uranium for a weapon, if the fuel is reprocessed. “Everyone is always focusing on the uranium enrichment, and for understandable reasons, but there is this second pathway,” said Shannon Kile, nuclear expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). “The IR-40 is of the general type that was used by the North Koreans, the Indians and the Pakistanis in their initial programs, so it is well suited to producing plutonium for weapons purposes,” Kile told AFP. Arak “shows that this issue is not just about 20-percent enriched uranium stockpiles. This is a broader picture,” agreed one senior Western diplomat in Vienna. Another bone of contention meanwhile is what the IAEA suspects may have been Iranian research, mostly before 2003 but possibly ongoing, into creating a nuclear payload for a missile. Iran denies this, and 10 meetings with the IAEA since its major November 2011 report summarizing these claims-based mostly, but not only, on foreign intelligencehave failed to make progress.—AFP

US targets Iran petrochemicals WASHINGTON: The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran’s petrochemical industry, vowing to target more of the Islamic regime’s sources of revenue after curbing its vital oil exports.

Washington also announced action against companies based in Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates for support to Iranian entities accused of involvement in the country’s controversial nuclear program. US officials said they were taking action against Iran’s petrochemical industry as it represented the Iranian government’s largest source of revenue after oil, which has been severely curtailed by a US-led sanctions campaign.

“We are committed to intensifying the pressure against Iran, not only by adopting new sanctions, but also by actively enforcing our sanctions and preventing sanctions evasion,” David Cohen, the Treasury Department point man on sanctions, said in a statement. “We will continue to work with our partners around the world to ensure that the sanctions pressure on Iran builds so long as Iran continues to defy its... international obligations,” he said.

The United States slapped sanctions that include a ban on US-based financial transactions on the Niksima Food & Beverage Co, a Dubai-

based frozen yogurt and dessert company. The State Department accused the company of receiving payments on behalf of Iran’s Jam Petrochemical Company, which was put under the same sanctions. The Treasury Department also identified eight Iranian petrochemical companies as being under the control of the Tehran government, which subjects them to US sanctions.

The United States, Israel and European nations have demanded that Iran end sensitive uranium work, fearing that it could be used to develop a nuclear bomb. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Since last year, the United States has brandished sanctions against anyone who buys Iran’s oil. In its latest move, it punished Ferland Co., which is based in Cyprus and Ukraine, for allegedly assisting the Iranian National Tanker Company.

US authorities also took action against several individuals and airlines for alleged cooperation with Iran, including Kyrgyzstan-based Kyrgyz Trans Avia and Ukraine-based Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines, also known as Um Air. Despite the tough sanctions, the United States on Thursday lifted a ban on laptops, mobile telephones and other equipment, saying the step would help ordinary Iranians circumvent government controls. —AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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Syria opposition looks as divided as ever

HAREM: A group of Free Syrian Army fighters carry a wounded comrade in the town of Harem, Syria. —AP

ISTANBUL: After an eight-day tug of war for control and with no clear winner, Syria’s opposition looks set to become more divided than ever. On the ground, rebels fighting President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and activists say they have lost faith in foreign-based dissidents who appear powerless to check army advances. The opposition National Coalition concluded an extended meeting in Turkey on Friday that saw Qatari- and Saudi-backed dissidents reach a lastminute compromise brokered under intense pressure. After hours of bickering, Coalition chief George Sabra announced an expansion of the group to include 51 new members, taking the total to 114. To date, the Coalition has been dominated by the Qatar-backed Muslim Brotherhood, but regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia is seeking to downsize that influence. Of the new members, some 10 are affiliated to veteran secular dissident Michel Kilo, whose bid to enter the umbrella Coalition was backed by Riyadh.

“We have reached a compromise solution.

While (Kilo’s list) has entered the group, the Coalition has also expanded to include 14 grassroots activists,” Coalition member Salem AlMoslet said. “We wanted to be more representative. The meeting was too long, but we are on the right track,” he added. Another 15 seats have

Mystery surrounds US woman’s death in Syria New Muslim convert dies in Syria FLINT: The daughter of a 33-year-old Michigan woman who converted to Islam and was killed in fighting in Syria this week insisted yesterday her mother was “NOT a terrorist,” although the woman’s father said he had expressed concerns about her to the FBI. Syrian state media said Nicole Mansfield, a single mother from the Midwestern city of Flint, was killed with two others in an ambush by Syrian government forces on an opposition mission in northwestern Syria.

Syrian media also showed the passport of a British man, Ali alManasfi, 22.

Security sources said it was not clear what Mansfield and alManasfi were doing or which rebel group they were with.

Insurgents are seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The conflict has killed more than 80,000 people since March 2011. Gregory Mansfield, Nicole Mansfield’s father, told CNN on Friday that he approached the FBI three years ago after his daughter made remarks about Israel at an Easter family gathering.

“All I know is that I went to the FBI about my concerns,” he said. “And I know they did follow up because they were following her for a while. They needed to revoke her passport, then this wouldn’t be going on.” Lindsay Godwin, a spokeswoman at the FBI’s Washington field office, said the FBI “is looking into the situation that happened in Syria.”

In a posting on Facebook on Friday, Mansfield’s daughter, Triana Lynn Mansfield, wrote, “My mother was NOT a terrorist.” “She went there for a reason that is unknown,” she wrote. “But believe this-SHE WAS FORCED TO STAY.” The woman’s grandmother Carole Mansfield added she was not convinced her granddaughter was in Syria to fight, although she said she had told her, “You’re

looking a rattlesnake in the face” after she converted to Islam and began wearing a hijab. “You never would have thought she’d be a terrorist,” Carole Mansfield said. Known within the family as “Nikki,” Nicole Mansfield was a high school dropout and teenage mother who was raised Baptist. Relatives said she appeared lost and wanted a cause

Nicole Lynn Mansfield to believe in.

In her late 20s, after an unsuccessful marriage, she converted to Islam after meeting Muslims online. She attended a local mosque but never showed signs of radicalism, her family said. She married a Muslim immigrant after her conversion, but family members said they never met him and Nicole never talked about him. “I don’t even think they ever lived together,” Carole Mansfield said.

“He was a mystery. No one knew anything about him.”

Syrian state media showed footage on Friday of a dead woman in a full black hijab and a picture of Mansfield’s identification, saying she was part of an extremist rebel group caught in an ambush. The government-run media said the group was ambushed while exploring a checkpoint and that government forces found weapons on the group and documents, including a sketch of a security building. Britain’s Guardian newspaper quoted a Syrian army officer as saying it was believed the third person killed was Canadian because his cellphone listed numerous calls to Canada.

‘JAMES BOND JOURNEY’ There appeared to be little on Friday tying Nicole Mansfield, whom family members described as “compassionate, stubborn and unusually intelligent,” to extremist Islamist groups. Her Pinterest social media account contains as many references to shoes, dogs and other animals as it does to Islam. The Islamic-themed pictures appear moderate and pious. Mary Ellen O’Toole, a former FBI profiler and a human behavioral expert said, “Setting aside whether Islamic extremists would even let an American woman take up arms, there are many questions left unanswered at this point.”

“It’s a huge step going from living in Flint, Michigan, to taking up arms against the Syrian government,” O’Toole said. “And there’s a big difference between converting to Islam and going on a James Bond journey into a war zone.” Monica Mansfield Speelman, Nicole Mansfield’s aunt, said on Thursday that she was “just devastated” when the FBI told her that afternoon her niece was dead. “I didn’t think she would stoop that low to go over there and try to harm anybody,” Speelman said. —Reuters

Far-right, anti-fascists face off over London soldier’s murder LONDON: Dozens of people were arrested in London yesterday as rival far-right and anti-fascist groups faced off over the murder of a British soldier by suspected Islamists. London’s Metropolitan Police said 58 people from the Unite Against Fascism pressure group were arrested after they gathered to oppose a rally by the far-right British National Party (BNP) near the Houses of Parliament. The arrested UAF protesters, who were part of a group of around 300 people opposing the 150strong BNP rally, were detained on suspicion of breaching the Public Order Act, Scotland Yard added.

The rallies came as 28-year-old Michael

Adebolajo, one of two prime suspects in the killing, was held for questioning for a second day following his release from hospital.

He and the other prime suspect, 22-year-old Michael Adebowale, were shot and injured by police at the murder scene, shortly after 25-year-old soldier Lee Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight near his barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. Adebowale has been charged with murder and possessing a revolver. Both suspects are Londoners who converted to Islam after growing up in Nigerian Christian families. Rigby’s family had issued an appeal for calm following a number of attacks on mosques and a rise in anti-Muslim incidents since his murder, the

first fatal Islamist attack in Britain since the 2005 London bombings. Yesterday, the rival BNP and anti-fascist protesters traded chants, held behind opposing metal barricades with police separating them.

The BNP had hoped to march in Woolwich but were banned from doing so by the police, fearing public disorder. Many of their protesters carried the British flag and some had signs saying “Hate preachers out”.

“Britain is a tinderbox waiting to explode,” BNP leader Nick Griffin said. “We are here-I hope-starting a debate to point out the only way out, or the best way to get peace, is to disengage so there’s a peace treaty between the West and Islam. —AFP

Drone strikes kill 7 Al-Qaeda militants ADEN: Two drone strikes killed seven suspected Al-Qaeda militants in southern Yemen yesterday, a local official said, nine days after US President Barack Obama said he would only use such strikes when a threat was “continuing and imminent”. In two separate attacks, militants believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda killed two senior police officers in the eastern part of the country, a local security official said.

Washington views Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as the movement’s most dangerous wing after it attempted to launch bomb attacks on international airliners.

The official said the seven were travelling in two cars yesterday morning in the AlMahfad district of Abyan Governorate in southern Yemen where the Islamist militant group has a strong presence, when the drones struck. In eastern Yemen, Colonel Abdel-Rahman Bashkeel, head of the criminal investigation department in the city of Seyoun in the Wadi Hadramout area, was killed yesterday afternoon by a bomb placed in his car, a local security official said.

Militants on a motorbike also shot and killed Brigadier-General Yahya Al-Omaisi,

commander of the police force at the Seyoun airbase, the official said. He said both attacks carried the hallmarks of al Qaeda, which is believed to be behind a spate of recent attacks on senior police, security and army officers, including at least three incidents last week. Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda seized control of some towns in southern Yemen in 2011 after Arab Spring protests weakened the government in Sanaa. However, the Yemeni army and local tribal militias recaptured the towns last year with US assistance.

Lawless, impoverished Yemen lies on major international energy shipment routes and shares a long, porous border with Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter. President Obama has come under criticism in the United States for his government’s use of drone strikes which have led to civilian casualties. He said in a speech on May 23 that the Defense Department would now take the lead in launching lethal drone strikes from the Central Intelligence Agency, meaning there would be more Congressional oversight of the program. —Reuters

been assigned to civilian members of the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army command, which is also dominated by Saudi Arabia. But the result of more than a week of back and forth in the Istanbul tug-of-war looks to be an unsteady balance.

Coalition members and officials from countries that back the anti-Assad revolt believe the conclusion was a success overall, however. “Our mission is more or less accomplished, even though it was quite painful,” one Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity. The Coalition will now be able to elect a new leadership and discuss a US-Russian peace initiative, the diplomat said, adding that it will be “two to three weeks” before the group holds its next meeting.

But while disputes raged among Saudi- and Qatari-backed dissidents in Turkey, across the border in Syria Assad loyalists were advancing, squeezing the Coalition’s credibility in the wartorn country to a new low. In Kafranbel in northwestern Syria, activists raised a placard during a protest on Friday that accused the Coalition of being “part of the problem”. After months of rebel dominance east of Damascus and in central Syria’s Qusayr, troops backed by Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah movement last week launched an assault to reclaim control of

the key town. Scores of fighters on both sides have been killed, and Qusayr has all but fallen into army hands. But as the opposition closed its Istanbul meeting, news broke of the arrival of “hundreds” of Muslim Brotherhood-linked rebel reinforcements in Qusayr. One activist questioned the new rebels’ timely arrival. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” said Fares, an independent Syrian activist in Istanbul. “I think the rebels were given the weapons they needed to enter Qusayr, and they were given a sign the (Qatari- and Saudi-backed) sides had reached an agreement.”“The biggest problem is all these disputes could have been solved a week ago,” he added.

A rebel from central Syria slammed the Coalition for being far removed from those at the sharp end. “They are disconnected. We cannot support people who have become opponents just for personal gain,” said Ali Sattuf, a former army lieutenant who joined the revolt in May 2012. “We don’t want one selfish regime to replace another,” he added. Another defector, Omar Ferzat, said: “We need support, and the Coalition is not channeling the right help to us.”

Anti-Assad dissidents inside Syria will only gain trust in the Coalition if its members themselves move into the country, he added. “Here in the hotel, they can do no good,” Ferzat said. —AFP

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Russia to resume nuclear submarine patrols MOSCOW: Russia plans to resume nuclear submarine patrols in the southern seas after a hiatus of more than 20 years following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Itar-Tass news agency reported yesterday, in another example of efforts to revive Moscow’s military. The plan to send Borei-class submarines, designed to carry 16 long-range nuclear missiles, to the southern hemisphere follows President Vladimir Putin’s decision in March to deploy a naval unit in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis starting this year.

“The revival of nuclear submarine patrols will allow us to fulfill the tasks of strategic deterrence not only across the North Pole but also the South Pole,” state-run Itar-Tass cited an unnamed official in the military General Staff as saying. The official said the patrols would be phased in over several years.

The Yuri Dolgoruky, the first of eight Borei-class submarines that Russia hopes to launch by 2020, entered service this year. Putin has stressed the importance of a strong and agile military since returning to the presidency last May. In 13 years in power, he has often cited external threats when

talking of the need for a reliable armed forces and Russian political unity.

Fears of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the United States has eased in recent years, and the Cold War-era foes signed a landmark treaty in 2010 setting lower limits on the size of their longrange nuclear arsenals. But the limited numbers of warheads and delivery vehicles such as submarines that they committed to under the New START treaty are still enough to devastate the world. Putin has made clear Russia will continue to upgrade its arsenal.

Russia’s land-launched Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) would fly over the northern part of the globe, as would those fired from submarines in the northern hemisphere. Both the Borei-class submarines and the Bulava ballistic missiles they carry were designed in the 1990s, when the science and defense industries were severely underfunded.

Russia sees the Bulava as the backbone of its future nuclear deterrence, but the program has been set back by several botched launches over the past few years.— Reuters

MOSCOW: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (center) listens to a little boy as he hands over awards to families with many children in the Kremlin in Moscow, on May 31, 2013.— AFP

New law reignites debate over German ‘baby hatch’ Govt wants unwanted child to know mother’s identity

ARIZONA: Yanira Maldonado is all smiles as she is escorted by family friend Steve Perez to the Hilton Homewood Suites to speak to the media in Avondale, Ariz. — AP

Jailing in highlights Mexico tourist risks PHOENIX: The weeklong detention of an American woman after Mexican authorities said they found 12 pounds of marijuana under her bus seat illustrates just one of the perils Americans face while traveling south of the border. Yanira Maldonado, 42, walked out of a prison on the outskirts of Nogales, Mexico, and into her husband’s arms late Thursday after a judge dismissed drug-smuggling charges against her.

The judge determined Maldonado was no longer a suspect after viewing video that showed the couple climbing on the bus with just a purse, blankets and bottles of water.

After returning to the Phoenix area Friday, Maldonado said, “I got strength through my faith and said, ‘I’m going to be out,’ and I got out.” The governor of the Mexican state of Sonora, where Nogales is located, apologized for Maldonado’s ordeal during a visit to Phoenix on Friday. He said he made sure she was safe and wasn’t transferred to a federal prison and worked to ensure the court proceedings went quickly.

“In a few words I could say we’re very sorry that she was in the wrong place in the wrong moment,” Gov. Guillermo Padres Elias said.

“But we’re very glad that she’s OK and she still says ... that she will continue visiting our country and she will continue going on tourism trips to Sonora. “Because Sonora really likes the United States people and Arizonans to go down there. We welcome them with open arms with a big smile and we see you as a family, so we want to continue with that.” With kidnappings, drug cartel shootouts and other violent crime pervasive in parts of Mexico, the tourism industry has taken a hit, although popular destinations like Cancun are so well-protected that problems are rare. Kidnappings and cartel violence are prominent among the US State Department’s lengthy set of warnings about travel in Mexico. But there are also warnings about getting caught up in drug smuggling, either by being used as a “blind mule” who doesn’t know drugs have been put in their car or luggage, or by being strong-armed by smugglers who threaten harm if a person

doesn’t carry drugs.

Maldonado also may have been caught up in a shakedown by Mexican police who were seeking a bribe. Her husband said police sought $5,000 to let her go. She may have just been randomly assigned the seat under which the smugglers hid the pot. Or she could have been put there on purpose by smugglers who hoped an American was less likely to be targeted for a search and to provide cover for the real smuggler.

Alonzo Pena, who retired as deputy director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2010 and was once stationed in Mexico, said someone else on the bus probably put the drugs under Maldonado’s seat without her knowledge and watched her throughout the trip. The State Department also warns that criminals are increasingly affixing drugs to the bottom of parked cars in Mexico, the removing them after the vehicle enters the US. Those cases are rare, Pena said, because smugglers like to closely watch the drugs crossing the border. Eric Vos, a lawyer with the US Office of Defender Services who trains federal public defenders, agreed that slipping drugs into unsuspecting travelers’ cars or luggage isn’t all that common.

“There’s just like a million reasons why the blind mule thing is a difficult angle,” Vos said Friday. It’s more common, Pena said, for drug carriers to admit they knowingly smuggled because they or their families were threatened if they disobeyed. Another old smuggling tactic is to advertise work as security guards, housecleaners and cashiers in Mexican newspapers, telling applicants they must drive company cars to the US. They aren’t told the cars are loaded with drugs.

There were 39 arrests at San Diego’s two border crossings tied to the ads for seemingly legitimate jobs between February 2011 and April 2012, according to ICE, prompting the agency to take out ads in Mexican newspapers warning about the scheme. An Arizona sheriff who has spent more than 40 years along the Mexican border said Maldonado’s case probably was a shakedown. —AP

Republican vs Republican on covering US uninsured WASHINGTON: It’s Republican vs Republican in the latest round Sof political battles over health care. Conservative Republican legislators in major states are trying to block efforts by more pragmatic governors of their own party to accept health insurance for more low-income residents under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Unlike their congressional counterparts, who’ve misfired in repeated attempts to torpedo the law, state Republicans may well sink the expansion of Medicaid in populous states such as Florida and Michigan.

That would mean leaving billions of dollars in federal matching funds on the table and hundreds of thousands of the poor uninsured. Expansion opponents say it’s an issue that goes to their core beliefs. “It’s an ideological principle piece to us on the conservative side,” said state Rep David Gowan, majority leader in the Arizona House of Representatives. “We don’t believe in the expansion of Medicaid itself it’s within the process of mandating health care. We don’t believe it’s the government’s duty to do that. It should be open for people to go get their health care.”

Nine Republican governors supported

or accepted the Medicaid expansion, a major component of the health care law taking effect Jan 1. It’s designed to provide coverage to about 20 million uninsured people if all states accept. Washington would pick up the full cost for the first three years and 90 percent over the long haul.

Those helped would mainly be low-income adults with no children at home, people working jobs that pay little and don’t come with health insurance. For uninsured adults below the poverty line, expanded Medicaid is the only way to get coverage under the new law. But middle-class people will be eligible for subsidized private insurance.

Overall, 23 states plus the District of Columbia, are planning to expand their Medicaid programs. About a dozen are undecided. The nine GOP governors supporting expansion are Jan Brewer in Arizona, Rick Scott in Florida, Terry Branstad in Iowa, Rick Snyder in Michigan, Brian Sandoval in Nevada, Chris Christie in New Jersey, Susana Martinez in New Mexico, Jack Dalrymple in North Dakota and John Kasich in Ohio. Initially, some observers saw a shift toward pragmatism among Republicans and predicted the governors would get their way.—AP

BERLIN: Germany ’s “baby hatches”, where women can safely leave their unwanted newborn, have come under fire as the government pushes a new law to guarantee a child the right to eventually know its mother’s identity. At a Berlin clinic, a discreet path winds through springtime flowerbeds to a sign that simply directs visitors to the “Baby Crib”-a steel hatch that opens onto a heated cot where an infant can be left. “An alarm goes off for several seconds,” says Gabriele Stangl of the Protestant Church-run Waldfriede hospital in the capital’s leafy, residential Zehlendorf district.

“It takes two to three minutes for the nurses to come and get the baby, enough time so the mother can get away without being seen.” In the 13 years since the clinic set up the hatch-known in Germany as the “Babyklappe”-the alarm has sounded more than 20 times, especially lately.

“For two years we didn’t have any, and during the last six months we had two in five days,” Stangl said. The babies tend to be between 24 and 30 hours old and are cared for by the hospital. They are passed on to an adoptive family unless the birth mother changes her mind within the first eight weeks.

Germany has around 100 baby hatches under a system thought to have been common in medieval Europe and through to the end of the 19th Century. It was reintroduced 14 years ago in Germany and has since been adopted by other countries ranging from Belgium to Japan. The chief aim of the baby hatches is to give the most desperate of mothers an alternative to killing their babies or abandoning them in places where they will die. While the system is accepted by the churches in Germany, there is no legal framework governing their use, and the method remains controversial.

The United Nations condemned it last year for flouting a child’s right to know its origins.

Opponents also argue that the baby hatches have done nothing to bring down the number of newborns being killed every year in Germany.

According to the non-governmental organization Terre des Hommes, which is campaigning against the baby hatch, 313 newborns were

found dead in Germany between 1999 and the end of last year.

Just recently in Berlin the bodies of two babies were discovered-one abandoned in a plastic bag in a wooded area, the other in a public clothes recycling bin. Terre des Hommes argues that women driven to killing their baby at birth generally suffer psychological conditions so severe that they are unlikely to try and find a baby hatch. In the face of the UN condemnation as well as criticism from Germany’s ethics committee, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has adopted draft legislation to find another solution. The idea is to allow women to give birth without publicly revealing their identitysomething about 130 German hospitals already practice despite a law stipulating that midwives register the mother’s name. The new bill, which must still be voted on by lawmakers, would pro-

vide a legal framework to guarantee birth confidentially. However, the mother’s personal data would be kept for 16 years, after which the child would have the right to the information, which some psychologists see as crucial for their emotional wellbeing.

Conservative lawmaker Ingrid Fischbach said she believed the new legislation takes into account both “the mother’s desire for anonymity and the right of the child to know its origins”. But supporters of the baby hatch see things differently. “I believe the right to life takes precedence over the right to know where you came from,” Stangl said. “I don’t think a child has to fall into a psychological hole simply because it doesn’t know where it comes from. When it grows up in an adoptive family that tells it the truth and gives it lots of love, it can become a very stable human being, despite everything.”— AFP

BERLIN: A picture shows two signs reading “Babyklappe” (baby hatch) at the St Joseph hospital in Berlin Tempelhof. — AFP

Catholic influence wanes amidst gay marriage fight Church says ‘no’ to gay marriage PROVIDENCE: Frank Ferri made peace with God years ago. He defeated the Roman Catholic Church just last month. The openly gay state representative led the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in what may be the most Catholic state in the nation’s most Catholic region. And, in early May, Rhode Island became the sixth and final New England state to allow gay couples to marry when its Democratic-dominated Legislature, led by an openly gay House speaker, reversed course after years of the Catholic Church successfully lobbying lawmakers to resist legalization.

“They put the fear of God into people,” Ferri said, claiming that “the influence of the church” had been the primary stumbling block as every other neighboring state - and many people across the country - started embracing gay marriage. Ferri’s victory marked the Catholic Church’s most significant political defeat in an area where more than 40 percent of the population is Catholic. Perhaps more problematic for the church: Its stateby-state setbacks on gay marriage illustrate a widening divide between the church hierarchy and its members, which may be undermining Catholic influence in American politics. The disconnect plays out in polling. In March, a Washington PostABC News poll found that a majority of Catholics, 60 percent, felt the church was out of touch with the views of Catholics in America today.

And a CBS News/New York Times poll in February found that 78 percent of Catholics said they were more likely to follow their own conscience than the church’s teachings on difficult moral questions. That poll highlighted several areas where most Catholics break with church teach-

ings: 62 percent of American Catholics think same-sex marriages should be legal, 74 percent think abortion ought to be available in at least some instances and 61 percent favor the death penalty.

All this comes amid a leadership shift in the Vatican, where the newly selected Pope Francis has traditionally taken a more pragmatic approach than his predecessor on divisive social issues. While a bishop in Argentina, Francis angered other church leaders by supporting civil unions for gay couples ahead of that country’s vote to legalize gay marriage. He has taken no such position as pope. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of one of the most storied Catholic families in American politics, says she’s encouraged by Francis’ early leadership but warns that the church’s political influence will continue to wane unless it adapts. “Gay marriage is part of a larger refusal on the part of the church to listen to, and to understand, the people in the pews,” said Townsend, who still regularly attends church and wrote the book, “Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches Are Mixing God With Politics and Losing Their Way.” Church officials in Washington, Boston and Providence declined to be interviewed for this report.

The church for decades has employed aggressive lobbying efforts across the country on a host of political issues, with Catholic leaders having used the power of the pulpit and substantial financial resources to maintain clout. At times they’ve gone so far as to tell leading Catholic lawmakers they were not welcome to receive communion if they opposed church teachings on issues like abor-

tion and gay marriage. These days, the church remains active in political battles over abortion, President Barack Obama’s health care law, poverty and immigration even though they’ve had little success influencing the gay marriage debate here and elsewhere.

In many statehouses, the church relies on lobbying consortiums made up of lay people, known as Catholic conferences, to influence state policy, fueled by donations from dioceses across the country. In Washington, the church’s primary voice is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which had an annual budget last year of $26.6 million, according to the Pew Forum of Religion and Public Life. “They’ve certainly been players at the national level,” said Mark Silk, the director of Trinity College’s Leonard Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life. He noted that the church has been most successful in recent years by building alliances with other religious lobbies, including evangelicals, to help shape public policy such as the contraception provision in the president’s health care law. Religious leaders also have successfully pushed to tighten abortion laws in some states. Thirty states have adopted constitutional provisions limiting marriage to a man and a woman, although most are in Southern and Western states where there are fewer Catholics. Silk suggested that some Catholic leaders in the United States may be eroding their influence by “jumping up and down” to fight gay marriage despite strong public support.

As American attitudes rapidly shifted in favor of legalized same-sex marriage in recent months, the arch-

bishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, likened gay marriage to male breastfeeding and denounced Rhode Island’s vote as violating “the very design of nature.” In Minnesota, Catholic leaders spent nearly $1 million last year to support a ballot measure banning gay marriage. The year before, the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis produced and distributed 400,000 copies of a DVD in which Archbishop John C Nienstedt called same-sex marriage, at best, “an untested social experiment.”

Thousands of Minnesota Catholics returned the DVDs in protest. Last month, the state Legislature voted to legalize gay marriage, making Minnesota the 12th state to do so. In Providence, the Rev Bernard Healey led the statehouse lobbying effort to counter legalization attempts. The Catholic priest is well-known in the Rhode Island Capitol’s marble hallways, long patrolling them in his black shirt and clerical collar.

In late April, before the final gay marriage vote, Providence Bishop Thomas J Tobin weighed in by warning Rhode Island lawmakers: “It is only with grave risk to our spiritual well-being and the common good of our society that we dare to redefine what God himself has created.” The Rhode Island Legislature overwhelmingly voted days later to support same-sex marriage. That prompted Tobin to condemn “immoral or destructive behavior” and say that Catholics should “examine their consciences very carefully” before deciding whether to attend gay marriage ceremonies, “realizing that to do so might harm their relationship with God and cause significant scandal to others.”— AP

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Online college classes now target the masses Some universities balk, warn of threats to education

PECOS: Tracy Bennett, ranch manager of Hidden Valley Ranch watches a large plume of smoke rise from a wildfire. — AP

New Mexico wildfires trigger evacuations PECOS: Fire crews are battling two wildfires in New Mexico that have scorched thousands of acres, spurred evacuation calls for dozens of homes and shut down a state highway.

Officials said the fire in New Mexico’s Santa Fe National Forest more than doubled in size by Friday night and was still totally uncontained.

That prompted New Mexico Gov Susana Martinez to declare a state of emergency in San Miguel County to free up state funds to fight the fire.

New Mexico State Forestry spokesman Dan Ware said the evacuations came after the fire jumped state Route 63. Officials asked residents in 140 homes - mostly used for the summer - to leave as crews battled the 3.9square-mile blaze near the communities of Pecos and Tres Lagunas, about 25 miles east of Santa Fe. They also evacuated campgrounds and closed trailheads around Pecos, Las Vegas and Santa Fe as they worked on containment lines in hopes of preventing the fire from moving toward the capital city’s watershed and the Tres Lagunas community.

Friday night, officials said a second, smaller wildfire about 50 miles northwest of Albuquerque was also causing evacuations.

State forestry said in a statement that the Thompson Ridge fire near Jemez Springs started in the afternoon and had grown to an estimated 725 acres by evening. The service said about 50 homes in the area had been evacuated and one home was damaged by the fire. The blaze was still burning uncontrolled Friday night with more than 80 fire personnel on the scene, but officials said its growth had slowed, reducing any immediate threats to structures.

Meanwhile, the wind helped crews work-

ing to contain a wildfire burning Friday in rugged mountains north of Los Angeles. A day earlier, gusts had driven flames toward the rural community of Green Valley and forced people from about 200 homes. On Friday, winds were pushing the fire southward - back into the 2.8 square miles that have already burned. “The fire is moving uphill and burning into the black,” US Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy said. “It is a good thing because it’s not going anywhere, it’s not moving.”

The fire was 15 percent contained and the cause was under investigation. The fire led to the evacuations of a church camp off Lake Elizabeth and a forest service campground called Cottonwood, Judy said. Only a handful of campers were there, he said. Some 600 firefighters working in 85-degree heat used hoes, shovels and bulldozers to scrape away brush on the rugged hillsides near Castaic along Interstate 5. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. In fighting the blaze in New Mexico’s Santa Fe National Forest, a helicopter helped with efforts to secure the western perimeter of the fire Friday morning, but it was grounded by late morning due to high winds. Nearly 300 firefighters were working on the blaze, which was being fueled by winds from the north and northwest. Officials said a downed power line ignited the blaze Thursday. It’s the first major wildfire this year in New Mexico, which is in its driest two-year period in nearly 120 years of record keeping.

“It has been a slow start to the season, until this point,” said State Forester Tony Delfin.

“Now we expect the conditions to go on until the monsoons come or the weather changes the pattern.”— AP

BOSTON: A leading US provider of online college courses has announced plans to expand into introductory level classes such as algebra and composition, marking a shift for a fledgling industry that has until now focused on specialized material. Coursera, a popular for-profit provider of massive online open courses known as MOOCs - will host a series of basic general education classes to be developed in partnerships with 10 state university systems across the United States.

“If we really want to move the needle, we can’t just stick with offering continuing education to lifelong learners,” said Daphne Koller, the Stanford computer scientist who co-founded Coursera. “We have to help people achieve degrees that will help them get a better life.”

Another top MOOC provider, Udacity, is launching a similar program this summer, teaming up with California’s San Jose State University to offer five introductory courses.

Until now, MOOCs have mainly focused on specialized courses like computational neuroscience - taught by professors at top universities. Those MOOCs attracted millions of students, but the vast majority already had completed college in more traditional settings. At Coursera, for example, 80 percent of registrations come from students who already have at least a bachelor’s degree.

The new partnerships will provide the first significant evidence to date of whether students without a college background can succeed in MOOCs, which require participants to be self-directed and highly motivated. Students who have struggled or are new to college “are the ones who most need a teacher who looks them in the eye and figures out how to motivate them,” said Greg Graham, who teaches introductory writing at the University of Central Arkansas.

Vince Kellen, a senior vice provost at the University of Kentucky, acknowledges the challenge but says it’s worth trying to expand the world of MOOCs. “We think this is a reasonable way to reach some students,” he said. Kentucky is among the states joining Coursera for the new initiative. Others include New York, Colorado and Tennessee. Some states plan to grant credit to students who complete the online work while others will urge students to take the MOOCs to prepare for classes with high failure rates.

BACKLASH The deals coincide with a rising backlash against MOOCs. Earlier this month, the provost of American University in Washington DC, announced a “moratorium on MOOCs,” saying a serious debate was in order on issues such as

educational quality. Faculty at Duke University voted down a proposal to offer online courses for credit. And in a biting public letter, the philosophy depar tment at San Jose State University last month condemned MOOCs as a threat to the very existence of public universities. Signatories argued the trend would push college professors out of jobs, stifle diversity of thought and deprive students of discussions.

Similar concerns were raised this spring by faculty at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Deeming MOOCs too impersonal and industrial, the faculty rejected a proposed partnership with nonprofit online course provider EdX. “When the rubber hits the road,” MOOC promot-

ers “don’t have any idea what education means,” said Adam Sitze, an assistant professor of law and social thought at Amherst. MOOC backers disagree; they say their courses will not replace professors or dismantle universities, but will make quality education more widely available.

Some are even testing ways to use MOOCs to expand the role of faculty. Coursera and EdX, for example, are testing “blended” models that bring students together for face-to-face instruction that augments the MOOC videos. The MOOC market “is too big, too diverse, for onesize-fits-all,” said Anant Agarwal, the president of EdX. “This intense experimentation phase will continue for a while.”— Reuters

Islamist jailed for Internet threats posts from prison WASHINGTON: American Islamist militants jailed for threatening violence over the Internet are still posting political writings on the Web while serving time in federal prison. Jesse Curtis Morton, a convert to Islam who writes under the name Younus Abdullah Muhammed, posted a lengthy tract opposing US drone policy, on May 21, on the www.islampolicy.com website that he launched in 2010.

Morton is serving a prison term of more than 11 years in a Pennsylvania federal prison after pleading guilty in 2012 to conspiring to solicit murder, make threatening communications and “use the Internet to place others in fear.” Morton, from Brooklyn, New York, and previously a student at Columbia University, was jailed for threatening the writers of the satirical television show “South Park” for their depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a bear outfit.

Morton wrote in his latest essay that US use of lethal drones against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Yemen had encouraged homegrown Islamist extremism. “The drone assassination of Anwar Awlaki in Yemen, an Islamic preacher with tens of thousands of ardent Western followers, has yet to be avenged but his popularity has only risen after death,” Morton wrote, referring to the American Muslim preacher killed in a 2011 US drone strike in Yemen.

Another American militant, Zachary Chesser, who was found guilty of conspiring with Morton to encourage attacks via the Internet on the creators of “South Park,” has also posted material while in prison. His postings appear on another website www.aseerun.org and mainly air personal grievances, along with some political material.

Chesser is serving a 25-year prison sentence in Marion, Illinois, for the “South Park” case and for

attempting to join the Somali militant group Al Shabaab.

Neither Morton nor other representatives of IslamPolicy responded to a request for comment sent to an email address posted on the website.

A telephone number posted on the site was out of order. Lawyers for Morton and Chesser did not respond to requests for comment. Under free-speech guarantees in the US Constitution, federal authorities cannot impose blanket bans on such postings by convicts, although email access is limited for prisoners, and messages inciting violence are prohibited. Morton and Chesser were involved in running the now defunct website RevolutionMuslim.blogspot.com.

That was linked to a US affiliate of banned British group Al Muhajiroun, whose followers have included a man arrested for the brutal killing of a British soldier in London last week.

Since federal prisoners are allowed to transmit closely vetted email messages via special channels only to a small list of approved recipients, it is possible that messages and essays by prisoners such Morton and Chesser first went to some of those recipients, who then arranged for posting on the Internet.

PROTECTED SPEECH Officials said they did not know precisely how Morton and Chesser arranged for the posting of their messages. “Their communications with the outside are limited to approved contacts only and subject to careful monitoring and review to ensure that they do not facilitate criminal activity or pose a threat to the public or the correctional facility,” said Dean Boyd, a Justice Department spokesman. —Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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

Guatemalan mine dispute militarizes region SAN RAFAEL LAS FLORES: The neighbors of the San Rafael silver mine no longer come out of their homes for fear of the machine-gun toting troops and police who man checkpoints in these green, wooded mountains. The plaza in the town of San Rafael Las Flores, where the community used to mingle, is now deserted. The fear that rules this terrain, where residents are mostly Xinca Indians, recall the bad old days of the country’s three-decade-long civil war, which killed as many as 200,000 people.

But what’s brought in the troops this time are protests over plans by Vancouver-based Tahoe Resources Inc. to tap what the company says is one of the five largest silver deposits in the world.

Protesters say the project, called El Escobal, will drain or pollute the local water supply, and hundreds of people have blocked roads and burned buildings to stop it from going forward. That’s tested President Otto Perez Molina, who sent in hundreds of troops and suspended the right to hold public gatherings in four townships near the mine in early May. It was the second time during his 16 months in office that he has declared a state of siege in response to protests against a foreign-run mining project.

With violence rising, the mine protests have now emerged not only as a threat to Perez Molina’s young admin-

istration but also a warning to other foreign companies seeking to invest in the region. The residents of San Rafael, however, say they’re been left with no choice but to fight and accuse the government of favoring foreign investors over communities. “This is affecting us, we feel intimidated,” said 18-year-old Miriam Munoz, whose nervous parents didn’t want her to go to school because of all the soldiers and police outside. “The situ-

SAN RAFAEL LAS FLORES: Residents walk past a cordon of soldiers standing guard at a checkpoint in San Rafael Las Flores, Guatemala. — AP

Greying Japan complains of the noise of children TOKYO: As Japan’s population declines, intolerance of children and the noise they make is increasing in a society getting less accustomed to hearing them, childcare experts say. In a nation where convenience stores blare electronic greetings and political candidates shout through high-volume megaphones at train stations, day care centers are putting up sound barriers to muffle the din that toddlers make and sports clubs are restricting the times that youngsters can play outside to avoid upsetting the neighbors.

Childcare experts and politicians have voiced concern that this creates a selfperpetuating problem in a country with a falling birthrate, where it is seen as less acceptable for parents to expect non-parents to put up with inconveniences caused by their offspring. When it comes to complaints, “it’s now happening daily,” said Masako Madea, a specialist in population at Japan’s Konan University. “As society has fewer and fewer children, people get less used to hearing them.

“It’s a vicious circle: fewer children make people less accustomed to hearing

the noise they naturally make, which spawns complaints about them and contributes to the growing feeling among younger parents that they don’t want to have more children.” Maeda said when she was involved in a project to build daycare centers in Yokohama, a sprawling city that melds into Tokyo, she faced a lot of opposition from those living nearby.

“We were once told not to take the children for a walk” because they make too much noise, she said.

Nobuto Hosaka, mayor of Tokyo’s Setagaya ward, who has built up a sizeable following on Twitter for his comments on the issue said he fears for the future of a country that cannot tolerate the natural noise of children. “I’m told that kids at one middle school got complaints from people living nearby about the chanting when they were doing running practice,” he said. “Now they have to practice in silence.” Outdoor playtime at one daycare centre is limited to 45 minutes a day, whatever the weather and a traditional festival in another town now has to be held indoors. —AFP

Kyrgyzstan declares emergency after bloody gold mine clashes BISHKEK: Parts of Kyrgyzstan were under curfew yesterday after clashes between security forces and protesters who want a Canadian-owned gold mine nationalized led the president to declare a state of emergency. President Almazbek Atambayev signed the declaration Friday for the Dzheti-Ogyzsky district of the northern Issyk Kul region, where the protesters have converged on the mine.

The violence broke out after the arrests of dozens of demonstrators cut off power to the Kumtor mine, owned by the Canadian mining group Centerra Gold.

Prosecutors said 92 people were arrested when security forces moved in to disperse the protest over the mine, retake control of an electrical substation and dismantle the activists’ camp. But this sparked a new protest Friday morning, as thousands of locals began a march to call for their release.

Local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying 3,000 locals from the DzhetiOgyzsky district close to the Kazakh and China borders, where the substation is located, staged a march to demand their liberation. They blocked roads and occupied local administration buildings, the reports said. One bus transporting special forces was set on fire. The security forces hit back with tear gas and rubber bullets. At least 55 people, including a dozen members of the security forces, were wounded, said a health ministry statement.

The protesters then marched again on the Tamga substation and, without resist-

ation isn’t going to change until the president comes to deal with it.”

The company and its supporters deny the town’s accusations, saying the mine will instead bring jobs and tens of millions of dollars to local governments and communities. Andres Davila, the mine’s coordinator of corporate communications, said the metal will be extracted through a flotation process in which the ore is passed through water. The process

ance, switched off the power, as they had done a day earlier. The activists have called on the government to nationalize the Kumtor mine, which has been wholly owned by Centerra Gold since it started operations in 1997. Atambayev on Friday declared a state of emergency in the troubled district, which includes a 9:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew. The state of emergency will last until June 10. “All the organizers of the meeting at Kumtor will be punished in full accordance with the law. I guarantee that as president of the country,” said Atambayev.

“We will not give them the chance to shake and destroy the countr y.” The protests started late on Thursday when hundreds of people stormed the local substation that supplies the high-altitude mine and cut off the electricity. As a result, production at the mine, one of resource-poor Kyrgyzstan’s biggest assets, was halted, Centerra Gold acknowledged in a statement from its Toronto office.

The company acknowledged the steps taken by the Kyrgyz authorities. But it added: “...until calm returns and safe and secure access can be restored, the Company will continue with an orderly shutdown of the mine facilities.” In the meantime, it was taking steps to ensure the safety of staff and keep the mine on standby with measures to stop any damage from freezing, the statement added. Shares in the company fell nearly eight percent in trading at the Toronto stock exchange Friday. —AFP

TAMGA: Protesters sit outside a power substation in the Kyrgyz village of Tamga, some 300 km southeast of the capital Bishkek. — AFP

involves the chemical reagent zinc cyanide, which Davila said “is not discharged into rivers because it is reused at the same site.”

“Half of the (mine’s) employees are from San Rafael and 95 percent are Guatemalans,” Davila said. “For every dollar, 35 cents will stay in Guatemala for taxes, royalties and voluntary contributions.” Claudia Samayoa, director of Guatemala’s Human Rights Defense Unit, said the political damage has already been done. “One interesting thing we have been finding in San Rafael Las Flores and the communities affected by the state of siege is that people who supported the president are telling us they no longer back him,” said.

Indeed, a new poll by CID Gallup shows approval of Perez Molina’s presidency falling 20 percentage points over the past year, from 68 percent in May 2012 to 48 percent this May. The poll, which was conducted between May 2-9 and had a margin for error of 3 percentage points, cites street violence and a lack of jobs for the fall.

Such conflicts are breaking out all over Latin America, where local resistance to foreign-driven mining projects have paralyzed whole regions and claimed dozens of casualties. At the same time, such projects have become ever more popular as world prices for copper, iron ore and other metals have

boomed, driven in large part by growing demand from China. In Peru, such protests have presented a major challenge to President Ollanta Humala, while similar outrage over foreign exploitation of local resources helped defeat presidents in Bolivia. Activists say problems at the Guatemala mine began in 2007, when the owner at the time, Canada’s Goldcorp Inc., came to San Rafael with an exploration license. In 2010, the mine was sold to Tahoe Resources. “Since then the problems have aggravated,” said Oscar Morales, president of the Community Development Council, which serves as a link between locals and political authorities. He spoke with the AP from a secret location where he has been in hiding since authorities raided his and family members’ homes searching for arms. He said nothing turned up in the searches.

Morales said eight community consultations of 4,222 adults found that nearly all of them opposed the mine. He said he wants to hold another legally binding community consultation about the mine, but municipal governments have refused. The violence has only grown more destructive the longer the dispute remains unresolved. On Sept 17, 2012, mine workers transporting tubes for electrical cables on the main highway were stopped and held by local residents opposed to the mine.— AP

Asian arms build-ups ‘could be dangerous’ Asia warned against destabilizing arms race SINGAPORE: Asian countries must guard against destabilizing the region with increased arms spending, defense chiefs warned at an international security conference yesterday.

Asian governments, boosted by stronger economic growth and worried by regional tensions, have been beefing up their armed forces and there are fears the build-ups could be dangerous in the long run if not managed well.

“There are indeed inherent perceptional sensitivities in military build-ups that could create miscalculations, misjudgments, and mistrust,” Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual forum in Singapore. “In order to avoid military modernization becoming destabilizing, there is a need for greater strategic transparency.”

Asia overtook European members of NATO in terms of nominal military spending for the first time last year, according to a report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released in March. In the annual report on the world’s militaries, the IISS-which organizes the Shangri-La Dialoguesaid China’s defense spending in real terms rose 8.3 percent between 2011 and 2012, while in Asia as a whole, spending rose 4.94 percent last year.

Globally, China now ranks second behind the United States in total militar y spending, although the Pentagon’s annual budget of $600 billion still dwarfs Beijing’s arms expenditure.

Philip Hammond, Britain’s secretary of state for defense, said rising defense spending in Asia was “worrying” as it was taking place against the backdrop of growing tensions over territorial disputes and competition for resources. “(It) has the potential to escalate and become at best a prolonged source for instability and at worst, a driver for conflict,” he said.

On May 9, a Philippine coast guard ship fired on a Taiwanese fishing vessel along their sea border, killing a fisherman. Taipei reacted angrily and held naval exercises near the Philippines in a show of force against its bigger but poorly equipped neighbor.

China is locked in a territorial dispute with four Southeast Asian countries in the South

SINGAPORE: US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (center) poses with Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera (left) and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin for photographers before their trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue yesterday. — AFP China Sea, and with Japan over the Senkaku islands, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea. And on the Korean Peninsula, tensions remain high between US-backed South Korea and the nuclear-armed North. Latest statistics released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showed China’s estimated defense spending nearly quadrupled from $37 billion in 2000 to $166 billion in 2012. India’s defense spending has grown 67 percent since 2000, reaching $46.1 billion in 2012, it said.

South Korea’s defense investments swelled from

$20 to $31.6 billion while Japan maintained its defense budget throughout the period at $60 billion.

But Tokyo in January announced that it would increase military spending this year for the first time in over a decade by over $1.15 billion under a ruling party plan. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, who also spoke at the Singapore defense conference, justified the country’s increased spending. “We believe it is essential to build-up a defense posture that will contribute to the enhancement of regional peace and stability,” he said. — AFP

Japan, eyeing China, grants $14 billion in aid to Africa Tokyo scrambles to grab resources, market share YOKOHAMA: Japan said yesterday it would give $14 billion in aid to Africa over five years, as Tokyo scrambles to grab resources and market share at a time of increased interest in the region from China.

Around half of the money will be targeted at infrastructure development, with Japan seeking to match its firms’ desire to export transport systems and power grids with the gaping needs of the continent.

Japan’s overseas development aid (ODA) “will be about 1.4 trillion yen ($14 billion)” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a three-day conference in Tokyo involving the leaders of more then 40 African countries. Including this aid, “Japan will offer up to 3.2 trillion yen in support to Africa’s growth via public and private sector investment”, he said.

Despite relatively long-standing connections, Japan’s importance to Africa has slipped behind that of China, whose more aggressive approach has given it five times the trading volume and eight times the direct investment. China does not give official amounts for

its ODA, but reports suggest it gives up to $2 billion annually. The figure Japan announced Saturday outstrips that significantly.

The five -yearly Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), a get-together of political leaders from across Africa, is Japan’s twodecade-old effort to boost links.

Tokyo’s commitment to Africa differed from that of other nations, Abe said, in remarks that appeared to have been a reference to China.

Beijing is criticized in some corners for what is sometimes seen as prosecuting little more than a resources grab and for not linking investment with demands for improved human rights or more transparent governance in recipient countries.

“Africa’s abundant natural resources provide important business oppor tunities for the resource-poor Japan. But Japan would not explore and dig resources simply to bring them to Japan,” Abe said. “We will support Africa so that African natural resources will lead to African eco-

nomic growth. “Africa’s rapidly growing market is not less attractive than its natural resources to Japanese companies.”

Abe called for the introduction of transparent rules on business and efforts to boost security for Japanese living and working there.

The focus on private-sector investment was welcomed by delegates, with South African President Jacob Zuma saying the continent’s economy had to develop.”Africa must move from a path driven by commodities expor t to one led by industrialization and diversification,” he said.

“Three points are crucial (in the path to development): market integration, industrial development and infrastructure development.”

The broad agreement on the need for better transport connections will be music to Abe’s ears after his ambitious pledge last month to treble exports of infrastructure to 30 trillion yen a year by 2020 as par t of his plan to reanimate Japan’s lifeless economy.

At the same time, Japan’s firms see Africa as an opportunity for

expansion at a time that their home market is contracting and stultifying because of a population that is rapidly ageing and is forecast to shrink. Those hopes were also given a boost in the form of plans to expose Africans to Japanese companies through education and training. Over the next five years, Abe said, Japan will invite 1,000 students to study in universities and gain experience as interns at Japanese companies, and Tokyo will work to find jobs for 30,000 people in Africa.

“Japan will also construct hubs for human resource development at 10 locations in the field in Africa, including in Ethiopia and Senegal.

We will send experts in vocational training to these hubs,” Abe said.

Makoto Katsumata, professor of African studies at Meiji Gakuin University, said Tokyo was right not to ape Beijing. “What Japan should do is not just emulate China’s aggressive pursuit of natural resources, but something that builds on trust Japan has nurtured with African nations over the past years,” he said. — AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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

To people in Niger, Libya ‘El Dorado’ now a threat AGADEZ: Libya, considered an El Dorado for jobs and money when Muammar Gaddafi was its “Guide”, has become a terrorist threat in the eyes of people in northern Niger after two suicide bombings.

“Libya is no longer the country that fed us.

It has turned into a real threat to our peace,” Iliassou, a motorcycle taxi driver said in the main northern town of Agadez.

On May 23, a suicide attack on a large military base in the desert town killed about 20 people, mostly soldiers. At almost the same moment, a Nigerien employee was killed in another attack against the French nuclear giant Areva, where it mines uranium in Arlit, 200 kilometers further north.

President Mahamadou Issoufou blamed Islamic extremists who had crossed into Niger from Libya, the northern neighbor of the vast sub-Saharan country, for both attacks. In the ochre dust of the alleys in Agadez, from the outdoor tea-drinking holes known as “fadas” up to the market and the famed mosque, residents are talking about what Libya has become. “How could such a generous and calm country transform itself into a monster?” asked schoolteacher Alousseini Algabas.

The chief of the local radio station Sahara FM, Ibrahim Manzo, has his own

answer. “It’s the collapse of the Gaddafi regime which has brought us all these problems,” he said. Many people in Agadez share Manzo’s nostalgia for Gaddafi, one of Africa’s longest-serving despots, who was killed in October 2011 after an eightmonth rebel insurgency. Under Gaddafi, who both provided funds for northern Niger and supported Tuareg rebels based around Agadez from the 1990s, thousands of local people went to work in Libya and sent money back to their families.

However, Tripoli’s new masters chased many of these laborers out, and they are still doing so. About 1,500 clandestine workers from across west Africa, including many Nigeriens, arrived in Agadez last weekend. Some wander around the town like lost souls, nursing hopes of sneaking back across the Libyan border. “Before becoming a terrorist sanctuary, Libya helped breast-feed us,” retired police officer Abdou says. The new Libyan authorities seem largely powerless to control the whole of their vast territory, though this week they denied that the country has become a hotbed of terrorists since armed Islamists were routed from towns in neighboring northern Mali.

“The south of Libya, where anarchy reigns, has become a safe haven for the

terrorists hunted in Mali,” asserts Rhissa Ag Boula, a former Tuareg rebel chief who has become a counselor to Niger’s president.

“After causing chaos in Mali, whence they were chased out, the terrorists have taken up refuge in Libya,” says Mohamed Adjidar, member of an official commission set up to fight against the proliferation of light arms.

A MALI-TYPE SCENARIO Mohamed Anako, president of the regional council of Agadez and a veteran of Tuareg uprisings in the 1990s, warns: “In Libya each tribe has its weapons, and that benefits terrorist groups. At any moment, we could face terrorist attacks.” Seeing southern Libya as a “real threat”, Sultan Ibrahim Elhadj Oumarou, the most senior Muslim dignitary in the city, “calls on the (Nigerien) state to guard this border well”.

“We need to deal with this Libyan zone before it’s too late,” Mohamed Adjidar says, arguing that otherwise, “a Mali-type scenario could happen here in the north of Niger.”

Armed Islamist movements seized control of northern Mali on the back of a Tuareg uprising last year, before they were driven out of the main towns by a French-led military intervention that started in January.

“With a few banknotes, the terrorists

could buy local accomplices to help them carry out their dirty work,” says driver Ahmed Maha. Anako has launched an appeal on behalf of the regional council, arguing that NATO, which intervened in Libya in 2011, and the international community should

join hands in “helping to stabilize Libya”.

During a visit to Niger’s capital Niamey on Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged “joint action” with the Libyan authorities and their neighbors against “terrorist” groups.—AFP

AGADEZ: A picture shows materials which belonged to Islamists and seized in the army barracks in Agadez, northern Niger. —AFP

India promises to weed out military corruption Govt rolls out plan to indigenize defense industry

PALAIYA: Indian farm laborers harvest millet in a field at Palaiya village of Dehgam Taluka, some 50 kms from Ahmedabad. Indian agriculture solely depends on good monsoon rains and with the Indian economy striving hard to accelerate its momentum. —AFP

Indian monsoon rains bring cheer to farmers NEW DELHI: The annual monsoon, crucial to India’s food output and economic growth, hit the southwest coast yesterday, bringing cheer to farmers and boosting hopes for the struggling economy. The keenly awaited rains lashed the state of Kerala and parts of neighboring Tamil Nadu and will now sweep across India, resulting in torrential downpours over the coming months for hundreds of millions of farmers who rely on the seasonal precipitation.

“The southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala,” the weather office announced on its website. The rains that lash the subcontinent from June to September are dubbed the “economic lifeline” of India, one of the world’s leading producers of rice, sugar, wheat and cotton. The rains normally hit the southwest coast at the start of June but memories remain fresh of India’s devastating drought in 2009 that resulted in shriveled crops. The weather department has forecast India will receive normal rains this year, raising prospects of a stronger performance by Asia’s third-largest economy.

India’s 235 million farmers still rely on

the erratic rains to soak around 60 percent of the country’s farmland-despite calls for the government to improve irrigation and water-harvesting methods to ensure more stable crop output. The rains are crucial this year for central parts of the western state of Maharashtra, India’s biggest sugar-producer, which has been reeling from the worst drought in over four decades. Last year India got below-normal rain in the first half of the wet season. The rains picked up in some areas later, but large areas of west and south India did not benefit.

The Congress-led national government’s hopes of at least six percent economic growth this financial year-up from a decade low of five percent last year-hinge on a normal monsoon. A good monsoon is also vital for the ruling Congress party ahead of elections due in 2014 as it struggles to kickstart growth in the country of 1.2 billion people. Agriculture contributes about 15 percent to gross domestic product but the livelihood of hundreds of millions of Indians living in rural areas depends on the farming sector. —AFP

Malaysia probes death in custody KUALA LUMPUR: The wife of a man who died in custody in Malaysia accused officers yesterday of torturing her husband before beating him to death, in the latest alleged act of police brutality. Truck driver N Dhamendran died on May 21 in a police lock-up, 10 days after he was arrested over a fight. His lawyer said he had staple wounds in his ears and “not one inch” of his body was spared from beating.

Police have opened a murder inquiry after a postmorten revealed “criminal elements”, and four officers who were questioning the suspect are under investigation. They have been reassigned to desk duty but remain on the force.

Dhamendran’s family said the postmortem showed 52 injury marks on his body, including extensive bruising and wounds likely made by a cane and stapler. Dhamendran’s wife M. Marry called on authorities to swiftly charge those involved with murder, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

“He didn’t even fight back. But look at what they did to him,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I want them hanged... I’m

ashamed and saddened as a Malaysian citizen.” Two staples were still left in Dhamendran’s ear lobes, said N Surendran, the family’s lawyer and an opposition politician. “This is obviously a form of torture by the police. Not one inch of Dhamendran’s body was spared from beating,” Surendran told reporters.

“There is adequate evidence to bring murder charges against all police personnel involved.”

Allegations of police brutality in Malaysia are frequent, but prosecutions are few. According to the home ministry, a total of 156 detainees died in custody from 2000 to 2011. Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said interrogation procedures would be reviewed, including ensuring proper monitoring of suspects’ questioning. “We will re-evaluate the present regulations so that there will not be any similar deaths in the future,” he was quoted

by The Star newspaper as saying. “Those responsible are individuals, not the entire force.” Last year, a Malaysian court sentenced a constable to three years in jail over the death in custody of another ethnic Indian man, which made headlines in 2009. —AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s military, one of the world’s largest weapons buyers, unveiled new arms acquisition policy yesterday aimed at weeding out corruption in the defense sector. The policy announcement comes just over a week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to crack down on defense corruption following a string of graft scandals that has put his government on the back foot.

The defense ministry said the new policy would seek the “highest standard of transparency” in arms purchases for the country’s million-plus military, the world’s fourth largest. “(It) aims to balance the competing requirements of expediting capital procurement... and conforming to the highest standards of transparency, probity and public accountability,” the defense ministry said in a statement.

In a bid to boost India’s domestic defense industry, the policy gives first right of refusal to Indian vendors, according a “higher preference explicitly to the Buy Indian, Buy and Make Indian”

approach. Defense Minister A K Antony in a foreword to the policy paper said he hoped the procedure will be a “progressive step aimed at giving impetus to indigenization, creating (a) level playing field... and expediting the procurement process as a whole”.

India is negotiating a series of huge procurement contracts, including for fighter jets, combat helicopters, as well as artillery, drones and electronic warfare systems, as it seeks to update its ageing military hardware. Premier Singh a week ago warned he was committed to make purchases of military hardware more “transparent, smooth, efficient and less vulnerable to unethical practices”. In February, public anger over alleged bribes paid by Italian company Finmeccanica to secure a $748 million contract for 12 helicopters forced New Delhi to order an investigation and suspend the deal.

Italian prosecutors suspect kickbacks worth around 50 million euros ($64 million) were paid

to Indian officials to ensure Finmeccanica’s British unit AgustaWestland won the contract, according to Italian media reports. An Indian preliminary inquiry report has linked four firms, four Westerners and seven Indians to the bribery allegations. The governing Congress party, up for re-election in May next year, has been hit by a string of scandals. Two ministers resigned last month after one was accused of interfering in a graft probe and another was linked to a bribery allegation.

The defense scandal erupted at a time when the government was already fighting charges by the national auditor that under-pricing of the sale of telecom spectrum and cut-rate allocation of coalfields cost the exchequer billions of dollars.

The controversy paralyzed parliament and derailed measures to further open up the statecontrolled economy as growth plunged to a decade-low of five percent in the last financial year.—AFP

Pakistan’s new lawmakers sworn in, face many tests ISLAMABAD: Newly elected members of Pakistan’s National Assembly were sworn in yesterday, officially marking the first transition of power between democratically elected civilian governments in the nearly 66-year history of this coup-prone country. Among the steep challenges the legislators will face: massive energy shortages that leave some Pakistanis without power for up to 20 hours a day; a badly ailing economy that might force the Muslimmajority nation to seek an international bailout; and ongoing militant activity

by Taleban and other extremists whose violence has killed thousands in the past decade and badly strained Pakistan’s alliance with the United States. Arriving at the Parliament building in Islamabad on a bright, hot day under tight security, the lawmakers were immediately mobbed by reporters. Among those in the spotlight was the incoming Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, whose Pakistan Muslim League-N handily won the May 11 elections. “We are facing many challenges, but God willing, we will overcome them,” said Sharif, who twice served as prime minister in the 1990s and was ousted in a 1999 military coup.

The 63-year-old is expected to be sworn in as prime minister and appoint his Cabinet in the coming week.

Outgoing Speaker of Parliament Fehmida Mirza solemnly administered the oath to incoming legislators at noon. Afterward, lawmakers were called up to the front of the hall one by one to sign documents formalizing their membership. The PML-N has captured 176 seats in the 342-member lower house of Parliament. The previous ruling Pakistan People’s Party was crushed, earning just 39 seats.

Former cricket star Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 35 seats, and has pledged to act as a strong opposition. Khan, who is still recovering after fracturing three vertebrae and a rib when he fell off a forklift in the last few days of the campaign, did not attend yesterday’s session. The simple act of the oath-taking was historic in Pakistan, a country of 180 million that was carved out of India in 1947. For most of its history, military coups and other political turmoil prevented elected civilian governments from finishing their terms. Despite its widely perceived incompetence, the fact that the government led by the People’s Party survived its full five-year term was a significant accomplishment. Pakistanis hope peaceful trans-

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Premier-elect Nawaz Sharif (left, first row) takes the oath along with other parliamentarians at Parliament House in Islamabad yesterday. —AFP fers of power between civilian leaders will become the norm and ultimately lead to more government accountability. The last time Sharif was prime minister his government was widely reviled to the point where many Pakistanis were happy to see the army kick him out. But many in the country are now happy he’s back, and, because of his business background, are especially keen on seeing him move to fix the economy. Sharif and his advisers are searching for ways to revive the economy without turning to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout. Perhaps the most critical step in saving the economy will be to address the energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by the refusal of many Pakistanis to pay their electricity bills. How Sharif deals with two other countries - India and

the United States - could also define his rule. India and Pakistan, which are both nuclear-armed, have fought three major wars, but in recent years have tried to improve their relations. Sharif has said he wants those efforts to continue, not least because India could prove a good trading partner.

Dealing with the United States could be in some ways a trickier matter.

While officially a US ally in the fight against terrorists, Pakistanis have long been at odds with the US on some of its tactics, especially drone strikes on Pakistani soil. The most recent drone strike came Wednesday, and the Pakistani Taleban militant group said it killed their deputy leader, Waliur Rehman. Sharif wants to resolve differences with the Pakistani Taleban through peace talks, but after the

recent strike the Pakistani Taleban said they would not participate in any negotiations.

A statement issued by the PML-N late Friday said Sharif had expressed “deep disappointment” over the Wednesday drone strike. The statement called the strike a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and international law. It did not mention Waliur Rehman or the Pakistani Taleban. The statement said a Sharif aide had conveyed his sentiments to the US Embassy. The US regards such missile attacks as legal, but President Barack Obama recently described plans to further restrict drone use in the future.

According to the statement, the Sharif aide described the strike as especially regrettable since it came within days of Obama’s speech.—AP

‘Karachi affair’ suspect charged, held in France PARIS: French authorities have charged a Franco-Lebanese businessman at the centre of a high-profile political scandal, a day after detaining him on suspicion he was trying to flee the country, a legal source said. On Thursday, police detained Ziad Takieddine on suspicion that he was making plans to flee the country, despite a ban on foreign travel, by trying to obtain a diplomatic passport, said a source close to the case.

Police who conducted a search of his Paris home on April 11 had found an email that suggested he had paid 200,000 euros ($260,000) to try to get the document from the Dominican Republic. As a result, Paris prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation in early May into the alleged corruption of a foreign public official and for fraud. He was questioned by investigating magistrates on Friday morning before being charged and remanded in custody for those offences

the same evening, said the source. The case has been attached to two other ongoing investigations into Takieddine’s affairs.

Contacted by AFP, one of his lawyers, Francis Vuillemin, said Takieddine’s efforts to obtain a Dominican passport had been to facilitate plans to make investments in the country and had nothing to do with any plans to flee France.

His client had always respected the terms of his bail, he added. “Ziad Takieddine has therefore absolutely not ‘bought’ a passport, nor sought to quit French territory,” he said.

Takieddine is embroiled in several scandals in France, some of which allegedly involve former President Nicolas Sarkozy and other high-profile politicians. Perhaps the most notorious matter is the so-called Karachi affair, in which he has been charged with corruption over commissions he allegedly received in 1994 arms deals. —AFP

14

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

ANALYSIS

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Issues

New study on forgiveness in the Arab world

By Ilham Nasser and Mohammad Abu-Nimer

I

n these days of political unrest and constant change in the Arab world, there are many instances of violence and a pervading lack of trust among people. More than ever, people wonder what mechanisms need to be in place to heal and repair relationships between people and public institutions. The two of us, Dr Ilham Nasser and Dr Mohammad Abu-Nimer, who specialize in early childhood education and conflict resolution respectively, embarked on a comprehensive three-year study in 2010 on the topic of teaching forgiveness in four Arab countries - Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

This pioneering study concluded its initial phase earlier this year and contributed to the understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation in the region both conceptually and how it can be applied practically to stop violence and build trust. Based on interviews with teachers in the region, results suggest that when people from different countries and religions are faced with a situation that requires forgiveness, there are differences in their willingness to forgive an offender.

For example, teachers were given a hypothetical situation in which someone attends a wedding at a neighbor’s house, taking a gift along, only to discover that when they later invite the same neighbor to a wedding the neighbor doesn’t show. Participants in Lebanon and Egypt were more forgiving of the neighbor than in Jordan and Palestine. It was also harder for these teachers to forgive when the act was intentional or related to a close family member.

Our study was followed by two regional workshops held in Amman, Jordan in March 2013 for teachers, curriculum specialists and university faculty to discuss the results and look for ways to incorporate the findings into school curricula in the Arab world. Teachers debated the best term to describe forgiveness in Arabic. Some people used the term gufraan which has religious connotations while others used musamaha, the broader term we ultimately chose for its larger cultural and social resonance.

Once the terminology was agreed upon we were able to move forward on constructing curriculum materials to address forgiveness in schools. To that end, a pilot of the new proposed curriculum in Jordan and Lebanon is scheduled for Fall 2013. Educators came to the workshop with stories about forgiving people on a daily basis. One participant told the story of a 14-year old boy whose hand was stepped on and broken by another student after being knocked down in a crowded hallway.

A fight started and both students were sent home. As the family of the victim sought reparations, the victim spoke out, saying he did not want to press charges and instead had forgiven the student who broke his hand. Stories like these are being incorporated into the design of the new curriculum as a way to highlight real instances of forgiveness that will hopefully engage Arab students - ages 5 through 18 - in discussion of these issues and alternative responses to situations they face.

We are also designing a curriculum based on what the group felt were priorities for the Arab world and literature produced by the International Forgiveness Institute in order to provide strategies to successfully introduce forgiveness in schools. It will include teaching students ways to cope with feelings of anger, revenge, frustration and despair, as well as activities and lessons on rights and justice and conflict resolution skills. We chose to work with teachers because of their impact on students and thus their potential to be agents for transforming attitudes and creating social change.

Given the amount of time they spend with students, teachers can play a critical role in the healing of communities most impacted by the conflicts and upheaval in the region. In the Middle East, forgiveness is part of the teachings of the region’s three main religions and the region furthermore has its own traditional tools for achieving this act from Arab culture. One example is sulha, the act of an elderly member of a community playing the role of mediators when conflicts arise between families and individuals.

Yet, most schools and teachers don’t teach the skills and tools required for children to practice forgiveness because of their lack of time and expertise on the topic. Moving forward in the Arab world will have to include forgiveness and reconciliation skills-building. The adoption of a forgiveness curriculum will equip teachers with tools to teach children strategies they can use to resolve issues of violence and distrust.

Mohammed Abu-Nimer serves as Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute at American University. —CGNews

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.

Stop the madness - the deepening sectarian divide Dr James J Zogby

I

n “Looking at Iran”, a report on Iran’s precipitous decline in Arab public opinion, our polling establishes several trends in attitudes unfolding across the Middle East. The most worrisome is the deepening sectarian divide that threatens to unravel several states, posing a long-term challenge to the region’s stability. Several Arab states are already in turmoil, victims of this phenomenon. Sectarian tension in Lebanon is an old story, as it is in Bahrain. Iraq has once again exploded in sect violence. And the situation in Kuwait has become a concern.

Our polling shows that most Arabs blame Iran for fomenting this division, and point to the war that is destroying Syria as the major driver behind these sectarian tensions. Iran, one might say, has worked hard to earn this reputation. From the earliest days of the Islamic Republic, they agitated, they provoked, and they meddled.

When challenged, they fell back on their time-tested claims to be the “leader of the resistance against the West” and a source of popular revolution. For a while, it worked. But in brutally crushing their domestic opposition “Green Movement” and in so overtly playing the sect card in Iraq, Bahrain, and now Syria, they have, our polling shows, defined their regional role as a sectarian power that is hell bent on defending, not the people’s will, but their own self-interest.

While this is true, instead of working to defuse tensions and to eliminate the sources of sectarianism, too many regional players have stepped in pouring gasoline on raging fires - with Syria being the best example. What began as a popular revolt against a brutal and ossified dictatorship, Syria has now degenerated into a bloody battlefield pitting sects and their regional allies against each other in a “dance unto death”.

On the one side, is the Ba’ath regime, supported by Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, and elements in the Iraqi government. Arrayed against them are a host of Syrians (some of whom have defected from the armed forces and others who have formed militias receiving arms and support from a number of Arab states and Turkey) and a cast of thousands of foreign Sunni fighters (some

of whom have affiliated with al Qaeda) who have entered Syria to wage war on behalf of their brethren.

Listening to the rhetorical excesses coming from all sides can be quite disturbing. Using apocalyptic references, they warn of the calamities that will follow should their side lose, while promising that with victory all will be well. This deadly zero-sum game is both dangerous and fatally flawed, because in reality this is a war that no one can win, and the consequences of continuing it will only make the situation worse.

For months now, in battle after battle, both the regime and its opposition predicted victory. At one point, Aleppo was soon to fall. Then Damascus was threatened. Now it’s the regime and its allies’ turn to promise a “decisive” victory in al Qusayr. But it is all illusion. There will be no decisive victory. There is only a stalemate bringing more death and more destruction. And in the end, there is the unraveling of Syria and the entire region which will, if this continues, only descend further into a sectarian hell.

A month or so ago, a front page photo in the New York Times caught my attention. It was a picture of a bombed out street scene in Aleppo. The destruction was horrific. In the foreground of the photo a young man, with a semi-automatic weapon in his lap, sitting in a chair that, from the looks of it, had been salvaged from someone’s living room. The caption read “Syria’s Rebels Make Gains in Aleppo”. The question that occurred to me was “if this picture describes a ‘gain’, what will victory look like?” What consumes me in all of this are the innocents who have died at the hands of the regime’s wanton violence, and those who have died in the continuing futility of this proxy war. Equally troubling are the millions who are languishing in refugee camps, and those who have been internally displaced - their suffering and their loss is of nightmarish proportions.

And I also lament the destruction of the country of Syria and the imminent danger a collapsed Syrian state poses to Lebanon and Jordan and beyond. Because so many have died and so many others have lost everything but their lives, and because so many Syrians, especially its vulnerable Christian minority are living in fear, this madness must end. All sides and

their sponsors must be made to realize that in continuing this conflict no one will win, and everyone will lose.

As the events of the last week have made clear, we’re not there yet. The opposition coalition and its fighting forces remain hopelessly divided with a fractured leadership and competing agendas. And the regime, as tone-deaf as ever, still believes it will weather this storm. Their sponsors and supporters, East and West, appear determined to continue to fuel the conflict, in the belief that they can secure some advantage.

My father-in-law, who possessed a delightfully sardonic wit had an expression he would use in a situation like this. One day, while driving on the highway, he realized he was lost. But the road ahead appeared to be clear of traffic (a rarity to be enjoyed by a New Yorker), and so he joked, “we don’t know where we’re going, but we’re making good time”. When I hear Senator John McCain calling for more arms, air strikes, no-fly zones and the like; when I hear the dangerous pronouncements coming from apologists for the various sides, I want to ask “do you know where are you going, and where is this taking Syria, its people and the region?”

That is why it is imperative that negotiations take place bringing all the combatants and their supporters together to seek an end to this conflict. Talks will not be pretty. But those who fear that Iran will emerge victorious should a negotiated solution be found, are mistaken. That ship has sailed - Iran has exhausted its regional standing. And those who fear that an extremist failed state will inevitably be the result of any compromise are also mistaken. In fact the best guarantee that both nightmare scenarios do not occur is that a negotiated solution be found that is endorsed and backed up by the international community.

It should be clear that at this point no resolution will be perfect. But even an imperfect peace will end the blood-letting, putting Syria on the long and difficult road to reconstruction and reconciliation. Peace will spare millions of lives and may save the region from the scourge of an unending sectarian conflict. That is why the Kerry-Lavrov proposal should be embraced. It remains the last best hope for Syria and the Middle East.

As hurricanes loom, Florida insurance lives on borrowed time

By David Adams

M

other Nature has been kind to Florida’s coastline lately with a record run of seven years without a hurricane making landfall, allowing property insurers time to re-stock their depleted coffers. As a result, when the new six-month hurricane season gets underway yesterday, state insurance officials say the industry is ready to withstand a major storm. “We are better positioned today than I have seen in 10 years,” Kevin McCarty, who heads the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation said. Still, industry experts question whether Florida’s state-controlled insurance system is able to cope in the long term. “It’s very fortunate for Florida that is has been able to build up its reserves, but the fact of the matter is that Florida is living on borrowed time,” said Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute.

Just this week, Republican Governor Rick Scott signed a new property insurance law designed to reduce the state’s exposure to hurricane losses by gradually steering homeowners towards private insurers. The new law also slashes the value of homes that the state-run Citizens Property Insurance can cover, down from $2 million to $700,000.

Because of its size and geographical position, with 1,200 miles of coastline on a peninsula sticking out into the warm waters where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic, Florida is a uniquely risky insurance market. Most of its insured residential and commercial property 79 per cent - lies in coastal areas vulnerable to both wind damage and flooding. Coastal property is valued at just under $3 trillion, according to a report due to be released next week by AIR Worldwide, a global leader in catastrophe risk modeling. Florida accounts for almost 30 percent of the nation’s entire $10 trillion coastal exposure, AIR found.

Only New York has as much exposure, with $3 trillion in coastal property, and that compares to $239 billion in South Carolina and $107 billion in Georgia. Florida is peculiar in other ways too. Unlike most other states

where private companies dominate the market, Florida’s insurance system is tightly controlled by the state, and requires all companies to pay into a state-run Hurricane Catastrophe Fund which acts as a safety net.

Louisiana has a similar system for its state property insurer, also called Citizens, and California has its own safety net for earthquakes. Florida’s private insurance industry was ravaged in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew, which caused $26 billion in damages in Miami-Dade county. The state was badly hit again when a series of storms hit south Florida in 2004 and 2005. Designed as a staterun insurer of last resort, Citizens has been left holding more than 1.3 million policies, making it the state’s largest property insurer, with about 21 percent of the entire residential market. Due to the lack of recent storms, Citizens has managed to build up a cash surplus of about $6.6 billion, plus another $1.8 billion in reinsurance.

Citizens has tried to manage its exposure by issuing catastrophe bonds, which allow insurance companies to transfer risk to pri-

vate investors. Buyers of so-called cat bonds receive enhanced returns in exchange for the risk that their principal could be wiped out in the event of disasters of a certain kind or size.

By the end of this year cat bonds will provide well over $10 billion in coverage to the southeast and Florida, according to John Seo, cofounder at cat bond investor Fermat Capital Management.

Still, critics say the state’s consumer-wary politicians have allowed Citizens to charge below-market rates, leaving the insurer under-funded. They note that its total insured exposure has more than doubled since 2005, and it faces a potential $21 billion payout in the event of a once in a 100 years storm.

“With the risk transfer we have really narrowed the gap. We haven’t closed the gap but we have narrowed the gap significantly,” Sharon Binnun, Citizens’ chief financial officer, told Reuters.

VULNERABLE TO A ONE-TWO PUNCH Property insurance typically does not cover hurricane-related flood damage, which has

SPACE: This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite image taken by GOES East shows the southern Pacific coastal area in Mexico. — AFP

to be insured separately. Private insurers don’t cover many coastal homes in Florida which are insured instead by the federal flood insurance program. The state’s ‘Cat Fund’, created to back up private insurers after Andrew, has also managed to build a large surplus, amassing almost $12 billion to pay potential claims in the event of a major storm, according to its director, Jack Nicholson. Although he denied it was under-funded, Nicholson said the fund was vulnerable to volatility in the municipal bond market, which it relies on to meet a $17 billion obligation mandated by the state. A.M. Best, the main credit ratings agency for the insurance industry, said Friday it recognized the Cat Fund’s position had improved of late. The recent run of weather luck may have saved the state from bankruptcy, said Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute, noting that if a major storm had hit Florida in the midst of the recession, the state would likely have been turned away by the bond market.

Nicholson worries that unless the Cat Fund increases its cash reserve, one big storm could leave it empty, exposing insurers to the next big storm. If it has to borrow money to meet claims, the Fund is required to place an “assessment” on almost all insurance policies in the state, from homes to cars, no matter if they live in inland areas not prone to hurricanes. Such assessments are decried by some as a tax that provides “welfare” for wealthy beachfront homeowners. Policy holders are still paying off an assessment from the last hurricane, Wilma in 2005.

The bill signed by Governor Scott on Wednesday aims to steer homeowners away from Citizens and cap the value of homes that can be insured by the state-run company. The legislature rejected a tougher bill that would have accelerated that process by charging new Citizens enrollees much higher premiums. “Citizens has gotten way too big...There was no way in a significant hurricane that Citizens was going to be able to pay,” Scott told emergency officials in Miami on Thursday. —Reuters

NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

World watches as Qusair burns Hezbollah, Syrian troops battle rebels BEIRUT: Syrian troops and Hezbollah guerrillas besieging the border town of Qusair fought with rebels yesterday as the United Nations warned all sides they would be held accountable for the suffering of trapped civilians. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting was taking place inside Qusair and in villages around it, largely controlled by President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces who have cut off access to the town.

Rebels have pleaded for military help and medical aid for the hundreds of people wounded in the onslaught by government forces, who are also fighting back fiercely around the capital Damascus and the south and centre of the country. The battle for Qusair is happening as the United States and Russia seek to overcome deep differences over Syria and bring the two sides to the negotiating table for a political solution to the civil war in which 80,000 people have been killed.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was monitoring the battle for Qusair “with the gravest concern” and called on both sides to allow civilians to escape the town, usually home to 30,000 people. “The eyes of the world are upon them, and ... they will be held accountable for any acts of atrocity carried out against the civilian population of Qusair,” a UN statement said. UN emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said they were alarmed that thousands of civilians may be trapped in Qusair.

“We understand there may also be as many as 1,500 wounded people in urgent need of immediate evacuation for emergency medical treatment, and that the

general situation in Qusair is desperate,” they said in a joint statement. The Observatory, an anti-Assad network that monitors the violence in Syria through medical and security sources on the ground, said at least one person was killed during fighting inside Qusair and that Assad’s troops were being reinforced ahead of a possible assault on the remaining rebel-held areas. Rebels also tried to attack the nearby Daba military air base, seized by the army on Wednesday, and fought Assad’s troops around Daba village, it said.

The two-week battle for Qusair is aimed at securing supply routes near the Syrian-Lebanese frontier, which both sides accuse the other of using to bolster their forces inside Syria. For Assad, seizing Qusair would also allow him to cement control of a belt of territory between the capital Damascus and his stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. The prominent role of guerrillas from Lebanon’s Shiite group Hezbollah has angered rebels, who have threatened to take the battle into Lebanon unless Hezbollah withdraws.

Early on Saturday at least seven rockets were fired into Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley from rebel-controlled Syrian territory, security sources said. Most of the rockets landed in empty fields. No one was hurt but some buildings were hit by shrapnel. It was the first time the area, about 60 km east of Beirut, had been struck by rockets. Several barrages have fallen in the northern Bekaa Valley and on Sunday two rockets were fired at the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Beirut after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed his fighters would battle in Syria to victory whatever the cost. — Reuters

Arab Spring marks end of silence, submission Continued from Page 1

ISTANBUL: A Turkish riot police officer pulls the hair of a protester as he detains her near the Taksim Gezi park in Istanbul yesterday. — AFP

Erdogan defiant as Turkey burns Continued from Page 1 This has become a protest against the government, against Erdogan taking decisions like a king,” said Oral Goktas, a 31-year old architect among a peaceful crowd walking towards Taksim.

Stone-throwing protesters also clashed with police in the Kizilay district of central Ankara as a helicopter fired tear gas into the crowds. Riot police with electric shock batons chased demonstrators into side streets and shops. Protests also broke out in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir late on Friday. Erdogan said the redevelopment of Gezi Park was being used as an excuse for the unrest and warned the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which had been given permission to hold a rally in Istanbul, against stoking tensions. But the protests included a broad spectrum of people opposed to Erdogan and were not organized by any political party.

CHP officials called on its members not to take party flags with them to the protests, apparently concerned they would be held responsible for the violence, and party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu accused Erdogan of behaving like a dictator. “Tens of thousands are saying no, they are opposing the dictator ... The fact that you are the ruling party doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want,” he said. Erdogan has overseen a transformation in Turkey during his decade in power, turning its once crisis-prone economy into the fastest-growing in Europe.

He remains by far the country’s most popular politician, but critics point to what they see as his authoritarianism and the religiously conservative government’s meddling in private life in the secular republic, accusing him of behaving like a modern-day sultan. Tighter restrictions on alcohol sales and warnings against public displays of affection in recent weeks have also led to protests. Concern that government policy is allowing Turkey to be dragged into the conflict in neighboring Syria by the West has also sparked peaceful demonstrations.

Residents hung out of windows and balconies banging pots and pans in support of the protesters in the streets below. Medics said around 1,000 people had been injured in the clashes in Istanbul. At least four lost their eyesight after being hit by gas canisters, while four more were being treated for fractured skulls, the Turkish Doctors’ Association said. The US State Department said it was concerned by the number of injuries while Amnesty International and the European parliament raised concern about excessive use of police force.

Erdogan acknowledged mistakes had been made in the use of tear gas and said the government was investigating, but said the police reserved the right to use reasonable force and vowed that the redevelopment plans for Taksim would go ahead. “Taksim Square can’t be a place where extremist groups hang around,” Erdogan said of a location which has long been a venue for mass demonstrations. — Reuters

Hagel issues stern warning to Beijing Continued from Page 1 for security in the region, and that Beijing and Washington have to be inclusive and direct with each other. “I think we’ve made continued progress,” he said. “And we’ll make more progress.”

Defense officials said Hagel also broadly raised the issue of cybersecurity in a brief, informal meeting with Lt Gen Qi Jianguo, PLA deputy chief, on Friday evening. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly discuss the content of the meeting, said it was one of several subjects that were touched on in the session and that Hagel mentioned plans for the formation of a cyber working group.

In his speech, Hagel said the US is determined to work closely with China and other nations to establish appropriate standards for behavior in cyberspace. And the US will also be looking to China for help in resolving ongoing problems with North Korea, which in recent months has ratcheted up tensions in the region with a series of rocket launches, an underground nuclear test and threats of nuclear strikes against the US and its allies.

Noting America’s longstanding tensions with China, Hagel said: “The key is for these differences to be addressed on the basis of a continuous and respectful dialogue.” The two nations, he said, must build trust in order to avoid military miscalculations. Much of the speech, however, was designed as a follow-up to last year’s gathering, when then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta first detailed what has been called the military’s new pivot to the Pacific. Hagel assured Asian nations that despite sharp budget cuts, the Pentagon will continue to shift its military troops, ships and aircraft to the Pacific region.

Where Panetta had laid out promises, Hagel was able to point to results. Marines have been deployed to the northern city of Darwin in Australia, a combat ship has arrived in Singapore and plans are unfolding for Army units that will rotate in and out of the region. Hagel also suggested that the Pentagon’s five-year budget plan continues to plan for additional F-22 Raptor fighter jets and F35 Joint Strike Fighters in the region, along with a fourth fast-attack submarine deployed to Guam.

He provided a glimpse into the broad review he ordered to determine whether budget cuts will force the US military strategy to change - a year after Panetta unveiled it. International leaders have been watching the deliberations in Washington closely to see what the roughly $487 billion in automatic spending cuts over the next 10 years will mean to America’s commitment’s abroad. Already the military services have curtailed flight and combat training for many units, grounded some Air Force squadrons and delayed or canceled some ship deployments.

The Pentagon has also announced it will furlough about 680,000 civilian employees for up to 11 days through the end of the fiscal year. The initial report on the strategy review was due to Hagel on Friday, and while he said the outcome is not final, it should reflect the rise of Asia. “For the region, this means I can assure you that coming out of this review, the United States will continue to implement the rebalance and prioritize our posture, activities and investments in Asia-Pacific,” he said.

The Asia-Pacific, said Hagel, is at the epicenter of historic changes around the world and the US is committed to strengthening its military, economic and diplomatic partnerships with nations across the region. As part of that he noted that the US will set aside $100 million to expand its military exercises in the region. Just finishing his third month as Pentagon Chief, Hagel used the speech to introduce himself on a more personal level to the audience. For many he is a familiar face, since he was one of the founders of the conference in 2002, and as a US senator, was a speaker at the first three gatherings.

He talked about his long ties to the region, including his father’s service in World War II flying B-25 bombers in the South Pacific, and his own service in Vietnam with his brother. Hagel was wounded and twice received the Purple Heart. Later, he traveled to Asia as the cofounder of a cellular telephone company and then, as a GOP senator from Nebraska, he served on the Foreign Relations Committee. “What I took away from all these experiences,” Hagel said, “was a firm belief that the arc of the 21st century would be shaped by events here in Asia.” — AP

The drama sums up the latest and perhaps most important and enduring phase of the Arab Spring, at least in the Gulf region: Instead of more violence, explosions and crackdowns, the scenario now envisioned by many experts is a revolution transformed into nonviolent give-and-take between rulers and the ruled. In this phase, the hereditary monarchs would keep their jobs but gradually surrender at least a share of power under a system of laws.

The revolution that steamrolled from Tunisia to Egypt and beyond in 2011 remains locked in horrific seesawing battles in Syria and simmering unrest in Bahrain. But the days of broad, falling-domino rebellions have likely run their course. If Syrian President Bashar Assad goes, he will be the fifth ruler to be toppled, but elsewhere the demands appear to be aiming lower and the resulting changes look more incremental.

“The Arab Spring is moving into, let’s say, a more mature phase,” says Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Washington DC-based Institute of Gulf Affairs. “There is Syria, of course. But the rest of the region is moving into a slow burn now. Voices are speaking up against corruption and political arrogance in the Gulf, but also in places like Egypt and Tunisia that went through their revolutions and are still undergoing a political shakeout.”

The Western-backed Arab royals are a close-knit alliance of Sheikhs, kings and Amirs ruling more than 40 million citizens from Kuwait to Oman. The kings of Jordan and Morocco rule some 40 million more. All face various pressures seeking to chip away at their powers and privileges. The demands remain generally too weak and disjointed to seriously threaten their rule, but they still carry significance.

Each concession by the sheikhs and monarchs is an acknowledgment that they cannot insulate themselves from the Arab Spring, and that for their longterm survival they will have to give the public greater say in everything from their freedoms to their ties to Washington. Meanwhile, other subplots are likely to sharpen in places where revolution has swept through whether it’s ultraconservative Islamists pressing to expand their voice in Tunisia, or liberals in Egypt trying to gain ground from the newly empowered Muslim Brotherhood.

“The end of silence and submission is what the Arab Spring has brought,” Al-Ahmed said. “This is the first tipping point for all regimes in the Middle East.

Bigger tipping points may come later. But all leaders know you can’t bottle up an idea.” That doesn’t stop them from trying. Some of the most important battle lines to come may not be on the streets but in courtrooms and cyberspace. Authorities are becoming gatekeepers, allowing some reforms while blocking any serious challenges with tougher media laws, social media monitoring and heavy-handed political pressures.

In Abu Dhabi, 94 suspects from the United Arab Emirates, including scholars, lawyers and even a member of a ruling family, are on trial, accused of being part of an Islamist-inspired plot to overthrow the government. International rights groups call the evidence weak, mostly based on emails and alleged conversations about ways to open up a system that bans political parties as well as almost all public dissent. A verdict is expected July 2.

Across the Gulf states, meanwhile, dozens have been arrested for Twitter posts and other social media messages deemed insulting to leaders. They include a Qatari poet facing 15 years in prison for writing verses inspired by the Arab Spring. In Jordan, King Abdullah II has agreed to step-by-step reforms, including ending the practice of hand-picking the prime minister and transferring the task to the elected parliament. Media freedom groups have opposed codes that require news websites to pay a registration fee and be responsible for all comments posted by readers.

All these civil liberties issues have implications for Washington, whose alliances in the Gulf are bulwarks against I ranian influence. The 5th Fleet, the Pentagon’s main counterweight against Iranian military expansion, is based in Bahrain, and the US is

unlikely to roll back any of its Gulf ties, but could face uncomfortable questions from rights groups.

“Authorities believe they can frighten people into silence and obedience. It has the exact opposite effect. Look at what happened when they arrest someone for a Twitter post. One crackdown spawns dozens more posts talking about it,” said Ahmed Mansoor, a Dubai-based rights activist. “They try to stop the unstoppable.”

To buy off dissent, the governments that can afford it have spent heavily to create civil service jobs and other opportunities. Oman has a $180 million fund to help fund small businesses. Saudi Arabia has earmarked more than $100 billion, and despite its vast wealth, is so worried about unemployment and poverty that it is deporting undocumented foreign workers to open up jobs for its own citizens.

Gulf security officials have rewired the region for greater intelligence-sharing and mutual aid, such as the Saudi-led force dispatched to Bahrain in early 2011 as its rebellion swelled. Their alliance has even broadened to include the other monarchy in the neighborhood, Jordan, which has been increasingly brought into the Gulf fold. They are buying time,” said Jordanian political analyst Labib Kamhawi. “In different ways, but they are buying time.”

However, there are warning signs. In mid-May, newspapers in Saudi Arabia reported that a man in the capital, Riyadh, set himself ablaze and died after police confiscated his vegetable stand. It was a similar act in Tunisia that touched off the Arab Spring.

Bahrain is the only country in the region with ongoing violent confrontations. More than 60 people have died since February 2011, and tensions remain acute.

In late May thousands staged a “day of loyalty” in solidarity with the island’s highest-ranking Shiite cleric, who has strongly backed the uprising against the Sunni-led monarchy. Through history, rebellions against autocratic rule rarely have had simple outcomes. Decades after America’s own revolution, political forces and ideologies were still jockeying for the upper hand. The Arab Spring is no exception.

Islamists, such as the fringe Salafists in Tunisia or the governing Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, now have political space that was long restricted. Liberals and moderates have to choose whether to stand their ground or give way to Islamists and other newly empowered factions. Meanwhile, Arabs under 30, who are more than a third of the population, are seeing little gain from the Arab Spring fallout. A ballotstyle placard at Cairo University featured portraits of all the new leaders brought in by the Arab Spring, from Mohammed Morsi in Egypt to Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The box checked below was for None of the Above.

“Going forward, the movements inspired by the Arab Spring and the fallout from the revolutions may be less dramatic and more subtle,” said Ehsan Ahrari, a Virginia-based strategic affairs analyst, “but that doesn’t mean they are less important about shaping how the future will look to the next generation.” This is still a “petri dish of democracy,” said Salman Shaikh, director of The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar.

“You don’t impose democracy. You develop it,” he said. “Indian democracy is not exactly European democracy and that’s not exactly American democracy. The type of democracy that will eventually come from the Arab Spring will take shape over years, maybe decades. You can’t rush it.” At an Arab media conference in Dubai this month, a recurring theme was summed up by Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian political satirist, in an oft-heard punch line: Freedom is messy, but people still crave the mess.

The forum then looked ahead with cautious predictions for the Gulf - perhaps soft-pedaled a bit because Dubai officials were on hand - that nonetheless saw authorities being forced to open up their political systems even more or put everything at risk.

“It’s really all about legitimacy, isn’t it?” said Khalid AlFirm, a professor of political media at I mam Mohammed bin Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia. “The legacy of the Arab Spring is essential in this message: Why should you be in power? Why should we trust you? What is your legitimacy? That is powerful.” “Lies,” he told the gathering, “are no longer marketable.” — AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

S P ORTS

IPL chief Shukla quits

Stormers master Kings

Conway on IndyCar pole

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajeev Shukla quit yesterday in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal swirling around the multi-billion dollar Twenty20 tournament.

The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, has exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly.

The trio have denied allegations they took money from bookmakers to concede a pre-determined number of runs in IPL matches but their arrest has prompted Indian police to launch raids for illegal bookmakers across the country.

“I have sent my resignation to the BCCI (Indian cricket board) president,” Shukla told reporters, adding he had made up his mind earlier this week not to continue in the post.

Shukla, a junior union minister, is the third official to quit after BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke stepped down on Friday. The BCCI’s working committee will meet in Chennai on Sunday with intense pressure on board president N. Srinivasan to quit after his son-in-law and IPL Chennai franchise official Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested last month as part of the investigation. —Reuters

CAPE TOWN: Western Stormers defeated Southern Kings 19-11 yesterday in an instantly forgettable all-South Africa Super 15 match.

Swirling wind and driving rain at a chilly Newlands stadium did not help, nor did two teams full of perspiration but devoid of inspiration. When the Super 15 TV producers start compiling the season highlights, they can safely fast forward through this drab 80 minutes in Cape Town.

Stormers went ahead after four mintues through a penalty from full-back Joe Pietersen and remained in front throughout before a small crowd. It was 6-3 to the Stormers at half-time and the turning point came just past the hour mark when flanker Deon Fourie touched down for the home side.

The try had ‘South Africa’ stamped all over it with versatile Fourie, who prefers playing hooker, clinging to the ball at the back of a driving maul.

Kings could not halt the momentum of the Stormers pack, Fourie dotted down and Pietersen landed a difficult conversion for a 19-6 advantage. The visitors got their lone try six minutes from time and it was a carbon copy of that scored by the Stormers. —AFP

DETROIT: Britain’s Mike Conway took pole position for today’s Indy Duel in Detroit II race in yesterday morning time trials, the first pole triumph for himself and long-time car owner Dale Coyne.

Conway completed the fastest lap around the 2.36-mile, 13-turn Belle Isle circuit in 1:18.0977 to edge fellow Englishman James Jakes by 0.0727 of a second. Conway’s only other IndyCar start this season was at Long Beach in April, where he finished 25th driving for another team. “We just had to hang out and see what we had and it was enough for pole,” Conway said. “Excellent job by all the guys on the team. We couldn’t have asked for much more coming into this weekend.”

Today’s race will be the second in as many days for IndyCar at Belle Isle in the first attempt at a double-header of two races in one weekend at the same location. Twin races are also set for later this season in Toronto and Houston.

Australia’s Will Power will start third today followed

by American Ryan Hunter-Reay, the man who edged Power for last season’s points title, with E.J. Viso of Venezuela starting fifth, France’s Simon Pagenaud sixth and Scott Dixon of New Zealand seventh. — AFP

Nationals brush aside Braves

MLB results/standings Chicago Cubs 7, Arizona 2; Baltimore 7, Detroit 5; Tampa Bay 9, Cleveland 2; NY Yankees 4, Boston 1; Milwaukee 8, Philadelphia 5; Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 0; Miami 5, NY Mets 1; Washington 3, Atlanta 2; Texas 7, Kansas City 2; Seattle 3, Minnesota 0; LA Dodgers 7, Colorado 5 (10 innings); Houston 6, LA Angels 3; Oakland 3, Chicago White Sox 0; San Diego 4, Toronto 3 (17 innings).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Boston 33 23 .589 NY Yankees 31 23 .574 Baltimore 31 24 .564 Tampa Bay 30 24 .556 Toronto 23 32 .418 Central Division Detroit 29 24 .547 Cleveland 29 25 .537 C’ White Sox 24 28 .462 Minnesota 23 29 .442 Kansas City 22 30 .423 Western Division Texas 34 20 .630 Oakland 32 24 .571 LA Angels 25 30 .455 Seattle 24 31 .436 Houston 18 37 .327

GB 1 1.5 2 9.5 0.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 3 9.5 10.5 16.5

National League Eastern Division Atlanta 32 22 .593 Washington 28 27 .509 Philadelphia 26 29 .473 NY Mets 22 30 .423 Miami 14 41 .255 Central Division St. Louis 35 18 .660 Pittsburgh 34 21 .618 Cincinnati 34 21 .618 Chicago Cubs 23 30 .434 Milwaukee 20 33 .377 Western Division Arizona 30 24 .556 San Francisco 29 25 .537 Colorado 28 27 .509 San Diego 25 29 .463 LA Dodgers 23 30 .434

4.5 6.5 9 18.5 2 2 12 15 1 2.5 5 6.5

Orioles get past Tigers BALTIMORE: Chris Dickerson hit a threerun, game-ending homer with two outs in the ninth inning, capping an four-run uprising against Jose Valverde that carried the Baltimore Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 75 Friday night.

Valverde entered in the ninth inning with a 5-3 lead after starter Max Scherzer retired the final 16 batters he faced.

Nick Markakis led off with a homer before Adam Jones singled and took third on a single by Chris Davis. Valverde (0-1) then retired Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy on popups before Dickerson hit a 2-1 pitch into the bleachers in right-center, much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 46,249.

Darren O’Day (3-0) got the final out in the ninth for the Orioles, who have won eight of 11.

RAYS 9, INDIANS 2 In Cleveland, James Loney homered twice, four Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a one-hitter and the Rays endured nearly five hours of rain delays before beating the Indians 9-2 for their sixth straight win in a game that began on Friday night in May ended early Saturday in June.

Scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m., the game was delayed three times before finally resuming at 12:13 a.m. - 2 hours, 39 minutes after the third and lengthiest delay.

Before that there was uncertainty, confusion and, of course, rain.

It was the majors’ second marathon game in two days. On Thursday night, Kansas City and St. Louis were delayed an hour before the first pitch and another 4 hours, 32 minutes by rain before the Royals beat Cardinals 4-2 well after 3 in the morning. Matt Joyce and Loney connected for two-run homers in Tampa’s five-run third inning off Scott Barnes (0-1). Jamey Wright (1-1) came in for unbeaten Tampa starter Matt Moore and pitched three innings for the Rays. Cleveland’s only hit was Ryan Raburn’s RBI double in the fifth off Josh Lueke.

ATHLETICS 3, WHITE SOX 0 In Oakland, Bartolo Colon tossed a fivehitter a week after turning 40, and the Athletics beat the White Sox in a game that took only 2 hours, 14 minutes.

Colon (6-2) struck out and three and walked none for his 11th career shutout. He has 34 complete games, third-most among active pitchers behind Roy Halladay (67) and CC Sabathia (35).

John Jaso was the first baserunner for either team to reach second when he doubled against Dylan Axelrod (3-4) leading off the eighth inning.

Josh Reddick followed with an RBI double after coming off the disabled list before the game, and Coco Crisp added a two-run single to back Colon’s stellar start. Axelrod gave up four hits and struck out seven in seven-plus innings.

YANKEES 4, RED SOX 1 In New York, throwing at up to 94 mph after two months of decreased velocity, CC Sabathia matched his season high with 10 strikeouts while pitching into the eighth inning to lead New York over the Boston Red Sox and stop the Yankees’ season-high, five-game losing streak.

Out since injuring his right wrist March 5, Mark Teixeira made his season debut and was 0 for 3 with a walk. Kevin Youkilis, sidelined by a back injury since April 27, was 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the fifth.

Sabathia (5-4) ended a five-game winless streak, one shy of his career high, allowing six hits and no walks in 7 1-3 innings.

Sabathia was given a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles from Jayson Nix and Ichiro Suzuki. Jon Lester (6-2), who won at Yankees Stadium on opening day, lost his second straight decision.

MARINERS 3, TWINS 0 In Minneapolis, Hisashi Iwakuma struck out five in 7 2-3 innings and Kendr ys Morales homered to lead Seattle over the Twins.

Iwakuma (6-1) gave up seven hits and walked two and Jesus Sucre added two hits and an RBI for the Mariners, who snapped Minnesota’s four-game winning streak. Tom Wilhelmsen picked up his 12th save. Mike Pelfrey (3-6) gave up three runs on six hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Twins. Pedro Florimon had three hits and Chris Parmelee had two, but the rest of the lineup went 2 for 27 with six strikeouts. — AP

BALTIMORE: Prince Fielder No. 28 of the Detroit Tigers is forced out at second base in the fifth inning by JJ Hardy No. 2 of the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park. —AFP

ATLANTA: Craig Stammen pitched four perfect innings after ace Stephen Strasburg left with a strained muscle on his right side, and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Friday night.

Strasburg lasted two innings before leaving the shortest outing of his career. He is headed back to Washington to be examined.

Denard Span tripled twice and scored two runs for Washington, which snapped a two-game skid and trimmed its second-place deficit in the NL East to 41/2 games behind the Braves.

Strasburg left with a 2-1 lead. He allowed two hits and one run - a homer by Freddie Freeman - with no walks and two strikeouts.

Stammen (3-1) shut down the Braves from there.

Tyler Clippard escaped a basesloaded jam in the seventh and Drew Storen worked a scoreless eighth before Rafael Soriano converted his 15th save in 18 chances.

Bryce Harper missed his fifth straight game with bursitis in his left knee. Julio Teheran (3-2) allowed seven hits and three runs with a career-high nine strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings.

REDS 6, PIRATES 0 In Pittsburgh, Johnny Cueto allowed one hit over eight dominant innings to pitch Cincinnati past Pittsburgh. Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips hit solo home runs for the Reds, who cooled off the Pirates behind their ace. Cueto (3-0) struck out six and walked one to improve to 13-4 against Pittsburgh.

Wandy Rodriguez (6-3) gave up five hits and walked three in seven innings. The Reds broke it open with four runs off reliever Mike Zagurski, a rare hiccup by baseball’s best bullpen through the first third of the season as the two rivals moved into a second-place tie behind St. Louis in the NL Central.

BREWERS 8, PHILLIES 5 In Philadelphia, Jonathan Lucroy went 5 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs as Milwaukee battered a struggling Cole Hamels to beat Philadelphia and snap its longest losing streak of the season at six games. Yovani Gallardo (4-5) overcame a shaky first inning to stop a four-game skid, the worst of his career. Yuniesky Betancourt added three hits and an RBI for the Brewers, who finished 6-22 in May to tie the 1969 Seattle Pilots (August) for the worst month in franchise history.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

Domonic Brown had two homers and four RBIs for the Phillies. Brown has six home runs in his last five games and finished May with 12 homers. Jimmy Rollins also went deep for Philadelphia.

Hamels (1-9), who signed a $144

ATLANTA: Dan Uggla No. 26 of the Atlanta Braves turns a double play against Steve Lombardozzi No. 1 of the Washington Nationals at Turner Field. —AFP million, six-year contract last season, gave up seven runs (six earned) on a career-worst 12 hits in five-plus innings.

CUBS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 2 In Chicago, Scott Hairston hit a grand slam, Matt Garza got his first victory of the season and Chicago extended its winning streak to five games by defeating Arizona.

Alfonso Soriano had a two-run homer and Cody Ransom added a solo shot for the Cubs, who have won five straight for the first time since winning seven in a row from July 31 to Aug. 6, 2011.

Hairston’s grand slam was the second in two games for the Cubs.

Chicago pitcher Travis Wood hit one Thursday against the White Sox. It also gave the Cubs grand slams in consecutive games at Wrigley Field for the first time since Jim Hickman and Burt Hooton did it Sept. 15-16, 1972, against the Mets. Garza (1-0), making his third start of the season since coming back from a strained back muscle, pitched seven innings and allowed two runs and six hits for his first win since July 15. Wade Miley (3-5) went seven innings and allowed seven runs and seven hits.

He has lost four straight decisions and given up 22 earned runs over his past four starts.

MARLINS 5, METS 1 In Miami, Jacob Turner pitched seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Marcell Ozuna had three hits to help Miami halt a ninegame losing streak with a win over New York. Pinch-hitter Jordan

Brown hit a two-run double, and Ed Lucas and Jeff Mathis each drove home a run in the pivotal seventh as the Marlins won for the third time in 19 games. After sweeping four Subway Series games from the New York Yankees, the Mets had their longest winning streak of the season snapped at five. Recalled from Triple-A New Orleans before the game, Turner (1-0) allowed five hits and walked one while striking out three. Shaun Marcum (0-6) yielded four runs in 6 2-3 innings, becoming the first Mets pitcher to open a season with six consecutive losses since Mike Pelfrey went 0-7 in 2007.

DODGERS 7, ROCKIES 5 In Denver, the Los Angeles Dodgers recovered from a ninthinning blown save and scored two runs off Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt in the top of the 10th to beat slumping Colorado.

Carl Crawford scored from third on Luis Cruz’s hard comebacker that bounced off the back leg of Betancourt (1-3) and dribbled toward the third base side. Juan Uribe followed with a run-scoring single. Brandon League (1-2) picked up the win despite allowing Todd Helton’s two-run homer that tied the game at 5 in the ninth.

Ronald Belisario pitched a perfect 10th for his first save since Aug. 29, 2012, also at Colorado. Before that, Clayton Kershaw allowed three earned runs and eight hits over seven-plus innings. He also hit a tworun double.

INTERLEAGUE PADRES 4, BLUE JAYS 3 In San Diego, Clayton Richard earned his first win of the season by pitching two innings in relief and Jesus Guzman singled home the winning run with two outs in the 17th to give San Diego a victory over Toronto. Richard (1-5), who had been scheduled to start Saturday night, came on to start the 16th. He came in 0-5 with an 8.35 ERA in seven starts and recently spent time on the disabled list with an intestinal virus. He gave up one hit and struck out two in two innings in his first relief appearance since May 2009 with the Chicago White Sox. Rookie Jedd Gyorko’s third hit of the night, a one-out single, caromed off third base into shallow left. Gyorko was sacrificed to second by Richard and scored when Guzman singled up the middle off Todd Redmond (0-1). The winning hit came three innings after the 14th-inning stretch. The game lasted 4 hours, 58 minutes. The Blue Jays and Padres weren’t alone playing deep into the night, though.

After nearly five hours of rain delays, the Tampa Bay-Cleveland game ended about 20 minutes before this one did - one night after the Royals beat the Cardinals in a rain-delayed game that finished at 3:14 a.m. CDT. Toronto’s Colby Rasmus had a two-run homer among his seasonhigh four hits and robbed Yonder Alonso of a solo shot. Edwin Encarnacion also connected off Jason Marquis. Gyorko hit a two-run double to help the Padres rally from a 3-0 deficit. —AP

NBK offered its employees the chance to enjoy the UEFA Champions League Final live in London KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK) employee Gilbert Moussa Al Hamod won a trip to England to attend the UEFA Champions League Final in NBK MasterCard Credit Cardholders Staff Campaign.

Gilbert won a travel package for two including two round trip, airline tickets, hotel accommodation, transfer service and match tickets for both winner and a guest to London; and attended the final match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund that took place in Wembley Stadium.

NBK is keen to organize ongoing programs, events and promotions to its staff to encourage the family bonds they shares and reward them for their commitment and dedication.

This exclusive campaign offered one of NBK employees the chance to enter the draw for every KD 10 spent using NBK MasterCard for all purchases. Cardholders also doubled their chances to win while spending overseas during traveling or through purchases made online at overseas merchants.

The UEFA Champions League is one of the world’s most popular sporting events, and NBK is the only bank in Kuwait offering its MasterCard credit cardholders a chance to win fully paid packages to see the UEFA Champions League semifinals and finals every year.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

S P ORTS

Lions crush Barbarians

DUBLIN: Bill Haas hits his approach shot on the first hole during the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance at Muirfield Village Golf Club. —AFP

Haas takes Memorial lead DUBLIN: Rejuvenated by the recent birth of his first child, American Bill Haas rebounded from successive missed cuts on the PGA Tour to grab a three-shot lead in Friday’s weather-hit second round at the Memorial Tournament.

While five-times champion and last year’s winner Tiger Woods battled to a twoover-par 74 in gusting winds at Muirfield Village Golf Club to sit 10 strokes off the pace, Haas putted superbly on lightningfast greens to fire a five-under-par 67.

Though Haas bogeyed his final hole, the par-four 18th, after hitting his approach over the back of the green, he was delighted to take control of the popular PGA Tour event hosted by Jack Nicklaus with a nineunder total of 135.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” Haas told reporters after a round which included five birdies, an eagle at the par-five fifth and two bogeys to finish three ahead of compatriot Matt Kuchar (70).

“I hit a couple of loose shots. On number 11, the wind was right-to-left and I hit a provisional, I thought it was out of bounds there. “We got out there and it (his first tee shot) must have hit a tree and it was fine. I ended up making birdie. That was probably a three-shot swing there. A huge hole for me there.”

Swede Robert Karlsson was at four under after shooting a 71, with Americans Pat Perez (69), Hunter Mahan (68) and Australian Matt Jones (72) a further stroke back.

Play was suspended for the day at 7:07 p.m. EDT (2307 GMT) due to the threat of lightning, after two previous weather delays which totalled just under two hours.

Forty-two players were still out on the course and will have to complete the second round on late yesterday. Among those were overnight leader Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, after 15 holes, and 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, after 14, who were both at six under for the tournament.

Haas, who had missed the cut on his previous two starts before spending time

with his wife at home following the May 13 birth of their son William, had bitter-sweet feelings over his bogey at the last.

“Obviously disappointing but it was probably my best iron shot of the day,” the fourtimes PGA Tour winner said of his approach on 18. “It carried a little farther than I wanted and stayed up over the green, which is really no good. I hit two nice quality shots on 18.” Asked how the weather conditions on Friday morning had matched up to the strengthening winds he had to negotiate during his opening 68, Haas replied: “It was pretty similar, actually.

“Maybe even a hair more difficult today, but those greens are lightning fast, I think that’s the biggest deal. “With that kind of wind and that fast of greens, it’s very difficult to make putts, and I’ve just been fortunate to see a few go in,” added Haas.

Woods, widely regarded as one of the best putters of all time, did not watch as many putts drop on Friday as he labored to a one-over total of 145, two shots inside the projected cutline.

“Tough conditions out there and I didn’t exactly play my best either,” said the American world number one who threeputted from just five feet to double-bogey the par-five 15th.

“It’s not that hard to make bogeys and doubles on this golf course. You miss it in the wrong spot, get the wrong gust, it’s tough.” Woods, who has triumphed four times in just seven starts on the 2013 PGA Tour, ended up with two birdies, two bogeys and a double on his card, but it was the putting he found most frustrating.

“They (putts) were moving all over the place,” the 37-year-old said after have to cope on the slick greens as winds gusted up to 25mph (40.23 kph).

“It’s tough. You try and stay below the hole as best you can, but sometimes you have to get the ball on the green.” The cut was projected to fall at three-over 147 with US Open champion Webb Simpson, threetimes major winner Vijay Singh and 14year-old Chinese Guan Tianlang among those likely to miss out. —Reuters

HONG KONG: Mike Phillips and Alex Cuthbert scored two tries apiece as the British and Irish Lions kicked off their 125th anniversary tour with a comfortable 59-8 victor y over the Barbarians in oppressive humidity in Hong Kong yesterday.

Tries from skipper Paul O’Connell and Phillips helped the Lions to a 23-3 halftime lead and the floodgates opened after the break with Phillips adding a second, Cuthbert grabbing his brace and fellow Welshmen Jonathan Davies, Dan Lydiate and Alun Wyn-Jones also crossing.

“It was a good run out, exactly what we wanted,” Lions coach Warren Gatland told a news conference. “This game was about us putting a foundation in place.”

The Lions enjoyed the sort of dominance in the scrum that they will hope to have in Australia, and that made it a tough night for the Sergio Parisse-led Barbarians, who showed more resolve than they had in last Sunday’s 40-12 defeat by England.

The Lions will face much tougher opposition in their nine matches in Australia, not least in three tests against the Wallabies, but former All Black Joe Rokocoko showed a few flashes of class and set up a try for Samoan Kahn Fotuali’i.

“We’re delighted to get the win and win really well,” Irishman O’Connell, captaining the side in place of the injured tour skipper Sam Warburton, said in a touchline interview. “We wore them down in the first half and the tries came fairly easily in the second half.”

Owen Farrell pressed his claim for the flyhalf spot in the Lions test team with 15 points from an assured display of kicking until his rival Jonny Sexton took over just before the hour mark, the Irishman finding the mark with two of five conversions.

Farrell and his Saracens club mate Schalk Brits exchanged punches in the eighth minute, with the South African hooker being adjudged the protagonist and receiving a yellow card to the delight of the applauding Englishman.

Gatland said it was hard to ignore the kind of provocation Farrell had been subjected to but he would be warning his squad not to retaliate in Australia.

“Sometimes that sort of thing happens, and you need to take one for the team,” he said. “You get whacked, but you can’t retaliate, because the consequences of your retaliation could be

severe.” Phillips accepted the man of the match award after a fine 50-minute display in front of the 28,643 crowd roasting in the 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) heat and 72 percent humidity.

A surging break from the tall Welsh scrumhalf led to the first try of the tour after 28 minutes, when O’Connell picked up the ball from a ruck and launched himself over the line from close range.

Four minutes later, Phillips dummied his way past Parisse on the 22 and raced to the line, where he twisted in the tackle of Rokocoko to force the ball down.

Farrell converted his third penalty from long range to send the tourists into the break with a comfortable lead and Phillips extended it three minutes after halftime after breaking through the defensive line with another dummy.

Replacement Barbarians scrumhalf Fotuali’i hit back after 56 minutes when he latched on to Rokocoko’s pass to race to the line but Lion Jamie Roberts pounced on a defensive mistake four minutes later and his centre partner Davis restored the cushion.

More turnover ball two minutes later allowed Cuthbert to race up the right touchline for his first try and eight minutes later he grabbed his second in the same spot after a fine break from Phillips’s replacement, Conor Murray.

Flanker Lydiate and lock Wyn-Jones added the final two tries in the last five minutes to send the tourists off to Australia in good spirits as they seek to record a first tour triumph since South Africa in 1997. “It was tough conditions,” said Phillips. “I thought all in all it was a great way to start the tour and we’ve just got to keep it going now.” —Reuters

HONG KONG: Owen Farrell (left) of the British and Irish Lions holds onto the ball as he’s tackled

by Barbarian’s player Dimitri Yachvili during a match between the British and Irish Lions and the Barbarians. —AFP

Highlanders demolish Blues DUNEDIN: The Otago Highlanders put a miserable season behind them with a swashbuckling first half display on their way to a 38-28 victory over Auckland Blues in a Super Rugby match in Dunedin yesterday.

Fullback Ben Smith crossed twice on his 27th birthday, and there were also tries for centre Tamati Ellison and winger Hosea Gear as the home side grabbed the bonus point before going in at halftime 29-7 ahead.

Two wins in 13 matches mean the Highlanders will not be in the play-

offs this year but the Blues still have slender hopes of making the postseason and the defeat was a major blow to those chances.

A stirring second half fightback saw the Blues close the gap to 35-21 with 15 minutes remaining but the Highlanders held firm and flanker Luke Braid’s converted try after the hooter only secured a four-try bonus point.

The Highlanders were widely tipped to be contenders for the Super Rugby title this year and for

the first 39 minutes they showed why as they simply blew away the Blues.

Smith started like a man on a mission and opened the scoring after 10 minutes, finishing off from close range after being heavily involved in the preceding attack.

Ellison ran through Rene Ranger to score 13 minutes later before Smith made the score 22-0 when he added his second on the half hour mark and there was still time for Hosea Gear to cut through the

defence and add a try of his own before the break Blues winger Waisake Naholo gave his side a glimmer of hope on the stroke of halftime with a superb chip and chase to score, and centre Ranger and flanker Steven Luatua also crossed in the losing cause after the break.The Blues lost scrumhalf Piri Weepu with concussion early in the match, which might have ramifications for the All Blacks squad to be named on Sunday for their June test series against France. —Reuters

Bresnan maintains England focus SOUTHAMPTON: England’s Tim Bresnan has insisted the prospect of becoming a father for the first time is not proving a distraction during the one-day series with New Zealand.

Bresnan’s wife is due to give birth to the couple’s first child in Halifax, northern England. Yorkshire paceman Bresnan returned to England duty following elbow surgery in a five-wicket defeat by New Zealand at Lord’s on Friday.

The second match of the series is in Southampton today-the ‘wrong’ end of the country for Bresnan if his wife has an earlier than expected delivery-with the third and final ODI in Nottingham on Wednesday.

“We’re being really flexible and playing it by ear,” said Bresnan. “ The due date is Monday. It’s going to be one of those things where it’s a very last minute decision about what happens.

“If I’m on the field, I’m not sure there’s much I can do about that. I’m just going to have to play the game out as usual and hope the labour is going to be long enough for me to get there.

“They’re usually 20-odd hours or so, I think, on average for the first one and we’re kind of working towards that.” Bresnan,

who dropped a difficult catch at Lord’s on Friday to give Martin Guptill a reprieve on the way to a match-winning century, insisted he had no problems concentrating on cricket.

“I think once your mind is on the job, your mind is on the job,” the 28-year-old said. “I find it quite easy to switch on and off so the first thing I thought when I came off was ‘I can’t believe I dropped that catch, then ‘I wonder how Hannah is getting on’.

Don’t print that....na, she won’t read it anyway!”

Bresnan, though, will keep a lookout on the England dressing-room, just in case he receives good news when the team are in the field.

“The manager will let me know - from the balcony. “Then I’ll drop my shopping, hope I’ve bowled my 10 overs and then sprint off, jump in the car with my spikes on.”

For the time being, Bresnan was glad to be back on England duty. “ It’s always lovely to put the Three Lions on your chest and walk out in front of a packed house at Lord’s. I don’t think there’s any better feeling, really”-although he might change his mind in the next few days. —AFP

Double podium for Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the Monaco Grand Prix

Tim Bresnan

Renault powered Infiniti Red Bull Racing to a double podium at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel finished the lengthy race in second position, just ahead of team-mate and double Monaco GP winner Mark Webber.

Lotus F1 Team’s Kimi Raikkonen looked set for fifth position but a clash with McLaren’s Sergio Perez on lap 70 forced a late pit stop to change a punctured tyre. The Finn rejoined in 16th but scythed through the field to seize 10th on the final lap and score the final point available, his 23rd consecutive race in the points. Romain Grosjean retired on lap 63 after a collision with Daniel Ricciardo.

Williams F1 Team took the flag in 12th with Valtteri Bottas. Pastor Maldonado retired on lap 44 after Max Chilton nudged him into a barrier. The impact brought out the red flag

but the Venezuelan’s car was sufficiently damaged to be unable to take the restart.

Caterham F1 Team enjoyed its most competitive weekend to date. Giedo van der Garde made it to Q2 in qualifying, an F1 career-best, and finished in 15th, on the lead lap. Charles Pic retired on lap 7 with a gearbox issue.

After announcing the first stage in our plans for 2014 this morning with the partnership with Scuderia Toro Rosso, it is great to consolidate with a very positive result on track. A double podium at Monaco is prestigious for many reasons but for a French engine manufacturer it is a pleasure to do well on home turf. Furthermore the challenges it places on the engines are unique, with a huge emphasis on driveability and engine response, so it shows we are doing an OK job in this

area! It also keeps a strong Renault record going at Monaco. A Renault-powered car has scored six wins in Monte Carlo and in 2010 we achieved a triple podium.

Aside from the podium, it has been a strong race across all our par tners. Kimi looked set for a good finish but was very unfortunate. Caterham and Williams have also taken a step forward this weekend, with strong qualifying and race performances.

Montreal is a very different type of track from here, but one that is equally challenging so we look forward to another positive event over there. * 1995 (Schumacher, Benetton-Renault), 2004 (Trulli, Renault F1 Team), 2006 (Alonso, Renault F1 Team), 2010 (Webber, Red BullRenault), 2011 (Vettel, Red Bull-Renault), 2012 (Webber, Red Bull-Renault)

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

S P ORTS

Kohli, Karthik tons help India defeat Sri Lanka BIRMINGHAM: Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik both hit centuries as India warmed up the forthcoming Champions Trophy with an impressive five-wicket win against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston yesterday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team looked up against it when Sri Lanka posted an imposing total of 333-5 after being put into bat.

But Kohli smashed 144 from 120 balls and Karthik blasted 106 not out from only 81 balls to lead India to victory with one over to spare.

India were struggling at 62-3 in the 13th over and then 110-4 in the 21st over before Kohli and Karthik came to the rescue. Kohli hit 11 fours and three sixes, while Karthik notched up 12 fours and two sixes as he and Dhoni, who scored 18 not out, helped India finish on 337-5.

India play their second warm-up game against Australia on June 4 in Cardiff before opening their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa at the same venue two days later.

Kusal Perera and Tillekaratne Dilshan had caused plenty of problems for the Indian bowling attack in a blistering

Photo of the day

start for the Sri Lanka openers. Dilshan hit nine fours and one six in his 84, while Perera scored 82 off 94 balls, including three sixes.

That pair added 160 runs in 26 overs before both retired in order to allow other batsmen get some match practice.

However, even Sri Lanka’s daunting total wasn’t enough to keep India at bay.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan was run out in the second over as he failed to beat Lahiru Thirimanne’s direct hit.

Murali Vijay was dismissed for 18, caught by Thirimanne off Shaminda Eranga and Rohit Sharma fell for just five in the 13th over.

But Suresh Raina started the recovery with a quickfire 34. When he departed India needed 223 runs for a win at an asking rate approaching eight an over but Kohli and Karthik kept their cool.

Kohli, in particular, stamped his class with some beautiful shots all over the park. When he was out in the 44th over, India needed 38 runs from 37 balls for a win with five wickets in hand and Karthik and Dhoni finished the job. —AFP

SCOREBOARD BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom: Final scoreboard in the Champions Trophy warm-up between India and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston yesterday: India S. Dhawan run out (Thirimanne) 1 M. Vijay c Thirimanne b Eranga 18 V. Kohli c Chandimal b Eranga 144 R. Sharma c Kulasekara b T Perera 5 S. Raina b Senanayake 34 D. Karthik not out 106 M. Dhoni not out 18 Extras (b2, lb4, w5) 11 Total (5 wickets; 49 overs) 337 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Dhawan), 2-52 ( Vijay), 3-62 (R Sharma), 4-110 (Raina), 5-296 (Kohli) Did not bat: A Mishra, I Pathan, B Kumar, R Jadeja, I Sharma, R Ashwin, R Vinay Kumar, U Yadav (Players per side 15, with 11 batting and 11 fielding) Bowling: N Kulasekara 9-0-56-0, A Mathews 5-0-26-0, S Eranga 9-0-60-2, T Perera 6-0-34-1, S Senanayake 6-0-42-1, R Herath 7-0-440, J Mendis 3-0-31-0, T Dilshan 3-0-20-0, L Dilhara 1-0-18-0.

Sri Lanka K. Perera retired out 82 T. Dilshan retired out 84 M. Jayawardene c Pathan b I Sharma 30 K. Sangakkara c Ashwin b Mishra 45 D. Chandimal c Dhoni b Kumar 46 T. Perera not out 26 L. Dilhara not out 6 Extras (b5, lb3, w4, nb2) 14 Total (5 wkts; 50 overs) 333 Fall of wickets: 1-160 (Perera), 2-195 (Dilshan), 3-209 (Jayawardene), 4-279 (Sangakkara), 5-325 (Chandimal) Did not bat: N Kulasekara, L Malinga, J Mendis, A Mathews, R Herath, S Eranga, S Senanayake, L Thirimanne Bowling: I Pathan 5-0-45-0, B Kumar 8-0-58-1, I Sharma 60-41-1, R Vinay Kumar 7-0-42-0, R Ashwin 8-0-45-0, RA Jadeja 8-0-41-0, A Mishra 8-0-53-1.

Result: India won by 5 wickets

Cyril Despres rides his new Yamaha in Fontjoncouse, France. www.redbullcontentpool.com

Pedrosa on pole for Italian Grand Prix ITALY: MotoGP championship leader Dani Pedrosa put Honda on pole position at the Italian Grand Prix and knocked fellow-Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo off the top slot in the final seconds of qualifying yesterday. Italian Andrea Dovizioso completed the front row for Ducati at the Mugello circuit despite needing painkillers after hurting his neck in a crash on Friday.

Pedrosa’s pole, with a time of one minute 47.157 seconds, was his first of the season and came right at the end of the session when he was only seventh on the timesheets as he started his final lap.

His time was 0.069 quicker than double world champion Lorenzo’s best. Italian great Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo’s team mate, qualified seventh, one place behind Honda’s Marc Marquez.

Spanish rookie Marquez, who has finished on the podium in every race so far this season, crashed in all three practice sessions and cracked the top of his humerus near his right shoulder. Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, who finished second in France two weeks ago with a broken leg, qualified fourth for Tech3 Yamaha. Compatriot and team mate Bradley Smith, who suffered a scaphoid fracture to his left wrist on Friday, starts 11th. American Ben Spies earlier

ITALY: Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo rides his Yamaha during a qualification session on the eve of the Moto GP at Mugello racetrack. —AFP withdrew from the race after complaining of continuing pain from an injury that has forced him to miss the last two rounds for the non-works Pramac Ducati team. —Reuters

Latvala leads Acropolis Rally

BIRMINGHAM: India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays a shot during the warm-up cricket match ahead of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy between India and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston. —AFP

LOUTRAKI: Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala seized the lead in the Acropolis Rally yesterday as the Volkswagen driver took advantage of a puncture suffered by first day pace setter Evgeny Novikov and will go into the final day with a lead of 1min 04secs lead over Citroen’s Dani Sordo of Spain with Belgium’s Thierr y Neuville third in a Ford Fiesta a further 39secs back.

Latvala is set to close ground in the overall standings after coming into the weekend fourth and 73 points behind championship leader Sebastien Ogier of France.

Ogier bounced back from a disastrous opening day when he was penalised 10 minutes due to technical problems and climbed to 10th overall, just two places behind former world champion Mikko Hir vonen, who encountered major steering problems behind the wheel of his Citroen on day one.

Light rain towards the finish allowed the three leaders to ease home with comfortable overall leads ahead of the rest of the field “I was a little worried when I saw the rain because I thought it was going to get slippy,” explained Latvala.

“Okay, we lost grip in one or two places, and went wide a couple of times, but otherwise it turned out to be a good stage.

“We had to take a few wide turns but we’ve come out of the day in good shape.” continued the 28-yearold, who is bidding for a eighth career victory and first since the Rally of Wales in 2012.

Norwegian Mads Ostberg, who came into the weekend fifth in the driver standings also returned to form

after difficulties on Friday and moved up from ninth to sixth in the second Ford.

Meanwhile, Qatari’s former Olympic shooting medallist Nasser AlAttiyah lies fourth in his Volkswagen but 3min 46secs back and just in front of another Norwegian and teammate Andreas Mikkelsen, who is at 4min 11secs. There are four specials today that includes a final 30km power stage leading to the rally finish at Loutraki. —AFP

GREECE: Jari-Matti Latvala with his co-driver Mikka Anttila drive their Volkswagen Polo R WRC at the Klenia special stage of the Acropolis Rally. —AFP

Indian board’s power questioned in cricket scandal NEW DELHI: The power and seeming impunity of Indian cricket’s governing body, and its besieged chief, is facing its most severe test in the wake of a fixing scandal which has exposed previously ignored conflicts of interest and intimidation of critics.

The scandal has tarnished the previously glossy local image of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which does not depend on government funding, has brokered lucrative broadcasting contracts that helped it earn a $1 billion in revenue last year, and has become the powerbase of the international game. The public perception of the cricket board has changed drastically amid a spot-fixing scandal engulfing its flagship Indian Premier League.

And BCCI president Narainswamy Srinivasan is struggling to hang on to power after his sonin-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested during the police investigations into the betting scams.

The calls for Srinivasan’s ouster have been getting louder, and if he hangs on as president it will be only because of the fence-sitters within the board.

Most of the executive and international players aren’t speaking publicly against Srinivasan, perhaps for fear of repercussions, but the critics who have gone on the record certainly haven’t masked their opinions. “Am I surprised that the most influential, arrogant and haughty sports official in the history of Indian sport - its present president - has been

reduced to an object of mockery?” former test captain Bishan Bedi wrote in a column for The Hindu newspaper. “Here is a man blinded by his own monumental craving for insatiable authority.” The spot-fixing scandal is the hot topic of conversation everywhere in India from tea-stalls to boardrooms, and is dominating the local news.

Srinivasan became embroiled when Meiyappan was taken in for questioning after the arrests of former test cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth and two others who played for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Srinivasan is the managing director of India Cements, which owns the Chennai franchise in the IPL. Meiyappan was involved with the Chennai Super Kings team, either as a highranking official or No. 1 supporter, depending on who you believe.

Former International Cricket Council and BCCI chief Sharad Pawar joined the chorus after at least three other past presidents criticized the functioning of the BCCI under Srinivasan, widely regarded as the most powerful man in world cricket owing to India’s financial clout.

“It is better if Srinivasan leaves till the probe is over as the BCCI’s image has already been dented by the IPL scandal,” Pawar said. “All matches of this year’s IPL must be probed and the entire fixing matter should be sent to the home ministr y.” Former BCCI presidents Shashank Manohar, A.C.Muthiah, and Inderjit

Singh Bindra are also demanding answers after the spot fixing scandal widened to include bookmakers and officials, along with players.

“The BCCI should immediately file a criminal complaint with the investigating agencies, urging them to probe all games in the current IPL edition,” Manohar said. “It has to deal with this menace with an iron fist. If, at the end of it all, 13 and not three players are involved in fixing, so be it.” India’s sports ministry has urged Srinivasan to resign on “moral grounds” since his close relative is being probed by both investigating agencies and the board itself.

He has rejected those calls, and defended himself against the media barrage. Srinivasan, who tweaked the rules that restrained board officials from having business interests in the game and then got to run the Chennai franchise, is not about to step down.

He has argued the “rotten eggs” had been identified and rejected the idea of broader corruption within the IPL. That rotten eggs reference was to the three arrested players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - and not his son-in-law Meiyappan, who was commonly called the chief executive or team principal by Chennai Super Kings.

Once Meiyappan’s name came up during interrogation of little-known actor Vindoo Randhawa - the alleged conduit between bookmakers and players - the team rapidly

sought to downplay his role. India Cements denied Meiyappan was the team’s CEO and claimed that he only held an honorary position in the team management. That seemed at odds with his consistent presence either in the team dugouts as its principal or at team auctions and post-match parties.

The 68-year-old Srinivasan explained his son-in-law’s omnipresence merely as “enthusiasm.” And he shrugged off calls for his resignation by saying there’s no allegations of wrongdoing against him.

However the scandal has raised questions about a perceived conflict of interest. He runs the national governing body for cricket and also controls the most successful team in the richest domestic tournament. In the past, India’s former chief selector Krishnamachary Srikkanth was also the brand ambassador for the Chennai franchise. With India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also leading the team, is it reasonable to think playing for Chennai gave players an advantage when it came to national selection? Yet for all these questions, criticism of Indian cricket’s power structure had been muted until recently, due both to the BCCI’s unchecked power and a carrot-andstick approach to critics.

The BCCI even had commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri on its payrolls in various committees. The BCCI and Srinivan’s vehement opposition to the Decision Review System in recent years and the alleged man-

ner in which it pushed to get former leg-spinner Lakshman Sivaramakrishnan onto an ICC cricket committee last month are examples of its unabashed use of influence.

Political pressure is also faint, with lawmakers of many persuasions having been involved in the BCCI executive for a long time.

And while the cricket board faces allegations of foreign exchange violation and tax evasion and has a former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi living in self-imposed exile in London, it still has support in high places. The IPL commissioner and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla is a minister of the ruling Congress government while a top leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janta Party is another vice-president who is also the BCCI’s president designate.

And they ’re just the prominent board members. So it’s not surprising that apart from the likes of Bedi, Kirti Azad and Ashok Malhotra, very few people inside the game have dared to be critical.

After all, the BCCI can quite easily stop exgratia payments and a monthly payment scheme for ex-players that it runs on the lines of a pension fund.

Some who attended a protest against the BCCI staged by Azad last year were warned that they would lose financially if they did not tender an unconditional apology to the BCCI. They were quick to disassociate themselves from Azad. —AP

19

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

SPORTS

Sharapova, Azarenka survive fault lines

EPSOM: Jockey Ryan Moore rides Ruler of the World (second right) to victory over William Buick on Libertarian (left) in the Derby at the Epsom Derby Festival, in Surrey, southern England. —AFP

Ruler of the World reigns in Derby EPSOM: Ruler of the World gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his fourth winner in the Epsom Derby yesterday. The 7/1 shot - the first horse since Commander in Chief in 1993 to land the blue riband of the turf without running as a two-year-old - came home under Ryan Moore to hold off the fast finishing 14/1 chance Libertarian by 1 1/2 lengths while Galileo Rock was third at 25/1 a further head behind. Hot favorite Dawn Approach was never looking comfortable and although he hit the front six furlongs from home he was quickly passed and finished last.

His performance dashed trainer Jim Bolger’s hopes of him becoming the 38th horse to complete the English 2000 Guineas and Derby double.

“He was fine for 10 strides and then all hope was gone,” said Bolger. “He will not run over 1 1/2 miles again,” said a shattered looking Bolger. The favorite’s jockey Kevin Manning, who teamed up with Bolger to land the 2008 Derby with New Approach, was similarly devastated.

“I was a passenger and he took me completely by surprise, he said. “He got a bump but when I say a bump it just got tight, normal racing, and for whatever reason he just lit up and it was all over.” Moore, who also won the Derby in 2010 with Workforce, said that he thought his horse had hit the front too early when he passed stablemate Battle of Marengo.

“He’s very green but he’s got plenty of heart and showed it in what was a messy race,” said Moore, whose mother, wife and two children were at the track to watch him. “He quickened well and managed to see out the trip. It is a very special day and I am absolutely delighted,” added the 29year-old Englishman.

O’Brien, who had earlier won his sixth Coronation Cup in seven runnings when St Nicholas Abbey triumphed for the third year in a row, was typically understated in accepting the plaudits for training the winner. “Well it’s incredible but we are so lucky to be in the position that we are sent so many well bred horses,” said the 43-yearold Irishman.

O’Brien, who succeeded the legendary Dr Vincent O’Brien (no relation) at

Ballydoyle Stables when he retired 18 years ago, was at pains to explain why his son Joseph had deployed front running tactics on the stable’s number one Battle of Marengo.

“Look, all the lads know their horses and they ride them as they feel best,” said O’Brien, who saddled five of the 12 runners.

“The winner has won very impressively and is a very progressive type and will get better. “It’s an incredible day and I really love it when it works out for everybody like it has done today.” “I am very privileged.”

John Magnier, the brainchild behind the Coolmore breeding operation that feeds O’Brien most of his horses, said there was a measure of luck in their extraordinary success rate in the race named the ‘Blue Riband of the Turf’ by 19th century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

“Well there’s a measure of luck in this and we are going through a lucky patch,” said Magnier. It was the 10th Derby winner sent out from the Ballydoyle Stables, six of them by Magnier’s late father-in-law Vincent. Asked how highly he rated Aidan O’Brien he was typically diplomatic.

“Well everyone knows where my fatherin-law is rated on the greatest ever list, and Aidan, well, he isn’t too bad either, is he!

“David Wachman (son-in-law of Magnier and who trained the third-placed Galileo Rock) is pretty useful too.”

For the connections of Libertarian it was a memorable day as Elaine Burke came the closest ever to becoming the first woman trainer to win the Derby, after six previous attempts by rivals had fallen well short, on what was the centenary of suffragette Emily Davison dying from injuries sustained when she threw herself in front of King George V’s runner in the Derby.

Burke, who trains in the North of England from where the last winner in the race came with Dante in 1945, has been in charge of the 65-horse stable since her husband Karl was disqualified from racing for a year in 2009 for providing information on a horse to a disgraced former owner.

“We can’t be anything but delighted,” said Karl, who suggested they might pay a supplementary entry fee for the Irish Derby on June 29.—AFP

Mexico, Nigeria draw in friendly HOUSTON: Striker Javier Hernandez scored twice, including a 70th-minute equaliser, to salvage a 2-2 draw for 10man Mexico against Nigeria in a World Cup qualifying warm-up in Houston.

Mexico face Jamaica away next Tuesday in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier and Nigeria face Kenya in an African qualifier on Wednesday.

CONCACAF Gold Cup holders Mexico and African champions Nigeria are taking part in the Confederations Cup in Brazil from June 15 to 30.

Hernandez put Mexico ahead in the 21st minute of Friday’s match from Pablo Barrera’s right cross but six minutes later Barrera was sent off for preventing a Nigeria goal with his hands.

Brown Ideye equalised for Nigeria from the penalty spot and John Ugochukwu put them ahead with a shot in the 39th minute that took a deflection off Gerardo Torrado.

Manchester United striker Hernandez’s equaliser came from Carlos Salcido’s left cross 20 minutes from time. Mexico are in the precarious place of fifth in the six-nation final CONCACF group with three points from three draws.

The top three at the end of the series in October will go through to next year’s finals in Brazil and the fourth-placed team will play off against Oceania winners New Zealand for another berth. —Reuters

PARIS: Defending champion Maria Sharapova and third-seeded Victoria Azarenka endured rocky rides into the French Open last-16 yesterday while the United States saw four women make the second week.

World number two Sharapova clinched a 6-1, 7-5 win over China’s Zheng Jie, the world number 43, in a third round clash which witnessed 11 breaks of serve. The second seeded Russian will take on America’s Sloane Stephens, who she beat comfortably on clay in Rome two weeks ago, for a place in the quarterfinals.

But the 26-year-old has work to do after firing down 34 unforced errors, an ugly tally which was at least partially soothed by her 25 winners.

She was also furious over a bad line call which put her 1-4 down in the second set even though TV replays showed her ball to have landed on the line.

“All the other Grand Slams have Hawk-Eye,” said Sharapova, in reference to the instant replay system. “Why don’t we have a system like this? I mean, is it a money concern? I don’t think so.”

Sharapova, playing in her 11th French Open, had reached the third round for the loss of just nine games and seemed on course for another routine win on Saturday.

Four breaks of serve helped her to the first set. However, two breaks took the 29-year-old Zheng out to a 4-1 lead in the second before the champion pulled level at 4-4, pumping up the volume at the same time.

Zheng broke back for 5-4 but she was unable to serve out the set as Sharapova levelled again at 5-5. The world number two held for 6-5 and took the tie when Zheng netted a return.

Azarenka overcame 10 double faults and 31 errors on her way to

FRANCE: Russia’s Maria Sharapova serves to China’s Jie Zheng during their French Tennis Open third round match at the Roland Garros stadium.—AFP defeating France’s Alize Cornet, the first to the last point.” second round, made the last 16 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. The 23-year-old The United States will have for the first time with a 4-6, 6-1, 6Australian Open champion reeled four women in the fourth round. 3 win over Argentine qualifier off the last six games of the Top seed Serena Williams made Paula Ormaechea. match and goes on to face Italy’s sure of her place on Friday and Mattek-Sands will face next 2010 champion Francesca yesterday she was joined by Russian 12th seed Maria Kirilenko.

Schiavone.

Sloane Stephens, Bethanie Hampton, the world number 54, “I really felt that I left my serve Mattek-Sands and Jamie achieved her first win over a top at home,” said Azarenka, who has Hampton. Stephens, the 17th 10 player when she held her never got beyond the quarter- seed, reached the last 16 for the nerve after wasting two match finals in Paris. “But if I can win second successive year with a 6-4, points to beat Czech seventh serving like this, that’s pretty 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win over New seed Petra Kvitova, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7). remarkable.”

Zealand’s Marina Erakovic.

The 23-year-old from Alabama The 23-year-old Cornet, fresh “I felt like I played well the will face either Australian ninth from a third career title in whole time. Like my coach always seed Samantha Stosur, the 2010 Strasbourg on the eve of Roland says, you have to respect the oth- runner-up, or Serb 18th seed Garros, had the initiative in the er player and what they’re Jelena Jankovic, a three-time deciding set when she broke to doing,” said Stephens, who has semi-finalist in 2007, 2008 and lead 1-0. won three matches in succession 2010.

But Azarenka stepped on the for the first time since reaching Schiavone, now at 50 in the gas, winning six games on the the Australian Open semi-finals in world, ended French hopes in the bounce to take victory. “She a January. women’s singles by putting out machine, a juggernaut,” said Mattek-Sands, the conqueror 13th seed Marion Bartoli, 6-2, 6Cornet. “She plays the same from of 2011 champion Li Na in the 1.—AFP

Nadal moves on in Paris PARIS: Rafael Nadal endured another slow start at the French Open yesterday before finding his form to defeat Italy’s Fabio Fognini 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 and qualify for the last 16.

In the end it was a comfortable enough win for the seven-time defending champion, but he was made to look sluggish on occasions against an opponent he would normally be expected to dispatch in double-quick time.

“I think he (Fognini) is a fabulous player. He attacked very well, he is very quick and when he is aggressive it is very difficult to stop him, Nadal said. “To win the first set was important.

In the last two matches I lost the first set.”

Next up, on his 27th birthday tomorrow, will be Japan’s Kei Nishikori as the Spaniard continues his campaign to become the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times.

Nishikori defeated Benoit Paire of France 63, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-1 to become the first Japanase man to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros in 75 years.

There were wins too, on a day when the sun finally returned to Roland Garros, for Richard Gasquet, the fourth Frenchman into the last 16 and Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny.

Nadal went into his 56th career match at Roland Garros in a bad mood, complaining about the cold, overcast conditions Paris has produced and “joke” Roland Garros scheduling he felt could disadvantage him against Fognini.

The champion lost the opening set of his first two ties, the first time that has happened to him in Paris, and he nearly got off to another shocker as Fognini, like Daniel Brands and Martin Klizan before him, went for broke.

Dropped service games by Nadal in the fifth and 11th games produced a tie-break that the defending champion led from the start to win 7/5.

Fognini again had Nadal struggling on serve at the start of the second set, winning over the centre-court crowd with his bold tactics and expressive nature. But he failed to convert a couple of break points and, after the

FRANCE: Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns to Italy’s Fabio Fognini during their French Tennis Open third round match at the Roland Garros stadium. —AFP Italian dropped his serve and received treatment for a blister on his hand, Nadal started to race away with the match.

He pocketed the set 6-4 and when he broke at he start of the third set, the writing was on the wall for an increasingly distracted Fognini who fired his last bullets by clawing back three games to get to 5-4 before Nadal served out.

If it was all straightforward enough on the Philippe Chatrier centre-court, things gut unruly out on Court 7 where Serbian Janko Tipsarevic unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade at two noisy fans who kept up a running commentary during his match with Russian Youzhny.

The offending spectators were eventually sent packing, but Tipsarevic still lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. “There were two guys in the corner con-

stantly taunting and laughing, and you could really see they didn’t come to watch any tennis but just to pose,” said Tipsarevic.

“I just snapped, because you could really see they didn’t really care, what the score was or even who was playing. They just wanted to look nice and be at the French Open. They had no respect to the players in terms of being quiet or what.”

Gasquet defeated Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to join countrymen JoWilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon in the fourth round.

Top seed Novak Djokovic meanwhile was in action in what was billed as the match of the day against exciting Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, hours after the announcement in Belgrade that his first coach, Jelena Gencic had died.—AFP

Bordeaux clinch French Cup

FRANCE: Bordeaux football team’s players celebrate with their trophy after winning the French Cup final football match Bordeaux against Evian. —AFP

PARIS: Girondins Bordeaux’s Cheick Diabate struck a last-gasp winner to snatch a deserved 3-2 victory over battling Evian Thonon Gaillard in an entertaining French Cup final at the Stade de France on Friday.

Diabate struck in the 89th minute having opened the scoring in the 39th before missing a penalty shortly after the break as Bordeaux lifted their first French Cup since 1987 and claimed a place in next season’s Europa League group stage.

Evian equalised through Yannick Sagbo in the 51st, only for Henri Saivet to put Bordeaux ahead again three minutes later.

Brice Dja Djedje levelled again for defiant Evian 20 minutes from time but Mali striker Diabate beat

the offside trap to grab the winner for Bordeaux, who lifted their fourth French Cup. The success salvaged a disappointing season for Bordeaux, who finished seventh in Ligue 1. “After all, it’s a very good season,” coach Francis Gillot told French TV channel France 2. “It’s a great relief. We beat a good Evian side.”

Evian coach Pascal Dupraz added: “Hats off to Bordeaux, they deserve their victory. We were too naive.” Bordeaux started solidly but Diabate’s penalty miss kept unfancied Evian, who ended the Ligue 1 campaign in 16th spot only two points above the relegation places, in the contest. Diabate opened the scoring when he collected a fine through ball from Mariano and dribbled past goalkeeper Bertrand

Laquait before tapping the ball into the net.

The Mali striker went from hero to villain when he missed a penalty two minutes into the second half after being fouled by Milos Ninkovic, with Laquait easily blocking a weak shot.

Sagbo then equalised with a powerful shot from inside the area after being set up by Daniel Wass but Saivet put Bordeaux back in front with a volley from Gregory Sertic’s free kick.

Dja Djedje latched onto a Cedric Barbosa cross at the far post to give Evian renewed hope before Diabate took advantage of sluggish defending to collect a centre from Nicolas Maurice-Belay and beat Laquait from point-blank range to win the Cup.—Reuters

Lions crush Barbarians

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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Nadal moves on in Paris

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Indian board’s power questioned in cricket scandal Page 18

BERLIN: Bayern Munich celebrate with the trophy after they won the final football match of the German Cup against VfB Stuttgart. — AFP

Bayern seal treble with German Cup BERLIN: Champions League winners Bayern Munich became the first Bundesliga team to win the treble after their hardfought 3-2 win over VfB Stuttgart in yesterday’s German Cup final.

Having claimed their fifth European crown in Wembley last Saturday and won the Bundesliga with a record tally of 91 points, Bayern completed the set with their 16th German Cup title.

The Bavarian giants won the European Cup in three straight seasons in the 1970s, but coach Jupp Heynckes ended his two-year tenure in charge of the most successful Bayern side of all time.

Striker Mario Gomez, who made a rare start ahead of Mario Mandzukic, hit two after the break to add to Thomas Mueller’s first-half penalty as Bayern cruised to a 3-0 lead.

But a bullet header on 71 minutes, then a well-placed shot, both from Austria’s Martin Harnik, 10 minutes from time, ensured a nervous finale as Bayern weathered Stuttgart’s late onslaught.

But Bayern were not to be denied their 45th win from 53 matches in all competitions this season. Ex-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will replace Heynckes as Bayern head coach on

June 26, but after just three defeats and 11 league points dropped all season, it is hard to see where he can improve.

After the exertions of their Wembley triumph seven days before, Bayern failed to take control early on at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in front of 75,000 fans as both sides had their chances.

Wembley match winner Arjen Robben found space on the left but Gomez sent his effort high on 14 minutes. Stuttgart’s Harnik then first headed at Neuer, and Georg Niedermeier failed to prod the ball home at the back post after lightening reactions from Bayern’s off-balance Manuel Neuer on 22 minutes. Bayern had a clear penalty turned down when Stuttgart captain Serdar Tasci tackled Robben before the ball, but referee Manuel Grafe waved away Bayern’s protests on 32 minutes.

Grafe pointed straight to the spot four minutes later when Guinea’s Ibrahima Troare brought down Philipp Lahm as the Bayern captain sprinted into the area on the right.

Mueller drilled his penalty into the bottom left corner with 37 minutes gone. It could have been more as Gomez squandered two clear chances as the break approached when his shot cannoned off Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich’s leg, then he fired over the bar as it stayed 1-0 at half-time.

But Gomez made no mistake on 48 minutes when Lahm’s cross gifted him a simple close-range tap-in. The Germany star then added a third and his second on 61 minutes when Mueller fired in from the right and the ex-Stuttgart forward tapped his shot past Ulreich on 61 minutes.

Stuttgart were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Vedad Ibisevic’s shot deflected off Jerome Boateng’s hand on 79 minutes. But Harnik slotted home his second moments later, but Bayern held on for their third title.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are eager to keep outgoing coach Jupp Heynckes on in some capacity with Pep Guardiola set to take charge on June 26.

Having steered Bayern to their fifth European title and won the Bundesliga by a record 25-point margin, Heynckes will step down.

The 68-year-old has said he will only reveal his future plans after the final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, but chairman KarlHeinz Rummenigge has said Heynckes can pick his future role at Bayern.

“I told him two weeks ago at the Bundesliga title celebration that he has a kind of ‘Carte Blanche’ with us,” Rummenigge told German daily Bild. “If he can imagine it, we

would like to keep him in some capacity at Bayern.”

Heynckes has said he is too old to coach overseas and having broken or equalled 25 Bundesliga records, he has insisted he has no desire to coach another German league side after Bayern.

But he has been linked to a return to Real Madrid, who he coached to the 1998 Champions League title at the end of his single season as coach. Heynckes’ most likely option is to retire, but former Germany striker Guenter Netzer says the Real offer will be tempting if Jose Mourinho quits as Madrid coach. “Until recently, I was completely convinced that Bayern would be his last stop, but now Real Madrid has come into the picture,” Netzer told the the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

“Madrid is electrifying for him.” Certainly Heynckes will not be short of offers after a season which has seen Bayern sweep aside all comers, losing just three matches.

“I have always told him, ‘Jupp, there are two ways to say goodbye at Bayern Munich: by the front door or out the back,” added Rummenigge. “That’s why I am glad that Jupp will now leave out of the front door. “People have huge respect for him and he is earning plenty of applause. — AFP

Monaco’s money snares ultimate predator Falcao

SPAIN: Barcelona’s French defender Eric Abidal is tossed by teammates during a tribute in his honor after the Spanish League football match against Malaga at the Camp Nou stadium. Abidal announced on May 31, 2013 he was leaving the club at the end of the season. — AFP

Mourinho exits with win as Barca reach 100 points MADRID: Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was booed by the majority of a sparse home crowd as he ended his three-year spell in charge with a 4-2 win over Osasuna.

And Barcelona also rounded off their league season with a 4-1 win over Malaga to match Real’s league record of 100 points from last season on the final day of the campaign in Spain.

Mourinho’s name was met with a chorus of whistles when it was read out before kick-off, but he did receive support from a small group of the club’s ultra fanbase who chanted his name throughout the match. On the field it looked as he would be given a good send off as first-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Michael Essien gave Madrid a comfortable 2-0 lead. However, Osasuna struck back with two goals in 11 minutes just after the restart through Roberto Torres and Alvaro Cejudo to level matters.

But Mourinho was able to sign off with a win as further goals from Karim Benzema and Jose Maria

Callejon ensured Real ended the season unbeaten at home in the league.

With the Portuguese’s appearance on the touchline for the final time the main attraction, the game even had to be stopped after barely a minute as the photographers and cameramen surrounding the technical area spiled over onto the pitch. After a slow start from the hosts, in which Osasuna missed a number of opportunities to take the lead, Real went in front through Higuain just after the half hour mark.

The Argentine, who was captain for the day in what is expected to also be his last game in a Real shirt, raced onto Luka Modric’s through ball and calmly slotted home for his 16th league goal of the campaign. Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Essien headed home from Mesut Ozil’s corner and made a point of going to celebrate just his second Madrid goal with Mourinho on the bench.

Osasuna were handed a lifeline seven minutes into the second-half when Torres fired into a wonderful

right-footed shot low into Jesus’ far corner.

And remarkably the Navarrans were level just after the hour mark as a cross from the left was flicked on

by Manuel Omwu and headed back across Jesus into the net by Cejudo. It took just six minutes for Madrid to re-take the lead though as Ozil fed Benzema and his driven effort found the far corner of the net despite Asier Riesgo getting a hand to it and Callejon sealed the points three minutes from time with a low drive that slipped through the legs of substitute keeper Roberto.

Barcelona meanwhile rounded off their championship winning season in style as a first-half blitz saw them dispose of Malaga 4-1 at the Camp Nou. Goals from David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Martin Montoya in the opening 16 minutes got the hosts off to the best possible start. Andres Iniesta then made it 4-0 seven minutes into the second-half before Pedro Morales got a consolation goal for the hosts five minutes later.— AFP

MONACO: The news that one of the world’s most sought-after strikers Radamel Falcao has moved to Monaco, who are not even in European competition next season, will have many fans scratching their heads and asking ‘Why?’. The answer, though, is easy.

The Colombia forward, known as ‘The Tiger’, has joined for a transfer fee reported by media to be more than 50 million euros ($64.80 million) and for a net annual salary of 14 million euros at a Ligue 1 club situated in a special tax status area.

That would put his salary above the two players widely regarded as the best in the world, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Falcao will also be representing a newly promoted team. The club have a great history but appear in front of an average crowd of 5,000 - something former players such as Thierry Henry have complained about in the past.

Falcao leaves an Atletico Madrid side who have just beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to win the King’s Cup final and finished third in La Liga to qualify for the world’s most prestigious club competition, the Champions League.

Atletico usually attract 50,000 fans a game at the Calderon and the club the 27year-old Falcao was expected to join were big-spending Chelsea who have won the Champions League and the Europa League in the last two seasons. After two-year spells at Porto and Atletico, achieving backto-back top scorer awards as he helped the two clubs win the Europa League in 2011 and 2012, he could probably have had the pick of the continent’s top sides. But the move is not as clear as it seems. Falcao is a modern player in every sense of the word in that he is also part-owned by a third party who helped finance his moves to Porto and Atletico.

Falcao, a devout Christian, was in floods of tears as he returned to the pitch after his final home game for Atletico last weekend and it is easy to believe the transfer is not his preferred choice.

His agent is Jorge Mendes, one of the most influential in the game, with a stable that includes figures such as Jose Mourinho and Ronaldo and the three players Monaco have already attracted this month. Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev’s money has secured James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho from Porto while Ricardo Carvalho has joined from Real Madrid.

Atletico support huge debts, including one with Mendes’s company who helped finance their purchase of Falcao, and they will have been keen to raise as much cash as possible from their prize asset. They have not stood in the way of their number nine and the fans seem to have accepted it too.

While Sergio Aguero’s move to Manchester City in 2011 generated a backlash against the Argentine as he forced the deal through, Atletico supporters seem to have given Falcao their blessing to leave.

“I don’t think about why he is leaving, and where he is going, rather in what he has given us,” said coach Diego Simeone. “He has always given his all and we have to be grateful to him.”

Falcao was brought to Atletico to replace Aguero and it quickly became apparent they were different types of strikers.

While Aguero created and scored goals, delighting fans with his trickery and dribbling skills, Falcao was an out-an-out goalscorer who was happiest inside the area and powerful in the air.

Once he was reunited with former boss Simeone, who had coached him at River Plate, Atletico established a pattern of play that suited the forward.

The Madrid outfit made the most of limited resources, using over-lapping wing backs to put crosses in the area, employing midfielder Koke’s abilities at set pieces and combining that with a hard-working team ethic.

The pugnacious Diego Costa provided the perfect foil as a physical second striker coming in off the flanks and Falcao only really struggled when his supply lines were cut. — Reuters

Business

Kuwait consumers remain upbeat: MasterCard survey Page 25 Kuwait: Sales slower in April, but activity levels still solid Page 23

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

Ten ways to improve your work performance

Toyota is now world’s most valuable car brand Page 22 Page 26

FRANKFURT: Demonstrators dance under umbrellas during an anti capitalism Blockupy protest yesterday.— AP

Risky derivatives make return for returns’ sake Products behind 2008 crisis back in fashion LONDON: Investors facing record low bond yields are increasingly chasing higher returns via complex derivatives, the instruments at the root of the 2008 global financial crisis, which can punch yawning holes in balance sheets if they go awry. Monetary stimulus from central banks has driven down sovereign and corporate bond yields and sent shares to multi-year highs, which in turn has encouraged investors to buy structured products that bundle derivatives with stocks or bonds to increase returns.

“The low interest rate environment is pushing clients to search for yield,” said SÈbastien Gyger, head of portfolio management for private clients at Lombard Odier. “Volume in structured products has been high and has picked up, notably since the beginning of the year.” His clients have been making leveraged three-month bets on some Swiss blue-chip stocks via structured products that offer limited protection on the capital invested.

Popular structured products are chiefly based on shares, corporate debt or government bonds, making them more transparent than those that triggered the 2008 crisis, which wrapped up poor-quality U.S. mortgages, but these products still present risks. They are typically deals struck directly by a bank and an investor “over the counter” (OTC), not via an exchange, and their bespoke nature and complex terms mean they are much harder to offload than a stock, bond or unit in an exchange traded fund (ETF) if they start making losses.

They also expose their owners to the risk of default by the bank that creates them, unlike shares and bonds.

For these reasons, investors who buy structured products and the banks that issue them will be vulnerable to the volatility that could emerge when central banks eventually unwind their ultra-loose policies.

“When the next volatility bout comes around, with the turn in interest rates,

then all it takes is for one bank to go down, and suddenly you’re back in a crisis again,” said Adrian BlundellWignall, deputy director of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) directorate for financial and enterprise affairs.

SAFETY ISSUE The notional value of the global OTC market has been roughly steady throughout the crisis and stood at $633 trillion at the end of 2012, according to data from the Bank for International Settlements, a sum with more than enough potential to destabilize the global financial system.

European regulators have been trying to improve safety in derivatives since the crisis. For example, they want OTC derivatives trades to be processed by a central clearing house backed by collateral from market participants, in a bid to isolate the impact of failure by an institution. A deadline to put these rules in place by 2012 was missed and the process is expected to drag on into 2014.

But critics say these rules merely shift risk from banks to a central clearing institution that would still need a public rescue if the banks that back it run into trouble. “By setting up this central clearing party, we are setting up the mother of all too-big-to fail institutions,” Blundell-Wignall said.

“Again, the taxpayer will have to bail out these institutions.” He added that as long as banks’ retail and investment businesses were not separated, depositors’ money and economically important lenders remained exposed to losses made through risky derivative bets.

European banks had more than $6 trillion worth of derivatives, the key ingredient in structured products, on their balance sheets in March, OECD data showed. These figures also include the value of instruments used to hedge risk. This is 50 percent more

than they had six years earlier, when a crash in structured products based on subprime US mortgages triggered the global financial crisis, leading central banks to cut rates and launch stimulus measures. The impact of these moves was to lower bond yields and push fund managers to higher-yielding securities, including structured products, to improve their performance.

The number of new structured products sold via UK independent financial advisers is up 60 percent from its 2007 levels, and notes that put investor capital at risk have gained prominence, according to data from StructuredProductReview.com, a site that tracks the industry. Issues of structured products with no or limited capital protection have outnumbered those that guarantee the repayment of any initial investment by three to one in Britain this year, the data showed. In 2007 the ratio was reversed. “(Central banks) have probably removed the downside tail risk and as a result encouraged investors who previously were out of the market to get engaged again,” said Oliver Gregson, global head of discretionary portfolio management at Barclays Wealth and Investment Management.

Gregson added his clients were buying “supertracker” notes, which magnify returns if the underlying index rises, in return for a partial exposure to losses in the event of a fall.

Capital-at-risk products are primarily bought by private wealth managers, who have more flexible mandates and target higher returns, while insurers and other institutions catering for retail clients tend to buy protected notes. “Private wealth management clients are looking for a yield of 5 to 10 percent per year, and to have this return you need non-capital-guaranteed products,” said Benoit Petit, managing director of cross-asset solutions at Societe Generale.—Reutersv

EU, IMF, praise Greek progress ATHENS: Greece on Friday received a vote of confidence from international creditors over progress in overhauling its stricken economy-and a fresh injection of cash from the International Monetar y Fund. In Washington, the IMF announced it had released 1.74 billion euros ($2.26 billion) in fresh funds after Greece passed a third performance reviewpart of the terms of the joint IMF-EU bailout. IMF chief Christine Lagarde praised Greek efforts to meet their commitments.

“The Greek authorities have made commendable progress in reducing fiscal and external imbalances and in restoring competitiveness,” she said in

a statement. “The authorities remain committed to make rapid progress on productivity-enhancing structural reforms and on tax and public administration reforms.

“Greece is well under way to complete its ambitious fiscal adjustment plan, and is on track to meet its 2013 fiscal targets,” she added. Earlier Friday in Athens, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of eurozone finance ministers, told reporters that the group could discuss further debt relief for Greece next year if the government stayed on track with its recover y programme. “This is a matter to be discussed if necessar y in April 2014 under the conditions,” the Eurogroup

chief told reporters at a joint press conference with Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras. The European Financial Stability Facility meanwhile released another aid instalment, worth 7.2 billion euros, to help recapitalise Greece’s stricken banks. The funding is part of the 173billion-euro, four-year programme to put Athens’s finances on a stable path. The IMF so far has released 6.57 billion euros to Greece under the programme. Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister, stressed that it was “crucial” for Greece to continue with its structural reforms as he held out hope for a long-awaited exit from a six-year recession.—AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

BUSINESS

Nokia to pursue tax fight in India Tax officials seek $363 million NEW DELHI: Struggling Finnish mobile giant Nokia said yesterday it would fight an appeal against a decision by India’s tax department to slap the company with a demand for hundreds of millions of dollars. Nokia is the latest multinational to be embroiled in a tax row with Indian authorities, who are chasing alleged tax delinquents to reduce a hefty budget deficit.

Indian tax officials say they are seeking around 20 billion rupees ($363 million) from the once biggest global mobile phone maker spanning five financial years from 2006-07. “Nokia is disappointed by the decision of the commissioner of income-tax appeals, and will now examine all options open to it,” the company said in a statement. “These include taking the case back to the Delhi High Court,” it said.

“Nokia will act quickly and decisively to protect its interests,” said the company. The alleged tax evasion involves software royalty payments to Nokia’s parent, on which 10 percent tax should have been

deducted and paid to Indian authorities. The high court had initially stayed the tax demand and then asked Nokia to approach the commissioner of income-tax appeals.

Nokia insisted in the statement it was “in full compliance with local laws” as well as the bilaterally negotiated tax treaty between the governments of India and Finland. Taxmen earlier this year raided one of Nokia’s manufacturing plants in the southern city of Chennai as part of their investigation. Nokia, which began operations in India in the mid-1990s, had protested to India over the raid, slamming the action as “excessive” and “inconsistent with Indian standards of fair play”. India-one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone markets-is Nokia’s second-largest market, with the Chennai factory producing over 20 different models.

Last month, the Helsinki-based company unveiled in New Delhi a $99-touchscreen smartphone as it battles to gain traction in India and

other emerging markets to reverse falling sales.

British mobile network firm Vodafone is among other companies embroiled in a tax dispute with Indian authorities.

Vodafone is fighting a multi-billion-dollar tax bill from Indian tax authorities over its 2007 purchase of a stake in a domestic telecommunications company. India’s finance minister P Chidambaram has vowed to clamp down on tax evasion to help to lower the nation’s burgeoning deficit. But in the face of alarm among international investors about what they see as arbitrary tax demands, he has also said he wants “clarity on tax laws” and for taxes to be collected in a “non-adversarial” way. BM Singh, former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, told India’s Mint newspaper that resolving the row would be a long process. “Nokia has the option of approaching the appellate tribunal and the high court” or seeking to settle the matter under the bilateral tax treaty, he said. —AFP

Bayt.com Study

Ten ways to improve your work performance Successful professionals create value. They do this by finding or creating a need then meeting it and by doing more with less through enhanced productivity and innovation. They are able to rise above the fray and be completely unique by delivering on new products, services, business models, operational constructs or just simply more productive, efficient and effective methods of finding solutions for old problems. Here are some tips from the career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Jobsite, on how to improve your productivity and general work performance: 1. Plan and prioritize Failing to plan is tantamount to planning to fail. Have an end goal in mind and organize a game-plan to get there. Create a daily schedule and stick to it. Be punctual and don’t postpone. Keep in mind the 80/20 rule as you choose how to approach your day; 20% of the work you do will determine 80% of the outcome. Determine what projects and tasks are critical, urgent and create the largest value and benefit to the business and allocate your immediate efforts to those.

Select what you can easily postpone and what you can delegate without hurting results.

2. Avoid distractions Focus is a key trait of productive professionals. Online and other distractions are a bane to productivity.

According to Bayt.com’s ‘Rest and Recreation Habits Among MENA Professionals’ poll (January 2013), 30.7 percent of polled respondents say that they spend more than five hours a day surfing the internet just for fun. Don’t get distracted by the

industry. 77.9% of respondents to a Bayt.com poll indicated they read constantly and 69.6% indicated they believe reading is vital to career progress.

nuances of the daily grind; stay mindful of the demands and progress of the tasks at hand; and don’t lose sight of your vision, mission and values along the way.

Remember sustainable success is rarely about revolutionary breakthroughs, it’s invariably a process of evolution that feeds off persistent effort and consistent progress.

5. Ask a question What if I did this differently?

What if there is a faster, easier, more effective way to achieve the same results? What if I changed my pitch/tone/content/brand or message? Whatever the question you ask is, you need to constantly challenge the status quo and enquire of yourself and of others, whether you are really working as productively as you possibly could.

3. Set interim milestones and reward yourself The road to your destination may be long and winded and the end-goal may still be a few steps away but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the journey. Set clear milestones for interim success and reward yourself with a self-congratulatory break and private or public accolade at every deserved opportunity. Breaking a long project into mini-tasks with unique end-goals and success metrics will keep your morale high and energy levels soaring. 62.2 percent of professionals in the region as polled by Bayt.com claim that they do receive recognition or praise at work; but why rely solely on others, make sure to tabulate your own progress and reward yourself too!

6. Listen Whether your clients are internal or external, you need to listen to them regularly and often. They will provide you with first-hand insights into your performance and general perceptions of it as well as what the nature of their preferences are so you can better meet demand. You may be able to amplify your productivity substantially by better understanding actual consumer expectations and by learning to anticipate their needs.

Listen to your team, your stakeholders and your peers in the industry too.

4. Read something new Try to allocate some time every day to read, refine skills and learn something new. Take notes and share your learnings wherever possible; this will help you learn more actively and also build repute, gain social currency and establish expertise for yourself. With change happening at lightning speed the quickest way to increase productivity, improve performance and maintain a competitive edge is to stay fully abreast of the latest tools, trends and technologies in your

7. Take stock of your competitive space Observe what your competitors are up to, analyze what they are doing right - and not so right and treat this as a key learning and valuable impetus to keep innovating and doing things better.

8. Give credit All of us rely on the coopera-

tion, input, feedback and buy-in of others to get our job done in the best way we can. To facilitate and magnify the kind of co-operation you need to truly succeed to the best of your abilities it’s essential to give credit and show gratitude along the way. Make those who help you shine and you will stand on the shoulders of giants.

9. Stay healthy Good health and an acceptable work-life balance lead to better productivity. A recent poll conducted by Bayt.com reveals that professionals in the MENA region are keen on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. In fact, 26.9 percent of polled professionals believe that their poor work-life balance has jeopardized both their mental health and happiness, and a staggering 64.8 percent of them would even accept a pay cut to have more free time on their job.

To sustain peak performance over the long term and avoid stress and burnout, you need to be physically and mentally healthy and have a good balance in your life. Eat well, sleep sufficiently and try to squeeze some exercise into your routine on a regular basis.

HERAT: Afghan labourers sort thread for carpets at a traditional carpet factory. Carpet weaving is one of the ancient and traditional arts of Afghanistan and with the fall of the Taleban in late 2001, weavers are able to export their carpets to customers across the world. —AFP

China’s Xi in Trinidad to boost Caribbean business PORT OF SPAIN: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in oil-rich Trinidad and Tobago late Friday for the first leg of a Latin America and Caribbean tour aiming to strengthen Beijing’s trade ties in the region. Xi kicked off his trip in this tiny English-speaking country off the coast of Venezuela before heading to Costa Rica and Mexico, ahead of a June 7-8 summit with US President Barack Obama. The Chinese leader’s plane touched down around 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) at Port of Spain’s airport, where he was greeted by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who said she was “honored” that he made her country his first stop.

Xi’s visit to Trinidad-the first by a Chinese president-follows a trip to Port of Spain on May 27 by US Vice President Joe Biden, who attended a summit with Caribbean leaders. Xi is scheduled to leave Trinidad today. China’s trade ties with Latin America have soared in recent years as the world’s second biggest economy taps into the region’s mineral and oil wealth to fuel growth.

Xi-who took office in March in a once-in-adecade power transfer in Communist-ruled Beijing-said ahead of the trip that he had “full confidence in the prospects of China-Latin America relations.” While there is “a vast ocean between China and Latin America, our hearts are closely linked,” Xi told regional media outlets in a joint written interview, according to a transcript by Chinese state news agency

Xinhua. The visit is the first by a Chinese president to the English-speaking Caribbean, but not for Xi, who visited in 2009 and 2011 while serving as China’s vice president. Yesterday, Xi was due to meet with Persad-Bissessar and other senior Trinidad and Tobago officials, as well as the leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Granada, Guyana, Jamaica and Suriname. “Trinidad and Tobago is in an ideal position to facilitate deepened relations between China and the Caribbean region,” the Caribbean country’s foreign minister Winston Dookeran in an interview with Xinhua.

Persad-Bissessar’s government sees the Chinese leader’s visit as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in trade, construction and heavy industries. The two sides will sign trade and education cooperation agreements, according to Xinhua. At a news conference in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei described Trinidad, a nation of 1.3 million people, as “China’s important cooperative partner in the Englishspeaking Caribbean region.” While Trinidad, Costa Rica and Mexico recognize Beijing, six Central American and five Caribbean nations have forged diplomatic relations with selfruled Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. The two split in 1949 after a civil war. —AFP

Gulf Bank announces Al-Danah draw winners KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its Al-Danah daily draws on May 26, 2013, announcing the names of its winners for the week of May 19 to May 23. The Al-Danah daily draws include draws each working day for two prizes of KD 1,000 per winner.

The winners are: (Sunday 19/5): Najeeba Abdulkareem Mohammed, Taibah Bassem Nasser Al Hammad, (Monday 20/5): Ghasan Amen Abass Aburas, Mohammed Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Otaibi (Tuesday 21/5): Hameed Ahmed Mohammed AlResheed, Asmaa Abdulhameed Ali AlQattan, (Wednesday 22/5) Nouriah Hussein Ali Hussein Al-Attar, Bader Khaled Saad Ghallab Al-Azmy (Thursday 23/5) Chadi Alid, Yousef Khaled Ahmad Dashti .

Gulf Bank’s Al Danah 2013 draw lineup includes daily draws (2 winners per working day each receive KD1000), as well as

10. Put your heart in it Passion is one of the single most important drivers of success.

If your heart and soul aren’t in what you are doing you are likely not to be performing optimally.

Do some soul-searching and find out what it will take to make you love what you do and perform to the very best of your abilities.

Make sure your values are being reflected and respected in what you do and that you see the meaning in it.

three draw prizes per quarter. Al-Danah’s 2nd Quarterly draw will be held on June 27 (KD 250,000, KD 125,000, and KD 25,000), 3rd Quarter - September 26 (KD 500,000, KD 125,000, and KD 25,000) and the final draw held on January 9, 2014 announcing winners of KD 50,000, KD 250,000 and the Al-Danah 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. AlDanah 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 Al-Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al-Danah winner.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2770000 .4310000 .3680000 .3020000 .2780000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771240 .7513970 .3930000 .0720000 .7366120 .0370000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2841000 .4338920 .3707360 .3043390 .2795430 .0497330 .0443660 .2963730 .0365940 .2291130 .0029600 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0773800 .7538810 .0000000 .0757800 .7382100 .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

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.853 5.070 2.906 2.263 3.180 228.630 36.934 3.676 6.775 9.500

.2880000 .4470000 .3760000 .3170000 .2920000 .3020000 .0069000 .0035000 .0778990 .7589480 .4110000 .0770000 .7440150 .0440000 .2862000 .4370990 .3734770 .3065880 .2816100 .0501010 .0446940 .2985640 .0368650 .2308060 .0028810 .0052870 .0022880 .0029190 .0036810 .0779520 .7594530 .4048090 .0763400 .7436660 .0069870

Malaysian ringgit Irani Riyal Irani Riyal

Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

94.221 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 76.484 78.807 744.970 761.790 78.109

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 286.700 Euro 375.860 Sterling Pound 438.940 Canadian dollar 279.300 Turkish lira 152.920 Swiss Franc 303.390 US Dollar Buying 277.240 GOLD 263.000 133.000 70.000

SELL DRAFT 282.25 281.89 300.90 374.24 286.35 436.82 2.87 3.688 5.125 2.262 3.215 2.910 78.03 762.14 40.38 407.53

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 286.750 282.465 436.890 370.980 295.860 759.185 78.050 78.710 76.430 404.225 40.419 2.269 5.174 2.908 3.680 6.954 703.420 3.795 9.710 4.095 3.330 94.935

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

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

748.000 79.500 77.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.350 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.373 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.338 Tunisian Dinar 175.780 Jordanian Dinar 405.030 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.924 Syrian Lier 3.116 Morocco Dirham 34.050

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

744.69 79.07 76.49

SELL CASH 283.000 283.000 299.000 372.000 288.000 438.500 3.300 3.740 5.400 2.460 3.420 2.985 78.800 763.500 40.500 415.000

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

SELL CASH Europe 0.4278481 0.0062612 0.0457656 0.3664124 0.0452526 0.4235148 0.0392353 0.2939051 Australasia 0.2677639 0.2246165 0.0001140 America 0.2713010 0.0001462 0.2850000 Asia 0.0036421 0.0031866 0.0457618 0.0166100

SELLDRAFT 0.4368481 0.0182612 0.0507656 0.3739124 0.0504526 0.4310418 0.0442353 0.3009051 0.2797639 0.2346165 0.0001140 0.2803010 0.0001642 0.2871500 0.0036971 0.0034166 0.0507618 0.0197100

Guinea Franc Hg Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

0.0000446 0.0344513 0.0051002 0.0000244 0.0028724 0.0027581 0.0033556 0.0896040 0.0030879 0.0028905 0.0064572 0.0000733 0.2231395 0.0022314 0.0092030 Arab 0.7552440 0.0384730 0.0129538 0.1460100 0.0000799 0.0001765 0.3994455 1.0000000 0.0001762 0.0219552 0.0012248 0.7348357 0.0782176 0.0760400 0.0466918 0.0027765 0.1723211 0.0767591 0.0012958

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) 286.600 373.000 435.800 279.700 2.875 5.160 40.430 2.268 3.672 6.890 2.912 762.200 78.000 76.500

0.0000506 0.0375513 0.0051642 0.0000295 0.0038724 0.0029381 0.0035856 0.0966040 0.0032879 0.0029305 0.0069272 0.0000763 0.2291395 0.0022734 0.0098030 0.7637440 0.0405030 0.0194538 0.1478000 0.0000804 0.0002365 0.4069455 1.0000000 0.0001962 0.0459552 0.0018598 0.7458357 0.0790006 0.0766800 0.0472418 0.0029965 0.1783211 0.0782031 0.0013958

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait: Sales slower in April, but activity levels still solid NBK REAL ESTATE REPORT KUWAIT: Data for April show real estate sales declining by 32 percent year-on-year (y/y), to reach KD 279 million. The drop followed a recovery in March after the year had started with some y/y softness.

But we suspect that weakness in April’s numbers is exaggerated by the unexplained omission of one week’s worth of data; including this, the fall would have been smaller at -7 percent y/y. Overall, the outlook for the real estate market remains positive for 2013, despite some expected summer slowdown.

Sales in the residential sector reached KD 152 million in April, a drop of 26 percent y/y. Although the average transaction size increased y/y, the drop was caused by a considerable fall in the number of transactions, from 1086 to 592. The picture would be slightly different if we were to add the 136 residential transactions from the omitted week; the segment would then be down 8 percent y/y.

Additionally, the residential sector and household finances could see some boost later in the year, as recent legislation goes into effect.

The ‘family fund’ intended to help struggling pre-2008 debtors should start accepting applicants within a month’s time. This could free some additional household income. Meanwhile, the recent ceiling increase for Savings and Credit Bank housing loans should pass its last bureaucratic step soon.

The investment sector saw KD 117 million in sales in April, a 35 percent y/y decrease. The drop which would have been 24 percent with the inclusion of the omitted data described above was partially anticipated: sales in April 2012 were exceptionally strong, making this April’s sales look weaker in comparison.

Although the investment sector has seen y/y drops in 3 out of the 4 months of data so far in the year, activity levels remain reasonably

solid on a historical basis.

The commercial sector saw KD 11 million in sales, according to the raw official data. This represents a 58 percent y/y drop, which is not unusual for this often volatile market segment. But if we were to take into account the week of omitted data, then activity levels look healthier. The omitted week alone saw KD 44 million in commercial

property sales. This came from the sale of a KD 13 million complex in Ahmadi governorate, as well as 2 major ‘blocs’ of sales: 47 plots of land in Ahmadi governorate for a total of about KD 15 million, and 26 commercial apartments (these are residence apartments that are part of a commercial property, such as a commercial tower) in Kuwait City, for a sum of little over KD 9 million.

More generally, commercial segment activity has seen some signs of recovery early in the year, with news of a major purchase by the Kuwait Investment Authority in May. The KIA currently has 2 real estate funds managed by local financial institutions in an effort to inject some liquidity into the market, and support confidence.

Elsewhere, the Savings and Credit

Bank approved 561 loans applications - most of which were for new constructions - amounting to about KD 36 million. Though the average number of applications might not change, but we expect to see the average loan size for new housing go up with the upcoming ceiling increase, as the current average sits very close to its ceiling limit.

Euromoney names NBK Best Bank in ME and Kuwait for 2013

VIENNA: Iran’s Minister of Petroleum Rostam Ghasemi (left) and Iran’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh listen to journalists prior to the start of a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, at their headquarters. —AP

OPEC keeps oil output target at 30m barrels VIENNA: OPEC oil ministers reached quick agreement Friday on keeping output targets steady but deferred solutions on how to deal with surging US shale oil production and internal rivalries denting the organization’s image of unity. The 12-nation oil cartel’s decision on keeping the status quo on production of 30 million barrels a day was expected. The price for internationally traded benchmark oil is over $100 a barrel, a level most OPEC countries are happy with.

That’s not the case for OPEC’s customers.

With Europe fighting a stubborn economic downturn and recovery weak in many other parts of the globe, most governments consider oil pricey, as do consumers at the gas pump. But OPEC Secretary General Abdullah Al-Badry said much of the end price was due to add-ons beyond producers’ control. “‘You fill your tank with cost of oil plus taxes,” he told reporters. “If governments want to.... do something to the price, they should reduce their taxes.” In a post-meeting statement, the ministers suggested they could hold an emergency meeting on reducing output should market prices fall substantially. Analysts, however, said such a sharp drop in the markets was unlikely in the short run, despite generally tepid global economic growth.

“Geopolitical tensions are holding the price of oil high,” said John Hall of Alfa Energy, alluding to turmoil in Syria and tensions over the nuclear program of OPEC member Iran. “OPEC doesn’t have to act; the market is acting for it.” On Friday, the price of oil was down slightly, in line with global markets. Brent crude, a benchmark contract for many international oil varieties, was 70 cents lower at $101.49 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Beyond prices and output, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries faces more complex issues. The rise in shale oil production in the US, the world’s biggest economy,

has an impact on OPEC as the country remains a main market for OPEC. Shale oil, which is extracted by combining horizontal drilling with a practice called hydraulic fracturing, helped lift the US’s total output to a daily 7.4 million barrels per day this month.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency says US shale oil production could top 9 million barrels a day by 2018, at the same time as Canadian production is also growing. This is expected to sharply reduce the US’s dependence on OPEC oil. It would also hurt OPEC’s ability to influence market prices. OPEC’s share of global oil production has been around 40 percent in recent years.

The group’s powerhouse, Saudi Arabia, and its Gulf partners have the strength to adjust to cheaper oil prices. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi on Friday called the extra supply from the United States “a welcome addition to the world.” Others, such as Iran, Venezuela and some African producers, disagree, saying they need the price of oil above $100 a barrel to do business.

“We’re very concerned, not just for Nigeria but for Africa as a whole,” said Diezani AlisonMadueke, Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources. “Africa does need to have its exports continuously going out, particularly to important export destinations such as the US.” Sana Abid, an analyst with KBC Energy Economics, said the differing Saudi-Nigerian point of view reflected the “scope for discord” that could hurt the image of OPEC as acting with one voice on oil issues.

“When the stakes are raised, everyone follows their own interests, and shale oil just amplifies this,” she said. Divisions also exist along political lines. Iran is losing hundreds of thousands of barrels a day in oil sales due to international embargoes related to its nuclear program. The country is angry that Saudi Arabia has sought to plug the gap left by overproducing. —AP

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was recognized as the “Best Bank in the Middle East” and the “Best Bank in Kuwait” for 2013 by Euromoney, the renowned international finance magazine.

The awards were presented to NBK - Kuwait CEO Shaikha Al-Bahar at an award ceremony held recently in Dubai.

Commenting on the occasion, AlBahar said that the prestigious awards of “Best Bank in the Middle East” and “Best Bank in Kuwait” for 2013 mark a new recognition of NBK’s unique and leading position regionally.” “We have over the years maintained our leading position in the local, regional and international markets despite the ongoing economic challenges,” added Al-Bahar.

Al-Bahar dedicated the award to NBK employees praising their performance, excellence and professionalism. “NBK’s strong financial performance and leading market

position are due to the achievements and dedication of its outstanding employees,” she said.

Euromoney awards for excellence recognize institutions and individuals that demonstrate leadership,

DUBAI: NBK - Kuwait CEO Shaikha Al-Bahar receives the “Best Bank in Kuwait” and “Best Bank in Middle East 2013” awards.

innovation, and momentum in the markets in which they excel. NBK is recognized as the “Best Bank in the Middle East” and the “Best Bank in Kuwait” for 2013 in view of its remarkable performance.

NBK has consistently been awarded the highest credit ratings of all banks in the region by the major international rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, and is the only bank in the Arab World to be listed among the world’s 50 safest banks for seven times in a row;.

NBK has the widest banking presence with more than 170 branches worldwide. NBK’s international presence spans many of the world’s leading financial centers including London, Paris, Geneva, New York and Singapore, as well as China (Shanghai). Meanwhile, regional coverage extends to Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey.

China’s entrepreneurs expand global presence BEIJING: The force behind China’s biggest takeover of an American company is a 71-year-old meatpacking entrepreneur dubbed “China’s Chief Butcher” by the press who built an empire on his country’s voracious appetite for meat. The $4.7 billion bid for Smithfield Foods by Wan Long, chairman of Shuanghui International, is another big step up for Chinese entrepreneurs who are emerging from the shadow of state-owned corporate giants and expanding on the global stage.

Under pressure to keep economic growth strong, the new government of President Xi Jinping has promised a bigger role and lighter regulatory burden to entrepreneurs who generate China’s jobs and wealth. Still, it is unclear how far the ruling Communist Party is willing to go in making crucial changes including curbing the dominance of state industry. “If these Chinese entrepreneurs who are highly capable are allowed to get on and do what they do best, we’re going to see a lot more deals like this,” said Charles Maynard, senior managing director of Business Development Asia, which advises companies on acquisitions. “Despite lots of hurdles, they are increasingly able to think globally and act globally.”

Another private investor, Fosun International, bought a stake last year in Club Med and says it will team up with insurer AXA to acquire the rest of the French resort operator. Last year, a private firm set the current record for the biggest Chinese takeover of an American company when Wanda Group bought the AMC cinema chain for $2.6 billion.

China’s private companies follow a different path from Western buyers pursuing acquisitions.

Cash-rich but inexperienced, they shop for brands, technology and skills to speed their development. Unlike Western buyers, which might lay off employees, Chinese companies keep them and sometimes hire more. Sweden’s Volvo Cars expanded its workforce after it was acquired in 2010 by Chinese automaker Geely Holding Group.

“We were especially attracted to Smithfield for its strong management team, leading brands and vertically integrated model,” said Shuanghui’s Wan in the statement announcing this week’s bid. The purchase was endorsed by Smithfield’s board but still require approval from shareholders and US regulators. Reflecting the sensitivity of Chinese acquisitions at a time of American complaints about computer hacking and market access, the companies said they would submit the proposed deal for a U.S. government national security review.

The announcement comes as President Barack Obama and China’s Xi prepare to meet for the first time, overshadowed by mounting American frustration about a wave of cyber intrusions traced to China and possibly its military that targets government and commercial secrets. Obama is expected to press Xi to crack down on cybercrime.

The Chinese acquisition of a major food producer “is a bit concerning,” said US Sen Chuck Grassley in a statement. He said regulators should look at what role the communist Beijing government plays in Shuanghui and whether the acquisition might affect national security.

Some, however, warn against linking the deal to strains in the US-China relationship. “This is just not the kind of deal that would or should rankle the US government,” said James Zimmerman, a lawyer in Beijing for the firm Sheppard Mullen and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, in an email.

“The US government would do more harm than good if they use this transaction to leverage out of China better behavior on unrelated issues,” said Zimmerman. “Promoting free trade and open investment only comes from setting an example.”

Despite their role in driving growth, private companies like Shuanghui still are second-class corporate citizens behind state companies that benefit from monopolies and low-cost access to bank loans, land and energy.

The World Bank and other advisers have warned that model requires drastic change if China’s growth is to stay strong. They say more industries have to be opened to private and possibly foreign competitors. A statement by the Cabinet’s planning agency on May 24 promised such change. But it consisted mostly of repeating previous pledges and gave no details of possible reforms. Those are likely to provoke fierce opposition from party factions that depend on state industry to supply money and jobs to reward their supporters.

Entrepreneurs’ expansion abroad comes as China’s explosive double-digit economic growth that powered their rise slows. The slowdown is largely self-imposed as Chinese leaders try to nurture more self-sustaining growth based on domestic consumption instead of exports and investment.

But consumer spending growth is slow. That has forced Beijing to prop up China’s rebound from its deepest downturn since the 2008 global crisis with spending on building subways and other public works, which pumps still more money into state industry.

Growth of the world’s second-largest economy is forecast at 7 to 8 percent over the next decade far above the low single digits expected from the United States and Europe but China’s weakest performance since the ‘90s. “They know this economy may have rough days ahead, so why not take their capital and diversify around the world?” said Jim McGregor, chairman for Greater China at consulting firm APCO. State-owned oil and mining companies still account for China’s biggest deals abroad, including multibillion-dollar investments in Australia, Africa and Latin American. In 2007, China’s sovereign wealth fund bought a 9.9 percent stake in Morgan Stanley for $5.6 billion. But smaller private companies are expanding in a wider array of industries including technology, manufacturing, food processing and real estate. —AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

BUSINESS

KSE ends week in green zone BAYAN INVESTMENT WEEKLY KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 1.79 percent, and the weighted index advanced by 1.40 percent compared to the closings of the week before. In addition KSX-15 index increased by 1.48 percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 7.36 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 119.52 million, whereas trading volume average was 1.21 billion shares, recording decrease of 7.04 percent.

Kuwait Stock Market indicators ended the week, for the third consecutive week, in the green zone, supported by the purchasing operations and the continuous quick speculations on the small-cap stocks in particular, with focus on real estate and financial services sectors, among some positive factors witnessed by the market during this period, where higher traded liquidity considered its landmark.

In addition, the market initiated last week trades with large gains. The price index increased more than 2 percent in the first session of the week, compared to the previous Thursday session, with an increase of approximately 168 point, considered to be the highest gain realized by the Price Index since April 2009, and came after the market decrease in the last couple of sessions of a week before, due to a profit collection action. However, the continuous optimistic state over controlling the traders, and the market positive forecasts surrounding it, were the real support factors which pushed the market indicators to its current positions.

Moreover, the presence of profit collection operations affected the market indices performance, despite the gains realized by the market last week, as such operations included few previously increased stocks, especially the leading stocks, and in turn affected the Weighted Index and KSX-15 Index in particular, and caused them to shed in some daily sessions, therefore limited their weekly gains.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 39.87 percent annual gain compared to its closing in 2012, while the weighted index increased by 13.96 percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 10.15 percent increase. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 8,300.51 points, up by 1.79 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.40 percent weekly gain after closing at 475.95 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 1,111.56 points, increasing with 1.48 percent.

Sectors’ indices Eight of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other four recorded declines. Last week’s highest

gainer was the Insurance sector, achieving 6.73 percent growth rate as its index closed at 1,218.75 points. Whereas, in the second place, the financial services sector’s index closed at 1,244.99 points recording 3.15 percent increase.

The telecommunications sector came in third as its index achieved 2.72 percent growth, ending the week at 968.41 points. The consumer services sector was the least growing as its index closed at 1,081.59 points with a 0.11 percent increase.

On the other hand, the technology sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 1.64 percent to end the week’s activity at 1,152.05 points. The health care sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 1.18 percent, closing at 1,121.83 points, followed by the oil and gas sector, as its index closed at 1,233.81 points at a loss of 0.50 percent. The basic materials sector was the least declining as its index closed at 1,240.17 points with a 0.16 percent decrease.

trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 28.60 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 1.73 billion shares.

On the other hand, the financial services sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover

of KD 209.61 million or 35.08 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The real estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 160 million represented 26.77 percent of the total market trading value.

Sectors’ activity The financial services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 2.34 billion shares changing hands, representing 38.57 percent of the total market trading volume. The real estate sector was second in terms of

Bond yields rise, stocks sink on Fed speculation Dollar climbs off three-week low

Jazeera Airways accepts delivery of brand new Airbus A320 aircraft KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Group yesterday took delivery of a brand new Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing the total number of its fleet to 13 aircraft. The new aircraft is scheduled to arrive to Kuwait today afternoon and placed in operation after it left the manufacturer’s A320 facility in Toulouse, France this morning.

The new aircraft is part of the airline’s growth strategy to operate new and modern aircraft, and to take on new aircraft deliveries until 2014 in parallel with Kuwait’s overall market growth.

Jazeera Airways Group Chairman, Marwan Boodai, said, “Kuwait has been witnessing gradual growth over the last few years driven by a continued increase in consumer confidence and spending on the one hand, an increase government spending on the other hand.”

Boodai added, “Every aircraft we inaugurate passes through a diligent nine-month review process by our team, our partners, and an independent inspector whom we hire. This process covers securing the best deals, aircraft customization, standards review, and quality checks for over one thousand components, all that are validated by our team, our partners, and our

independent inspectors. Every successful aircraft delivery is the result of great efforts by the Jazeera Airways team and our partners.”

The newly delivered aircraft will be placed in operation in the passenger airline business Jazeera Airways. To date, the company has taken delivery of 13 Airbus A320s since 2005 out of its order of 15 aircraft of the same type. The company’s remaining two aircraft from its current order are scheduled for delivery in Q4 of 2013 and 2014.

The Airbus A320 is the world’s best-selling aircraft. There are over 5,500 A320 aircraft in operation by airlines across the world, and over 3,900 aircraft scheduled for delivery over the coming years. The A320 single-aisle jetliner family is the world’s most eco-efficient single-aisle product line. It is used in a full range of services from very short-haul airline routes to intercontinental segments.

Jazeera Airways Group is a Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed company with a fleet of 13 fullyowned Airbus A320s, distributed between its airline business, Jazeera Airways (seven aircraft), and its fully-owned leasing-arm Sahaab Aircraft

Leasing (six aircraft). Sahaab has assets placed with Virgin America, Sri Lankan Airlines, Nasair and Jazeera Airways.

Jazeera Airways operates its seven fullyowned Airbus A320s with a two-class cabin comprising a Business Class and an Economy Class. Business Class travelers get both an upgraded experience and exclusivity, starting with exclusive check-in lines, business lounge access, up to 60 kilograms in free baggage allowance, and an exclusive on-board cabin. The airline’s Economy Class offers travelers free baggage allowance of 40 kilograms and free onboard meals with a changing menu ever y month.

Jazeera Airways is based in Kuwait and serves 19 popular destinations in the Middle East from Kuwait comprising high-demand business, leisure, family, and weekend destinations such as Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, Alexandria, Amman, Istanbul, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, Mashhad, Sohag, Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo and AlNajaf. Jazeera Airways is an IATA-member airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleets in the Middle East.

NEW YORK: US stocks sold off and government bond yields rose on Friday after improved factory activity in the US Midwest and rising consumer sentiment increased anxiety about the Federal Reserve’s next move. US Treasury debt prices ended their worst month in nearly 2-1/2 years. On Friday, bond yields retested their highest levels in more than 13 months, set two days earlier, even though data signaled inflation remained low because of sluggish growth.

Global equity markets fell amid volatile trading on concerns that the Fed may ease its stimulus program, a driver of a strong rally in US stocks and equities elsewhere in the world. A slide on Wall Street accelerated at day’s end, driving the Dow industrials down more than 200 points.

The three major US stock indexes fell more than 1 percent amid a rebalancing of the MSCI stock indexes.

“As you sensed the weakening market with drifting lower underlying bids, I think sellers started to get a little nervous, and you started to see different areas of the market coming a little more unglued,” said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities, in Los Angeles. The S&P 500 posted consecutive weekly losses for the first time since November as investors took some money off the table after a rally that has pushed the benchmark index up 14.3 percent the best first five months of a year since 1997.

The S&P 500 ended May up 2.1 percent, its seventh straight month of gains and its longest streak of monthly gains since 2009. “Traders were going into the end of month long, and traders were going to be sellers at the end of the day, regardless,” James said. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 208.96 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 15,115.57. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 23.67 points, or 1.43 percent, to finish at 1,630.74. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 35.38 points, or 1.01 percent, to end at 3,455.91. The dollar advanced after data showed Midwestern factory activity regaining speed, but US consumer spending fell in April for the first time in almost a year and already low inflation declined

further. While the factory data added fuel to growing speculation that the Fed may begin to taper asset purchases, the US central bank’s favorite gauge of inflation showed price increases well under its target rate, making a pullback less likely any time soon.

US and German government debt prices reversed course and fell after the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago business barometer jumped to 58.7 from 49 in April, handily beating economists’ expectations for a reading of 50. The dollar rose against several key currencies and posted its eighth straight month of gains against the yen.

Investors and traders are grappling with whether the Fed, looking at a stronger economy, will choose to end its bond-buying program as stocks and housing prices surge. “If you get the hint or the idea that they’re going to start to trim purchases, then this is the volatility that’s going to be created around it,” said Sean Murphy, a Treasuries trader at Societe Generale in New York.

A Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey that showed greater optimism over the economic outlook and personal finances pushed US consumer sentiment to its highest level in nearly six years in May - and initially helped stocks. A measure of global equities, MSCI’s allcountry world equity index, fell 1.18 percent. The bond market recovered in a late surge of buying, pushing the price of the 30-year bond slightly higher for the day.

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury note fell 3/32 in price to yield 2.13 percent, after the yield earlier traded as low as 2.066 percent. German Bund futures also retreated in rocky trade to end the session almost flat, down 2 ticks at 143.71. In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 index leading regional shares finished 0.92 percent lower at 1,216.17. The index rose 1.6 percent in May to record the best monthly winning streak in its 16-year history. The euro fell to a session low of $1.2945 and was last at $1.2994, down 0.41 percent for the day.

The dollar rose 0.33 percent to 100.39 yen.

US oil prices fell below $93 a barrel, extending losses after weak consumer spending data. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait consumers remain upbeat: MasterCard survey

By Islam Al-Sharaa KUWAIT: A recent survey conducted by MasterCard, consumer confidence in Kuwait remains quite high in the Middle East, second only to Qatar with a score of 95.8. In an interview with Kuwait Times, Safdar Khan, Area Business Head, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, MasterCard, spoke at length about the reasons of the rising consumer confidence in Kuwait and its dynamics on business growth.

KT: What are the reasons you attribute to the steady rise in the consumer confidence in Kuwait?

Safdar Khan: Consumer Confidence in Kuwait is at its highest since 2010, with an extremely optimistic score of 95.8.

Consumers surveyed are most optimistic about regular income (98.8 vs. 96.2 in the previous Index), followed by quality of life (96.6 vs. 91.3), economy (95.7 vs. 88.3), employment (93.9 vs. 88.8) and stock market (93.8 vs. 59.0).

The high consumer confidence score could in large part be driven by the government’s ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable financial and economic growth.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mustafa Jassim Al-Shamali recently highlighted that Kuwait’s financial policy is aimed at boosting economic reforms, creating feasible investment opportunities for the private sector and increasing the role of the private sector in boosting eco-

Safdar Khan nomic activity in the country. These efforts not only benefit the economy as a whole, but also increase consumers’ prospects for Regular Income and Employment.

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) echoes this positive sentiment, and recently granted positive ratings to Kuwait’s economy. The agency has assigned Kuwait long-term and short-term ratings of AA and A-1+, respectively, and a stable outlook.

KT: Do you believe that the Kuwait government’s proposed plan to balance the demographics by reducing the number of expatriate population will affect the consumer confidence in medium term?

Khan: Many countries in the Middle East have initiated plans to strengthen their economies through nationalization drives. Governments, especially ones traditionally reliant on oil, are increasingly diversifying their efforts to build knowledge-based economies. By creating increased and sustainable job opportunities for local communities, governments are creating long-term prospects for their citizens and ultimately enhancing their countries’ capabilities while also diversifying their economies.

KT: Why are consumers in Qatar more optimistic than the consumers in Kuwait? Spell out the Qatari advantage from MasterCard’s perspective.

Khan: In the latest Index, both countries were rated as being extremely optimistic, with Qatar scoring 96.5, and Kuwait scoring 95.8. In fact, when comparing individual indicators, Kuwait scored higher than Qatar for both quality of life (96.6 vs.

96.2) and stock market (93.8 vs. 92.0).

Looking at the Index’s methodology, respondents in the respective markets are asked 5 questions pertaining to their 6month outlook on the economy, employment prospects, the local stock market, their regular income prospects and their quality of life. These results are then converted in 5 component indexes which were averaged to form the MasterCard Index of Consumer Confidence (MWICC) score. The scores therefore reflect the sentiment of consumers, and not MasterCard’s outlook for the markets.

Over the last 26 years, MasterCard has remained committed to supporting the development of the payments landscape throughout the Middle East. MasterCard has been investing in emerging markets throughout the globe, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is a key focus for us. Over the years, we have worked with partners in both Kuwait and Qatar to develop innovative products and payment solutions that offer consumers meaningful benefits.

KT: How is the general consumer confidence in the Middle East? Do you see any fallout from the lingering Arab Spring turmoil on consumers in the region?

Khan: Across the Middle East, the consumer confidence level remains very optimistic at an average score of 81.1, with positive scores for all five indicators. When compared to the previous edition of the Index released 6 months ago, consumers

are most optimistic about Regular Income (85.1 vs. 89.8), employment (80.8 vs. 85.5), economy (80.0 vs. 84.4), stock market (79.9 vs. 74.9) and Quality of Life (79.9 vs. 82.9).

The Arab Spring naturally had a negative impact on the directly affected countries, which created opportunities for other countries in the region. The drop in consumer confidence index in some Arab countries reflects this drop in economic activity. However, the turmoil has also created new opportunities in some affected countries as companies had to re-evaluate their priorities and shift their focus to core activities as they strive to ensure business continuity, and we have also seen companies adapt their strategies in order to augment revenue.

Markets like Egypt, for example, have had to accelerate their domestic business focus to mitigate loss of inbound tourism revenue. As governments assess new investment opportunities and look to set up new industries, businesses should make the use of this new economic landscape to differentiate themselves and bring tailored offerings to the market.

MasterCard has been investing in emerging markets throughout the globe, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is a key focus for us. With more than 1.5 billion people, the Middle East and Africa presents a significant long term business opportunity as we see a shift in global consumption from West to East.

The importance of the region stems from the fact that consumers in emerging markets will drive value creation and growth in the global economy over the coming years, marking a major shift in global consumption from West to East.

MasterCard’s Insights report Consumer Spending Outlook and Value Creation in the new global economy shows that between 2012 and 2016, emerging markets will add an average of $1.2 trillion of consumer spending to the global economy per year, whereas developed markets will add only around $700 billion. The MEA region is becoming a very important player within the emerging economies.

KT: Give a brief overview of MasterCard’s performance in Kuwait and the region.

Khan: MasterCard is deeply committed to the market, and has been working with our partners in Kuwait for a number of years. We are working closely with our stakeholders to develop innovative products and solutions that offer consumers in Kuwait meaningful benefits. We provide support to our customers by assisting with the development of products and offering a wide variety of payment solutions and technologies to appeal to all consumers.

Our collaborations with our partners have brought consumers innovative payment solutions for many years. Recently, The Sultan Center Food Products Co. (TSC) and Ahli United Bank (AUB) announced the launch of a co-branded MasterCard Titanium credit card, which offers customers unique benefits and rewards. The card allows cardholders to earn double TSC reward card points on all purchases from TSC stores across Kuwait.

Cardholders also benefit from a 15 percent discount at TSC restaurants and fashion stores, 20 percent discount on international shipping charges for TSC’s “Just Ask” service, while also getting the chance to enter into quarterly prize draws. The Titanium MasterCard Credit Card also allows consumers to avail complimentary access to lounges at select airports throughout the Middle East, and receive fraud protection coverage and exclusive offers throughout the year.

We have also collaborated with Kuwait Finance House and Kuwait Airways to launch the ‘Baitok - Oasis Club’ prepaid card, which encourages consumers to use their prepaid cards during overseas trips through an incentive scheme with the airline. Cardholders receive 1,600 airline miles upon joining, two free miles for every local purchase worth KD 1, and three free miles for every overseas purchase. Cardholders also receive SMS messages notifying them of overseas purchases over KD 15, and are automatically entered into a monthly draw to win airline tickets to Dubai. The Burgan Bank World MasterCard Card has been launched to meet the needs of the bank’s private customers. The card is part of MasterCard’s World platform, which provides an innovative experience-based service platform for affluent customers and is packed with a host of high value benefits and rewards which include travel benefits, lifestyle concierge and insurance, among others.

The recently-launched NBK Business Banking card is first of its kind in the region. This MasterCard Titanium offering has been launched for the bank’s business banking customers. This is new customer segment for the bank in its offering to the business segment, and has been developed to suit the needs of these banking customers. ] MasterCard reports on global and regional levels only and we don’t reveal country specific financial information.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2013, MasterCard reported net income of $766 million, up 12 percent, and earnings per diluted share of $6.23, up 16 percent, in each case versus the year-ago period. Net revenue for the first quarter of 2013 was $1.9 billion, an 8 percent increase versus the same period in 2012. Adjusted for currency, net revenue increased 9 percent. A 12 percent increase in gross dollar volume, a 16 percent increase in cross-border volumes and a 12 percent increase in processed transactions contributed to the net revenue growth.

N Korean farmers planting rice with profits in mind N Korea suffers chronic food, power shortages HAMHUNG: North Korean farmers knee deep in muddy paddies across the country have a new incentive during this year’s crucial rice planting season: possible bonuses that are part of an economic shift echoing ally China’s steps three decades ago toward embracing capitalism. Details about the changes are emerging nearly two months after the regime unveiled dual goals of building the economy and nuclear weapons in the first concrete economic policy laid out by leader Kim Jong Un since he took power in December 2011.

Farmers say they have begun working under the new policies, which are designed to boost production by giving managers and workers financial incentives.

Foreign analysts say the moves to spur North Korea’s moribund economy suggest Pyongyang is taking cues from Beijing on how to incorporate free market ideas within its rigid socialist system.

The North’s policy enshrining its provocative push to build atomic weapons as a national goal has complicated efforts to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear program and dominated international discussion about the country. Pyongyang’s economic priorities have drawn far less attention but some experts think important reforms could be unfolding. Impoverished North Korea suffers chronic food and power shortages and has not released economic data for decades. South Korea’s central bank estimates the North’s gross national income, an indicator of the average standard of living, was $1,250 per person in 2011 compared with $23,400 in South Korea.

In the past, the North Korean state set workers’ salaries. Under new measures announced April 1, the managers of farms, factories and other enterprises have been given leeway to set salaries and offer raises to workers who help drive up production. “This is definitely significant,” said John Delury, an assistant professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Providing material incentives and loosening central control over economic decision making are two key elements in the transition from a command economy to a market-based system, he said. Also announced April 1: the reappointment of Pak Pong Ju as premier after his dismissal from the post in 2007. Pak was central to attempts at economic change more than a decade ago.

“You just wouldn’t bring back Pak Pong Ju unless you were going to try readjusting economy policy. There would be no reason to do that,” said Delury, calling it a strong sign of Kim Jong Un’s

interest in lifting living standards.

North Korea’s policy changes find an echo in China’s market reforms that have transformed it into a manufacturing powerhouse and the world’s second-largest economy while also lifting several hundred million out of grinding poverty.

Beijing dismantled its centrally planned economy slowly. In the 1970s, it began allowing farmers to keep more of their harvests, giving them an incentive to grow more to sell on newly permitted free markets. Food production

The Associated Press reported last September that farmers were notified of upcoming management changes at collective farms that would put decision-making and responsibility for crops in the hands of local officials and give farmers the right to hold onto surpluses. “Last year, we studied reasonable economic management methods in different fields of economic work, and introduced it to some units on a trial basis,” Ri Ki Song, an economist from North Korea’s Academy of Social Sciences, told AP this week.

dent of the Pacific Forum CSIS in Hawaii, noted that North Korea has rolled back past attempts at economic reform. “ The North Koreans have played reform games before and then just sort of pulled the rug out from under it,” he said. Cossa cited international aid groups as saying the military is pressuring farmers to donate their portion to the army. Last year, a farmer’s wife in Sariwon, south of Pyongyang, told the AP she planned to donate any surplus harvest to the state as a token of

HAMHUNG: In this photo, North Korean farm workers transplant rice seedlings at Tongbong Cooperative Farm, near Hamhung, North Korea. —AP soared. In the mid-’80s, the government gave state enterprises the authority to link bonuses and salaries to better performance.

Those changes were mostly aimed at managers, but they cracked a communist-era preference for egalitarianism.

New rules in the early 1990s gave state enterprises full flexibility to set wages, widening the use of performance incentives. In that decade, China truly broke away from its centralized “iron rice bowl” system of guaranteed employment and state -set incomes.

Delury and others cautioned that if North Korea is intent on economic reform, it is likely to be a fitful process. “We have to be careful not to say: Aha, it’s all change, it’s finally here,” he said. “ The point is, and we see this from the Chinese case, this is a process that unfolds over time and there are starts and stops, too. But this is a strong signal of a push.”

North Korea formally announced the policy, and its expansion to include factories and other enterprises, a day after holding a plenar y session of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party.

Rodong Sinmun, the party newspaper, called it part of a “new strategic line.” Ri, however, dismissed characterizations of the changes as reform. What’s new, he said, is allowing managers to dole out goods and cash as incentives. In addition, after paying back investments provided by the state, managers can set their employees’ salaries and offer raises to those who help drive up production, he said.

The main goal: to encourage “greater profits” and solve North Korea’s chronic food shortage, Ri said. He said North Koreans work hard, but the new incentives give them motivation to work even harder. “ They are saying that higher salaries and shares will improve their life.” Political and military expert Ralph Cossa, presi-

her patriotism.

At the Tongbong farm in the eastern city of Hamhung, farmers are in the midst of a busy rice planting season after a long, cold winter. This year, things are being managed differently, said Kim Jong Jin, deputy chairman of the farm’s managing committee. He said the state provided the farm with the rice seedlings, which farmers are now transplanting to paddies by hand. Farmers are on smaller teams that have direct responsibility over their plots.

After the rice is harvested, farmers must “repay” the state for the seeds. At Tongbong that means giving the state about 193 kilograms of rice as payback for every 140 kilograms of seedlings they received. But any surplus can be kept by the team to sell, barter or distribute - a change from past policies that required farmers to turn all harvests over to the state.

“This encourages enthusiasm for production and we get more of what’s produced,” Kim said. — AP

Air Arabia celebrates 1m flight hours with CFM engines SHARJAH: In a special ceremony held at Air Arabia’s hangar in Sharjah, UAE, Air Arabia and CFM International celebrated the achievement of one million engine flight hours with the airline’s fleet of CFM56-5B engines. Air Arabia, the first and largest low cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa fleet has also been awarded the elite TRUEngine Status by the manufacturer CFM, one of few airlines to receive this award.

Speaking at the ceremony, held today in Sharjah to celebrate these achievements; Adel A Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said; “The success of Air Arabia’s relationship with CFM International is evidenced by our 10 year partnership. Air Arabia enjoys a long track record of operational excellence and we remain focused on offering the best value to our customers combined with excellent operational performance. This means a world track record in utilization of our

resources, including the Airbus A320 aircraft powered by the state-of the art CFM56 engines.”

Air Arabia has been a CFM customer since it began scheduled service in October 2003. It has received the TRUEngine designation following a rigorous review of its maintenance and flight records. The designation serves as a method for identifying engines with CFM-approved content and facilitates product support of the engine system. Moreover, industry stakeholders can use the knowledge of engine content to evaluate engine value and re-marketability.

“We are pleased to celebrate these two tremendous milestones with Air Arabia, and the entire CFM Team extends its warmest congratulations,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, President and CEO of CFM International. “We believe that we build the most reliable engines in the air, but we know it is the maintenance crews at our airline customers that

keep them flying. The Air Arabia team has done an outstanding job maintaining these engines. The fleet has maintained a 99.98 percent departure reliability rate. These statistics rank among the very best in the industry. We consider it an honor to be part of the team.”

The TRUEngine program is available for all CFM56 engines. To qualify, a customer submits a declared list of compliant engine serial numbers, along with engine maintenance records, to CFM for evaluation to ensure the engine content, overhaul practices, and repairs are consistent with CFM requirements for that engine model.

Air Arabia enjoys a track record of excellence in operational performance. The carrier has consistently been recognized amongst the world’s best operator of an Airbus A320 fleet. The holds Airbus award for achieving the highest level of Airbus A320 aircraft utilisation in the world.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

BUSINESS

Agility holds its Annual Ordinary General Meeting KUWAIT: Agility held its Annual Ordinary General Meeting with a quorum of 69%. The general assembly approved all the items on the agenda including the distribution of 5 percent bonus shares (5 shares for every 100 shares) and a 30 percent cash dividend (30 fils for every share) for 2012.

The assembly also elected the company’s new Board of Directors. The new Board members Tarek Abdulaziz Sultan Al Essa, Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS), Jamil Sultan Al-Essa,

Naser Mohammed Fahad Al-Rashed, Ayman Bader Sultan Al-Essa, Essam Khaleel Mohammed Al-Refai and Henadi Anwar Essa Al-Saleh will serve for the coming three years.

Speaking to shareholders Tarek Sultan, Chairman and Managing Director of Agility said “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. Since then, we have seen double digit improvement in EBITDA. 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.”

For the full year ending December 31, 2012, Agility reported a net profit of 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 also increased by 7 percent to KD 1.4 billion.

“We commit to our stakeholders that we are building a business that is strong and stable, by anyone’s measure.” added 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 indi-

vidual 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.” Sultan said “Finally, I also want to thank our shareholders for their continuous support and recognize our employees who define our character, our performance, and the specialized knowledge that differentiates us a company.”

Qatar Airways increases capacity to North Africa Flights to Tripoli, Casablanca go non-stop

Toyota is now world’s most valuable car brand KUWAIT: In the eight years since the BrandZ report was first published in 2006, Toyota was crowned brand value leader in the automotive sector six times, and second on two separate occasions. Brand value can be a fickle thing. It’s impossible to measure accurately and it can be affected by numerous volatile factors. But at the end of the day, if a consumer is willing to pay more for one brand over another then brand value becomes a vital indicator of a company’s overall value.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the auto industry, where a consumer’s perception of a brand can often be the main decisive factor when it comes to buying a new car. One of the best indicators of how

valuable each brand is compared to its rivals is the annual BrandZ Top 100 global survey, conducted by influential market research firm Millward Brown. In its latest study, Millward Brown researchers found that Toyota is once again the most valuable automotive brand in the world, with an estimated value of $24.5 billion, a gain of 12 percent on last year’s result. BrandZ also suggests that Toyota’s strong brand value developments were shaped in part by the growth of customer affinity towards hybrid vehicles. Since Toyota pioneered the world’s first mass produced full hybrid vehicle in 1997 - Toyota Prius - sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrid models have exceeded 5 million globally.

ASEC Minya launches clinker production KUWAIT: Citadel Capital, the leading investment company in Africa and the Middle East with investments of $ 9.5 billion, announced that ASEC Minya (formerly the Arab National Cement Company), a key subsidiary of portfolio company ASEC Cement, has started the production of clinker at its 2.0 MPTA cement plant in Minya. Cement production is expected to commence within one month.

The $360 million greenfield plant has implemented the most advanced technology in cement and clinker manufacturing and is in strict adherence with international environmental standards. The high-quality Portland Grey cement that ASEC Minya will produce will capitalize on the abundance of limestone in the Minya governorate. As the only cement plant in Minya producing Grey cement, ASEC Minya is perfectly positioned to serve other high-demand markets across Upper Egypt. The plant has created 400 direct and 800 indirect jobs in Minya at a time when the Egyptian economy is struggling to regain strength postrevolution.

“We are extremely proud to have been able to see this project through to completion despite the challenging operational environment,” said ASEC Cement CEO Giorgio Bodo. “Security issues, fuel scarcity and a general environment of instability resulted in major setbacks and required us to come up with creative ways of ensuring that the project did not come to a halt.”

ASEC Minya will be connected to the national grid via a 42-kilometer transmission line that connects the plant to the

Samalloot power station. A slow regulatory approval process will not allow the plant to have a connection to the electrical grid until the end of 2013 but in the meantime ASEC Minya has come up with a temporary solution with rented generators to provide power to the plant.

Construction on the plant began in December 2010 but work on site was interrupted one month later due to the Egyptian Revolution. In order to make up for lost time, ASEC Cement came up with a recovery plan that allowed it to arrive at clinker production in an impressive 28 months.

“These are very commendable results per se and absolutely outstanding given the situation in the country post-revolution,” said Bodo. Located 200 kilometers south of Cairo and 50 kilometers north of the city of Minya, ASEC Minya is the second greenfield cement plant to be launched by ASEC Cement in 5 years. The first was Takamol Cement in Sudan, a 1.6 MPTA plant that began production in November 2010. “We would like to thank the entire team at ASEC Minya, particularly our Technical Department and our contractors ASEC Automation, Esaco and Aresco.

Without them, this achievement would not have been possible,” said Bodo. “After Takamol in Sudan, this is another example of our ability to execute large projects under very difficult circumstances and a testament of our determination to succeed.” ASEC Cement, a leading regional cement group, is the largest shareholder in ASEC Minya

FASTtelco provides Wi-Fi services in Salhiya Complex KUWAIT: FASTtelco, the leading internet service provider in the State of Kuwait specialized in providing innovative internet and data communications solutions, announced that it has successfully launched its Wi-Fi services in Salhiya Complex, a key destination for businessmen and luxury shoppers. The company said in a press statement that the installation of a Wi-Fi network in Salhiya Complex aims at offering the visitors of this eminent commercial center the best Internet connection, as a result of the company’s constant efforts to enhance its presence and Wi-Fi coverage in all major locations in the state of Kuwait.

FASTtelco’s aspiration to cover such key locations stems from its responsibility to ensure reliable connectivity and offer the best possible quality of internet usage in all times and at all places, providing users with enough flexibility to pursue their online activities without interruption.

Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib, Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Deera Holding, and CEO of FASTtelco, expressed that this step strengthens FASTtelco’s leading role and proves its dedication towards investing in opportunities and developed networks

Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib to bring the best for its clients and for the numerous visitors of Salhiya Complex. He explained that the installation of Wi-Fi services would enable the visitors to enjoy a reliable and easy to use high quality internet service.

On the other hand, officials from Salhiya Complex expressed their appreciation upon this fruitful collaboration for it is considered as an addition to the pleasurable experience aimed and directed to the visiting public. Al-Nakib went on and confirmed that FASTtelco will keep on working further in developing its internet services locally in order to meet the communication and connectivity needs of its clients and the general public.

DOHA: Qatar Airways yesterday announced an increase in capacity between Qatar and North Africa with its flights to Tripoli and Casablanca going non-stop, from this weekend. Effective from yesterday, scheduled ser vices to the Libyan capital Tripoli will be delinked from the Egyptian city of Alexandria offering additional seats to both cities. On the same day, Morocco’s biggest city and tourist destination Casablanca will have direct non-stop services from the airline’s Doha hub. Currently the route is served via the Tunisian capital of Tunis.

With the de-linking and re-introduction of non-stop flights, Qatar Airways is giving passengers travelling to the four North African cities with more choice and flexibility when planning their travels.

Passengers from the Asia Pacific, South Asia and Middle East and can now take advantage of a seamless one-stop connection to Tripoli and Casablanca via Doha.

Travellers also have easier access through Doha to more than 100 destinations worldwide, including popular cities such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Manila, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Cochin, Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi and Singapore.

Qatar Air ways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the re-introduction of non-stop flights to Tripoli and Casablanca demonstrated the airline’s commitment to North Africa.

“We are delighted to resume

non-stop flights from June 1to our two popular North African destinations,” he said. “Today’s announcement is a significant step by Qatar Airways as we show our continued confidence in North Africa. This means more capacity and improved travel times to and from Tripoli and Casablanca to destinations across our network.”

Qatar Air ways reintroduced scheduled services between Doha and Tripoli in February 2012 after temporarily suspending operations to the city due to the unstable political situation in Libya. Initially, the route was served three-times-aweek, via Alexandria, and due to popular demand increased to daily services in August last year.

Qatar Airways also serves Libya’s second largest city Benghazi with four flights each week directly from Doha. The airline currently serves Tripoli with an Airbus A320, featuring 12 seats in BusinessClass and up to 132 seats in Economy.

Selected A320s feature seatback TV screens providing all passengers in both cabins with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system. The Casablanca route is operated with an Airbus A330 in a two-class configuration of up to 248 seats in Economy and up to 36 seats in Business Class.

The aircraft features seatback TV screens providing all passengers in both cabins with the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system- a choice of more than 800 audio and video

on demand options.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 16 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 124 aircraft to 127 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas. Qatar Airways has so far launched five destinations this year - Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Najaf (Iraq), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Chicago (USA)

and Salalah (Oman).

Over the next few weeks and months, the network will grow further with Basra and Sulaymaniyah (Iraq on June 3 and August 20 respectively), Chengdu, China (September 3) and newly announced routes of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (September 18), Clark International Airport, Philippines (October 28) and Philadelphia, USA (April 2, 2014).

Yusuf A Alghanim announces Visco BP campaign winners KUWAIT: Yusuf Ahmad Alghanim & Sons Company announced that its campaign for Visco BP oils concluded after achieving great success and appeal. It’s been noticed that in spite of the tough competition in the market of vehicle and engine oils, BP Visco oils could generate great trust and reliability to prove again that the customers in Kuwait have a clear knowledge and awareness of the quality standards of the best vehicle oils that fit their cars and protect their safety as well as their cars’ engines. Therefore, BP Visco oil is getting an increasing market share that strongly expresses its internationally leading position.

Yusuf A. Alghanim, the exclusive dealer for BP oil in Kuwait, developed a promotional campaign to greet and award the customers for their smart selection of BP. Two Chevrolet Cruze cars, LCDs, iPhone 5’s, iPad’s mini, Laptops, and X-cite vouchers where the prizes in raffle draw by the end of this successful campaign that lasted from February 23, 2013 till May 20, 2013.

The draw was carried out on May 28, and was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, and a number of managers and employees from Yusuf A Alghanim & sons

Company, in addition to customers and media staff. The names of the winners of two Chevrolet Cruze vehicles were announced, in addition to other winners who went home with many valuable prizes. The raffle draw was carried out at Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah ballroom at Salwa Cooperative Society. Yusuf Ahmad Alghanim & Sons Company and Visco BP staff highly appreciated the great efforts of the chairman and

board members of Salwa Society to make this event happen and become a real success.

Successfully ending this campaign, Yusuf A Alghanim and BP Visco are working jointly to create and develop more outstanding offers that give the customers with real value for money and more to express the mutual vision to provide high quality products, services and offers.

ABK announces ‘Double & Triple your Miles with ABK’ campaign KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) announces the start of its credit cards campaign, offering its customers the chance to double or triple their Skyward Miles earned this summer. The “Double & Triple Your Miles with ABK” summer promotion is in collaboration with our exclusive co-brand partner Emirates Airlines. In addition to the Skywards Miles that the ABK credit cardholders already receive every time they use their cards locally or abroad, they will also have the chance to double or triple

their Skywards Miles earned in a month.

ABK will hold monthly draws in which the first prize winners will receive triple the Skywards Miles earned for the month and second prize winners will receive double the Skyward Miles. All the cardholders have to do to win is use their ABK Emirates credit card for purchases of KD100 or more both locally and abroad. The more the cardholders spend the more chances they will have to enter the monthly draws and win. The promotion is running

until August 31, 2013. Stewart Lockie, GM Retail Banking stated, “ABK credit cards are the first, best and only airline co-brand credit cards in Kuwait.

Each time our customers use their cards locally or abroad they earn Skywards Miles, and for this year’s summer campaign we have decided to give our customers a chance to double or triple their Skywards Miles earned in a month, which they can use to book tickets or upgrade seats on Emirates and much more. “.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

technology

10 years on, Europe salutes its Martian scout PARIS: It was built on a relative shoestring, was completed in just five years and was designed to survive for just 687 days. Ten years later, after more than 12,000 swings around the Red Planet, Europe’s Mars Express is still going strong.

Along with NASA’s massively successful fleet of probes and landers, the orbital scout has helped pull aside the veil of secrecy surrounding our sister planet. It has pointed to the presence of subterranean water and a wild volcanic past and shed light on the bizarrely-pocked martian moons.

“The mission has already provided countless breathtaking views of Mars in three dimensions,” says the European Space Agency (ESA). “It has traced the history of water across the globe, demonstrating that Mars once harboured environmental conditions that may have been suitable for life.”

The orbiter’s seven instruments have detected minerals that form only in the presence of water and seen underground formations of water ice. Scans of the surface suggest volcanism on Mars may have

persisted until recent times. And its chemical analysis of the martian atmosphere indicates the possible presence of methane-which on Earth is attributed to active volcanism and biological life.

The first European mission to explore another planet, Mars Express was launched from Baikonur cosmodrome by a Russian Soyuz rocket on June 2 2003, just when Earth and Mars were approaching their closest alignment in 17 years.

The mission ran into a humiliating setback that December with the crash of a small British-built lander, Beagle-2, whose loss remains unexplained to this day. But the mission, designed to last for one martian year, has already been extended four times, and its latest closure date is for the end of 2014.

Mars Express is proving to be so sturdy that its builder, Astrium, believes it may even be around in January 2016 to welcome ExoMars, an unmanned European-Russian mission that will explore the methane enigma.

“Nobody would have believed it back then,” says

the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which developed what is arguably the star instrument aboard Mars Express: a stereoscopic camera that has imaged more than two-thirds of the planet in colour and 3D to a resolution of 20 metres (65 feet) per pixel. Memorable images include Mars’ icy southern pole and Olympus Mons which towers 26,000 metres (84,500 feet) above the surrounding plains.

Conceived as a streamlined, low-cost project, Mars Express was a gamble for ESA. It broke with conventional thinking that planetary exploration required individually-tailored probes that took a decade to make and inevitably cost a billion bucks apiece. To save costs, ESA’s contractors essentially resorted to mass production. The basic box-like design for Mars Express, and for a sister spacecraft called Venus Express-launched in 2005 and also doing fine-is the same platform as for Rosetta, a comet-chasing probe whose mission is due to climax next year. So far, exploration of Mars has cost ESA 300 million euros ($390 million), which is minute for

a mission that has returned such wonders.

And not a single life has been placed at risk. Last week came proof that a manned trip to Mars would be health-threatening unless today’s chemical rockets are replaced by much faster transport.

Measurements made aboard the Mars Science Laboratory, an unmanned NASA rover and mobile lab that landed in August 2012 showed exposure to high levels of radiation during its 253-day trip.

These are particles spewed out by the Sun, or coming from beyond our Solar System, that can slice through DNA and boost the risk of cancer.

“In terms of accumulated dose, it’s like getting a whole-body CT scan once every five or six days,” said Cary Zeitlin of the Southwest Research Institute’s (SwRI) Space Science and Engineering Division.

“Radiation exposure at the level we measured is right at the edge, or possibly over the edge of what is considered acceptable in terms of career exposure limits defined by NASA and other space agencies.”— AFP

India’s Infosys recalls founder as woes mount

OHIO: Private detective Frank Estrella uses online tools as part of his work, in addition to the traditional cameras and binoculars. — MCT

Snooping highlights lower privacy standards for email, cellphones OHIO: Law enforcement can potentially spy on the American people without their knowledge or an oversight from a judge, thanks to antiquated laws that privacy advocates say haven’t kept pace with technology advances. “We haven’t had a wide-scale change in our privacy laws since the 1980s, and imagine where we were with technology back then compared to today,” said Mike Brickner, director of communications and public policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Government agencies don’t need search warrants in many cases to obtain people’s private emails, electronic messages and cellphone records. Instead, they can acquire the records through subpoenas, which require less strict standards of evidence.

Law enforcement is increasingly using its subpoena power on social media providers like Google to obtain information on users during criminal investigations. The reporting requirements are such that average Americans may never know they are being snooped on unless the surveillance results in criminal charges. The US Department of Justice used subpoenas to secretly seize phone records of editors and reporters from the Associated Press, allegedly as part of a leak investigation, without first getting a warrant from a judge. Critics said the amount of information the government collected was “harassingly broad” and unconstitutional.

“I am confident our members are outraged and concerned about the targeting of journalists by the Justice Department without prior knowledge, advance warning or the approval of a judge,” said Dennis Hetzel, executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association. The Justice Department also sought emails in a leak investigation involving Fox News reporter James Rosen, though in that case the department filed an affidavit for a search warrant, which does require judicial approval.

Information obtained from subpoenas has helped local authorities catch dangerous criminals. Cellular records helped prove that one murder suspect’s alibi was a lie, and Internet subscriber records have helped identify sex offenders. But privacy advocates said the government too easily can access many personal communications and other private information without sufficient probable cause. They are calling on Congress to stop “warrantless snooping” by updating digital privacy laws to account for the rise of cellphones, social media and email.

Warrants are necessary to wiretap phones and listen in on conversations as part of the Fourth Amendment’s protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Authorities usually also need a warrant to seize letters sent through the mail. But different rules apply to digital communications, even though emails and texts have replaced letters as the primary forms of written communication.

Under the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the government does not need a warrant to obtain emails and electronic messages that are 180 days old or that have been opened, experts said. “The statute says that only a subpoena is necessary,” said Paul Rosenzweig, a visiting fellow with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington DC. Subpoenas have become a go-to investigative tool because they can be written out in a prosecutor’s office without anyone’s review, Rosenzweig said.

“It is very rare that investigators will jump through the hoops that you need to go through to get a wiretap order, which requires a fairly high standard - when they can get email and other stored records much more easily,” said Julian Sanchez, research fellow with the Washington-based Cato Institute, which seeks to advance limited government and individual lib-

erty. “The records are subject to an almost trivial standard of evidence, which is relevance to an investigation.” How the information is used depends on what the government finds.

“If your email is lawfully acquired, anything disclosed in the email can be used by the government,” Rosenzweig said. “If they solicit your emails because they think you are a drug dealer, and it turns out they are wrong but you have emails about undisclosed income you have in the Cayman Islands, they will take copies and send them to the IRS.” It is unknown how often government agencies obtain personal emails or information about email users as part of investigations. Only a small fraction of government requests for electronic records is subject to reporting requirements, experts said. As a result, the scope of the snooping is largely a mystery.

But in the last six months of 2012, Google which offers email, video chat and instant messaging through its Gmail service - said it received 8,438 requests for user information from US law enforcement agencies. About 70 percent of requests were subpoenas, while about 22 percent were probable-cause warrants. Google, Microsoft and some other major companies said they will not release the contents of subscribers’ emails and electronic messages unless they receive a warrant. Google, however, reported producing other noncontent subscriber information in almost 90 percent of the law enforcement requests.

Microsoft - which owns the Outlook.com email service, formerly known as Hotmail - said last year it provided subscriber and transactional data in two-thirds of the 11,000 requests from US law enforcement it received. In 14 percent of the requests, Microsoft produced the content of emails. Transactional information can include who sent and received messages, when they were delivered and possibly the location where they were transmitted. Such information is invaluable in many law enforcement investigations. Prosecutors in New York subpoenaed Twitter for tweets, IP addresses and other information of an Occupy Wall Street protester who was charged with disorderly conduct for marching on the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Twitter fought the subpoena in court but eventually turned the information over, said Thaddeus Hoffmeister, law professor with the University of Dayton School of Law. “Twitter fought them a little, but generally social media providers roll over and give your stuff up,” he said. “They don’t want the government to step in and regulate them more heavily.”

Subpoenas don’t always produce the contents of emails, but they can reveal other information useful to law enforcement. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification subpoenaed AT&T Internet Services to identify a Beavercreek, Ohio, man who owned an IP address associated with child pornography. The man’s home was searched, and he was arrested and convicted of multiple felonies. Government agencies also can acquire cellphone and text message records through subpoenas, which can include geolocation data showing where the phones were at certain times. That, too, can be a casesolver for police. In 2010, Trotwood, Ohio, police subpoenaed records from Cincinnati Bell that showed a murder suspect had lied about his whereabouts at the time of the homicide. The suspect claimed to be in another town when the victim was killed in Trotwood. But wireless records showed his cellphone signals were transmitted by towers near Trotwood around the time of the killing. Cincinnati Bell said it does not know how often it receives subpoenas and other requests for information. But the company said it follows strict procedures when responding to the requests.—MCT

BANGALORE: Infosys yesterday reappointed co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy to lead the Indian outsourcing giant two years after he retired, as the company grapples with weak earnings and falling market share.

The global software group announced that incumbent K.V. Kamath will step down as chairman of the board and be an independent director. “This calling was sudden, unexpected, and most unusual,” Murthy, who has been named executive chairman, said. “But, then, Infosys is my middle child.

Therefore, I have put aside my plans-inprogress and accepted this responsibility.”

Three decades ago, Murthy and six other Indian software pioneers sat around a kitchen table and created Infosys. Murthy’s return comes after the company, India’s second-largest software outsourcer by revenue, in April announced disappointing fourthquarter earnings and weak revenue projections.

Murthy called his “second innings” at the helm of the company something that he had not imagined in his “wildest dreams”.

He appealed to shareholders to be “optimists” and told a news conference “we have overcome tougher and bigger challenges before”. He said “the need of the day” was to “take quick, tough and firm decisions”. He said he had decided to put his retirement on hold given his “parental attachment to the company” after being approached a few weeks ago by Kamath to return to the helm.

Infosys, which is also listed on New York’s Nasdaq, has been seeking to turn itself around with a strategic overhaul to focus on higher value software and consulting services instead of labour-intensive outsourcing operations.

Murthy’s son, Rohan Murthy, who holds a Harvard computer science doctorate, will serve as his executive assistant. Murthy had earlier insisted that “no family member of the Infosys founders” would ever be part of the company. He said his son would have “no leadership role” and that “the only role that Rohan has is to make me more effective, that’s it”. Murthy said when the board invited him to come back as executive chairman, he realised the “quickest and best way” of being effective was to use a small team of people he had been interacting with over the last few years and “one of them happens to be son Rohan”.

Kamath, former chief executive of India’s largest private sector bank, said Murthy’s son was “well qualified” for the job. The appointments will be submitted to shareholders for approval at the company’s annual general meeting on June 15, Infosys said.

Murthy retired as executive chairman in August 2011 after turning 65 and Kamath assumed the post as non-executive chairman with co-founder Krish Gopalakrishnan as co-chairman.

Murthy was named chairman emeritus when he retired. S.D. Shibulal will continue as the chief executive and managing director of the company. S. Gopalakrishnan will be reappointed executive vice-chairman and will focus on client relationships and industry issues. Murthy and his son as well as Gopalakrishnan and Shibulal have each asked to be paid a token one rupee (two cents) a year. The decision to bring Murthy back into active service was taken by the board at a meeting late yesterday. Kamath welcomed Murthy’s reappointment saying his leadership record as well as his experience as a technology pioneer “makes him eminently qualified to lead the company and provide strategic direction”.

Infosys, the earnings of which have traditionally been seen as a bellwether for the sector, reported net profit rose just 3.4 percent to 23.94 billion rupees ($439 million) for the final quarter to March. Its expectation that revenues would grow by just six to 10 percent in the current financial year was significantly below the 12 to 14 percent forecast by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). Many of India’s IT outsourcing firms have been going through a rough patch and they say the outlook for the industry remains difficult due to uncertainty in key US and European markets. A quarter of the company’s revenue comes from Europe, and in recent years the firm has shifted focus to emerging and new markets such as Singapore, Brazil, Mexico and eastern Europe.—AFP

BANGALORE: Indian founding member of Infosys, NR Narayana Murthy (second right), looks at outgoing chairman KV Kamath (right), as CEO SD Shibulal (second left) and former CEO Kris Gopalakrishna (left) look on at a press conference at the company’s headquarter in Bangalore. — AFP

‘After Earth’ joins exclusive ultra-HD movie club LOS ANGELES: Sony Corp. is taking a deeper dive into ultrahigh-definition video as it comes out Friday with “After Earth,” the first of Sony’s three movies this year both shot and presented in the emerging 4K digital format. At a screening for journalists, I got a close-up look at even the pores on Will Smith’s face as details were rendered with greater clarity on the big screen.

Sony and other consumer electronics makers are betting that 4K images will become the new standard, prompting consumers to buy fancier TVs just as they did when high definition, or HD, rolled out over the past decade. It could also entice more people to buy movie tickets to see for themselves what the super-clear format is like.

But the more detailed images present a host of problems. They use four times the number of pixels as the current HD standard, which results in larger data files. Budget-strapped digital effects companies are having trouble handling all that data. The cost and time to deal with the extra visual information means the majority of the special effects shots in “After Earth” - comprising about a third of all the shots in the movie - were actually worked on in lower-resolution HD. At the screening I attended, I could see details I’ve never noticed before - the actors’ tiny skin imperfections, or Smith’s salt-and-pepper whiskers.

In a distant shot of Smith’s son Jaden running down a riverbed, I was struck by how many small rocks were defined clearly from such a distance. Yet other shots that included computer-generated cityscapes or otherworldly creatures looked less sharp. I was sitting in the seventh row - close enough to tell the difference. If you sit at the back of a theater, you might not be able to tell the difference between 4K and HD. Sony has 15,000 4K projectors installed in theaters worldwide, with more than 11,000 in the U.S. Other manufacturers such as Barco, Christie and NEC also make 4K projectors.

So far, major theater chains Regal and AMC are not charging extra for 4K screenings. AMC says nearly all of its 344 theaters have at least one 4K projector. Regal says more than 300 of its 579 theaters have a 4K projector. You’ll have to check with your local theater to see if the movie will be projected in 4K. The push toward higher resolution follows the industry’s emphasis on HD in recent years. Many TV sets tout the “1080p” resolution standard, so named because its images are 1,080 pixels high and 1,920 pixels wide. A slightly wider version with 2,048 pixels across is known as 2K. But 4K is 4,096 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels high. That gives 4K images 8.8 million pixels compared with roughly 2 million for high definition.

Higher-definition movies are a key component in Sony’s strategy to maximize the benefits of both owning the Sony Pictures movie studio and making electronic gadgets.

Sony Electronics makes 4K motion picture cameras - such as the F65 used to shoot “After Earth” - as well as 4K movie theater projectors, 4K TVs, home media servers that play 4K movies and other technologies needed to get ultra-HD video from one end to the other. The camera-making division has even had talks with Sony Music Entertainment about shooting concerts in 4K. “It touches an awful lot of the ecosystem,” says Rob Willox, director of large sensor technology for

Sony Electronics.

So far, 56 movies have been converted to 4K, the majority distributed by Sony. Those include ones originally shot on film, including last year’s Oscarnominated “Django Unchained.” Sony’s other endto-end 4K releases planned for this year are “The Smurfs 2,” due out in July, and “No Good Deed,” set for release in October.

After Red Digital Cinema began selling a 4K camera, the Red One, in 2007, companies including Sony and Canon Inc. also began making them. Thousands of movies have been shot in 4K, but almost all of them have been shrunk down to HD format before being screened. One exception was Sony’s 2011 remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” which was shot in 4K with a Red camera and also shown in theaters that way. Having “After Earth” and two others on the release schedule this year marks another milestone for the format.

“There is a new movement now where movies are actually being shot at high resolution and finished at high resolution,” says Ted Schilowitz, a cofounder of Red. “We see huge advantages to deliver four times as many pixels on the screen as HD.” The cinematographer of “After Earth,” Peter Suschitzky, says he picked Sony’s F65 digital camera after side-by-side comparisons of footage taken by other digital and film cameras. Although some people prefer film for its sometimes grainy, soft, romantic look, Suschitzky says those benefits are lost when shown in theaters with digital projectors, as many are today.

He says he likes the look of the movie and regrets that special effects scenes were mostly done at the lower standard. “True 4K is amazingly detailed,” he says. “The movie is only half in true 4K. I’m sad about that. It still looks good.”

Sony executives say the increased pixel count has made its F65 camera more sensitive than either film or other digital cameras in low-light situations, enabling filmmakers to shoot with more natural lighting. There were some low-light scenes in “After Earth,” such as when Jaden Smith’s character is in a cave, but I didn’t notice any particular clarity there.

Where I did notice extra detail was in scenes that were slow and still, and where the actors’ faces were shot close up.

Chris Cookson, the president of Sony Pictures Technologies, keyed in on how the F65 camera catches subtleties. “Look at how much more lifelike the eyes and faces are,” he says. “I personally think there’s more life in human beings when you see them in a way that doesn’t have that filtering effect when you’re looking at HD.” The increased number of pixels involved in 4K movies creates extra work for special effects artists, especially on effects that require a human touch, such as the pixel-by-pixel cutouts of objects in each frame known as “rotoscoping.”

Working entirely in 4K means a movie could take up to 30 percent more time, as well more money on labor and better computers, says Jenny Fulle, chief executive of The Creative-Cartel, which handled the special effects in “After Earth.”

The extra cost and time is one of the reasons that the sci-fi flick starring Tom Cruise, “Oblivion,” was released in 2K in April. It would have cost an extra $1.5 million to finish the film in 4K, according to Sony Electronics’ business development manager, Keith Vidger.—AP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Decontaminating patients cuts hospital infections Study covers 40 hospitals across US CHICAGO: Infections in US hospitals kill tens of thousands of people each year, and many institutions fight back by screening new patients to see if they carry a dangerous germ, and isolating those who do. But a big study suggests a far more effective approach: Decontaminating every patient in intensive care.

Washing everyone with antiseptic wipes and giving them antibiotic nose ointment reduced bloodstream infections dramatically in the study at more than 40 US hospitals. The practice could prove controversial, because it would involve even uninfected patients and because experts say it could lead to germs becoming more resistant to antibiotics. But it worked better than screening methods, now required in nine states.

The study found that 54 patients would need to be decontaminated to prevent one bloodstream infection. Nevertheless, the findings are “very dramatic” and will lead to changes in practice and probably new laws, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious-disease specialist who was not involved in the research. Some hospitals are already on board.

The study targeted ICU patients, who tend to be older, sicker, weaker and most likely to be infected with dangerous bacteria, including drugresistant staph germs. The decontamination method worked like this: For up to five days, 26,000 ICU patients got a nose swab twice a day with bacteria-fighting ointment, plus once-daily bathing with antiseptic wipes.

Afterward, they were more than 40 percent less likely to get a bloodstream infection of any type than patients who had been screened and isolated for a dangerous germ called MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In the year before the experiment began, there were 950 bloodstream infections in intensive care patients at the hospitals studied. The results suggest that more than 400 of those could have been prevented if all hospitals had used the decontamination method.

“We’ve definitively shown that it is better to

target high-risk people,” not high-risk germs, said lead author Dr Susan Huang, a researcher and infectious-disease specialist at the University of California, Irvine. The hospitals in the study are all part of the Hospital Corporation of America system, the nation’s largest hospital chain. HCA spokesman Ed Fishbough said the 162-hospital company is adopting universal ICU decontamination.

The study was published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study focused on the MRSA germ. It can live on the skin or in the nose without causing symptoms but can be life-threatening when it reaches the bloodstream or vital organs. It is especially dangerous because it is resistant to many antibiotics. More than 70,000 ICU patients were randomly selected to get one of three treatments: MRSA screening and isolation; screening, isolation and decontamination of MRSA carriers only; and universal decontamination without screening. Partial decontamination worked better than just screening, and universal decontamination was best.

About a decade ago, hospital-linked invasive MRSA infections sickened more than 90,000 people nationwide each year, leading to roughly 20,000 deaths.

As hospitals improved cleanliness through such measures as better hand-washing and isolating carriers of deadly germs, those numbers dropped by about a third, with fewer than 10,000 deaths in 2011, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC has been recommending screening and isolation in certain cases. Now it’s having experts review the results and help determine whether the agency should revise its recommendations, said the CDC’s Dr. John Jernigan. “It is a very important finding. It advances our understanding of how best to control infections caused

by MRSA” and other germs, Jernigan said.

The CDC and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality helped pay for the study. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, who heads the

research agency, said the findings have “the potential to influence clinical practice significantly and create a safer environment where patients can heal without harm.”

Jernigan said the decontamination approach is much simpler than screening and isolation.

But he said its costs need to be studied.

Huang said the five-day nose treatment costs about $35 for brand-name ointment but only $4 for a generic version. The antiseptic wipes cost only about $3 to $5 more per day than usual washing methods, she said. But those costs might be offset by other savings from avoiding widespread screening and isolation, she said. Intensive care patients are already routinely bathed. The study just swapped soap with wipes containing a common antiseptic. Some study authors have received fees from makers of antiseptic wipes or have done research or unpaid consulting for those companies.

The nose ointment treatment is more controversial because it could cause more germs to become resistant to the antibiotic, Jernigan said.

“That’s something we’re going to have to very closely monitor if this practice is implemented widely,” he said.

An editorial accompanying the study voices similar concerns and notes that research published earlier this year found that using just antiseptic wipes on ICU patients reduced bloodstream infections. Two infection control specialists at Virginia Commonwealth University wrote the editorial.

Editorial co-author Dr. Michael Edmond said his university’s hospital is among those that already use antiseptic wipes on ICU patients.

While MRSA screening and isolation is widely accepted, Edmond said that approach “takes a toll on patients.” Isolating patients who test positive for MRSA but don’t have symptoms makes patients angry and depressed, and studies have shown that isolated patients are visited less often by nurses and tend to have more bedsores and falls, he said. —AP

Rock guitarist May leads London march against badger cull

PAMPLONA: People on beds simulate being sick with cancer from industrial waste polluting factories, during a health demonstration, in Pamplona northern Spain yesterday. —AP

General anesthesia boosts dementia risks for elderly PARIS: General anesthesia for the elderly boosts the risks of dementia by more than a third, according to a study by French doctors released on Friday.

Researchers led by Francois Sztark at the University of Bordeaux in southwestern France analyzed data from a longterm study into cognitive decline covering 9,300 elderly people in three French cities. The volunteers-average age 75 — were interviewed when they were recruited into the study and then two, four, seven and 10 years afterwards.

The data showed a link between the onset of dementia and a general anesthetic that had been administered two or three years before. Those who had received general anesthesia were 35 percent likelier to develop dementia symptoms by the next follow-up interview compared with counterparts who had not

had general anesthetic.

Previous work has already highlighted a condition called post-operative cognitive dysfunction, or POCD, in which an elderly patient who undergoes major surgery also goes into mental decline relatively soon afterward. The reasons for this, though, are unclear. Some experiments suggest that various anesthetics inflame neural tissues, causing protein plaques and tangles to develop that are precursors of Alzheimer’s disease.

The research was released at a congress in Barcelona, Spain, of the European Society of Anesthesiology.

“These results are in favor of an increased risk for dementia several years after general anesthesia,” Sztark said in a press release, adding that patients who underwent major surgery needed long-term support. —AFP

LONDON: Protesters dressed as badgers and led by the Queen guitarist Brian May marched through central London yesterday demanding that the government scrap a plan to cull badgers, aimed at slowing the spread of a cattle disease.

About 5,000 of the nocturnal black-and-white animals are due to be shot by marksmen in the six-week pilot cull, authorized to begin yesterday in two areas in southwestern England.

The cull has divided rural England, pitting farmers determined to protect their livestock and livelihoods against animal lovers who say the plan will not work and will cause suffering to badgers.

“This cull is unscientific and cruel. Badgers are innocent in the spread of bovine TB,” said Malcolm Clark, from the rural county of Wiltshire.

“There are going to be people out at night shooting badgers in the dark. They are not going to kill them humanely. Badgers are going to be running down into their sets to die in agony,” said Clark, whose wife stood next to him in a badger outfit.

Dressed in a black jacket and black shirt with thin white stripes and sporting his signature long bushy curls, the rock musician May chatted with other protesters and posed for photographs with them.

A Reuters photographer said about 200 protesters took part, some dressed as badgers, others with their faces painted black and white, holding up pictures of badgers with the words “Not guilty” and placards with slogans like “Stop this cruel cull”.

The government says the cull is “science-driven and carefully managed”. It follows a study that found culling 70 percent of badgers in an area could reduce by 16 percent bovine TB, a disease that caused the slaughter of an estimated 28,000 cattle in England last year. —Reuters

Sex with spouse who has HPV-caused cancer safe: Study CHICAGO: There is no need for patients who’ve developed cancer from an oral HPV infection to refrain from sex with their spouses or long-term partners, a study released yesterday found.

The study found that the spouses of patients with oral cancer caused by HPV did not have a significantly higher risk of developing the disease than the general population. “Couples who have been together for several years have likely already shared whatever infections they have and no changes in their physical intimacy are needed,” said lead author Gypsyamber D’Souza, an epidemiology professor at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Long-

term partners have likely already been exposed to the virus and managed to “clear” it, D’Souza explained, but she cautioned that “certainly, with new sexual partners, caution is always advised.”

HPV, or human papilloma virus, is so common that nearly any sexually active person will contract at least one type in their lifetime. The vast majority of infections do not develop into cancer.

However, the incidence of HPV-positive head and neck cancers in the United States has increased significantly over the past 20 years, particularly among non-Hispanic white men. Fear of transmitting the virus can lead to

anxiety, cause couples to curtail sex and intimacy and even result in divorce.

The study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting is the first to examine oral HPV infection among patients with HPV-caused oral cancer and their spouses.

Researchers took oral rinse samples from 166 cancer patients and 94 of their spouses and partners. More than half of the cancer patients had at least one type of HPV DNA detectable in their oral rinses, including HPV16, the viral type most commonly associated with oral and other cancers. When they were retested a year later, after receiv-

ing treatment for the cancer, only seven patients (six percent) still had oral HPV16 DNA detectable.

However, just six of the 94 spouses had oral HPV infections (6.5 percent) and of just two (2.3 percent) had HPV16 infections.

Those HPV16 infections were at very low levels and were not detectable a year later. No oral cancers were detected among the 60 spouses who underwent a visual oral exam.

One spouse and one patient reported a history of cervical cancer. Two spouses reported a history of cervical pre-cancer, and three patients said they had previous spouses with cervical cancers, but these were self-reported, unconfirmed cases. —AFP

ESSEN: A woman walks into a giant lung model during an organ transplant event in Essen, western Germany, yesterday. According to the service organization Eurotransplant around 430 people wait for a lung transplant in Germany. —AFP

Hepatitis A outbreak linked to Oregon berry farm WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration is investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen organic berry mix sold by an Oregon company. The FDA and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 30 illnesses are linked to Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend, which contains pomegranate seed mix. Illnesses were reported in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California.

Several of those who fell ill reported buying the berry mix at Costco, according to CDC. A Costco spokesman said Friday that the company has removed the product from stores and is attempting to contact members who purchased the product in recent months. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that can last from a few weeks to a several months. People often contract it when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene. Food already contaminated with the virus can also cause outbreaks. The government has not announced a recall, but the CDC recommended that retailers and other food service operators should not sell or serve Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend.

The FDA said it is inspecting the processing facilities of Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., which sold the mix. The CDC said the strain of hepatitis is rarely seen in North or South America but is found in the North Africa and Middle East regions.

Garr said the frozen organic blend bag includes pomegranate seeds from Turkey, and are only used in the product associated with the outbreak.

“We do have very good records, we know where the (pomegranate seeds) came from, we’re looking into who the broker is and we’re sourcing it back up the food chain to get to it,” Garr said.

He said Townsend Farms believes Costco is the only customer who bought the product, though they are checking to see if any other retailers may have sold it. Hepatitis A illnesses occur within 15 to 50 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool.

Vaccination can prevent illness if given within two weeks of exposure, and those who have already been vaccinated are unlikely to become ill, according to CDC. CDC said all of the victims are older than 18, ranging from 25 to 71 years old. The first illnesses were reported at the end of April.

The same genotype of hepatitis A was identified in an outbreak in Europe linked to frozen berries this year, the CDC said, as well as a 2012 outbreak in British Columbia related to a frozen berry blend with pomegranate seeds from Egypt. In addition to the United States and Turkey, the agency said the Townsend Farms berries also included products from Argentina and Chile. —AP

PHOENIX: Arizona Gov Jan Brewer speaks from her office at the Capitol in Phoenix, prior to giving her State of the State address. It’s Republican vs Republican in the latest round of the nation’s political battles over health care. GOP legislators in several major states are trying to block efforts by governors of their own party to accept health insurance for low-income people under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law. —AP

Targeting lung cancer genes improves outcome CHICAGO: Lung cancer patients who received a drug designed to target a genetic dysfunction lived longer with fewer side effects than those who received traditional chemotherapy, a study showed yesterday.

Researchers found that patients with an abnormal ALK gene who received Pfizer’s targeted drug crizotinib remained cancer-free for nearly five months longer.

“This study demonstrates the value of testing lung cancer tissue for an ALK rearrangement, and it underscores the potential of cancer genomics to target cancer treatments to each patient,” said senior author Pasi Janne of Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Massachusetts. “ALK now becomes the second abnormal gene that we are able to successfully target in lung cancer with drugs other than chemotherapy.” Just five percent of the patients with the most common form of lung cancer have an abnormal ALK gene, but crizotinib could nonetheless help 5,000 patients a year in the United States.

The phase III trial of 347 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer found that those who received the drug went a median time of 7.7 months before their disease began to worsen, compared with three months for those who received traditional chemotherapy.

The response rate of 65 percent was also more than triple that of chemotherapy. Survival rates were similar because chemotherapy patients whose tumors progressed were switched over to crizo-

tinib. The side effects-visual disorders, gastrointestinal problems, elevated liver enzymes, and leg swelling-were generally mild and not as severe as the fatigue and hair loss associated with chemotherapy.

While this study examined the impact of crizotinib on patients who had already received one round of chemotherapy, another phase III study is currently underway to see how it performs as the first treatment for newly diagnosed patients.

A second study reported the first case of resistance to crizotinib among patients with a different and recently-identified genetic mutation, ROS1.

The patient initially responded to the drug, with her symptoms improving in less than a week. But the symptoms returned three months later and her tumor resumed growing, leading to her death.

The researchers were able to identify a secondary mutation in the ROS1 and determine that it interferes with binding and prevents the drug from inhibiting the tumor growth.

“A similar and highly resistant mutation also occurs in ALK-positive tumors treated with crizotinib, so finding therapies that can overcome this particular type of mutation will be very important,” said study author Jeffrey Engelman of the Massachusetts General Hospital.

The studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday to coincide with its presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. —AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Drug is first to help patients with melanoma of the eye AstraZeneca drug helps delay tumor growth CHICAGO: In his first few weeks as head of the melanoma group at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center seven years ago, a young man walked into Dr. Gary Schwartz’s office with a rare form of the skin cancer that affects the eye.

“It was horrible. He died of metastatic disease. He was only 24. I promised him I would find a way to cure his cancer,” recalls the physician-scientist of the patient who helped inspire his quest to find an effective treatment for uveal melanoma, which affects 2,000 to 3,000 patients each year.

Researchers from Memorial-Sloan Kettering yesterday reported results of the first clinical trial ever to show that a drug helped patients with advanced uveal melanoma at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting in Chicago. The mid-stage clinical trial led by Dr. Richard Carvajal, Schwartz’s colleague, found that an experimental drug from AstraZeneca called selumetinib shrank tumors in half of all treated patients and doubled progression-free survival, a measurement of the amount of time a medicine controls cancer before it starts to grow again.

“This represents the first real victory in medical oncology for patients with uveal melanoma,” said Schwartz, who is chief of the New York hospital’s melanoma and sarcoma service.

Melanoma of the eye is far different from other forms of the deadly skin cancer, and attempts to treat it in the past have largely failed. Out of a total of 157 patients treated in eight different prior clinical trials,

only two patients had significant tumor shrinkage.

Like skin melanoma, uveal melanoma is caused by specialized, pigment cells called melanocytes, but biologically it is “completely distinct from skin melanoma,” Carvajal said in a telephone interview. “Nothing has ever been shown to help patients with metastatic uveal melanoma before,” he said.

Most patients are diagnosed with early stage disease, and treatments range from radiation and surgery to remove the tumor to full removal of the eye. In spite of these efforts, the disease spreads to other organs in about half of patients, giving them an expected survival of nine to 12 months.

About 90 percent of patients with this cancer have mutations in genes called Gnaq and Gna11. Through work in Schwartz’s lab, researchers discovered that these mutations trigger a known cancer pathway called MAP kinase that helps feed the cancer.

Schwartz and Carvajal began looking for ways to shut down this growth driver using drugs under development that block different aspects of this pathway.

Selumetinib, which blocks a protein called MEK, appeared to work.

“We showed if you take a cell with the mutation and drop this drug in there, you can actually prevent the cell from growing,” Schwartz said.

After several attempts to gain funding for a clinical trial, Schwartz and colleagues won a grant from the National Cancer Institute through a program that makes drugs available for testing.

But that still left it up to Schwartz, Carvajal and colleagues to raise the more than $1 million to pay for the cost of running the clinical trial. For this, they turned to a fundraising program called Cycle for Survival that supports research on rare cancers and was started by one of Schwartz’s former patients.

For the clinical trial, the researchers enrolled 98 patients with advanced melanoma of the eye. About half of the patients got selumetinib and the other half got temozolomide or Temodar, a standard chemotherapy that is used in skin melanoma. Patients whose tumors got worse on the chemotherapy were given the option of crossing over to the selumetinib arm of the study.

Half of the patients treated with selumetinib had tumor shrinkage, with 15 percent achieving major tumor shrinkage, compared with no tumor shrinkage in the chemotherapy group.

The average time it took for the disease to progress was 15.9 weeks in the selumetinib-treated patients, compared with seven weeks in the temozolomide arm.

Tim Turnham, executive director of the Melanoma Research Foundation, said the results are encouraging in a group of patients who have no other options.

“Finally, something is having some kind of impact, and you can build on that,” he said.

The research is still early, and it may be years before a treatment becomes commercially available. But Carvajal said he hopes patients can benefit from clinical trials until then. —Reuters

MOSCOW: A man smokes at the Manezhnaya Square just outside the Kremlin in Moscow yesterday. Russia’s ambitious smoking ban, which aims to cut the number of smokers in half and improve public health, went into effect yesterday amid doubts that its measures can be fully enforced. — AFP

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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Al-Mulla Exchange announces Abbassiya lucky draw winners

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Greetings

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any, many happy returns of the day to Keparala Pavithra. Best wishes from father Subramanyam Naidu, mother Kalavathi, brother Tharun Chowdry, grand-father Krishnanaya Naidu, Thiripaya Naidu, grand-mother Jayamma, Ramullama, aunty Mangamma, uncle Babu Naidu, Mahesh Naidu and near and dear ones from Kuwait and India.

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l-Mulla International Exchange, the premier exchange company in Kuwait, announced six lucky winners in the promotional draw for all Abassiya branches held recently. The first cash prize of KD 1,000 was awarded to

Faraj Salah Amien Elsayed and each of the remaining five, namely, Muhammad Asif So Zahoor Hussain, Mohammad Jabed, Santi C Sreedharan, Varghese Paul Kannampuzha and Taba Mahboub, were gifted KD 500 each. The various promo-

tions conducted by Al-Mulla Exchange are yet another reason for customers to remit their money through Al-Mulla Exchange which offers, free insurance and loyalty points on every transaction, as well as SMS confirmation on delivery

of remittances. Besides making money transfer a quick, safe and relaxed experience for customers, Kuwait’s premier exchange also offers the facility to send money from the comfort of one’s home or office through their online service.

Jack And Jill Bhavans, Mangaf hosts Group Rhyme Competition

IMAX IMAX film program Sundy: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D10:30am, 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 Monday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Flight of Butterflies 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm To The Arctic 3D 12:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Tornado Alley 3D10:30am, 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 Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am Tornado Alley 3D11:30am, 6:30pm, 9:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm 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 Friday: Fires of Kuwait 2:30pm Tornado Alley 3D3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm To The Arctic 3D 4:30pm, 7:30pm Flight of Butterflies 3D 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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hyme competition held on May 15, 16 for UKG and May 22 and 23 for LKG at Jack & Jill Bhavan’s was meticulously organized and conducted by the Principal Rathi Ravindran. The tiny tots of the school presented their fountain of talents by singing wonderful phonic songs of alphabets A.B.C.D , Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Ba Ba Black Sheep, to a selection of rhymes such as Three Little Kittens, My Pigeon’s House, The Wise Man Built His House & There’s So Much Fun In The Big City,Phonics benefits reading, spelling, and comprehension. Children showed extra interest, ability to memorize and recite their phonic lines of lullaby with confidence and grit. Bhavan’s quest for challenges is forever contemplating their strengths for exploring the new buds into wonder kids.

IES student council invested with staff of authority

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ndian Educational School (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Kuwait invested the staff of authority with their student council for governing the student community for the session 2013-2014 in a ceremonious and solemn investiture organized in the school hall on May 9, 2013. Labeed MA Abdal, Attorney-at-Law, the Law Firm of Labeed Abdal inaugurated the event giving away the badges and sashes to all the 18 elected leaders.

The proceedings started with the imperious marching in of the members of the council to the hall. The proud array of young and enthusiastic boys and girls parading in accordance with the slow beats of the drum and measured notes of the bugle cast the arena with a spell of patriotism and sprit of sacrifice. The chief guest Labeed, in his inaugural address, eulogized the magnitude of Indian culture and the nobility of its tradition. He also recollected the fact that the great country India has mothered, over the years, innumerable leaders and numerous professionals. He hoped that the student generation from such a country will always be a promise to the international community. The Head Boy (Revanth Vishnuvajhala), the Head Girl (Alishba Tanya John), the Junior Head Boy (Abhishek Jayaprakash), the Junior Head Girl (Sharon), Cultural Secretaries, Student Editor, House Captains, Vice Captains and Junior House Captains were bestowed upon the para-

phernalia of their authority by Labeed Abdal.

The pride of the moment reached its pinnacle when the Principal, T Premkumar, administered the oath for the newly elected student parliament. When the innocent voice of leadership had its tryst with the proficient pledge of promise, the whole auditorium got reverberated with an unwavering boom of resolution and unswerving sense of commitment.

Revanth Vishnuvajhala, the Head Boy and Alishba Tanya John, the Head Girl, in their acceptance speeches, expressed their boundless gratitude to all the voters for having bequeathed their faith in them. The Guest of honour, George M Cheriyan, and the Chairman, Bhavan Group of Schools, Middle East, Ramachandran Menon gave away the medals and certificates to the multitude of multitalented Bhavanites who were honoured on the occasion for their academic proficiency, all round performance, and hundred percent attendance.

The awardees of ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) Benchmark International Tests of Excellence and Cash Prizes were honoured by Labeed Abdal.

Divya Rajesh, Director, Bhavan Middle East was also present on the occasion. Harikesh Pradeep delivered the welcome speech and Aibel Thomas proposed the vote of thanks. Arun George and Reshmi Rameshkumar were the masters of the ceremony.

Congratulations!

Yousef Essam Shawky graduated at Al-Salam International Academy School. His parents and well-wishers congratulate him.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N India International School endorses school’s student council

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

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ndia international School organized ‘Investiture ceremony’ for the academic year 2013-14 to invest responsibilities upon our young diligent and dynamic students. The solemn occasion commenced with the guard of honour accorded gracefully by the smart team of school’s student council to welcome the Chief Guest P John Thomas accompanied by Director Malayil Moosa Koya, Principal FM Basheer Ahmed Senior Vice Principal NarenderKaur, Vice Principals, Sophy John, Sapna Raoof, Indulekha and Saleem respectively, Shifana Muizz KG (HOD). Malayil Moosa Koya, Director of School, presented a bouquet as a token of love and appreciation to the Chief Guest.

Following this principal F M Basheer Ahmed proposed the welcome address. In his speech, he enlightened everyone with grand profile of the Chief Guest John Thomas. Cynosure of the event was the pinning of refulgent badges and elegant sashes to the newly recruited leaders by the Chief Guest, Director and

Principal respectively. The glorious event picked momentum with the oath administered majestically by the Principal. It was a gratifying moment for the audience to watch the aspiring leaders taking pledge with utmost dedication and commitment thereby promising to discharge their duties to the best of their abilities. The ring of conviction in the voice of the leaderswhile taking pledge dictated by principal left everybody glanced up in admiration.

Head Boy, Hansen D’ Silva and Head girl Priyanka Prakash promulgated their tasks and responsibilities they would be shouldering with dedication and perseverance thereby compelling everyone to admire promising challenges. Malayil Moosa Koya addressed the gathering. In his speech he congratulated the school’s student council and highlighted the essence and importance of discipline and instructed the newly elected leaders to imbibe good qualities and maintain the discipline of the school. Further he extended his

personal thanks to the Chief Guest for accepting the invitation and honouring the school’s student council.

Proceeding this was solemn speech of the Chief Guest P John Thomas a professional law graduate with specialization in labour laws, who also holds a degree in Master of Arts and Education. Presently he is serving for a wide range of Indian Schools as an administrative manager for 9,500 students and 450 staff members.

In his speech he congratulated the newly elected leaders and instructed them to “know the way go the way and show the way”. He further highlighted his talk by saying think globally but act locally. He focused on”Keep your words clean soon they will become thoughts, keep your thoughts clean soon they become action, keep your action clean they soon become acts, keep action cleans that will become your contribution”.

The remarkable day came to an end with vote of thanks proposed eloquently by Daniya Jaleel, CCA Secretary.

Syro Malabar Faith Festival concludes in Kuwait

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, first-time 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 ITALY The Board of the Kuwait Italian Business Group (KIBG), will unveil the KIBG website on 28 May 2013. The event starts at 18:00 with registration and socialization and includes a welcome address at 19:00 by the Ambassador of Italy to Kuwait followed by the formal presentation of the KIBG website. The event will end at 20.00. Event Location Italian Embassy Jabriya Block 9 Street 1 Villa 84. Valet service will be provided . No mobiles nor equivalent devices are allowed in the Embassy. nnnnnnn

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he 2nd SMCA Gulf Meet named as the “Syro Malabar Faith Festival” was concluded on May 31, 2013 at Kuwait Hayat Hotel, Kuwait. The Meet was conducted in the context of the “Year of Faith” announced by the then Pope His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. In total 260 representatives from all the six Arabian Gulf countries participated in the Meet. The Meet started with the Syro Malabar Holy Mass at Holy Family Cathedral Church, Kuwait followed by the inaugural function at Holy Family Auditorium. The 2nd SMCA Gulf Meet was officially inaugurated by Bishop Mar Sebastian Vadakel - the Chairman of Commission for the Evangelization and pastoral care of the migrants of the Syro Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church.

Rev. Fr. Mathews Kunelpurayidom - Vicar General of Northern Arabian Catholic Vicariate and priest co-ordinator of the

Syro Malabar faithful for Kuwait, Rev Dr Jose Cheriampanatt - Secretary of Commission for the Evangelization and pastoral care of the migrants of the Syro Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, Rev Fr George Danavelil - Secretary of the Synodal Commission for the Catechisis of Major Archiepiscopal Church, Chev Dr Mohan Thomas Pakalomattam - Chief Gulf Co-ordinator, Thomas Kuruvila - President, Syro Malabar Cultural Association Kuwait were the main guests who attended the inaugural function.

The second day of the Meet was conducted at the Conference Hall of Kuwait Hayat Hotel. There was presentation of the papers by the experts in the field.

The representatives from all the 6 Gulf countries shared their current circumstances and conditions in which they live their faith and the challenges they

face in sharing the faith to the new generation. The delegates were very happy to welcome Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Honourable Minster for Home Affairs, the State of Kerala. The SMCA Kuwait President Thomas Narithookil welcomed the Minister. In his short address, he assured to look into the immigration issues and the tightening of the labour laws which are currently affecting the Indians in Kuwait.

The concluding session was moderated by Chev Dr Mohan Thomas. Thomas Kuruvilla, President, SMCA Kuwait proposed the vote of thanks. The meet was concluded with the theme song of the Syro Malabar Faith Festival.

In a separate session that started at 4:45 pm attended only by the lay delegates, ‘The Kuwait Declaration 2013’ was unanimously passed. The main points of The Declaration are: (1) to take the

necessary steps to rehabilitate the people deported recently from Saudi Arabia & Kuwait due to the “Nithakat” (2) to encourage the farming community in India (3) to demand the extension of the jurisdiction of the Major Archbishop of Syro Malabar Catholic Church over the 400,000 strong Syro Malabar faithful in the Arabian Gulf countries (4) to form a common platform for all the Syro Malabar faithful in all the Gulf countries under one banner and bye-laws with a Gulf Co-ordination committee. Chev DrMohan Thomas Pakalomattam was unanimously elected as the Chief Gulf Co-ordinator and the presidents of the Syro Malabar Associations in each country/region were elected as the Regional Co-ordinators. Adv Sonu Augustine Alencherry was nominated as the Legal Consultant by the newly elected Chief Gulf co-coordinator.

EMBASSY GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, AlQibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SOUTH KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kuwait will organize 2013 K-POP Contest on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 6:00 pm. The aim of the contest is to provide an opportunity to the participants to showcase their exciting talents to the audience. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the contest. Application forms can be downloaded from the Embassy’s website: http://kwt.mofa.go.kr (Select English from the menu at the top of the page then Bilateral Relations) or visit the “Korean Culture Diwaniya” Facebook Group. Interested applicants must send their application forms to Kuwait@mofa.go.kr by 24 May 2013.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 01:35 I’m Alive 02:25 Charles & Jessica: A Chimp Tale 03:15 Wildest Africa 04:05 Galapagos 04:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 05:20 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 05:45 SSPCA: On The Wildside 06:10 SSPCA: On The Wildside 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 The Really Wild Show 07:25 Groomer Has It 08:15 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 09:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 10:05 Charles & Jessica: A Chimp Tale 11:00 Animal Cops Phoenix 11:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Safari Vet School 13:15 Safari Vet School 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Charles & Jessica: A Chimp Tale 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 17:25 Your Pet Wants This, Too! 18:20 America’s Cutest Pet 19:15 Escape To Chimp Eden 19:40 Bondi Vet 20:10 Shamwari: A Wild Life 20:35 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 21:05 Charles & Jessica: A Chimp Tale 22:00 Biggest And Baddest

00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 MasterChef Australia 02:15 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:05 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish 03:30 Cash In The Attic 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 06:35 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish 07:05 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 07:35 Food And Drink 08:05 Homes Under The Hammer 09:00 Bargain Hunt 09:45 Antiques Roadshow 10:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:20 MasterChef Australia 12:10 Come Dine With Me 13:00 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 13:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 13:55 Bargain Hunt 14:40 Cash In The Attic 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Homes Under The Hammer 17:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 18:20 The Roux Legacy 19:00 The Hairy Bikers USA 19:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Homes Under The Hammer

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30

BBC World News America BBC World News America Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report

03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 Hardtalk 18:00 Global With John Sopel 18:30 Global With John Sopel 19:00 Global With John Sopel 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 23:30 Hardtalk

00:45 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:00 05:25 05:45 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:05 08:30 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:40 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05

Wacky Races Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races 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 Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales Ha Ha Hairies Lazytown Baby Looney Tunes Krypto: The Super Dog Cartoonito Tales Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Lazytown Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Moomins Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Looney Tunes Show The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Taz-Mania Tiny Toon Adventures Moomins Tom And Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo The Looney Tunes Show The Garfield Show

18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 23:05

Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Tom And Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo Tiny Toon Adventures Puppy In My Pocket What’s New Scooby-Doo? Looney Tunes Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Tales Pink Panther And Pals

00:30 Grim Adventures Of...

01:20 Johnny Test 02:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 02:35 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Regular Show 03:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 04:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 04:40 Powerpuff Girls 05:05 Evil Con Carne 05:30 Cow & Chicken 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:30 Angelo Rules 07:00 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 07:25 Johnny Test 07:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 08:10 Evil Con Carne 08:55 Adventure Time 09:45 Regular Show 10:35 Angelo Rules 11:25 Ben 10: Alien Force 11:50 Ben 10: Alien Force 12:15 Hero 108 12:40 Hero 108 13:05 Mucha Lucha !

13:30 Angelo Rules 14:20 Evil Con Carne 15:10 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:35 Adventure Time 16:00 Regular Show 16:30 Johnny Test 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:25 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk 17:50 Gormiti New 18:15 Young Justice 18:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:05 Total Drama Action 19:30 Total Drama Action 19:55 Mucha Lucha !

20:20 Ben 10: Omniverse 20:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 21:10 Adventure Time 21:35 Regular Show 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Ben 10 22:50 Mucha Lucha !

23:15 Mucha Lucha !

23:40 Powerpuff Girls

00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Live 02:00 CNN Newsroom Live From Hong Kong 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Live 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 News Special 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 World One 12:30 News Special 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 CNN Newscenter 14:00 Piers Morgan Live 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 CNN Football Club

MISSION TO MARS ON OSN ACTION HD

19:30 20:00 21:00 21:45 22:00 22:30

News Special International Desk Quest Means Business CNN Marketplace Europe Amanpour CNN Newscenter

00:15 Unchained Reaction 01:10 James May’s Man Lab 02:05 Mythbusters 03:00 Mythbusters 03:55 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 04:20 Auction Hunters 04:50 Storage Hunters 05:15 How Stuff Works 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:05 Sons Of Guns 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 Jesse James: Outlaw Garage 08:45 Gold Rush 09:40 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 Auction Kings 10:55 How Stuff Works 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Unchained Reaction 12:45 James May’s Man Lab 13:40 Mythbusters 14:35 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 15:05 Auction Hunters 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 16:55 Gold Rush 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Stuff Works 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Storage Hunters 21:30 Sons Of Guns 22:25 Amish Mafia 23:20 Hellriders

00:05 The Tech Show 00:30 Sci-Fi Science 01:00 Bad Universe 01:50 Sport Science 02:45 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 03:35 Bad Universe 04:25 Engineered 05:15 The Gadget Show 05:40 The Tech Show 06:05 Voyage Dans L’espace-Temps 07:00 James May’s 20th Century 07:25 James May’s 20th Century 07:50 Finding Bigfoot 08:40 The Gadget Show 09:05 The Tech Show 09:30 Scrapheap Challenge 10:25 Future Weapons 11:20 Engineered 12:10 Meteorite Men 13:00 Finding Bigfoot 13:50 Sci-Fi Science 14:20 The Gadget Show 14:45 The Tech Show 15:10 James May’s 20th Century 15:35 James May’s 20th Century 16:00 Scrapheap Challenge 16:55 Future Weapons 17:45 Engineered 18:35 Voyage Dans L’espace-Temps 19:30 James May’s 20th Century 19:55 James May’s 20th Century 20:20 Finding Bigfoot 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Tech Show 22:00 James May’s 20th Century

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:05 01:30 01:50 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:20 03:45 04:05 04:30 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:25 11:50 12:15 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:40 20:05 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:10 23:35

Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Replacements Replacements Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Prankstars Suite Life On Deck Cory In The House A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Jessie Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse A.N.T Farm Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Kim Possible Shake It Up Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place That’s So Raven Austin And Ally Dog With A Blog A.N.T. Farm Suite Life On Deck So Random Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T Farm Austin And Ally Dog With A Blog Suite Life On Deck Cory In The House Wizards Of Waverly Place That’s So Raven A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T Farm So Random Hannah Montana Jonas Los Angeles Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Opening Act 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es

02:20 03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 09:45 10:15 12:05 13:05 13:35 14:05 York 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

THS Style Star Extreme Close-Up THS E!es THS Style Star E! News Ice Loves Coco Ice Loves Coco 30 Best & Worst Beach Bodies E! News Chasing The Saturdays Chasing The Saturdays Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star E!es Extreme Close-Up Playing With Fire E! News THS Kourtney And Kim Take Miami Chasing The Saturdays Fashion Police E! News Chelsea Lately

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Charly’s Cake Angels 02:10 Charly’s Cake Angels 02:35 Unique Sweets 03:00 Unique Sweets 03:25 Food Wars 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Unique Eats 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Food Network Challenge 07:00 Guy’s Big Bite 07:25 Guy’s Big Bite 07:50 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 08:15 Unique Sweets 08:40 Kid In A Candy Store 09:05 Barefoot Contessa 09:30 Food Network Star 10:20 Extra Virgin 10:45 Extra Virgin 11:10 Cooking For Real 11:35 Food Crafters 12:00 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Food Wars 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Food Wars 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes 22:00 Food Network Challenge 22:50 Fantasy Weddings 23:40 Food Wars

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Nightmare Next Door Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Undercover: Double Life 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 Undercover: Double Life Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill On The Case With Paula Zahn I Escaped Death I Almost Got Away With It

00:45 Around The World For Free 01:40 Deadliest Journeys 02:05 The Best Job In The World 02:35 Bondi Rescue 03:00 Bondi Rescue 03:30 Danger Beach 03:55 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 04:25 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 05:20 Long Way Down 06:15 Gone to save the planet 06:40 Market Values 07:10 The Frankincense Trail 08:05 Around The World For Free 09:00 Deadliest Journeys 09:25 The Best Job In The World 09:55 Bondi Rescue 10:20 Bondi Rescue 10:50 Danger Beach 11:15 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 11:45 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 12:40 Travel Oz 13:05 Travel Oz 13:35 Gone to save the planet 14:00 Market Values 14:30 Walking The World 15:25 Around The World For Free 16:20 Deadliest Journeys 16:45 The Best Job In The World 17:15 Bondi Rescue 17:40 Bondi Rescue 18:10 Danger Beach 18:35 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 19:05 Don’t Tell My Mother 20:00 Walking The World 21:00 Gone to save the planet 21:30 Market Values 22:00 Long Way Down 22:55 Gone to save the planet 23:20 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 23:50 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED ON OSN CINEMA

01:15 7 Below-18 03:00 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 06:00 True Justice: Dead Drop-PG15 07:45 Goal!-PG15 09:45 X-Men: First Class-PG15 12:00 Mission To Mars-PG15 14:00 Goal!-PG15 16:00 Green Lantern-PG15 18:00 Mission To Mars-PG15 20:00 Beneath The Darkness-PG15 22:00 Boogeyman-18

02:00 Something Borrowed-PG15 04:15 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close-PG 07:00 A Dog Named Duke-PG15 09:00 Something Borrowed-PG15 11:00 Arrietty-FAM 13:00 What’s Wrong With VirginiaPG15 15:00 Ghost Machine-PG15 17:00 The Tourist-PG15 19:00 How I Spent My Summer Vacation-PG15 21:00 Hemingway & Gellhorn-18 23:30 The Disappearance Of Alice Creed-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Weeds 02:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Ben And Kate 03:30 The Simpsons 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 Hope & Faith 09:00 Ben And Kate 09:30 Modern Family 10:00 The Mindy Project 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 Hope & Faith 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 The Mindy Project 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 New Girl 18:30 Friends 19:00 Community 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The League 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

01:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

The Client List Castle Bones Castle Emmerdale Coronation Street The Finder Bones Castle Touch Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Finder Switched At Birth Fairly Legal Suits The Hollow Crown

01:30 Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings

03:15 05:00 Moon 08:00 09:45 11:45 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

7 Below Transformers: Dark Of The True Justice: Dead Drop Goal!

X-Men: First Class Mission To Mars Goal!

Green Lantern Mission To Mars Beneath The Darkness

00:00 Hard Breakers-18 02:00 Take Me Home Tonight-18 04:00 The Winning Season-PG15 06:00 The Waterboy-PG15 08:00 Police Academy 6: City Under Siege-PG15 10:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 12:00 The Winning Season-PG15 14:00 A Heartbeat Away-PG15 16:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 18:00 Turner & Hooch-PG15 20:00 Bridesmaids-18 22:15 Hard Breakers-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:15 PG15 09:00 11:00 12:30 14:30 16:30 18:30 21:00 23:30

Arc-18 White Irish Drinkers-PG15 Oscar And Lucinda-PG15 Taken Back: Finding HaleyA Woman-PG15 Black Forest-PG15 Mutum-PG15 A Woman-PG15 Honey 2-PG15 The Help-PG15 Biutiful-18 Awaydays-18

01:00 Shelter-PG15 03:00 Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story-PG 05:00 Certain Prey-PG15 07:00 A Mother’s Choice-PG15 09:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked-PG 11:00 Hugo-PG 13:15 A View From Here-PG15 15:00 According To Greta-PG15 16:45 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked-PG 18:30 The Avengers-PG15 21:00 The Lucky One-PG15 23:00 After Life-18

01:00 Maroons 02:45 Olentzero Christmas Tale 04:30 Kong Return To The Jungle 06:00 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue 08:00 The Happy Cricket 10:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 11:30 The Tooth Fairy 2 13:00 Twigson 14:30 Olentzero Christmas Tale 16:00 Arthur’s Missing Pal 18:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 20:00 Rebound 22:00 Twigson 23:30 Arthur’s Missing Pal

00:00 MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 01:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 02:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 03:00 MSNBC All In With Chris Hayes 04:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 06:00 NBC Nightly News 06:30 ABC World News With Diane Sawyer 07:00 Live NBC Nightly News 07:39 ABC Nightline 08:06 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell 10:00 ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now

11:00 NBC Early Today 11:30 ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 Live MSNBC Hardball With Chris Matthews 18:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 19:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:00 MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 21:00 MSNBC Newsnation 22:00 MSNBC The Cycle 23:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir

00:30 PGA PGA European Tour Weekly 01:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 04:00 Ladies European Tour Highlights 05:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 HSBC Sevens World Series 10:00 Inside The PGA Tour 10:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 11:30 PGA PGA European Tour Weekly 12:00 Top 14 14:00 Super League 15:30 Super Rugby Highlights 16:30 HSBC Sevens World Series 19:30 PGA PGA European Tour Weekly 20:00 PGA Tour Highlights 21:00 Inside The PGA Tour 21:30 Live PGA Tour

00:00 Inside The PGA Tour 00:30 Super League 02:00 NRL Full Time 02:30 Futbol Mundial 03:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 03:30 AFL Premiership 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Futbol Mundial 07:30 Super League 09:00 Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 Trans World Sport 14:00 NRL Full Time 14:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 15:00 Live PGA European Tour 19:00 WWE NXT 20:00 Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters 23:30 Trans World Sport

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30

Mass Participation Ironman Golfing World World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Super Rugby Trans World Sport Golfing World PGA European Tour Weekly Total Rugby World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Super Rugby Total Rugby Trans World Sport Marathon Total Rugby AFL Premiership Highlights Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights ICC Cricket 360 Pro 12

01:30 03:30 04:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 20:30 23:30

NHL Mass Participation Ironman US Bass Fishing NHL WWE SmackDown Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line European Le Mans Series UIM Powerboat Champs UIM Aquabike Champs UIM F1H2O Nations Cup UFC Prizefighter NHL

Classifieds SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (30/05/2013 TO 05/06/2013) SHARQIA-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:30 PM

SHARQIA-2 DINO TIME (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-1 HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) FRI EPIC (DIG) THU+SAT+MON HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) EPIC (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) MUHALAB-2 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) MUHALAB-3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) DINO TIME (DIG-3D) THU IDDARAMMAYILATHO (TELUGU) FRI+SAT FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO THU+FRI+SAT IDDARAMMAYILATHO (TELUGU) THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO THU FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FANAR-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED FANAR-2 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG)

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 2:00 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM

THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-3 ABDUCTED (DIG) 12:45 PM YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI (DIG) (HINDI) 2:45 PM YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI (DIG) (HINDI) 5:45 PM AT ANY PRICE (DIG) 8:45 PM ABDUCTED (DIG) 10:45 PM ABDUCTED (DIG) 12:45 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED MARINA-1 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) SARA 3 AL AHEBA (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) HUMMINGBIRD (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-3 EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) EPIC (DIG-3D) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1 ABDUCTED (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) ABDUCTED (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2 AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) AT ANY PRICE (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-3 FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) FAST & FURIOUS 6 (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360ยบ- 1 THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG) THE HANGOVER PART III (DIG)

ACCOMMODATION

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM

Sharing accommodation for only Indians, family or executive bachelors only, in Salmiya, Block - 12, AlMughera bin Shoba Street.

Contact: 97202594.

(C 4430) 30-5-2013 FOR SALE Fully furnished flat for sale in Burj Behbehani building opposite to Salmiya Garden. Big hall, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, big kitchen. Swimming pool, Gym facility, underground parking and round the clock security available.

Contact: 50701181. (C 4432) 1-6-2013 Doctor owned cars - Toyota Yaris 2009 (hatchback) and

Nissan Murano (2006), low mileage, going cheap and well maintained. Contact: 97202594. (C 4429) 30-5-2013 CHANGE OF NAME I, Murtaza Rehmat Ali Tamatiya, have changed my name from Murtaza to Murtaza Rehmat Ali Tamatiya.

(C 4431) 1-6-2013 MATRIMONIAL Inviting proposals for daughter Dr. Pharmacy, Age 27, tall, smart, Kuwait working Muslim Pakistani family, from seasonable same status boys through parents. Contact: decent9343@gmail.com (C 4428) 30-5-2013

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

112

03:15 04:49 11:46 15:20 18:43 20:14

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines CLX BBC QTR RJA JZR JZR THY ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR KAC KAC KAC KAC THY CLX DHX FDB BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR THY QTR FDB IRC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD IRC GFA MEA UAE MSR KAC JZR JZR SVA KNE OMA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 2/6/2013 Flt Route 794 LUXEMBOURG 43 DHAKA 148 DOHA 642 AMMAN 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 764 SABIHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 302 MUMBAI 544 CAIRO 412 MANILA 382 DELHI 770 ISTANBUL 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 157 LONDON 53 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 206 ISLAMABAD 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 766 ISTANBUL 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 6507 SHIRAZ 742 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 6666 AHWAZ 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 672 DUBAI 561 SOHAG 165 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 472 JEDDAH 645 MUSCAT

Time 00:01 00:05 00:05 01:10 00:20 00:40 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:25 02:30 03:10 03:15 03:30 07:50 04:10 06:15 07:30 04:35 04:55 05:10 05:50 06:30 07:45 08:15 07:25 07:55 08:05 06:20 13:10 13:45 13:50 14:25 13:30 13:45 08:25 08:50 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:30 10:10 10:40 10:55 12:45 13:00 13:40 12:00 11:35 14:30 14:35 14:40

RJA QTR ETD SYR UAE ABY GFA SVA UAL NIA QTR FDB GFA AXB MSR JAI AFG OMA FDB ABY MEA KLM ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA QTR JAI FDB AIC UAL DLH JAI MSR PIA THY KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR JZR

640 134 303 341 857 127 215 510 982 251 144 63 219 393 606 572 415 647 61 129 402 417 229 859 307 136 217 146 576 59 981 981 636 574 614 205 772 562 166 514 786 172 102 618 674 502 542 257 787 777 177 481 239 185 135

AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI DAMASCUS DUBAI SHARJAH BAHRAIN RIYADH WASHINGTON DC DULLES ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE LUXOR MUMBAI KABUL MUSCAT DUBAI SHARJAH BEIRUT AMSTERDAM COLOMBO DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN DOHA COCHIN DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI CAIRO LAHORE ISTANBUL AMMAN PARIS TEHRAN JEDDAH FRANKFURT NEW YORK DOHA DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO BEIRUT RIYADH JEDDAH DUBAI SABIHA AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN

15:55 16:15 16:35 16:45 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 18:00 18:25 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:30 19:35 19:45 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:45 20:45 18:40 20:50 18:30 21:15 19:35 19:10 19:25 18:50 18:15 14:30 16:15 17:50 17:30 20:10 22:30 22:40 23:00

Airlines AIC AXB JAI UAL DLH CLX BBC THY THY ETH UAE FDB MSR ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB RJA GFA THY JZR CLX BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB QTR ETD IRA KAC KAC IRC KAC GFA KAC MEA JZR JZR KAC JZR KAC JZR MSR THY UAE FDB

Departure Flights on Sunday 2/6/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 490 MANGALORE 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 794 SINGAPORE 44 CHITTAGONG 773 ISTANBUL 765 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 792 GIALAM 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 117 NEW YORK 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 6667 AHWAZ 501 BEIRUT 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI

Time 00:05 00:15 00:20 00:25 00:30 01:15 01:30 02:20 02:40 02:45 03:45 03:50 04:15 04:20 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:10 07:25 08:15 08:25 08:25 08:50 08:55 09:05 09:25 09:30 09:50 09:55 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:30 11:10 11:10 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:25 12:30 12:30 12:50 13:00 13:20 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

QTR KAC IRC KNE KAC OMA SVA KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD JZR SYR ABY UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR UAL NIA QTR FDB GFA JZR AXB KAC MSR JAI FDB ABY AFG OMA MEA DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA KAC FDB QTR JAI KAC KAC KAC

141 673 6508 473 561 646 503 617 513 641 238 135 304 538 342 128 858 216 511 184 266 982 252 145 64 220 134 394 283 619 571 62 120 415 648 403 171 417 308 230 860 343 137 301 218 205 60 147 575 351 411 415

DOHA DUBAI SHIRAZ JEDDAH AMMAN MUSCAT MADINAH DOHA IMAM KHOMEINI AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO LATAKIA SHARJAH DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE DHAKA ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH JEDDAH MUSCAT BEIRUT BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI CHENNAI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI DOHA KOCHI KOCHI BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

14:55 15:05 15:25 15:30 15:30 15:40 15:45 15:45 16:20 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 19:00 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:45 20:55 21:15 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:50

34

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

stars CROSSWORD 208

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) You are a heavy-duty thinker and always ready to work an idea through, reducing it to what is essential. You enjoy mental efforts and discipline; you may work long and hard at whatever you put your mind to accomplish. You could present or teach religious and philosophical ideas, anything where substance and content are at issue. Perhaps there are lectures lined up for today—at least some issues for which you have given much thought. Some may find you clamorously witty this evening. A time of fun and play is greatly earned and enjoyed; pictures please. There is an opportunity to heal a previous resentment or misunderstanding. Tonight you enjoy and value your own life situation.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You are interested in getting a vote passed or being approved for some political position so that you can make speeches and convince people of some public issue. Most people don’t really want to become involved in the evolution of an issue but you want to be upfront and personal in order to create the positive results that all will appreciate and maybe never knew they missed! This could be anything from a dog park to a special library for handicapped people. Your intellect and your emotions mix to the point of inseparability and by the time you are finished with your audience you will have some volunteers working with you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS

1. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field.

4. Resoluteness by vir tue of being unyielding and inflexible.

12. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

15. A zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and Virgo.

16. Of or relating to a caduceus.

17. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

18. Adornment consisting of a bunch of cords fastened at one end.

20. A variety show with topical sketches and songs and dancing and comedians.

21. The cry made by sheep.

22. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

25. A loose shirt or tunic.

28. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

30. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element.

32. Either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye.

37. A small wave on the surface of a liquid.

39. Extremely pleasing.

40. Tie again or anew.

42. Gone by.

43. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

44. Warn in advance or beforehand.

45. Of silk fabric.

49. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

50. Industrial city in southwestern Zimbabwe.

54. Small ornamental ladies' bag for small articles.

55. Interface consisting of a standard por t between a computer and its peripherals that is used in some computers.

57. Avatar of Vishnu.

58. A mistake resulting from inattention.

60. (Sumerian) Water god and god of wisdom.

62. East Indian tart yellow berrylike fruit.

69. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

70. Either of the two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator.

73. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

74. An emotional response that has been acquired by conditioning.

75. Denoting or characteristic of the biogeographic region including southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago as far as the Philippines and Borneo and Java.

76. An advanced law degree.

77. A doctor's degree in education.

78. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows generally nor thward to the Atlantic Ocean.

79. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

DOWN 1. Of or being the lowest female voice.

2. Gather, as of as crops.

3. Ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side.

4. (informal) Of the highest quality.

5. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

6. A public promotion of some product or service.

7. Black-and-white diving bird of northern seas.

8. Type genus of the Aceraceae.

9. A river in northwestern Russia flowing generally west into the Gulf of Finland.

10. Involving or constituting a cause.

11. The compass point midway between northeast and east.

12. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

13. Divulge information or secrets.

14. Male red deer.

19. The skin that covers the top of the head.

23. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

24. English Cavalier poet whose lyric poetry was favored by Charles I (15951639).

26. The process of becoming mildewed.

27. The content of cognition.

29. A city in southern Texas on the Rio Grande.

31. A person's costume (especially if bizarre).

33. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

34. A slender double-reed instrument.

35. 100 dirhams equal 1 riyal.

36. Any tree of the genus Genipa bearing yellow flowers and edible fruit with a thick rind.

38. Thick stew made of rice and chicken and small game.

41. Genus of tropical plants with creeping rootstocks and small umbellate flowers.

46. A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll.

47. Minor or subordinate.

48. Fail to keep or to maintain.

51. An ancient jar with two handles and a narrow neck.

52. (British) A minicar used as a taxicab.

53. Soft creamy white cheese.

56. 100 seniti equal 1 pa'anga.

59. Greek author of fables (circa 620-560 BC).

61. A kind of danceable music popular among black South Africans.

63. In bed.

64. An aromatic ointment used in antiquity.

65. An inactive volcano in Sicily.

66. An exchange of ideas via conversation.

67. Look at with amorous intentions.

68. God of love and erotic desire.

71. (Irish) The sea personified.

72. A fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia.

Family, home, relatives and real estate play a bigger part in your life now.

You and your family are interested in a new home and today you may not sign on the dotted line but you will have a good idea of what is needed and what is available for the area in which you want to live. Natural and lively conversations bring out your own self-expression. Your particular ideas and thoughts are fun to wrap around the brain and people will listen to you. You are very gifted, having great magnetism and warmth as well as a keen and powerful mind. You can do anything you want to do in this life, if you can manage to get moving in one direction and keep at it. A sense of harmony makes this a happy time. Everyone helps to fix a fun meal this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You could find that you are appreciated and valued for your feelings and your ability to act and get things done. You can always find the resources that are required in order to reach a constructive end result. You have an inner vision, coupled with the ability to see the whole picture of a situation. This often finds you working as a go-between with others. If you are not busy with young people today, you will busy yourself with the most senior of your group or family. It could be that a few errands for these folks will leave everyone smiling. Special greeting cards with homemade bookmarks or some other little gifts may be quite simple but will fully fill these lonely hearts. Now go home and enjoy some quiet time this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You could receive a lot of attention today. You may find that you enjoy your responsibilities more than usual. You are at home in the world of concepts and ideas and are able to grasp the whole picture when given just a few facts. If you are not working in a place of business, you could find yourself learning a new technique or studying new ideas to use in your choice of business. Perhaps you are attending or conducting a lecture, conference or exhibit. Your innate sensitivity to others makes you custom-made for any of the service occupations where you can diagnose or interpret what others are unable to express. You have a fine mind. Learning patience can be a great aid to your professional progress now as well as your personal comfort.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a great time to be with lots of people. New shoes, new fads, fun people are all a part of some open-house sample show. A friend is totally, breathtakingly suspenseful and at every turn in the road you may be blessed with a new peek at this brilliant mind. A movie or book is in the development stages and you may be asked to edit or review the storyline. Suspense is the number one idea and you may add some new insights for your friend to consider. You also enjoy historical ideas and may convince your friend to write a book that is a mystery with time travel. Sometime soon, there will be time for a visit to a museum or an exhibit of pictures and items from a favorite era you have studied or about which you have read. This was an enjoyable day.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) There is much to accomplish today. You have already planned the repair work or the catch-up work so now all that is left is the pep talk to move forward. One good thing is that the faster you get started, the faster you will be finished to have the rest of the day for fun. If you push yourself too hard, and move too quickly, much energy can be wasted. If you have not planned, breakfast time would be the time to make out your lists. Make one list for the things you definitely want to accomplish today and another list of the things you would like to accomplish. You will be pleased at your progress. A rule would be that if you are interrupted from doing your work that person can help you. Allow for interruptions and enjoy a lot of laughter.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There is a good opportunity to get many things done this morning. The activities after you move through your chores is to set up opportunities of expression. Good conversations with loved ones are possible all during the day. Someone previously emotionally cold to you is beginning to warm. Do not take an important relationship for granted. Continue to learn and grow through it or let it go. Show your appreciation to a colleague this afternoon. A family member may enjoy your company at the ice cream store later today. Interactions with friends are encouraged; you seem to have forgotten the bike rides from last year. This is an excellent exercise to start up again . . . Thighs and waistlines will be in for a bit of firming up. There are new inventions that activate your imagination and the shop is only a bicycle ride away. This evening you enjoy a loved one.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Spend some time out-of-doors today, running, cycling or just being with friends—perhaps some yard work. This will help you focus and boost your energies as well. You may be required to put in some overtime work today or you may find that some personal business needs your attention. Whatever the case, circumstances seem to bend to your will and things have a way of working out smoothly. Here are real opportunities to complete and work out difficulties and complete projects that require both a long-term effort and a high degree of discipline. Continued success on the career level may point to your delay of some particular dreams for personal achievement. You will have your dreams soon, but for now, try for a good compromise.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) CAPRICORN

Good news may be pouring in all at once today. Life’s problems seem to have easy solutions just now. You may benefit from an older person or one in authority. Life could assume a dreamlike stance. Your home environment, friends and surroundings receive encouragement. You could gain from young people during this time. You may be moved to discover and appreciate the beauty in your own life and in those around you.

Be careful that you do not overspend or indulge too much just now because everything new or interesting is just almost too tempting. You might consider going to a movie instead of attending a concert. Your smart way of being conservative will teach others budgeting and it will pay off for you as well.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Most likely, your life is busy—not much time for viewing the sunset.

However, today, life seems to have caught up with you because you seem to be in the mood for dreaming or visiting with a cherished friend that you have not visited with in some time. Writing poetry may be a rewarding experience. Others may pull you out of your reverie soon however, so enjoy your dreaming and then get back to business this afternoon. There is a yearning to broaden your horizons—perhaps plans for travel are in the making. New ideas and plans for group travel in the future could be quite successful.

Friends and plain old lucky circumstances offer encouragement and backing. Good things will come to you. You will get what you need.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You could be preoccupied with job and family to the exclusion of a social life today. Of course, you may not have realized it but your family can be your social life. It is time for rest, relaxation and for having fun. Your friends, partners and relationships mean a lot to you. They are a primary source of strength and you always look to them for support and encouragement. Being more involved with neighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need. Planning or attending an outside barbecue would be a most favorable activity. If you are going to be a guest, you might want to take a small gift. Do research on the family crest. Find some time to read some amusing story and then relate it to others. Most of all, laugh and enjoy the evening.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 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

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Salem soso

22618787 General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

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 Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

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

Neurologists 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

Endocrinologist Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

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, JUNE 2, 2013

lifest yle M u s i c

T

he Roots are officially living large in their hometown.

Members of the house band for NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in New York returned to their roots in Philadelphia on Friday for the dedication of a multistory mural in their honor. The massive artwork occupies the back wall of a charter school on the street where the Grammy Award-winning band once busked for change after its founding in 1992.

“This is an amazing turnaround that on South Street we’re getting immortalized some 21 years later,” Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson said. The mural, titled “Legendary,” is a colorful collage of images including portraits, cassette tapes and musical instruments that traces the history of the hip-hop group. It’s one of more than 3,600 pieces of art created by the city’s Mural Arts Program. The project’s unveiling came a day before The Roots Picnic, an annual music festival in the city hosted and curated by the band. In a few weeks, Thompson’s memoir “Mo’ Meta Blues” will be released.

Mural Arts Program executive director Jane Golden praised the project’s paint and design team, which persevered through numerous complications. The original loca-

&

tion, about eight blocks away on the same street, fell through. “What you see behind me right now is beautiful,” Golden said. “We think and we hope that we captured the wonderful spirit of The Roots.” When plans for the mural were first announced in November 2011, Roots co-founder Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter noted how he once got busted for graffiti as a teenager and a judge ordered him to clean up such vandalism by painting murals. Trotter called the punishment “scrub time.”

On Friday, he said it was great to see his life come full circle. “It hits close to home for me that this is in south Philadelphia. This is my part of town,” Trotter said. “It’s an honor and a blessing.” Thompson, too, said he was proud.

“This is one of the greatest moments of our career,” he said.

“I’ve forever driven the streets of Philadelphia wondering, when are we getting our mural?”— AP

Workmen sweep in front of a new mural honoring The Roots in Philadelphia. — AP

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Lou Reed

S rock legend Lou Reed is recovering from a lifesaving liver transplant, his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson revealed in an interview published yesterday. The 71-year-old singer, who was the driving force behind The Velvet Underground, was close to death before the operation in Cleveland, Ohio last month, Anderson told Britain’s Times newspaper.

“It’s as serious as it gets. He was dying,” said Anderson.

She described the operation as “a big surgery which went very well”.

Asked how long it would take her husband to recover, the 65-year-old added: “I don’t think he’ll ever totally recover from this, but he’ll certainly be back to doing [things] in a few months. “He’s already working and doing t’ai chi.” Reed had cancelled a string of concerts in April.

Anderson said he had opted to have the operation in Cleveland over New York because the city’s hospitals were too “dysfunctional”. Reed has spoken extensively of his problems with drugs and alcohol over the years. “I tried to give up drugs by drinking,” he wrote in 1992. “It didn’t work.” He and Anderson have been together for 21 years but only married five years ago. — AFP

DUBAI: OSN, the leading pay-TV network in the Middle East and North Africa, is raising the bar on employee skill development techniques, this time bringing together an international team of coaches and motivational speakers to address over 450 sales staff from eight countries to boost customer service excellence.

The two-day OSN Sales Conference, held at Meydan Hotel in Dubai, was moderated by former BBC journalist Dave Crane, and featured a variety of motivational and attitude training sessions, workshops, case studies and success stories. The sales conference also saw OSN sales team members presented with Elite Sales Awards for their exceptional performance.

As a key highlight, OSN invited Bassem Youssef, one of the most popular satirists in the Arab world, to motivate through comedy sharing his own life experiences. Youssef also brought his team from the popular show, Amreeka Bil Arabi, to conduct a lively session aimed at sharpening the sales skills of OSN retention and sales operations staff.

Representatives from Appco Group, one of the world’s leading sales and marketing companies, shared their unique “five step plan to sell,” covering a range of key sales themes including customer perceptions and how to effectively convert leads into tangible results.

Tony Fernandez, Vice President of Appco Group India, Country Head - Appco Group India and Joint Country Head - Appco Group Japan; and Ali Mir, Vice President of Appco Group, offered presentations, highlighting the importance of maintaining the right attitude to drive successful sales. Following on from the two-day event, Appco Group will conduct an in-depth study before devising and implementing an OSN masterclass, using its revolutionary approach to further energise OSN sales.

Maaz Sheikh, Chief Sales and Operations Officer, OSN, said: “OSN is currently rolling out an ambitious regional retail expansion plan, which includes opening more sales outlets across the Middle East and North Africa. As an employee-oriented organisation, ensuring our sales staff’s skillset is first-class is paramount to us achieving our goal to become the No.1 broadcast company in the region.

“In line with our growth strategy, we are investing further in our sales team, who are the first port of call in building customer relationships. The Sales Conference focused on building the professional expertise of our sales team, and motivating them to achieve their full potential, across all aspects of operations - from call centre to customer service management.

“By drawing on the lessons from Bassem Youssef and his team, as well Appco Group’s professional competencies, the conference highlighted the importance of aligning our sales team with OSN’s key objectives and improving sales and operational efficiencies.”

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o what’s new on TV? The new season of “America’s Got Talent” starts Tuesday at 9 pm EDT. New judges include former Spice Girl Mel B. and supermodel/personality Heidi Klum, who are joining forces with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern. New York’s Radio City Music Hall is the spectacular new venue. Even so, the roots of this NBC variety competition are steeped in TV antiquity, reaching back to the medium’s infancy.

It was on June 20, 1948, that “The Ed Sullivan Show” (then known as “The Toast of the Town”) began its 24 seasons of jugglers, opera singers, comedians, animal acts and (of course) Elvis Presley and the Beatles. It was also 65 years ago that “The Original Amateur Hour” moved to television after a successful run on radio (its final CBS telecast was in 1970). The variety show was pronounced dead decades ago. And after “The Gong Show” in the 1970s and ‘80s, and “Star Search,” which folded in 1995, talent competitions also seemed kaput.

But Simon Cowell has done his part to resurrect both genres.

He was, of course, the tart-tongued judge when “American Idol” began its epoch-changing run on Fox in 2002. With his Syco Entertainment, he now serves as a creator, producer and judge on Fox’s “The X Factor,” which come fall starts its third season.

And off-camera, he is the driving force of “America’s Got Talent,” now starting its eighth season.

In a recent phone interview from his native London, the 53-

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roian Bellisario’s two most recent roles have her playing women at very different times in their lives who have reached their breaking point and are trying to move forward. She plays teen Spencer Hastings on ABC Family’s popular “Pretty Little Liars.” Since her best friend was murdered, Spencer and her three best friends have been taunted, tricked and stalked by a group that goes by the name of “A.” In a recent interview, Bellisario said she was very vocal with the writers and the network about wanting to take her character to a darker place. She got her wish, but has since “kind of backed out of the writers’ room” about what’s coming up.

The 27-year-old actress also plays the title character on the Web series “Lauren” on the WIGS YouTube channel. She’s a single mother in the military who was sexually assaulted by a fellow comrade. Her role on “Lauren” seemed a little odd at first, she said. “It was a little bit like, ‘What? You want me to do what?’ But the material itself was so incredible. I was like, ‘I don’t really care. I just want to get a chance to do this.’ I would never be able to portray that role in film or television because it’s a bit of a name game. To do this for the Web and to get the attention that it’s gotten, it’s really kind of a blessing in disguise.”

Bellisario said she didn’t realize her character’s situation on “Lauren” isn’t uncommon in real life. “I walked in two days before we were going to shoot and (co-star) Jennifer Beals had done a lot of research. I was like, ‘Give me everything please,’ and she gave me this incredible book called ‘The Lonely Soldier’ and I watched (documentaries) ‘The Invisible War’ and ‘Lioness’ and just absorbed and read and watched YouTube videos. It was overwhelming. I had no idea,” she said.

A report by the Pentagon estimates that as many as 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year and that thousands of victims are unwilling to come forward despite new oversight and assistance programs. That figure is an increase over the 19,000 estimated assaults in 2011. “I hate to use the word serendipitous,” Bellisario said, “but there seems to be a very clear connection that ‘Lauren’ just needs to be talked about, and so I think we just tapped on something on the pulse of America and it’s time we address it.” Bellisario also embraced the idea of playing someone closer to her age on “Lauren.”

“In real life I’m watching my friends get married and have children and the conversations that I have in my life are different. ... I don’t really like one (character) over the other, I just enjoy getting the opportunity to explore a whole new part of a woman’s life.” The second season of “Lauren” is now “live” on

year-old mega-impresario recalled enjoying talent shows like “Opportunity Knocks” and “New Faces” as a child. And he described how a few years ago, amid the boom of singing competitions, he hatched the idea for the broader-based talent show “America’s Got Talent” emerged as. He was watching a

the website, which means all 12 episodes are posted for viewing. There’s no decision yet on whether there will be a third season, but Bellisario says, “I don’t think we’re quite done” with her character’s story. “Pretty Little Liars” returns for its summer premiere on June 11 (8 p.m. EDT). A spinoff called “Ravenswood” will debut in October. “You are definitely going to see some of the ‘Ravenswood’ characters being introduced on ‘Pretty Little Liars,’” she said. — AP

File photo shows actress Troian Bellisario during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival at the Fender Music Lodge in Park City, Utah. — 0AP

singing show in Britain when a contestant warbled a too-familiar song, and very badly, “and I remember thinking: ‘I’d actually rather watch a dancing dog than listen to her.’

“Then I said to myself, ‘I used to LOVE that kind of show! Why don’t we bring back that type of show again?’” So he did.

“America’s Got Talent” (the first in Cowell’s global “Got Talent” franchise, with original versions of the format now produced in 56 territories) premiered in 2006. And last year (fittingly) a dog act, Olate Dogs, won the $1 million prize. Cowell is expectedly bullish about the season ahead. “The new panel has jelled very well. There’s really good chemistry with the judges and the host (Nick Cannon),” he said. He also sang the praises of the series’ new producer, Sam Donnelly. “She’s totally revitalized the American show. It’s by far the best we’ve done.” Of course, “AGT” is hardly Cowell’s only project, even in the US Come fall, “The X Factor” returns on Fox after two seasons of conspicuously falling short of what the audience was led to expect.—AP

File photo shows Simon Cowell at the ‘The X Factor’ season finale results show at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.

File photo shows season eight celebrity judges, from left, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Howard Stern and Melanie ‘Mel B.’

Photo released by NBC shows host Nick Cannon on stage during auditions for the talent competition series ‘America’s Got Talent,’ in Newark, NJ. — AP photos

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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he popularity of a giant inflatable duck afloat in Hong Kong harbor has not gone unnoticed in mainland China, where two copies have been launched in as many days, according to reports yesterday.

Thousands of visitors have flocked to view the 16.5-metre blow-up, conceived by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, since it was towed to the Hong Kong waterfront on May 2, with duck mania gripping the city. But China has now seen the launch of two of its own ducks, albeit smaller versions.

The first was in the northern city of Tianjin on Friday and was funded by a property developer, the daily Global Times reported. The second took to the water yesterday in the central city of Wuhan, according to a blog from the Yangtze daily. Since 2007 Hofmanís duck has travelled to 13 different cities in nine countries ranging from Brazil to Australia in its journey around the world. The artist said he hopes the duck, which is due to stay in Hong Kong until June 9, will act as a ìcatalystî to connect people to public art. — AFP

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attling the wind in his World War I biplane, a French pilot landed on a sandy Moroccan airstrip. Nearly 90 years on, a museum honors his stay and the world-renowned book it inspired. “Antoine de Saint-Exupery the writer was partly born here, in Tarfaya, where he spent two years as station manager of Aeropostale,” says Sadat Shaibat Mrabihrabou, opening the doors to the small museum in Morocco’s far south, where the sea and the desert meet.

“It’s here that he began writing his books, under the stars,” he says. “We’re at the birthplace of a writer known worldwide.”

Saint-Exupery is a name inseparable from his book “The Little Prince”, a series of selfillustrated parables in which a boy prince from a tiny asteroid recounts his adventures among the stars to a pilot who has crash landed in the desert. First published almost exactly 70 years ago in New York, in English and French, it became one of the best-selling books of all time with more than 140 million copies sold, and has been translated into 270 languages and dialects.

Prior to his stellar literary achievements, Saint-Exupery was a pioneer aviator posted to Tarfaya in 1927, a wind-swept outpost that served as an important refueling station for the Aeropostale aviation company linking France to its colonies in Africa. Today, even with new building projects rising from the sands, this sleepy port town formerly known as Cape Juby gives the impression that it’s hardly changed.

In front of Tarfaya stands a derelict fortress built by the British in the late 19th century, and the Atlantic Ocean stretching to the horizon. Behind it lies the Sahara desert. The former airstrip is five kilometers (three miles) out of town. Between the two world wars, planes would leave from Toulouse in France and deliver their cargoes progressively further south, in hazardous conditions. But the biplanes they used could only travel up to 700 kilometres, so the airborne mail company decided to

establish a new staging post south of Agadir, at Cape Juby, then under Spanish control.

Saint-Exupery packed his bags and flew his World War I-era Breguet 14 biplane to the Moroccan coast to take up his new job, whose duties included negotiating for the release of downed pilots captured by hostile local tribes. During his 18-month posting in the dramatic isolation of Tarfaya, he wrote his first novel “Southern Mail”, “whose title was suggested by another pioneering French airman, Jean Mermoz,” according to the museum’s curator. There too was suggested the desert landscape that the Little Prince discovers when he falls to Earth, although that book was written more than a decade later.

Nights of seclusion In 2004, the Tarfaya museum opened, dedicated to preserving this key episode in the life of one of France’s best-loved writers, whose Little Prince also has a museum in Japan. “This patrimony represents an oral culture that risks disappearing with time.

Saint-Exupery’s last mechanic-caretaker died two years ago,” says the museum’s Mrabihrabou.

“It was at this man’s home that I heard for the first time the name of Saint-Exupery, when I was five to six years old,” he adds. The life of the celebrated aviator-author is told on the walls of the museum, from his birth in Lyon in 1900 to his mysterious death in 1944 during a reconnaissance mission in the Mediterranean, after having survived a Sahara desert crash in 1935.

“I really loved the Sahara. I spent nights in total seclusion. I woke up in this yellow expanse blown by gusts of wind as if at sea,” reads one of the panels. In the corner hangs an original picture of the Little Prince scribbled by its author. — AFP

KUWAIT: Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, officially opened the doors of three of its showrooms: Max, Shoexpress and Lifestyle in Al-Dabbous Mall Farwaniya on the Mezzanine Level. The new showrooms offers the latest summer collection for women, men, children and kids .

Expanding its presence across the region, Landmark Group has more store launches in the pipeline, heading towards robust growth before the end of the year. Max, Shoexpress and Lifestyle constantly develops new collections and are a big hit in Kuwait where customers are more discerning when it comes to fashion.

Speaking at the launch of the three new showrooms Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer, Landmark Group Kuwait said: “Expansion has always played an important role in Landmark Group’s growth strategy. Max, Shoexpress and Lifestyle are

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A giant Rubber Duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is towed along Hong Kong’s Victoria Habour Thursday. — AP

ong neglected at home, Edvard Munch is finally to get his due as Norway honors one of its greatest artists with the most comprehensive retrospective ever to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth. “The Scream”, of course, is there. So too are other treasures, including “Madonna”, “Vampire” and “The Dance of Life.” Open to the public from Sunday, the “Munch 150” exhibition offers an unprecedented look into his long artistic career, from his earliest works until his death in 1944.

“There have been many exhibitions on Munch in the past but for artistic or practical reasons, they generally focused on just one theme,” Audun Eckhoff, director of the National Gallery in Oslo, told AFP. This time the exhibition is designed to show the evolution and scope of work of the great artist through 270 paintings and drawings. The organizers are using two different venues. The National Gallery deals with “how Munch became Munch,” Eckhoff explains. It zooms in on the formative period from 1882 to 1903.

The second venue, the Munch Museum, follows the more mature artist through the last 40 years of his life. From his very first strokes, Munch showed a unique genius, revealing himself as a pioneer of Expressionism at a time when it was new and dangerous. Dealing with difficult topics such as “The Sick Child”, his contemporaries did not always understand his work, dismissing his paintings as unfinished. His paintings on the theme of disease had very personal roots. The young artist was deeply affected by the early deaths of his mother and sister, who were both claimed by tuberculosis.

Some of the other subjects he chose to explore also shocked and provoked his contemporary: he treated taboo subjects such as puberty and the bohemian life. An important part of his work is made up of variations on the same themes. Thus the “Frieze of life” series for revisited the same motifs, sometimes decades apart: the growth and decline of love in paintings such as “The Kiss” and “Jealousy”; deep and ultimately existentialist anxiety, memorably expressed in “The Scream”; and death, in for example “The Death Bed”. These are timeless topics, as modern today as they were a century ago. This why he has maintained an important place even in popular culture, featured in everything from t-shirts

among the fastest growing brands in our growing portfolio of the retail brands we are able to offer our customers.”

“With the launch of this store, we look forward to offering customers with trendy quality merchandise at reasonable prices in superior retail environment and even better customer service. Customers who come to our showrooms will find something that fits their personal style and their budget”.

“We are delighted to launch the three stores in Farwaniya and look forward to launching 2 more Max, and 1 more Shoexpress and Lifestyle store in Kuwait before the end of the year” concluded Basu.

Shopping at Max, Lifestyle and Shoeexpress is an experience in itself. From trendy fashion looks to inspiring accessories, the showrooms are designed for easy browsing and colorful display areas. Apart from the display, the store is staffed with qualified, courteous and warm employees who

to films.

And yet Munch was for years neglected in his native country. He bequeathed his work to the city of Oslo in April 1940, to protect it from the Nazis who had invaded only a few days earlier. But after the war ended, his work were packed off to an unexciting building in a remote district of the Norwegian capital. Visitor numbers were usually moderate, and

security was sorely lacking, which helps explain how two different versions of “The Scream” were stolen: one in 1994 in the National Gallery, and another in 2004 in the Munch museum.

Both were later recovered. However, the era of neglect seems about to end in Munch’s home country, perhaps due to the tremendous response to recent exhibitions of his work abroad. In Paris, London and Frankfurt, a million people have recently visited “The Modern Eye” exhibitions. A version of “The Scream”, the only one in private hands, was

tend to the requirements of all customers.

The Max retail philosophy of providing style-conscious customers with fashion at affordable prices has gained attraction across the Middle East. The tenth store offers the latest fashion range with the hottest new international trends in textures and fabrics to guarantee its patrons an enjoyable shopping experience. Visit Max showrooms at Al-Rai, Salmiya, Hawally (Al-Bahar Center), Fahaheel, Khaitan (Awtad Mall), The Avenues, Jahra (Sahari Mall) ,Kuwait City, Fintas and now Farwaniya to discover more.

Every season, Lifestyle produces a collection that is unique and fits with its overall philosophy. The new outlet offers a wide range of products from home fragrances like reed diffusers and electric aroma diffusers, to fragrance oils and exclusive fashion accessories, fashion bags, teen gifts and home decor products. Do visit Lifestyle stores in any of the

sold for a record US$119.9 million in New York last year. And the Oslo authorities, after years of rather embarrassing procrastination, finally agreed this week to build a new Munch Museum, in a more dignified building. It is scheduled to open in 2018, so seven decades after his death, Munch will finally find a home. — AFP

A visitor looks at a painting in Oslo during a preview of the ‘Munch 150’ exhibition, featuring a large number of works by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, to celebrate the upcoming 150th anniversary of his birth. — AFP

Centrepoint stores, Al-Rai, Liwan Mall and now in Farwaniya.

Shoexpress stands for servicing customers with great value, innovative ambience and hassle free shopping for your footwear and accessories needs across all ages and genders.

Shoexpress, offers its patrons international quality and latest trends at pocket-friendly prices, Shoexpress is located at Star Mall at Al-Rai besides 4th Ring Road Mubarakiya and now Farwaniya.

A leader in the Middle East retail industry, the Landmark Group has successfully established itself as a forerunner in providing high value for money to customers.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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he top tier of the fashion world keeps its ranks pretty tight, filled mostly with established names known to fill retail racks and shoppers’ closets.

But the Council of Fashion Designers of America each year gives three designers a chance to break through with prizes in womenswear, menswear and accessory design for emerging talent. Those awards will be handed out Monday night at a glitzy show at Lincoln Center where the up-and-comers will share the stage with the likes of Vera Wang, who is being honored for lifetime achievement, and Oscar de la Renta, who is being celebrated for being even more fabulous. (He won the lifetime achievement award back in 1990.)

Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are previous emerging-talent winners who are now in the running to be named the year’s best overall creator of American womenswear. The new newbies, some attending the awards for the first time, are up for the Swarovski awards, so named because the company

source from and other good traditions.”

Claim to fame: “Still working on it,” says Osterweis.

Fashion makes me feel: “Happy today,” Beatty replies. “It depends on the day. We finished our resort lookbook today.”

designed with a friend and the wedding band she created with her husband.

Claim to fame: “Making sustainable jewelry here in New York City.”

Fashion makes me feel: “Strong and beautiful.”

Creatures of the Wind, designed by Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters Signature style: “That’s a hard question for us to answer. We’re always concerned with creating an atmosphere more than a single look. We’re still kind of young as a collection, and we’re trying to stay nimble, and trying to avoid being pigeonholed early on,” says Gabier. The duo seems to purposely swing from one end of the pendulum to the other, creating couturelike “lady” pieces one season and masculine leather ones the next.

Claim to fame: “Being in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2011. We don’t live in New York, so we’re not really in the thick of things, so it’s hard to really know how it’s being perceived and who even knows about it - which I kind of like - but that let us grow.”

Fashion makes me feel: “It makes us feel like we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

Accessories.

All nominees this year are jewelers.

Menswear Tim Coppens Signature style: “We do bomber jackets very well, and our outerwear is very intricate. We do interesting details and fabric combinations, and find solutions for tailored jackets and suiting and execute them in a different way that what’s already out there,” Coppens says. Coppens experimented with many forms of art as a child, including painting, sculpture and toyed with architecture. He says he hopes he brings all those elements to his clothes.

Claim to fame: “Up until now, it was when Barneys (New York) bought the collection before I produced anything, and the fact that we were then on the floor

Snyder sees his role as a designer a little like bit a chef, an architect, an engineer and an artist. “All the ingredients you work with are known. It’s about the mix,” he says.

Claim to fame: “My dad taught me at a very young age to dress well.”

Fashion makes me feel: “It completes me. I’ve always felt fashion is an outward expression of your personality. I’ve always had an affinity to dress well. I was voted best dressed in high school. Whatever happens in high school becomes your mantra for the rest of your life.”

Public School, designed by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne Signature style: “Taking something pretty and making it not pretty - and that sort of makes it pretty again. That’s really what it is: making what’s predictable unpredictable,” says Chow.

Claim to fame: “We haven’t claimed fame yet,” says

Irene Neuwirth Signature style: “Big bold pieces,” describes Neuwirth. “I wanted it to feel like a costume jewelry line and be playful and colorful, but with the finest materials. The biggest compliment is when people say I know it’s yours before I see your name.” Neuwirth has grown her business in fits and starts, beginning with one-of-a-kind pieces more than a decade ago, but it’s now a bona fide collection sold in multiple retailers.

Claim to fame: “Julianne Moore wore custom emerald cuffs for the Met gala, but I really love meeting women who buy my jewelry, so the most exciting thing is when I see people wearing it on the street.”

Fashion makes me feel: “constantly surprised, but in a good way.”

File photo shows fashion designer Todd Snyder, left, and actor Zachary Quinto at the ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square in New York.

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Womenswear Cushnie et Ochs, designed by Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs.

Signature style: “It’s creating this ‘modern sexy’ that’s alluring, that’s seductive, but that’s also sophisticated, and highlights the female body. ... We are two female designers designing for women,” says Cushnie.

The silhouette tends to be sleek and architectural, with slashes of skin replacing bells and whistles.

Claim to fame: “The first time we were in Vogue, we were shot as part of the ‘new guard,’” Cushnie says.

Jennifer Meyer Maguire Signature style: “My signature look is that there is something for everybody.” Meyer Maguire says she’s her customer, as is her neighbor and childhood friend.

She aims for pieces that busy women can wear as part of their body, not a specific outfit.

Claim to fame: Jennifer Aniston wearing her necklace, fashioned with a leaf pendant, in “The Break-Up.” “She was the perfect canvas for my jewelry. I couldn’t have gotten any luckier.”

Fashion makes me feel: “Like there’s a family with consistent fashion people who want to see their fellow fashionistas grow and get better and better. My thing about fashion is that I had such a different idea about fashion until I became a part of this fashion world. Being part of the world is such a beautiful feeling. It embraces new talent - like a new member of the family, like I was a new baby.”

Fashion makes me feel: “Confident.”

Suno, designed by Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis.

Signature style: “Prints” is the easy answer from Beatty. Suno launched using only Kenyan fabrics to boost that local economy, but Osterweis says to keep the brand growing, there also are knits from Peru, embroideries from India and even some handicraft from New York. “We have found other ethical places to

Pamela Love Signature style: “It’s eclectic, definitely bohemian while still being modern. Powerful. I think it’s something that’s my aesthetic anyway, but I purposely do it with my jewelry.” Jewelry brings confidence to women, Love says, and she hopes people wear her pieces as “a good luck charm.” Personally, her daily jewelry wardrobe includes the engagement ring she

not only sponsors the award but also helps provide the winners with financial support and access to their crystal products. In interviews with The Associated Press, the nominees introduced their looks, claims to fame so far - and how fashion makes them feel:

eslie Patricelli didn’t keep junk food in the house when her three kids were toddlers, but the goofy, bald baby in her board book “Yummy Yucky” grins from ear to ear over chocolate sauce and cookies. The prolific picture book writer also included pepperoni pizza as a positive, acknowledging in a recent interview that some of her empty calorie imagery for kids too young to seek out sugary and fatty foods on their own have earned her a kvetch or two from parents.

“If I were to do it again I would probably make a few different choices, but I don’t think I would leave everything out,” said Patricelli, in Hailey, Idaho. “All you have to do is watch a kid eat a piece of cake to know that they’re in heaven.”

Heaven, indeed, especially when it comes to an abundance of frothy pink cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and candy in books aimed squarely at babies, toddlers and preschoolers who may not be intimate with the meaning of moderation.

But some authors and publishers are focused on creating alternatives to c-is-for-cupcake picture books for parents struggling to promote broccoli. Even Cookie Monster sometimes eats smarter, chowing down on celery and demonstrating smaller portions of his namesake treats in “Ding Dong, Elmo’s Here!” and other books from the folks on Sesame Street.

“Food is everywhere kids turn,” said Betsy Loredo, executive editor for Sesame Workshop’s publishing group. “So it’s natural for us to want to think of ways we can integrate that and make choices that are healthier. We try to go for at least equity.”

Sesame Street, with an appearance by obesity fighter and first lady Michelle Obama, took on nutrition and exercise as

an initiative back in 2004. The effort expanded to other divisions and special projects that included distribution of kits to six million families and child care centers offering ways to eat healthy on a budget and educate parents on the difference between “sometime food” and “anytime food.”

With the childhood obesity rate tripling in the past 30 years to 1 in 3 children in the United States overweight or obese, books with healthy eating pictures and messages may not be everything, but they’re something, advocates said.

Sesame Workshop, for instance, concluded in a 2010 study that when children are shown fruits and vegetables linked with favorite characters from the show they choose those foods at a much higher rate and eat more of them, according to Sesame researcher Jennifer Kotler.

Even broccoli, she laughed. “Something happens between 3 and 5 where there’s a growing awareness of what healthy means. Where 3-year-olds like the foods they like, 5year-olds know things they might choose might not always be the healthiest,” Kotler said.

David Goldbeck in Woodstock, NY, isn’t an absolutist, but he does care about what kids see in their books when it comes to food. He wants more of them to eat fruits and vegetables, so he co-wrote an alphabet book that puts broccoli and yams in equally healthy company.

The Michigan Fitness Foundation, which is home to that state’s Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports, uses Goldbeck’s “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond” in take-home book bags that are part of a health literacy program in more than 400 public elementary schools, said Marci Kelly Scott, the organization’s vice president for health programs.

The book includes an alphabet format with illustrations (E

These book image released by Candlewick Press shows pages from ‘Yummy Yucky,’ an illustrated children’s book by Leslie Patricelli.

The Creatures of the Wind Fall 2013 collection being modeled during Fashion Week in New York.

File photo provided by Suno, shows fashion from the Suno Spring 2013 during Fashion Week in New York.

with known labels - all the big ones - Balenciaga, Lanvin and Thom Browne. They were all there.”

Fashion makes me feel: “Like I can use fashion as a way to express myself.”

Todd Snyder Signature style: “I like to see something antique with something modern, and make something new.”

is for eggplant!) but also history, fun facts and recipes for older kids. Scott ordered 500 of the books in 2008 and routinely reorders to keep up her supplies.

In this alphabet world, C is for carrots, D is for date, as in the “desert fruit found in Kuwait,” and O is for organic. “I wanted to make these words familiar to kids so they’re not so loaded,” Goldbeck said. “These things have a history to them.”

The book skirts on some buzz foods, making H for the herbs on pizza and V for vanilla, which sometimes flavors ice cream cones!

So what accounts for the cupcake-creep?

“I don’t think parents really look at every book, page by page. They buy online or grandparents buy or they get books as gifts,” Scott said. “Mostly parents put their trust in the book stores and the publishers.”

Picture book illustrator Betsy Johnson in Portland, Maine, was thrilled to take on cauliflower and figs in an alphabet book depicting healthy foods by their colors. Her mixedmedia collage work with text by Libby Koponen is featured in

File photo provided by Cushnie et Ochs, the Cushnie et Ochs Spring 2013 collection is modeled during Fashion Week in New York. — AP photos

Osborne, “being nominated is the biggest thing that’s happened to us thus far.”

Fashion makes me feel: “special,” says Chow. “I’ll qualify that: Beyond clothes, it gives people identity, confidence and a leg to stand on to feel special and different than the next person.”—AP

“Mmm...Let’s Eat!” from Blue Apple Books and just out in May. The book isn’t entirely about food and includes other items by color like a yellow rain boot and a sunflower. The same goes for Sesame Street’s 2011 “Abbie’s Pink Party,” telling the story of a birthday bash with a final spread featuring cake and other treats that include watermelons and strawberries.

As a mom of two girls, ages 10 and nearly 13, Thompson worries about the motives behind unhealthy food choices in books for kids. “I don’t think you need to beat kids over the head with things because I think kids are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, but a lot of people in the business are looking just at what will sell, and I’m totally horrified by it. That’s not how I’ve ever fed my kids,” she said. — AP

This book image released by Sesame Workshop shows an inside page from ‘Eat Your Colors! A Puzzle Book,’ by Sarah Albee and Joe Matthieu.

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Indonesian models display Muslim dress designs during the four day Indonesia Islamic fashion fair 2013 in Jakarta on May 31, 2013.

The most populous Muslim country designers are increasingly coming up with clothing and jewellery with an Islamic twist, including pieces that rival high-end imported goods from the likes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton. — AFP

Chinese imitators copy Hong Kong’s giant duck

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2013

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Visitors look at an installation titled Nothing Between Us by Vladimir Peric and Milos Tomic at the Serbian pavilion during the press preview of the 55th Venice art biennale in Venice. The Venice art biennale runs from June 1 to November 24, 2013. — AFP

U

A decorative window in the Moscow Cat Theatre.

p on a brightly lit Moscow stage a clown loudly welcomes the stars of today’s show — 20 highly trained cats. Packing out the auditorium with excited children and adults, the feline performers are the main attraction at the world-famous and unique cat theatre. Founded just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the theatre-run jointly by its founder, circus clown Yuri Kuklachev, and his sons Dmitry and Vladimir-has recently reopened after a major renovation.

From the very first moments in the venue-even before the show begins-visitors are plunged into the feline kingdom’s unique atmosphere: some cats watch spectators’ arrival from behind a glass wall while others are already darting about the stage. When a bell rings for the beginning of the show and the curtain opens, the audience explodes with applause: on stage, a cat balances on a wheel spun by a clown as a furry co-star skateboards on its hind legs.

Then a conjuring number follows and a cat appears to bang a drum as a dove emerges from under a cloth in a clown’s hand. Other numbers-less acrobatic but equally difficult-also show that training the cats must require wellhoned skills. “With cats, each show is an improvisation,” Yuri Kuklachev’s younger son, Vladimir, told AFP. “Cats often behave instinctively and one should always be behind them as they just do what they want.”

“Some cats enjoy the stage, they love it when we watch them attentively, while others do not like noise or lights and sit motionless,” he added. The 30-year-old former ballet dancer said it took him a year to get used to training cats.

“With dogs it is easier, we show them what to do once, and that is it.” His father Yuri, a legendary Soviet-era clown, started training cats to stand out from the competition and established the theatre in 1990 on Moscow’s central Kutuzov Avenue.

Every show involves around 20 cats and the theatre has 100 in total. Before the theatre reopened, animal rights groups called for its shows be banned, saying that the animals suffered abuse from trainers. But Vladimir Kuklachev dismissed the criticism, arguing that recent inspections found no violations in his theatre. One of the young children watching the show, Daria Kalinovich, said she was thrilled by cats’ talents. “I loved so much seeing the cats jumping up and down, running after a ball and juggling,” she said.

The theatre’s shows-”The Cat Thief”, “The Puss in Boots”, “The Nutcracker and the King of Rats”, and even “Swan Lake”-run throughout the year, with teams of feline performers led alternately by Kuklachev-senior and his two sons. Besides Russia, the theatre has toured France, Canada, Japan, the United States and China. It is not the only unusual animal theatre in Moscow. The Durov animal theatre founded in 1912 has performers including a raccoon, ravens and mice who run a miniature railway.—AFP

Children visiting the MoscowCat Theatre, founded by famous Russian clown Yuri Kouklatchev.

A boy watching a show in the Moscow Cat Theatre.

Cats sitting in their enclosures backstage in the Moscow Cat Theatre.

A photo shows a stage curtain in the Moscow Cat Theatre, founded by famous Russian clown Yuri Kouklatchev, shortly before the fall of the USSR. — AFP photos