21 Apr 2012

IO N IPT SC R SU B

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

JAMADI ALAWAAL 30, 1433 AH

No: 15425

48 8127 perish 44 as plane

150 Fils

Tens of thousands protest military’s rule in Egypt

Barca, Real lock horns in Clasico title showdown

Protesters, Bahrain police face off as Grand Prix begins

crashes in Pakistan No hope as rescue crews hunt for survivors

ISLAMABAD: Up to 127 people are feared dead after a Boeing 737 crashed while trying to land in bad weather near the Pakistani capital Islamabad yesterday, officials said. The Bhoja Air flight from Karachi came down outside Islamabad’s international airport, police official Fazle Akbar said, adding that emergency teams have been sent to the site. “There is no chance of any survivors. It will be only a miracle. The plane is totally destroyed,” he said from the crash site.

There were conflicting reports about how many people were on board the plane. A senior defense ministry official said initial reports suggested there were 126 people on board, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said it was carrying 121 passengers and nine crew, while the chief of Islamabad police Bani Amin said from the crash site that 127 were on board. Asked if there were any survivors, the defense ministry official said: “So far there is no good news.”

Torn fragments of the fuselage, including a large section bearing the airline’s logo, could be seen in television footage. Rescue crews combed through the charred wreckage of the plane as passengers’ belongings-clothes, shoes, jewelry-ripped from their luggage, lay strewn on the ground. Saifur Rehman, an official from the police rescue team said the plane came down in Hussain Abad village, about three kilometers from the main Islamabad highway.

“Fire erupted after the crash. The wreckage is on fire, the plane is completely destroyed. We have come with teams of firefighters and searchlights and more rescuers are coming,” Rehman told Geo television. A military official said army rescue teams with ambulances and special equipment had been dispatched to the scene. An airport source said the plane had been due to land at Islamabad airport at 6:50 pm (1350 GMT) but lost contact with the control tower at 6:40 pm and crashed shortly afterwards before reaching the runway.

Bhoja Air relaunched domestic operations with a fleet of five 737s in March, according to newspaper reports, when the airline was planning to start flights connecting Karachi, Sukkur, Multan, Lahore and Islamabad. Bhoja had been grounded in 2000 by the Civil Aviation Authorities amid financial difficulties, the reports said.

The worst aviation tragedy on Pakistani soil came in July 2010 when an Airbus 321 passenger jet operated by the private airline Airblue crashed into hills overlooking Islamabad while coming in to land after a flight from Karachi. All 152 people on board were killed in the accident, which occurred amid heavy rain and poor visibility. The deadliest civilian plane crash involving a Pakistani jet came in 1992 when a PIA Airbus A300 crashed into a cloudcovered hillside on its approach to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, killing 167 people. — Agencies

Max 32º Min 20º

RAWALPINDI: Pakistani rescue workers and local residents search the site of a plane crash in Rawalpindi yesterday. — AFP

Tiny islands rekindle Arab-Iran dispute TEHRAN: There would seem to be enough points of tension to keep Iran and its Gulf Arab rivals fully occupied: Tehran’s nuclear program, accusations of Iranian meddling in Bahrain’s uprising, Iranian threats to block Gulf oil shipping lanes. But it’s all been overshadowed by three contested islands that Iran wants to turn into a tourist draw. For more than a week, the political temperature has been rising since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a surprise visit to the Gulf outpost Abu Musa, the largest in the three-island cluster controlled by Iran but also claimed by the United Arab Emirates.

On Thursday, Iran’s ground forces commander spoke for the first time about the readiness to defend the tiny islands between Iran and the UAE. “We will not allow any country to carry out an invasion,” Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan was quoted as saying on state TV. “If these disturbances are not solved through diplomacy, the military forces are ready to show the power of Iran to the offender. Iran will strongly defend its rights.”

It appeared to be a reply to Tuesday’s statement by senior Gulf officials pledging full sup-

port to the UAE and saying any “aggressions” would be considered an act against the entire six-nation bloc, known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is led by Iran’s main regional foe Saudi Arabia. Despite the tough talk, the chances of armed conflict still seem very remote. But the rumblings were enough for Washington to take notice.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Tuesday for a “peaceful resolution” of the dispute through international mediation, but noted that a visit like Ahmadinejad’s last week “only complicate efforts to settle the issue.” The motivations are still unclear for Ahmadinejad’s trip - the first by an Iranian head of state to Abu Musa since it came under Tehran’s control in 1971. But it suddenly turned a normally backburner Gulf dispute into a diplomatic tempest.

The UAE recalled its ambassador to Iran and hammered Tehran with harshly worded declarations that were in stark contrast to the usual cautious tones from Abu Dhabi on regional affairs.

After the UAE canceled an exhibition soccer match with Iran, the head of the UAE’s soccer federation quipped: “A friendly match should be between friends.”

Abu Musa sits like a sentinel over the western edge of the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf, the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and US Navy warships patrol the narrow waterway, which Iran had threatened to choke off in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran took control of Abu Musa and two nearby islands - the Greater and Lesser Tunbs - after British forces left the region. Tehran maintains that an agreement signed eight years before its 1979 Islamic Revolution between the shah and the ruler of one of the UAE’s seven emirates, Sharjah, gives it the right to administer Abu Musa and station troops there.

There was no agreement on the other two islands. The UAE insists they belonged to the emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah until Iran captured them by force days before the UAE statehood in 1971. Days after Ahmadinejad’s visit, Iran’s official news agency IRNA described plans to turn Abu Musa into a tourist center and a showcase for Persian culture. Tehran claims the Gulf islands have been part of states that flourished on the Iranian mainland from antiquity until the early 20th century.— AP

local SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Blasphemer injured, MPs demand probe Assailant charged with attempted murder KUWAIT: A prisoner who attacked his cell mate who is jailed for blasphemy now faces attempted murder charges after being referred to the Public Prosecution Department for further actionto be taken, according to news reports received yesterday .

Hamad Al-Naqqi, who has been charges with posting offensive remarks against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on Twitter suffered minor injuries on Thursday afternoon after he was attacked with a sharp object. According to a security source, a dispute arose between Al-Naqqi and his attacker when the former refused to join inmates for Al-Asr (afternoon) prayers.

The attacker reportedly stabbed him three times before other inmates and security officers stepped in to break up the fight. Al-Naqqi was treated for minor wounds which did not require hospitalization. Meanwhile, the attacker, who was heard repeating the word

sandstorm to hit Kuwait, says DGCA KUWAIT: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) warned during the wee hours of Friday that a sandstorm will hit Kuwait within coming six hours. Visibility will drop to less than 500 meters as the wind speed exceeds 50 kilometers per hour, said a DGCA statement. It urged all citizens and expatriates , particularly motorists to remain vigilant for their safety. —KUNA

‘infidel,’ according to the source, was placed in solitary confinement.

The suspect confirmed the attack during interrogation, saying that he was provoked by the ‘insults’ Al-Naqqi spewed against him during their dispute. He remains in custody pending further action,reported Al-Jarida.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed the incident in a statement released late Thursday. They noted that ‘necessary legal measures’ were taken against the attacker. In the meantime, AlNaqqi’s attorney Khalid Al-Shatti told Al-Qabas that authorities from the Central Jail refused to meet his client following the attack.

According to a security source, the attacker’s name was present in the list among those benefiting from Amiri amnesty. According to its terms, his original seven year jail term was commuted to three and a half years, adding that the recent incident will surely cost

him the amnesty, reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, three Shiite MPs commented on the incident by holding the ministry responsible for the inmate’s safety, and demanded that a complete investigation be held into the case.

“The Ministry of Interior should held accountable for the provocation and attempted murder of Hamad AlNaqqi,” said MP Adnan Al-Mutawa’a .

He insisted the fight was not spontaneous. Meanwhile, MP Saleh Ashour demanded that efforts be made to maintain Al-Naqqi’s safety as well as an investigate the reasons behind “why he was placed in the same cell as high risk prisoners,” In the meantime, MP Abdulhameed Dashty claimed to be in possession of evidence to prove that senior ministry official Khalid Al-Dayeen was responsible issuing orders to transfer Al-Naqqi to the Central Jail “using his connections with extremist MPs,” reported Al-Watan.

Woman gives birth during KAC flight KUWAIT: A Saudi woman gave birth to a healthy boy during a Kuwait Airways plane bound from New York to Kuwait on Thursday, according to news reports.

The delivery took place thousands of feet above the ground after the woman reportedly entered labor shortly after take-off on flight number 118 from New York to Kuwait. Given the flight’s 14-hour duration, doctors

Domestic helpers to lose residency automatically KUWAIT: A female domestic helper employed by an expatriate family in Kuwait could lose her residence permit automatically once the female sponsorís residence permit is canceled, said sources. They were commenting on procedures related to hiring housemaids once expatriate families leave the country for good.

Under Kuwaiti rules, unmarried men cannot hire housemaids. An expatriate resident is required to provide documents proving that his family members have valid residence permits before he can hire a domestic worker under his sponsorship.

However, once a family decides to leave the country, the domestic helperís residence permit is automatically cancelled. ìThe Immigration General Department automatically cancels the residence permit of a domestic worker registered under an expatriateís sponsorship once the sponsorís wife leaves Kuwait or loses her residence permit for whatever reason,î explained a security source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The source noted that this condition applies if the expatís wifeís residence permit expires and is not renewed on time. —Al-Rai

who happened to be on the same plane helped with the delivery process after realizing that she wouldn’t be able to wait until the plane reaches its destination. The woman was taken along with her baby to AlFarwaniya Hospital in an ambulance that was called to the runway before landing. Doctors said that the mother and her newborn are in good health, Al-Watan reported.

KUWAIT: Kuwait University Rector signing an agreement to build services and facilities at Sabah AlSalem University City.

MPs, cleric plead with Amir to renovate Grand Mosque KUWAIT: Several lawmakers , including a prominent Kuwaiti cleric, appealed His Highness the Amir yesterday to approve projects concerning the Grand Mosque’s renovation so as to ‘save the iconic Kuwaiti monument that lay in ruins now.”

Cleric Mushary Al-Afasi released a statement urging HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to “resolve the Grand Mosque’s crisis” by renovating it or completely rebuilding it. Islamist MPs Mohammad Al-Dallal and Ammar Al-Ajmi too released a statement making similar appeals to HH the Amir.

Also, MP Abdullatif Al-Omairi claimed to be in possession of “reliable information stating that the Grand Mosque is fragile and will be closed during the Holy Month of Ramadan.” He further announced plans to pose questions to Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Jamaal Al-Shehab on the issue.

Meanwhile, MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel called for launching a ‘public campaign’ to collect donations to fund the Grand Mosque’s rebuilding project. Reports emerged last week, indicating that the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has already closed the Grand Mosque as per recommendations put forward by a joint committee comprising the Ministry of Public Works and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). It was formed to study the building’s safety conditions. —Al-Aan

Man dies in Fahaheel Highway car crash

By Hanaan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A male motorist died in a traffic accident that took place yesterday along Al-Fahaheel Highway. Paramedics and police headed to the location near Al-Qurain on Friday where an accident involving an over turned vehicle was reported. The driver at the helm of the vehicle, a Syrian national, was pronounced dead. The body was removed for an autopsy by the coroner. An investigation was opened to determine the circumstances that led to the accident.

In other accidents reported on Friday, a 32-year-old Egyptian man suffered a fractured spine in an accident that took place along the Fourth Ring Road. He was admitted to Al-Jahra Hospital. Also, two female citizens aged 31 and 27respectively suffered facial injuries in a car crash reported at King Fahad

Highway yesterday. They were admitted to Al-Adan Hospital.

Four hurt in street fights A man was admitted to Al-Jahra Hospital yesterday after being involved in a fight that took place in Saad AlAbdullah. He sustained a stab wound to his back. An investigation was launched to search for the attacker.

A 33-year-old Bangaldeshi was admitted to Al-Adan Hospital with a head injury he sustained during a fight that broke out in Al-Ahmadi yesterday.

Also, Al-Sabah Hospital received a 41year-old Egyptian national who suffered facial injuries in a fight that was reported near the Avenues Mall early yesterday.

A 26-year-old Nepalese man who suffered bruises to his right shoulder and face after being involved in a fight reported in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh on Friday

was admitted to Al-Farwaniya Hospital.

Drug smuggling attempt thwarted An Iraqi truck driver was arrested at the Abdaly border checkpoint in connection with drug smuggling. The arrest took place shortly after the suspect arrived from his home country. At least 59 kilograms of hashish and 85 drug pills were found concealed in his truck’s spare tire. He was referred to the higher authorities.

Suicide attempt A woman was arrested yesterday after attempting to end her life by leaping from a bridge in Jahra yesterday. A police patrol arrived at the scene after passersby informed that she was restrained before plunging to death. The 37-year-old Sri Lankan national was whisked away to the area’s police station for investigations.

LOCAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

‘Piled-up tires prove too much for recycle plants’ civil aviation staff threaten strike

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Kuwait’s active recycling factories are incapable of processing the huge number of disposed tires, while international treaties limit the state’s ability to export them outside.

This was confirmed in a recent statement issued by the Public Authority of Industry (PAI) in response to comments blaming it for the massive blaze that engulfed a location where at least five million tires were dumped. “The only factory which can recycle tires into basic material used in asphalting roads is currently not functioning, and will not be set in motion for another year and a half,” said the statement released on Thursday to the media. It further adds that two other factories which have ‘very limited capacity’ cannot handle large amounts of used tires that have been piling up for nine years, according to

official records. The statement also mentions that Kuwait cannot export used tires being a signatory to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

Civil Aviation staff to stage strike Staff members from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) will stage a four-hour strike starting

10:00 am on Monday, until the government agrees to pay better financial allowances. “The strike will takes place at the announced time and could be extended if the government fails to respond to our demands,” read a statement issued by the DGCA’s labor union recently. “It’s not our intention to create tensions, but these created by the DGCA directors by ignoring our legitimate demands,” it added.

CONDOLENCES Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief, management and staff convey their deepest condolences to

KUWAIT: An official watches as the fire rages at the tire dump. The fire was extinguished eventually. —KUNA

Mr N.S. Das (Kuwait Times) on the sad demise of

CONDOLENCES NAFO Kuwait conveys its deepest condolences to the bereaved family of

His elder brother

Mr P N Karunakaran, (Kannan Chettan)

Mr P N Karunakaran, (Kannan Chettan) who passed away on Friday

who passed away on Friday (April 20, 2012) in Kottayam, Kerala.

He is the elder brother of Mr N S Das (Kuwait Times) and uncle of Mr TA Remesh, Country Head, Gulfmart, Kuwait. The funeral will take place today (Saturday) at his residence in Kottayam.

(April 20, 2012) in Kottayam, Kerala.

local SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Pay raises may be delayed till June ‘Procedures yet to put in place’ KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has received orders on speeding up operations pertinent with enforcing a 25 percent general pay raise to public sector employees, amid concerns that a delay might postpone payment until June.

“A coordination should be held urgently between state departments to clearly outline payment criteria as soon as possible,” reads a letter sent

recently by Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali to CSC President AbdulAziz Al-Zibn. The letter, quoted in a report published by Al-Rai yesterday, indicates that the Ministry of Finance will not be able to pay increased salaries before June, as the procedures have not been put in place.

In other news, Salah Al-Mudhaf, General Director of Savings and Credit Bank, (SCB) criticized an instruction he

recently received on forming an investigation committee to probe the bank’s investments, terming the decision as bring ‘political.’ “All investment procedures made by the bank are legal, signed with four companies that are experienced in the field,” Al-Mudhaf told Al-Rai on Thursday. He further explained that the SCB received first reviews from these banks within three months in ‘a record time.’ —Al-Rai

KUWAIT: The Acting Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry, Lieutenant General Sulaiman Al-Fahad presided over a meeting held by the police affairs general committee on Thursday. All assistant undersecretaries were present during the meeting.

Kuwait envoy visits Mexican state MEXICO: The Kuwaiti ambassador to Mexico Samih Jawhar Hayat is currently touring the Mexican state of Veracruz for a busy schedule to discuss prospects of investment cooperation with local officials and decisionmakers. The diplomat arrived in the state, late on Thursday, in response to an official invitation by the local gov-

ernor, Dr Javier Duarte, to hold talks on prospected business cooperation.

The mission scheduled includes a series of meetings with local entrepreneurs and officials, including the chairman of the chamber of commerce. He is also due to visit a group of major petrochemical plants and oil derivatives in the state. The ambassador was

received by the diplomatic attache, Khaled Al-Hemily, Mexican Minister of Economy and Ports Erik Porres Blesa, and the head of the ports and the investment authority in Veracruz, Gerardo Mancilla Arteaga. Kuwait maintains good ties and mutual cooperation with Mexico at various levels.

—KUNA

MoD to inspect smartphones, flash drives KUWAIT: The Defense Ministry’s military police will inspect military employees’ personal smart phones and portable storage devices unannounced at various military units, sources said. They added that laptops, tablets, smartphones and USB devices’ contents would be examined before returning them to owners. Sources justified the procedure by citing that some military personnel had been photocopying and photographing some documents and facilities, violating confidentiality. Sources also highlighted that some material was leaked onto websites or media, and that those involved would be court-martialed. —Al-Rai

MADRID: Kuwait’s ambassador to Spain, Adel Al-Ayyar re-opens a gas station. —KUNA

KUWAIT: In appreciation for identifying the thieves who robbed several NBK clients that withdrew cash from their accounts, the Interior Ministry’s Criminal Evidence Director, Maj General Fahad Al-Dousary yesterday presented an award to NBK’s Security Manager, Khaled Al-Matrouk.

Kuwait aids Syrian refugees in Lebanon BEIRUT: Up to 450 Syrian families seeking refuge in Al-Beqaa region in eastern Lebanon received relief aid from Kuwait’s Social Reform Society, said an official here on Friday. Head of the society’s projects management, Suleiman Al-Shatti, told KUNA that Kuwait was keen on delivering supplies to the Syria refugees as a means to try and reduce suffering of those people.

Recent UN reports indicated that more than 13,000 Syrian refugees were in Lebanon, with most taking up refuge in the northern part of the country.

Meanwhile, Syrian refugees in Lebanon expressed gratitude for Kuwaiti people and leadership on their unforgettable supportive stances to Syria in their distress. These remarks were made by Syrian refugees during the second aid mission of the Kuwaitbased the Islamic Society for Social Reform (Al-Islah Al-Ijtmaee) at the makeshift camps of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.

They applauded Kuwaiti people and leadership’s generosity. For his part, Head of Lebanon Office of the International AlRahma Society for Relief, affiliated to Islamic Society for Social Reform (Al-Islah Al-Ijtmaee), Ghassan Hablas expressed solidarity with Syrian people in their distress, adding that the society is mobilizing its efforts to help ease their suffering. Latest statistics estimate Syrian refugees in Lebanon at about 13,000 people, the majority of them in makeshift camps in Norhtern Lebanon. —KUNA

Color ID cards for Bedoons soon KUWAIT: Stateless residents in Kuwait (bedoon) will soon be provided with identification cards in different hues; each indicating the category under which they are listed in government records. A decree on this regard was recently issued by a senior Ministry of Interior official.

The new cards, which will replace the existing cards issued to stateless residents as their only form of identification, will be distributed starting May 1, 2012, states an official document signed by Major General Abdullah AlMuhanna, Assistant Undersecretary for Operations Affairs.

According to new regulations, identification cards carrying a red stripe will be issued to stateless residents who have not legalized their status in Kuwait within a year, while cards carrying green stripes will be issued to bedoons who are eligible for naturalization, valid for five years. Meanwhile, a yellow-striped card will be issued to stateless residents who are authorized to stay legally in Kuwait for three years, while blue striped ones will be provided to those who legalize their status and obtain valid passports. —Al-Rai

LOCAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Al-Shamali seeks to curb spending Evidence of ‘unjustifiable wastage’ found KUWAIT: A two-week training course on ‘Training Feedback Assessment’ was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior Assistant Undersecretary for Education and Training Affairs, Lieutenant General Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf. Supervised by the Oxford Consultancy and Training Center, 21 participants took part in the course that concluded yesterday.

EPA chief testifies in documents forgery case KUWAIT: The Public Prosecution Department summoned Dr Salah Al-Moudhi, Director of the Environment Public Authority(EPA) to testify in a case against his subordinate Captain Khalil Haidar for alleged involvement in forging employees’ legal dossiers to gain advantages. Sources said that the Department is still investigating the allegations leveled by a former employee who was reportedly mistreated. More witnesses may be summoned to arrive a verdict.

In other news, the Department quizzed several officials from the Higher Education Ministry in connection with the issue of an expat gang that forged university degrees in Kuwait. Sources said that officials will be questioned because the certificates bore signatures that were completely identical to theirs.

Sources said that 60 certificates were discovered after contacting the Traffic Department which examined expatriates’ transactions.

Expatriates had submitted them to receive drivers’ licenses by complying with the condition that an applicant be university degree holder earning a minimum salary of KD 400. Sources said that the six-member expat gang has been remanded in custody, as per the Department’s request. At least 16 suspects that obtained forged certificates were released on a KD 200 bail. —Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali has temporarily suspended a chapter in the state budget’s spending policy guideline that lay down allocating money to state departments unaffiliated with the Cabinet. The move was taken after he reportedly found evidence of abuse which resulted in public funds embezzlement.

Quoting a Cabinet source, the AlQabas report indicates that Al-Shamali “ignored pressure by the government to withdraw his decision,” with the belief that “large amounts of public funds are being unjustifiably wasted” as part of the Fifth Chapter of the budget’s spending policy.

Kuwait’s budget policy guideline is separated into five spending categories that organize the distribution of public funds between payment of public sector salaries to financing projects. The Fifth Chapter is simply listed as ‘miscellaneous spending and transfer payments’ in official records, and is used to fund budgets of state departments not directly affiliated with the Cabinet and cannot source funding independently.

Although the chapter was included in the eighties, it has since become a yearly tradition to reserve a certain amount for the said ‘sector,’ said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Minister Al-Shamali’s days as a mem-

ber in the Cabinet could be numbered with the majority bloc agreeing that he should quit his post. It held a meeting on Thursday, during which an agreement was reached to support a grilling motion initiated by MP Musallam AlBarrak against Al-Shamali. However, the meeting ended before members could agree upon a suitable timing. The bloc boasts of over 30 lawmakers among the 50 elected parliament members that can vote against Al-Shamali in a no-confidence motion, which needs a minimum 25 votes to be passed.

According to bloc member MP Adel Al-Damkhi, the group will convene again today to select a date to present the debate. He noted that coordination on Thursday resulted in agreements to accord certain regulations priority for discussion in the Parliament next month, including anti-corruption, small projects, and early retirement for female citizens.

In other news, After taking part in a meeting for the parliament’s public funds’ protection committee MP AlBarrak said that the State Audit Bureau has not received complete information regarding Kuwait’s offset program “on KD 72 million paid to Siemens.” The lawmaker tried to link between the two. An ongoing investigation was held in Germany in which senior officials were

accused of bribing officials in the Kuwaiti government, reported Al-Jarida.

Separately, the Cabinet excluded the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard and other similar bodies from being covered by the state’s General Tenders’ Law which organizes placing and awarding tenders for state departments’ contracts, in accordance with recent amendments imposed by the law.

According to an Al-Shahed report published yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the subject, the government asserted the need to maintain the confidentiality of arms and military deals, despite parliament’s financial committee insisting that all governmental contracts be covered by law, reported Al-Shahed.

Also on Thursday, rapporteur of the parliament’s human rights committee MP Al-Damkhi announced that the Foreign Ministry approved a request to send a team to visit the Guantanamo Bay prison with the hope that they can meet with Kuwaiti detainees Fayez AlKandari and Fawzi Al-Odah. Al-Damkhi also noted that an agreement was reached to draft a law for domestic workers in Kuwait. The decision was reached during a panel meeting held on Thursday with representatives from the International Court of Justice and local NGOs, reported Al-Rai.

VIENNA: Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova with other officials during the signing of an agreement to support development in Africa. —KUNA

UNESCO’s director lauds cooperation with Kuwait VIENNA: Director General of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Irina Bokova, lauded here yesterday relations with Kuwait, affirming that such ties were ever developing and unique. Speaking on the sideline of a meeting, grouping the OFID, the OPEC Fund for International Development, and UNESCO, to sign an agreement to support development in Africa, Bokova told KUNA that the strong relation between Kuwait and UNESCO was reflected in the launch UNESCO/Amir Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah prize to

Promote Quality Education for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.

She stressed that such cooperation reflected Kuwait’s keenness on helping individuals to pursue education regardless of their mental abilities. The Jaber Al-Ahmad prize was won by Douglas Biklen, of the United States. Biklen is Dean of the School of Education, Professor and founding faculty member of the Center on Human Policy, Law and Disability Studies, Syracuse University (USA).

Over the past 40 years, his work has

inspired researchers and given hope to many families of persons with disabilities from around the world. His ground-breaking books and films - notably, Achieving the Complete School (1985), Schooling without Labels (1992), and My Classic Life as an artist (2004) - have had a significant impact on the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.

They have also influenced prevailing perceptions of such disabilities. Biklen received a monetary award of 40,000 USD on February 29 in a ceremony to be hosted by

the Government of Kuwait. The laureate was selected on the recommendation of an International Jury.

Established in 2002, the UNESCO/Amir Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Prize recognizes the outstanding activities of individuals, groups, organizations or centers that promote quality education for persons with intellectual disabilities. Generously funded by the Government of Kuwait, the Prize is awarded every two years. Twenty three candidatures were proposed by Member States for the Prize. —KUNA

LOCAL

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

116 paramedics join fire-fighting 14 poachers arrested with weapons

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Brigadier Yousif Al-Ansari, deputy director for firefighting and human resources development, commented on the used tires fire in Jahra. He said Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) finally controlled and put out the blaze after three days of hard work. ‘Which is a record time in such fires’, he stressed, and was due to the combined efforts KFSD firefighters, the National Guard, the army, the military projects engineering department, the Ministry of Interior, the Municipality, Kuwait Oil Company and the Ministry of Public Works. Due to the number of machines and equipment used, the fire was isolated and controlled. Medically, 116 paramedics were dispatched to the scene and treated all cases, most of whom inhaled smoke at the site.

Fire at girls high school In another fire, six female secondary school students were rushed to Jahra hospital for treatment from smoke inhalation during a fire at their school said Abdul Aziz Buhaimed, media organizer at the medical emergency department. Lieutenant Colonel Khalil AL-Amir, KFSD media and PR manager, commented on the same fire saying that the fire started in a water cooler.

Fourth Ring Road. A 43-year-old Egyptian was rushed to the ICU at the Amiri Hospital with a heart attack after his car collided with another along the Fourth Ring Road.

14 poachers arrested Ahmadi police recently launched a campaign to arrest illegal hunters along the coastline near the chalets area (between Nuwaiseed and Abdullah port) resulted in the arrest of 14 poachers in possession of six shotguns, four air pressure guns, 2,000 bullets and other hunting equipment.

Life for Kuwaiti drug dealer The Court of Appeals recently sentenced a citizen to a life sentence plus a KD10,000 fine for trading in hashish.

Another citizen was sentenced with a KD1,000 fine for possessing illegal weapons and ammo and two other citizens were acquitted. The four citizens had previously been sentenced to life terms by the Court of First Instance.

Illegal weapons seized form poachers.

Barber steals KD50,000 in gold and valuables KUWAIT: After 53 days of investigations, police detectives finally managed to indentify a burglar who broke into a Thai goldsmith and stole KD 40,000 worth of jewelry, precious watches and KD 10,000 worth of historic coins and notes, security sources said. Case papers indicate that the Thai goldsmith reported that after returning from a short vacation abroad with his family, he found that someone had broken into his house and emptied a safe he hid in the bedroom of his children.

On examining the front door, detectives found that it had been opened with a key. The man immediately suspected the boyfriend of his former maid, who was deported. He provided detectives with four different mobile phone numbers of men who had been calling her. Further investigations indicated that they were all registered in the names of Asian men. The boyfriends were all interrogated and testified that a wellbuilt man stole their mobile phones.

Hashish seized from Egyptian KUWAIT: Customs officers at the airport seized three joints of hashish weighing nearly a kilogram along with other banned drug pills that were hidden in secret compartments from an Egyptian national. The expat’s behavior drew Customs officers’ attention, prompting them to search his luggage thoroughly.

Prison escapees caught Four policemen are being questioned at Al-Firdous police station over the incident where two inmates escaped from jail. One of them was caught later. The jail break reportedly took place on Thursday when officers first heard an uproar from the police station’s cell, realizing that the two inmates escaped through a window pane. One of the suspects, a citizen, got into a vehicle that was waiting for him outside. The other, a bedoon (stateless) resident, ran into a populated area. Police arrest the citizen in AlQurain after a ten-hour long search. The man explained during investigations that they used a sharp object that was smuggled into their cell to create a dent on the window. He faces physical assault charges while the bedoon inmate, who remains at large, was imprisoned for an arson case. An order was issued to apprehend four officers who guarded the cell.

House fire A 60-year-old citizen inhaled smoke and burnt his hands, while a 68-year-old female citizen had a heart attack and had to be rushed to Adan Hospital after a fire broke out at their house in Sabahiya.

Car Accident A 30-year-old Egyptian sustained bruises all over his body while another broke his left knee when a vehicle knocked them down on Abe Huraira Street in Salmiya. A 25-year-old delivery man bruised his right knee and left shoulder when he lost control over his motorbike and it slid along the

KUWAIT: Police officials inspect the wreckage of a car that turned turtle after a car crash on Thursday.

The real suspect was identified as a barber who had lived next door, but left the area and moved to Shamiya.

The barber was arrested and confessed to committing the crime. He said he sold some of the gold for KD 5,000 and smuggled the rest out through the airport. However, the suspect led the police to where he had hidden the watches and other valuables. Some of his friends in Khaitan were safe-keeping them.

Corpse washes ashore The corpse of a stateless resident washed ashore opposite the Determination Yard, security sources said. Case papers indicate that a citizen reported seeing the corpse while jogging in the early hours of the morning. Further investigations are in progress.

Dog bite A dog and its owner were detained after the dog bit a three-year-old girl, security sources said. Case papers

indicate that the toddler’s mother accompanied her daughter on a visit to one of her friend. While they were chatting together, the dog bit the small girl. The mother had to file a complaint against her friend to avoid the anger of her former husband, the father of her child.

Mobster An Indian racketeer was arrested in Farwaniya for collecting protection money from his compatriots. He threatening to detain whoever refused to pay him in a room he used as a dungeon, security sources said.

4WD stolen, KD25,000 cash bonus inside!

A citizen reported that his fancy four-wheel vehicle, containing KD 25,000 he had just withdrawn from a bank, was stolen. Security sources said the man left his vehicle for a few moments, leaving the engine running while he got something from a nearby store.

Fire incidents Many escaped harm after a fire broke out at Jahra Girls Secondary School. Thick smoke billowed up into the air and seven teachers and students suffered from smoke inhalation. Firefighters from Jahra Vocational Fire Center reached the location in response to an emergency report; preventing the fire it from spreading. Investigations are underway to determine the cause. A source said that schools should strictly adhere to security and safety procedures to avoid accidents from occurring.

Meanwhile firefighters from Ardhiya station extinguished a fire that broke out at a home in the area on Thursday. It gutted the home’s interior. No injuries were reported. Officials believe that faulty wiring may in the air conditioning unit may have triggered the fire.

Investigations into the case are ongoing. Police stormed a flat in Salmiya and arrested five bedoon women in connection with prostitution. The incident took place after they were tipped of about the women’s activities. An undercover agent posing as a customer lured the women into a trap. When the women at the pre-arranged meeting place, police confronted and arrested them.

Theft at girls school A female citizen employed at Latifa Al-Fares Girls School filed a complaint with police stating that thieves stole desks, a fax machine, a telephone exchange, in addition to 182 desks and a color printer. Police are investigating the case.

Trespassers arrested Jahra police arrested 16 individuals that trespassed an off-limit area. They confiscated 16 shotguns in the process.

The arrest was made by a special team that was patrolling the area The detainees were referred to higher authorities.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Norway killer says he was a nice person

9

Trouble in threes: Scandals hamper Obama’s message

11

North Korea mass rally calls for death of South’s leader

14

TAFTNAZ: A Syrian woman walks past the rubble of homes allegedly destroyed during Syrian government army shelling in the town of Taftnaz, in northwestern Syria, on April 15, 2012. Syrian opposition activists organised protests against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime on April 20, 2012, in a new test of its readiness to honour a peace plan UN chief Ban Kimoon said it has so far failed to heed. —AFP

Protests sweep Syria as ‘18 troops killed’ Kofi Annan acknowledged situation ‘not good’ DAMASCUS: Thousands of Syrians took part in protests against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime yesterday, testing a shaky UN ceasefire, as state media said 18 security personnel were killed in attacks. The latest violence came as peace envoy Kofi Annan acknowledged the situation was “not good” and as rights monitors reported at least one opposition activist killed and intense shelling of protest hubs.

“It’s a very fragile ceasefire,” Annan spokesman Ahmad Fawzi told reporters of the tenuous truce which has seen more than 120 civilians killed since it went into effect on April 12. A deadly blast took place in the southern region of Quneitra, near the demarcation line with Israel on the Golan Heights, killing 10 members of the security forces, state television said, blaming an “armed terrorist group.”

Official news agency SANA said the bomb was detonated by remote control and targeted a bus transporting troops.

A similar bomb attack in Karak, in southern Daraa province, killed five soldiers, state media

said, adding that three soldiers and three civilians were killed in separate incidents elsewhere. Thousands took to the streets across the country after Muslim weekly prayers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Protests took place in Daraa, the Damascus region, in Homs and Hama in central Syria, Idlib in the northwest, Aleppo in the north, Deir Ezzor, northeast Syria, and in Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, it said.

“Protesters called for a collapse of the regime and the ouster of President Bashar alAssad in spite of heavy security deployment and continued shelling, gunfire and arrests by government forces,” the Britain-based watchdog said. Meanwhile, an advance team of UN military observers resumed work bolstered by the signing on Thursday of a protocol governing their mission to monitor a six-point plan brokered by Annan.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to take “early action” to bolster the mission, while acknowledging that boosting

its numbers to 300 was “not a decision without risk.” Opposition activists had called for a show of defiance against Assad’s regime for the main weekly protests. “We will win and Assad will be defeated,” was the slogan on the Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook Page, which has been a major engine of the 13-month uprising that monitors say has left more than 11,000 people dead.

Across the country, activists reported a massive security force presence, particularly outside mosques, the traditional starting point for marches and protests. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the UN observer mission needed to be able to guarantee Syrians the freedom to protest. “We need observers on the ground, but properly equipped observers with helicopters that can ensure the right to protest. It’s extremely important. The day this freedom is guaranteed, the regime will fall,” he said. But the head of the small observer advance team, Morocco’s Colonel Ahmed Himmiche, said it would not be

attending demonstrations yesterday for fear that “our presence is used for an escalation.”

“Today, we have other tasks. We are going to meet civilians and representatives of organisations,” Himmiche told AFP as his team prepared to leave their Damascus hotel.

The advance party has visited the Daraa region but has not so far been able to visit Homs, where rebel neighborhoods have come under repeated deadly bombardment, Ban said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the rebel Khaldiyeh district of Homs-Syria’s third-largest city-was under heavy bombardment for another day.

Activists in the town of Qusayr, further north, also reported heavy bombardment.

“Mortar and rocket fire did not stop all night and is continuing today,” said Hadi Abdullah. Damascus ally Moscow insisted that the ceasefire was generally holding despite violations and should be viewed as an achievement that was saving Syria from a broader civil war. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, APRL 21, 2012

Qaeda claims Iraq’s worst violence in month BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Al-Qaeda branch claimed responsibility yesterday for attacks that killed dozens in the capital and across the country the day before, the worst wave of violence in weeks. The sudden spike dashed hopes that Iraq was calming and raised fears of escalating sectarian violence in the turmoil following the US military pullout last December.

Lawmakers representing Iraq’s minorities denounced the bloodshed as a tragic but inevitable result of the Shiite-led government’s attempts to

sideline them and dominate Iraqi politics.

The Islamic State of Iraq, as AlQaeda in Iraq calls itself, said it targeted security forces and government officials in “response to the campaign of detaining, torture, embargo and confiscation of lands of Sunni people, especially in Baghdad and its outskirts.” The claim was posted on militant websites. Al-Qaeda said the Thursday morning wave that struck 10 cities across Iraq, killing at least 30 and wounding 117, was just the beginning

of a prolonged series of attacks. AlQaeda and other Sunni militant groups have stepped up attacks on Shiites since the US pullout, raising concern of a new surge in sectarian violence.

A lull since mid-March had led many to hope Iraq had turned a corner away from widespread violence. That hope collapsed Thursday as at least 14 bombs and mortar shells exploded across Iraq. Six of the bombings struck at security forces and government officials, frequent targets for insurgents. In

Egyptians mass to demand army retreat from power Row over constitution adds to tensions CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanded yesterday that their military rulers stick to a pledge to hand over power by mid-year after a row over who can run in the presidential election raised doubts about the army’s commitment to democracy. Two leading Islamist candidates, one representing the Muslim Brotherhood who was seen as the frontrunner, were among those disqualified this week from a vote that starts on May 23-24, drawing a storm of criticism from supporters and the candidates.

Khairat Al-Shater, the Brotherhood’s former candidate, said his ejection showed the generals who have ruled since Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year had no serious intention of quitting. The movement is now fielding a reserve candidate. “We are all here to protect the revolution and complete its demands,” said Sayed Gad, 38, a pharmacist and Brotherhood member. He had joined a protest which attracted both Islamists and liberals to a packed Tahrir Square in central Cairo, although the two sides were not united on all their demands.

A council of generals, who stepped in 14 months ago after mass demonstrations in Tahrir and elsewhere had sapped Mubarak’s power, has led Egypt through a turbulent transition punctuated by spasms of violence and frequent protests against their handling of the move to democracy. The army says it will stick to its timetable to hand power to a new president by July 1 and has promised to oversee a fair vote. But some remarks from military officials suggesting the army might also seek now to have a new constitution in place before that handover - an impossibly tight deadline for many - has added to popular worries about the military’s ambitions.

Western diplomats expect the timetable for transferring powers to hold but say the army which supplied Egypt’s presidents for six decades, including Mubarak, and which has built up sprawling business interests throughout that time, will remain an influential player behind the scenes for years.

OLD ORDER “Down with military rule” and “The people want the execution of the marshal,” some protesters chanted, a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak’s defence minister for two decades who now leads the ruling military council. Some

day’s protest, Moussa said: “The exploitation of some of the square for narrow electoral goals and attacking some of the candidates is a negative phenomenon that should be followed up.”

Rain rivals for Moussa and Shafiq will be Mohamed Mursi, the head of the

CAIRO: Egyptian protesters chant slogans and wave national flags as well as a Syrian revolutionary flag during a rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. —AP demonstrators sheltered under awnings and umbrellas to shade them from the midday sun. Many waved Egyptian flags. Thousands also gathered in the second city Alexandria and turned out in some other cities. The hours after weekly prayers at mosques on Fridays are traditional times for protests.

Another candidate, Omar Suleiman, Mubarak’s former spy chief and briefly his vice-president, was also ejected from the race. His candidacy had raised fears the army wanted to roll back gains made since last years uprising, but there are still others in the race seen as vestiges of Mubarak’s old order. “No to remnants. No to military rule,” read one banner that carried pictures of Mubarak’s last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force commander, and of Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister. They are both strong contenders, especially now that the Brotherhood’s Shater has been disqualified. Responding on Twitter to yester-

Brotherhood’s political party who will have the weight of the group’s broad grass-roots network behind him, and Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, a moderate Islamist who was expelled from the Brotherhood when he announced his plan to run. At that time, the Brotherhood had said it would not field a candidate. Mursi may have an edge because of the Brotherhood’s disciplined supporters behind him, but Moussa has strong name recognition as the former head of the Arab League. He won popular support for tough criticism of Israel.

Abol Fotouh, who has been campaigning for months, could pick up voters now that more prominent Islamists have been pushed out the running.

Shafiq could be a choice for those Eyptians who are tired of protests and upheaval and view the military experience of the one-time air force commander positively, offering them hope that he can stabilise the nation. — Reuters

Baghdad, 12 people were killed, most of them in Shiite neighborhoods.

Other targets were in northern Iraqi cities, including Samarra, where a 2006 mosque bombing touched off the worst of the insurgency; the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, and deposed dictator Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit. Sunni and Kurdish lawmakers said the bombings likely were the result of a months-long political impasse that has all but paralyzed Iraq’s government since the US military withdrawal. — AP

Sudan rebels ‘kill’ 79 troops, militia in Blue Nile KHARTOUM: Rebels in Sudan’s Blue Nile said yesterday that they had killed 79 government troops and militiamen in two ambushes in the ethnically divided state near the border with South Sudan. The attacks came on Tuesday and Wednesday in roughly the same area, mountainous terrain about 35 kilometres (20 miles) south of the state capital Ed Damazin, said Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, spokesman for the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

The group, which was a civil war ally of the former rebels who now rule independent South Sudan, has been fighting for several months in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, both of which border the South.

Sudan’s army spokesman could not immediately be reached. Lodi, whose forces deny being supported by the South, said there has been an upsurge in fighting in Blue Nile since border clashes between Sudan and South Sudan escalated last week with waves of air strikes hitting the South, and Juba seizing the north’s Heglig oil hub on April 10.

Heglig is part of South Kordofan. Lodi alleged Khartoum is using the Heglig standoff as an opportunity to mobilise militias and other fighters against the SPLM-N. “That’s how we see it,” he said. The border fighting between the two neighbouring states has sparked fears of all-out war. Lodi said 67 troops and militia died in one ambush on a troop convoy, with 12 more killed in the second attack. “In one of the ambushes we lost three martyrs and two wounded,” Lodi said, adding five rebels were wounded in the other attack.

Rebel forces took nine prisoners, he added. Access to the region is restricted and such figures cannot be verified. “We followed their preparations... from Damazin and that’s why we were successful,” even though the government forces tried to disguise themselves as rebels, Lodi charged. Last week, the insurgents said they had killed 13 government soldiers, with the loss of one rebel, in an ambush and subsequent sixhour battle 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Ed Damazin.

The government denied the losses. Foreign aid workers say that a relentless bombing campaign by Khartoum has prevented agriculture and that 200,000 to 250,000 people face food shortages in South Kordofan, with similar hunger expected in Blue Nile state in August. Sudan has cited security concerns in severely controlling access for foreign relief agencies to both war zones. Sources said late last month that a joint aid plan from the African Union, Arab League and United Nations was being finalised with Sudan. But there has been no announcement about completion of the deal.

The US special envoy on Sudan and South Sudan, Princeton Lyman, said on Thursday that Sudan had agreed “in principle” to allow assistance into South Kordofan. — AFP

international SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

French election rivals clash on euro PARIS: France’s presidential rivals clashed over the euro crisis in final exchanges before Sunday’s first round of an election in which most polls show Socialist Francois Hollande pulling further ahead of unpopular conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. In separate radio interviews yesterday, President Sarkozy said he had helped steer the euro zone through the worst of its debt crisis, making him the safest pair of hands, while the challenger Hollande blamed his adversary for mismanaging France’s strained public finances.

The risk premium investors charge for holding French 10year bonds rather than safe haven German Bunds rose above 1.50 percentage points on in a possible foretaste of market jitters about a left-wing government in Paris. “The risk of the euro imploding doesn’t exist anymore,” Sarkozy told RTL radio, as the last opinion polls before campaigning for the first round ends at midnight yesterday showed him sinking further behind Hollande. “Europe is convalescent. That’s a reality. We can’t afford any mistakes. The minute we ease up on cutting spending, reducing the deficit, reducing the debt, France will share the fate of Spain,” Sarkozy said, contrasting his time dealing with the crisis with Hollande’s relative lack of experience.

“For 10 years he was head of the Socialist party. He wasn’t the head of very much. That’s the truth,” he said. Spain’s economy is weighed down by debt and its government is struggling to convince lenders it can remain solvent. Sarkozy, who is being punished for economic gloom, high unemployment and an impulsive presidential style that grates on many voters, could lose by between 7 and 14 points in a May 6 runoff against Hollande, according to the latest polls.

Hollande told Europe 1 radio that France’s budget woes were the result of five years of Sarkozy’s policies, and called for European action to revive growth to fight the debt crisis. “The important thing is to put our public finances in order. They’ve been turned completely upside down these past years due to irresponsible fiscal policy and the crisis,” Hollande said.

He called for the European Central Bank to take a radically different role by lending directly to troubled euro zone states rather than to banks, and by keeping interest rates low. But he acknowledged Germany was dead against expanding the ECB’s role. Financial markets worry that Hollande’s focus on higher taxes rather than public spending cuts, and his intention to raise taxation on the financial sector, could lead to higher French bond yields and spur volatility in stock markets.

Firebrand leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, the surprise of the campaign who has soared from obscurity to vie for third place with around 14 percent in first-round polls, vowed to exert strong influence from outside on any Hollande-led government. Addressing a final rally in Paris which organisers said attracted 60,000, he declared: “I appeal to you, left-wing comrades who are listening and hesitating, come and help us not just overtake the extreme-right but raise the demands of the left.”

The rally ended with a clench-fisted Melenchon joining hands with leaders of the Communist Party and his Left Front and vowing to remain united as they sang the Internationale, the anthem of socialist movements worldwide. A swathe of final polls published yesterday mostly showed Sarkozy’s support eroding while Hollande’s backing held steady. An Ipsos survey showed Sarkozy down 1.5 points on 25.5 percent in the first round, with Hollande on 29. A Harris Interactive poll put Sarkozy at 26.5 percent to Hollande’s 27.5. All showed the Socialist far ahead of the incumbent in voting intentions for the decisive second-round runoff, with a lead of between 7 and 14 percentage points.

The two mainstream candidates are well ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with 14-16 percent, Melenchon around 14 and centrist Francois Bayrou, about 10 percent. Five other fringe candidates trail further behind. Sarkozy and Hollande are set to resume their duel yesterday with a series of campaign rallies. Their only face-to-face television debate is set for May 2. Only one pollster, TNS, put the rivals neck-and-neck on 27 percent in its final first-round poll yesterday. Sarkozy has hammered on immigration, security and trade protectionism to try to win back voters from Le Pen while at the same time starting to court the centrists he will need from next week to have any hope of catching up with Hollande by May 6.

The Socialist’s calls to renegotiate a European budget discipline pact to add pro-growth clauses has rattled investors as market fears have resurfaced over the debt crisis, focusing chiefly on Spain. Sarkozy raised hackles himself among euro zone partners this week by pressing for the ECB to take a more active role in encouraging growth by letting the currency depreciate, although both he and Hollande deny they want to alter its single mandate of ensuring price stability. —Reuters

Norway killer says he was a nice person Bomb and gun attacks killed 77 in all OSLO: The Norwegian anti-Muslim fanatic who killed 77 people in a shooting and bombing rampage last July told a court yesterday he was basically a “nice person” who had trained himself to stifle his emotions so he could carry out the attacks. Anders Behring Breivik, 33, admits killing eight people with a car bomb at government headquarters in Oslo, then gunning down 69 people, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party summer camp on Utoeya island.

But he has pleaded not guilty, insisting he was defending the country against waves of Muslim immigration facilitated by the political left. Breivik said he began consciously training to cut his range of feelings five years before the attacks, when he began to consider using violence to alert Europeans to what he considered the loss of their culture. “One might say that I was quite normal until 2006 when I started training, when I commenced deemotionalizing,” he told the court. “And many people will describe me as a nice person or a sympathetic, caring person to friends and anyone.”

“I’ve had a dehumanization strategy towards those I considered valid targets so I could come to the point of killing them,” he said, testifying on the fifth day of his trial. Breivik’s matter-of-fact manner as he delivers his account of the worst peacetime killings in Norway’s modern history has chilled his countrymen. His legal team has said that yesterday’s testimony would be harrowing, focusing on the systematic slaughter.

The presiding judge told people attending the trial they were free to leave the courtroom at any time.

The massacre on Utoeya in particular required mental preparation, he said. On Thursday he explained he had played computers games up to 16 hours per day and used daily meditation to “hammer away” at emotions and embrace his own death. “It is easy to press a button and detonate a bomb,” he said. “It is very, very difficult to carry out something as barbaric as a firearms opera-

tion.” He had hoped, he said, to kill all 564 people on the island, with special attention to former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, a Labour Party leader known as “mother of the country” who was to be the island that day.

“I had a bayonet on my rifle and I also

undergo to serve in Afghanistan, he said. “I would break down mentally if I removed the mental shields,” he said.

Breivik’s trial, set to last 10 weeks, turns on the question of his sanity and thus whether he can be jailed. Before the trial, one court-appointed team of psychiatrists concluded Breivik was

OSLO: Self-confessed mass murderer and right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik (C) speaks to his lawyer Geir Lippestad (R), at the central court in Oslo yesterday, after a break during his trial. —AFP had a knife,” Breivik recalled. “The plan was to chop her head off while filming it and reading a text, then upload the film (onto the Internet),” he said at Thursday’s session. He said he never got a chance to buy the advanced mobile telephone required for the film upload and in any case Brundtland left Utoeya several hours before he arrived. Under questioning about his feelings yesterday, Breivik said he recognized the suffering he had caused but that he remained detached from it. His preattack mental training regimen was similar to that which Norwegian soldiers

psychotic, while a second found him mentally capable. He has said he should either be executed or acquitted, calling the prospect of a prison sentence “pathetic” and an insanity ruling “worse than death”.

Defence attorney Geir Lippestad told Reuters Breivik’s only goal at the trial is to prove himself sane - and that he feels he is succeeding. “He thinks he has explained his views satisfactorily, the way he wishes, and he thinks that people understand what he is saying, at least the group he talks to,” Lippestad said. —Reuters

Support for Irish govt falls ahead of EU referendum DUBLIN: Support for the Irish government has dropped significantly, a poll showed yesterday, at a time when it has to persuade Irish citizens to back the European Union’s fiscal treaty in a May 31 referendum. The poll also showed the popularity of Sinn Fein, the former political wing of guerrilla group the Irish Republican Army (IRA), rising due to its anti-austertity stance, making it Ireland’s second most popular political party.

The Irish Times poll, carried out by IPOS/MRBI, showed that satisfaction with the government has dropped 14 per-

centage points to 23 percent since the last poll in October. Support for Sinn Fein, which is leading the ‘no’ vote campaign in the referendum, rose to 21 percent, its highest rating in an Irish Times poll. This comes at a difficult time for the government which is trying to persuade people to back the EU’s fiscal treaty in the referendum, with an opinion poll on Thursday showing that 40 percent of voters are undecided, leaving the result wide open.

Unlike most other European countries, Irish citizens are entitled to vote on

any major transfer of powers to Brussels.

They rejected the last two European referendums, most recently in 2008, before passing them once concessions were offered. As a bailed-out country, however, Ireland could find itself in an uncomfortable position with its currency bloc partners if it fails to sign up to the fiscal rules. Prime Minister Enda Kenny’s centre-right Fine Gael party was down three points to 33 percent. Kenny’s satisfaction rating was down ten points to 42 percent but he remains the country’s most popular leader. —Reuters

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Ousted leader in Dakar Mali Military frees 22 soldiers, politicians

JOHANNESBURG: A happy Robert Chauke (50) dancing with his 6 wives at thier small compound outside Johannesburg. He has 26 children. All of them, from his 10-week-old baby to his 28-yearold son, live together. —AFP

Polygamist family still wants a place in modern South Africa JOHANNESBURG: Robert Chauke had to buy a 22-seat bus to carry his enormous family, but it’s still not big enough for his six wives and 26 children. All of them, from his 10-weekold baby to his 28-year-old son, live together in a small compound outside Johannesburg. “I love all my wives. I can’t attribute this success in raising such a huge family to anything. I guess it is a blessing from God,” the 50-year-old said smiling, flanked by his six wives, aged from 25 to 44.

Families like Chauke’s are back in South Africa’s public debate, as President Jacob Zuma prepares to marry his long-time fiancee Bongi Ngema this weekend, giving the country four “first” ladies. Polygamy is legal in South Africa, and is practised by several of the country’s many ethnic groups-perhaps most famously among Zulus like Zuma, but also among the small Tsongas like Chauke. But the practice is becoming less popular, as modernity and western patterns of life take root. A survey in 2010 found that nearly three-fourths of South Africans disapprove of polygamy.

Among women, 83 percent disapproved.

Families generally have been getting smaller. The average household size in 1996 was 4.5, against 3.7 in 2007.

Chauke said he’s following family tradition. His grandfather had seven wives while his father had four. His eldest son already has two wives. “None of my wives work,” Chauke said proudly. “They stay with me in this house and we are one big, happy family.”

He supports his family by performing in a band and running a tavern in Orange Farm, the densely populated township where they live near Johannesburg. They live in a seven-bedroom house, so each wife has her own room, each taking a turn for their husband to sleep the night. They share in the household chores and support each other in raising the children.

The wives insist they harbour no jealousies. Ndela Ntshangase, a Zulu studies lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said polygamous marriages remain important even in modern times. “Polygamy came about to address societal problems,” Ntshangase said. Especially during times of war, villages were often left with more women than men. “If all males stuck to one partner there would be a number of women without husbands and children,” he said.

Polygamy also provides a social safety net for women and children, by ensuring that men are held responsible for their relationships, he added. “In this way you have less children born out of wedlock,” Ntshangase said. Ntshangase’s argument sits well with Chauke’s first wife, Josphina, who asked her husband to marry her younger sister. “I was the one who encouraged her to marry my husband so that we can be together in the family, so she can raise her children within the confines of a family set up,” she said.

For Chauke, the president’s marriages and 21 children show an appreciation of African customs and traditions.

“There is nothing wrong with the president marrying so many wives. If I can do it so can he,” Chauke said, adding that he would like to have even more children. “Being a man is not about how much money you have. It is all in the brain. It is about taking care of and satisfying all your family’s needs. Quite clearly our president can do that.” —AFP

BAMAKO: Mali’s ex-president Amadou Toumani Toure, who formally resigned after being ousted by the military last month, has taken refuge in Senegal as the military released 22 soldiers and politicians. Abou Abel Thiam, spokesman for Senegalese President Macky Sall, told AFP that Toure, who arrived late Thursday in Dakar with his family, had been taken to the Residence Pasteur where high-ranking guests are lodged.

“He was calm. He was with his entire family” of about 15 people, Thiam said.

Senegalese Foreign Minister Alioune Badara Cisse had gone to pick them up in the Malian capital Bamako in the Senegalese presidential plane, he added. It was not immediately known if Toure, 63, would stay in Senegal or was just passing through. A military source in Bamako had earlier said on condition of anonymity that Toure had departed “with the agreement of Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo”, the coup leader, after soldiers posted at the airport had refused to let him leave.

The military source said troops had tried to oppose the former president’s departure by firing in the air, provoking mass panic. A group of renegade soldiers claiming to act against the government’s inability to stop a Tuareg rebellion in the north seized control of Bamako on March 22, five weeks before planned presidential elections.

Following the conquest of the entire northern half of the country by Tuareg rebels and Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters and amid international condemnation, the junta struck a deal brokered by regional powers.

It officially relinquished power to civilian authority a week ago but the exjunta has since flexed its muscles and detained figures close to the ousted president. The troubled west African

country’s paramilitary police Thursday released 22 soldiers and politicians they had arrested earlier this week, a freed lawmaker said.

Television footage had showed assault rifles and ammunition clips as Colonel Diamou Keita, the head of the gendarmerie, said they had arrested 22 people, 11 of whom were civilians-one a banker-and 11 of them soldiers.

“Everybody has been released,” a

relatives told AFP that the former minister was at a Bamako hospital “with soldiers guarding his room.... He is wounded and cannot walk.”

Gendarmerie chief Keita said late Thursday that those released could still be recalled by the authorities for questioning. He did not go into detail.

Malian deputies appealed Thursday to the armed movements controlling the north of the country to lay down their

DAKAR: A Senegalese gendarme opens a gate to a security pick-up car at the Pasteur residence in Dakar, where ousted Malian president Amadou Toumani Toure and his family seek refuge after he formally resigned after being overthrown by the military last month. —AFP source close to the leaders of the March 22 coup confirmed Thursday, adding however that two detained officials “remained under medical observation”.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the pair still under military guard were former minister Soumaila Cisse and Waly Sissoko, a general who was close to ousted president Amadou Toumani Toure. One of Cisse’s

arms and withdraw immediately from all the occupied zones. The move was adopted in parliament by 121 of the 147 deputies. Toure formally stepped down earlier this month as part of a deal that the West African bloc ECOWAS hammered out with the putschists to push through a transitional administration that will oversee a return to democracy. —AFP

Guinea-Bissau junta gives 2-year timeframe

BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau’s military leaders said Thursday they had agreed on a candidate to lead a transitional government, though the proposed two-year timeframe for organizing new elections after last week’s coup was unlikely to appease the international community. Manuel Serifo Nhamajo, who has served as vice president of the National Assembly, was chosen by junta authorities and the opposition parties who took part in the process. The overthrown ruling party was not involved and later said it “rejects any government stemming from a coup d’etat.”

In New York, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday heard calls for deployment of a UN force from the foreign minister in the country’s ousted government and the representative of Portuguese-speaking countries. GuineaBissau’s Foreign Minister Mamadu Saliu Djalo, who was out of the country when soldiers violently took over the presidency on April 12, begged the council to authorize a peacekeeping force with a long-term man-

date “to allow for the establishment of a legitimate democratic state in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.”

Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba of Ivory Coast, speaking on behalf of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, said it intended to deploy a “military contingent” to the West African nation, which is allowed under a UN Charter provision dealing with regional organizations. “The ECOWAS mission will ensure the protection of VIPs and institutions as well as the envisaged transition and electoral process,” Bamba said. Angola’s Foreign Minister Georges Rebelo Chikoti, speaking on behalf of the Community of PortugueseSpeaking Countries, urged the council to create a peacekeeping force and take measures to restore constitutional order. Among those taking part in planning a transitional government was the party of Kumba Yala, one of the two presidential candidates in a runoff vote that was derailed by the coup. The African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau following the coup, and ECOWAS has sent mediators. Guinea-Bissau was just weeks

away from holding a presidential runoff election when soldiers attacked the front-runner’s home and arrested him along with the country’s interim president. The Security Council has condemned the coup and demanded the release of the interim president, prime minister and all senior officials illegally detained, immediate restoration of the legitimate government, and completion of the election process. Deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis of the United States, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, said members are working on a presidential statement. He said they again condemned “the military takeover - including the extraconstitutional appointments.”

On Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had visited former Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Jr. and interim president Raimundo Pereira and brought medical supplies, clothing and toiletries. The military officials behind last week’s coup claim that Gomes had signed an agreement allowing troops from Angola to attack forces in Guinea-Bissau. —AP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Amish plead not guilty in beard-cutting case WASHINGTON: Sixteen members of a US Amish community accused of carrying out a string of beard and hair-cuttings against religious rivals have pleaded not guilty and are set to go on trial in August. The defendants - 10 men and six women-refused to speak to media after their afternoon hearing on Thursday over what prosecutors have called “religiously-motivated assaults” between September and November of last year. Their lawyers have urged their release, saying the seven who remain incarcerated-including alleged ringleader Samuel Mullet-need to get back to their families to help with the spring planting season.

“I talked with my client and she’s got other mem-

bers of her family and her children planting the crops in the field,” attorney Joseph Dubyak told reporters.

Edward Bryan, Mullet’s lawyer, told Fox 8 News that he would seek to have his client released on bail. “His family needs him home right now. This is a very busy time for Amish people. Obviously, there are a lot of fields to be plowed,” he said. The Amish, a close-knit Mennonite Christian community that predominantly dwells in the central US states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, shun modern conveniences such as electricity and motor vehicles.

Mullet, the bishop of the Amish community in the village of Bergholz, Ohio, has also been charged with

making false statements to federal agents during the investigation. Many of the other accused are members of Mullet’s family. They are accused of breaking into homes and forcibly cutting off men’s beards and women’s hair-both symbols of piety for the Amish.

The defendants allegedly used scissors, battery-powered clippers and eight-inch (20-centimeter) horse mane shears “sharp enough to cut through leather,” according to the indictment. Some of them are also accused of concealing and destroying evidence, including a disposable camera, shears and a bag of hair from the victims. The trial has been set for August 27. — AFP

Obama, top Senate Democrat split over US nuclear nominee Republicans want NRC Commissioner Svinicki to remain

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, right, with long snapper Carson Tinker, left, welcomes the NCAA College football BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide to the South Lawn of the White House to honor their 14th championship, Thursday.—AP

Trouble in threes: Scandals hamper Obama’s message WASHINGTON: It isn’t Mitt Romney who’s giving Barack Obama fits as the president moves into re-election mode. It’s those federal bureaucrats carousing in Las Vegas, the Secret Service consorting with Colombian prostitutes and US soldiers posing with bloody enemy corpses. The scandals are taking a toll. They are distracting embarrassments that are dominating public attention while Obama seeks to focus on difficulties abroad and jobs at home. And they are giving Republicans an opportunity to question his competence and leadership, an opening for Romney in a race so close that any advantage might make a difference.

Even if the Democratic president escapes being defined by these flare-ups, they still feed a story line that can erode public confidence in Washington institutions, fuel a perception of federal excess and frustrate Obama’s argument that government can be a force for good. The White House response has been textbook - a mix of outrage and deflection. “The president has been crystal clear since he was a candidate about the standards that he insists be met by those who work for the federal government and on behalf of the American people and for the American people,” says White House spokesman Jay Carney.

But taken altogether, the events have overwhelmed the president’s agenda.

The Secret Service scandal broke while Obama was in Cartagena last weekend for a Summit of the Americas with more than 30 Western hemisphere leaders. Back home the headlines and the news anchors were hardly focusing on the summit, instead playing up the fact that 11 Secret Service agents and uniformed officers had been sent home on accusations of misconduct.

By the time the president got home, General Services Administration officials were appearing before congressional committees about a lavish Las Vegas conference and junkets to resorts, and more evidence of excess was beginning to emerge. Obama’s attempts to draw attention to his efforts against oil market manipulation on Tuesday and to help the economy on Wednesday were drowned out by further Secret Service revelations and by the publication of gruesome photos depicting GIs with the bodies of Afghan insurgents.

“Even though you may not be losing ground because it’s not the White House taking the hits, you’re no longer gaining ground because the White House doesn’t get its message out,” said Ari Fleischer a former spokesman for President George W Bush. Obama quickly tried to put distance between himself and the accounts of misbehavior. White House spokesmen avoided getting into specifics, instead citing investigations under way and referring reporters to the Secret Service or the GSA or the Pentagon. “If it’s at an agency, White Houses do their best to keep it arms’ length and let the agency take the hits and deal with it,” Fleischer said. “I think that’s what’s going on here.”—AP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama will renominate Republican Kristine Svinicki to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, defying opposition from his own party’s Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the White House said on Thursday.

Republicans want Svinicki, whose term as a commissioner expires in June, to stay on the panel and assert that the process has been held up because she, along with three other commission members, accused current NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko, a Democrat, of bullying women.

A vacancy could cause delays in commission decisions on safety reforms at US nuclear plants that the NRC ordered after last year’s disaster at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. “The president will renominate Ms Svinicki,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters, confirming a Reuters report. “He doesn’t want to have a break in service in June when her current term expires.”

Scheduling a Senate hearing and vote on Svinicki will now be up to Reid, a Democrat who has said he opposes her because she is too close to the nuclear industry she regulates and does not deserve the job. Svinicki, 45, is currently in Africa for a nuclear meeting in Namibia where she is speaking, followed by another conference in South Africa. She could not be reached for comment.

A quiet and serious nuclear engineer who shuns the media spotlight, Svinicki worked at the Energy Department and then for Republicans in the Senate before her appointment to the NRC in 2008. “She has performed in a manner that is above reproach,” Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, told a news conference, calling the delay in nominating Svinicki as “a level of retribution.” “She has had the courage to step forward and has blown the whistle on the chairman, and the chairman happens to be a good friend to Senator Reid,” Murkowski said.

ACCUSATIONS FLY The move by the Democratic president may be seen as a rare gesture of bipartisanship in an election year. Relations between the White House and congressional Republicans are tense after months of bruising standoffs over budget and deficit issues.

Republicans are rallying behind Svinicki as they try to improve their popularity among women voters in the run-up to the Nov 6 presidential election.

Her situation has been spotlighted in speeches on two consecutive days by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who first accused the White House of delay before Reuters reported on Thursday that the renomination would go ahead.

Reid’s opposition has drawn renewed attention to one of the most toxic episodes in the fractious

NRC’s history. Last year, Svinicki and the three other commissioners at the commission - two Democrats, two Republicans - took the unprecedented step of complaining to the White House about the management style of NRC chairman Jaczko.

Their concerns were made public in December during congressional hearings in which the commissioners accused Jaczko - a former Reid policy aide - of berating senior women NRC staff members, bringing them to tears in front of others.

Jaczko has denied the accusations. The White House’s Carney told reporters on Thursday he was not aware of any move to ask Jaczko to step down.

Senate Republicans have requested a new report from the NRC’s internal watchdog concerning Jaczko, which is expected to be completed soon, a Senate aide said. Republicans on the US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee will also probe concerns at a hearing slated for May 31.

RETALIATION? Democrats and Republicans have long fought over appointments to the NRC. Reid famously held up about 175 political appointments by former President George W Bush until he nominated Jaczko as a commissioner. Jaczko had helped the Nevada senator fight a nuclear waste dump planned for Yucca Mountain while he was on his staff. Reid has defended Jaczko as chairman, saying he has been targeted by those who would slow industry safety reforms following the Fukushima disaster.

“Senator Reid opposes Commissioner Svinicki’s renomination because she lied to Congress about her past work on Yucca Mountain,” Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Reid, said in a statement. Senator Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, believes Svinicki should be replaced and has accused her of being misleading during a 2007 confirmation hearing about the extent of her work on the Yucca project.

Svinicki has said she did not mischaracterize the extent of her work on Yucca during her time at the Energy Department, but Boxer has said technical reports authored by Svinicki seem to show she was deeply involved with the project. Republicans brushed off Reid’s accusation. “The president didn’t seem to think it was a concern, and neither do we,” Republican Senator John Barrasso told the news conference. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who is a member of the environment committee, said he opposes Svinicki’s appointment because he said she rushed to help renew a license for a controversial power plant in his state of Vermont. — Reuters

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

US pedophile wants out of state hospital SANTA ANA: Upon his release from prison in the mid-1990s, twice-convicted pedophile Sid Landau moved in with friends in Southern California, hoping for a new start and a chance to fade quietly into the background. Instead, a firestorm erupted, fueled by freshly enacted legislation targeting molesters. Within months, Landau found himself relentlessly harangued by outraged parents and saddled with unique notoriety: one of the first people in California targeted by the full force of a tough sex offender law. Police in Placentia, California, made sure Landau’s name and face were widely known and seen. Parents picketed his house with signs and bullhorns. Neighbors called authorities each time he walked out his door. Soon, Landau lost his job at a thrift store and found himself on the run, chased from various addresses by angry crowds. After his subsequent arrest for assaulting a cameraman and serving more time for parole violations, Landau was about to be released in 2000 - but was flagged by authorities as a sexually violent predator under a little-known law and later committed to a mental hospital for treatment.

Now 70 years old, Landau is fighting to reverse that designation and get out of the mental hospital where he has remained for the past dozen years. A judge will decide Friday whether Landau is entitled to a jury trial to challenge his sexual predator status, a label that is given to just 1 percent of all sex offenders in California. Landau’s public defender, Sara Ross, says his advancing age and health makes him a candidate for release into the community. “Ultimately, when it comes down to it, Landau served all of his time. He served each and every minute that the government asked of him and paid his dues and he’s no longer a danger to society. He is in his seventies,” she said.

“He hasn’t done anything in 20 or 30 years and he really wants to go home.”

Experts who study California’s statutes on sexually violent predators, however, say Landau faces an extremely difficult fight to regain his freedom. Under a law enacted in 1996, offenders who are convicted of a sexually violent offense, have at least one victim and are diagnosed with a mental disorder that makes them likely to reoffend can be committed to a mental hospital for treatment after a rigorous legal process that involves findings by doctors, a judge and a jury. Inmates convicted of sex offenses are evaluated by prison staff starting six months before their scheduled release and those who are flagged are forwarded to the state’s Department of Mental Health for further assessment.

There currently 533 people statewide who have been formally committed to a mental hospital for an indeterminate time because they are sexually violent predators and another 321 who are housed at Coalinga State Hospital awaiting a determination, said Deborah Ireland, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

Ninety-one sexually violent predators have been released since 2006, Ireland said, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether those individuals gained release through a jury trial or other avenue. Offenders are re-evaluated each year and can request a hearing to determine if there is cause to challenge the findings.

At each step, convicted molesters like Landau face significant hurdles because the district attorneys and judges handling their cases are elected officials. And if a case does get in front of a jury, it’s unlikely convicted molesters will find much sympathy, said David Ramirez, a defense attorney who specializes in representing sexually violent predators. “You’ve got to understand, if you let this person out in the community, there’s a lot of political pressure and the heat could come down for them. If he goes out in the community and kills and rapes an 8-year-old girl walking to school, there’s going to be consequences,” Ramirez said.

“And at trial, the prosecutors usually go over it piece by piece.

‘How did you pick your victim? Was it her hair color? Her height?’ The jury is obviously repulsed by that. It’s an ugly process.”

Landau was one of the first sex offenders to be targeted in California by Megan’s Law. The law derives its name from Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl who was sexually assaulted and killed in 1994 by a previously convicted sex offender; the crime led to the creation of state and federal Megan’s Laws that allow police to provide notification when high-risk sex offenders move into neighborhoods. Despite his age, Landau remains a danger to society and has refused treatment while at Coalinga, said Dan Wagner, the Orange County deputy district attorney handling the case. “Through the years he’s even by his own admission molested at least 10 children and we think the number is quite higher than that.

The amount of damage this man has done is just staggering,” Wagner said. —AP

Gitmo Uighur prisoners resettle in El Salvador Guantanamo detainee population stands at 169 MIAMI: Two members of China’s Muslim Uighur minority were released from the US Guantanamo detention camp and resettled in El Salvador, becoming the first prisoners to leave the facility in more than 15 months, the Pentagon said yesterday. The two men, whose names were not released, had been held for more than a decade without charge. A US court in Washington found there was no reason to hold them and ordered them freed in 2008. The Chinese government has demanded that Uighurs held at Guantanamo be returned to China, but the US government has said it could not do so because they would face persecution, and has searched for countries willing to accept them.

Their transfer to El Salvador reduced the population at the Guantanamo camp for foreign terrorism suspects to 169, down from 242 when President Barack Obama took office and unsuccessfully ordered the camp shut down within a year. Most of the Uighurs who have been held at Guantanamo were captured near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in late 2001. Other Uighur Guantanamo prisoners have been resettled in Switzerland, Bermuda, Albania and the Pacific island of Palau. Uighurs come from China’s largely Muslim far-west region of Xinjiang and many support autonomy or independence from China. There are three Uighurs left at Guantanamo, all of whom have been cleared for release.

American efforts to resettle prisoners who have been cleared for release have been complicated by the US government’s own refusal to allow any into the United States, and by other restrictions imposed by Congress. “In accordance with statutory reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its

intent to transfer these individuals,” the Pentagon said. It said the transfer was voluntary and had been ordered by a task force set up by the Obama administration in 2009. “As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, these individuals were designated for transfer by unanimous consent among all six agencies on the task force,” the Pentagon said.

The men were the first prisoners to leave the detention camp alive since January 2011, when an Algerian captive was involuntarily returned to his homeland despite his claims that he feared abuse there. Two Afghan prisoners have since died at Guantanamo and their bodies were sent home, one who died of apparent suicide by hanging and the other who collapsed after working out on an exercise machine in his cellblock. Nearly 800 men have been held at the Guantanamo Bay US naval base in Cuba since the United States set up the detention center to hold suspected Al-Qaeda and Taleban operatives after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

One more is expected to go home soon. The Canadian government received a formal request for transfer this week for Omar Khadr, the last citizen of a western nation held at Guantanamo.

Toronto-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured during a firefight at an Al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan, and pleaded guilty in 2010 to terrorism charges that included throwing a grenade that killed a US soldier. He was sentenced to eight additional years in prison as part of a plea agreement that made him eligible for repatriation in October 2011. Now 25, he is the youngest of the remaining prisoners.— Reuters

SAN ANDRES CHOLULA: In this April 18, 2012 file photo, birds fly in the foreground as a plume of ash and steam rises from Popocatepetl volcano as seen from San Andres Cholula, Mexico. The volcano continues to shoot ash into the sky southeast of Mexico’s capital, and television images yesterday show a reddish glow near the crater. —AP

Mexico volcano spews glowing rock, tower of ash HUEJOTZINGO: The Popocatepetl volcano shot a heavy plume of ash into the sky southeast of Mexico’s capital and spewed glowing rock from its crater at dawn yesterday. Webcam images on the site of the National Disaster Prevention Center showed the plume rising from the top of the 17,886-foot (5,450-meter) peak at dawn, though clouds obscured the volcano for people further away. The Televisa television network broadcast images of red, glowing material rising from the crater and falling on its slopes.

Authorities this week raised the alert level due to increasing activity at the volcano, whose most violent eruption in 1,200 years occurred on Dec. 18, 2000.

The coordinator general for civil protection, Laura Gurza, told Televisa that officials were not yet ready to order any evacuations, but urged people living near the mountain to be “very, very attentive” to action at the volcano, which is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Mexico City. She also urged them to gather important papers and to have their escape routes planned in case they have to leave.

The ash was blowing to the northeast, in the general direction of the city of Puebla. Residents of Huejotzingo, 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the peak, went about the day as normal despite a magnificent plume of ash and water vapor. Luz Maria de Olate, 35, put her 5-year-old in a surgical mask because the teachers said the ash could damage children’s lungs. But like hundreds of other residents on the flank of the volcano, she doesn’t fear an eruption. Neither did her son as they headed for school.

“I’m not afraid. He’s my uncle,” said Oscar Olate, expressing the personal relationship many in the Mexico Valley feel toward Popocatepetl, whose name means “smoking mountain” in the indigenous Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. People view it with fondness, said street vender David Gorzo Navarro, 45. “When the ash falls, it’s like fertilizer,” he said. More than 30 million people live within view of the volcano, which sits at a point where the states of Mexico, Puebla, and Morelos come together. It has been erupting intermittently since December 1994.—AP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Suu Kyi MPs may refuse seats over oath row YANGON: Elected lawmakers from the opposition party of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi may refuse to take the oath of office when Myanmar’s parliament opens Monday, saying they will not pledge support to a constitution they say is designed to perpetuate military power. The dispute poses an unexpected hitch in Myanmar’s political reconciliation process that began last year with liberalizing reforms made by military-backed President Thein Sein that succeeded in luring Suu Kyi’s party back into electoral politics.

National League for Democracy party spokesman Nyan Win said yes-

terday that a final decision had not yet been made on whether the party’s MPs would go to the capital Naypyitaw to attend the upcoming session of parliament. However, efforts to change the oath or get a court to give a satisfactory interpretation of its meaning had so far failed, he said. The party objects to wording that says lawmakers have to “protect and safeguard” the constitution. The party’s position is that some clauses in the constitution are undemocratic and should be changed.

The NLD won 43 of the 44 seats it contested in by-election held on April 1 this year, include one won by

Suu Kyi herself. The results would make it the biggest opposition party in the military-dominated legislature, and give Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate and former political prisoner, a voice in public service for the first time. The NLD had boycotted a 2010 general election staged by the previous military government, protesting that it was undemocratic.

Nyan Win presented the oath problem as a legal one, saying his party was standing on principle. He said the wording of Myanmar’s party registration law was changed last year from “safeguard the constitution” to “respect and abide the constitution,” so the change should be

Indian missile pride hides strategic flaws Nuclear-capable missile hides weaknesses NEW DELHI: India’s pride at the successful test of a long-range, nuclearcapable missile hides weaknesses in strategic military planning that undermine its global power aspirations, analysts say. Thursday’s launch of the Agni V, which has a range of 5,000 kilometers and can carry a oneton nuclear payload, triggered a round of intense, patriotic self-congratulation. “This launch has given a message to the entire world that India has the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class,” said V K Saraswat, head of the state-run Defence Research and Development Organization. “We are today a missile power,” Saraswat announced. The sense of achievement was not unfounded.

The Agni V is more than 80 percent indigenously developed, and with a range extending across the whole of China and beyond, it holds the potential to significantly upgrade India’s military deterrent. “It has been termed a game changer, and in many ways it is a game changer.

It covers the whole of China which was not the case before,” said strategic missile expert P K Ghosh. But while acknowledging the technological achievement, a number of analysts noted it was just a tiny step towards achieving any military parity with its giant regional rival. “We are still way behind China. In terms of missile numbers, range and quality, they are way ahead of us,” said C Raja Mohan, a security analyst and senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research, a policy think-tank in Delhi.

Mohan also argued that there was too much focus on “demonstration” launches, which only proved that India’s missile policy was led by the scientific community rather than the government and military bureaucracy. “We can all wrap ourselves in the flag today, but there’s a dearth of real

strategy on how to actually deploy missile technology,” he said. The Agni V remains some way from actually being inducted into the armed forces.

Experts said it would require four or five more tests to confirm its flight

India developed as part of its ambitious integrated guided missile development project launched in 1983.

While the shorter-range Agnis I and II were mainly developed with traditional rival Pakistan in mind, later ver-

NEW DELHI: The Agni-V missile launch test team leaders, from left, R.K. Gupta, Avinash Chander, scientific adviser and Director General Defense Research and Development Organization Vijay Kumar Saraswat and V.G. Sekaran, pose after a press conference in New Delhi, India yesterday. —AP path, accuracy and overall competence, before production could actually begin.

Rahul Bedi, a consultant with global security analysts IHS Jane’s, said India’s political leadership had failed to capitalize on the technological breakthroughs of its scientists. “India’s nuclear deterrence lacks political foresight and understanding of its employment primarily because of the politicians’ limited understanding of strategic matters,” Bedi said. “The euphoria over Agni V’s success will abate fast if not followed by firming up this dissuasive deterrence capability that has only been demonstrated today, not confirmed,” he added.

Agni, which means “fire” in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets

sions with a range of 3,500 kilometers are perceived as China-centric deterrents. India and China, each with a population of more than one billion, have prickly relations and a legacy of mistrust that stems from a brief but bloody border war in 1962. The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday it had taken note of the Agni launch, and downplayed any sense of rivalry between the neighbors. “China and India are both big emerging countries. We are not rivals but cooperation partners,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters.

After the successful test, much was made of the fact that the Agni V could eventually push India into the league of countries with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). — AFP

effected in other relevant laws. He said the party was trying to avoid making the dispute a political one.

“We will try and find the solution,” he said. “This issue will be resolved one day.” Nyan Win said the NLD will send letters about the matter to the president’s office, parliament and the Constitutional Tribunal, but there may not be enough time to resolve the issue before parliament reopens.

He said he met the chairman of the Constitutional Tribunal in Naypyitaw Thursday and received an explanation of the wording of the oath, but the NLD did not agree with some of it. He did not elaborate. — AP

Two Tibetans burn themselves to death BEIJING: Two more Tibetans died after setting themselves on fire in a restive southwestern region of China, a rights group said yesterday, the latest in a wave of such protests against Beijing’s rule. A total of 34 Tibetans, many of them Buddhist monks and nuns, are now reported to have attempted to kill themselves in the same way since the start of 2011 over what they see as Chinese repression of their culture.

Many of them have reportedly died from severe burns.

The self-immolations by a pair of young Tibetan men occurred Thursday in the prefecture of Aba, in a rugged area of Sichuan province, overseas Tibetan rights groups said. The US-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and a Tibetan Buddhist monk in the area said both had died. The incidents sparked increased security in the town of Barma, where the immolations took place in front of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, rights groups said.

Local authorities either refused to comment when contacted by AFP or calls to government offices went unanswered. The dead pair were identified by rights groups as Sonam and Choephak Kyap, saying they were laypeople in their 20s. The town had been tense since January, when police fired into a crowd, killing one person, ICT said. China has imposed tight security to contain simmering discontent in Tibetan regions since 2008, when deadly rioting against Chinese rule broke out in Tibet’s capital Lhasa and spread to neighboring Tibetan-inhabited regions. — AFP

Remote Indian state struggles for identity IMPHAL: Promoted in official tourist brochures as the “jewel of India,” the tiny state of Manipur seems closer to an ignored family heirloom than a proudly coveted gem.

“Backwards”, “marginalized”, “isolated”, “insurgencywracked:” the adjectives that most frequently precede any mention of Manipur-for all its stunning natural beauty-are overwhelmingly negative. And for many Manipuris, the concept of being “of India” in any meaningful sense is one they find difficult to entertain. “Why should I care about India when India does not care about me,” says Jiangam Kamei, a 22-year-old history student in the state capital Imphal.

Such expressions of alienation are common in a number of the “Seven Sisters”-the group of northeastern states encircled by five other countries and connected to the rest of India by a sliver of land that arches over Bangladesh. Their relative isolation is not just geographical, but also ethnic, linguistic, economic and political. “We look so different to start with,” said Kshetrimayum Onil, who works for a local human rights group in Manipur and also runs a youth network called ReachOut. “We are often mistaken for Chinese or Koreans because of our Mongol roots,” Onil said. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

China beefs up presence near the disputed islands BEIJING: A large patrol ship arrived yesterday in disputed waters off the coast of the Philippines, China’s state media said, beefing up Beijing’s presence in a tense 10-day stand-off. The Philippines and China have both dispatched vessels as they lay claim to a group of islands in the South China Sea that is about 120 nautical miles west of the main Philippine island of Luzon.

It is one of the most high-profile flare-ups in recent years between the two countries over their competing

territorial claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

The row erupted on April 10 when Chinese vessels blocked a Philippine warship from arresting crews of Chinese fishing boats in the area and spiked this week when Chinese boats were accused of harassing a research ship. Beijing, however, claims the warship hassled the fishing boats, which it says were taking refuge from harsh weather in a lagoon.

China has also urged the archaeo-

logical research vessel to “leave the area immediately”.

China has already sent several civilian patrol boats to the disputed group of islands known in the Philippines as Scarborough Shoal and called Huangyan Island in Chinese.

Yesterday, a 108-metre high-tech civilian patrol boat also arrived to “protect the country’s interests in territorial waters”, the Chinese state Xinhua news agency said.

“The Yuzheng-310 will conduct routine patrols in waters off the coast of

Huangyan Island, so as to protect China’s sea rights and ensure the safety of Chinese fishermen,” it quoted the South China Sea Fishery Bureau as saying. China says that it has sovereign rights to all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the coast of other countries and hundreds of kilometres from its own landmass.

The Philippines says it has sovereign rights over areas of the sea within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, and that its position is supported by international law. — AFP

Rinehart family feud to play out in court Children allege misconduct by Rinehart as trustee SYDNEY: Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart lost an appeal for a confidential court hearing over the handling of a multi-billion family trust, pitting her in open court against three of her children over an empire started by her mining pioneer father. Rinehart had argued that under an agreement reached by the family in 2006 and 2007, the dispute should be settled through private arbitration or mediation. However, the New South Wales Court of Appeal yesterday ruled the dispute was not covered by that agreement and ordered Rinehart to pay court costs. An only child with a fortune estimated by Forbes at $18 billion, Rinehart is battling her three eldest children who want her removed as trustee of a family trust, the latest saga in a family soap opera that has been played out in Australian media since before she was born.

Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock, a pioneer miner credited with opening up the dry and sparsely populated Pilbara iron ore region in Australia’s Outback in the middle of the last century, schooled her in mining from a young age, crisscrossing the vast area in small aircraft.

But her children John Hancock, Hope Welker and Bianca Rinehart - launched a claim last September alleging serious misconduct in dealing with the trust by changing the vesting date without their approval, pressuring them to accept

changes in operations and not providing them with information they sought.

Rinehart’s youngest daughter Ginia Rinehart is siding with her mother, saying the case was motivated by the greed of her siblings. Yesterday, Rinehart’s lawyers released a statement saying that new evidence, which the current ruling did not take into account, may support the case for ruling out a trial and said they were reviewing the judgment and considering options. Rinehart lost a previous bid in March to keep the case out of the public eye. In February, she increased a stake in Australian newspaper publisher Fairfax Media Ltd in a move hailed as savvy and well timed.

HOPE DOWNS The trust owns almost a quarter of Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd, one of the world’s largest privately-owned iron ore mining companies.

Hancock Prospecting, majority owned by Rinehart, is a partner with Rio Tinto in the massive Hope Downs iron ore project in the Pilbara and owns a number of other mining assets. Japan’s Marubeni Corp, Korean steelmaker POSCO and shipbuilder STX Corp agreed to buy 30 percent of Hancock’s Roy Hills Iron ore project for A$3.5 billion ($3.6 billion), valuing the project at almost A$12 billion. In court documents, Rinehart said she was acting within her rights as

trustee and her decision to change the vesting date of the trust prevented beneficiaries from being bankrupted by capital gains tax obligations. The three children did not have the “requisite capacity or skill, nor the knowledge, experience, judgment or responsible work ethic” to run the trust, she added.

FAMILY HISTORY Rinehart spent some of her early years in the infamous Western Australia town of Wittenoom where her father established an asbestos mining industry.

After a number of deaths linked to asbestos poisoning long after Hancock sold out, Wittenoom was abandoned from the late 1970s, shut off from the national power grid and scrubbed from maps and signposts.

Rinehart boarded at a girls college in Perth and was mentored by her father in the mining business. After the death of her mother to cancer, Rinehart’s father, then in his mid-70s, married Rose Lacson (now Porteous), a former maid from the Philippines 39 years his junior. His daughter did not approve of the relationship and was ousted as a director from the family firm for five years. Lang Hancock’s death in 1992 sparked an escalation in the battle between Rinehart and Porteous over the family fortune that took 14 years to resolve. — Reuters

Indonesia jails ex-treasurer JAKARTA: An Indonesian anti-corruption court sentenced the ruling Democratic Party’s former treasurer yesterday to almost five years’ jail in a case that has caused embarrassment for the president’s party. Muhammad Nazaruddin was convicted of taking Rp 4.6 billion ($501,400) to award the company Duta Graha Indah a contract to build an athlete’s village for the regional Southeast Asian Games last year. “The defendant was convincingly proven guilty of committing criminal activities under the corruption law,” judge Darmawati Ningsih told the Jakarta AntiCorruption Court.

“The court sentences him to four years and 10 months in prison, and fines him 200 million rupiah ($21,800), which can be substituted with another four months prison.” The judge said Nazaruddin had “tainted the image of the government, which is trying to combat corruption”. The former politician told the court he would think about whether to appeal. Prosecutors had sought a seven-year sentence for the former treasurer, who fled the country in May last year when investigators linked him to the rigged tender and was extradited from Colombia with the help

of Interpol in August. Nazaruddin could cause political turmoil for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, claiming since the trial began in late November that several party members are involved in scandals worth millions. He has named party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, both of whom have expressed presidential aspirations for 2014. The case is an embarrassment for the president, who has won two elections on a fervent-corruption fighting platform and is accused of softening on graft since winning his second term.

A Gallup poll released in October found 91 percent of Indonesians believe government corruption is widespread, compared to 84 percent in 2006 Transparency International ranks Indonesia the 100th least-corrupt country of 183 nations.

Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Court has put some of the country’s most senior corrupt officials behind bars and has close to a 100 percent conviction rate. The Corruption Eradication Commission, which investigates and prosecutes graft cases, reported more than 20,000 complaints from the public last year. — AFP

PYONGYANG: North Korean soldiers chant at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang, North Korea, during a rally denouncing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak yesterday. North Koreans said Lee’s radio comments about North Korea last week “hurt the dignity” of the North Korean people. —AP

North Korea mass rally calls for death of South’s leader SEOUL: Tens of thousands of North Koreans rallied yesterday, screaming hatred for South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and calling for his death over alleged insults during the North’s anniversary celebrations. Troops and civilians packed Pyongyang’s Kim Il-Sung Square, pledging to “wipe out the Lee Myung-Bak group, sworn enemy, to the last man on this land and under this sky”, the state news agency said. Crowds demonstrated “resentment and hatred for the group of ratlike Lee Myung-Bak, which hurt again the dignity of the (North’s) supreme leadership”.

The rally, shown live on state TV, came one day after the North demanded South Korea apologize for the perceived insults or face a “sacred war”. Speakers were shown screaming insults against Lee as the crowd responded with shouts of “Tear the group of rats to death!” A soldier told the crowd that troops “are determined to punish the rats mercilessly with guns and rifles. “Let’s completely wipe out the (presidential) Blue House and the origin of provocations,” he said. A giant caricature showed the South Korean leader with his throat cut while another depicted him being smashed with a fist. Crowds marched off the square, shouting “Let’s smash the rats to death!” and “Let’s safeguard our leader Kim Jong-Un with our lives!”

A TV anchorwoman repeatedly urged Jong-Un to “give us an order now. We are ready to fight, wipe out the group of traitors and achieve unification.” The North in recent months has mounted a vitriolic campaign against Lee. One analyst said yesterday’s rhetoric was the most extreme for decades against a South Korean leader.

The North charges Lee with “high treason” for restricting mourning visits by South Koreans to Pyongyang after the death of the North’s leader Kim Jong-Il last December. Jong-Il was succeeded by his young son Jong-Un, who has maintained a hostile tone against the South’s government. This week the North accused Lee of “desecrating” mass celebrations marking the 100th anniversary on April 15 of the birth of founding president Kim Il-Sung. It bridled at anti-Pyongyang demonstrations staged in Seoul and at comments by Lee and conservative media. — AFP

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Germany sees upswing amid euro-zone turmoil

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Business

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Crisis heightens tension in Spain

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SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

HANNOVER: Employees of German car maker Volkswagen work on the company’s battery-powered concept car NILS yesterday. — AP

G20 to give IMF $400 billion Canada challenges Europe’s IMF dominance WASHINGTON: The Group of 20 nations yesterday stood ready to commit at least $400 billion to bulk up the International Monetary Fund, though Brazil wants to tie the cash to a pledge that emerging market voting power at the IMF will increase. The IMF has been aiming to raise at least $400 billion - a doubling of its lending capacity - to ensure it has enough firepower to respond if Europe’s debt crisis escalates. “We have been aiming at around $400 billion or beyond, and I am confident we will reach this objective in the G20 meeting today,” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told Reuters.

A G20 official familiar with a draft of the communique the group of advanced and emerging countries was preparing for release yesterday said that there would be “firm commitments to increase resources available over $400 billion.” Russia also said the G20 was ready at a meeting yesterday to pledge enough new funds to meet IMF chief Christine Lagarde’s $400 billion target. She said earlier this week the IMF had already secured about $320 billion from Europe and Japan.

“Trust me that the G20 will announce the final amount. This will be an amount that will satisfy the management of the International Monetary Fund,” said Sergei Storchak, Russia’s deputy finance minister. He said Russia would offer $10 billion. Support from Russia, China and Brazil has been seen as crucial to double the IMF’s war chest so it has the resources it might need to aid countries that face fallout from Europe. An international diplomat said that in all, emerging nations have lined up at least $100 billion. The IMF has

warned that the euro zone’s debt crisis presents the gravest risk to the global economic expansion, and financial markets worry that Spain and Italy may next require bailouts, following Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Spain in the hot seat At a dinner on Thursday, top finance officials from G20 countries spent most of their time talking about the economic outlook and the travails in the euro zone, with a heavy focus on the difficult path Spain faces to cut its budget deficit and retain market confidence, a G20 source said. Enlarging the IMF’s coffers could offer solace to nervous investors that any widening of the crisis could be contained. Lagarde said on Thursday she expects to seal a deal on fresh funds at the World Bank/IMF meetings this weekend.

But Brazil said that as a condition for funds, emerging powers want fresh pledges to recognize their fast-growing global economic weight written into the G20 communique. They are frustrated over delays - particularly in the United States - in implementing an agreement to lessen Europe’s sway at the IMF and lift China into the No. 3 voting slot. “What we want and demand in every meeting is that this commitment be reaffirmed,” Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said on Thursday after a meeting of officials from the so-called BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Mantega drove the point even more forcefully in a speech prepared for delivery today to the IMF’s steering committee, saying it

was no longer enough to simply repeat that voting reforms are crucial for the effectiveness of the IMF. “Progress on this front has been limited and slow,” he will say, according to the text. Canada, meanwhile, was pushing against Europe’s dominance on the IMF’s 24member board when dealing with the rescue funds. It proposed European board members decide how to use Europe’s share of the financing, and if the amount pledged by non-Europeans was also needed, then non-European members should be allowed to set the loan conditionality on that portion of the aid.

This drive reflects growing concern among non-European countries over the fairness in the global lender’s dealings with Europe.

The region has the largest single bloc on the IMF board and the Fund is headed by a French woman. While a commitment on increased funds appeared near to being sealed, a full detailing of country-by-country commitments was likely to wait. The international diplomat said some countries may need to get final approval from their capitals.

China could contribute $60 billion, matching Japan’s pledge, although Beijing had not finalized the number. Saudi Arabia would chip in a little less than China, while Russia and Brazil were likely to contribute between $10 billion and $20 billion each, the diplomat said. This would easily reach the marker of at least $400 billion set

by Lagarde. The firewall would complement the $1 trillion in emergency funds for Europe agreed upon by the EU leaders last month, which was another precondition for countries bolstering the IMF resources. — Reuters

business SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

US Airways makes deals with three AMR unions DALLAS: US Airways has struck deals with labour unions at American Airlines to win their support for a possible merger with American. The unions represent more than 50,000 workers including pilots, flight attendants and ground workers at American, the nation’s third-largest airline.

American and its parent, AMR Corp., are operating under bankruptcy protection. Doug Parker, the chairman and CEO of US Airways Group Inc., said yesterday that to win a merger with American, his company

still needs support of AMR’s creditors, management and board of directors.

“But this is obviously an important first step along that path, and we are hopeful we can all work together to make this happen,” Parker said in a note to US Airways employees. Parker said a merger could save about 6,200 jobs at American, or nearly half the jobs that American wants to eliminate. He said he would keep both airlines’ current hubs and planes to create a bigger company that could compete against United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

The three unions at American said in a statement that a merger with US Airways is the best way to fix American, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November.

The unions oppose American’s plan to cut 13,000 union jobs and sharply cut labour costs to return to profitability. American is seeking to throw out contracts with the unions that govern pay, benefits and work rules, and impose its own terms on employees.

US Airways and the unions said that they have agreed on terms for

Stocks slump on mixed news on economy, gains Apple shares drop 3.4 percent NEW YORK: A slew of US companies announced big profits Thursday, but investors spooked about the economy sold stocks anyway. Investors shifted between buying and selling early Thursday, then stuck with selling after deciding that strong earnings results weren’t enough to make up for weak reports on jobs, housing and manufacturing. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 68.65 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 12,964.10. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 8.22 points, or 0.6 percent, to 1,376.92.

Morgan Stanley rose 2.3 percent after it beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates. UnitedHealth Group Inc. rose 2.4 percent after reporting higher profits. EBay, Southwest Airlines and Bank of America also beat forecasts. Stock indexes fell after two relatively weak economic reports came out mid-morning. An index of regional manufacturing compiled by the Philadelphia branch of the Federal Reserve dropped sharply, and the National Association of Realtors said home sales fell 2.6 percent last month.

Earlier, the Labour Department said applications for unemployment benefits dipped 2,000 to 386,000. When the number is above 375,000, investors take it as a sign that hiring isn’t strong enough to lower the unemployment rate. “None of these (reports) were disastrous, but they’re not as strong as we like to see,” said Brian Lazorishak, a portfolio manager at Chase Investment Counsel in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In other trading, the Nasdaq composite fell 23.89 points, or 0.8 percent, to 3,007.56.

Tech stocks could be in for some gains following a strong earnings report after the closing bell Thursday from Microsoft. The software maker was up 2.8 percent in post-

market trading after reporting a rise in sales of its Windows operating system. Thursday’s slide began from the start of trading.

Investors were on edge after stocks fell a day earlier on worries that Spain could have trouble paying down its government debt.

Adding to the jitters, the Bank of Spain had

of 0.06 percentage point. European markets mostly fell.

Spain’s IBEX index fell 2.4 percent, Greece’s main index 1.8 percent and France’s CAC-40 fell 2 percent. All but three of the 30 stocks in the Dow fell. Companies whose profits are more closely tied to the

NEW YORK: Specialist Christopher Carella (centre) works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. — AP reported that bad loans at the country’s banks had hit an 18-year high. Before the opening bell Thursday, investors were nervously watching a sale of new government bonds from Spain.

The auction met with high demand, and more bonds were sold than expected, but yields rose anyway. The yield on Spanish 10year notes rose to 5.87 percent, an increase

economic cycle fell the most. Alcoa, an aluminium maker, and DuPont, a chemicals company, lost more than 1 percent each.

Travellers, an insurer, rose 4.3 percent after a strong earnings report. Eight of the ten industry sectors in the S&P 500 fell. The biggest losers were industrial and information technology stocks, down more than 1 percent each. — AP

Britain gets better Swiss tax deal terms ZURICH: Switzerland has revised a tax pact agreed with Britain last year and will offer it a higher rate of withholding tax, after Germany earlier this month succeeded in obtaining more favourable terms in a similar deal with the Swiss government.

Switzerland said in a statement yesterday that the terms offered to Britain will be “brought into line” with those granted to Germany.

For several years, Switzerland has been at loggerheads with several countries, including the United States and Germany, over wealthy individuals who have parked money in secret accounts to avoid taxes. In 2009, flagship bank UBS had to pay a fine and hand over the names of 4,500 clients who were suspected of cheating on taxes to US authorities to avoid a criminal probe.

In a bid to preserve banking secrecy, which underpins its large offshore wealth management industry, Switzerland last year inked withholding tax deals with both Germany and Britain. These will allow account-holders to pay taxes without revealing their identities. Members of the opposition Social Democrat party in Germany, however, have criticised the agreement for being too lenient, forcing Berlin and Berne to revise the deal. Now, London has also obtained new terms. For Britons, existing assets, some of which have been held in hidden Swiss offshore accounts for decades, will be taxed at a rate between 21 and 41 percent, compared with the initially agreed 19-34 percent, it said. The deal is still set to come into force on Jan. 1, 2013. — Reuters

collective bargaining agreements if there is a merger between the airlines.

However, no such deal exists.

Thomas Horton, CEO of American Airlines’ parent company, AMR Corp., has indicated he would prefer that AMR remain independent but is open to a merger after his company emerges from bankruptcy protection.

Friday’s gambit by US Airways and the American Airlines unions could complicate Horton’s strategy, however. In morning trading, shares of US Airways Group Inc., fell 27 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $9.24. — AP

Oil prices near $103 LONDON: Oil prices rose to near $103 a barrel yesterday as strong earnings reports offset signs the US economic recovery remains uneven.

Benchmark oil for May delivery was up $1.62 to $102.70 a barrel at early afternoon European time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 40 cents to settle at $102.27 in New York on Thursday. Brent crude for June delivery was up 99 cents at $118.99 per barrel in London.

Companies such as Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealth Group Inc., Southwest Airlines and Bank of America reported strong earnings Thursday, suggesting economic activity remains resilient. That helped shore up investor confidence, which had been dented by disappointing reports on US jobs, housing and manufacturing.

On Thursday, an index of regional manufacturing compiled by the Philadelphia branch of the Federal Reserve dropped sharply, and the National Association of Realtors said home sales fell 2.6 percent last month.

The Labour Department also said applications for unemployment benefits dipped 2,000 to 386,000. When the number is above 375,000, investors take it as a sign that hiring isn’t strong enough to lower the unemployment rate. Crude has slid from $110 last month as tensions eased over Iran’s nuclear program. Negotiators from Iran and six world powers met last week and agreed to meet again in May. Investors have worried that a pre-emptive attack by Israel or the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities would likely disrupt global crude supplies.

“The Iran factor has been neutralized for at least another month until another round of negotiations provides guidance,” energy trader and consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report.

Natural gas rose 2.2 cents to $1.93 per 1,000 cubic feet after falling to the lowest level in more than a decade Thursday as U.S. supplies continue to grow. The Energy Information Administration said supplies grew by 25 billion cubic feet last week, putting the nation’s supply level at 58 percent above the five-year average.

Unusually warm weather last winter in the US curbed demand for heating, and some analysts expect natural gas consumption will likely rebound and push prices higher if weather follows more normal patterns. Capital Economics forecasts natural gas will rise to $4 by the end of this year and $6 in 2014. “The prospect of a return to more normal weather conditions is itself one powerful reason to expect the price of natural gas to rebound in the coming months,” Capital Economics said. In other energy trading, heating oil was up 1.7 cents at $3.14 per gallon and gasoline futures dropped 1.1 cents at $3.14 per gallon. — AP

business

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Germany sees upswing amid euro-zone turmoil

Business confidence rises for 6th straight month

MADRID: A man looks at a model of a housing estate during an estate agents housing fair yesterday. —AP

Crisis heightens tension in Spain MADRID: Spain’s deepest economic crisis in decades has disrupted the delicate power balance between the central government and highly autonomous regions like wealthy Catalonia, complicating the country’s austerity drive to renew investor confidence. Spain’s 17 autonomous regions were granted autonomy in the 1978 Constitution recognising their nationalistic ambitions, but the bulk of power remained in Madrid. The regions account for around 50 percent of public spending, almost all of it on health and education, but most have few powers to collect taxes, so depend on transfers from the central government.

Over the years, the culturally and linguistically distinct Basque Country and Catalonia have used their nationalist parties’ clout in the national parliament to win concessions from the central government and deepen their autonomy. But now, with the euro zone debt crisis mounting, the economy in its second recession since 2009, and the regions blamed for overspending, the central government has passed new rules allowing it to take control of budgets of regions that cannot meet tough deficit targets as soon as May. Spain’s regions missed deficit targets by a wide margin last year and international investors are keen to see signs that the central government will not let them overspend again as the country battles to avoid a bailout like neighbouring Portugal. This week the central government rejected draft budgets from northeastern Catalonia and southern Andalucia, which together make up almost a third of the country’s economy.

The central government is changing rules so that regions can hike university fees and charge more for medication, moves that could well spark street protests. But so far marches and a recent general strike have been largely peaceful. The regions are seen bowing to the tough controls because the crisis has eroded their credit ratings and they are depending on the central government for financing. But even if they pull together to cut costs, Spain will struggle to meet its deficit goal of 5.3 percent of gross domestic product this year because the economy is in recession and falling income will hit revenue.

Change the model?

The conservative People’s Party is seen as less respectful of regional autonomy than the Socialists, who voters kicked out in November after seven years in power. Some PP leaders have used the crisis to suggest openly the need for an overhaul of the regional model, returning powers to the centre after 30 years of autonomy.

Esperanza Aguirre, the powerful PP head of the region of Madrid, last week met Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and proposed the regions hand back control of health and education to the central government. The idea was quickly dismissed by Rajoy’s administration, but the flames had already been ignited.

“There is growing tension between Madrid and Catalonia; things cannot go on like this. There’s a lot of people who are infuriated here,” said Ramon Tremosa, European member of parliament from Catalan ruling party CiU, which is centre-right like the PP. Some of the most intense protests to date against austerity have been in the Catalan capital Barcelona, where hundreds of thousands marching against labour market reforms last month also carried banners calling for more independence.

Tremosa said the central government’s drive to increase control was unfair since Catalonia was making deeper cuts. Catalonia pledges fiscal discipline, but argues that it should have more control over its taxes, following the example of more federal states like Germany. “Will this government that has always seen Spain as a unified nation governed from Madrid, will they consider that freedom to manage is the best solution in order to improve public finance?”

Albert Carreras, economy secretary for the Catalan government, told Reuters. —Reuters

FRANKFURT: A key index of business optimism yesterday reinforced what an increasing number of economists are saying: Germany is beginning to see an upswing even as the rest of the 17-country eurozone struggles with economic and financial turmoil over too much debt. The Ifo institute survey of business executives published yesterday edged up to 109.9 points from 109.8 the month before, beating market expectations of a slight decline. That follows an unexpected fifth straight monthly rise Wednesday in the ZEW index, which measures the outlook among investment professionals.

Both are leading indicators, suggesting where the economy might be headed in the next six months. Economists say these and other data mean Germany may now have avoided a recession and this year will easily outpacing the eurozone as a whole, which is expected to shrink 0.3 percent this year.

Leading economic institutes this week raised their forecast for 2012 to 0.9 percent from a 0.8 percent prediction last fall, and predicted 2 percent growth next year. Some economists now think the economy grew in the first quarter as well, avoiding a second straight quarter of contraction after a slight 0.2 dip in the fourth quarter of last year. Two quarters of falling output is a technical definition of recession.

Both parts of the Ifo index - estimates of current conditions and expectations for the next six months - were up. Sentiment rose among both industrial firms, which are often oriented toward exports in Germany, and retailers, which depend on domestic demand. Economists say Germany’s low unemployment rate of 5.7 percent is giving workers the confidence they need to spend money in stores. “The German economy is showing itself to be resilient,” said Ifo institute head Hans-Werner Sinn.

Germany is motoring ahead even as fears worsen about the eurozone debt crisis.

Spain and Italy are seeing higher costs to borrow money on bond markets and roll over their debt loads, while their economic growth is sagging. Their troubles - which could mean big losses for shaky banks if governments can’t pay - hold out a threat to the European and global economies. High borrowing costs and fears of default have already pushed Greece, Ireland and Portugal

to seek bailout loans from other eurozone countries. Greece additionally had to ask creditors to write down euro 107 billion in debt that it could not pay.

Germany is reaping the benefits of efforts begun in the early 2000s to cut labor costs for businesses - a reform effort that has now been taken up by Spain and Italy but which may need years to bring them higher growth. It is benefiting from its traditional strengths as an exporter of cars and machinery, and growth has been boosted by the

cent, Germany’s creditors are accepting no return on their lending or even paying for the privilege of lending it money. Rates are also low because the European Central Bank has reduced its benchmark to a lowest-ever 1 percent. German economists say those rock-bottom rates are helping lower borrowing costs for companies as well, spurring business investment that is helping fuel the recovery. Additionally, the crisis has kept the euro’s exchange rate weaker than it otherwise would be, boosting exports. The eight

COLOGNE: In this file photo, production workers prepare a Ford Fiesta on the production line of the car manufacturer Ford. —AP recovery in the United States and strong growth in emerging markets such as China.

Ironically, in some ways the debt crisis has given Germany some help. Because of the country’s reputation for stability, investors are willing to buy its bonds as safe places to put their money. That means rockbottom borrowing costs for the government, in contrast to the heavy risk premiums paid by Italy and Spain to borrow - costs that threaten to undermine their budgets and create a self-fulfilling default spiral. A twoyear bond sold Wednesday cost the German treasury only 0.14 percent interest yield, and a 10-year bond issue from April 11 yielded only 1.77 percent. With inflation at 2.3 per-

economic institutes who produce a twiceyearly forecast for the government says that means German goods are cheaper in foreign markets than they have been for 30 years.

The institutes warned however against complacency. They say their economy remains threatened by any wider disaster in the eurozone because 43 percent of its exports go to other eurozone countries - and 20 percent to the five crisis-hit countries, Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

That means a substantial 12.3 percent of Germany’s economy is based on trade with the eurozone - suggesting that a financial disaster among neighbors could easily spoil Germany’s improving mood. —AP

China car show to open amidst tight competition BEIJING: Top world carmakers will roll out a host of new models at China’s leading auto show opening Monday as they scramble for an edge amid sharply slowing sales in the planet’s largest automobile market. The Auto China 2012 exhibition will see the worldwide launch of 120 new models, 36 of them from international brands, and will include dozens of concept cars and new energy vehicles, according to organisers. Following record growth in 2009 and 2010 that saw it emerge as the world’s top car market, China’s car sector stalled last year.

The slowdown came after the government rolled back auto-purchase incentives and some cities imposed tough driving restrictions

to ease traffic congestion and pollution. Sales rose just 2.5 percent in 2011, slowing dramatically from 32 percent growth in 2010, to reach 18.51 million units. Passenger-car sales grew 5.2 percent. “What we had in 2011 was a slowdown of growth, which I would call a normalisation of demand”, said Klaus Paur, a Shanghai-based auto analyst for consultancy Ipsos. “There is heavy downward pressure on prices. Even if we still have sound demand from consumers in the upper segment and luxury segment, the industry is also suffering from discounts,” he added. Beijing also earlier this year said it was withdrawing some support for foreign investment in the sector while seeking to further cement cooperation

between foreign carmakers and their Chinese partners.

Foreign carmakers have long been required to set up operations in joint ventures with Chinese companies. The government is now pushing such ventures to create more local brands specifically for China’s market.

The drive is aimed at securing more technology transfer for the Chinese companies and further raising the profiles of the joint ventures.

“China has realised the importance of branding and that it has not invested enough in that sector”, said Maxime Picat, director of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile, a venture between the French carmaker and China’s Dongfeng Motors. —AFP

BUSINESS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Olympus eyes fresh start Olympus whistleblower wants answer on dismissal TOKYO: The ousted former boss of Olympus who exposed a $1.7 billion cover-up scandal threatened court action yesterday after the firm’s choices for a new board were approved at a heated shareholders meeting. Angry investors peppered management with questions about the scandal, as one shareholder proposed that the embattled company’s whistleblowing former chief Michael Woodford be reinstated, which was later rejected. During the tense meeting in Tokyo, executives rebuffed the Briton’s demand to know why he was sacked six months ago, shortly before exposing a scheme that saw huge losses moved off the firm’s balance sheet.

The ensuing scandal led to the arrest of former top executives, including the president, at the company and hammered Japan’s corporate governance image. “Shame on you,” Woodford repeatedly told management, as a majority of shareholders approved the new 11-member board. Woodford later told reporters that he would take the matter to court “to make this meeting illegitimate because they failed to answer

BEIJING: A visitor tries an Olympus digital camera during the China Photograph and Electrical Imaging Fair yesterday. — AP

the questions” about Olympus’ accounts.

A court hearing had already been scheduled in Britain for the first week of May, he added. “There are still a lot of concerns about the legitimacy and integrity of Olympus’s accounts. And there is absolutely no trust with these people,” he said, referring to Olympus officials. However the firm’s hard-hit shares jumped almost 6.36 percent to end at 1,280 yen yesterday, several months after the camera and medical equipment maker narrowly avoided a delisting from Tokyo’s bourse.

Ri Hosoda, a shareholder and former Olympus employee, said he voted against the new board “because Michael was ousted”, adding that the former boss “should be commended for what he’s done.” “I wanted him to run the company,” Hosoda told AFP. But Reiichi Goto, 62, said he and other shareholders care most about the firm’s share price, which has lost about half its value since the scandal broke in October.

“I want whoever becomes the Olympus board members to rebuild the company,” Goto said, adding that he had “trust” in the new management. With the bulk of company shares held by large Japanese institutional investors, who are typically unwilling to rock the corporate boat, the board nominations had been expected to be approved.

But they sparked anger among some foreign investors who argued that their connections to major Japanese banks-which are also Olympus creditors-was clear conflict of interest, while the nominees had little experience running the company. The vote saw among others Yasuyuki Kimoto, a former senior managing director of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, elected chairman and Hideaki Fujizuka, a former executive officer of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, become a director.

Hiroyuki Sasa, a 30-year Olympus veteran, was elected president. An influential investment advisory firm and a group of Olympus’ foreign shareholders had called for a re-think of new board appointments, with Woodford saying he would vote against the nominations. Olympus had earlier rejected the criticism, saying six of 11 board members are “completely independent” of the firm and “have no relations with banks”.

In March the company and three former senior executivesincluding ex-president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa-were charged over their role in the huge cover-up. If found guilty, the firm faces up to 700 million yen ($8.7 million) in fines. At the start of the meeting Olympus President Shuichi Takayama apologised to investors, bowing deeply with other directors.

“We, the board members, deeply and sincerely apologise to shareholders for causing you great anxiety and troubles over the postponing of (reporting) the loss,” Takayama said, referring to re-stated financial statements which showed a 33.08 billion yen ($405.5 million) loss in the nine months to December. “Our company will carry out sweeping reforms to restore confidence as early as possible,” he added. — AFP

India’s Royal Enfield roars back on sleeker motorbikes CHENNAI: The “thump” is gone, but sales are booming. Royal Enfield, a 119year-old Anglo-Indian motorcycle maker with a cult following, has brought its distinctive bikes into the modern era with new and quieter engines and can’t make them fast enough to meet demand. The once-sleepy company sold 74,600 motorcycles in 2011, a 40 percent increase, all made at its 57-year-old factory on India’s southeastern coast, and is spending $30 million this fiscal year in a push to double capacity and upgrade manufacturing technology.

For now, customers must wait six to nine months to get their bikes.

“Paradoxically, the more we make the more we appear to be falling behind.

Only when the new plant kicks in fully next year will we be able to fully address the waiting periods,” Venki Padmanabhan, chief executive officer of Royal Enfield Motors, told Reuters.

A new engine has replaced Royal Enfield’s antiquated cast iron engine, boosting acceleration, performance, mileage and reliability, and reducing emissions. The company is best known for the powerful Bullet model, but it is the newer Classic series that is driving growth in a crowded and fast-expanding Indian market where 10 million motorbikes were sold last year. “They’ve finally got the markings, the logo and the colour schemes perfect,” said 35year-old George Koshy, who works in an advertising firm and owns four Royal Enfield bikes, including a Classic 500.

Royal Enfield’s motorcycles start at 108,000 rupees ($2,100) in Mumbai and rise to 175,000 rupees, against 72,000 rupees for a 220 cc Bajaj Avenger, a similarly powerful bike also marketed towards enthusiasts. Harley Davidson, whose bikes start at 560,000 rupees, is part of a slew of overseas manufacturers

such as Britain’s Triumph and Japan’s Kawasaki that is ramping up activity in India to capture a growing premium motorbike market. “If you want to ride for the heart, you ride the Bullet; if you want to ride for performance you ride the Harley,” said Koshy, who plans to add a Harley Davidson to his collection.

Transformation Purists still come to the company looking to buy a bike with the old engine, but they have to go to the second-hand market as production ceased in 2010. Royal Enfield originally built motorcycles to be parachuted into enemy territory by British forces during the Second World War, and the classic styling and trademark thumping of its engine at full throttle drew a legion of gearheads to the brand, including television host and motor enthusiast Jay Leno. — Reuters

ALLAHABAD: An Indian labourer cuts bread into slices at a roadside factory yesterday. — AP

India’s rupee slips to 3-month low MUMBAI: India’s rupee yesterday fell to its weakest level in three months against the dollar amid concerns over the nation’s slowing economy and growing trade deficit. The unit fell below the key 52 rupees to the dollar level, hitting an intraday low of 52.18 against-a level last seen in January-before recovering slightly to 51.99. “Investors are moving from riskier assets to the dollar,” said Naveen Mathur, associate director of commodities and currencies at Mumbai’s Angel Broking.

The partially convertible currency has been hurt by global uncertainty, weak domestic economic data, falling share prices and pressure from oil importers who have to exchange rupees for dollars when they purchase crude.

Energy-hungry India imports around four-fifths of its crude oil needs to fuel its economy. On Tuesday the central bank cut borrowing rates by a bigger-than-expected 50 basis points-its first reduction in three years.

But concerns about India’s widening trade gap-which last year hit a record $184.9 billion-and fiscal deficit offset any investor hopes that the rate cut could spur flagging economic growth, traders said. Traders said there was no sign of intervention by the Reserve bank of India in the market to prop up the Indian currency, while bank has a policy of not commenting on rupee movements or confirming forex market interventions. It intervenes only to prevent sharp volatility. The rupee-Asia’s worst performing currency in 2011 — hit a record-low of 54.30 against the dollar in mid-December. The Indian currency recovered to 48.67 rupees to the dollar in February, led by strong foreign fund buying of Indian equities and debt, but then slid again as share prices softened. — Agencies

Nissan to build two Infiniti models TOKYO: Japanese auto giant Nissan said yesterday it would build two models of its luxury Infiniti brand in China from 2014, as it looks to further tap the world’s biggest car market. The firm has said it is aiming to boost sales of the cars to half a million units globally by 2016, up from 145,000 last year when it was produced in Japan and the United States. “This is an important milestone for Infiniti’s growth strategy, and for the brand to reach its aggressive sales target of 500,000 units by 2016,” Andy Palmer, executive vice president of the Global Infiniti and Luxury Business Unit, said in a statement.

“Local production in the world’s largest automobile market is not an option but a necessity to our success,” he added. Nissan, which currently has three plants in China, did not say which models would be produced at facilities operated by its Chinese partner Dongfeng Motor Co., or if some units would be exported to other markets outside China.

But the move would not reduce production at existing Infiniti plants, a spokesman in Japan said yesterday. “Local production will allow customers increased access to Infiniti’s high-quality products, contributing to further growth in brand awareness and market share,” the statement said. China is Nissan’s largest market, accounting for more than one-quarter of its 4.67 million in vehicle sales last year. Earlier this month, Nissan, which is part of an alliance with France’s Renault, it will start making a new midsize hatchback at its huge plant in Sunderland in the north of England from 2014. — AFP

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Equities teams face shakeout as crisis bites LONDON: Europe’s banks and stockbrokers may be forced to cut or scrap equity research and trading units, to reduce their exposure to a market that is an increasing drag on their ailing businesses. Most have already cut staff in equities trading and, with no signs of a recovery, are starting to question more fundamentally their commitments to what used to be one of their core services. “If the lower volumes of the last five years continue, the industry will inevitably see further withdrawals and reductions that will change the competitive landscape in the equities market,” said Sam Ruiz, who heads Nomura’s equity unit in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The financial crisis has unnerved investors who have

responded by cutting their investment in shares, causing the global equity market to trade at about a third lower than the pre-crisis highs for the last three years.

Already battered trading volumes dipped another 20 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to the World Federation of Exchanges, while competition between firms means commissions on executing trades are razor-thin.

HSBC’s top equities boss, Patrick George, predicted last month volume would never return to the heady, pre-crisis days, making an industry shakeout inevitable.

For many smaller stockbroking firms-a historical cornerstone of the London financial market and which rely on commission for revenue-the long-term downturn and

small margins are a killer. Some have fallen prey to consolidation. South African investment bank Investec, for instance, bought securities house Evolution last year, and broker Collins Stewart Hawkpoint has been absorbed by Canada’s Canaccord.

The pain is easier to take for large investment banks, but they too have to make tough choices about which businesses to support with their costly capital. And the equities business has already been a victim in some cases. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) ditched most of its equities operations this year, while Italy’s UniCredit last year got rid of its Western European equities team, opting for a joint venture with another firm.

The future of Credit Agricole-owned broker

Cheuvreux is in serious doubt after the French bank’s plan to sell 20 percent of its equities trading unit to China’s Citic Securities collapsed last month. The equities business is costly because of the specialist research that is needed to attract clients-a burden that does not generate a lot of revenue in itself. But regulators have not hit it with more stringent capital requirements to the same degree as the fixed-income business, making banks reluctant to part with it. “Equities is cheap because it doesn’t use much balance sheet, unlike fixed-income, and firms like to keep an equities team in case there is a sudden recovery in the (new share listing) pipeline,” said one head of equity trading at a large European investment bank. — Reuters

BUSINESS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Bank of America trading rebound pushes recovery Potential mortgage issues remain concern

LAUSANNE: Nestle’s CEO Paul Bulcke speaks during the general meeting of one of the world’s leading food and beverage company, Nestle Group. — AP

Nestle sales rise on demand GENEVA: Swiss food and drinks giant Nestle SA forecast yesterday that 2012 will be a challenging year but reported that first-quarter sales rose a healthy 5.6 percent from a year earlier, fuelled by strong growth in emerging markets and higher retail prices. The maker of Nescafe, Haagen Dazs and Jenny Craig said sales amounted to 21.39 billion Swiss francs ($23.34 billion), though demand in developed markets was subdued amid global financial uncertainty in the United States - its biggest market - and Europe.

Sales in developed countries grew 3.1 percent, compared with a 13 percent rise in emerging markets. “As anticipated, 2012 is already confirming itself to be a challenging year,” CEO Paul Bulcke said in a sales update statement. “In many developed markets where consumer confidence is low, the trading environment is subdued whilst in most emerging markets, conditions remain dynamic and rich in growth opportunities,” he said. “Our past and present investments, and continuing innovation, have enabled us to deliver good growth in the first quarter.” The results of the Vevey, Switzerlandbased company generally met or exceeded analysts’ forecasts. No profit figures were disclosed.

Europe’s food makers have been hurt by the continent’s sovereign debt crisis, which has forced governments to cut spending, seen a spike in unemployment and made consumers wary of spending. Meanwhile, higher commodity prices have made retail food prices more expensive. Nestle results showed it managed the tricky market situation relatively well. Andrew Wood of the Sanford C. Bernstein research firm said he had anticipated that Nestle would have a “fairly strong top-line start to the year.” However, he does not believe it would be enough to get its stock “moving again, particularly given current lofty valuations.” Nestle shares were trading 0.5 percent lower at 56.90 francs ($62.10).

Bulcke said a combination of retail price hikes and a predicted drop in the cost of raw materials in the second half of the year has enabled the company to confirm the full-year outlook “of delivering 5 to 6 percent organic growth” and higher earnings for shareholders. On Thursday, Nestle held its annual general meeting in Lausanne where shareholders approved a dividend of 1.95 francs ($2.13) per share.

Like many Swiss companies, Nestle has had to cope with the strength of the Swiss franc against other currencies, but since last summer Switzerland’s central bank has moved aggressively to weaken the franc and improve the outlook for Swiss exports. The world’s biggest food and beverage maker said its organic sales growth was a robust 7.2 percent, while real internal growth was 2.8 percent. Nestle said organic growth was 6.2 percent in the Americas, 2.3 percent in Europe and 11.4 percent in Asia, Oceania and Africa. The company had posted sales of 22.34 billion francs ($24.38 billion) in the first quarter of 2010. Nestle did not comment on its bid to buy Pfizer Inc.’s infant-nutrition business for a reported $9 billion, a deal that would help the Swiss-based company to boost growth in China and maintain its position as one of the world’s largest sellers of infant formula. — AP

NEW YORK: Bank of America Corp posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Thursday in the latest sign that the No. 2 US bank is moving past the mortgage troubles that have hobbled it since the financial crisis. The lender, like rivals including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co, made more US corporate loans. It also earned more from trading, excluding an accounting adjustment.

Bank of America, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was among the hardest hit of the major US banks, but has been on the mend. It passed the Federal Reserve’s latest stress test in March, shifting investor concerns from its capital needs to its ability to increase earnings in a time of low interest rates and increased regulation.

Boosting earnings may be tough for Bank of America. Revenue dropped again in its signature consumer banking business, which has been crimped by new regulations. Total loans fell by about 3 percent as decreased consumer lending overshadowed growth in loans to businesses. The bank set aside less money to cover bad loans than it has in any quarter since 2007.

Sales and trading revenue, excluding an accounting charge, was the third highest since the 2009 acquisition of Merrill Lynch.

Bank of America shares rose as much as 2.7 percent, but they declined with the broader market and ended down 1.7 percent at $8.77. The stock is up about 58 percent this year after falling the same amount in 2011.

Accounting charge Bank of America’s first-quarter net income was $653 million, or 3 cents a share, down from $2.05 billion, or 17 cents per share, a year earlier. The bank reported charges of $4.8 billion related to changes in the value of its debt, partially offset by gains of $2.8 billion from equity investments and debt-related transactions. Excluding debt valuation adjustments, earnings were 31 cents a share.

Analysts’ average estimate was 12 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The bank said analysts typically do not include debt valuation adjustments in their estimates. Total revenue, which included the accounting adjustments, declined to $22.3 billion from $26.9 billion.

The bank took a loan-loss provision of $2.4 billion, compared with $3.8 billion a year ago. In its capital markets operations, Bank of America reported sales and trading revenue of $3.8 billion, up from $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter but down from $4.6 billion a year ago. Excluding the debt valuation adjustment, sales and trading was up slightly from a year ago.

The bank saw particular strength in its fixed-income trading operations as worries about the European debt crisis decreased.

The improved performance came even as the bank held less risky assets compared with a year ago. Morgan Stanley also on Thursday reported better-than-expected results, helped by strong trading revenue.

Bank of America’s tier 1 common equity ratio, comparing its core equity capital to its risk-weighted assets, rose to 10.78 percent under current rules from 9.68 percent in the fourth quarter as it issued shares to employees, shed assets and accumulated earnings. Chief Financial Officer Bruce Thompson said in a conference call with analysts that the bank expects to have a Tier 1 common equity ratio of more than 7.5 percent by yearend under future capital standards-so-called Basel III rules. The bank’s previous estimate was 7.25 percent to 7.5 percent.

Under rules that are still being finalized, big banks will likely need to get to around 9.5 percent by 2019, although many expect to get there much sooner. “They continue to show they are accelerating the pace to get to that number,” said Marty Mosby, an analyst with Guggenheim Partners. How fast Bank of America gets there will depend on how much more the bank ends up

spending on mortgage-related lawsuits and losses, largely tied to its 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial, Mosby said. He estimated those after-tax losses could range from $15 billion to $40 billion.

Profits were up in the bank’s five business units from the previous quarter, but revenue in the consumer and business banking unit continued to trend down.

Thompson said credit card loans declined for seasonal reasons and that a decline in home-equity loans was intentional, as the bank looked to shed riskier real estate-related assets. “We feel we have a good base to start growing from,” he said.

With revenue harder to come by, Bank of America Chief Executive Brian Moynihan is looking to cut costs to boost profits. Last year the bank launched an efficiency program called Project New BAC that is expected to eliminate 30,000 jobs in consumer and technology areas over the next few years and reduce annual expenses by $5 billion.

In Thursday’s conference call with analysts, Thompson said the bank expects to wrap up plans for the second phase of New BAC in May. That segment, focusing on capital markets, wealth management and commercial banking, is expected to produce a smaller reduction in expenses and jobs because these businesses are more efficient and have fewer employees. Firstquarter expenses fell 5.6 percent to $19.1 billion.

In addition to cutting jobs, the bank has said it plans to shed 750 branches over the next few years. Total banking centres declined by about 50 to 5,651. The bank could look to sell some branches in lowperforming markets, Moynihan said on the call. Moynihan and Thompson declined to comment on the possible sale of its wealth management units outside the United States. Reuters reported this week that the bank hopes to bring in up to $3 billion from the sale. — Reuters

GE profit beats forecasts NEW YORK: US industrial conglomerate General Electric said yesterday its profit fell 10 percent in the first quarter, but the firm managed to beat Wall Street expectations. GE, a diversified group with energy, industrial and finance operations, reported $3.034 billion profit for the first three months of 2011, compared with $3.358 billion in the year-ago period. Earnings per share of 34 cent were one cent higher than the average analyst estimate. Revenue also came in stronger than expected, at $35.182 billion, an 8.0 percent year-over-year fall. Industrial revenues were up 14 percent in growth markets, driven by doubledigit growth in Australia, Canada, China, Russia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa, the company said in a statement. The industrial segment in the United States posted a strong 17 percent rise. The Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE confirmed its outlook for the full year, saying it is “on track to deliver double-digit earnings growth in 2012 for both industrial businesses and GE Capital,” its financial subsidiary that had dragged down earnings during the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

GE Capital had an operating profit of $1.8 billion, flat from a year ago, while industrial businesses generated a 10 percent jump, to $3.3 billion. GE also said it had booked record firstquarter infrastructure orders of $23.1 billion, up 20 percent. The multinational conglomerate, seen as a bellwether of the global economy with businesses including aircraft engines, wind turbines, energy, home appliances and finance, said it was opti-

mistic about growth. “We see encouraging leading indicators driven by global growth. Our strategy to invest in technology and global growth platforms continues to produce results,” GE chairman and chief executive Jeff Immelt said. — AFP

MOUNTAIN VIEW: This file photo shows a General Electric (GE) logo on display at Western Appliance store. — AP

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Lady Gaga arrives in S Korea at start of tour PAGE 27

Jason Crabb wins gospel music artist of the year PAGE 22

A flamingo is pictured at the zoo in Wuppertal, western Germany, on April 19, 2012. — AFP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Gospel singer Jason Crabb reacts after winning the Dove Award for male artist of the year. — AP photos

Natalie Grant performs onstage.

Jason Crabb wins gospel music artist of the year C

Gospel artist Jamie Grace wipes her eyes after winning the best new artist award.

Lecrae and Tedashii attend 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards.

hristian singer Jason Crabb might not have won all of the awards he was nominated under, but he certainly came away with the two most prominent categories for a male artist. Crabb went home with artist and male vocalist of the year awards Thursday night. The 43rd Dove Awards show for Christian and gospel music will air on April 24 for GMC, formerly the Gospel Music Channel. The awards show was held at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta for the second straight year. “It just blows my mind,” said Crabb, who entered the awards with eight nominations. “It hasn’t sunk in just yet. I’m proud to be in the family of God, and proud to be his kid. I can’t believe it. I want to challenge other people and other kids this: Go after your dreams, pursue them. God is behind you.”

Crabb said after winning the awards, the pressure is on to produce more quality songs. “I have to get my ‘A’ game on now,” he said with laughter. “It makes me want to strive to do better, to live as good as I can and be an example. I’m just going to do the best that I possibly can.” Natalie Grant dethroned Francesca Battistelli, taking home female vocalist of the year. Grant previously won the award four straight years before Battistelli had done so for two years. After winning her first Grammy in February, Laura Story continued her stellar year with five awards.

The singer’s Grammy-winning song, “Blessings,” won her song of the year at the Doves.

A pregnant Story said overcoming the tough times motivated her to write many of her songs including, “Blessings.” “I would rather have written a story about winning the lottery, than write about that,” Story said. There are hard times in our lives, but that’s when we see God show up.” R&B soul singer Angie Stone along with gospel singers Yolanda Adams, Crystal Lewis and Karen Peck opened up the show with a choir dressed of red, singing a spirited rendition of Dottie Rambo’s song “I Go To the Rock.” The foursome’s performance was a tribute to Whitney Houston, who died Feb. 11. Houston also sang the song in the 1996 movie, “The Preacher’s Wife.”

Stone, who learned about the tribute a day ago, said it was an emotional experience. “It was hard because I learned about doing it yesterday,” the singer said. “But overall, because it was for Whitney, I gave all that I could for Whitney. I’m still trying to process she is gone.” After the singers’ touching performance, some humor shortly followed when co-hosts actor David Mann of Tyler Perry’s sitcom “Meet the Browns” and Christian comedian Chonda Pierce took the stage. Pierce asked if Mann could introduce her at some point, and the actor sarcastically said, “I’ll see what I can do,” while looking away as audience members broke into laughter.

Other performers included music artists ranging from Yolanda Adams, Natalie Grant, Ruben Studdard, Mandisa to rapper Lecrae Jamie Grace won new artist of the year. The 20-year-singer, who has battled with Tourette’s syndrome for nearly half of her life, shed tears while accepting her award and thanked her family along with TobyMac, who signed Grace to his label, Gotee Records, after he discovered her through YouTube. “My prom was here four years ago at the Fox Theatre, and my mom brought me here,” said Grace, a Grammy nominee. “This is a dream come true.”

Blanca Callahan performs onstage.

Former American Idol contestant Ruben Studdard performs.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Erika Campbell and her sister Tina Campbell of the gospel duet Mary Mary performs.

The gospel group The Isaacs perform during taping of the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.

Artist of the year: Female vocalist: Male vocalist: Group of the year: New artist: Songwriter of the year: Song of the year:

Jason Crabb Natalie Grant Jason Crabb NEEDTOBREATHE Jamie Grace Laura Story Laura Story, “Blessings”.

—AP

Mandisa performs onstage .

Kirk Franklin ended a five-year drought, claiming contemporary gospel album of the year for his album, “Hello Fear.” Franklin has had strong year so far as well, Franklin, recently collecting two Grammys and two NAACP Image Awards, hasn’t won a Dove Award since 2007. Rapper Lecrae won three awards including rap/Hip Hop recorded album and song of the year. NEEDTOBREATHE won group of the year award for the second consecutive time. Presenters included Montell Jordan, actress-singer Tamela Mann and wrestler A.J. Styles.—AP

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olton Dixon, the young singer from Tennessee known for his flamboyant hairstyle, became the fifth person voted off top-rated TV singing contest “American Idol” on Thursday night. “I wasn’t myself last night,” said Dixon, whose Wednesday performance of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” was roundly criticized by the show’s judges. Dixon thanked them for their honest feedback, and assured them he would incorporate it into a future album.

Host Ryan Seacrest described the singer as “a class act” as he left the stage, and judge Jennifer Lopez shook her head when Dixon’s dismissal was announced. Though Lopez described Dixon’s performance as “exciting,” she questioned whether he chose the right song for his voice, and mentor

Danny Gokey performs onstage.

Gospel artist Jamie Grace performs.

Jimmy Iovine said he sounded “completely wrong.” Thursday was Dixon’s first - and last - time in the show’s bottom three, where he was accompanied by contestants Hollie Cavanagh and Elise Testone, both of whom had found themselves in danger of elimination in previous weeks.

Contestant Jessica Sanchez, who was saved by judges last week after audiences voted her off the show, received enough votes to stay out of the bottom three. Thursday night’s show featured a tribute to Dick Clark, who Seacrest cited as an inspiration and a boon to the music industry. Pop band LMFAO performed its dance hit “Sorry for Party Rockin,’” and “Idol” alum Kris Allen took the stage to sing his song “The Vision of Love.”

Five contestants remain on “Idol,” which is half of the orig-

inal number of finalists. “Idol”, which first aired in on Fox in 2002, has launched the careers of singers Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, and Jennifer Husdon. Now in its eleventh season, the show continues to be the most watched reality show in America, though it has received stiff competition from “The Voice” this year. Audiences vote for their favourite performers by phone and text message each week as contestants are challenged by a variety of musical styles. The winning contestant receives a recording contract. This season’s winner will be decided in May.—Reuters

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Dylan, Van Morrison headline Montreux jazz fest

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ob Dylan, Van Morrison and Anita Baker return to the Montreux Jazz Festival for the 46th edition that founder “Funky” Claude Nobs hopes will go on into the early hours with improvised jam sessions. New talents Lana Del Rey and Ed Sheeran, as well as veterans Jane Birkin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Tony Bennett are also booked at one of Europe’s most prestigious music festivals that runs from June 29-July 14 along the shores of Lake Geneva.

Dylan performs on July 8 for the first time here since 1998, with “Chicago Blues” opening for the American legend, now 71. “I heard Bob (Dylan) play in Geneva a few months ago and brought him some DVDs of Montreux. He was the one who said he wanted to come back to Montreux,” Nobs told Reuters in his chalet in the village of Caux just above Montreux. “He never appears with someone before him or after him but this time he is, it will be something totally different.”

Van Morrison and Buddy Guy appear the night before, and Nobs hopes that the Northern Irish singer who is staying on a day longer will join Dylan in some poetic lyrics at the Stravinski Auditorium. Other line-up highlights include Detroit-based Anita Baker and a 1970s disco evening billed as “Freak Out” featuring Nile Rodgers & Chic, Mark Ronson and Grace Jones.

“Anita Baker is in great form, she has the greatest jazz voice in the world at the moment,” Nobs said, adding that he saw her perform in New York two months ago. “House” television series actor Hugh Laurie, a blues singer whose debut album “Let Them Talk” soared on the charts, performs with Dr John and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue on July 9.

“All three groups will be on the stage of Miles Davis Hall, it’s their only concert in Europe,” Nobs said. Katie Melua,

Jethro Tull, Alanis Morissette, American R&B stars Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, Brazil’s Gilberto Gil, Jessie J, and Janelle Monae are also booked. Amy MacDonald kicks it off on June 29, with 20-year-old local Swiss Bastian Baker opening.

Digital archives The festival’s archives of 5,000 hours of music contained on 10,000 recording tapes are being digitalised to preserve 45 years of history, according to Nobs, dubbed “Funky Claude” by Deep Purple in their 1970’s hit “Smoke on the Water” about a fire raging in the posh Swiss lakeside resort.

“We are in discussions with UNESCO on the archives.

Personally, I’m convinced it will happen,” he told reporters.

“They will be the first music archives in the world to become the cultural patrimony of UNESCO,” Nobs said, adding that he expected a decision in June. The 76-year-old Swiss, who created the festival in 1967 while working at the tourism office, brought giants from Miles Davis, Ray Charles and B.B. King to Prince to Montreux’s stage.

He often had to coax them along or meet their odd whims. “I got Miles a Ferrari for him to drive along the lake, Nina Simone wanted a diamond watch, and we found the mineral water that Prince likes in Geneva. We always find a way,” he said. Thierry Amsallem, Nobs’ partner for more than 20 years, is project manager for the high-resolution digital archive which has technical help from the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne (EPFL) and funding from Swiss watchmaker Audemar Piguet.

“It is a unique collection in the world, live concerts at the same venue by the same organisation,” he told Reuters, adding that it included recordings by 4,000 groups. “We started three years ago and have done 35 percent. But we’ve done the most difficult parts, the old reels which demand

Bob Dylan more care - Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie,” he said. “It should take two more years.” Their two chalets overlooking Lake Geneva are full of vintage Wurlitzer jukeboxes, flat screens, sophisticated sound equipment and mementoes including a print signed by Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and a larger-than-life bust of Franklin. Tickets for the Van Morrison and Dylan concerts are the festival’s priciest, ranging from 108 to 350 Swiss francs ($380). What about the steep prices in an age of free digital music? “We’re offering Bob Dylan in a hall for 2,500 people with excellent sound and visual conditions. It’s something unique compared to huge indoor halls or stadiums,” Nobs said. “The most expensive tickets always go first.” $1 = 0.9145 Swiss francs)—Reuters

Clooney to make Obama the $6 million dinner man

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ollywood heartthrob George Clooney will host a $6 million fundraising dinner for Barack Obama at his Los Angeles home as the president fills his campaign coffers to battle Mitt Romney. The event, on May 10, will feature in the “Dinner with Barack” campaign which the president’s political brain trust dreamed up to drum up small donations and fire up grassroots supporters. Obama fans are invited to enter the contest and donate as little as $3 dollars on a webpage titled “Obama, Clooney and You” featuring pictures of the Oscar winning star and the president.

Lucky winners earn a spot at the dinner. “George Clooney is doing his part to help re-elect the president, but he knows that it’s grassroots supporters like you who will decide this election,” the website reads. “That’s why he’d like you to invite you to donate for a chance to be a

In this film image released by Disney, chimpanzees Isha and Oscar, foreground, are shown during the filming of the documentary ‘Chimpanzee.’ — AP

part of this event.” A campaign official said the A-list dinner, likely to be the most star-studded night of the Obama campaign so far, was expected to draw 150 supporters paying a cool $40,000 each for a ticket. Obama and Clooney last met in March when the star of “Oceans Eleven” and “The Descendants” visited the White House to brief the president on a clandestine visit he had made to war-torn Sudan.

Clooney also attended a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron. The president periodically visits California, especially Hollywood and Silicon Valley, where there is a strong base of committed, famous and wealthy supporters to help him raise millions of dollars ahead of November’s election. Exclusive events for the wealthy, like the one at Clooney’s house, are often paired with cheaper, larger and more open fundraisers with less well-heeled supporters who get fired up by Obama’s campaign speech.

Obama, who is rebuilding his national political machine to battle the all-but-certain Republican nominee Mitt Romney, announced Monday he had raised $53 million for his re-election effort in March. He has now taken in over $200 million for his campaign and up until the end of February, he had spent $75 million, much of it on his new grassroots infrastructure. Obama will be aiming to beat his total of $745 million in the 2008 election, which also included the long and expensive Democratic primary battle against his then foe and now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.—AFP

Lily Cole is shown at the premiere of the IFC film ‘The Moth Diaries’. — AP

Model Lily Cole branches into art, film, TV

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ritish it-girl Lily Cole doesn’t want to be boxed in: The successful model launched an eco- friendly clothing line, has two upcoming films and a new television series in the works. “I quite like breaking down this conception of art as this very kind of insular space,” Cole explained in a recent interview.

“I’ve worked with a lot of artists through film as a medium... so I’d love to keep doing more within that medium. We’ll see how that manifests.”

The 23-year-old Vogue cover girl, who recently graduated from Cambridge with a degree in art history, will be interviewing top contemporary artists for a six-part Sky Arts series called “Lily Cole’s Art Matters.” Cole also stars in Mary Harron’s coming of age drama “The Moth Diaries,” available now on Video on Demand and in theaters Friday. Her clothing line is called The North Circular. And in June she’ll share the big screen with Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart in the reimagined fairy tale, “Snow White and the Huntsman.”—AP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

‘Chimpanzee’ aimed strictly at little kids

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ome privileged nature footage from the African rain forest is dishonoured by deeply silly narration in “Chimpanzee,” which follows a particular group of chimps in the Ivory Coast’s isolated Tai Forest. This fourth documentary from the Disney nature label shares with last year’s “African Cats” the fault of talking down and sugar-coating to coddle the tyke audience, a shame given the rarity of the intimate portrait provided of chimp life in rarely visited remote regions. With the sophistication and scientific information provided on TV nature docs steadily increasing, this sort of throwback aimed squarely at little kids feels very old school. The division’s first release, in 2007, “Earth,” pulled in an impressive $108 million worldwide and its follow-up, “Oceans,” earned $82 million. “African Cats” dropped to $21 million, a figure perhaps more in the range of what this one will do.

Everyone loves chimps for the simple reason that to regard them is, but for a slight biological rearrangement, to look at ourselves. The close-together forward-looking eyes, warm child rearing, manipulation of tools, omnivore habits, communal spirit and general intelligence are undeniably relatable, even if humans generally see the animals only in the relative isolation of captivity. Catching them on home turf in Africa is not easy, as they generally live in dense jungle, are not keen to be surrounded by a camera crew and can easily scamper off faster than they can be followed through the bush. So high marks to Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, who also directed “Earth” together (Fothergill also codirected “African Cats”) for finding a way to comprehensively cover a particular group of chimps in the Tai Forest for a period of time long enough for young chimp Oscar to grow and learn a few survival tricks.

Points, too, for the exceptionally observant and graceful camerawork of Martyn Colbeck and Bill Wallauer (Warwick Sloss did additional shooting), which brings the viewer in close and looks beautiful in the bargain. The storyline the filmmakers stitched together from incidents that took place during the shoot follows the survival and education of Oscar, definitely a cute little bugger, as he learns to fit in with an extended family of about 36 chimps led by grand old man Freddy. Oscar’s mother Isha, who is meant to nurse him until he’s about five, instructs her son in the finer points of selecting berries and nuts, the latter being highly coveted by a rival chimp tribe. The film runs into trouble the moment it introduces the chief of the rival group as “Scar.”

From that point, repeated references to “Scar and his gang” or “his mob” suggest that there are such things as good and evil chimpanzee clans, with nasty predators like Scar’s crew (tellingly never seen with young offspring or identifiable females) preying upon nice groups such as Freddy’s, whose worst transgression is a raid into some high trees against some colobus monkeys, one of which ends up as a (virtually unseen) meal. At the Hollywood press screening, a number of moms with small kids made for the exits after this scene, so it’s a good thing the filmmakers skipped the matter of chimpanzee cannibalism (a favourite Animal Planet topic).—AP

In this film image released by Sony Pictures - Screen Gems, Meagan Good is shown in a scene from ‘Think Like a Man.’ — AP

Box Office Preview: ‘Man’ & ‘Lucky’ go mano-a-mano

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ony’s “Think Like A Man,” the screen adaptation of Steve Harvey’s best-selling dating book, and Warner Bros.’ “The Lucky One,” the latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks love story, are each vying for the most audience affection this weekend, with opening grosses in the high teens. “Think Like a Man” features an eclectic ensemble cast that brings to life intersecting tales of love and romance. In “The Lucky One,” Zac Efron plays an Iraq war veteran who travels home to search for an unknown woman in a photo he found during combat.

Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games” may find itself in an unusual spot this weekend after a 28- day reign at the top of the domestic box office: No. 3. The film will likely draw a weekend gross in the low teens for a total of

more than $350 million by Sunday night. In their second weekend, Fox’s updated spin on “The Three Stooges” and Lionsgate’s R-rated horror entry “The Cabin in the Woods” will slap and scare each other respectively as they try to stay alive in the top five with grosses in the sub-$10 million range. But first, the films will have to sink Paramount’s 3-D treatment of “Titanic,” which has continued to show amazing steam and could also be a topfive contender in its third weekend. Disney Nature will bring its heart-warming documentary “Chimpanzee” to more than 1,500 theatres this weekend. The fourth in its series of “Earth Day” theatrical releases, the film should debut at around $7 million to $8 million. — AP

De Niro, Apatow worlds collide at Tribeca

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In this film image released by Disney, chimpanzees Isha and Oscar, foreground, are shown during the filming of the documentary ‘Chimpanzee.’ — AP

f a talk with Robert De Niro and Judd Apatow can be considered a meeting of drama and comedy, humour easily won out when the two took the stage at the Tribeca Film Festival.

De Niro, a co-founder of Tribeca, and Apatow, the director of “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” convened Thursday for a conversation built around the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios. Both have made numerous films for the Comcast-owned studio founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle.

But as stark as the differences between De Niro and Apatow, the yuck-filled conversation, if anything, proved the blurring of genre lines. De Niro, who famously segued into comedy with “Meet the Parents” and “Analyze This,” is far looser and jovial than his iconic, intimidating big-screen presence. And Apatow’s films, while uproarious, are ultimately personal expressions that make room for drama, too, like James L. Brooks and Cameron Crowe movies.

“One movie might be a little broader than another, and something might be more serious,” said Apatow, talking about “walking the line” between comedy and drama. “But I’m usually thinking about ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ or ‘Broadcast News’ or something like

Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower attend the Tribeca Film Festival opening night premiere of ‘The Five-Year Engagement’ at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Wednesday. — AP that.” The conversation, moderated by Mike Fleming of Deadline Hollywood, was sometimes awkward. (Meryl Streep had originally been planned to join, but canceled due to a family illness.) Apatow frequently joked at the impossible transitions between discussing such different filmographies. —AP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

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In this image, Robin Weigert (left) and Christian Borle are shown in a scene from Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America.” — AP

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o properly play a pirate, Christian Borle has appropriately been stealing. He’s lifted from comic book villains and swiped from Indiana Jones baddies. He has even plundered from sci-fi’s Darth Vader. Watch him closely and there may even be a touch of Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films. “I think I just stole a little bit from all kinds of different places,” says Borle, one of the stars of the breakout NBC TV series “Smash” who currently can be seen on Broadway in “Peter and the Starcatcher,” a prequel to the Peter Pan story. Borle may have been ripping characters off left and right to create his over-the-top Black Stache - the blustery pirate who will become Captain Hook - but there’s one crook he tried to dodge: Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.

“That was the only thing I was trying to avoid. But I think I failed. I think there is some subconscious Johnny Depp in there, too,” says Borle. “But, in my defense, when you think of Captain Hook, you don’t think of a restrained id.”

No one would make that mistake after watching Borle chew the scenery in “Peter and the Starcatcher.” He mispronounces words, makes fart jokes, loses a hand, leaps over trunks - the actor must wear pads on his knees, thighs and hips - and is liable to say things like “The Stache is on everyone’s lips.” “It’s an adventure every night,” says Borle.

As dynamic and hysterical as Stache is on stage, the actor who plays him is calm and understated offstage. In an interview in his very tidy dressing room in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Borle is laid back and chooses his words carefully. On a table in front of his mirror sits his mustache. It’s actually a small disk of Ben Nye brand makeup - CL-29 Black, if you must know that Borle slathers over his upper lip at least three times during the show because his sweaty antics make it drip off. Of perhaps growing his own mustache for the part he says: “It was never in the cards, which is fortunate because I don’t grow a lustrous beard.”

Kevin Del Aguila, who plays Black Stash’s right hand man Smee, says Borle has become a sort of compass for the dozen actors playing dozens of roles in the show. “He brings the inde-

finable sense of magic and play and fun that really exemplifies the spirit of the show and the spirit of our group,” he says. “He’s got that spirit that you want to be near, be a part of and enjoy.

He’s such a delight.”

The show was adapted by “Jersey Boys” cowriter Rick Elice from Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s best-selling 2004 children’s adventure book. It was a darling downtown at the New York Theatre Workshop last year but it was unknown how it would do at a big Broadway house. “Some jokes literally don’t land the way they did downtown. And some things that didn’t necessarily take off downtown are killing uptown,” says Borle. “It’s the strangest dynamic shift. It’s been fun to see.”

Borle, 38, is in the midst of his own dynamic shift, moving from being an established New York theater actor to a nationally recognized star. In the last few years, he’s gone from playing happy chimney sweep Bert in “Mary Poppins” to Prior Walter, a young man dying of AIDS in Tony Kusher’s brilliant play “Angels in America” to a diabolical pirate to a composer on “Smash,” a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a Broadway show. He also grappled with the loss of his father. “It’s been a really intense year,” he says. Raised in Pittsburgh and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Borle has been working steadily since he moved to New York, mostly in big musicals. He was in “Footloose” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and then bigger roles in “Spamalot” and “Legally Blonde,” for which he got a Tony nod. He is divorced from actress Sutton Foster but the two have stayed friendly and watch each other’s shows.

Since “Smash” started airing, Borle’s profile has exploded and he now gets recognized on the street. “The nice thing is people don’t tend to stop you to say terrible things,” he says with a laugh. He’ll be on hand later this summer when the show starts filming its second season. “The only thing I know for sure is that it will still be about musicals. Beyond that, I think we’re all excited to see where it’s going to go.”—AP

odern Family” Jesse Tyler Ferguson might be a star now, but he remembers those awful days sweating it out in front of casting directors. “I’ve had many horrible, horrible auditions. They’re tucked away. I try not to remember them. There are too many to name, actually,” he says, ruefully. “You go into those situations desperately needing that job. Whether or not you want it or not, you need it to survive - you need the paycheck.” Ferguson is revisiting his lean early years in a cameo for “Submissions Only,” a new online scripted sitcom wrapping up its second season that takes a hysterical behind-the-scenes look at the life of New York theatre hopefuls.

Ferguson will join some of Broadway’s brightest lights who have made appearances in the series, including Kristin Chenoweth, Chita Rivera, Cady Huffman, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Annaleigh Ashford, Max von Essen, Kristen Johnston, Adam Pascal, Michael Urie and Hunter Foster. “We’ve definitely made friends through this process with people who I would never even dream of going up to at a party and then, suddenly, we’re giving them direction on a set, which is hysterical,” says Andrew Keenan-Bolger, who together with Kate Wetherhead, created, writes and stars in the show.

Each episode begins with an audition and the one featuring Ferguson - which airs April 27 on roadwayWorld.com - has him belting out an original song - and eventually crashing and burning. “It starts with him singing a song and it seems like things are going OK, but then it increasingly gets worse and by the end he’s just a mess,” says Wetherhead, who has also been on Broadway in “Legally Blonde.”

“It’s sort of the actor’s nightmare,” says Ferguson by phone from Los Angeles. “You get in your head too much and you start second-guessing everything too much. It’s a really funny scene.

You watch me fall apart.” Landing Ferguson wasn’t hard: All three are friends. He and Wetherhead were both in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and Keenan-Bolger, who is currently on Broadway as Crutchie in

“Newsies,” played Ferguson’s role when the show went on tour.

Ferguson was one of the first fans of the online show and offered to make a cameo if he was ever in New York. “We were just waiting for the timing to be right,” says Wetherhead. The show is shot on a shoestring budget - the second season’s eight 15- to 20-minute episodes will only cost about $38,000 to make but its creators have lured a lot of talent with something better than money.

“While we can’t promise a large paycheck, we can promise a short time on set since we have so little equipment,” Wetherhead says with a laugh.

In this photo, actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson attends the Broadway opening of “Evita,” in New York. — AP Ferguson agrees, saying the show is fun and the environment chill: “It was like going out and playing with friends for an afternoon.” The show has drawn comparisons to a grass roots “Smash” and its creators aren’t miffed that NBC also has a show about the life of theatre pros. “If anything we want ‘Smash’ to succeed so that shows about the theatre business become more palatable to a larger audience,” says Wetherhead. — AP

In this Wednesday April 18, 2012 photo, from left, TV presenter Graham Norton, Mark Ruffalo, Nicki Minaj and John Bishop, laugh during the filming of the Graham Norton Show at The London Studios, south London. — AP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

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s a kid, Ryan Seacrest idolized Dick Clark. As an adult, he modelled his career after the entertainment giant and helped him carry on with his annual New Year’s Eve celebration after a stroke took its toll. He called the 82-year-old mogul who died Wednesday “one of the greatest influences in my life.” Now Seacrest - uncannily in the Dick Clark mold - is left to carry on the youthful vitality and innovative spirit that Clark used so effectively to meld music and media.

And the 37-year-old is well on his way. Following Clark’s playbook, Seacrest started as a radio host before expanding to TV and eventually producing.

He’s the voice of his nationally syndicated morning radio show and the international program “American Top 40.” He’s the face of “American Idol” and E! News. He’s the producer behind “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and its associated spinoffs, along with many other shows, including “Food Revolution” and “Shahs of Sunset.” He’s on the red carpet at the Grammys and Golden Globes. He’ll be an Olympic correspondent for NBC and has hinted that he could take on a role at the “Today” show.

“Sometimes when I go home and turn on the hot water faucet, I think he’s going to come out. He’s everywhere,” said longtime Hollywood publicist Michael Levine. “In the short term it can provide some annoyance, but in long term just adds to his iconic stature.” Clark parlayed his early radio dreams into a nearly four-decade run of “American Bandstand.” He invested in the artists he promoted there and went on to produce hit shows like “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes” and the American Music Awards. Seacrest enjoys a similar omnipresence, said veteran Hollywood publicist David Brokaw. “He’s becoming a 21st century Dick Clark,” Brokaw said. “‘American Idol’ is a show for every-

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pop diva Lady Gaga arrived in South Korea last night , one week before a Seoul performance which will kick off her third concert tour. The singer, wearing a floor-length low-cut white dress, white gloves and a pearl-encrusted mask, blew kisses to fans at Seoul’s Gimpo airport who tried to snap

This handout out picture shows US pop diva Lady Gaga wearing a floor-length low-cut white dress as she arrives at Seoul’s Gimpo airport yesterday. — AP

one,” and that provides Seacrest a similar platform to what Clark had with “American Bandstand.”

Seacrest paid tribute to his mentor on “American Idol” on Wednesday, saying, “Without Dick, a show like this would not exist.”

“He will be missed greatly,” Seacrest said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I know he’s in a better place, saying, ‘Let’s get on with the show.’ You got it, boss.” Among Seacrest’s other entertainment ventures: A $300 million partnership with broadcasting giant Clear Channel to acquire and develop new media companies. “We aim to build Ryan Seacrest Media into a leading multimedia company with diversified assets and interests,” he said when the partnership was announced earlier this year. “The entertainment industry is thriving with innovation more than ever before.” It’s also far more fragmented than ever before. Clark came up in the era before countless cable channels and the World Wide Web. Now the entertainment audience is everywhere.

“Obviously there’s not the same sense of shared community today,” Levine said. “But a person like Ryan can create a ubiquity and a presence on many, many platforms that would mirror what Dick Clark did.” “This presupposes that he won’t have any scandals and will remain hungry,” he added.

Seacrest shares other attributes with Clark that contribute to his success, Brokaw said. He’s likable, he’s got a “cherubic boyish charm and enthusiasm” that makes him feel like a friend and he has a hand in various entertainment entities.

“Anybody that’s in this business that has any kind of high-end talent or emerging talent, you somehow crossed paths with Dick Clark, and Ryan Seacrest is the same way,” Brokaw said. And, like Clark, Seacrest is a star maker. “Who would the

her image on smartphones. Her schedule in South Korea for the coming week was unclear and concert organisers Hyundai Card declined to give details. “The Born This Way Ball” tour begins on April 27 at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium.

From there Lady Gaga will take her hits and extravagant costumes to Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, and then on to 21 European cities. South Koreans aged under 18 have been banned from the concert after it was rated unsuitable for younger audiences.

The show had an initial age rating of 12 and older but the Korea Media Rating Board-a state watchdog-adjusted it upwards.

Some religious groups in South Korea have opposed the concert, saying Lady Gaga has advocated homosexuality and performed in an explicitly sexual manner.

“Our Christian community needs concerted action to stop young people from being infected with homosexuality and pornography,” the Korean Association of Church Communication said in a statement last month. Lady Gaga is expected to do 110 shows this year following up the success of her album “Born This Way”, which has sold nearly six million copies worldwide since it was released in May 2011.—AFP

Kardashians be without Ryan Seacrest?” Brokaw asked. “He’s creating careers on the basis of what he does.” Clark’s clean-cut and ever-youthful image appealed to people of all ages and helped make rock ‘n’ roll palatable to a generation of parents, just as Seacrest now does with today’s stars. Clark “was smart, charming, funny and always a true gentleman,” Seacrest said Wednesday. “I learned a great deal from him, and I’ll always be indebted to him for his faith and support of me. He was a remarkable host and businessman and left a rich legacy to television audiences around the world.” Now Seacrest hopes to do the same. — AP

File photo originally released by ABC shows Dick Clark, left, posing with Ryan Seacrest in New York. — AP

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obin Gibb’s Bee Gee brother Barry has been singing to the cancer-battling star as the family tries to help him come out of a coma, his wife said. Gibb, 62, has contracted pneumonia and is in a coma, his website confirmed on April 14. He is in hospital in west London. The British star’s wife Dwina told her local weekly newspaper that the singer’s three children have been playing music to their father to “try and bring him back to us”.

“His brother Barry, his wife Linda and son Stephen came over from America.

Barry was singing to him. Thousands of people are saying prayers every day,” she told the Impartial Reporter newspaper, based in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The Bee Gees-twins Robin and the late Maurice Gibb and their elder brother Barry, 65 — are among the biggest-selling groups of all time. Robin Gibb had bowel surgery 18 months ago but a tumour was found and he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and the liver.—AFP

File photo shows British singer Robin Gibb performing during a general rehearsal for the Jose Carreras Gala taking place later the evening in Leipzig, eastern Germany. — AFP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Dresses from the 20’s and 30’s are on display at the Meyenburg Fashion Museum in Meyenburg, on February 22, 2012. — AFP photos

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hen Josefine Edle von Krepl fled East Berlin just before the Wall fell in 1989, she managed to save her vast hoard of vintage clothing by wrapping her china and glassware in it. The fashion designer, journalist and mother-of-two was allowed to take many of her belongings with her to the West because she claimed she was leaving communist East Germany to marry, she said. Her request to leave was granted three months before the detested symbol of nearly three decades of suppression was pulled down heralding the promise of an exciting new future of democracy and freedom.

But Edle von Krepl’s lifelong labour of love has been to look to the past through women’s fashion. She has collected over 5,000 items of clothing dating from 1900 until the end of the 1970s that chart social changes for women, wartime shortages, the advent of US influences and new fabrics. Edle von Krepl, a flame redhaired 68-year-old with her signature long varnished nails who bears a striking resemblance to French fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, can reel off the provenance and, in many cases, the history of all the clothes.

“As an editor I used to go to villages and always asked people if they had old clothes and I bought them. They were sometimes dirty and had to be restored and cleaned which was complicated,” she told AFP. “In the GDR (German Democratic Republic) people used to keep a lot. But there was no understanding for (vintage) and people laughed. Of course after the Wall fell everyone wanted only Western things,” she said.

Her passion for vintage fashion was sparked about 55 years ago when, aged 13, Edle von Krepl, who claims not to be fashionable herself, “saved” a black satin dress of her grandmother’s which was due to be thrown out.

Her mother’s elegant 1937 wedding dress in a buttery yellow hue also takes pride of place. “She was a beautiful woman. It was a poor time... but she always wore something chic and red lipstick,” she said. After many years of hunting for a way to display her collection without being parted from it, the small town of Meyenburg, 140 kilometres (87 miles) north west of Berlin, offered its newly-restored chateau. About 360 of her items, together with bags, hats, shoes, jewellery and other period accessories, went on view to the public in 2006 at the elegant Modemuseum (Fashion Museum) in the historic building.

Leaving her home city to relocate to the grey, eastern German town was a wrench but the longing for a showcase was stronger and she has now made her home nearby, with her seven cats, in a former vicarage.

“This dress I bought from a woman in Dresden, she’s long since dead..,” Edle von Krepl says of a dress from around 1900 in one of the display cases. Among a cluster of turn-of-the-century wedding gowns, a black dress stands out. Edle von Krepl explains that poorer women would dress in black to get married so they

Former east German fashion designer and vintage fashion collector Josefine Edle von Krepl poses next to an exhibit featuring styles from the 60s.

could wear the dress again. She then points to a shimmering white tulle dress worn in 1914 by its owner for her engagement which she planned to wear again on her wedding day with a different coloured underlay. “I was in Hanover doing a show at a fair which was shown on TV and a woman called and said she wanted to give me a dress,” Edle von Krepl said. “Her fiance went to war and was soon killed, so it never could be a wedding dress. The woman lived on the fourth floor and had trouble walking so I picked her up and brought her to see the show and showed the dress,” she said. “She wept. She never met anyone else.”

Rescuer Syndrome A 1920s dropped-waist dress in a lilac floral pattern was fished out of a rubbish skip after Edle von Krepl spotted the shiny fabric while pushing her son in his buggy past a building site. “When I find something I must save it. I have ‘rescuer syndrome’,” she chuckles.

The collection weaves a path through different stages in history-one dress reflects the public clamour for ancient Egypt after the widely-reported 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Patchwork frocks made from old clothes during World War II demonstrate women’s creativity in times of scarcity together with the requisite hat often made from cutting up their absent menfolk’s headgear.

Until the mid-50s most clothes were homemade but as it became more usual for women to work leaving less time to sew, clothing was increasingly shopbought, Edle von Krepl explained. Colours became brighter in the post-war decade as US glamour took hold. Edle von Krepl said she likes finding “little mistakes” in clothes-and imagining the story behind them.

“Either she died, or said ‘I can’t do any more’ or it was the ball and she needed the dress,” she says fondly of a black evening frock with masses of tiny handstitched glass pearls across the front but with far fewer on the back.

Her collection includes a few top labels but she said her main criteria are always the design, fabric and cut, and that the clothing must have been worn. Her Austrian parents moved to Germany during the war when her engineer father came to work in an ammunition factory and the family soon moved to Berlin where Edle von Krepl grew up securing a place to study medicine. But she yearned for “creative work” so studied fashion and journalism instead and learned dressmaking, getting a job as fashion editor for “Fuer Dich”, an East German women’s magazine, where she worked for 13 years.

Her ideas, however, were deemed “too modern” or “too Western”, she said and she decided to open what she describes as the first private boutique in East Berlin in 1980 selling her own designs. “It was absolute madness,” she said recalling the demand. “That was unusual for clothes. We had queues when there were bananas

or oranges. I couldn’t sew and produce, with all my employees, as quickly as we sold it.” Edle von Krepl has no idea how much she has spent over the years as many items were bought with old GDR currency but she admits to having gone without, at times, in order to buy a vintage item. Now, her biggest challenge is to find someone to whom she can hand over her “darlings”, preferably as a whole, after she retires. — AFP

Wartime patchwork dresses from the 1940’s.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

By Sajeev K Peter

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attanam Rasheed is a name synonymous with movie make-up in south Indian filmdom today. For Rasheed, human body is a broad canvas where he works miracles. With his Midas’ touch, he has turned superstars into blockbuster characters in hundreds of movies; Remember Kamal Hassan as an elderly woman in ‘Chachi 420,’ Dileep as a hunchback in ‘Kunjikoonan,’ Salimkumar as an elderly Hajj pilgrim Abu in the national award winning film ‘Aadaminte Makan Abu’ or Mammootty as ‘Ponthanmaada’ and Mohanlal as the old Muslim man in ‘Paradeshi’ to name a few. If Rasheed is the make-up artist, characters will come alive beautifully. His magical work in film ‘Dam999’ tipped him in the race for Oscar last year.

Talking to the Kuwait Times in an interview, Rasheed spoke at length about his 30-year-old career as a makeup artist in the South Indian film industry.

Rasheed, who hails from a family of artists from Cochin, Kerala, has learned the art of make-up from his brother, who was associated with many amateur drama troupes in Kerala. He started off his career as an assistant to several make-up artists until he got a break with Navodaya’s ‘Onnu Muthal Poojayam Vare.’ Ever since, he has created hundreds of evergreen characters in more than 300 movies. Rasheed has bagged a number of awards including seven state awards and one national award for makeup.

“I’m very happy that I was able to work with many celebrated filmmakers in south India as a makeup artist.

He has created characters for directors such as Bharathan, TV Chandran, Shaji N Karun, Jayaraj, PT Kunhumohammed and others. He has worked on Ismail Merchant’s ‘Cotton Mary’ in which he worked alongside many Hollywood professionals.

Gulf experience Rasheed has worked for several television and film projects across the Gulf countries. He worked for the first Omani movie ‘Al-Boom’ and tele serials in Saudi Arabia.

Pattanam Rasheed

Photo shows Pattanam Rasheed putting makeup for Salim Kumar in ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’.

He also has worked for the Kuwait Television serial ‘Gasathul Haneem’ as a make-up artist.

“Over the years, I have evolved a kind of style. People may call it ‘Pattanam Rasheed style.’ But it is the experience that really taught me how to work on different skin tones or physical anatomies to create the character the cinema demands,” he points out.

“Today, with the evolution of the digital era, make-up technology has also transformed drastically. In order to keep ourselves updated with the state-of-art makeup technology, we have to continue the never-ending learning process,” he comments.

“Nowadays, most of the films are made in the highdefinition format. So, makeup also must go in tandem with the evolving technology,” he says.

Security officers stand guard near an installation titled ‘Line of Control’ by Indian artist Subodh Gupta in New Delhi, India, yesterday. The installation made of steel utensils is in the shape of a giant mushroom cloud referring to the dust-cloud of atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while also literally alluding to the contested India-Pakistan border, according to a press release. — AP

Keeping this in mind, Pattanam Rasheed has opened an academy for make-up in Cochin called ‘Pattanam Designery.’ “The students will be given academic as well as practical training at the academy in make-up and fashion in accordance with the international standards,” he said. Veteran script writer John Paul is the academy’s principal. Rasheed has arrived in Kuwait along with upcoming film and television actor Rajeev Kalamassery to attend AE Arts’ anniversary show that was held yesterday at the United Indian School auditorium, Abbasiya.

Rajeev shot to fame with his inimitable mimicking prowess. His mimicking of Indian Defense Minister AK Antony during hundreds of his mimic shows became a sensation in Kerala.

A giant deep sea diver puppet, part of a street theatre production entitled ‘Sea Odyssey’, walks through the streets in Liverpool in north-west England, yesterday. Two puppets, a man and a girl, his niece, will roam through the city’s streets looking for each other during the three day production. The free event, organised by French company Royal de Luxe is one of a series of events marking the 100th anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic. The liner, registered in Liverpool, sank on its maiden voyage to New York on 15 April 1912. — AFP

technology SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Singapore installing island-wide camera network SINGAPORE: Singapore has begun installing police surveillance cameras that will eventually cover all 10,000 public-housing blocks across the island, officials confirmed yesterday.

The move immediately drew mixed reactions in a city-state already famous for being one of the world’s safest societies but now undergoing political transition as citizens demand greater freedom from government control.

“Welcome to Big Brother!” popular local satirist Brown wrote on Twitter, referring to a fictional character in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty Four about a totalitarian state where each citizen is watched by a camera. Critics also posted negative comments on the

police Facebook page but supporters enthusiastically welcomed the move. “Excellent, good idea. Keep it up. God bless Singapore police force,” Facebook user Rahul Chaudhary wrote.

Installations have begun at 300 blocks and by 2016 the cameras will be operational on the ground floors of all 10,000 governmentbuilt apartment blocks where over 80 percent of the population live.

Entry and exit points of public car parks will also be covered. “The cameras will not be monitored ‘live’ but the images that they record can be used to solve crime should it occur within the camera zone,” the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement sent to AFP. “They can effectively aid investigations and

help deter crime,” it said.

A sign with the words “Police Camera In Operation” will be placed near the surveillance points to deter potential criminals as well as inform members of the public that they are being filmed. “We don’t know what the surveillance is for, whether it will be for fighting crime or something worse,” said Mohammed Zakaria, 27, a freelance photographer.

He said the initiative was “a ridiculous waste of public resources... You can put the resources to better use, like feeding the poor.” But supporter Anna Marie Doe wrote on the police Facebook page: “I so love this new phase. I’m so looking forward for all this to work along with the SPF.”

Singapore’s reputation for safety and cleanliness has long made it an attractive destination for businesses, expatriates and tourists. Overall crime in Singapore, which has a population of 5.2 million including more than a million foreigners, fell 5.3 percent year-on-year to 31,504 cases last year, according to figures published on the police website.

The crime rate in 2011 was also the lowest in two decades, it said.

Singapore has been ruled by the same political party for more than 50 years. However, citizens have become increasingly vocal through social media, particularly since the campaign for the May 2011 general elections when the party’s popularity fell to an all-time low of 60 percent. — AFP

YouTube deals fresh blow

by German copyright ruling Germany’s GEMA brought suit against YouTube FRANKFURT: A German royalties group scored a court victory over Google’s YouTube yesterday in a ruling which forces the videosharing site to take down copyrighted clips. The court in Hamburg said the website was responsible for the content its users published, a decision which could be a first step towards YouTube and other Internet publishers having to pay large sums in royalties. yesterday’s ruling comes less than a month after a US appeals court dealt Google a major setback by reviving lawsuits from Viacom Inc, the English Premier League and various other media companies over the use of copyrighted videos on YouTube without permission. The suit in Hamburg, for allegedly infringing the copyright on seven music clips, was brought against YouTube in 2010 by German royalty collections body GEMA and several other groups handling music rights.

YouTube argued it merely provided the technical framework to publish content and was not responsible for monitoring videos and music clips for possible copyright violations. The Hamburg court said that YouTube was responsible for the content users post online and should remove any clips for which GEMA has asserted copyright protection.

The court also said YouTube did not have to proactively trawl through its site in search of possible copyright violations but must remove clips at the request of the rights holder.

“We welcome this decision,” a spokesman for Google in Germany said, saying the court’s move created legal certainty for both uploading sites and the peo-

ple who use them. A spokesman for GEMA said: “This in an important partial victory.” GEMA, which says it represents more than 64,000 songwriters and musicians, demands that music-ondemand platforms that stream music to users for free and are financed by advertisements pay just over 10 percent of their music revenues. Sites that are very interactive should also have to pay at least 0.6 euro cents ($0.008) per stream, according to GEMA. YouTube says some 60 hours of video are uploaded to its site every minute, and more than 3 billion hours of video are watched on the platform each month.

Internet surveillance Recent lawsuits have centred on a crucial issue for media companies: how to win Internet viewers without ceding control of TV shows, movies and music. But a push for better legal protection of

artists’ and media companies’ rights has met opposition from those who fear tighter regulation will curb their freedom to download movies and music for free and encourage internet surveillance. Earlier this year, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Europe to protest an international anti-piracy agreement.

One vocal group opposing the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is Germany’s upstart Pirate Party, which came out of nowhere last year and according to a recent poll has overtaken the Greens to become the third strongest political grouping in the country. The arrest of Kim Dotcom, the German national who founded online filesharing site Megaupload.com, earlier this year is the most prominent recent case of authorities cracking down on copyright infringement. — Reuters

GERMANY: File photo shows a window reading ‘Unfortunately, this video is not available in Germany as it probably contains music for which the GEMA didn’t grant the necessary music copyrights’ and the logo of Google’s video sharing portal YouTube, displayed on a screen. —AFP

NEW YORK: File photo shows the Kindle Fire is displayed at a news conference. —AP

Rumors swirl of smaller iPad NEW YORK: Apple generates more gossip than the Kardashians.

There’s a constantly spinning mill of rumors about Apple products, most of which turn out to be untrue. What’s unusual this week is that talk has revived of a smaller iPad model, an idea company founder Steve Jobs derided publicly a year before he died. Apple and its suppliers aren’t commenting. Rumors of a smaller iPad, or “iPad mini” have percolated ever since the first iPad was launched two years ago. This time around, they’re fed by media reports from South Korea, China and Taiwan, saying Apple has ordered Samsung screens that are 7.86 inches measured on the diagonal. That would make the screen about two-thirds the size of the current iPad, which has a diagonal measurement of 9.7 inches.

Why it’s a good idea A smaller tablet would help Apple further its lead in the tablet market. “From a competitive standpoint, we believe an iPad

mini with a lower price point would be the competition’s worst nightmare, says Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee.

“Most (competitors) already have a tough enough time competing against the iPad 2, as well as the new iPad.” Apple has successfully fended off competitors who have tried to sell tablets in iPad’s size range. But last year, Amazon.com Inc. figured out how to crack Apple’s stranglehold on tablets by making a half-size, nofrills tablet.

The result was the Kindle Fire, which sells for $199 -basically, the cost of production. Amazon has sold millions of them. Apple sells the iPod Touch for $199, but its screen is about a quarter of the size of the Kindle Fire - a big disadvantage for people who want to enjoy books, movies and games. It also sells the older iPad model for $399. It has nothing in between. Price isn’t the only reason customers might prefer a smaller tablet. A 7-inch model would fit in many handbags, unlike the current iPad. — AP

technology SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Take precautions when using WiFi

SEOUL: Customers wait in line outside an Apple store to buy its new iPad tablet computers yesterday. —AP photos

Apple’s new iPad goes on sale in South Korea

SEOUL: Baek Sung-min, 23, jumps in joy after purchasing a new iPad tablet computer at an Apple store.

SEOUL: Hundreds of customers lined up yesterday at Apple stores as the new iPad went on sale in tech-savvy South Korea, about one month after it made its international debut. Four of Apple’s stores in Seoul opened early to sell the tablet computer, and there were also queues outside branches in the city of network providers KT and SK Telecom, the two distributors of iPhones and iPads.

First in line at KT was university student Lim Jun-Hong, 21, who slept overnight on the pavement to be the first to get his hands on the tablet. “Got my new iPad! Hooray!” wrote one Twitter user. Apple is selling the gadget with WiFi at 620,000 won ($545) to 860,000 won ($755), depending on memory size. The cost is slightly higher for models with both WiFi and 4G. South Korean users, at least for now, will use 3G instead of 4G. The faster connection speed is currently unavailable locally due to differences in frequencies.

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, Apple’s biggest rival worldwide, introduced its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in February last year, only four months after launching the series. Apple’s latest iPad has a more powerful processor and a screen resolution called retina display, which it says is the sharpest ever on a mobile device. The company said it sold three million over the course of its first weekend on the market last month. The latest iPad went on sale in 10 other countries yesterday and Apple says it plans for the best-selling tablet to be available in more than 50 nations by the end of the month. —AFP

BERLIN: With wireless local area networks (WLAN) - more commonly known as WiFi - surfing the web is easy. But users of public WLAN hotspots should be careful, as data thieves can be lurking. Most of the people surfing with wireless networks are unknown to the individual user whether that be with a smartphone, tablet or laptop. All of them are connecting to the internet via a wireless connection made available by the hotspot operator. Intruders, however, would have an easy time hacking into the access data for email inboxes or internet mail-order sites since the data is essentially floating around unprotected in an unencrypted connection.

The most important factor for the security of the user is not necessarily if the WLAN itself is open or encrypted.

Even a WPA2 standard protected network is only secure from hackers trying to get in from the outside. But all users within the network have the access information - the vacationer at the next table calling home with a voice over IP, the blogger at the other end of the room, and the youngsters in the corner using a social network.

Essential for your own protection is a good firewall for your laptop. This warns the user if someone from the outside is trying to access the laptop. Another must is a regularly updated virus protection program. It’s also recommended to deactivate the automatic data release function in Windows so that no one has access to the information.

Basically, all business matters such as online banking, stock exchange transactions or online purchases should be done in a secure location. Those who log in while using a WiFi hotspot should also be aware if the provider uses secure sites. This can be determined by the URL address if it includes https:// instead of http://. The “s” stands for secure.

Many other sites show they are secure with the image of a padlock. Even your own email program should only be used in secure transmission processes such as SSL or TLS. It also makes sense to get a free extra program for https pages such as HTTPS Everywhere. This Add-on enhances browsers such as Firefox and Chrome so that pages automatically switch from http to https if possible and necessary. That happens especially with sensitive data sent, by example, when using PayPal or Facebook.

An entire internet visit would be sealed off if the user were to install a virtual private network or VPN. That is, however, not included in most WiFi hotspots, and the setup is quite elaborate. The user would need VPN software for example, Windows PPTP or OpenVPN, which can be downloaded from the web. The user accesses the web as usual but then the VPN client creates an encrypted tunnel connection between the computer and the VPN server somewhere in the world. Sealed off from the outside, the data travels securely to the VPN server, which sends the request as usual to the web and then sends the answer securely back through the tunnel. — dpa

Singapore PM joins ‘the fun’ with Facebook page SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched his own Facebook page Friday to better connect with citizens who have increasingly vented their frustrations with his government on social media. Lee, 60, said he decided to “join the fun” and set up a Facebook page after being encouraged by cabinet colleagues who are already using the popular social networking site. “I hope you will find my Facebook page interesting. I will use it to talk about some of the things I am doing, and thinking about, but I would also like to hear from you,” he said in his first post, signed with the initials LHL. “Let’s use this page to help shape ideas and understanding of what we can do together to improve our lives. As a Facebook newbie, I would appreciate your advice, suggestions and, most of all, your patience,” he said. The page was approaching 1,500 “likes” and had over 400 comments just hours

after it was launched. “It’s about time you come down from your Ivory Tower and touch the Ground,” wrote one reader who identified himself as Raul Panday. “Hopefully you will take the comments in stride and Listen to the views put to You.” Another reader, Ten Kuet Fui Brovo, wrote: “It’s a good platform for you to connect with the ground, especially the young and restless.”

With the mainstream Singapore media widely seen as pro-government, an increasing number of Singaporeans have gone online to complain about everything from an influx of foreign workers to breakdowns in the metro train network. The ruling People’s Action Party, in power since 1959, suffered its worst setback in general elections in May 2011, winning an all-time low of 60 percent of the vote.

News portals and social media played a crucial role in shaping the political debate. — AFP

YEOSU: Robots perform at Marine Robot pavilion of the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea site yesterday. More than 100 nations are expected to participate in the expo that will open from May 12 to Aug 12 under the theme of ”The Living Ocean and Coast.” — AP

TV listings SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Up Close And Dangerous 02:35 Seven Deadly Strikes 03:30 Human Prey 04:25 Ocean Odyssey 05:20 Going Ape 05:45 Wildlife SOS 06:10 Vet On The Loose 06:35 Vet On The Loose 07:00 Gorilla School 07:25 Crocodile Hunter 08:15 The Jeff Corwin Experience 09:10 Natural Born Hunters 09:35 Natural Born Hunters 10:05 The Really Wild Show 10:30 The Really Wild Show 11:00 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 11:25 Bondi Vet 11:55 Dogs 101 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Wildlife SOS 13:45 Must Love Cats 14:40 Wild Animal Orphans 15:05 Wild Animal Orphans 15:35 Big Five Challenge 16:30 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 17:25 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 18:20 Speed Of Life 19:15 Speed Of Life 20:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 21:05 Austin Stevens Adventures 22:00 Baboons With Bill Bailey 22:25 Baboons With Bill Bailey 22:55 Animal Planet’s Most Outrageous 23:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia

00:10 A Taste Of Greenland 01:05 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 01:30 Indian Food Made Easy 01:55 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 02:20 Living In The Sun 03:15 Bargain Hunt 04:00 A Taste Of Greenland 04:50 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 05:15 Antiques Roadshow 06:05 Living In The Sun 07:00 Come Dine With Me 12:50 Come Dine With Me 13:15 Bargain Hunt 16:15 Bargain Hunt 17:00 Antiques Roadshow 20:25 Antiques Roadshow 21:15 10 Years Younger 22:05 Gok’s Fashion Fix 22:55 Gok’s Fashion Fix 23:40 Diy SOS

00:00 00:30 00:40 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:10 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:00 11:10 11:30 12:00 12:10 13:00 13:10 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:10

BBC World News Sport Today Weekend World BBC World News America Extra Time BBC World News Newsnight BBC World News Weekend World One Square Mile BBC World News Horizons BBC World News My Country BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News Working Lives BBC World News Middle East Business Report BBC World News Click BBC World News Weekend World One Square Mile BBC World News World Football Focus Horizons BBC World News BBC World News BBC World News World Features Newsnight BBC World News Our World BBC World News Weekend World

LADDER 49 ON OSN ACTION HD 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:15 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:10 23:30

Equestrian World BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News My Country BBC World News Final Score BBC World News Working Lives BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News Extra Time BBC World News World Features Dateline London

00:00 The Best Of Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 05:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 06:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Road To Rio: A Green City Journey 08:00 World Report 08:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 08:30 The Best Of Backstory 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 09:30 I Report For CNN 10:00 World Sport

10:30 Aiming For Gold 11:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 12:00 World Report 12:30 The Best Of Backstory 13:00 The Brief 13:30 Inside Africa 14:00 World Report 14:30 Leading Women 14:45 Future Cities 15:00 Talk Asia 15:30 The CNN Freedom Project 16:00 Going Green 16:30 The Best Of Backstory 17:00 International Desk 17:30 African Voices 18:00 CNN Marketplace Europe 18:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 18:30 World Report This Week 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Open Court 20:00 International Desk 20:30 Inside Africa 21:00 International Desk 21:30 Road To Rio: A Green City Journey 22:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 23:00 World Report 23:30 Going Green

00:15 01:10 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 08:15

Aircrash Confidential Destroyed In Seconds Dirty Jobs Battle Machine Bros Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs How Stuff’s Made Really Big Things Building The Biggest

09:10 10:05 10:55 11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:20 23:45

Extreme Engineering X-Machines Man, Woman, Wild Dual Survival Ultimate Survival Ultimate Survival Oil, Sweat And Rigs Swamp Loggers Bering Sea Gold Gold Rush Storm Chasers River Monsters Man vs Fish With Matt Watson Extreme Fishing Freddie Flintoff vs The World Scrappers Carfellas Bering Sea Gold

00:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 01:25 The Tech Show 01:50 Futurecar 02:40 Ways To Save The Planet 03:35 How Does That Work?

04:00 How Does That Work?

04:25 Junkyard Mega-Wars 05:20 Ultimate Power Builders 06:10 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 07:00 Head Rush 07:03 Sci-Fi Science 07:30 Weird Connections 08:00 Eco-Tech 08:55 Futurecar 09:45 Ways To Save The Planet 10:35 Wallace & Gromit’s World Of Invention 12:40 Wallace & Gromit’s World Of Invention 13:05 Bang Goes The Theory

14:20 14:45 14:48 15:15 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Bang Goes The Theory Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections The Tech Show Eco-Tech Robocar Futurecar Smash Lab Catch It Keep It Cool Stuff & How It Works Cool Stuff & How It Works Weird Or What?

Smash Lab Catch It Keep It Robocar

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:40 Cody 07:05 07:30 07:41 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 11:45 12:00 12:25 12:30 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 19:00 19:10 20:50 21:15 22:40 22:55 23:20 Cody 23:45

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Suite Life Of Zack And So Random Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie So Random Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Jessie Have A Laugh Jessie Jessie Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place A.N.T. Farm 16 Wishes Have A Laugh Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 07:45 Phineas And Ferb 08:00 Kick Buttowski 08:30 Rated A For Awesome 09:00 Mr. Young 09:30 Pair Of Kings 13:25 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 14:35 Kickin It 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Timon And Pumbaa 15:50 Pair Of Kings 16:15 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 16:40 Zeke & Luther 17:05 Mr. Young 17:30 I’m In The Band 17:55 Rated A For Awesome 18:20 Kickin It 18:45 Phineas And Ferb 19:10 Scaredy Squirrel 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Rekkit Rabbit 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 I’m In The Band 21:15 Pair Of Kings 21:40 Phineas And Ferb 22:05 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:30 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 THS 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Bridalplasty 10:15 Bridalplasty 11:10 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Scouted 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Khloe And Lamar 16:25 Khloe And Lamar 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 19:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 20:55 Style Star 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:40 01:05 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:50 05:40 06:30 07:30 08:00 09:15 09:40 10:55 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 22:35 23:00 Ride 23:25 Ride 23:50

Final Fu Final Fu World Combat League Carpocalypse M1 Selection 2010 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 World Combat League Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2008 Ticket To Ride 2010/11 Ticket To Ride 2010/11 X Games Heroes X Games Heroes Summer Dew Tour 2011 Summer Dew Tour 2011 I’ll Do Anything Dragrace High Dragrace High Cowboy U Cowboy U Summer Dew Tour 2011 Carpocalypse Dragrace High Dragrace High Summer Dew Tour 2011 Summer Dew Tour 2011 I’ll Do Anything Carpocalypse Dragrace High Dragrace High Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your

00:30 01:20 01:40 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 05:45 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05

Ghost Lab Dead Tenants Dead Tenants I Was Murdered I Was Murdered On The Case With Paula Zahn Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases Ghost Lab Dead Tenants Dead Tenants Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER

Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Aiya TV

TV listings SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Ghost Lab The Haunted A Haunting

Ultimate Traveller Calcutta Or Bust Making Tracks Danger Beach Danger Beach City Chase Rome David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Ultimate Traveller Calcutta Or Bust Making Tracks Danger Beach Danger Beach City Chase Rome David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Ultimate Traveller The Best Job In The World Madventures Departures Nomads City Chase: Argentina Don’t Tell My Mother Departures The Best Job In The World Madventures Departures Nomads City Chase: Argentina Don’t Tell My Mother

00:00 Wild Chronicles 00:30 Wild Chronicles 01:00 I, Predator 01:55 Wildlife Rescue Africa 02:50 World’s Wildest Encounters 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 Night Stalkers 05:35 Wildlife Rescue Africa 06:30 Caught Barehanded 07:25 Swamp Men 08:20 Among The Great Apes With Michelle Yeoh 09:15 The Living Edens 10:10 The Last Lioness 11:05 Built for the Kill 4 12:00 Shark Men 13:00 The Living Edens 14:00 Bonecrusher Queens 15:00 Aerial Assasins 16:00 Wildlife Rescue Africa 17:00 World’s Wildest Encounters 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Bonecrusher Queens 20:00 Aerial Assasins 21:00 Wildlife Rescue Africa 22:00 World’s Wildest Encounters 23:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

00:00 Wild Chronicles 00:30 Wild Chronicles 01:00 I, Predator 01:55 Wildlife Rescue Africa 02:50 World’s Wildest Encounters 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 Night Stalkers 05:35 Wildlife Rescue Africa

06:30 Caught Barehanded 07:25 Swamp Men 08:20 Among The Great Apes With Michelle Yeoh 09:15 The Living Edens 10:10 The Last Lioness 11:05 Built for the Kill 4 12:00 Shark Men 13:00 The Living Edens 14:00 Bonecrusher Queens 15:00 Aerial Assasins 16:00 Wildlife Rescue Africa 17:00 World’s Wildest Encounters 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Bonecrusher Queens 20:00 Aerial Assasins 21:00 Wildlife Rescue Africa 22:00 World’s Wildest Encounters 23:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

00:00 The Killing Room-PG15 02:00 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-18 04:00 A Perfect Getaway-18 06:00 Fighting-PG15 08:00 Rocky III-PG15 10:00 In The Line Of Fire-PG15 12:15 True Justice: Dark Vengeance18 14:00 Rocky III-PG15 16:00 Arlington Road-PG15 18:00 True Justice: Dark Vengeance18 20:00 Fade To Black-18 22:00 Ladder 49-PG15

01:15 03:15 05:00 07:00

The Cry Of The Owl-PG15 Jonah Hex-PG15 Certified Copy-PG15 Africa United-PG15

09:00 10:45 12:45 15:00 16:45 18:30 21:00 23:00

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 03:00 New Girl 03:30 Happy Endings 04:00 The Simpsons 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 New Girl 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 30 Rock 10:00 Modern Family 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Weird Science 12:30 The Simpsons 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 Happy Endings 14:30 Modern Family 15:00 30 Rock 16:30 Weird Science 18:00 Parks And Recreation 18:30 2 Broke Girls 19:00 The Office 19:30 Man Up! 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 23:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Ultimate Traveller Calcutta Or Bust Making Tracks Danger Beach Danger Beach City Chase Rome David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Ultimate Traveller Calcutta Or Bust Making Tracks Danger Beach Danger Beach City Chase Rome David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Ultimate Traveller The Best Job In The World Madventures Departures Nomads City Chase: Argentina Don’t Tell My Mother Departures The Best Job In The World Madventures Departures Nomads City Chase: Argentina Don’t Tell My Mother

Salvage Code Red Inside Evolutions Britain’s Greatest Machines Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters Dogtown Taboo Salvage Code Red Inside Evolutions Britain’s Greatest Machines Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters Dogtown Taboo Salvage Code Red Inside Evolutions World’s Deadliest Animals Situation Critical Lockdown Adventure Wanted Departures

Make It Happen-PG15 Calvin Marshall-PG15 The A-Team-PG15 Make It Happen-PG15 Calvin Marshall-PG15 Eat Pray Love-PG15 My Bloody Valentine-R Brighton Rock-PG15

AFRICA UNITED ON OSN CINEMA

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

American Idol Smash Survivor: One World Glee True Blood Live Good Morning America The Protector Castle The Ellen DeGeneres Show The View American Idol Glee Castle Live Good Morning America The Protector The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Warehouse 13 Criminal Minds Sons Of Anarchy True Blood

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Parenthood Survivor: One World Combat Hospital American Idol Glee Smash Parenthood The Chicago Code Castle The Chicago Code American Idol Glee Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle Parenthood Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Surface Warehouse 13 Criminal Minds Sons Of Anarchy The Tudors

01:00 03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Hurt Locker-18 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 The Killing Room-PG15 Smoke Screen-PG15 Patriot Games-PG15 Bodyguard: A New Beginning-

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Trip-PG15 The Allnighter-PG15 Babe-FAM Babe: Pig In The City-FAM Ball & Chain-PG15 Inspector Gadget (1999)-PG15 Charlie & Boots-PG15 Big Fat Liar-PG Inspector Gadget (1999)-PG15 Out Cold-PG15 Evan Almighty-PG15 The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who...-18

01:00 03:00 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:30 13:45 15:45 17:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

Proteger & Servir-18 Legends Of The Fall-18 The Greatest-PG15 Return To Rajapur-PG15 Funny Bones-PG15 Eight Below-PG Oceans - Into The Deep-PG The Wronged Man-PG15 Across The Sea Of Time-FAM Nine-PG15 Speed-PG15 Fragments-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00

The Roommate-PG15 How To Train Your Dragon-PG Prom-PG15 Too Big To Fail-PG15 Marmaduke-PG Sundays At Tiffany’s-PG15 Rango-FAM Shanghai-PG15

The Craigslist Killer-PG15 Patriot Games-PG15 Hurricane Season-PG15 The Alphabet Killer-18 Ladder 49-PG15 Jake’s Closet-PG15

17:00 Marmaduke-PG 18:30 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Pt.1-PG15 21:00 Extract-PG15 23:00 The Fighter-PG15

00:00 I’ll Be Home For Christmas-PG 02:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 04:00 Jetsons: The Movie-FAM 06:00 I’ll Be Home For Christmas-PG 08:00 The Enchanted Mountain-PG 10:00 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed-PG15 12:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 14:00 North-PG 16:00 D’fenders-PG 18:00 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed-PG15 20:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 22:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG

00:00 01:30 03:30 06:00 08:00 09:45 11:30 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Deadline-18 Never Let Me Go-PG15 The Karate Kid-PG Soul Surfer-PG15 5 Dollars A Day-PG15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG The Karate Kid-PG My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG Megamind-FAM Extract-PG15 Unknown-PG15

00:00 00:30 02:30 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 10:30 14:30 16:30 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

UFC 145 Prime Time Super Rugby Super Rugby UFC 145 Countdown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed WWE Bottom Line Super League Futbol Mundial Live Super Rugby Super League UFC 145 Prime Time Live Super Rugby Live Super Rugby Volvo Ocean Race WWE SmackDown

00:00 00:30 02:30 05:00 07:00 10:00 10:30 11:30 12:00 15:30 16:00 19:30 20:30 21:00

Futbol Mundial Top 14 AFL Premiership NRL Premiership Live AFL Premiership Total Rugby Trans World Sports Futbol Mundial Live Snooker Total Rugby Live Snooker Trans World Sport European Tour Weekly Live Snooker

00:30 European PGA Tour 05:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 07:00 Top 14 09:00 NRL Full Time 09:30 Live NRL Premiership 13:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 14:00 Live Scottish Premier League 16:00 Trans World Sport 17:00 Live Scottish Premier League 19:00 Futbol Mundial 19:30 Live Super League 22:00 Live PrO 12 Celtic League

00:00 UFC 145 Primetime 00:30 UFC Prelims 01:30 UFC 04:30 UFC 145 Countdown 05:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 06:00 Live V8 Supercars Championship 08:00 Live PGA European Tour 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:15 UFC 145 Countdown 14:45 WWE SmackDown 16:45 Live Top 14 18:45 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 19:45 Live Volvo Ocean Race 21:15 UFC

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

what’s on

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

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KERA holds blood donation

A

blood donation camp was conducted by Kuwait Ernakulam Residents Association last week at the blood bank, Jabriya. About 65 volunteers donated blood.

Visit

D

r. Joseph Mar Dionysius, Calcutta Diocese Metropolitan of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church reached Kuwait for the episcopal visit. The Metropolitan will be the chief celebrant of different programs which is scheduled to be held at three different churches in Kuwait. He was received at the Kuwait Airport by Fr Saju Philip, Fr Jose Mathew, Fr George C Varghese, Fr Abraham P George, parish office-bearers, sabha managing committee members and a number of people from the parishes.

F

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus requests Cypriot citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy has moved. This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Cypriot citizens in cases of emergencies. Registration information can be emailed to cyprusembassykwt@gmail.com or faxed to 22253227 or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine).

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EMBASSY OF FRANCE For the first round of voting for the French presidential election, the French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed to the public tomorrow April 22, 2012.

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Shaastrotsav - Festival of Science 2012 ourth Edition of “Shaastrotsav” - the most popular Science and Technology festival will be held on Friday, April 27, 2012 at Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS), Salmiya.

Shaastrotsav will commence at 10:00 am on Friday, April 27, 2012.One can witness a large number of informative and entertaining programs that will continue till 7 pm. There will be science exhibition for students in three categories- Sub-Junior, Junior and Seniors. Kuwait Engineers Forum as in the past will be contending this year too.

The prime highlight of this edition of Shaastrotsav is “CapQ Science & Technology Quiz” which is expected to attract huge crowd including students, parents and all technology enthusiasts.

Ashwan Lewis of Karnataka Quiz Association will be conducting this inter school competition which will have a preliminary screening stage in the morning and finals in the evening. Rubik cube solving contest is another highlight for Shaastrotsav 2012.This is first ever Rubik’s Cube competition for School children in Kuwait.

Visitors can watch computer anima-

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel 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 closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.uae.gc.ca.

tion contest in which many school students will participate to demonstrate their animation and computer skills. The theme for this contest is “Science & Technology”. As an encouragement to

An interesting interactive session on ‘Human Problems - Green Nanotechnology Solutions’ is arranged this year for the engineering community.

This will be headed by Dr. Shamim

EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, AlSalaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com students, Shaastrotsav will give away cash awards to winning teams of inter school science exhibition winning the 1st,2nd and 3rd positions. We could also see increase in enthusiasm among students to take part in open category, which reflects our young generation’s interest towards better world with their scientific prowess.

Ahmad (former Director CSIR, New Delhi) who is an expert in Nano Technology. NSS College of Engineering (Palakkad) Alumni Association is organizing ShaastrotsavFestival of Science. Shaastrotsav convener Aravindan Balakrishnan, NSS Alumni association president Santhosh Kumar, Shyam Mohan N and Sunil Jacob were present during the press meet. Entry is free.

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EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal will be moving from its current location to a new place in Jabriya, Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective from 15th April, 2012. Till the new telephone connections are installed, the Embassy may be contacted by email: info@nepembku.org

Health SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Climate change impacts Europe mountain plants Mountain plants migrating to higher altitudes WASHINGTON: The acceleration of climate change is stressing mountain plants in Europe and driving them to migrate to higher altitudes, according to a study released Thursday by US researchers. The plant migration is also decreasing species diversity, the study’s authors said in the April 20 edition of the journal Science. The study was based on an inventory of flora on 66 mountains between northern Europe and the Mediterranean. An increasing number of plant species was found only on mountains in northern and central Europe, the researchers reported, while in nearly all mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, the number of plant species was either stagnant or declining.

The researchers, who were coordinated by the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Vienna, produced a map of plant species on each of the sites studied in 2001 and 2008. “Our results showing a decline at the Mediterranean sites is worrying because these are the mountains with a very unique flora and a large proportion of their species occur only there and nowhere else on Earth,” said Harald Pauli, coordinator of the project. “The observed species losses were most pronounced on the lower summits, where plants are expected to suffer earlier from water deficiency than on the snowier high peaks,” he said.

Mountainous areas at lower elevations typically experience a dry season

in summer whereas at higher elevations, melting snow provides water to plants during the summer dry season.

Climate warming and decreased rainfall in the Mediterranean region in recent decades corresponds perfectly to the decrease in plant life, said Georg Grabherr, who chairs the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments. “In addition, most of the Mediterranean region will become even drier in coming decades,” Grabherr said. “Impacts of climate change, either through warming or combined with increased drought stress, are likely to threaten alpine plants not only on the continent, but even on the world-wide level,” he said. —AFP

New shrimp-like species found in New Mexico cave ALBUQUERQUE: Scientists have discovered a new shrimp-like species in a gypsum cave in southeastern New Mexico, only a few dozen miles from the famous caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The species of amphipod was unknown before being discovered about a month ago in the Burton Flats area east of Carlsbad, said Jim Goodbar, the Bureau of Land Management’s senior cave specialist. The agency announced the discovery Tuesday. Blind, about a half-inch long and almost translucent, the amphipod was found in a subterranean pool inside a cave no more than 80 feet from the surface. The cave had been explored before, but samples had never been taken of the water until a biological inventory was done as part of plans to expand potash mining in the area.

For Goodbar and other cave researchers, short of rocketing into space, the depths of the earth represent one of the last unexplored frontiers for humankind. “You never know what you’re going to find down there,” Goodbar said. “One of the interesting things about this is these guys, these critters have been down there for tens of thousands of years, millions of years and we’re just getting around to finding them.” More surveys of the area are planned, Goodbar said. The new species has not been named, but officials said it has been grouped with the Parabogidiella (para-bo-GIDDY-ella) genus, which was first described in 1980 by John Holsinger with the Biological Sciences Department at Old Dominion University in Virginia.

An amphipod expert, Holsinger said Tuesday the species found near Carlsbad is different from the other single species in the genus. He is currently working on its complete description. Members of the Bogidiellidea family have been documented in parts of Mexico, but the new species represents the family’s most northern extent, he said. Scientists know little about the new species. They’re already making guesses at whether it’s carnivorous or feeds on bacteria, minerals or vegetative bits that find their way into the cave’s water.

“They’re very cryptic,” Holsinger said. “These things are usually found in groundwater and you can very rarely observe them firsthand.”

Goodbar said the Bureau of Land Management is planning for a series of monitoring wells near the Burton Flats caves to keep an eye on water levels once the mining company begins pumping water for its proposed operations. The agency is developing mitigation plans that call for an end to pumping in the area if a certain threshold is reached. The BLM is working on balancing protection of the new species and the area’s water supply with development of the region’s vast potash resources, Goodbar said. The water in the caves is replenished by rainwater soaking down through cracks and crevices in the Earth’s surface and fresh water from a shallow underground aquifer. “I think the implications are that we really need to protect the groundwater aquifers because there are species there that live nowhere else on Earth,” Goodbar said. —AP

NAIROBI: A Kenyan woman resident of the Kibera slum buys milk from a vendor in Nairobi yesterday. Butter and milk are staples that are increasingly scarce in Kenya, where a drought-induced dairy shortage is wreaking havoc on the milk, butter and yogurt shelves. —AP

MADRID: A giant tooth is exposed in Madrid’s center yesterday as part of a promotion campaign for of a good dental hygiene. —AFP

Experts launch ‘CNN of virology’ in Canada MONTREAL: A new digital media service will foster the global collaboration of physicians and help them to share the latest advances in AIDS and other virus research, according to its Canadian promoters. The new bilingual French and English service, “viroXchange,” is funded by large pharmaceutical companies but will provide “independent” reporting on the latest medical breakthroughs for healthcare professionals, they said. “ViroXchange broadens access to information by researchers in general, while allowing them to share their knowledge on a global scale,” Dr Mark Wainberg, a member of the initiative’s Scientific Committee, said in a statement. “It’s important for the scientific community to be aware of the latest trials and of their impact on research priorities and scenarios. In this context, viroXchange allows us to better collaborate.”

The digital service, unveiled at an annual HIV/AIDS conference held here in Montreal, will mainly produce online videos, said Guy-Charles Pelletier, CEO of the Neuhauz company and architect of the project. A team of reporters will cover the 10 major scientific conferences each year, interviewing specialists on camera about the latest studies and advances in HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C research, he said. The videos will then be edited by a team led by Dr Rejean Thomas, a leading figure in the fight against AIDS in Quebec and head of the largest specialized clinic in the province, in consultation with the Scientific Committee.

The target audience is doctors and other healthcare specialists, especially those working in AIDS-ravaged Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, who cannot afford to attend several international conferences each year. It will also be geared towards specialists who want to stay up to date on the latest findings but do not always have time to leaf through major journals, organizers say. The company will begin with just 20 employees, 10 of them permanent, but Pelletier hopes to expand the staff to 100 within the next three years, creating what he calls the “CNN of virology.” —AFP

Birth defects more common in IVF babies BEIJING: Babies conceived through certain fertility treatment techniques are about one-third more likely to have a birth defect than babies conceived without any extra help from technology, according to a review of several dozen studies. However, the researchers whose findings were published in the journal Fertility and Sterility - did not determine why fertility treatments are tied to a higher risk of birth defects or whether the technology is even responsible. In vitro fertilization (IVF) - in which the mother’s egg is fertilized outside of her body and then transferred to her womb - has been available to would-be mothers for more than three decades, and numerous studies have looked at the potential hazards of these techniques.

Zhibin Hu at Nanjing Medical University and colleagues collected the results of 46 studies that compared the number of birth defects among children conceived using an IVF technique to children conceived normally. For more than 124,000 children born through IVF or using ICSI, in which a single sperm is

injected directly into the egg, the risk of having a birth defect was 37 percent higher than that of the other children, they found. “Children conceived by IVF and/or ICSI are at significantly increased risk for birth defects, and there is no risk difference between children conceived

by IVF and/or ICSI,” the team wrote.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, major birth defects, such as malformation of a limb or organ, occur in about three out of every 100 babies born in the United States. A 37 percent increase would bump that rate to four out of every 100 babies. “(The report) confirms what most people accepted anyway, that, yes, there is an increased risk in congenital abnormality associated with assisted reproductive technology,” said William Buckett, a professor at McGill University, who was not involved with the review.

The increase in birth defect risk was apparent across a range of functions and body systems, including the genitals, skeleton, digestive system and the nervous system, the authors reported.

The question of why most studies find

birth defects to be more common among IVF-conceived babies, though, remains to be answered. It’s possible that the same reasons people have trouble conceiving and seek out fertility treatment could influence their increased risk of having a baby with a birth defect. It’s also possible that the IVF techniques themselves, the jostling and handling of the embryos, or the drugs that go along with fertility treatment, could be involved.

A third theory is that birth defects only appear to be more common in babies conceived through fertility treatments because they’re monitored more closely than other babies, Buckett said.

“Couples who have had babies born as a result of IVF are followed up more closely, and therefore subtle abnormalities may be detected that otherwise might not have been detected.” As far as trying to reduce the risk of birth defects for parents using IVF, Hu said in an email that “it is really too early to find out ways to reduce the risk, because the reasons accounting for the risk are largely unknown.” —Reuters

Health SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Polar bears older than previously thought WASHINGTON: Polar bears diverged from their closest relatives 600,000 years ago, far earlier than previously thought, suggesting more challenges in the face of climate change, scientists said Thursday.

Previous genetic analysis of polar bears had determined the species was only about 150,000 years old. But in fact, it took them five times longer for the polar bear to adapt to arctic conditions, according to the study by Frank Hailer

and colleagues.

In turn, the bears may not have enough time to adjust to a rapidly changing climate, the study suggested. The earlier studies had focused mainly on mitochondrial or mtDNA, which only accounts for a small portion of the entire genome and is passed from a mother to her offspring. They had concluded that polar bears were a recently evolved type of northern brown bear. But Hailer’s study,

published last Friday’s edition of the journal Science, examined data from many independently inherited regions of the nuclear genome that showed that both polar and brown bears are much older, genetically distinct species of their own right.

The species’ earlier origin “implies that polar bears as a species have experienced multiple glacial cycles and had considerable time to adapt to arctic

conditions,” the study said. “However, the low genetic diversity in polar bears suggests that changes in the environment, such as warm phases, caused population bottlenecks.” It warned that changes in habitat, hunting, toxic substances and other “stressors” caused by humans “could magnify the impact of current climate change, posing a novel and likely profound threat to polar bear survival.” —AFP

CLASSIFIEDS

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

112 Hospitals 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

Clinics Rabiya

24732263

Rawdha

22517733

Adailiya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Khaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Qadisiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

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

Ardiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:52 11:47 15:22 18:19 19:40

ACCOMMODATION Two bedroom, drawing room flat with air conditioners ready for occupancy from next month in Abbassiya, near Learners’ Own Academy School. Contact: 66619705.

(C 3963) Sharing accommodation available for Indian bachelors in old Riggae, block-1, Street1, Jada-3, building-43.

Contact: 97525930 21-4-2012 Sharing accommodation or studio apartment wanted in Salmiya or Hawally (preferably near Hawally Al Shaya, Hassan Abul or Sana) for a decent South Indian bachelor. Please contact: 60316101.

(C 3959) Immediate sharing accommodation available in Farwaniya behind Crowne Plaza separate room - fully furnished with telephone. For decent Indian Christian couple or decent working ladies.

Contact: 66099611/ 66027044. (C 3962) 19-4-2012 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya from 1st May for one bachelor, near Unique Store No.2 with a Goan Catholic family.

Contact: 24313908/ 66110593. (C 3957) 18-4-2012

MATRIMONIAL Marriage proposals are invited from parents of well educated boys preferably employed abroad for an ezhava girl, 24 years, height 159cm, fair good looking, star: Ailyam-Shudham, MSc (biotechnology) employed as JRF doing Ph.D at Central Govt. Institute in Kerala.

Contact Email: padmasree52@hotmail.com (C 3964) 21-4-2012

SITUATION WANTED 8 years experienced Indian house driver looking for job in Westerner’s house or in

company as light driver, visa - 20. Contact: 90049716.

(C 3966) 21-4-2012 Engineer need any work in any field, but I need good salary and I have experience in Secretary, Customer Service and Call Center.

Contact: 66606789.

(C 3961) 19-42012 Diploma in Civil Engineering having 7 years experience in India, transferable residency no. 18, seeking suitable placement. Can join immediately. Please contact: 66242041. Email: abrahamkjohn@rediffmail.com (C 3955) 15-4-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Ajruddin holder of Indian passport No. F5493179 issued in Jaipur on 22-11-2005. I have changed my name to Azharuddin Saiyed, s/o Saiyed Mohiuddin. (C 3958) 18-4-2012 I, Purushothaman, son of Nagarajan, holder of Indian passport No. G1674605 have converted to Islam on 21st October 2009 and do now here after be known by my new name Abu Bakkar. (C 3956) 17-4-2012

No: 15425

Marali Surya Pujari holder of Indian Passport No: F1052862 has converted to Christianity with name of SURESH JOSEPH ARANHA, and shall be known here forth.

(C 3951) I, Abul Abdul Rehman Bongai holder of Indian Passport No: F8708599 hereby change my name to ANSAR ABDUL REHMAN BONGYA. (C 3952) I, Pushpa Boosey Tanaji holder of Indian Passport No: F5734663 have changed my name and hereafter be known by my new name FLORY JOHN HERMAN. (C 3953) CHANGE OF DOB I, Afzalur Rahman, son of Fazlur Rahman, holder of Bangladeshi passport No. E0982724 hereby change my date of birth from 03-01-1968 to 03-01-1967.

(C 3960) 19-4-2012

TUITION Teacher available to teach Mathematics B.Maths, Algebra, Calculus, Geography, Science and Statistics for British, American and bilingual school and university students. Contact: 97170935.

(C 3954) 18-4-2012 Math teacher for secondary stage, language schools, bilingual schools and intermediate stage: Algebra, Gmath, Geometry, Statistics for arts and science branches. Tel: 66974020.

English language teacher specialized in starting elementary and intermediate, 10th and 11th experienced in starting functions, grammar, set book, vocabulary, notes and model exams available.

Tel: 65791555.

information SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines JZR QTR JZR SAI ETH PIA GFA UAE ETD OMA DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR THY DHX FCX JZR KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD BAB GFA JZR MSR IRM QTR JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB KNE KNE QTR SVA KAC JZR RJA KAC JZR QTR KAC IRC KAC JZR JZR ETD SVA UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR JZR ABY KAC ALK KAC KAC

Arrival Flights on Saturday 21/4/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 239 SIALKOT 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 641 MUSCAT 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 5066 MASHAD 6130 DOHA 201 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 460 MEDINAH 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 325 NAJAF 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 6791 MASHAD 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 2880 JEDDAH 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 176 GENEVA 227 COLOMBO 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 1:30 1:45 2:05 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:35 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:35 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:35 10:00 11:05 11:25 11:55 12:10 12:30 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 14:10 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:15 15:30 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:20 16:35 16:40 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45 17:45 18:00 18:00 18:15

JZR BAB KAC FDB KAC MSR KAC KAC JAI KAC IRA AXB RBG OMA MEA QTR KAC GFA KNE SYR KLM UAE JZR BBC ABY QTR KNE DHX KAC JZR FDB AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH THY

125 438 786 63 104 620 618 674 572 774 607 393 3553 647 402 146 790 221 474 341 415 859 135 43 129 136 476 372 614 513 61 975 217 981 239 636 772

BAHRAIN BEIRUT JEDDAH DUBAI LONDON ASSIUT DOHA DUBAI MUMBAI RIYADH MASHAD KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA MUSCAT BEIRUT DOHA MEDINAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH DAMASCUS AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA SHARJAH DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI CHENNAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN AMMAN FRANKFURT ISTANBUL

Airlines AIC UAL DLH KLM THY SAI ETH PIA UAE FDB OMA DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC FDB ETD BAB JZR GFA

Departure Flights on Saturday 21/4/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 413 AMSTERDAM 773 ISTANBUL 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 240 SIALKOT 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 642 MUSCAT 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 101 LONDON 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 437 BEIRUT 356 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN

18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:25 20:35 20:45 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:40

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:55 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:20 3:45 3:50 3:55 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:30 10:45

JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR MSR KAC JZR IRM QTR GFA FDB MSR KNE KAC KNE JZR KAC RJA JZR KAC SVA QTR KAC IRC ETD JZR JZR SVA QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY SVA UAL JZR KAC ALK FDB BAB JZR MSR KAC KAC JAI RBG IRA KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA KNE DHX SYR KLM ABY KAC KAC UAE FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR KNE DHX FDB BBC QTR AXB GFA KAC

324 541 165 501 776 619 785 176 5065 6131 220 58 611 461 673 473 124 617 641 512 789 505 135 773 6792 304 238 538 9882 141 858 216 134 128 511 982 266 613 228 64 439 184 621 283 153 571 3554 604 331 351 648 403 543 222 475 171 342 415 120 675 381 860 102 137 301 205 554 477 373 62 44 147 394 218 411

AL NAJAF CAIRO ROME BEIRUT JEDDAH ASSIUT JEDDAH DUBAI MASHHAD DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO MADINAH DUBAI MADINAH BAHRAIN DOHA AMMAN SHARM EL SHEIKH MADINAH JEDDAH DOHA RIYADH MASHHAD ABU DHABI AMMAN CAIRO JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DHAKA ISTANBUL MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA ISFAHAN TRIVANDRUM KOCHI MUSCAT BEIRUT CAIRO BAHRAIN JEDDAH BAHRAIN DAMASCUS DAMMAM SHARJAH DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES” DELHI, INDIA” DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES” BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN” DOHA, QATAR” MUMBAI, INDIA” ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN” ALEXANDRIA-BORG EL ARAB, EGYPT” JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA” BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN” DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES” CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH” DOHA, QATAR” KOCHI, INDIA” BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN” BANGKOK, THAILAND”

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

11:00 11:30 11:45 12:00 12:15 12:25 13:10 13:20 13:25 13:40 14:20 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:30 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:55 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:30 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:35 21:50 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:40

C R O S S W O R D

6 5 4

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday始s Solution

ACROSS

1. A unit of pressure.

4. (Roman Catholic Church) A book containing all the prayers and responses needed to celebrate Mass throughout the year.

10. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

13. The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet.

14. Being such as to cause things to slip or slide.

15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

16. Being one more than nine.

17. Growing in two parts or in pairs.

18. An interest followed with exaggerated zeal.

19. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

21. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

23. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

24. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living around Cayuga Lake in New York state.

27. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

31. (of eggs) No longer edible.

36. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

37. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

39. An award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event.

40. By bad luck.

42. The cry made by sheep.

43. A French abbot.

48. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

51. Having a claw or claws.

53. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

56. An narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family.

57. (prefix) Bad or erroneous or lack of.

60. A city of central China.

61. The residue that remains when something is burned.

62. Lacking either stimulating or irritating characteristics.

63. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

DOWN 1. An honorary arts degree.

2. A case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule.

3. An island northwest of Wales.

4. A state-chartered savings bank owned by its depositors and managed by a board of trustees.

5. (anatomy) Of or relating to the ilium.

6. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

7. Stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug.

8. (usually followed by `to') Naturally disposed toward.

9. A strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide.

10. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

11. Divulge information or secrets.

12. An informal term for a father.

20. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

22. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe

River.

25. A monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles.

26. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

28. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

29. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

30. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels.

32. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

33. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

34. Loose or flaccid body fat.

35. The rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state.

38. Genus of South and Central American heathlike evergreen shrubs.

39. Stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug.

41. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

44. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

45. Italian poet who wrote an epic poem about the capture of Jerusalem during the First Crusade (1544-1595).

46. Established by or founded upon law or official or accepted rules.

47. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

49. (Greek mythology) Goddess of discord.

50. A vigorous blow.

52. A cry of sorrow and grief.

54. United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters.

55. A decree that prohibits something.

58. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

59. A public promotion of some product or service.

Yesterday始s Solution

sports

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

NL Roundup

Dodgers beat Brewers to avoid sweep MILWAUKEE: Los Angeles’ Matt Kemp hit his seventh home run of the season as the Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Thursday and avoided a three-game sweep.

Andre Ethier and Juan Rivera added RBI singles while third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr made two big late-inning defensive plays for the Dodgers. Los Angeles starter Aaron Harang (1-1) went six innings and Javy Guerra pitched a scoreless ninth, his sixth save in seven opportunities this season.

Brewers starter Randy Wolf (0-2) went six innings.

run homers and drove in five for the Braves, who scored three runs each in the sixth and eighth. Freeman has 10 RBIs in his past three games. Arizona starter Josh Collmenter (0-1) had his longest outing of the season after struggling in his first two. He was charged

with four earned runs in 5 1-3 innings, pushing his season ERA out to 10.22.The Diamondbacks, defending NL West champions, lost their third straight - all without star right fielder Justin Upton (thumb) in the starting lineup.

ASTROS 11, NATIONALS 4 In Washington, Houston set a franchise record by hitting three triples in the first inning, scoring five runs in the frame to set up a win over Washington. The Astros had a season-high 17 hits, with Brian Bogusevic and Jason Castro getting three each, and ended a four-game skid. Starter Bud Norris (1-0) pitched six innings for the win and helped himself with a two-run single. The Nationals entered with a major league-leading 1.92 ERA, but they allowed more runs and hits than they had in any of their first 13 games.

Washington had won eight of nine. Nationals starter Edwin Jackson (1-1) gave up five runs in five innings.

BRAVES 10, DIAMONDBACKS 2 In Phoenix, Mike Minor (2-1) struck out nine in a career-high eight innings, allowing only one earned run, as Atlanta cruised past Arizona. Freddie Freeman hit a pair of two-

REDS 6, CARDINALS 3 In St Louis, Bronson Arroyo worked eight strong innings to steer Cincinnati past St Louis. Matt Holliday’s three-run homer in the sixth was the only damage against Arroyo (10), who struck out five and walked none while scattering five hits. Brandon Phillips, Ryan Ludwick and Drew Stubbs homered for the Reds, who found some power after just one homer over their previous nine games.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (0-3) is winless in his first three decisions for the first time in his career. He allowed four runs in five innings, leaving him with a 9.88 ERA. MARLINS 5, CUBS 3 In Miami, the hosts completed a threegame sweep and inflicted Chicago’s fifth successive loss. Greg Dobbs hit a two-run double for the Marlins. Miami starter Ricky Nolasco (20) went 5 1-3 innings for the victory. Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (2-1) was tagged for five runs in 3 2-3 innings.

SAN DIEGO: Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins hurdles the sliding San Diego Padres’ Yonder Alonso while relaying to complete a double play in the ninth inning of the Phillies 2-0 victory in San Diego. —AP

PHILLIES 2, PADRES 0 In San Diego, Vance Worley struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings and combined with two relievers on a shutout as Philadelphia blanked San Diego. The Phillies have beaten the Padres 12 straight times at Petco Park dating to 2008. Worley (1-1) held San Diego to four hits while walking three.

Joe Wieland (0-2), making his second big league start, allowed only a sacrifice fly in the first. Philadelphia added a run in the ninth on a passed ball. —AP

AL Roundup

Darvish in command, Rangers beat Tigers DETROIT: Texas pitcher Yu Darvish held Detroit scoreless into the seventh inning as the Rangers beat the Tigers 10-3 on Thursday to notch their seventh straight win.

Darvish (2-0) showed impressive poise in the opener of a four-game set at Comerica Park, allowing one run over 6 1-3 innings in his toughest test since coming over from

MLB results/standings Miami 5, Chicago Cubs 3; LA Dodgers 4, Milwaukee 3; Cincinnati 6, St Louis 3; Baltimore 5, Chicago White Sox 3; NY Yankees 7, Minnesota 6; Texas 10, Detroit 3; Houston 11, Washington 4; Tampa Bay 9, Toronto 4; Atlanta 10, Arizona 2; Philadelphia 2, San Diego 0; Oakland 4, LA Angels 2; Cleveland 2, Seattle 1.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Baltimore 8 5 .615 NY Yankees 7 6 .538 Tampa Bay 7 6 .538 Toronto 6 6 .500 Boston 4 8 .333 Central Division Detroit 9 4 .692 Cleveland 6 5 .545 Chicago White Sox 6 6 2.5 Minnesota 4 9 .308 Kansas City 3 9 .250 Western Division Texas 11 2 .846 Oakland 7 7 .500 Seattle 7 7 .500 LA Angels 4 9 .308

GB 1 1 1.5 3.5

2 .500 5 5.5

4.5 4.5 7

National League Eastern Division Washington 10 4 .714 Atlanta 8 5 .615 NY Mets 7 5 .583 Miami 7 6 .538 Philadelphia 6 7 .462

1.5 2 2.5 3.5

Central Division St. Louis 9 4 .692 Milwaukee 6 7 .462 Pittsburgh 5 7 .417 Cincinnati 5 8 .385 Houston 5 8 .385 Chicago Cubs 3 10 .231

3 3.5 4 4 6

Western Division LA Dodgers 10 3 .769 Arizona 7 6 .538 San Francisco 6 6 .500 Colorado 6 6 .500 San Diego 3 11 .214

3 3.5 3.5 7.5

Japan. Mike Napoli homered for the fourth straight game as Texas won a reprise of last year’s American League Championship Series. The Rangers are 6-0 on the road, equaling a team record set in 1989. Detroit starter Adam Wilk (02) gave up 10 hits in four-plus innings.

ORIOLES 5, WHITE SOX 3 In Chicago, Jason Hammel struck out 10 batters and closer Jim Johnson then fanned the last batter with the bases loaded to give Baltimore victory over Chicago. Hammel (2-0) matched a career high for strikeouts, doing it in just six innings. He worked out of trouble early, leaving the bases loaded in the first and third.

Baltimore’s Adam Jones hit a tworun homer and an RBI double. It was his fifth homer of the season but the first with a runner on base.

Johnson earned his sixth save. He has converted 14 straight chances dating to last season. White Sox starter Gavin Floyd (1-2) allowed five runs in six innings.

RAYS 9, BLUE JAYS 4 In Toronto, Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer as Tampa Bay ended a 10-game road trip on a high,

beating Toronto. Longoria went 3 for 4 with a season-high four RBIs and reached base four times as the Rays tagged Henderson Alvarez (01) for a career-worst six earned runs in 6 1-3 innings. Desmond Jennings added a solo shot for the Rays. Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson (2-0) gave up two earned runs in 5 2-3 innings.

INDIANS 2, MARINERS 1 In Seattle, Jack Hannahan hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to lift Cleveland over Seattle. The winning hit came off closer Brandon League and spoiled a dominant performance by Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, who struck out 12 and walked only one in eight scoreless innings. Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin just about matched Hernandez pitch for pitch. He yielded one run in eight innings, struck out seven, walked none and threw just 96 pitches. Indians closer Chris Perez got the save.

YANKEES 7, TWINS 6 In New York, Curtis Granderson hit three home runs in the first four innings and matched a career high with five hits, powering New York to a tight win over Minnesota.

Granderson homered in each of his first three at-bats, driving in four runs, and helped Yankees starter Phil Hughes (1-2) take the win despite giving up four runs in the first inning. Granderson got two chances to tie the major league record of four homers in a game.

In the sixth, he singled and in the eighth, he hit a dribbler down the first base line. Granderson became player to hit three homers in a game this year. His first two came off starter Anthony Swarzak (0-3). Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth for his third save of the season and record 606th of his career.

ATHLETICS 4, ANGELS 2 In Anaheim, Oakland notched its third straight win with victory over struggling Los Angeles. Kurt Suzuki and Kila Ka’aihue drove in runs, while Oakland scored two more on pitcher CJ Wilson’s throwing error in his Angels home debut. A’s starter Tommy Milone (2-1) took the win, with the Athletics taking three of four from the big spending Angels, who are struggling at 4-9. Wilson (2-1) labored through six innings and Los Angeles stranded 11 runners. —AP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

49ers break ground on the new stadium ANTA CLARA: The San Francisco 49ers broke ground on Thursday on the team’s $1.2 billion new stadium in the heart of Silicon Valley, with a top team official calling it the National Football League’s “smartest” park. The facility, which the 49ers will occupy for the 2014 season as they abandon the aging Candlestick Park, will have solar panels, locally grown produce and ready access to public transit. “Welcome to the site of your new home on Sundays,” 49ers Chief Executive Jed York told a crowd of about 3,000 people in attendance at the ceremony on the outskirts of Santa Clara, about 40 miles southeast of San Francisco. “It’s going to be the

smartest stadium, not the biggest or most expensive,” York said.

The bulk of the financing for the stadium comes from an $850 million construction loan obtained by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, whose board is made up of city council members but is legally separate from the city of 119,000 residents.

The lenders are led by Goldman Sachs Co., Bank of America Corp and US Bancorp. Some critics have questioned the ability of Santa Clara to handle the project. “It’s not at all clear that the authority will be able to satisfy that debt,” Matthew Zinn, an attorney for opponents Santa Clara Plays Fair, said last month. Voters in

Santa Clara backed the NFL stadium in a 2010 referendum. The decision by the storied football franchisewhich has won five Super Bowls-to move to a new stadium was celebrated by many of the team’s fans, although some expressed dismay that the team would leave San Francisco. The new facility will have a total seating capacity of 68,500, slightly less than Candlestick Park.

But the park, which for now has been called simply “The New Santa Clara Stadium,” will have more square footage and it will use that extra space for wider concourses and hallways, among other things.

Candlestick Park, which opened in

1960 on the edge of the San Francisco Bay, was known for games during windy, cold weather that chilled fans. The Santa Clara stadium nestled next to Great American Amusement Park will be a balmy 75 degrees during the football season.

That may not be enough to console some fans. “I just wish the 49ers stayed in San Francisco,” read a post on Thursday by a person identified as Mike Tagum, on the Facebook page of the 49ers. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, 27, was upbeat about the new stadium. “We’re going to make this thing tremendous when it’s all said and done,” Willis said. — Reuters

Devils thrash Panthers 4-0, Coyotes edge Blackhawks CHICAGO: Phoenix’s Mikkel Boedker scored in overtime for the second straight game to give the Coyotes a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday and take a 3-1 lead in their NHL first-round playoff series. Boedker skated ahead of defenseman Nick Leddy and shoveled the puck under goalie Corey Crawford in the fourth straight game that has gone to an extra period. Chicago’s Michael Frolik had tapped in from the left with 1:26 left in regulation to tie the game, marking the third time in four games the Blackhawks rallied to force overtime.

Earlier, Shane Doan and Taylor Pyatt scored 44 seconds apart to give the Coyotes a 2-0 lead in the third. But Brendan Morrison, making his first appearance in the series, scored to make it 2-1. The Blackhawks played without star right wing Marian Hossa, who was driven to the ice and carried off on a stretcher in Game 3 after a shoulder-tohead hit from the Coyotes’ Raffi Torres.

Torres was suspended indefinitely Wednesday and was scheduled for a hearing with the league Friday. The Blackhawks were already without rookie forward Andrew Shaw, who drew a fivegame suspension for knocking an opponent to the ice in Game 2. The Coyotes can clinch the series by winning Game 5 on home ice on Saturday.

DEVILS 4, PANTHERS 0 In Newark, New Jersey, Martin Brodeur produced a record-setting 24th playoff shutout, helping New Jersey beat Florida and tie the series 2-2. Two days after the shortest playoff outing of his career after conceding four goals in 22 minutes Brodeur made 26 saves in taking over sole possession of the shutout mark from Patrick Roy. Brodeur made at least six outstanding saves while benefiting from some early luck when Sean Bergenheim hit a post. Zach Parise, Steve Bernier, Travis Zajac and Ilya Kovalchuk scored for New Jersey. Game 5 is today in Florida.

CAPITALS 2, BRUINS 1 In Washington, playoff rookie Braden

SAN JOSE: Brian Elliott #1 of the St Louis Blues makes a save against the San Jose Sharks in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HP Pavilion on April 19, 2012. — AFP Holtby shone with 44 saves, helping Washington edge Boston and square the series at 2-2.

Washington’s Marcus Johansson put the puck past Tim Thomas less than 1 1/2 minutes after the opening faceoff, but Boston’s Rich Peverley tied it for the reigning Stanley Cup champions later in the first period. Alexander Semin put the Capitals ahead for good with 1:17 left in the second on a power-play goal. Game 5 is today in Boston.

BLUES 2, SHARKS 1 In San Jose, St Louis moved within one win of the second round by beating San

Jose and taking a 3-1 series lead. Brian Elliott made 24 saves and B J Crombeen and Andy McDonald scored for the Blues, who can win their first playoff series since 2002 by beating the Sharks in Game 5 at home today.

San Jose played well for long stretches, especially in the second and third period, but once again struggled to score against St Louis’ stingy defense that allowed the fewest goals ever in an 82game season. Joe Thornton finally broke through with 1:07 remaining, but the Sharks couldn’t get the equalizer. San Jose has won only once in eight tries against the Blues this season. — AP

Vikings threatened?

NFL boss headed to Capitol ST PAUL: With a proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium deal foundering, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell headed to Minnesota on Friday in a bid to persuade state legislators of the peril of putting off the issue for one more year. Goodell and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney were scheduled to meet with legislative leaders and Gov Mark Dayton on the $975 stadium plan, which would replace the Metrodome but suffered a potentially fatal defeat in committee this week.

For Goodell, the personal touch follows phone conversations earlier this week with Dayton, a stadium booster, to underscore the urgency the league sees with the legislation.

“A failure to bring this to the floor is going to be perceived by the ownership and other cities as if it came to the floor and it were voted no,” Eric Grubman, the league’s vice president for operations, said on Thursday. The group will meet in Dayton’s office. “If it isn’t passed this session, the league itself - beyond the Vikings - the league itself has serious concerns about the viability of the franchise here and the future of it here,” Dayton said after a 20-minute phone conversation with Goodell and Rooney on Thursday.

So what’s the harm in waiting another year, after elections are over this fall?

Grubman declined to directly answer that.

“It’s easier to answer why it must happen this year. It’s because the Vikings ownership has waited and waited for years. Because if there’s no action taken this year then there’s no confidence it’s worth waiting any longer,” he said. “If that’s where this gets to then Minnesota loses control of the Vikings’ destiny. That doesn’t mean it’s going to go to one city or another, it just means that you can’t count on it.” Legislative leaders said they were open to meeting with Dayton and the NFL officials on Friday, but Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem questioned how seriously lawmakers should take the suggestion that failure to pass a bill this year could cost Minnesota the Vikings. “I think we’ve had this so-called warning around here for five or 10 years, so I’m not sure it’s a threat,” said Senjem, R-Rochester. He later added: “I think the Vikings are probably going to be around another year or so.” The Vikings have declined to make lead owner Zygi Wilf or team president Mark Wilf available for comment this week. Dayton spoke by phone with the Wilfs on Thursday, a spokesman for the governor said. — AP

sports

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Bulls feel the Heat in Miami Rockets misfire again MIAMI: The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 83-72 in an ill-tempered and physical encounter between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference on Thursday. Both teams have long secured postseason berths and are favorites to face off in the Conference finals but Thursday’s intense battle gave fans an idea of what they can expect despite the absence of several key players. Bulls guard and last season’s Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose sat out the game due to an ankle problem, while Miami’s Chris Bosh was also absent for the second successive game with an unspecified injury. LeBron James continued his outstanding run of form with 27 points along with 11 rebounds and six assists.

Dwyane Wade, who missed the last two games for Miami, bagged 18 points on his return while Mario Chalmers chipped in with 16 points. Despite the missing elements from their teams, there was no shortage of passion and Miami’s James Jones was ejected for a flagrant foul for the first time in his career after an incident with Joakim Noah in the second quarter. There were a number of other rough clashes with Wade and Richard Hamilton involved in one and James sending John Lucas to the floor with his shoulder in another. The Heat defense restricted Chicago (47-16) to a season-low points tally and the victory moved Miami (45-17) within a gameand-a-half of the Bulls in the race for top spot.

playoff hopes with victory over Los Angeles.

There were 24 lead changes before the Suns recorded their 10th straight win over

SUNS 93, CLIPPERS 90 In Phoenix, Steve Nash hit a crucial driving layup, then made two free throws for the deciding points as Phoenix bolstered its

INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger (33) puts up a shot against Milwaukee Bucks’ Ekpe Udoh during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, April 19, 2012. —AP

HORNETS 105, ROCKETS 99, OT In New Orleans, the hosts won in overtime to further dent Houston’s playoff hopes, inflicting the Rockets’ sixth straight loss. Eric Gordon scored 27 points and Carl Landry had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who went on a 9-0 run in overtime to take control. Goran Dragic scored 23 points for Houston, which dropped one game behind Utah for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with three games left.

Indiana 118, Milwaukee 109; Minnesota 91,Detroit 80; New Orleans 105, Houston 99 (OT); Miami 83, Chicago 72; Phoenix 93, LA Clippers 90. (OT denotes overtime)

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Atlantic Division

Northwest Division

PCT GB

Oklahoma City 45 17 .726 -

Boston

37 26 .587 -

Denver

34 28 .548 11

NY Knicks

33 29 .532 3.5

Utah

33 30 .524 12.5

Philadelphia

32 30 .516 4.5

Portland

28 35 .444 17.5

New Jersey

22 41 .349 15

Minnesota

26 38 .406 20

Toronto

22 41 .349 15 Pacific Division Central Division

Chicago

47 16 .746 -

Indiana

41 22 .651 6

Milwaukee

29 33 .468 17.5

Detroit

23 40 .365 24

Cleveland

20 41 .328 26

LA Lakers

40 23 .635 -

LA Clippers

39 24 .619 1

Phoenix

33 30 .524 7

Golden State 22 39 .361 17 Sacramento

20 42 .323 19.5

Southwest Division

Southeast Division Miami

45 17 .726 -

San Antonio

45 16 .738 -

Atlanta

37 25 .597 8

Memphis

37 25 .597 8.5

Orlando

36 26 .581 9

Dallas

35 28 .556 11

Washington

16 46 .258 29

Houston

32 31 .508 14

7

New Orleans 20 43 .317 26

Charlotte

54 .115 37.5

spot in the Western Conference. Chris Paul scored 19 points for the Clippers.

PACERS 118, BUCKS 109 In Indianapolis, Indiana beat Milwaukee to clinch homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Danny Granger scored 29 points and George Hill had 22 points and eight assists for the Pacers, who won their seventh straight and passed 100 points for the 12th time in 13 games. Brandon Jennings scored 27 points for the Bucks, who lost their third straight and are running out of chances to catch up with Philadelphia for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.

NBA results/standings

W L

the Clippers in Phoenix. Jared Dudley scored 18 points for the Suns, who moved into a tie with Utah for the eighth and final playoff

TIMBERWOLVES 91, PISTONS 80 In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Minnesota ended an 11-game losing skid by beating Detroit. Nikola Pekovic scored 23 points for the Timberwolves, who never trailed and took a 49-31 halftime lead after shooting 57 percent (21 of 37) from the field. An 8-0 run pushed the lead to over 20 points midway through the third quarter. Tayshaun Prince had 18 points to lead to lead Detroit. —Agencies

German school reform worries sports world BERLIN: Germany’s future Steffi Grafs and Dirk Nowitzkys may not have the same chance to become world-class athletes because of longer school hours that have cut into afternoon sports, officials worry. Under pressure to make life easier for working parents, schools across Germany are gradually beginning to extend the school day until around 3:30 or 4:00 pm for children from the age of six, replacing the long-held school-bell hour of 12:30 or 1:00 pm.

Officials from the sports world are worried about the long-term impact in a country that traditionally nurtures the stars of tomorrow on after-school playing fields and at Germany’s sterling sports clubs. “There is a huge danger for the sports associations if they don’t manage to get really involved in schools,” warned Georg Wydra, head of the Sports Science Institute at Saarbruecken University. Most regional states, which in Germany bear responsibility for education, have reduced the upper-school leaving-age by one year, to bring German graduates in line with other European nations.

The move, however, requires some longer days to cover the curriculum. “Sports associations clearly feel that pupils have less time,” said Frank Obst of the western state of Hesse’s sports federation. Germany, which ranked fifth on the medals table at the 2008 Olympic Games, has 91,000 sports clubs. Obst stressed that they provide the foundation for the nation’s sports scene. Boris Rump of the German Olympic Committee said so far there had not been a strong fall in the number of youngsters taking part in sports, but said sports clubs must actively try to get involved in schools to survive.

One such example is a sports club in Berg, on the Swiss border, which provides afternoon table-tennis lessons to

around 75 children from four different schools. It had to employ someone to provide the coaching, which takes place at school and is funded partly with regional subsidies, said Gerhard Scheuing, who is in charge of the club’s youth section. Can’t wait until 15 to start playing-”Schools are constantly on the lookout for interesting and varied activities to fill their curriculum,” Scheuing said. “And for us, our objective is to spot the children and inspire them to become a member,” he added.

Admittedly, the club only recruited one new member through the scheme last year, but, Scheuing stresses, “the effect will be seen in the long term”. In practice, younger pupils rarely have afternoon classes anyway, and, if they do, they are not held five days a week, as afternoons are reserved for school sports or musical pursuits. Officials also face challenges posed by shifting trends in the popularity of a certain sport, making it harder to attract children.

“Children are no longer coming to tennis, it’s tennis which has to go to the children,” lamented Michael Mueller of the German Tennis Federation, saying that unlike other sports, it had not developed a strategy for schools.

“If I’m looking for a new Boris Becker, he can’t start playing tennis at the age of 15,” he added. Concerns are also rife that competing at a high level with the potential of becoming a top athlete will take a hit if new school timetables have to be accommodated. “Regular training three or four times a week becomes very difficult to reconcile with school,” Rump said. Young talent that has already been identified can rely on a network of specialized schools with adapted hours, but the fear is that the earlier stage of spotting a child’s potential risks being lost. To recruit talent “you need a certain mass,” Rump said. —AFP

sports

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

French League Preview

Spanish League Preview

Montpellier eye breaking title duck PARIS: As a French season of general under-achievement by the country’s biggest clubs enters its final furlong, leaders Montpellier are hoping further to rub the elite’s noses in it by landing their first ever league title. The southerners’ strong showing, which has them two points clear of big spenders Paris Saint Germain with six games left, has been a high point of a campaign which has seen no shortage of lows. Not only did the representatives of the country which instigated the European Cup fail once again to set the Champions League on fire - final survivors Marseille were soundly beaten by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals but domestically too, fans of several of the big clubs have been served thin portions.

Marseille, still the only team ever to bring the European Cup back to France, did at least win the League Cup at the expense of Lyon. But a dismal ongoing run of no wins in 11 league games means that OM are slumped in mid-table, 25 points off the summit and still theoretically fighting the drop.

Didier Deschamps’ side are only eight points off third-bottom Sochaux ahead of today’s visit to Bordeaux, the 2009 champions who themselves are in mid-table. It’s all a far cry from the days of the likes of former Stade Velodrome heroes such as Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle and Deschamps himself.

As defender Cesar Azpilicueta admitted to sports daily l’Equipe, at the moment “Marseille just aren’t a team to be feared,” with 26 points dropped already at the Stade Velodrome after Wednesday’s stalemate with Caen. Reigning champions Lille, who travel to modest Dijon today, have also not hit last season’s heights as they fight to hold off a Lyon side which has likewise rather lost its way since a seven-year title-winning streak ended in 2008.

Remi Garde’s Lille are third, five points behind PSG and can take a Champions League qualifying round slot if they can keep at bay Lyon who trail them by six points and who host Lorient tomorrow. Lyon, coming off a loss at Toulouse which sent the latter level on points with them, will not underestimate a Lorient side who shocked Montpellier last weekend though that process was slightly aided by PSG dropping points at rock bottom Auxerre. Should Montpellier, who boast just one French Cup and one League Cup in their history, hang on to the end and win the title then PSG will only have themselves to blame. —AFP

Italian League Preview

Juve looking to strip Milan of title, record ROME: Juventus are closing in on two prizes currently held

by AC Milan as the Serie A race heads into a crucial and demanding period of the season. Following the postponement of last weekend’s games due to the death of Livorno’s Piermario Morosini, top flight teams now face a run of five games in two weeks. Not only are Juve defending a onepoint lead at the top of the table over champions Milan but the Old Lady of Turin are also closing in on the rossoneri’s record unbeaten run. Back in the days of Fabio Capello, Milan went 42 games unbeaten over 11 months from April 1992 to March 1993.

Juve’s current run stands at 37 games in league and cup, starting with the final match of last season. If they get through the next two weeks without a loss they will match Milan’s marker while remaining unbeaten to the end of the league season would allow them to surpass their rivals. It has been a remarkable turnaround for a team that finished seventh in the previous two seasons and missed out on European competition in this campaign. More than the unbeaten record, Juve are aiming for a league and cup double and have a cup final to come against Napoli a week after the Serie A season ends. But the main prize is the scudetto and with six games left Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri says it will come down to a mental battle. “The team which keeps its nerve will win,” he said. Milan have a slight advantage in playing first this weekend, at home to lowly Bologna. Should they win, the pressure would be on Juve ahead of their meeting tomorrow night against Roma. But while all teams have a difficult next two weeks coming up, Milan forward Maxi Lopez says the rest over the last seven days has done them the world of good. —AFP

This combo picture shows Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho (left) and Barcelona’s coach Josep Guardiola. The “El clasico” football match Barcelona vs Real Madrid will be played at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona today. —AFP

Barca, Real lock horns in Clasico title showdown MADRID: Bitter rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid meet today in the sixth ‘Clasico’ of the season to fight for three crucial points that will shape the destiny of this season’s La Liga title. With five games remaining, Real Madrid go to the Nou Camp four points clear of their great rivals knowing that a win or draw will almost certainly break Barca’s dominance and hand Jose Mourinho’s side their first title in four seasons.

Real were 10 points clear of the Catalans just over a month ago but have drawn three of the last seven games while Barca have won their last 11 league matches.

Real’s run, that has opened the door for Barcelona, began with a 1-1 draw at home to Malaga followed by further draws against Villarreal and Valencia. The goals of Lionel Messi have been crucial in Barca’s recent run-the Argentine has scored an incredible 18 goals in those 11 wins.

Cristiano Ronaldo has also netted 41 league goals for Madrid making it a head-to-head shoot out between the two best players in the world for the ‘Pichichi’ prize awarded to the league’s top scorer. Both have earned countless man of the match awards, the tricky recent away wins for both sides at Atletico Madrid

standing out for great match-winning goals from the two stars.

Messi has 63 in all competitions to Ronaldo’s 53, but if the Portuguese star wins his first La Liga title, against the reigning Spanish, European and World Club Champions, it would surely rank with the best feats in his career to date. ‘El Clasico’ matches have courted a fair amount of controversy in recent seasons with the appearance of Mourinho on the Madrid bench and his attempts to add a psychological dimension to the clash. The rivalry boiled over at the beginning of the season when Mourinho poked Barca coach Pep Guardiola’s assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a game.

Mourinho has only beaten Barca once in 10 attempts since he took over in the summer of 2010. That victory came in last season’s Spanish cup final with a Ronaldo winner in extra-time, but a league title over the Catalans would certainly justify Mourinho’s antics in the eyes of ‘Madridistas’. To add more spice, the clash comes the weekend before both sides attempt to turn around first-leg away defeats in the Champions League semi-finals in a bid to meet each other in May’s final in Munich.

Real Madrid lost 2-1 to a lastminute goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday while Barca failed to score in 24 attempts at goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

In a bid to reduce the pressure on his players Guardiola has continued to reiterate in recent weeks that winning the league is an impossible task. On Wednesday he was philosophical about his team’s defeat and the battles to come. “I don’t know what will happen today and next Tuesday (the Champions League return leg) but I feel that we have triumphed already,” he said cryptically, perhaps referring to Barca’s success in recent years. Mourinho could rest some of his regulars ahead of the Bayern return clash. Full-back Fabio Coentrao was criticized for his performance in Germany while Mesut Ozil was replaced in the second-half.

To play Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain in attack alongside Ronaldo has also produced great debate all season long. Guardiola has left Gerard Pique on the bench for the last two games while debate in Barcelona surrounds the form of Cesc Fabregas who has failed to score since early February and Cristian Tello or Pedro Rodriguez could be favored.—AFP

SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Man City pray for Everton favor LONDON: Manchester City will be hoping Everton can improve their 20-year Old Trafford jinx this weekend as they aim to stay in touch with Manchester United in the Premier League title race. After the bitter disappointment of last week’s FA Cup semi-final exit to Liverpool, Everton travel to United tomorrow daunted by the knowledge that they have not won at the home of the champions for two decades. Since a 3-0 win at Old Trafford back in 1992, the Toffees’ record reads played 18, lost 15 and drawn three. Yet City’s ex-Everton defender Joleon Lescott is backing his former club to get a result against United that could potentially have a pivotal effect on the final few weeks of the battle for the title.

Lescott revealed he has been cajoling his former team-mates via text message this week in a lighthearted attempt to motivate the Toffees. “They had a

big disappointment at the weekend against Liverpool, but I’ll be sending them a few more texts going in to Sunday!” Lescott said. “We are aware of the situation. Everton are never an easy team to play against, especially for us, and hopefully not for United tomorrow.” If Everton avoid defeat at Old Trafford in tomorrow’s early kick-off, City will have the opportunity to cut United’s lead at the top to either three or two points when they travel to bottom club Wolves later in the day.

That would in turn set up a potential title decider at Eastlands on April 30 when United travel across Manchester to face City, who rediscovered their best form last week with a 6-1 thrashing of Norwich at Carrow Road. Lescott believes the return of Carlos Tevez, who struck a brilliant hat-trick has contributed to City’s revival. “I don’t think there’s a reason for it, or

that someone noticed and said ‘Right, this is what we need to get back to winning ways’ or to start playing again the way we were earlier in the season,” Lescott said. “It’s just that it has happened. Carlos has come back into the team and his performances have brought us a lot of energy, so that has helped,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

The unpalatable truth for City however is that a United victory against Everton will raise the prospect of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side clinching the title at Eastlands when the two sides meet later this month. Elsewhere this weekend, the nip-and-tuck race for Champions League qualification could become clearer if thirdplaced Arsenal beat Chelsea in today’s early kick-off at the Emirates. A win for the third-placed Gunners would leave Chelsea 10 points adrift of their London rivals with four games remaining.—AFP

Chelsea focus on EPL after FA Cup heroics

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Arsenal v Chelsea Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

14:45

Newcastle v Stoke Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

17:00

Fulham v Wigan Abu Dhabi Sports HD 7

17:00

Bolton v Swansea Abu Dhabi Sports HD 4

17:00

Blackburn v Norwich Abu Dhabi Sports HD 6

17:00

Aston v Sunderland Abu Dhabi Sports HD 8

17:00

QPR v Tottenham Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

19:30

Spanish League Sporting Gijon v Rayo Vallecano Aljazeera Sport +7

19:00

Mallorca v Zaragoza Aljazeera Sport +5

19:00

Barca v Real Madrid Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport +3 Aljazeera sport +7 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

21:00

Sevilla v Levante Aljazeera Sport +2

23:30

Italian League Parma v Cagliari Aljazeera Sport +9

19:00

Chievo v Udinese Aljazeera Sport +1

19:00

Napoli v Novara Aljazeera Sport +1

21:45

LONDON: After two stunning cup triumphs, Chelsea’s focus will return to the Premier League when Roberto Di Matteo’s side resume their bid to claim a top four place at Arsenal. Just three days after the 5-1 demolition of Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final, Chelsea moved one step closer to a place in the Champions League final with a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the semi-final first leg. Di Matteo and his players will travel out to the Camp Nou next week to see if they can complete the job and unexpectedly eliminate the holders from the competition.

And they could go there having reclaimed their place in the top four if they can beat Arsenal, who currently lie third, seven points ahead of sixth placed Chelsea, and Tottenham and Newcastle both fail to win. The revival that began when Di Matteo was installed as interim first team coach following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas continues to gather pace and a season that appeared to be heading towards disaster could yet be regarded as a success. And while the prospect of lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time is clearly the dream that fires everybody at Stamford Bridge, the more pragmatic immediate target is to ensure qualification for next season’s competition.

Chelsea have lost just once in 13 games under Di Matteo and Arsenal’s recent home defeat to Wigan will fuel the Blues’ belief they can gain revenge for the 5-3 home defeat they suffered at the hands of Arsene Wenger’s side last October. “We changed the manager and got a few good results; from that point, the confidence of the team was growing and you can see once you feel more confident the results come,” goalkeeper Petr Cech said. “The games are coming thick and fast and we don’t really have time to think about each match. “Almost every game is like a big final tonuclear-capable missile hides weaknesses in strategic military planning tday we play Arsenal in another massive game, before we go to Barcelona.” Arsenal forward Gervinho,

LONDON: Chelsea’s Gary Cahill (left) watches the ball after an attempted clearance as Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta (center) looks on during their Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in London. — AP

meanwhile, claims his side have third place in the Premier League sewn up.

The Gunners are five points clear of north London rivals Tottenham, who occupy fourth place, with four games remaining, while Newcastle lie fifth on goal difference. At stake is a guaranteed place in the Champions League group stage, with the club finishing fourth entering a qualifying round. And although Gervinho admits his team mates are disappointed with a seventh season without a trophy, he claims they should feel proud of the way they have recovered from a dismal start to their current position. At the end of February Arsenal were struggling to hang on to fourth spot as they trailed third-placed Tottenham by ten points.

“Many people didn’t think we would reach third place,” the Ivory Coast international said. “There are five points between us and fourth place. “There are still four matches to play and I believe we can do even better. I am still satisfied with our ranking because we went through so much and the team fought so hard for our place. “We want to be among the top three. Everyone is determined to fight until the end to maintain that third place. If we manage it, everyone should be proud. “The whole group is motivated and we are all happy to be where we are but I still think we could do better, with the four matches remaining. “We are fighting only for third place - we don’t even think about fourth spot.”— AFP

SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Magpies soaring towards Europe NEWCASTLE: Manager Alan Pardew insists the pressure is off Newcastle in their unlikely bid to qualify for the Champions League. A sixth consecutive victory at home to Stoke City would further boost Pardew’s quest to secure a top four Premier League finish in May. After being written-off by many before the season, Newcastle have punched well above their weight to find themselves level with fourth-placed Tottenham going into the final five games.

A top-six finish which is likely to bring with it a Europa League place has all but been secured, and Pardew said: “We’re at ease and we’re calm going into the last few games. We’re in great form and we take our momentum with us to Stoke. “The

squad is in a good place, and we’re not nervous. We’ve been up there challenging all season. The players have accepted their roles and everybody has been pulling in the right direction. I don’t get the sense from anyone I talk to in football that we’re in a false position in the table.”

If Chelsea fail to win the Champions League, a tally of four more points will be enough to secure a return to Europe for the first time in six years in the Europa League.

Newcastle’s aims are higher than that, however, and Pardew added: “Don’t think we aren’t focused. The maximum we can finish could still be third, where Arsenal are. That’s what we’re focusing on but we have to win the game with Stoke first.

“It could be a brilliant end to the season. The fans believe in what we’re doing and regardless of what we do in the last five games, we’ve had a great season.” Ivory Coast international Cheik Tiote is available after overcoming a hamstring injury that ruled the midfielder Ivory Coast out of the victory over Bolton. Tim Krul and James Perch will shake off minor knocks to figure, and Leon Best and Danny Guthrie return from injury to take their place on the bench.

Pardew added: “Things are clearing up nicely on the injury front.”

Newcastle will encounter a Stoke side intent on revenge after they were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by Pardew’s men at the Britannia

Holders Santos face Bolivian headache Fluminense to meet Internacional in all-Brazilian tie SANTIAGO: Holders Santos face another daunting trip to a La Paz to face Bolivar in the Libertadores Cup last 16 having secured their place as Group One winners on Thursday.

Santos, inspired by the talismanic Neymar, defeated The Strongest 2-0 at home to exact revenge on the side who beat them in the rarefied air of the Bolivian capital two months ago when they began the defense of their title.

However, they must now return to La Paz’s 3,600 meter altitude in a first knockout round that also pits twice champions Internacional against 2008 runners-up Fluminense in an all-Brazilian tie next month. Santos, three times South American champions, scored twice in the final four minutes, Neymar laying on the first with a cross to substitute striker Alan Kardec, whose header beat goalkeeper Daniel Vaca. Less than two minutes later, Neymar broke through the defence to steer the ball past Vaca and secure Santos’s meeting with Bolivar, who will be at home for the first leg at Bolivia’s national Hernando Siles stadium in two weeks from now.

Internacional, champions in 2006 and 2010, qualified in second place in the group despite a disappointing performance in a 1-0 defeat away to Juan Aurich of Peru. The Strongest needed to beat Santos to have any chance of qualifying in Inter’s place.

Panama striker Luis Tejada scored the only goal when he headed Juan Aurich’s winner after a quarter of an hour in the Peruvian champions’ home town of Chiclayo. Copa Sudamericana holders Universidad de Chile, who won South America’s equivalent to the Europa League in December, beat Atletico Nacional to

Stadium earlier this season.

The visitors have the added incentive of securing a first-ever top-10 Premier League finish, and skipper Ryan Shawcross said: “The first game against Newcastle this season was a disappointing night for us, but this is a different game now and that won’t have any effect on us when we travel to Newcastle.

“Whilst they still have everything to play for, so do we. We want to finish in the top 10, that’s our aim. “To do that, we have to keep on picking up points over the next five matches.

“We’ve done well over the last couple of weeks and picked up four points from two games, so we’ll go there confident of getting the kind of result that we’re all desperate for.”— AFP

United ‘mulling HK IPO switch’ SINGAPORE: Hong Kong is still in contention for English football giants Manchester United’s planned share sale in Asia, Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper reported yesterday. United, currently top of the English Premier League, had planned to issue an initial public offering (IPO) in Singapore last year but deferred it because of poor market conditions sparked by the eurozone debt crisis. The Straits Times, citing an unnamed source, said that with conditions now more favorable for a share float, the 19-time English champions are mulling which bourse to use.

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) approved Manchester United’s application for a listing last year but they have not yet exercised the option. The newspaper’s source said the club had not yet decided to go ahead with its IPO, and was still considering Hong Kong as an option. An industry source familiar with the deal said that the report of a switch to Hong Kong was just speculation. “If they decide to proceed and list in Singapore it will be a shorter route because they are already halfway there having been already granted by the SGX eligibility to list,” said the AFP source, who asked not to be named. — AFP

Chinese challenge is Anelka’s biggest SANTOS: Bolivia’s The Strongest’s Matias Marchesini (left) clears the ball during a Copa Libertadores soccer match against Brazil’s Santos in Santos, Brazil. — AP snatch top spot in Group Eight from the Colombians and will meet Deportivo Quito of Ecuador.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT In a high tempo clash between the top two teams in the highest-scoring group at Chile’s national stadium in Santiago, Argentine winger Matias Rodriguez put “La U” ahead with low drive from the edge of the box in the first half. Striker Dorlan Pabon, the group stage’s top scorer with seven goals, equalized just past the hour with a rising shot from the right but man-of-the-match Osvaldo Gonzalez restored the Chileans’ lead with a header five minutes later. “We’ve shown that we’ve been improving with each match,” said Gonzalez, whose side lost away to Atletico Nacional in their opening group

match before picking up 13 points from their next five. “Now the real Libertadores starts, with home and away knockout ties which is totally different,” he told Fox Sports.

Atletico Nacional go into the only clash between former champions, the 1989 winners qualifying for a tie with Velez Sarsfield of Argentina, who won the title in 1994. Also among six former champions in the last 16 are Boca Juniors (six titles), who face Union Espanola of Chile, with the first leg at their Bombonera cauldron in Buenos Aires, and 1998 winners Vasco da Gama, who meet Lanus of Argentina. Corinthians, one of Brazil’s biggest clubs still looking to win the continental title for a first time, face surprise qualifiers Emelec of Ecuador and Paraguay’s Libertad meet Cruz Azul of Mexico. — Reuters

SHANGHAI: Nicolas Anelka’s move to China was always an unpredictable adventure but one win in six games and the manager’s uncertain fate have left him with an uphill challenge in the rollercoaster Super League. The ex-Chelsea striker’s big-money move was supposed to herald a new start for Shanghai Shenhua, bankrolled by colorful video-game mogul Zhu Jun, who also brought in experienced French manager Jean Tigana. But a slow start to the season and the toothpick-chewing Tigana quickly came under fire, apparently headed for the exit as trigger-happy Shenhua’s ninth managerial change in just six years.

With Anelka named player-coach-his first such role in the game-the man famously nicknamed “Le Sulk” for his surly demeanor must now turn around the club and convince an increasingly skeptical fan base. Even Shenhua’s players have pointed out that this time last season, the team had 11 points rather than five, and without the services of a former international striker on a reported $307,000 a week. “We are doing no better than we were this time last year,” veteran midfielder Jiang Kun remarked last week.

The row over Tigana, whose position is unclear after he was absent for last week’s home defeat to Tianjin, has not helped the atmosphere at Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai’s north. — AFP

SPORTS SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Scottish PremierLeague Preview

Champions Celtic look for 5-game motivation GLASGOW: Celtic coach Alan Thompson says his side still have things to look forward to in their remaining five Scottish Premier League games this season. The Parkhead club’s season is effectively over after they clinched the SPL title two weeks ago and were subsequently knocked out of the Scottish Cup. Neil Lennon’s side face third-placed Motherwell at Fir Park tomorrow and Thompson says the Old Firm side will keep their focus until the end.

“We would still like to improve on the tally from last season. So that still gives us the focus, to finish with more than 92 points,” the first team coach said.

“We have still got good games to go in the league, including Rangers at home. In a few weeks time they will get their league medals and the trophy. They will enjoy that and hopefully will get a taste for that again.” Celtic’s hopes of ending the season with a double were ended by Hearts last weekend as they won their Scottish Cup semi-final 2-1 at Hampden.

However, South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung is

hoping to get back to winning ways against Motherwell and believes the champions will be able to play with freedom, having already clinched the title.

“We don’t have any pressure now and I think the players will be more comfortable so maybe we can play with a bit more comfort,” Ki said. “It’s never easy in away games but if we are focused on the game we should win it. I was very pleased to win the league and become the champions. “It was my first-ever league title in my career so it was a huge moment for me and an honor. But we will keep working. The season is not finished. Even though we’re disappointed about the Hearts game we still have these games left.

“We will stick together and keep working just as a champion team should do.” Celtic will have to do without manager Neil Lennon, who has been handed a two-match touchline ban following his criticism of referee Willie Collum following his side’s League

Cup final defeat to Kilmarnock. Elsewhere, rivals Rangers face a tough away match to Hearts at Tynecastle today. It has been a season to forget for the Ibrox club who were docked 10 points after entering administration in February and will end the season with no silverware.

Despite the clouds hanging over the Glasgow giants American midfielder Maurice Edu says his own game has improved this season and has given the fans hope by telling them there is more to come.

“I’ve been pleased with my form. I’ve built on the way last season ended and tried to bring something to the game in every match,” the American said. “I’ve tried to be someone my team can depend on. Over the course of the season, I feel I have been pretty consistent and I feel I’m getting better. I feel there’s a little bit more to come from me, too.” The Gers will need to do without captain Steven Davis who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a groin injury. — AFP

German League Preview

Borussia-bound Reus out to spoil Dortmund’s party

MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s Colombian forward Radamel Falcao (right) vies with Valencia’s goalkeeper Diego Alves during the UEFA Europa League first leg semi-final football match at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid. — AFP

Sporting, Atletico edge closer to final Valencia keep Europa hopes alive MADRID: Atletico Madrid have one foot in the final of the Europa League after a Radamel Falcao double fired the 2010 winners to a 4-2 semi-final first leg win at home to La Liga rivals Valencia on Thursday. The pacy Colombia striker known as ‘The Tiger’ nodded Atletico ahead in the 18th minute at a festive Calderon before Jonas leveled for the visitors moments before halftime. Goals from defender Miranda, forward Adrian and a second from Falcao made it 4-1 before Ricardo Costa netted in the fourth minute of added time to keep Valencia’s hopes alive for the return at the Mestalla in a week’s time.

“The important thing is that we won convincingly,” Falcao said in an interview with Spanish television. “The victory is ours as well as the advantage in the tie so we have done a very good job.” If Uruguayan Diego Forlan was the driving

force behind Atletico’s 2010 Europa League triumph, the mantle has now passed to Falcao, who scored in both legs of the quarter-final victory over Hanover 96 and has netted 22 of Atletico’s 44 goals in La Liga this season.

He has 10 in the latest edition of Europe’s second-tier club competition, level at the top of the scoring chart with Schalke 04 striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, although he is still some way short of the record of 17 he set last season during Porto’s triumphant campaign.

PENALTY CLAIM Valencia were looking to avenge their controversial elimination at the hands of Atletico at the quarter-final stage two years ago, when they had a clear penalty claim turned down and went out on away goals. They struggled to contain a fired-up home side in the

early stages before midfielder Arda Turan created the opening goal when he got the better of Adil Rami on the byline and his cross was deflected to Falcao who nodded past Diego Alves.

Rami made amends for his error in first-half added time when he leaped above the Atletico defense at a corner and nodded the ball on for Jonas to prod home at the far post. Miranda stole in behind the Valencia defense to head in Diego’s free kick four minutes after the break and Adrian sped past his marker and shot back across Alves into the corner for Atletico’s third five minutes later. Falcao then struck the goal of the night 12 minutes from time when he cut in from the right past two defenders and lashed the ball high into the net off the underside of the bar, prompting wild celebrations from Coach Diego Simeone. — Reuters

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund can seal the German league title with a win at Moenchengladbach today, but Borussia-bound Marco Reus is looking to spoil the party for his new club. The 22-year-old Gladbach star has signed a three-year deal to join Dortmund next season, but with his current club chasing third place in the league and a guaranteed Champions League spot, there will be no split loyalties. With an eight-point lead and three games left, victory at Gladbach would give Dortmund the title for the second year running, but Reus wants to ruin the party for his future employees.

“Of course we want to,” said Reus, who will join Dortmund on a 17.5m euros transfer. “We are just one point behind (third-placed) Schalke and there is still everything to play for. “As far as I am concerned, Dortmund are 99 percent champions, congratulations to them. “But we want to take the three points and we have a great opportunity to take third place.” Reus can expect a warm reception from the Dortmund defense with centre-back Neven Subotic admitting he is glad not to have to halt Reus in the future. “Playing against him is a huge challenge for any defence,” the Serbia international told Kicker.

“I am glad that Marco is coming to us. He has a great technique and is incredibly fast.” Having sealed a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday, second-placed Bayern Munich return to domestic action and must focus on Werder Bremen.

The Bavarians have already conceded the title race to Dortmund, who they will face in the German Cup final on May 12, but a win in Bremen would boost confidence before the trip to Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger is set to play the full 90 minutes to help him regain full fitness after an ankle injury as coach Jupp Heynckes needs his vice-captain fully fit for the trip to Spain. “Bastian had 60 minutes against Real, he will get 90 more against Werder and that will help with his fitness. He is very important to us,” said Bayern boss Heynckes.

With three defeats and three draws in their last six games, Bremen are desperate for a win, but coach Thomas Schaaf admitted his team face an uphill battle.

“Actually, we have no chance,” said the 50-year-old. “If you compare the teams on paper, Bayern are a bit better than us.” Despite Schaaf’s comments, Bremen are out to bring Bayern back down to earth as their fans dream of contesting the Champions League final at Munich’s Allianz Arena on May 19. “The championship is over for them,” said Bremen’s former Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro, with Werder eighth in the league. “This is a great opportunity, because we have a home game and Bayern will be thinking about Real, not us.” — AFP

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Sports

Bulls feel the Heat in Miami

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MANAMA: McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Jenson Button (left) and Mercedes’ German driver Michael Schumacher drive during the second practice session at the Bahrain international circuit in Manama ahead of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. (inset) Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (right) gestures to Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of Formula One Management after the second free practice ahead the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix yesterday. — AP

Grand Prix begins amid protests Bahrain police, protesters face off MANAMA: Bahrain’s Crown Prince rejected calls from human rights activists to cancel this weekend’s Grand Prix as pro-democracy opposition groups threatened further protests after days of clashes with security forces. As Formula One cars took to the Sakhir circuit for practice, Crown Prince Salman said that calling off the race on Sunday would play into the hands of “extremists”.

Speaking to the media alongside Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and in front of TV crews broadcasting live around the world, Salman said: “I think cancelling the race just empowers extremists.”

The government aims to use the Grand Prix as a way of showing that life is back to normal after democracy groups launched an Arab Springinspired uprising last year. The protests were initially crushed, but were not stamped out, and demonstrations and clashes are frequent. Human rights organizations and anti-government groups have argued that the race should not be held while what they describe as political repression and rights abuses are taking place in Bahrain.

“For those of us trying to navigate a way out of this political problem, having the race allows us to build bridges across communities, to get people working together. It allows us to celebrate our nation. It is an idea that is positive, not one that is divisive,” the crown prince said. The prince was speaking after two of the 12 teams said their staff had been caught up in incident where protesters threw petrol bombs on their way back

from the track to hotels in Manama. The Force India team missed yesterday’s second practice for safety reasons to make sure staff could get back to their hotels safely before nightfall.

On the eve of yesterday’s practice session, protests had flared in villages surrounding the capital, Manama, away from the race circuit.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have been building in the week leading to Sunday’s round of the World Championship. Bahrain has been in turmoil since a democracy movement erupted last year following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

Protests were initially crushed with the loss of dozens of lives, but youths still clash daily with riot police in Shiite Muslim districts, and thousands take part in opposition rallies.

Bahrain’s ruling Al-Khalifa family, a Sunni Muslim dynasty ruling a majority Shiite population caught between neighbors Saudi Arabia and Iran with opposite sympathies in its internal strife, hopes the race will offer an opportunity to tell the world that life is returning to normal. Unrest forced the cancellation of last year’s Grand Prix, and the 2012 race has been in doubt as Bahrain’s human rights record has come under fire from abroad. The Force India team cancelled its second practice yesterday, choosing to stay in its hotel because of security fears.

Yesterday the British-based team saw burning petrol bombs on the road back to their hotel after an apparent clash between police and protesters.

Two team members asked to go home. “A number of rioters and vandals had been arrested for taking part in illegal rallies and gatherings, blocking roads and endangering people’s lives by attacking them with petrol bombs, iron rods and stones,” a government statement said, citing police chief Tariq Al Hassan. The Sauber team also said it encountered youths with petrol bombs in Thursday’s drive home.

Bernie Ecclestone, the colorful commercial supremo of the Formula One franchise who arrived at the track yesterday, described general security fears as “nonsense” and said Force India had been offered a security detail. Only small crowds were seen in the grandstand yesterday for an event that has cost Bahrain an estimated $40 million to stage. The Grand Prix drew 100,000 visitors to the nation of just 1.3 million and generated half a billion dollars in spending when it was last held two years ago. The opposition is taking the chance to press their case while the world is watching.

Opposition parties led by Shiite group Wefaq planned to stage a march in a mainly Shiite residential district outside Manama later yesterday to demand democratic reforms in a country where the ruling family dominates government. Other protesters could attempt to reach the main highway between Manama and the race track. The leading Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim attacked the government in a sermon yesterday for ignoring popular demands. “This is the crisis of a gov-

ernment that does not want to acknowledge the right of people to rule by themselves and choose their representatives,” he said.

POLICE LOCKDOWN Manama is under tight security, with dozens of armored vehicles stationed around the capital and the road to the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Activists say barbed wire has installed near some parts of the main highway. Though life in Manama’s main commercial, residential and tourist districts appears detached from the nightly battles, tear gas often floats in from conflict zones around the capital. The death toll from the year of turmoil has risen to around 70, activists say, with many due to heavy use of tear gas. The government disputes the causes of death and accuses protesters in Shi’ite villages of being saboteurs out to harm the police.

Activists say riot police are trying to lock Shiites down in their villages to stop them gathering on main highways. They say around 95 protest organizers have been arrested in night raids in the past week and 54 people wounded in clashes, with heavy use of birdshot. Police have declined to give figures on arrests and injuries.

“They are trying to frighten people after they realized that tear gas did not make the protests to stop,” said senior Wefaq member Matar Matar. “I think if they fail to stop the protests by this method too, they may reach to the level of carelessness towards killing.” —Reuters