22nd May 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

IAEA chief hails ‘intensive’ nuclear talks with Iran

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Tweeter denies insulting Prophet, Gulf monarchs Judge denies Naqi bail • Case highlights sectarian tensions conspiracy theories

Where to go?

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

am not asking where to go and have a nice evening or good dinner with my headline question. I am not asking where to go if I need quality food and good ambience. I am not asking where is the latest bags’ sale. My question is not only for me. It is for everybody in the Arab world.

It was so easy to plan your holidays in the Middle East and especially in the Gulf two years ago. With the heat soaring, people here are used to waiting the whole year to jump outside Kuwait in June, July and August. Before you could take Middle East Airlines or good old KAC or any of the region’s low-cost carriers such as Jazeera Airways and jump to Beirut. If you like the mountains, in a half hour drive you can be in Broumana or Alley, one of the best resorts in the Lebanese mountains.

If you are in love and you want to contemplate or commit suicide there is a big rock called Raouche.

Either you sit and contemplate on it or you commit a suicide from it.

If you like art, theatre and artists and movies you would land in Cairo. If you love the Red Sea in 30 minutes you can reach Sharm el-Sheik h, Hurghada or many other resorts in Egypt. Or if you like boat racing you can drive along the coast to Port Ghalib etc, etc. People who are linked to Syria by marriage or friends or on a recommendation would head to Syria on a smaller budget to the ancient city of Damascus. You could drive to Zabadani - a nice area with restaurants and entertainment. Of course, all year round Bahrain was a hotspot for one-day trippers or weekend getaways.

All this is gone now! Now it is all wishful thinking! As if it is a distant dream. What happened in the Arab world? Is this what is called Arab Spring?

It seems like a prelude to an Arab summer with nowhere to go. Why this chaos in the Arab world is called an Arab Spring? How long is this Arab Spring stretching? It is stretching to eight seasons with no end in sight. I think it is high time to change the title of the Arab Spring. Just look at Libya which is now in a semi-civil war. It might be divided into three states. Look at the neighbouring Egypt and the state of chaos and constant demonstrations and the rift between Islamists and liberals.

The latest is the situation in Lebanon - the turbulence in Tripoli. No need to mention Syria. All of you know the situation there and in Bahrain. We never know who’s next on the agenda of whoever is creating this chaos in the Arab world. Amazingly, they call it creative chaos. How creative!

Do you blame me if I ask you where to go?

SANAA: Forensic policemen collect evidence at the site of a suicide bomb attack at a parade square yesterday. — AP

Sanaa blast kills 96 soldiers SANAA: A suicide bomber blew himself up at a military parade rehearsal yesterday in Yemen’s capital, killing 96 soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks in the city in years, officials said. The bombing appeared to be a failed assassination attempt against the Minister of Defense, Maj Gen Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, who arrived at the heavily secured city square to greet the assembled troops just minutes before the blast ripped through the area. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack, but it came as the country’s new political leadership has been stepping up the fight against Al-Qaeda militants holding large swaths of land in the nation’s south.

Yemen’s new president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, also has been embroiled in a power struggle with loyalists of ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. He has sacked several of them along with family members from top positions in the armed forces, including the air force. A statement in Hadi’s name read on state TV said, “The war on terrorism will continue until we win, whatever the sacrifices are.” “We are speeding up the restructuring of the army to bring back stability to the country which was on a brink of all out war,” he said. “Yemen can’t bear more crises.” The suicide bombing raised fears that Al-Qaeda in Yemen, which Continued on Page 13

Max 45º Min 27º High Tide 01:26 & 11:47 Low Tide 05:49 & 18:58

KUWAIT: A 26-year-old Kuwaiti pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges he insulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his wife Aisha and some of his companions and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media, the first day of a high-profile and divisive court case in the state. Charges were brought by a civil plaintiff who called for Hamad Al-Naqi - a Shiite - to be put to death, saying he must be made an example of to others. The case has stoked tensions between Kuwait’s Sunnis and minority Shiites. Naqi’s lawyer asked for his client, who has been in prison since his arrest in March, to be released on bail. The judge declined the request and adjourned the trial until next week.

Sitting in a wooden and metal cage guarded by armed guards in black balaclavas at the start of the trial, a bearded, tired-looking Naqi sat quietly clasping his hands, occasionally rubbing the back of his shaved head and looking at the floor. Wearing a blue prison uniform and glasses, Naqi was escorted from the cage to face the judge, confirmed his personal details and entered his innocent plea. The case has caused uproar in Kuwait, where dozens of Sunni Muslim activists and lawmakers have protested against Naqi some calling for the death penalty and accusing him of links to Shiite regional power Iran, something he has denied.

Shiites make up about one third of Kuwait’s 1.1 million nationals and vocal members can be found in senior positions in parliament, media and business.

Although Kuwait has largely avoided the sectarian violence and pro-democracy uprisings seen elsewhere in the region, it is concerned its sizeable Shiite minority may turn restive. Kuwaiti authorities have been closely watching Shiite-led protests in Bahrain and unrest in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, home to more than two million minority Shiites.

The National Assembly, where opposition Islamists have grown in influence, endorsed a legal amendment this month that would make insulting God and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Muslims punishable by death instead of a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Naqi’s lawyer and Amnesty International say the death penalty Continued on Page 13

Kuwait issues Lebanon travel warning Syrian bloodshed spills into Beirut KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday urged its citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and also asked those already present there to leave after deadly clashes linked to the Syrian conflict left two people killed in Beirut. The foreign ministry called on Kuwaitis to cancel travel plans to Lebanon “due to developments in the tense security situation”. The ministry’s statement, carried by the official KUNA news agency, also urged Kuwaitis currently in Lebanon to leave the Arab country “for their safety”.

Kuwait’s move follows a similar decision on Saturday by its Gulf partners the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. The Kuwaiti call comes after street battles between proand anti-Syrian groups in Beirut killed two people yesterday, a security official said, sparking concerns of a wider conflict in Lebanon. The violence erupted hours after reports emerged that troops had shot dead Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahid, a prominent anti-Syria Sunni cler-

Legal row could delay Shamali grilling debate No more action on Juwaihel

By B Izzak KUWAIT: A controversy over whether the two grillings submitted against Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali can be merged or not could effectively delay the debate of the grilling scheduled for today. The Cabinet yesterday declared its backing for Shamali in refuting allegations in the “two grillings” filed two weeks ago - the first by MP Obaid Al-Wasmi and the second by MPs Musallam AlBarrak, Khaled Al-Tahous and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari.

But during the meeting of the opposition or majority bloc on Saturday, Barrak agreed to withdraw in favour of Wasmi and it was decided to merge the two grillings in one in order to have one debate. But the government in its statement following the weekly meeting yesterday insisted on “two grillings” amid reports that the government will demand today to debate the two grillings separately.

Continued on Page 13

ic, when his convoy failed to stop at a checkpoint in north Lebanon on Sunday.

Another cleric in the car was also killed.

Washington expressed concern over the killings yesterday and urged restraint.

“We welcome the commitment of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces to conduct a swift and transparent investigation of the shooting incident,” US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. “And we call on all parties to exercise restraint and respect for Lebanon’s security and stability,” he said.

Protesters blocked roads and burned tyres in the northern region of Akkar following the killing of the clerics, and by evening the unrest had spread to the capital. “During the night, groups of young men cut off the road in the Tareek el-Jdideh district and street battles followed,” the security official said, requesting anonymity.

Continued on Page 13

AMAR AL-BAKAWAT, Lebanon: Mourners carry the body of Lebanese Sunni Muslim cleric Ahmad Abdel Wahed as the funeral convoy arrives at the entrance of his hometown of Al-Bireh north of the capital Beirut. — AFP

‘Ring of fire’ dims skies KANARRAVILLE, Utah: The sun and moon 1994, and the next one is not to occur until aligned over the Earth in a rare astronomical 2023. That is because the phenomenon requires event yesterday - an annular eclipse that a particular set of orbital dynamics, NASA Space dimmed the skies over parts of Asia and North Scientist Jeffrey Newmark said. An annular America, briefly turning the sun into a blazing eclipse occurs when the moon’s orbit is at its furring of fire. As the eclipse reached its peak, a thest point from the Earth and closer to the crowd of several thousand viewers gathered in a much larger sun. That juxtaposition allows the Utah field took a collective gasp and erupted moon to block more than 90 percent of the sun’s rays when the two orbs slide into applause, cheers and into alignment. “It’s like even some howling. “The moving your fist in front of wonder of it, the sheer coinyour eyes,” Newmark said. cidence that this can hap“You can block out the view pen, that totally amazes of a whole mountain. It’s the me,” said Brent Sorensen, a same kind of effect.” physics professor at The eclipse was first visiSouthern Utah University, ble over southern Asia and who brought a half-dozen then moved across the telescopes to the rural town Pacific. Traveling on a diagoof Kanarraville for the pubnal path, it later crossed lic to peek through. “It nevparts of Oregon, Nevada, er ceases to amaze me.”

Utah, Arizona and New Eclipses of some type Mexico before disappearing occur almost every year, but in Texas with the sunset. stargazers have not seen an annular - shaped like a ring TOKYO: An annular solar eclipse is Day did not turn into night.

Continued on Page 13 - eclipse on US soil since seen over Tokyo yesterday. — AFP

Iran plans oil export terminal outside Gulf DUBAI: Iran plans a new oil terminal outside the Strait of Hormuz to protect its exports against potential problems in the Gulf and to boost shipments of Caspian oil, the oil ministry news website said yesterday. Tehran had threatened to block the vital Gulf oil shipping route during its long standoff with the West over its nuclear program. The Shana website reported the head of the Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC), Pirouz Mousavi, saying Iran plans to build a new export terminal at Bandar Jask, on the Gulf of Oman coast of Iran. It would be connected to the Caspian Sea port of Neka using a 1 million barrel a day pipeline.

Mousavi said the new terminal would enable Iran to export more oil from Caspian producers and provide a fall-back option for Iran’s main export terminal at Kharg Island if there were any problems exporting Iran’s own oil from the Gulf. “In the event of any type of problem in exporting crude oil from the Kharg terminal, this terminal can provide back up for exports,” Continued on Page 13

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

LOCAL

Public transport bus fares increase ‘without notice’ Bloggers respond

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Without media announcements, the public transport companies in Kuwait, including a few private buses, increased their charges from a minimum fare of 200 fils to 250 fils. The unannounced 50 fils

Sunday at KPTC. It was not announced in any of the newspapers. An additional 50 fils is a huge amount on my pocket. It affects my budget since I only earn KD80 per month,” said a Bangladeshi cleaner stationed in Shuwaikh.

There are three public bus com-

of press time, although City Bus promised to answer queries about their increase by today.

A Netizen, most specifically from the Indian (IndiansinKuwait.com) community, commented that on the KD120 salary he receives, only KD46 will be left for his family.

KUWAIT: An expatriate boarding a public transport bus yesterday. —Photo by Joseph Shagra increase for routes across the countr y, which started on Sunday, stunned many passengers who are mostly middle and low income expatriates. “I noticed the announcement only a day before

panies operating public transport services in Kuwait. They are the Government owned KPTC, City Bus and KGL. There was no official statement given to newspapers by the three public bus companies as

“I work two shifts, so I have to ride in a bus four times,” Nasr explained on the blog. “I prefer both City Bus and KPTC. I cannot go for the bus pass because of my work timings. Sometimes we need

to wait for a long period of time for that particular bus if Itake a bus pass. That’s why I am travelling in both buses. Increasing the fare to 250 fils will affect me. It means I must spend 1KD a day and KD30 a month. Food and accommodation costs around KD40, telephone calls to India and locally are around KD3, and sometimes going for a medical check-up costs KD1. (120-30-40-31) = KD46. Can you please increase our salary or reduce bus fares,” Nasr said.

Another blogger suggested that instead of charging additional fares, they should start charging Kuwaiti youths. “They are the ones who are travelling in buses without paying anything and also break the windows. Kuwaitis should not mind paying, as they get good increments regularly.” A Filipino blogger was asking whether it was announced in the media or whether all the bus companies increased their fare, as he regularly takes City Bus. “I just realized that the fare has increased. I took a bus this morning (Sunday) to Kuwait City from Salmiya and the driver took 250 fils. He was saying something, but I could not understand a word. I thought he was saying that he did not have 50 fils change for my 250 fils. I then checked the ticket and it said 250 fils. So from 200 fils, public commuters must now pay 250 fils and maybe an extra 50 fils for places like Fahaheel and Jahra area,” the blogger posted on his OFWkuwait.net blog.

Prices of more than 100 food items reduced KUWAIT: “The prices of more than 100 food items have been reduced between 10 to 25 percent, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan,” said Dr Hussain Al-Dwaihees, Chairman of Cooperative Societies Union yesterday.

Al-Dwaihees said that price reduction will be valid from June 3 for a period of three months. The reduction will be on all of the cooperative societies’ branded goods. This move is expected to reduce the financial burden of consumers’ shoulders during the

month of Ramadan.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs’ role in holding pricereduction campaigns throughout the year is an attempt to fight this onward surge of prices. — KUNA

Travel bookings increase as summer vacation nears KUWAIT: A number of travel agencies in Kuwait have begun undertaking travel bookings for summer vacations. The holy month of Ramadan falls in July.

The bookings between June 25 till mid of July are more in number than the ones made after Ramadan, starting from Eid Al-Fitr till the beginning of September.

The reservations to usual travel destinations have reduced this year due to geopolitical conditions of the Middle East. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a new destination for Kuwaitis this summer, being a city of landscapes, nice weather, low cost of living, easy travel measures and exemption from visa, besides being an Islamic country.

Owner of travel agency, Ali Al-Zobi said that the top destinations this summer are Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Geneva, Paris, London, Turkey, and Far

East countries.

London is hosting the Summer Olympics this year, causing a hike in flight tickets and hotel reservation prices. Dubai remains one of the most favorite destinations in all seasons, especially during weekends.

The unusual destinations for Kuwaitis this summer besides Bosnia and Herzegovina are Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Mohammad Al-Tasabehi, Director of a travel agency said.

Kuwaitis are accustomed to spending the holy month of Ramadan in the country which caused an increase in travel bookings and prices of flight tickets. Expatriates, especially teachers, prefer to spend Ramadan back in their native countries. Middle East destinations include Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, witnessed a low turnout, excluding expatriates and some Kuwaiti students. —KUNA

Five injured in road accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Two Kuwaiti children aged one and three suffered head and hand lacerations during a car accident on Ghazali Street. They were taken to Sabah Hospital.

A 60-year-old Indian dislocated his shoulder and suffered various grazes when a car hit him in Kuwait City. He was taken to Amiri Hospital.

A 24-year-old stateless citizen incurred head injuries and a broken wrist during a motorcycle accident on Arabian Gulf Road. He was taken to Amiri Hospital.

A 24-year-old Egyptian suffered various injuries during a car accident on Jahra Road. He was taken to Jahra Hospital.

KUWAIT: Doha Customs officers foiled an attempt to smuggle into Kuwait tons of drinks, including beer and juices, all with expired dates on them. A source said the confiscated material came aboard an Iranian boat. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

17 murders, 15 suicides in early 2012 KUWAIT: Crime rate in the country increased during the first half of the current year when compared to the same period last year, according to a local daily report quoting official statistics.

According to statistics released by the Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Evidence General Department, 17 murder cases were committed during the first three months of 2012, while evidence of foul play was detected in at least 41 cases of death.

Drug overdose killed 20 Kuwaiti and expatriates during the period between January 1 to March 31 2012. At least 15 others - mostly Asian nationals - committed suicide during the same period.

Also, 10 were killed for different criminal causes.

The statistics indicate that nine out of 17 murder cases were classified as cases

of manslaughter, which means that eight first degree murders were committed in Kuwait during the first three months of this year.

Furthermore, statistics show 10 attempted murder cases were investigated, in addition to 30 mugging and three forgery cases. Meanwhile, 10 cases of possession of an unlicensed weapon were investigated, in addition to five shooting cases and three abduction case.

The statistics also mention eight attempted suicide cases, as well as five arson incidents, 845 thefts and 17 cases of physical assault that caused severe injury. Meanwhile, the report indicates that Jahra comes first in the number of cases per governorate with 485, followed

by Farwaniya with 476, Hawally with 368, Ahmadi with 353, the Capital with 227 and Mubarak Al-Kabeer with 112.

Plans for eye print attendance registry KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health intends shortly to have new high technology to register the attendance of its employees.

This time they will not use fingerprints, but “eye prints”.

Informed health sources said a meeting was held about this subject and it will be inaugurated in the main ministry offices as soon as possible. The “eye print” is very

sharp and cannot be forged. Sources said some health centers and hospitals are ahead of the ministry in implementing the eye print technology for trial and it has proven to be successful and efficient.

Sources explained that eye prints will be used jointly with fingerprints. For those whose thumb print is not acceptable, the eye print will be used instead. —Al-Anbaa

blocking ‘atheist’ Twitter accounts

Kuwait: no mediation

KUWAIT: A Ministry of Interior(MoI) official is holding the Ministry of Communications (MoC) fully responsible for “failing to reveal the identity of Twitter users who spread atheist views which include blasphemy,” a local daily reported yesterday.

Speaking to Al-Rai, the source explained that the Criminal Investigations General Department called up the MoC to reveal the identity of Twitter accounts holders against whom charges were recently pressed at the Salwa and Abu Halifa police stations.

“The MoC is still not handling the issue seriously as they continue to ignore demands to block access to these accounts,” the source said.

The official further asked the Ministry to activate a system which regulates internet usage in Kuwait as per terms and conditions that include mandating service providers to reveal the number of subscribers and users of certain websites.

The source accused the Ministry of “bucking under ISP pressure” for failing to implement the order which was issued in 2002.

KUWAIT: Kuwait did not receive any requests from Tehran to mediate between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, diplomatic sources said recently.

The statements reply to rumors which hint that Iran’s Foreign Minister, Ali Salehi, asked his Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, whether Kuwait could help to “improve ties” between the Islamic Republic and the GCC states.

“Minister Salehi discussed with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled matters of mutual interest, in addition to the situation in the region,” said one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Minister Salehi reportedly handed the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The two sides also discussed a date for the higher joint committee to meet. The meeting has been postponed on numerous occasions, the sources added. —Al-Rai

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

local Raids help reduce number of expats

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The number of expatriates in Kuwait dropped by 19 percent in a year, according to official statistics released recently by the General Immigration Department at the Ministry of Interior.

The Ministry is holding frequent raids to arrest illegal residents and either deport them or legalize their stay.

Security raids have led to the arrest of many illegal residents in the country, causing the expatriates numbers to fall. “Raids are not the only reason why the number of expats have reduced. Some expats returned to their native countries after learning that the standard of living in their country is similar to that of Kuwait. Also, many of those whose residence permits expired benefited from the Amiri Amnesty to leave the country without paying high penalties,” an official told Kuwait Times yesterday.

Raids are being held rectify the situation of some expats in the country. “There are many bogus companies that are trafficking workers, thereby spoiling Kuwait’s reputation, accused of human trafficking.

This is one of the reasons why raids are being held to reduce the number of marginal laborers,” he added.

He explained that there are different reasons why illegal residents are being arrested. “This includes working in a place other than the sponsor, working without a work permit, staying in the country after visit visa expires or absconding. Also, there are raids held to check criminal activity such as prostitution, illegal international calls and others,” he said, without mentioning the exact number of expatriates being deported every week.

Last Thursday, the Ministry of Interior held a raid in Amghara, considered the first of its kind that lasted for five hours. At least, 703 illegal expat workers were arrested during the raid. Those arrested include runaway maids, drug dealers, international phone booth owners, thieves of public utilities like manhole covers, wires copper, electricity or other criminals having a record.

The Ministry considers the raid as being successful, and announced to continue the campaign across all governorates to protect the safety of the country and residents.

News

in brief

Othainah struggles to usher in change KUWAIT: Changes to be included in a decision issued

by Minister Salem Al-Othainah are comprehensive enough to undo some senior officials’ sluggishness in reshuffling posts, said sources from the Ministry of Communications. “The minister is capable of bringing in reforms in a short period. Sadly, wasta (influence) has resulted in some officials retaining the same posts for years despite exceeding legal retirement age,’ said sources. They added that some ministry departments were idle while others have been without managers, which makes Al-Othainah very decisive in making decisions and reshuffling posts.

CB honors ex-governor KUWAIT: The Central Bank of Kuwait (CB) Sunday evening honored its former governor Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah, in a event patronized and attended by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Deputy premier and finance minister Mustafa Al-Shimali, addressing the honoring ceremony, said Sheikh Salem started his CB in 1977 and was promoted until he was named governor in 1986.

He said Kuwait experienced many crises which had political, economic and financial consequences. However, he added, Sheikh Salem was managing the crises towards financial and monetary stability in “a wise and capable manner.”

Sheikh Salem, added Al-Shimali, succeeded in implementing strict supervision rules that complied with international standards thus CBK become solid entity with professional duties.

CB governor Dr. Mohammad Al-Hashel said Sheikh Salem, who resigned last February, helped transformed CBK into a solid institution with solid supervision role.

Since his early years as governor, said AlHashel, Sheikh Salem realized that confidence

was his ultimate goal and independence of the CB was necessary.

Sheikh Salem has been up to the tasks he was responsible for and realized it was a big responsibility, he noted.

The ex-CBK governor Sheikh Salem, meanwhile, said the responsibility of financial stability has been recently added to central banks’ duties.

The financial stability responsibility “is big and heavy responsibility on the burden of central banks which should formulate a system of coordinated and smooth policies so banks can achieve their short, medium and long-term objectives without contradiction,” he said.

There is no economic stability without political stability, noted Sheikh Salem. “Economy and politics are two sides of the same coin,” he added.

CBK has an early warning system for financial turmoils, said Sheikh Salem, in addition to other tools that could predict economic problems.

Sheikh Salem said CBK was facing challenges like the implementation of Basel III agreement and implementing a full-fledged economic reforms. —- KUNA

Overuse of antibiotics poses health hazards Kuwait not exception

By Sawsan Kazak KUWAIT: A recent study in the US found that the overuse of antibiotics is causing people to develop resistance to the drug.

Doctors in the study noted that this is a worldwide problem as there are less treatment options for severe bacterial infections. Kuwait is not immune to this dilemma. “People ask for antibiotics when they have a virus or allergy problems, but that is useless. Antibiotics are made to fight bacteria. For things like allergies you need an antihistamine,” explains Dana, a pharmacist in Fahaheel. The pharmacist explains that people walk into her pharmacy with an old prescription of an antibiotic they took before and ask for the same one. “The antibiotics that people are getting their hands on are not dangerous, but because they are taking them for every little ailment, the antibiotics don’t work anymore when they need to,” she explains.

“The law in Kuwait technically prohibits pharmacies from selling antibiotics without a prescription, but it still happens,” says Dana. She says that other countries in the Middle East, like Jordan or Egypt, allow pharmacists to sell many kinds of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

But the Kuwaiti Government has taken steps to prevent that. In her five years as a pharmacist in Kuwait, Dana has noticed that there is an overuse of antibiotics to solve everything from the common cold to headaches.

Another problem Dana is noticing in Kuwait is the fact that people do not finish their full course when it comes to antibiotics. “Some treatments are meant for five days, some for one week, and other people need to take two courses of antibiotics, but there are many people who do not finish the treatment until the end,” says Dana.

She explains that this causes problems

Management College established KUWAIT: The Kuwait Gazette announced, on Monday, the establishment of Management University College of Kuwait with a capital of KD 3 million. The new college awards Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in management courses. The medium of instruction will be determined by the college, the Gazette announced in its latest edition. The College has the right to manage its finances through a board of trustees. It can also own movable and immovable assets under the supervision of Private Universities’ Council and Minister of Higher Education.

Laptop project to be reviewed KUWAIT: The project to distribute laptops to students should be subject to further reviews by a special team, asserted Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf Minister of Education and Higher Education. Speaking at the Ministry ’s Undersecretaries Council meeting, Al-Hajraf ordered the formation of a special team comprising Khaled AlRasheed Assistant Undersecretary for Planning, Mohammed Al-Kandari, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education, Mona Alloghani, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education and Ayesha AlRoudhan, Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Development. They will review the project more thoroughly and report about it at the upcoming council meeting.

Campign to detect childhood diabetes KUWAIT: The Dasman Institute for Diabetes is organizing a unique campaign to detect early symptoms of diabetes in children, especially bed-wetting at AlSaleel commercial complex in Al-Jahra on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Tareq Adbullah AlAriyan, Public Relation Director at Dasman Institute for Diabetes. The campaign aims at spreading awareness among specialists, teachers and parents. A specialized team of medical staff will conduct blood tests and offer medical consultation free of charge.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak AlSabah presenting a memento to former CBK Governor Sheikh Salem AlSabah during the ceremony.

KUWAIT: The law in Kuwait technically prohibits pharmacies from selling antibiotics without a prescription, but it still happens.

— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

in the future, because when people really get sick and need to take antibiotics, the dose needs to be higher as they have built up immunity to the original dose.

Dana believes that there are some doctors who try to show off in front of some parents and prescribe antibiotics to children. “The parents go to see a doctor with a very sick and weak child. The doctor gives them a high dosage of antibiotics and the child is bouncing around again.

The parents are now impressed, and think the doctor is amazing,” says Dana jokingly.

“I walked into a pharmacy the other day complaining of a runny nose and a sore throat. The guy behind the counter put some antibiotics on the counter,” says Elizabeth, an expatriate in her thirties. She refused to take the medication, but was shocked by the fact that antibiotics were offered to her for such a minor problem.

“I told the guy at the pharmacy that I did not want antibiotics, just something to help with my cold. He then gave me cough syrup and candies,” says Elizabeth, adding “I thought it was illegal to get things like antibiotics without a prescription.”

A representative for a medical supply company, who preferred to remain anonymous, believes pharmacies get around the law by planning ahead. “A good number of pharmacists in Kuwait sell patients antibiotic medication because they already have a prescription in their pocket. They get blank prescriptions from doctors and fill in the name and date as needed,” explains the medical representative.

The medical representative said these kind of actions are taking place for more than just the sale of antibiotics, saying “the most unfortunate thing is that this practice is not limited to antibiotics. I have heard of cases where things like hormones, or sex enhancing drugs like Viagra or Cialis are prescribed to people without a prescription.” He explains that these, among other drugs, are dangerous and can cause death if combined with other medications. “If it wasn’t for the strict Ministry of Health rules and continuous inspections of pharmacies, the situation would be much worse than it is today,” notes the medical representative.

MoH salary increments in June KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced that employees’ salary increments amounting to 25 percent of citizens’ basic salary and a KD 50 increment for expatriates will be paid starting June 1, including retroactive payment since April.

Dr Waleed Al-Falah, MoH’s Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Quality and Secretary General of Undersecretaries Council said that the ministry’s budget was KD 1.5 billion compared to a little over KD one billion in 2010-2012 and only KD 621 million in 2007-2008. Al-Falah added that ministry will be undertaking many projects in the foreseeable future including those executed by the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and those carried out by MoH. He added that five new hospital construction tenders will be offered this summer to build Jahra hospital with a bed capacity up to 800, the Maternity Hospital with a bed capacity of 600, Pediatric Hospital with a bed capacity of 500, Al-Razi hospital with a bed capacity of 500, Ibn Sina hospital with a bed capacity of 500, in addition to the under-construction Jaber Al-Ahmed Hospital with a bed capacity of 1,100 that adds up to a total bed capacity of 4,000. He also noted that the five hospitals maintenance work will cost up to KD 900 million.

Fake KD 20 notes found KUWAIT: Ministry of Interior security men have received reports of fake KD20 banknotes in the market.

Sources said a Somalian expatriate, working in one of the commercial centers in Mahboula, reported to Fintas police that an unknown person came and bought several different goods with a KD 20 note.

After the Somali checked the banknote and compared it to other notes, he found it to be different.

He supported his complaint with the KD 20 which, after being checked by police, proved to be a forgery. The forgery is a professionally manufactured duplicate.

A case was filed and detectives started looking for the forger, especially as several reports were received about forged bank notes. —Al-Shahed

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

LOCAL Local Spotlight

In my VIEW

Is Iran a threat?

Little boxes create a grand picture

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Fouad Al-Obaid

muna@kuwaittimes.net

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

PART 2 rophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in his last sermon, “I leave amongst you two significant things, the Book of God and my progeny to which you should hold firm you will never go astray.” Although both Sunni and Shiites adhere to the same faith and are Muslims, they follow different opinions and interpretations in terms of practice. I think it is alright. In fact, there was never a conflict in Kuwaiti society for many years.

Right now in Kuwait, it appears that conservative Sunnis have agreed to disagree with anything that the Shiites say. There are no better targets than the Shiites here! That is the situation in Kuwait. So, we should be cautious while dealing with this so-called GCC Union to ensure that nothing will jeopardize our unity. Communal tensions can place a strain on our relation with Iran. Is Iran a threat we can confront these days? That is the real question. Firstly, we need to stop being emotional while discussing politics. Countries’ policies and strategic plans are not driven by emotions but interests. Let us not naively assume that a large country like Iran does not have strategic interests in the region. But, is there any power in the world that does not nurture such interests? Iran has been here for decades and the Iranian Revolution did not cause Sunnis from Gulf countries turning into Shiites. Let us be frank here and admit that Kuwaiti-Iranian relations have always been stable. It is our government’s achievement.

Why should we endanger this now?

Secondly, we do not want Shiite-Sunni conflict in Bahrain to spread to Kuwait or any other GCC countries.

This is more of a threat to us.

Kuwait’s intellectuals should feel concerned because it is the only GCC country where free parliamentary elections are held. The same can be said about Dubai as it is an international touristic hub, a feat that none of any other Gulf countries could achieve. Each country has its own policies and even security agreements.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Parliament Speaker made a comment about this proposed union that was not wellreceived. Although, he spoke the truth about the need for Gulf countries respecting human rights, freedom of expression and allowing popular participation before turning the six-nation council into a union.

Finally , GCC officials said that Gulf cooperation, which began 30 years ago must now enter a new era of integration and strength. That is fine, but is it the right time? The Arab Spring has created a radical change in Arab societies.

There is increasing isolation among different segments of society - Sunni, Shiite and Christians. With Muslim Brothers seeking to Islamize modern society and its rules, they curse democracy as a tool created by Western devils!

That, of course, creates confusion in ideas and thoughts among liberal and free thinkers. Therefore, new calls using terms like ‘Union’ frightened some GCC citizens like us here in Kuwait. We mistook it to be a concept of federalism practiced the United Arab Emirates or the United States of America.

I doubt Kuwait will want to join something like that. I think worries cropped up because of the obscurity surrounding the proposal.

However, I think Kuwait must state its terms and conditions if it decides to join the new ‘Union.’ If we to learn lessons about what real unity is, we should look up to the European union( EU) as a role model.

I wonder if Gulf countries can make it worthwhile. The problem here is that 30 years of GCC unity was not upgraded. This is why many citizens have concerns because they do not believe that they have benefited from the existing council. Small countries could be affected by the proposed Union.

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kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Development put on hold

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

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e are part of a society where development is put on hold as lawmakers focus on subjects they believe need to be given top priority. That is their right, of course, especially if these subjects involve major corruption suspicions that impact public life.

Kuwaiti society’s attention has, for a long time, focused on the foreign transfers case in which the former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah was accused of sending public funds to private accounts overseas. Senior state officials have so far been summoned to the ongoing parliamentary probe in the major corruption case, that was a reason for the Cabinet’s resignation and Parliament’s dissolution, by senior state officials.

In the meantime, the multibillion-dinar development plan has also been put on hold until Parliament ‘cleans’ up all the flaws and reveals the hidden truth.

Meanwhile, we are left with no choice but to live through all the noise and threats. Years have passed, as we wait for an end to tension and a beginning for the development process. Instead, we wake up every morning to a new story of tensions, and go to sleep after reading more about tensions.

Anticipating the results of the investigations carried out by MP Musallam Al-Barrak and his team is what keeps us patient, because we have the right to know the truth about the story and how it ends. And as we are waiting, the Court of Ministers makes a ruling to shelve a case filed against

Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad over the same case, due to a lack of evidence confirming that a crime took place.

Kuwaiti society’s attention has, for a long time, focused on the foreign transfers case in which the former prime minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad AlSabah was accused of sending public funds to private accounts overseas.

Senior state officials have so far been summoned to the ongoing parliamentary probe in the major corruption case, that was a reason for the Cabinet’s resignation and Parliament’s dissolution, by senior state officials.

The court ruling further confirms that all suspicious transactions were carried out according to the same criteria followed by the Foreign Ministry since 1962, and that they were made to serve Kuwait’s interests abroad.

Furthermore, the ruling explains that the payments were made under the ‘secret expenses’ clause, which isn’t subject to judicial control and pertains to the best interests of national security.

The ruling also indicates that Kuwaiti ambassadors in Switzerland, London and New York said during investigations that the suspected transactions “aimed to gain international support and serve Kuwait’s higher interest”, adding that the transfers were made legally to classified benefiters.

If that’s what the case is all about, then what’s the reason behind all the fuss and continuous tensions paralyzing the development process? Where are the documents that lawmakers say contain evidence to prove that the transactions involved theft of public funds?

Does the recent court ruling signal the end of the foreign transfers case? Is that really the end of the line? Too bad for all the time wasted as we waited for lawmakers to uncover the truth. Where are the documents MPs claim detail the stolen funds and names involved in the crime? Are these questions too much for the Kuwaiti people to ask?

Why was the issue raised in the first place when MPs can’t announce the proof they claim to have and would challenge the court’s ruling? — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Separation of Religion and State

kuwait digest

By Abdellatif Al-Duaij

Rushed union

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uring a seminar at the American University nearly two years ago, or to be accurate on November 10, 2010, member of Parliament Mohammad Al-Saqer said the reason behind Arab countries democratic lagging is “the inability of these countries’ to separate religion from state”.

Al-Saqer spoke about the issue of separating religion from state, and the strange thing was that the religious groups here ignored this clear call and sudden attack on their religious political ideology.

Nobody commented, and none of the outspoken religious people objected to this call, although Al-Saqer, within his call for separating state from religion, included dangerous accusations for being religious of course.

I do not believe that the backward religious groups did not read or hear, but I am sure they were surprised, and they could not speak and were confused, because that was a sudden and strange issue to be introduced in Kuwait.

The stand of the religious groups did not concern me and does not concern me now. What concerns me here is that after Al-Saqer became a member of Parliament he, along with Marzouq Al-Ghanim and others, submitted a proposed law to establish the National Authority for Human Rights, and the law showed that by human rights he means the rights and freedoms in Islamic Law! Besides Kuwait’s Constitution and laws, as well as international treaties Kuwait has joined and ratified!

The important thing is that Islamic law comes first with a person who had a courageous stand two years ago in which he demanded the separation of religion and state, bearing in mind that Islam guarantees rights according to Islamic law, and mostly for the Muslim and is not far from orders, duties and even the religious obligations. —Al-Qabas

ompartmentalizing ideas is something that most people I have encountered throughout my adult life in different socio-ethnic, religious, and culture boundaries, have in common. Rare are those who are able to bring the different small boxes that make up our reality, and patch them up together into a clear vision of the whole. When I say the ‘whole’ what I am attempting to expand upon is the idea that we as humans, interpret things subjectively. What is tolerated by some is shunned by others, what is obvious appears complex to many. The dichotomy of analysis in essence, is the way by which our brains analyze our private reality, and shape our understanding of the elements surrounding us, and the world we are living. In a nutshell, the way we define our respective realms.

Historically, those that are gifted with the ability to understand things from detached perspectives are rare. For eons, we as humans lived in small confined ideological boxes whereby our mutual recognition of facts rendered them essentially epistemological cannons. For a period of time, human beings the world over erroneously believed that the sun, the stars and the planets revolved around us.

Furthermore, to our ancestors our planet was considered to be at the center of the universe- as far from reality such claim we later discovered to be, the certitude nevertheless upheld by the majority within various societies worse those that dared differ were threatened with death.

In this part of the world, the Middle East, censorship has never really been our realm. The way we think, relate to one another, and to realities surrounding us has always been subject to how our elders and to a larger extent, our peers viewed things. What is taken for granted by a majority is the truth; all else is subject to personal views. Our society traditionally - perhaps less so contemporary, still - shuns individuality at the expense of the clan/tribe. Personal views are best kept hidden. The dangers of such dogma at a time when our world is ever more growing closer together is daunting. By creating pockets of imaginary reality, what we are doing as a society is to condone an effort to intellectually isolate our society from the rest of the world that is not dissimilar to how parents attempt to ‘shield’ their infants from ‘dangerous’ disturbing information.

If we take for instance, the recent case of mass protest by a wide section of the national citizenry demanding a substantial wage increase. What happened was that due to a perceived understanding that we are a wealthy country and due to several articles of our Constitution, citizens saw it fit to demand a bigger share of the ‘national wealth cake!’

The irony of such a situation is that in essence the value ascribed by a majority of my fellow national populace is that being a ‘rich’ country-yet again a subjective understanding of wealth- we ought to have a fair share of the hydrocarbon bonanza. In this situation, what a majority of compatriots have opted for is the narrow reading of both wealth and public finances whereby they have chosen a path of immediate gain as opposed to sustainable revenue in the long run. Worse, the prevalent ideology is one of fiscal squandering at the expense of future savings and availability of a decent pension for all upon retirement.

This understanding of ‘a reality’ that at least with the case aforementioned is proof of the compartmentalization of ideas mentioned. The challenge that needs to be addressed by peers and by the local leadership is to level the intellectual playing field, encourage citizens to read and to continue their post-educational knowledge acquisition through the development of an intellectual society that is well-read. Anything short of massively encouraging literacy in all of its forms - basic, political and fiscal will result in another lost decade of fiscal squandering that may get us into a mess that we will then be in no shape of pulling ourselves out of.

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

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olumnist Abdurrahman Al-Rashid discussed the Gulf Cooperation Council union in AlSharq Al-Awsat recently, explaining why he rejects the idea. This opinion should be interesting coming from a Saudi columnist and published by a semi-official Saudi paper. But reading further through the article reveals that he isn’t against the idea in principle, but against the formation of the union right now.

Al-Rashid believes that a GCC union should not be applied if it cancels Kuwait’s parliamentary system, or if it means that Bahrain and Dubai are required to commit to the regulations restricting social freedom that are followed in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, he shows skepticism over the possibility of moving “Kuwait’s political diseases” that include sectarianism, and the sectarian infightings in Bahrain, to the rest of the Gulf states.

I personally respect Al-Rashid’s opinion and his impartial approach in writing, but I believe he made some unfortunate choices of words in his recent column. For example, he mentioned “freedom restrictions” and “political diseases in the form of sectarianism” as the main products of Kuwait’s democratic experience. He put Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on the same level when it comes to restricting social freedoms.

In my opinion this is a superficial analysis of Kuwaiti democracy which, despite its flaws, remains better than what the article suggests. The social restrictions that Al-Rashid mentions is in fact

an exceptional case that was not present until recent years, and can still be overruled by a political decision. The society that brought us MPs like Ahmad Al-Khateeb, Abdullah Al-Naibari, Sami AlMunais, Jassem Al-Qattami, Ahmad Al-Nafisi and Hassan Jowhar is the same that brought us Khalid Al-Sultan.

I believe that a GCC union can only be successful if it means that all Gulf states adopt systems closer to Kuwait’s democratic system, not the other way around. I don’t think the majority of people in Kuwait would accept to forsake the limited freedoms they enjoy as a result of their democratic experience, in favor of a fragile union.

Security is useless without freedom. Many argue that a GCC union would enhance member states’ strength and create a collective army of 360,000 soldiers. Armies, however, cannot protect countries suffering from administrative deterioration.

With the exception of Dubai, the six GCC states have failed after half a century since independence to create successful governmental management. This means that regardless of how strong their army may be, the GCC countries cannot defend themselves from serious foreign or regional threats.

GCC governments need to improve their countries before discussing the idea of establishing an active union. Adding zeros to each other always give the same result: nothing! — Al-Qabas

Congrats for your sound stand

By Abdallah Abbas Buwair

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nd say, “ Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed falsehood, (by nature), ever bound to depart”.

It is not strange for this ruling to appear, even if after a while, when the ministers’ court confirmed the correct stand of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad and decided to shelve the case for good. The investigation committee concerned with minister’s trials closed the case of the transfers, which was submitted against the former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad, due to the lack of a criminal act from the beginning.

By this the committee exonerated the former prime minister without a shadow of a doubt and showed the right thing, and confirmed that everything he was subjected to due to in this case were only false claims. What took place was just a political struggle and settling of accounts between certain MPs and Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad.

Constitutionally, an expert said the decision by the committee is final and cannot be contested, according to article 3 of law 88/1985 in regards to the Ministers’ Court.

The three member committee that was formed by the court found out that the transfers made by the foreign ministry were not in violation of the penal law, and documents did not confirm any conviction against the prime minister. Sheikh Nasser works in the open, and works for Kuwait and its people, unlike some Government individuals who work to bring benefits to relatives or create followers. He excused himself from the post several times but agreed to remain, despite the insults he received, for the sake of Kuwait.

Congratulations to you Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad for your sound stand, which we were sure about. Your status is intact and your name is engraved in our hearts.

May God protect Kuwait and its people from all evil.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

local

Majority fights Defense, Social Affairs grillings?

‘Experts in investments’

KUWAIT: Mohammad Al-Roumi, Director of Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a guest of honor at the ASEAN Ambassadors’ Luncheon organized by the ASEAN Committee in Kuwait (ACK) recently. It was hosted by Long Kem Cambodian Ambassador yesterday at Crowne Plaza Hotel. During the luncheon, means to bolster the relationships between ASEAN member countries and Kuwait were discussed.

Fake degrees problem to continue KUWAIT: Dr. Khalid Al-Saad, Undersecretary of the Minister of Higher Education, said forging certificates and diplomas will continue in Kuwait as long as each degree has a price.

He said more than 30,000 students are expected to approach higher education establishments this year. A committee headed by the ministry of higher education has been established to assess the admission of those students.

The committee meets on a periodic basis to coordinate admissions into higher education establishments. He did not expect a crisis in admissions, but said the point to be considered in future is that

not every high school graduate is qualified to be admitted into a university.

“We should be in line with the natural situation in the world where it is assumed that 70 to 75 percent of high school graduates join higher education establishments.

This is the world average, and we need high school graduates to enter the labor market and join other organizations. Not every high school student is qualified to be university student,” he said. Al-Saad said there should be a focus on scientific subjects, as the country needs these specialties in the future. —Al-Anbaa

Cabinet reshuffle in offing?

KUWAIT: Government sources expressed their displeasure at recent political escalations and the competition among MPs to grill ministers, without leaving time for possible achievements by executive authorities.

Sources expressed displeasure at the lack of cooperation from MPs. Sources said the

government intends to reshuffle some ministers and some ministers have asked to be relieved from their post. The Government has started thinking about resigning and reforming in agreement with members of both authorities to avoid any differences in future, the source emphasized.

KUWAIT: The Majority Bloc failed to coordinate to stop two interpellations against Defense Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Ahmad AlRujaib. This was despite reaching an agreement that dissipates rumors about internal conflicts arising from separate grilling motions against Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali. According to sources familiar with a meeting held by Parliament’s majority coalition late on Sunday night, MPs Dr Khalid Shukhayyer and Saifi AlSaifi were told that their interpellations against Al-Khalid and Al-Rujaib respectively are not supported.

“Shukhayyer’s grilling was sent to the bloc coordination committee to be studied, while AlRujaib’s was put on hold”, said one of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity The sources explained that members of the Islamic Constitutional Movement and Islamist Salaf Assembly objected to the Defense Minister’s grilling proposal on the basis that the subjects it addresses do not warrant an interpellation. While the motion is currently being studied, several MPs prepare to take measures to talk

KUWAIT: As part of its corporate responsibility to the youth of Kuwait, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait is privileged to support students of Kuwait University’s College of Engineering as they prepare to participate in the highly anticipated 22nd Exhibition, Steam Blanket, an engineering project. The exhibition will be held at the faculty on June 6 and 7.

Sahar Al-Therban, public relations manager at ABK, explained that, “Being part of this project means that we can fully support these students and help them in completing their graduation projects. That is what our corporate

responsibility is all about, helping and being an integral part of Kuwaiti society.” To show their full support for the university and its students, ABK made a financial donation to ensure that students completed their project, Steam Blanket, in order to be a part of the most prestigious exhibition at the university.

“It is a great honor for the management at ABK to witness what our support achieves and we look forward to being part of the completion of this project when the exhibition opens on campus next month,” stated Al-Therban.

step by the minister to address one of the topics mentioned in his planned grilling”.

Separately, a report yesterday quoted a letter sent to the Cabinet by the Minister of Housing Affairs and State Minister for Parliament Affairs, Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri, deeming Al-Shamali’s grilling “unconstitutional”. “MPs declared themselves experts in investments so to evaluate decisions by Kuwait Investment Authority”, the letter reads. Al-Muwaizri adds that “MPs Musallam Al-Barrak and Khalid Al-Tahous have continuously attacked the KIA without providing a single proof to support the claims”.

Moreover, he accused the grillers of including in their motion suspicions that currently are under investigation by parliamentary probe committees, in violation of Parliament’s internal regulations.

Al-Barrak agreed on Saturday to step aside for MPs Al-Tahous and Abdurrahman Al-Anjari to merge their grilling with the motion filed by MP Dr. Obaid Al-Wasmi. As part of the agreement, Al-Barrak will speak first in support of the grilling during the debate session, and for a period of up to one hour.

Cabinet holds weekly session KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti cabinet convened its regular weekly session at Al-Seif Palace here yesterday under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah.

The cabinet members welcomed the visit of Albanian President Bamir Topi plans to pay to Kuwait on Sunday, May 27; they voiced best wishes for the leader of friendly Albania and his delegation.

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah AlKhalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah made the press remarks after the meeting. The meeting was briefed on the message recently received by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dealing with bilateral ties and issues of common concern, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid told

Bedoons may get work permits soon

Al Ahli Bank supports KU engineering students

with minister Al-Khalid in an attempt to resolve the subject the motion addresses.

The sources said the Majority Bloc members are even more adamant to reject minister AlRujaib’s grilling for two main reasons. “First, the bloc doesn’t wish to see (Independent) MP Riyadh Al-Adsani who co-files the grilling to benefit from the outcome of ousting the minister”, one source said.

“Meanwhile, MPs prefer to give Al-Rujaib the opportunity to pass amendments to sports laws”. According to the sources, MP Jamaan AlHarbash hinted during the meeting that the grilling is being filed on behalf of Independent MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim who has a long feud with the government over the sports issue. “AlSaifi responded by reiterating that he made his plans to question Al-Rujaib clear as soon as the new Cabinet was announced last February”, a source said.

Minister Al-Rujaib decided to regulate the process by which co-operative societies import items collectively, including a stipulation for purchase requests to be grouped and placed for tender. The decision was seen by observers as “a

KUWAIT: Stateless residents can now obtain work permits valid for a year seeking employment in the private sector, as long as a request is submitted by the employer.

This new regulation was authorized through a ministerial decision issued

by Ahmad Al-Rujaib, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, quoted in an Al-Qabas report yesterday.

The decision does not specify whether a bedoon employee is registered as Kuwaiti or expatriate worker in the company’s records; having an impact on the percentage of Kuwaiti staff that each firm must hire.

The one-year work permit will be renewable, but requires that certain documents be submitted, including a copy for the contract, a valid security ID card issued by the Central Agency for Illegal Residents, in addition to a medical certificate that declares the worker as being fit.

The decision also leaves the door open for MSAL officials requiring that additional documents be submitted when necessary. — Al-Qabas

Jowhar to become minister?

KUWAIT: Sources revealed that some members of the Popular Bloc are spreading rumors of the appointment of former MP Hassan Jowhar as a minister in case the current Minister of Finance, Mustafa Al-Shamali, resigns. Rumors surfaced after the Government offered the Popular Bloc to nominate a minister of their choice, but they refused at that time. But it seems that the Popular Bloc has now accepted the offer.

reporters. The cabinet was also briefed on the message to HH the Amir from Turkish President Abdullah Gul dealing with efforts of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to promote trade among OIC member states, activate the preferential treatment for their products and finalize the procedures for the endorsement of a framework treaty on the rules of origin and the protocol thereto.

They also discussed the message to HH the Amir from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad entailing an invitation for HH the Amir to take part in the 16th summit meeting of the leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states, due in Tehran in August.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mustafa AlShimali briefed the meeting on the two grilling requests tabled against him at the National Assembly (parliament) on May 7 by MP Obaid Al-

Wasmi (the first interpellation) and MPs Khalid Al-Tahous, Abdulrahman Al-Anjari and Musallam Al-Barrak (the second).

He explained his responses to the points of the interpellations, affirming that his position is legally sound.

Acknowledging the constitutional right of the MPs to supervise the performance of the executive authority, the cabinet stated support to Al-Shimali “who is known for integrity, dedication and strict compliance to legal provisions” and voiced hope that the planned grilling moves will follow the sound democratic practices in order to serve national interests.

Al-Shimali, who doubles as Chairman of the Civil Ser vice Commission, made a presentation on the amendments to the Cabinet Decree No 676 for 2009 (first article) on benefits for the private sector retirees; the cabinet approved the amendments, which

provide for extending the term of the decree until December 31, 2012.

The meeting discussed the suggestions of the Government Performance Follow-up Apparatus for ending the financial and administrative irregularities in the light of the report of the State Audit Bureau; the suggestions include activation of the auditing an supervisory bodies at different state departments according to their respective internal statutes and working out a timetable for the enforcement of relevant recommendations.

The cabinet’s legal committee tabled to the meeting a report recommending the endorsement of Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency; the cabinet approved a draft law in this regard and forwarded it to HH the Amir for endorsement as a prelude to its referral to the National Assembly. — KUNA

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

local

KUWAIT: The Khalifa School for students with special needs held an event yesterday to reward students with ASDAN certificates. The ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) is a British program that provides educational opportunities for young people, helping learners to develop their personal and social attributes through its award programs and qualifications. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Patients from Infectious Diseases Hospital mingle with outsiders KUWAIT: Residents of Andalus, Granada and Riggae areas recently expressed concern about news that inpatients hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Hospital have been mingling with outsiders. The hospital has not had a barber for over a year because patients step outside to pay a visit to barbers in the vicinity, posing a threat of passing on infectious disease like AIDS to healthy people.

The citizens blamed the Health Ministry (MoH) of such hazards and warned that it might threaten all of Kuwait’s population, creating a real disaster. Speak ing to local daily Annahar, citizen Fawwaz Al-Mutairi said that residents of Andalus were terrified about the news and urged MoH to investigate the matter and solve it. He also urged the government to act and hold those responsible for the problem accountable.

Citizen Abdul Rahman Al-Arbeed said that the mere existence of the Infectious Diseases Hospital in the vicinity of residential areas was a threat because of the fumes sent into

air. He demanded that it be relocated.”Unfor tunately, our lives have become so cheap despite the affluence,” said citizen Essam Al-Awadhi accusing ‘influential sharks’ of being callous. “The Health Ministry has been deteriorating for years with no officials not taking any action,” he added.

Citizen, Um Abdullah stressed that quarantined patients with infectious diseases should not be allowed to mingle with healthy people. Another citizen, Naw waf Al-A zmi was surprised to learn that the hospital did not have its own barber.”How can patients be allowed to go out on the streets?” he wondered, noting that all men have been avoiding the areas.

On the other hand, Andalus barber Hussein stressed that he fully observed hygienic practices. Another barber, Saeed of Granada stressed that despite meticulous observance of cleanliness, the number of customers has been decreasing. He also urged MoH to issue a statement to end this state of skepticism, namely clients. —Annahar

Kuwait supports FAO programs ROME: Kuwait affirmed its support for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) by rallying for regional cooperation for sustainable agricultural development and tackling the issue of food security.

Ambassador Sheikh Ali Khalid Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the director of the economy department of Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry, said his presence at the regional FAO conference for the Near East on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, depicted keenness of the Kuwaiti Government in actively participating in such international forums.

This will boost inter-nations cooperation for development, regional and international food safety, he said. He praised the outcome of the 31st session of the ministerial meeting of the Middle East member states.

He said the final communique of the meeting was the fruit of positive dialogue on strategies that address “structural flaws” which obstruct efforts to tackle the issue of food security in the region.

He affirmed Kuwait’s strong support for the FAO policy of alleviating rates of poverty and improving nutrition in the Middle East, and reiterated backing to boost agricultural investments and the role of the private sector.

Kuwait’s policy is in harmony with the objectives of the international organization, namely by involving civil associations, the private sector and encouraging cooperation among regional countries to overcome hurdles in this sector, he added.

Sheikh Ali Al-Khaled singled out the initiative by His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, of setting up a special fund for aiding citizens to cope with the soaring prices of commodities, another fund for supporting small enterprises at the national as well as Arab level, and Kuwait’s hosting of a special conference for the re-construction of East Sudan.

Furthermore, Kuwait allocates 0.7 percent of its gross domestic product to support development in other nations, and devotes special efforts to limit food waste.—KUNA

Woman catches husband at suspicious party Martial artist fends off thugs KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman caught her husband at an illegal party days after he was released from jail. He managed to escape after physically assaulting her before police arrived.

Police headed to an apartment building in Salmiya where a man and a woman were reported to be fighting. Only the woman was present when police arrived. She explained that her husband fled after she caught him sneaking into an apartment hosting suspicious activities. She explained that her husband showed signs of returning to crime after finishing a jail sentence recently over a drug-related case. She said she decided to carry out her own investigation after her husband started coming home late every night. The man reportedly lashed out at his wife upon realizing she followed him to his partying place. A case was filed for investigations, which currently focuses on a search for the husband.

Alleged harassment A female shopper pressed charges against a male with Down’s Syndrome she accuses of sexual harassment, after he touched her. The incident took place at a co-op branch in Salmiya where the woman hit the young man on his head with her handbag. Her mother, who was shopping with her at the time, gave him a round of scolding. The young man touched the

girl accidently, according to eyewitnesses, but she headed to the nearest police station to file a case against her alleged harasser.

Self defence An Arab man taught three people a lesson in Salmiya after using martial arts skills to thwart their unprovoked harassment. The karate specialist was reportedly jogging when three Kuwaiti young men approached and started mocking and verbally assaulting him for no reason. His attempts to ward them off only made them more offensive. The man decided to take matters into his own hands with a slew of punches and kicks that sent them fleeing. The three headed to the police station to press battery charges against the man, who later showed up and filed a countersuit. An eyewitness was summoned and explained that the jogger carried out his attack in self defense against the harassers. Investigations are ongoing.

Thief drops phone Police were recently able to identify a thief, who robbed a farm in Kabad, through his cell phone which he accidently dropped at the scene. Criminal investigators headed to the location after the farm owner reported the theft of a KD700 egg incubator, in addition to four roosters collectively worth KD250. They

found a cell phone while inspecting the scene, and were able to identify the owner of the number, who turned out to be a man with a criminal record. A search is currently ongoing for the suspect, who wasn’t found at his home.

Car theft Investigations are currently ongoing in search of three suspects accused of stealing a car at knife point. The Kuwaiti man put an advertisement in the newspaper to sell a brand new car, he won in a raffle draw, for KD5000.

Soon, a customer called and agreed to meet the seller to view the car in Sulaibiya. As soon as the owner went to the location, he was jumped by three people who assaulted him physically before stealing the vehicle.

Suicide attempt A domestic worker was hospitalized with severe bleeding following a suicide attempt committed inside a Hadiyya house recently. The Nepalese woman was rushed to Adan Hospital by her employer, who encountered her cutting her wrist with a razor blade. The maid’s condition stabilized after the medical staff stopped the bleeding. Investigations revealed that the suicide attempt was motivated by bad news the woman received from home.

—Al-Rai, Al-Anbaa, Al-Watan

Amir sponsors Warba Bank launch KUWAIT: Under the patronage and attendance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed AlJaber Al-Sabah, Warba Bank celebrates tomorrow (Wednesday), its formal launch in a grand ceremony that is being hosted to commemorate the importance of an event that has national economic significance. The ceremony will also witness the attendance of high-ranking political and business figures.

In a first of its kind initiative occurring on a worldwide scale, the

launch of Warba Bank, a shariacompliant financial institution, came on the basis of the government of HH the Amir, granting 76% of the total capital to the entire Kuwaiti nationals’ population; that is 684 fils per individual. The government, represented by the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), owns the remaining 24%. The authorized share capital of Warba Bank is KD 100 million. Warba Bank is registered in the Islamic Banks’ register of the Central Bank of

Kuwait and is constituted as a Kuwaiti shareholding company since April 5, 2010.

The Bank has already commenced its business by successfully accomplishing several unique investment deals, corporate banking transactions, in addition to the successful launch of its four branches in Hawally, Al Qibla, Salmiya, and Sharq during the first quarter of 2012. The bank is also planning to open of its fifth branch in the third quarter of the current year.

Amendment of Constitutional Court Act KUWAIT: The parliamentary legislative and legal committee ended on Sunday a debate on amending the law of the Constitutional Court that determines its terms of reference.

Committee R appor teur Dr. Mohammed al-Dallal said in a statement that the committee will meet soon to complete the final

formula of the Constitutional Court Act in preparation for submitting it to the parliament.

Al-Dallal added that the amendment of the said Act contains several points, notably to allow citizens and legal persons to challenge directly in front of the Constitutional Court according to certain controls to ensure the seri-

ousness of these appeals. He said the committee adopted a proposal on the nature of the formation of the Constitutional Cour t, a mixed formation of the Judicial Council and nominations from the government and parliament according to certain conditions and controls. He explained that the new law set its terms of refer-

ence which are look ing into appeals on the constitutionality of laws, regulations and decrees, adding that any other jurisdiction currently existing such as interpretation of constitution articles does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, unless it relates to a perspective judicial dispute.— KUNA

Kuwait hosts disabled persons’ education conference

KUWAIT: The Municipality is continuing its campaign to remove all violations from Amghara scrap yard located in the vicinity of nearby residential areas. Officials received instructions from Abdul Aziz Al-Ibrahim, Minister of Electricity and Water. The campaign resulted in the removal of 12 truckloads of waste, debris and tires, in addition to 10 abandoned vehicles. They also cleaned up the coastal area in Saad Al-Abdullah. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Representative of His Highness the Amir, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf inaugurated here Sunday the International Conference for IT and Communications for the Disabled and people with Learning Difficulties which will be held under the banner (a better life with technology).

Al-Hajraf, also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the regional center for the development of educational software, asserted Kuwait’s keenness and interest in people with special needs to take what provides them with due care and in all aspects of their lives, especially regarding education.

He considered that care, “a national duty dictated on us by our social and religious values on one hand and a commit-

ment to international laws and covenants on the other.”

The Minister also stressed keenness of His Highness the Amir to confirm the approach of the State of Kuwait in support of the joint work and support all regional, Arab and international efforts that would lead to the development in all fields, especially education.

Al-Hajraf also asserted Kuwait’s keenness to keep pace with sophisticated programs designed to care for people with disabilities and learning difficulties, as well as their special educational, scientific and technical methods, especially after educational technology has imposed its presence in the education systems and became an essential tributary for the promotion and development of formal education in general. — KUNA

Doha Film Institute launches ‘Producers Network’ CANNES: The Doha Film Institute launched a “Producers Network” program during the 65th Cannes Film Festival to encourage the new wave of film industry in the Middle East region.

The Kuwaiti International award-winning filmmaker Abdullah Boushahri has been chosen to be part of this program because of his well-received films such as Haven’s Water, Losing Ahmad and The Circle.

He said yesterday that being under the umbrella of a production company of

such caliber would create a great opportunity to learn the filmmaking industry from prominent figures in this art through workshops, meetings and seminars. It would provide a chance to invest and develop in this new passion of storytelling not only in the Gulf region but also in Middle East and North Africa. The Doha Film institute has picked 23 feature films, documentaries and shorts from the Arab world and North Africa that will receive funding under its twice-yearly grants program. —KUNA

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Ban warns Syria at ‘pivotal moment’ Page 8

NATO signals end of unpopular Afghan war Page 10

TEHRAN: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano (L) speaks during a press conference as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Said Jalili (R) looks on in Tehran yesterday during the former’s official visit that was being closely watched ahead of wider nuclear talks between Iran and world powers later this week. — AFP

IAEA chief holds talks in Tehran Seeks access to Iran sites, scientists TEHRAN: International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano and Iran’s lead negotiator, Saeed Jalili, hailed “intensive” and “very good” talks on Iran’s nuclear programme yesterday, state television said.

The upbeat assessment was seen as significant ahead of broader, more substantive talks to take place on Wednesday in Baghdad between an Iranian delegation led by Jalili and representatives of world powers in the so-called P5+1 group.

“We had expansive and intensive talks in a positive atmosphere,” Amano was quoted as saying by the Persian language broadcaster IRIB, which added that he lauded the “good atmosphere” of the discussions.

“Certainly the progress of these talks will have a positive effect on Iran and the P5+1 negotiations. Of course these two issues are different from one another, but can underpin each other,” he said.

Jalili said of the discussions: “We had very good talks with Amano and, God willing, we will have good cooperation in the future.” He and the IAEA chief said the discussions focused on nuclear disarmament, halting nuclear weapons proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy as permitted under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They also discussed “consolidating” the UN nuclear surveillance agency to make it more effective in pursuing those goals, IRIB said. Amano was further quoted as saying that his agency was in no way involved in the recent assassinations of several Iranian nuclear scientists, and he promised to safeguard classified information gleaned from nuclear inspections. One area of contention was hinted at, however, when Amano commented on Iran’s insistence that a “road map” be established that would fix a sequence for Tehran to respond

to IAEA suspicions of nuclear weapons research. “I will not get into details,” he was quoted as saying. “The agency has its own view and Iran has its own.”

That had bearing on the UN agency’s repeated demands-rebuffed by Tehran-that it be given access to a key military installation, Parchin, outside Tehran, where the IAEA suspects explosives tests for nuclear warhead research have been conducted.

Western governments have accused Iran of removing evidence at the site, while Amano has said that satellite imagery showed unspecified activity there. Iran says Parchin is not a designated nuclear site and thus it is not obliged to permit IAEA inspections, although it last did so in 2005.

It says if it did allow inspections of the site, they would have to be part of an agreed “road map” that would address the IAEA’s concerns in a set order. Iran has denied

Catholic dioceses, colleges sue over Obama mandate

Iran sacks diplomat in Brazil groping scandal

NEW YORK: Dozens of Roman Catholic dioceses, schools and other institutions sued the Obama administration yesterday over a government mandate requiring most employers to provide birth control coverage as part of their employee health plans.

The lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country represent the largest push against the mandate since President Barack Obama announced the policy in January. Among those suing are the University of Notre Dame, the Archdioceses of Washington, New York and Michigan, and the Catholic University of America.

“We have tried negotiation with the administration and legislation with the Congress, and we’ll keep at it, but there’s still no fixp worship to opt-out of the mandate, but keeps the requirement in place for religiously affiliated charities.

In response to the political furor, Obama offered to soften the rule so that insurers would pay for birth control instead of religious groups. However, the bishops and others have said that the accommodation doesn’t go far enough.

Health and Human Services spokeswoman Erin Shields said Monday that the department does not comment on pending litigation. Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, said in a statement that the school decided to sue “after much deliberation, discussion and efforts to find a solution acceptable to the various parties.” The university argued that the mandate violates religious freedom by requiring many religiously affiliated hospitals, schools and charities to comply.—AP

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said yesterday it has sacked one of its diplomats who allegedly fondled underaged girls in a swimming pool in Brazil, where he was stationed before being recalled. “After an investigation into the violations by the Iranian employee of the Iranian embassy in Brazil, it was found his behaviour was contrary to administrative regulations and Islamic conduct ... thus he was dismissed,” the ministry said in a statement.

Brazilian media identified the diplomat as Hekmatollah Ghorbani, 51, and reported that he groped at least four Brazilian girls aged between nine and 15 in a Brasilia pool last month, making them cry and attracting the fury of their parents.

He was arrested but quick ly released when Brazilian police verified his diplomatic immunity. Iran’s embassy in Brasilia had initially defended the diplomat by issuing a statement claiming the groping allegations were the result of a “cultural misunderstanding”. But foreign ministr y spokesman R amin Mehmanparast subsequently said the diplomat had been recalled and would be “dealt with”, even though he also asserted that the incident was being twisted

by Western and Arab media. In Iran, men and women of any age are not permitted to share swimming pools. Iranian officials and representatives are expected to follow Islamic rules while abroad. — AFP

IAEA and Western suspicions that it has embarked on any nuclear weapons work.

Amano had said before leaving for Tehran that, while he was going into the discussions with a positive mindset, his one-day visit was too short to carry out indepth work such as inspections.

He was to hold another discussion late Monday with Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi before leaving for his return flight to IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

His trip, hastily planned, was the fruit of talks last week at the IAEA between lowerranking IAEA and Iranian officials. The results of his talks would inevitably flow into the Baghdad talks to take place on Wednesday between Jalili and representatives of the P5+1 — veto-wielding UN Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany.

Iran wants to see Western sanctions targeting its vital oil and financial sectors eased. Its officials insist that they are having no effect, despite analysts and traders’ information to the contrary. Those sanctions are programmed to be ratcheted up further in just over a month’s time, when US and EU measures aimed at blocking Iran’s foreign oil sales come fully into effect.

The United Nations has also imposed its own set of sanc tions on I ran in a series of resolutions that call for the Islamic republic to suspend all uranium e n r i c h m e n t - s o m e t h i n g Te h r a n h a s repeatedly refused to do.

The spectre of military action against Iran by the United States or its ally Israelthe sole if undeclared nuclear weapons state in the Middle East looms should the P5+1 nuclear talks fail to make headway. — AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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

Hardline Islamists hold meeting in Tunisia KAIROUAN: Thousands of hardline Islamists, some in Afghan military garb and waving swords, converged in central Tunisia to rally for one of the country’s most radical religious movements. Under the stunned gaze of a few tourists, who quickly scurried away, busloads of supporters of the Ansar al-Sharia movement poured into Kairouan, Islam’s fourth-holiest city.

The assembly provided a vivid illustration of the rise of the hardline Islamist movement in Tunisia, a nation under secular rule until a recent revolution. Waving black flags proclaiming their extreme doctrine known as Salafism, the male crowd from all parts of Tunisia unfurled a large banner on

the minaret of the city’s mosque, the oldest in Africa.

Organisers of the assembly gave attendees, who had gathered outside the mosque and in the medina, strict instructions not to talk to reporters and to “stay calm”. But many defied a request not to chant slogans.

“We are all the children of Osama (bin Laden)”, and “Jews, Jews, the army of Mohammed is back” were among the slogans that could be heard, though organisers tried to hush such chanting. Some attendees shouted war cries or voiced religious chants, while others gave martial arts, sword fighting and horseback demonstrations.

The hardline movement was launched in April 2011 after a popular uprising led to the ouster of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a secular dictator who came to be loathed by his people. The protests against his rule triggered what would become the Arab Spring uprisings that led to the toppling of other longstanding autocrats including Libya’s Momamer Gadddafi.

Since then, moderate Islamists have assumed positions of power while the opposition void they left has seen a surge in fundamentalist religious movements advocating for hardline sharia law. This year ’s meeting in Kairouan is Ansar al-Sharia’s second annual gathering.

“The second congress ... reunites all brothers whose objective it is to apply sharia and God’s law in our country,” stated a magazine called “ The Promise” that was distributed at the entrance. Ridha Bel Haj, who leads the banned Hizb Ettahrir political party told the crowd that seeing so many attendees filled him with hope.

“The revolution was made so that sharia could be applied,” he said.

Another speaker, a sheikh called Mokhtar Jibali, said: “Every Muslim is a jihadist. Jihad is an obligation.” Ansar al-Sharia’s leader Seif Allah Ben Hassine, also known as Abu Yiadh, who is on a United Nations list from 2002 as having ties to al-Qaeda but

was granted amnesty after the fall of Ben Ali, was also due to speak.

A few taken-aback tourists left as the gathering grew and several traders in the medina quietly moaned that their day’s business had been ruined.

In the courtyard of a house near the mosque, a group of women expressed themselves more candidly.

“Frankly, my first reaction in seeing them was fear,” said Ouided, a mother.

“I don’t know if they bring luck or misfortune to Tunisia, but I’m afraid of a second, religious revolution.” “They’re talking nonsense and the state is far too tolerant,” she added. Researchers estimate Salafists count about 10,000 followers in Tunisia. — AFP

Ban warns Syria at ‘pivotal moment’ Troops fire on people at funeral

NABLUS: The son of arrested Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP) local leader Reda Khaled, sits in a bedroom after it was searched by the Israeli army in the Alain Palestinian refugee camp in the northern city of Nablus in the Israeli occupied West Bank yesterday. Khaled was arrested by the Israeli army. — AFP

Palestinian prisoners still on hunger strike JERUSALEM: Two Palestinian prisoners held by Israel are refusing food a week after a deal to end a mass prisoner hunger strike, Israeli and Palestinian officials said yesterday. But officials on both sides played down the ongoing hunger strike by Mahmud Sarsak and Akram Rikhawi, saying it was not a breach of the agreement since the two were not part of the mass hunger strike that ended last Monday.

“They weren’t part of the general prisoner strike over conditions of imprisonment, they are striking for their own personal issues,” Israel Prison Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman told AFP. Some 1,550 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel ended a hunger strike last Monday in exchange for a pack age of measures which would allow visits from relatives in Gaza, and the transfer of detainees out of solitary confinement.

In return, prisoner leaders committed to not engage in militant activity inside jail and to refrain from future hunger strikes. On Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, which tracks the well-being of the 4,700 Palestinians in Israeli jails, told AFP that Sarsak,

Rik hawi and a third prisoner, Mohammed Abdel Aziz, were refusing food. But both Weizman and the Prisoners’ Club yesterday said Abdel Aziz had star ted eating again. The Prisoners’ Club stressed that Sarsak and Rikhawi’s hunger strike “won’t affect the deal reached with Israel, since both were on hunger strike before the general strike over the prisoners’ demands began.” Sarsak, who comes from Gaza and is demanding to be recognised as a prisoner of war, began refusing food on March 23, and went 53 days without eating before a short break on May 14 when the deal was signed.

He restarted his strike a day later.

Rikhawi is demanding that the prison authority hand over his medical file prior to him appearing before a prison release committee to expedite his release. He stopped eating for the first time on April 18 but also ate briefly last week before restarting his strike.

Weizman said the two were in “good condition” and were under medical supervision in the infirmary in Ramle prison near Tel Aviv. She said both were due to be released “in the next month or two.” — AFP

DAMASCUS: UN chief Ban Kimoon warned yesterday that the search for peace in Syria was at a “pivotal moment” and expressed strong concerns of an all-out civil war, as a five-week-old truce was broken yet again.

Regime forces ambushed and killed a group of army deserters in a Damascus suburb, a watchdog said, as bloodshed related to the Syrian crisis spread to Beirut, the capital of neighbouring Lebanon, for the first time since the upheaval erupted in March 2011.

As NATO ruled out military action against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a spokesman for UN leader Ban said at a Chicago summit of the alliance that he was increasingly worried about the situation in Syria. “The secretary general said we were at a pivotal moment in the search for a peaceful settlement to the crisis and that he remained extremely troubled about the risk of an all-out civil war,” he said in a statement. On the ground, nine army deserters were killed as they retreated under cover of darkness from Jisr al-Ab village near the Damascus suburb of Douma, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Also in the Damascus area, troops fired on people at a funeral, the Britain-based watchdog said. Elsewhere five civilians were killed, including two in a bombing and military raid in central Hama province, one by unidentified gunmen in the nearby region of Homs, and two more in fighting between the army and rebels in coastal Banias.

Clashes were also reported in northwestern Idlib and northern Aleppo, where explosions and gunfire were heard, the Observatory said. The latest violence comes after a rocket-propelled grenade exploded on Sunday near UN obser vers in Douma, and at least 48 people were killed elsewhere in the country.

No one was hurt in Sunday’s Douma blast, which came as UN mission head Major General Robert Mood and peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous were leading

DAMASCUS: UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous holds a news conferense in Damascus yesterday as Syrian forces ambushed and killed nine army deserters in a northern suburb of the Syrian capital, according to a human rights watchdog while NATO ruled out military action against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. — AFP observers around the suburb.

NATO, which undertook a major air war in Libya to back rebels who fought Moamer Kadhafi’s forces last year, said it has “no intention” of taking military action against Assad’s regime.

“We strongly condemn the behaviour of the Syrian security forces and their crackdowns on the Syrian population,” NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a Chicago summit on Sunday. “But again NATO has no intention to intervene in Syria.”

NATO states have come under criticism for backing the air war in Libya but ruling out military intervention in Syria, where opposition demonstrators and badly outgunned rebels have been hammered by heavily-armed regime forces. Sunday’s blast followed several other close calls for the UN monitors since they deployed in Syria, where 260 observers are now on the ground according to Mood. On May 16, a homemade bomb struck a convoy of UN observers in the flash-

Military urges Egyptians to accept looming vote CAIRO: The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces yesterday urged Egyptians to accept the results of a looming presidential election, the first in the country since a 2011 uprising ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the SCAF stressed “the importance of accepting the results of the election which will reflect the choice of the free Egyptian people.” Around 50 million eligible voters are being called to choose Mubarak’s successor on Wednesday and Thursday, with a run-off scheduled next month should there be no outright winner.

Campaigning for the landmark poll ended on Sunday night, wrapping up an unprecedented exercise in democracy made possible by the 2011 revolt. According to the electoral rules laid down by the Supreme Presidential Election Commission, the dozen candidates cannot give any media interviews or make public appearances until polls close.

The main contenders are former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Mussa; Ahmed Shafiq, the last premier to serve under Mubarak; the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Mursi and independent Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul

Fotouh. The SCAF is touting the poll as evidence that “the democratic process is taking its first step, we must all participate.”

The council, led by Mubarak’s longtime defence minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, said it was of “utmost importance” that Egyptians vote in the poll “on which hopes are pinned that the country (will move) towards progress, prosperity and stability.”

Parliamentary speaker Saad alKatatni declared that “Egypt is witnessing an unprecedented experience,” in a meeting with former US president Jimmy Carter in Cairo, the official MENA news agency reported. Carter had arrived on Sunday with a delegation from his Carter Center to monitor the polls. “The Egyptian people will accept the results of the election whatever they may be as long as the (polls) are fair and express the will of people,” said Katatni. Initial results of expatriate voting showed Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mursi leading the race thanks to massive support from the Egyptian community in Saudi Arabia.

Egyptians abroad went to the polls ahead of their compatriots at home, with embassies and consulates gradually releasing results.

point central city of Homs, damaging three vehicles but causing no casualties. The regime and its opponents trade accusations after such attacks. An Islamist group, the Al-Nusra Front, yesterday claimed responsibility for a weekend suicide car bomb attack in Syria’s main eastern city of Deir Ezzor that killed at least nine people and wounded 100 others.

The Al-Nusra Front said “a suicide bomber rammed a car bomb against buildings of military security, and aviation information, causing deaths and injuries among members of the regime.”

It said it was “determined to continue its operations to clean the land of the Alawites and end the injustice that strikes the Sunnis” in Syria. The violence in Syria appeared to spill over into Beirut, with overnight street battles between pro- and anti-Syrian groups. “During the night, groups of young men cut off the road in the Tareek el-Jdideh district and street battles followed,” a security official said.

“Two people were killed and 18 were wounded,” he said, adding machineguns had been fired and that the fighting had raged until about 3:00 am (2400 GMT). The clashes broke out after reports emerged troops had shot dead an anti-Syria Sunni cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahid, when his convoy failed to stop at a checkpoint in north Lebanon on Sunday.

The cleric’s killing followed a week of intermittent clashes that left 10 people dead in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli between Sunnis hostile to the Syrian regime and Alawites who support Assad. A Lebanese judicial official said 21 soldiers, including three officers, were being questioned by military police in relation to the cleric’s death.

UN chief Ban, who met with new French President Francois Hollande in Chicago, was also “concerned about the outbreak of related violence in Lebanon,” the statement added. — AFP

Bahrain in spotlight at UN over political prisoners

CAIRO: Presidential candidate Khaled Ali is surrounded by journalists following a presser on the interim constitution, which is expected to be released in a few days, at his campaign headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. — AP A tally announced by Egyptian missions in 33 countries put Mursi far ahead, with 106,252 votes, with Abul Fotouh following with 77,499.

Pan-Arab Nasserist Hamdeen Sabbahi came third with 44,727 votes, while Mussa was in fourth place, followed by Shafiq. Hopefuls have been criss-crossing the country for weeks, promising a brighter future to a population led by a string of autocratic rulers for decades.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said security forces would be deployed at polling stations

around the country, particularly at the 351 centres where ballot papers will be taken for the count.

The election has pitted Islamists against secularists, and revolutionaries against members of the former regime, and for the first time in the country’s history, the outcome is unknown. Just moments before the deadline for the “campaign silence,” the power ful Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mursi warned Sunday against any attempt to tamper with the presidential poll, at a rally attended by thousands of supporters.—AFP

GENEVA: Bahrain faced calls at the United Nations yesterday to release its political prisoners, including prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab who is charged with tweeting insults against the government. The Gulf kingdom came under scrutiny by members of the UN Human Rights Council, which is examining Bahrain’s rights record as part of its four-yearly review process.

“France condemns the arbitrary arrests and ongoing charges against defenders of human rights, trade unionists and campaigners for simply expressing their opinions,” said French ambassador to the UN in Geneva Nicolas Niemtchinow, who highlighted the case of Rajab and fellow activist Abdulhadi alKhawaja.

Rajab, who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has been leading antigovernment protests following a brutal crackdown on Shiite-led demonstrations against the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty in March 2011.

Rajab was detained on May 5 for “i n s u l t i n g a s t a t u t o r y b o d y v i a Twitter” and also faces trial for taking part in a Manama demonstration three months ago. Khawaja was convicted last June of plotting to overthrow the government and has been

on a hunger strike since February 8.

At the meeting France requested a “humanitarian response” for the dissident and Denmark said he should be released for treatment. The United States meanwhile called for a review of the convictions of all people involved in non-violent protest and Britain recommended new trials for all defendants convicted in military courts.

HRC members and observers welcomed the setting up of an independent commission of inquiry following the crackdown in which 35 people were killed but said more must be done to implement its recommendations.

Bahraini Human Rights Minister Salah Bin Ali Mohamed Abdulrahman said “radical measures and progressive steps” had been taken to overcome the “sad and unfortunate events” of March 2011.

Some of the recommendations required legislative amendments and this “may take some time,” he said. But the minister told the meeting Bahrain held no prisoners on charges relating to freedom of expression. “Any such charges have been withdrawn. The only cases (remaining) are criminal cases.

“These cases are being looked at by the judiciary therefore the government cannot interfere,” he said. — AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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

Prosecutor launches new Strauss-Kahn rape probe PARIS: A French prosecutor yesterday opened a preliminary investigation into allegations of rape in a Washington hotel by former IMF chief and one-time French presidential hopeful Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

The move by the prosecutor in Lille in northern France followed a request by investigating judges earlier this month to broaden a suspected prostitution probe to examine the claims of rape in December 2010.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that they are looking into the allegation that Strauss-Kahn may have been involved in a rape during a sex party in the hotel while he was head of the International Monetary Fund.

The married Strauss-Kahn, 63, says whatever happened

was consensual, and he has denied doing anything violent.

The prominent economist, once a top contender for France’s presidency, has seen his career and reputation crumble since he was accused of sexual assault in a New York hotel a year ago.

Strauss-Kahn is already a target in the Lille prostitution probe, which has mushroomed over the past year into a nationwide scandal. He is facing preliminary charges of alleged aggravated pimping, based on accusations by other people questioned in the investigation.

He denies those charges. He has acknowledged being involved in “libertine” activity, while saying that he was unaware of anyone being paid for sex. French daily Liberation reported this month that two

Belgian prostitutes questioned in the Lille probe described Strauss-Kahn as using violence during sex at the W Hotel in Washington and forcing a sexual act on her despite her protests.

Citing leaked transcripts of witness testimony to Belgian police, also involved in the probe, Liberation cited one of the prostitutes as saying that Strauss-Kahn “used force, he held down my hands, he pulled my hair, he hurt me.” The woman is quoted as testifying that another man held her hands down while StraussKahn assaulted her.

Neither of the prostitutes has filed legal complaints, but French rules allow for an investigation even without a formal complaint. Police are handling the preliminary investigation

that could end with all suspicions of rape being dropped or lead to an eventual charge.

A statement signed by Strauss-Kahn’s three lawyers insisted the probe would show that their client “never committed violent acts nor had any relation whatsoever without the consent of his partners.”

The attorneys claimed this new investigation is part of a bid, including by the media, to demolish Strauss-Kahn. “In this affair, we witness, incredulous and scandalized, a pas-de-deux between the media and justice, unable to tell which one is leading the other, but both motivated by an unremitting will to lead to the downfall of a man,” said the statement by Frederique Baulieu and colleagues.

The Lille probe focuses on a

suspected prostitution ring involving prominent city figures and police. Prostitutes questioned in the case said they had sex with Strauss-Kahn in 2010 and 2011 at a luxury hotel in Paris, a restaurant in the French capital and also in Washington, DC, where he lived while working at the Washington-based IMF, judicial officials say.

Strauss-Kahn is also facing a trial in New York over a lawsuit by a hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault in May 2011. A judge ruled this week that the trial can go forward despite Strauss-Kahn’s claim that he had diplomatic immunity.

Strauss-Kahn has countersued, filing a $1 million lawsuit against the New York City hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo, saying

she seriously damaged his reputation with what he calls a bogus allegation.

The disgraced French politician said in court papers filed last week that the Guineanborn Diallo made a “malicious and wanton false accusation” when she said he assaulted her one year ago after she arrived to clean his hotel suite.

A French writer had accused Strauss-Kahn of sexually assaulting her during an interview in 2003, but prosecutors ruled last year that too much time had passed to pursue her complaint.

All the accusations against Strauss-Kahn, known as DSK in France, prompted discussion in France about ingrained sexism and sexual harassment in politics and business in this country. — AP

Putin puts his stamp on new Russia govt Medvedev wins key industry post MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin put his stamp on a new government yesterday that kept his most trusted allies in charge of finance while leaving tested veterans at the helm of foreign affairs and defence.

But the cabinet also saw a top liberal aide of current premier and Putin’s predecessor Dmitry Medvedev win a key industry post after a reportedly bruising battle with some of the more hawkish members of Russia’s government.

acterised much of his 2000-2008 presidency.

The ex-KGB spy and his protege Medvedev went on to complete a disputed job swap after the polls that will stretch Putin’s 12-year domination until 2018 and was one of the primary triggers for mass protests in recent months.

Many of the faces in Russia’s new cabinet featured in the outgoing cabinet while some of those not making the cut are expected instead to move over to Putin’s Kremlin

KREMLIN: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (L) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev meet in the Kremlin in Moscow, yesterday. Putin put today his stamp on a new government that kept his most trusted allies in charge of finance while leaving a tested veteran at the foreign ministry helm. — AFP Putin assembled his new team two weeks after being sworn in for a third term at the Kremlin and sombrely pronounced their mission a difficult one at a time of global economic flux. “The situation the world economy finds itself in today is uncertain. There are a lot of uncertainty factors,” Putin said in televised remarks.

“You will have to implement Russia’s development programme in these conditions.”

Putin’s crushing victory in March elections sparked immediate fears of a return to the confrontational tone with the West that char-

administration. Putin kept close ally Igor Shuvalov as first deputy prime minister in charge of finance while handing the vital industry sector to Medvedev’s former adviser Arkady Dvorkovich-a market darling who favours privatisation.

“It looks like we might still see some reforms-Dvorkovich is confirmation of that,” said Olga Mefodyeva of the Centre for Political Technologies. The finance ministry brief went to its current holder and Russian budget mastermind Anton Siluanov while senior cabinet veteran Andrei Belousov was named the new

economic development minister. Putin also reappointed the long-serving Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov while replacing his scandal-tainted interior minister Rushid Nurgaliyev with Moscow police chief Vladimir Kolokoltsev. Russia’s current energy czar Igor Sechin-viewed as one of Putin’s most powerful and trusted allies-left Medvedev’s cabinet but was still expected to keep broad influence over industry and future oil and gas deals.

The hawkish Sechin and Medvedev’s aide Dvorkovich have clashed previously over the pace at which Kremlin-controlled banks and industries should be sold off to private investors in a bid to stimulate Russia’s stalling growth.

The new cabinet features just two womenone in charge of social affairs and the other health-in what Putin called a disappointment.

“Unfortunately, there are not too many women. But they are there,” he said. The government’s makeup had been kept under wraps for two weeks in an unusual departure from the earlier practice of instant appointments. The delay has provided Putin with an excuse for skipping a G8 summit hosted by US President Barack Obama last week-a move the Kremlin insisted was not a slight for Washington’s criticism of Russia’s record on rights issues.

Medvedev went to Camp David in Putin’s place and told reporters over the weekend that the government’s appointments needed careful study because they would include fresh faces. But several analysts said the appointments did little to encourage reforms because Putin was still likely to keep a tight reign on most financial and business decisions. Economists at Alfa Bank said earlier in the day the appointments indicated “a strong focus on maintaining the balance of power between the president and the prime minister rather than forming a proactive team of economic reformers.” “The government will faithfully serve Putin and preserve his authority,” added analyst Yury Korgunyuk of the INDEM research institute. “Medvedev was allowed to make a few appointments to reward him for his loyalty.” — AFP

Convicted Lockerbie bomber buried TRIPOLI: Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, the only person convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people, was buried yesterday after he died of cancer protesting his innocence to the end.

Well-wishers held traditional Muslim prayers and paid their respects to Megrahi’s family in a subdued ceremony in Janzur, a suburb just west of the capital. “His pain is over now-he is with God,” said Mohammed al-Megrahi, insisting that his brother paid the

price for a crime he did not commit. “There never was exact proof,” he said. As the body was lowered into the grave, one distraught relative shouted: “He is innocent, he is innocent.” Megrahi was found guilty of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988, killing all 259 people on board and another 11 people on the ground. He died on Sunday, almost three years after the Scottish government freed him on compassionate grounds following his diagnosis with

JANZUR: Friends and relatives bury the body of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet Al-Megrahi, the only person convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people, during his funeral yesterday in Janzur, a suburb West of the Libyan capital. Megrahi, who always maintained his innocence, died on May 20, almost three years after the Scottish government freed him on compassionate grounds following his diagnosis with prostate cancer. — AFP

prostate cancer. Megrahi’s death has revived the debate on whether his conviction was flawed and prompted sharply contrasting reactions in Britain and the United States.

He had always maintained his innocence, arguing that US agencies “led the way” in securing his conviction.

His brother Abdelhakim defended him on Sunday, saying he was the “scapegoat” of the regime of Moammer Gaddafi, toppled in a popular uprising last year. “He has died and has left us with the feeling of injustice,” he told AFP. “Everyone knows that the Gaddafi regime blamed its mistakes on others.” The brother said the family would cooperate fully with any reopened investigation into the Lockerbie killings.

“We are convinced of Abdelbaset’s innocence. Yes, we want the truth.

It’s in our interest,” Abdelhakim said. The US government, which was outraged by Scotland’s decision to free the former Libyan airline security chief, said his death concluded “an unfortunate chapter.” “We will continue working with our new partners in Libya toward a full accounting of (Moamer) Kadhafi’s horrific acts,” said US National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Libya’s interim government pledged its full cooperation with any further inquiries into the Lockerbie bombing, which some, particularly in Britain, have blamed

on Iran and its Palestinian allies rather than Gaddafii.

“In Libya, it is in our interest to close this case and bring out the truth,” said Transitional National Council spokesman Mohammed Harizi. “We want to expose the crimes of Gaddafi which did so much harm to the Libyan people.”

Britain’s Independent newspaper demanded a public inquiry but its calls were rejected by Prime Minister David Cameron who again criticised Megrahi’s release by the Scottish authorities, who have devolved powers in judicial affairs.

“Megrahi’s death is no reason to stop trying to get to the truth,” said the left-leaning newspaper’s editorial. Cameron insisted: “There was a proper process, a proper court proceeding and all the rest of it.

We have to give people the chance to mourn those that were lost.”

The fact that Megrahi survived much longer than the doctors had estimated provoked indignation in Britain and the United States. The convict had been greeted as a hero on his return to Gaddafi’s Libya, after having served eight years of a minimum 27-year sentence for his role in the Lockerbie bombing. Several relatives of US citizens killed in the Lockerbie bombing said they were pleased that Megrahi had died. “He deserved to die,” said Susan Cohen, whose daughter Theodora was one of the victims. — AFP

SANT’AGOSTINO: In this picture made available by Italian Fire Brigades, Vigili del Fuoco, a firefighter works amid debris in Sant’Agostino, northern Italy, yesterday. A magnitude-6.0 earthquake shook northern Italy early Sunday, killing six people and toppling some buildings, emergency services and news reports said. — AP

Aftershocks rattle Italy, residents sleep outdoors FINALE EMILIA: Thousands of people in northern Italy slept in tents and cars overnight as more than 100 aftershocks rocked the area hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that killed seven people and inflicted heavy damage to centuries-old cultural sites.

“The fear that your house will collapse on your head is great, so it was good to be able to sleep in this tent,” said one man who spent the night outdoors, cold but safe, in the town of San Felice Sul Panaro. Heavy rainfall added to the misery of about 3,000 people who had to abandon their homes and made conditions more difficult for civil protection workers. But most residents said they were content with the relief effort. “They set up these tents very quickly. I felt safe,” an elderly woman said.

Sunday’s earthquake killed four factory workers who were on the night shift, an elderly woman who was hit by a beam and two women who died as a result of shock. It also left a swathe of damage across the Emilia-Romagna region, felling ancient churches and severely damaging a 14th-century castle that had withstood wars and invasions.

The 14th-century clock tower in Finale Emilia was split vertically as if hit by a meat cleaver when the quake struck at

4:04 a.m. (0204 GMT), leaving only one half - showing the Roman numerals from seven to eleven - standing. Twelve hours later, an aftershock of magnitude 5.1 brought down the other half.

The quake hit a generally flat area in the Po River Valley that was believed to have been safe from major seismic activity. The quake, and a bombing that killed a teenage girl in southern Italy on Saturday, prompted Prime Minister Mario Monti to cut short his trip to the United States and return to Italy. “ This is one of the times that the country should feel united and close to those who are suffering and I believe it is,” he said in Chicago, announcing his decision to return early from a NATO summit. The tremors caused the greatest loss to Italy’s artistic heritage since an earthquake in 1997 ravaged the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, where the ceiling collapsed.

The imposing 14th-century Estense Castle, symbol of the town of San Felice Sul Panaro, was severely damaged. The tops of several of its smaller towers collapsed and there were fears that the main tower, weakened by cracks, could tumble. Centuries-old frescoes and other works of art were badly damaged in three of the town’s churches. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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

Families of Lockerbie victims still seek answers NEW YORK: The death of the only man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing has left some victims’ relatives relieved and others raising questions about his guilt and whether others went unpunished.

Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence official, died Sunday of cancer, his family said. His death renewed pleas from some victims’ relatives for further investigation of the bombing. “It closes a chapter but it doesn’t close the book. We know he wasn’t the only person involved,” Frank Dugan, president of the group Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, said from Alexandria, Va. Al-Megrahi was convicted of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town on Dec. 21, 1988. The bombing killed 270 people, many of them New York and New Jersey residents. Syracuse University in central New York was particularly hard hit: 35 students on the way home for Christmas break died in the bombing.

Libyan ruler Moammar Gaddafi handed over al-Megrahi and a second suspect to Scottish authorities after years of punishing UN sanctions. In

2003, Gaddafi acknowledged responsibility, though not guilt, for the bombing and paid compensation of about $2.7 billion (euro 2.12 billion) to victims’ families.

The families had banded together after the bombing, immersing themselves in terrorist policy, international relations and airline security and lobbying for compensation from the Libyan government. Some relatives attended al-Megrahi’s trial in the Netherlands. When he was released to Libya from a Scottish prison in 2009 on humanitarian grounds - he was supposedly close to death - they were outraged, especially after al-Megrahi lived far longer than the few months the doctors had predicted.

Susan Cohen of Cape May Court House, New Jersey, whose daughter was among the Syracuse University students on the flight, said al-Megrahi deserved no compassion. “The fact that he was able to get out and live with his family these past few years is an appalling miscarriage of justice.

There was no excuse for that,” Cohen said Sunday. “He should have died in the Scottish prison. He should have

new evidence - and old evidence withheld from trial - suggested that alMegrahi “may have suffered a miscarriage of justice.” Its 800-page report prompted an appeal on al-Megrahi’s behalf, but by then his fate was in the hands of politicians in London, Tripoli and Edinburgh, all of whom jockeyed for position as Libya rebuilt its ties with Britain and al-Megrahi’s health deteriorated.

Still protesting his innocence, alMegrahi dropped the appeal in a bid to clear the path for his release on compassionate grounds. He flew home to a hero’s welcome in 2009. AlMegrahi’s death should not be an excuse to stop trying to find out who was behind the bombing, Cohen said.

She called on U.S. and British officials to “dig even deeper” into the case.

The Scottish government said Sunday that it will continue investigating the bombing. Bert Ammerman of River Vale, New Jersey, lost his brother in the bombing. He blames the US and Britain for failing to track all leads in the case and noted that Gaddafi’s former spy chief was arrested in March in Mauritania. “He holds the key to what

been tried in the United States and faced capital punishment.”

The views of other victims’ families on al-Megrahi’s role in the bombing vary widely. “Megrahi is the 271st victim of Lockerbie,” said David BenAyreah, who represents some British families of victims. He attended the trial and still believes al-Megrahi was not responsible for the bombing.

But Eileen Walsh, a Glen Rock, New Jersey resident whose father, brother and sister died in the explosion said she was “very happy” to hear about alMegrahi’s death. She had just attended Mass on Sunday when she received numerous text messages.

“I’m glad he’s gone, but there’s no real closure. There’s nothing but a bad taste in my mouth,” she said. “My mother died of cancer in 2004, and because of him, three of the most important people in her life weren’t there to help her in her time of need,” Walsh said. AlMegrahi’s co-defendant was acquitted of all charges. Al-Megrahi insisted he also had nothing to do with the bombing. Those who believe him got a boost in 2007 when a three-year investigation by a Scottish tribunal found that

actually took place in Pan Am 103,” Ammerman said. “He knows what other individuals were involved and, more importantly, what other countries were involved.” After Gaddafi’s fall, Britain asked Libya’s new rulers to help fully investigate but they put off any probe.

“Ironically, 24 years later, I now have more confidence in the new Libyan government than the British or American governments to find the truth because I believe Libya would like the truth to come out to show that they were not the only country involved,” Ammerman said.

Jim Swire, whose 19-year-old daughter, Flora, died in the bombing, is a leading voice for some of the British families who believe al-Megrahi was innocent.

Swire, who attended the trial in the Netherlands, asked for further inquiry from the Scottish government. He said he saw al-Megrahi in December. “We talked as two old friends who were saying goodbye,” he said. Selva reported from London. Associated Press writers Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J., Deepti Hajela in New York and Ben McConville in Scotland contributed to this report. — AP

NATO signals end of unpopular Afghan war To pull out most troops by end of 2014

SANTO DOMINGO: Danilo Medina, right, and Margarita Cedeno, presidential and vice presidential candidates of the ruling Dominican Liberation Party, celebrate at the party headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the early hours of yesterday. Medina and Cedeno, the current first lady, won the election in the first round with the 51.26% of the vote. — AP

Ruling party heading for win in Dominican election SANTO DOMINGO: Early results from presidential elections in the Dominican Republic show ruling party candidate Danilo Medina headed for victory 12 years after he lost in a landslide to opposition candidate Hipolito Mejia.

With almost 75 percent of votes counted, Medina and the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) held a 4 percentage point lead (51 percent - 47 percent) over Mejia, the candidate for the opposition Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD), according to official election results.

That would be enough for Medina, 60, to secure an outright first-round victory, although PRD officials accused the Central Electoral Board of fraud, saying it had manipulated the results in the ruling party’s favor.

President Leonel Fernandez of the PLD, a New York-raised lawyer and academic, is barred from running again after serving two consecutive four-year terms in the Caribbean nation of 10 million people, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. He succeeded Mejia in 2004.

Voting was delayed in some polling stations in the capital due to wet weather and late-arriving election workers, and a handful of incidents of violence were reported. But otherwise voting went relatively smoothly, according Roberto Rosario, president of the Central Electoral Board. Both parties accused each other

of vote buying. Election observers confirmed some of those reports, but said the cases were isolated and had no impact on the outcome.

Shortly after polls closed, the head of an obser ver mission from the Organization of American States, former Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, told a news conference that the election had been a “success,” calling it a “fiesta for democracy.”

While the Dominican Republic is far wealthier than Haiti, many Dominicans still struggle to satisfy basic needs, prompting some to seek a better life by slipping into nearby Puerto Rico, a US territory.

About 5 percent of the nation’s 6.5 million eligible voters live abroad, including 220,000 registered voters in the United States, most living in the New York area. Thanks to a constitutional amendment, Dominicans living abroad were able to vote for candidates to represent seven overseas districts.

The country is a popular resort spot, famous for its white sandy beaches and golf courses, but it also is the leading Caribbean transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the United States and Europe.

There is little to distinguish the two candidates ideologically. Both have sought to convince voters they will bring change through improved education and job creation. —Reuters

CHICAGO: NATO leaders sealed a landmark agreement yesterday to hand control of Afghanistan over to its own security forces by the middle of next year, putting the Western alliance on an “irreversible” path out of an unpopular, decade-long war.

A NATO summit in Chicago formally endorsed a US-backed strategy that calls for a gradual exit of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014 but left major questions unanswered about how to prevent a slide into chaos and a Taliban resurgence after the allies are gone. The two-day meeting of the 28nation alliance marked a milestone in a war sparked by the Sept. 11 attacks that has spanned three US presidential terms and even outlasted al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

President Barack Obama and NATO partners sought to show their war-weary voters the end is in sight in Afghanistan - a conflict that has strained Western budgets as well as patience while at the same time trying to reassure Afghans that they will not be abandoned.

A decision by France’s new President Francois Hollande to pull out French troops by the end of December - two years ahead of NATO’s timetable - has raised fears that other allies may also think about a rush to the exits.

“Our nations and the world have a vital interest in the success of this mission,” Obama told a summit session on Afghanistan. “I am confident ... that we can advance that goal today and responsibly bring this war to an end.”

Alliance leaders, in a final communique, ratified plans for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to hand over command of all combat missions to Afghan forces by the middle of 2013 and for the withdrawal of most of the 130,000 foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The statement deemed it an “irreversible” transition to full security responsibility for fledgling Afghan troops, and said NATO’s mission in 2014 would shift to a training and advisory role. “This will not be a combat mission,” it said. Doubts remain, however, whether Afghan forces will have the capability to stand up against a still-potent Taliban insurgency that Western forces have failed to defeat in nearly 11 years of fighting.

NATO diplomats said thinking had moved to the logistical challenge of getting a multinational army that size out of the Afghan mountains and deserts and back home - safely and with their equipment.

They said the aim was to sign a framework agreement with Afghanistan’s northern neighbor, Uzbekistan, to allow “reverse transit”

of NATO supplies from Afghanistan. NATO has also been trying to persuade Pakistan to reopen its territory to NATO supplies, which Islamabad has blocked since NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers forces in a crossborder incident last year..

But a deal was not expected to be clinched by the end of the summit yesterday. Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, the senior Turkish foreign ministry official responsible for NATO, said Pakistan, long a crucial route for moving supplies into Afghanistan, would be a main way out for Western forces.

“Countries in the region should also help our efforts for taking people back, together

CHICAGO: President Barack Obama, accompanied by British Prime Minister David Cameron, speaks during the meeting on Afghanistan during the NATO Summit, yesterday, in Chicago. — AP with the materials and other equipment,” he told Reuters. “It’s a big challenge ... and this is a new dimension people are focusing on now - how to take them safe and secure back home.” Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari was a last-minute addition to the list of leaders at the summit in Obama’s home town, but showed no signs of budging on the supply routes. The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, told Reuters he was confident a deal would eventually be struck, but “whether it’s in days or weeks, I don’t know.”

Frictions remain between NATO and Pakistan over Taleban guerrillas who are still

Ex-student in webcam case gets 30 days NEW BRUNSWICK: A former Rutgers University student from India who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in jail.

A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. The ruling came in an unusual, emotional and tragic case that deals with the consequences of bad decisions by young people in the Internet age and prompted a national debate about bullying and hate-crimes laws.

Judge Glenn Berman said he would not recommend Ravi be deported to India, where he was born and remains a citizen. But Ravi was ordered to get counseling and to pay $10,000 that would go to a program to help victims of bias crimes. The case began in September 2010 when Ravi’s randomly assigned freshman-year roommate asked Ravi to stay away so he and a guest could have privacy. Ravi went to a friend’s room and turned on his webcam remotely. Jurors at his trial earlier this year heard that he and the friend saw just seconds of Tyler Clementi kissing the guest, who was identified in court only by the initials M.B. But they told others about it through instant messages and tweets. And later, the friend, Molly Wei, showed a few seconds of the live-streamed video to other residents of the dorm. Wei later entered a pre-tri-

al intervention program that can spare her jail or a criminal record if she meets a list of conditions. When Clementi, an 18-year-old violinist, asked for privacy again two days later, Ravi agreed then told friends how they could access his webcam. But this time, the webcam was not on when M.B. came over. There was testimony both that Clementi unplugged it and that Ravi himself put it to sleep.

The next night, Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge, which connects Manhattan to New Jersey.

Jurors learned that he checked Ravi’s Twitter feed repeatedly before his suicide. After the

NEW BRUNSWICK: In a Feb. 24, 2012 file photo former Rutgers University student, Dharun Ravi, arrives at his trial in New Brunswick, N.J. — AP

finding sanctuary in Pakistan, in spite of Islamabad’s professed support for the alliance’s mission. NATO has also been seeking to secure long-term funding for the Afghan police and army, whose ability to battle the Taliban is vital for the alliance’s goal of a smooth exit and future Afghan stability.

The United States is unwilling to foot the entire annual bill to maintain the forces after 2014, which is estimated at $4.1 billion, and has been seeking pledges from allies of $1.3 billion, despite austerity measures brought on

by Europe’s financial crisis.

Many of the leaders in Chicago came directly from a summit of the Group of Eight

suicide, gay-rights and anti-bullying activists held up Clementi as an example of the horrible consequences of bullying young gays.

Even President Barack Obama spoke about the tragedy.

Prosecutors offered Ravi a plea deal that called for no prison time but would have forced him to admit to committing six different crimes. He turned it down. After a trial that lasted four weeks, Ravi was convicted of all 15 criminal charges he faced, including four counts of the hate crime of bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and seven counts accusing him of trying to cover his tracks by tampering with evidence, a witness and other means. The most complicated and serious counts were bias intimidation, two of which are second-degree crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. During legal arguments out of earshot of the jury, Berman called the law on the issue “muddled.”

Just as Clementi became a symbol for a complicated cause, so has Ravi. Several hundred supporters rallied at New Jersey’s State House last week to denounce the way the state’s hate-crime laws were being used on someone they said was not hateful. They were hoping Ravi would not be sent to prison and that the law could be changed so that someone in his situation again would not be found to have committed a hate crime. — AP

wealthy nations that vowed to take all necessary measures to contain the European debt crisis. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a number of allies had announced concrete contributions. These have included $100 million annually from Britain, $120 million from Italy, $100 million from Australia and $20 million for Turkey.

While he said the summit was “not a pledging conference,” Rasmussen was “optimistic about reaching the overall goal.” Seeking re-election in November, Obama has sought to dispel Americans’ concerns that shaky allies will leave US troops to fight alone. —Reuters

Mississippi prison riot leaves guard dead, 8 hurt BRANDON: A prison guard was killed during a riot that also injured five other correctional officers and hurt three inmates at a privately run facility in Mississippi that holds illegal immigrants, authorities said.

The riot began about 2:40 p.m. CDT and involved dozens of inmates before it was brought under control late Sunday night. Adams County Coroner James Lee confirmed that a guard died, but said he could not provide any other details until the correctional officer’s family was notified.

Emilee Beach, a spokeswoman at the Adams County Correctional Center in southwest Mississippi, said the uprising involved multiple inmates but she wasn’t sure exactly how many because the investigation was still ongoing.

She said that after the disturbance was brought under control Sunday night, inmates were being searched and sent back to their cells. Beach said the prison, owned and operated by Corrections Corp. of America, holds illegal immigrants, most for charges of re-entering the United States after

being deported. The five injured guards were taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening. The 2,567-bed prison in Natchez houses adult male illegal immigrants for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. CCA spokesman Steve Owen confirmed in an email “there has been one employee death” but he said he could not provide more details immediately.

He said in an email early yesterday “it is my understanding that all staff are accounted for.” He said the company was investigating what prompted the uprising. Adams County Sheriff’s Depar tment spokeswoman Emily Ham said no inmates had escaped the facility.

After the uprising began, CCA’s Special Response Team and the Mississippi Highway Patrol’s SWAT team sought to quell activities within the prison while state and local lawenforcement officers secured the perimeter of the complex, Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said in a statement. — AP

11

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

international

Separatists strike to honor Indian Kashmir slain SRINAGAR: An annual strike called by separatists in Indian-controlled Kashmir shuttered shops and businesses yesterday to mark a top Muslim cleric’s assassination 22 years ago, but police blocked a planned protest rally in the disputed region.

The cleric, Mirwaiz Mohammed Farooq, had argued for Kashmir’s right to vote on whether it should be independent or governed either by India or Pakistan, nuclear-armed nations that have fought two wars since 1947 over rival claims to the Himalayan territory now split between them by a militarized line of control.

Since Farooq was fatally shot in 1990, separatists have blamed Indian agencies for the killing and held a protest march each year. They planned for yesterday’s rally also to honor another separatist leader gunned down after the same march in 2002. Authorities, meanwhile, have blamed separatist militants for both killings, and investigations into the

attacks have never been made public.

Police blocked yesterday’s rally over security concerns, laying razor wire across streets in the main city of Srinagar where separatists had planned to march. Instead, armed police and paramilitary patrolled and restricted people’s movement Public transpor tation was suspended, though some private cars were on the roads.

Officials imposed house arrest on a handful of separatist leaders including Farooq’s son, chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the separatist alliance All Par ties Hurriyat Conference. The cleric later Monday dismissed a statement from police saying the restrictions were necessary to keep the peace after he declined to meet officials earlier to discuss the proposed march.

“By using military and police to enforce normality cannot be called peace,” Umar Farooq told reporters at his home. “We’ll not be cowed down

by these militaristic measures.” The extra security measures have become common in Kashmir since 1989, when a violent separatist insurgency and ensuing crackdown by Indian forces left an estimated 68,000 people dead in the region. While the armed rebellion was largely suppressed, the region remains heavily militarized amid frequent street protests, with checkpoints along main roads, hundreds of thousands of deployed troops and harsh emergency laws creating more friction with the restive population.

Police said a suspected rebel of the region’s largest militant group, Hezbul-Mujahedeen, was killed Monday in a gunbattle with Indian troops in the town of Kishtwar, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) southeast of Srinagar.

There was no way of independently verifying the police report, and the rebel group could not immediately be reached for comment and did not issue a statement. —AP

SRINAGAR: Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard as Kashmiri women walk on a street during a strike in Srinagar, India, yesterday.

An annual strike called by separatists in Indian-controlled Kashmir shuttered shops and businesses yesterday to mark a top Muslim cleric, Mirwaiz Mohammed Farooq’s assassination 22 years ago. —AP

Former Sri Lankan general walks free ‘Victory to our war hero!’

DHARMSALA: Tibetan Buddhism’s third most important leader Ugyen Thinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa, greets his supporters at the Gyuto monastery in Dharmsala, India. Indian authorities have dropped charges against Karmapa involving $1.35 million in cash discovered at his monastery in northern India. —AP

India police drop charges against Tibet holy man NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have dropped charges against Tibetan Buddhism’s third most important leader involving $1.35 million in cash discovered at his monastery in northern India. Police had seized the money - found in some two dozen currencies including a large sum of Chinese yuan - from the Karmapa’s headquarters outside Dharmsala, where the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government-in-exile are based.

On a recommendation from prosecutors, however, a judicial magistrate yesterday “decided to delete his name” from the charge sheet listing nine other suspects, Assistant Public Prosecutor Ram Swaroop Sharma said.

The next hearing is set for Aug 4, and the defendants could face up to 10 years if convicted. The Karmapa’s office said it was relieved. It has said the money was from donations from his followers, who come from around the world, and was mishandled by staff unaware of Indian laws on undeclared cash. They said the Karmapa spent his time only in religious teaching and had no involvement in the trust.

“We have maintained all along that the allegations against His Holiness were base-

less,” the office’s deputy general secretary Karma Chungyalpa said in a statement, adding that great spiritual masters were not involved in financial administration and money matters.

The Karmapa himself thanked the Indian government for giving him and thousands of Tibetans asylum, saying “India has been my home for almost half of my life.” Last year’s raid on the Gyuto Monastery was unprecedented and particularly surprising since the Karmapa, Ugyen Thinley Dorje, is revered by Tibetans and Buddhists. India has gone to great lengths to provide asylum to Buddhist leaders who have fled Tibet, including the Dalai Lama.

The 27-year-old monk is seen as a possible successor to the Dalai Lama as the head of the Tibetan freedom movement in exile.

He left Tibet in 2000, and has since been living at the monastery in Sidhbari, just outside Dharmsala where the Dalai Lama has been based since fleeing the Himalayan region in 1959. China’s government reviles the Dalai Lama, accusing him of pushing for independence for Tibet and inciting a spate of self-immolations among protesters there. —AP

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former army chief walked free from jail yesterday with a pardon from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who appears to have bowed to growing international demands that he release his highest-profile rival.

Ex-General Sarath Fonseka kissed his hands and raised them to a group of 2,000 supporters who cheered “Victory to our war hero! Victory to our leader!” and lit firecrackers outside the maximum security prison. Some waved the national flag, emblazoned with a lion and a sword, as he released a white dove symbolising peace.

Regarded by many as a hero for helping end Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels, Fonseka fell out with the government and was imprisoned after a failed presidential bid against former ally Rajapaksa two years ago.

Arrested by soldiers who had been under his own command, Fonseka was stripped of his rank as a fourstar general.

He trailed Rajapaksa by 17 points in the last presidential election and with the next one not due until 2016, he is not seen as an immediate political threat. His health has deteriorated in prison, increasing pressure on Rajapaksa to free him. The United States considered him a political prisoner and repeatedly called for his release, along with demands on Rajapaksa to do more towards reconciliation with the losing side in the aftermath of the war.

At a meeting in Washington on Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Sri Lanka’s foreign minister to address human rights issues and respect press freedoms. “The general is free

Free bicycles help keep Indian girls in school RAMPUR SINGHARA: The daily trip to high school was expensive, long and eventually, too much for Indian teenager Nahid Farzana, who decided she was going to drop out. Then, the state government gave her a bicycle.

Two years later, she is about to graduate from high school and wants to be a teacher. The eastern state of Bihar has been so successful at keeping teenage girls in school, the bike giveaways have spread to neighboring states. Now the Indian government wants to expand it across the country in hopes it might help improve female literacy.

Before starting the program in 2007, officials in Bihar, one of India’s poorest and least developed states, despaired over how to educate the state’s females, whose literacy rate of 53 percent is more than 20 points below that of its males.

“We found that the high school dropout rate soared when girls reached the ninth grade. This was primarily because there are fewer high schools and girls had to travel longer distances to get to school,” said Anjani Kumar Singh, Bihar’s principal secretary overseeing education.

Poor families could not spare the money for transport, or were reluctant to let girls travel so far away, fearing for their safety.

The program was an instant success, with the number of girls registered in the ninth grade in Bihar’s state schools more than tripling in four years, from 175,000 to 600,000. “The results are remarkable. The school dropout rate for girls has plunged,”

says Singh. In her crisply starched blue tunic uniform and white scarf, Farzana appears a carefree teenager, proud to have made it into the tenth grade. But she almost did not make it. Her daily bus fare of 15 rupees (22 cents) to the new high school 6 kilometers (4 miles) from their home in Rampur Singhara village was an additional burden her father, a car mechanic, could not afford.

“I wouldn’t have been able to keep Farzana in school for long,” said Mohammed Shiraz Ahmad, her father. A teacher told them about the free bicycles, and Farzana applied for the 2,500 rupee ($50) grant to buy the bike. “The bicycle has changed everything,” Ahmad said. In remote villages, along dusty potholed lanes surrounded by sheaves of waving wheat, gaggles of school girls can be seen jauntily cycling to school.

The program has also raised the status of girls, who are often seen as a burden in son-obsessed India, where parents have to pay such hefty dowries to marry off their daughters that the family is often indebted for decades. Now, girls are bringing an asset to the family, Singh said.

Mohammed Jalaluddin, who runs a tea stall in Rampur Singhara, says his daughter’s bike is used by the entire family.

Nizhat Parveen, his 16-year-old daughter, drops her brother at his school on the way to hers. When she returns, the family uses the bicycle for chores, from shopping for groceries to making food deliveries from the tea shop.

Bihar is also giving free school uniforms to girls to keep them in school. The bike grant money is put into a joint bank account in the names of the student and her parents, and school administrators monitor whether the girls buy bicycles and use them, or if the bike is sold and the girl ends up leaving school, Singh said. But mostly, the program operates on the honor system.

While corruption and fraudulent use of state money is rife in India, the Bihar government reports misuse of the bicycle funds is 1 percent. The results from Bihar were so encouraging that the program has been adopted by the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan, another state with low female literacy rates, has launched a free bicycle program for girls in secondary and high school.

The federal government is exploring a plan to give bicycles to Muslim girls as their dropout rate is worse than that of other communities. The bicycle program “has worked very well,” says Syeda Hameed, a member of India’s powerful Planning Commission body.

Hameed said the body is also looking at other factors that affect school attendance by girls in the higher classes, such as the lack of toilets in schools. In poor families, older girls also leave school to take care of younger siblings while parents work. “This is a persistent problem which tends to push up dropout rates and is a matter of concern,” Hameed said. —AP

because of international pressure from human rights groups and other countries. He was a political prisoner and should have been set free long ago,” said supporter Athula Dhabare outside Welikada Prison. “He is the true leader who

ment. Last week, news of Fonseka’s impending liberation was welcomed by investors who hoped it would improve Sri Lanka’s international image and prompt more foreign inflows. Sri Lanka lost duty-free export privi-

the war, but they fell out in peacetime. The general complained he was sidelined by the president, who grew concerned Fonseka was plotting a coup.

Rights groups say both Fonseka and the president are

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former army chief Sarath Fonseka (C) gestures to supporters as he leaves the main prison in Colombo yesterday. Sri Lanka’s former army chief Sarath Fonseka was released from prison more than two years after he was jailed following his unsuccessful bid to unseat the president in 2010. —AFP liberated this country from 30 years of war.”

Rajapaksa has until now defied UN and US criticism of his record, but local analysts say Fonseka’s release is partly aimed at distracting attention from complaints about poor economic manage-

leges for thousands of products from the European Union after failing to implement three humans rights conventions.

Fonseka and the president’s brother, Defence Secretar y Gotabaya Rajapaksa, led the army to victory in the final stages of

implicated in shooting Tamil fighters as they sought to surrender. In recent months, rights workers and journalists have been targeted by a government media campaign against “traitors” it says helped the defeated guerrillas. —Reuters

Four climbers die on Everest: Officials KATHMANDU: Four climbers from Germany, South Korea, China and Canada have died returning from the summit of Mount Everest, tour agents and officials said yesterday, with one other mountaineer also missing.

The 61-year-old German and the South Korean aged 44 died on the south face of the world’s highest peak on Sunday, Ang Tshering Sherpa of the Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking adventure agency said.

“We are sad to announce the death of Eberhard Schaaf, of Germany, at the south side of the summit of Mount Everest,” Sherpa told AFP. “The medical staff at the Himalayan Rescue Association believe the cause of death to be altitude sickness.”

Sherpa said South Korean Song WonBin, who had been missing since Saturday, died at “The Balcony”, an area near the top of the 8,848-metre (29,029-feet) peak. The Seoul-based Yonhap news agency said Song had collapsed due to altitude sickness and fallen off a cliff, quoting a diplomat at the South Korean embassy in Kathmandu.

It said the climbers were part of a team of old classmates from the same high school in the central city of Daejeon. About a dozen members

flew to Nepal at the end of March to mark their school’s 50th anniversary by climbing the peak. They were due to return home later this month.

Tilak Pandey, a tourism ministry official at Everest base camp, told AFP separately that a 33-year-old Nepaliborn Canadian woman named Shriya Shah had also been killed on Sunday.

Shah was born in Kathmandu and grew up in Mumbai, India, according to her website. She lived in Toronto and described herself as “an entrepreneur, political activist, social worker, and above all, a daring lady”.

Speaking of her Everest expedition, she wrote: “This is my dream and passion, and want to do something for my country. Nothing is impossible in this world.” Another ministry official, Deependra Paudel, told AFP 55year-old Chinese climber Ha Wenyi had also been found dead, at 8,600 metres.

“Most of these deaths occur due to high altitude sickness,” said Sherpa, adding that a Nepali mountain guide was also missing. “Climbers spend their energy on the ascent and they are exhausted and fatigued on the descent.”

Mountain guides from Sherpa’s company told him of the discovery of the body of another climber on the

north side of Everest but no further details were available to verify the death. Everest’s “death zone”, the region above 8,000 metres, earned its name because it is almost impossible to survive the biting temperatures and lack of oxygen there for more than 48 hours.

Conditions have been particularly hazardous this year, said Nepalese government official Gyanendra Shrestha, with high winds and heavy snowfall delaying the construction of makeshift bridges over precipices.

“The first expedition reached the top only on May 18 whereas last year it was on May 5,” he said.

“With so many people trying to reach the top there was a traffic jam.

The next forecast for good weather is between May 24 and 26. By May 28, the ice will start melting and expeditions will have to be called off.”

Two Nepali Sherpa climbers died on Everest in April, one falling into a crevasse at 5,900 metres and the other succumbing to altitude sickness at base camp.

Nearly 4,000 people have climbed Mount Everest since 1953 when Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first scaled it.

More than 200 people have died on the slopes of the giant peak. —AFP

12

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

international

Chinese tycoon jailed after death sentence revoked BEIJING: A former Chinese tycoon who was convicted of illegally raising money for her business was sentenced yesterday to prison after China’s supreme court overturned a death sentence following a public outcry.

After a retrial, Wu Ying was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, the Zhejiang Province High People’s court said on its website. Such penalties usually are commuted to long prison terms if the convict is deemed to have reformed.

Wu’s case prompted public discussion of the difficulties entrepreneurs face in raising money in China’s statedominated financial system. Her initial sentence of death triggered complaints on Internet bulletin boards that it was

too severe in a country where corrupt Communist Party figures often escape punishment.

Wu, 31, became famous for rising from poverty to build a multimilliondollar business from a single hair salon.

She was later convicted of illegally raising 770 million yuan ($120 million) from investors in 2005-07 and sentenced to death.

All death sentences are automatically reviewed by the Supreme People’s Court, but in an apparent effort to mollify public anger, the court took the unusual step of announcing it had received Wu’s case and would review it “with care.”

The supreme court rejected the death penalty in April and returned the

case to Wu’s home province of Zhejiang for resentencing. Wu’s father publicly demanded a change of venue away from courts in Zhejiang after that ruling and insisted his daughter was innocent.

Wu’s new penalty spared her life but still could result in many years in prison. The court said the sentence was justified because “the amount involved is especially huge, causing major losses to the victims and the behavior severely damaged the country’s financial management order.”

China has a thriving underground banking system used by entrepreneurs to borrow money at high interest rates. Wu was convicted of promising high interest to attract money for “fictitious investment projects,” yester-

day’s announcement said, without giving details.

Communist authorities tolerated underground lending as a way to support entrepreneurs who create jobs and tax revenue. But they began cracking down after its rapid growth prompted concern it might affect the official financial system, and a wave of defaults in a number of areas prompted protests.

The communist government has promised to launch a pilot project in Wu’s home city of Wenzhou, a center for private enterprise, aimed at making it easier for entrepreneurs to get bank loans. In March, Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters Wu’s case shows the development of private sector lending

has not kept up with China’s needs.

Wen said he hoped courts would “seek truth from facts.”

Human rights activists have appealed to the Chinese government to stop imposing death penalties for financial and other nonviolent crimes.

The government does not disclose how many people are executed each year in China but Amnesty International and other groups estimate the total is in the thousands.

Last week, a fugitive Chinese businessman who was wanted in a highprofile smuggling scandal was sentenced to life in prison after being repatriated by Canada following a Chinese promise he would not be executed. —AP

Prosecutors seek life term for Bali bombmaker Patek ‘will remain in prison until he dies’ JAKARTA: Indonesian prosecutors yesterday asked for a life sentence rather than the death penalty for Bali bombmaker Umar Patek, arguing that his remorse in the dock should spare him from a firing squad. Patek, 45, is accused of masterminding attacks on two nightclubs on the resort island in October 2002 which killed 202

Dubbed “Demolition Man” by local media for his bombmaking skills, Patek is charged with premeditated murder. A panel of five judges at the West Jakarta District Cour t is expected to deliver its verdict on June 21.

Prosecutor Bambang Suharyadi told the cour t that the case against Patek, the final key Bali

ing the trial and regretted what he has done.” The prosecutor added that Patek “will remain in prison until he dies”.

Patek yesterday repeated an apology he made earlier this month to the relatives of those killed in the Bali and church attacks. “I regret what I have done... (and) I apologise to the

JAKARTA: Indonesian Umar Patek, the bombmaker accused of being behind the Bali attacks that killed 202 shakes hands with a prosecutor after his trial at the West Jakarta court in Jakarta yesterday. Indonesian prosecutors, asked for a life sentence rather than death penalty for Umar Patek, the bombmaker accused of being behind the Bali attacks that killed 202 people. —AFP people, including 88 Australians, and on churches in Jakarta on Christmas Eve 2000.

When the trial star ted in February, prosecutors had said they would seek capital punishment for Patek, who was held last year in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad, four months before Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed there.

suspect to stand trial, for premeditated murder had been shown without doubt.

But he said they were seeking a lighter sentence because the defendant had been remorseful and cooperative. “We the prosecutors recommend... the defendant Umar Patek be given a life sentence,” Suharyadi said. “He has been polite and cooperative dur-

families of victims who diedIndonesians and foreigners,” said Patek, who wore a matching long shirt and loose trousers. “I apologise also to victims who were injured.”

Terrorism expert Noor Huda Ismail said it was important that Patek remain alive because of the information he could still yield. “Patek is an encyclopedia

of information on the who’s who of Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia,” said Ismail, executive director of the Institute for International Peace Building in Jakarta.

“Unlike the executed Bali bombers he showed remorse, meaning there’s little chance he will try to plan future attacks from jail. He can also be used as a figure to speak out against terrorism,” he said.

Patek is accused of being the expert bombmaker for Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a Southeast Asian terror network linked to AlQaeda. Three JI members-Ali Ghufron (who went by the name Mukhlas), Amrozi bin Nurhasyim and Imam Samudra-were executed by firing squad in November 2008 for their roles in the attacks.

Patek denies he led the bombmaking team for the Bali attacks, confessing only to playing a minor role. He admitted to mixing the chemicals for the explosives, but said that he did not know how the bombs would be used.

Patek allegedly used simple household tools including a rice ladle to assemble the Bali bombs, which according to the court indictment were housed in ordinary filing cabinets. He was arrested in Abbottabad in January last year. Evidence in the trial suggested bin Laden gave JI $30,000 to wage jihad in the region and Patek might have met him in the Pakistani town-a claim he has repeatedly denied.

Patek was once the mostwanted terror suspec t in Indonesia and spent nearly a decade on the run, with the United States offering a $1 million bounty for his capture.

Opening yesterday’s court session, Suharyadi said that Patek’s trial closes the chapter on the Bali bombings. “ This trial has caught the world’s attention. Indonesians and the international community have long waited for this case to be over. This is the end of the case,” he said. —AFP

US warns N Korea against nuke test SEOUL: The top US envoy for North Korea warned Pyongyang yesterday that any nuclear test would be a serious miscalculation that would unify the world in seeking swift, tough punishment. Glyn Davies’ comments after meetings with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts come as outside analysts and governments voice worry that North Korea may follow a failed April 13 long-range rocket test with its

third nuclear test - a pattern that happened in 2006 and 2009. North Korea is being led by Kim Jong Un, the young son of Kim Jong Il who took power after his father’s death in December and has since vowed to place top priority on his impoverished country’s military.

“We are obviously in a bit of an uncertain period with North Korea” after the rocket launch, Davies told reporters at the Foreign Ministry. “It

SEOUL: US envoy on North Korea, Glyn Davies, right, answers reporter’s questions after meeting with South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam and Lim’s Japanese counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. US envoy for North Korea is warning Pyongyang that any nuclear test will be met with “swift and sure” international punishment. —AP

is very important that North Korea not miscalculate again and engage in any future provocation.” Describing Washington’s policy on North Korea as “engagement on the one hand, pressure on the other,” Davies said that the “engagement aspect remains open. If they make the right choices, there can be a different future for North Korea.”

But Davies indicated US frustration with North Korea’s announcement of the rocket launch just two weeks after the countries had struck a food aid-for-nuclear freeze deal - the result of months of tedious, back-and-forth negotiations and seen as something of a breakthrough at the time.

Washington and other nations called the launch a cover for a test of missile technology that could be used to attack the United States and therefore a clear violation of the US-North Korea deal. North Korea said the rocket, which broke into pieces over the Yellow Sea shortly after lift off, was meant to send an observational satellite into orbit.

The decision to go forward with the launch, so soon after the US deal was settled, sent a “signal that they can’t be trusted to follow through on their own undertakings and their own promises,” Davies said. South Korean intelligence officials have said that recent satellite images show North Korea is digging a new tunnel in what appears to be preparation for another nuclear test at the site of its two past tests.

South Korea’s top nuclear negotiator, Lim Sung-nam, said earlier yesterday that a different path would be open for North Korea if it refrains from provocations. Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this story from Seoul. —AP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, left, and his People’s Justice Party’s No. 2 leader, Azmin Ali, right, join in a chant outside the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Anwar and Azmin have been summoned to court to face charges of participating in an illegal street protest, his party said yesterday. —AP

Anwar to be charged over protest: Lawyer KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will be charged ver an April protest demanding fair elections, his lawyer said yesterday, accusing the government of a fresh bid to remove Anwar from politics.

The move comes just four months after Anwar was acquitted of sodomy in a longrunning trial that the charismatic leader has said was engineered by the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak to remove him as a political threat.

Anwar will be charged in a Kuala Lumpur court on Tuesday with violating a contentious new law on public assemblies and a court order restricting the April 28 rally, his lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah told AFP. “This is a fresh attempt to bar Anwar from participating in the elections. The sodomy allegations failed, and now this is a new attempt to disqualify him,” Sivarasa said.

Tens of thousands of Malaysians hit the streets of the capital Kuala Lumpur for the rally organised by electoral-reform group Bersih 2.0, demanding changes to an election system they say is rigged in the ruling coalition’s favour.

The demonstration turned violent when protesters breached a barricade set up around the city’s central Independence Square, which authorities had ruled was off limits for the rally, prompting police to fire tear gas and water cannon.

AFP could not immediately reach Anwar for comment. Anwar’s legal troubles, and their impact on his ability to lead the opposition, have dominated Malaysian politics since his 1998 ouster from the ruling coalition turned him from leader-in-waiting to firebrand dissident.

A meteoric rise up the ranks of the ruling party to deputy prime minister ended with his sacking in a falling-out with his boss Mahathir Mohamad. He was later jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption widely viewed as politically motivated.

Released in 2004, he led an opposition alliance to stunning gains in 2008, but the new allegations of sodomy with a former aide emerged soon after and he was back

in court. Anwar was acquitted in January.

National police spokesman Ramli Yusoff confirmed a summons was issued for Anwar to appear in court on charges related to the demonstration but said he had no further details. Anwar and a top official in his opposition party, Azmin Ali, have been accused of inciting demonstrators to breach the barricades via much-debated hand signals-video clips of which have circulated online.

Anwar and Azmin-who faces the same charges, according to Sivarasa —- have said their gestures were being twisted by the government for political means. Sivarasa said that if found guilty of violating the new Peaceful Assembly Act, Anwar could be disqualified from running for elections for five years.

Election Commission deputy chairman Wira Wan Ahmad confirmed that to AFP, but added Anwar would be allowed to run while appealing any potential guilty verdict.

Najib’s office did not immediately offer comment on the matter. Malaysia has been braced for months for elections expected to be a tight contest after the 2008 results raised the spectre of the ruling coalition losing power for the first time. Najib must call elections early next year but is widely expected to do so within months.

After police crushed a clean-elections rally last July, prompting sharp criticism of Najib, he launched a drive to reform authoritarian laws, which the opposition has called a cynical election ploy. New charges against Anwar will likely reignite fierce criticism of the assembly law, enacted late last year over opposition objection.

It places curbs on public gatherings and bans street protests.

Independent online media said Anwar and Azmin were the first charged under the law. “We feared this Peaceful Assembly Act will be used to punish and silence the opposition and rights activists,” Nalini Elumalai, executive director of the Malaysian rights group Suaram, told AFP. “Now it has come true.” —AFP

Indonesia jet crash victims identified JAKARTA: The remains of 45 victims killed in a Russian plane crash in Indonesia have been identified, a police forensics official said yesterday, as experts probe why the plane slammed into a dormant volcano. “We identified 45 victims comprising 35 Indonesians and 10 foreigners-eight Russian, one American and a Frenchman,” said national police forensics expert Anton Castilani.

“The identification process was completed on Sunday and we will hand over the victims’ remains and death notifications to their families on Wednesday morning,” he said. Remains of the foreign victims will be handed over to their relatives or representatives in Indonesia, Castilani added. The new Sukhoi Superjet 100 ploughed into Mount

Salak, south of the capital Jakarta, on May 9 with the loss of all 45 passengers and crew on board. Body parts were scattered across an area of dense forest and into a deep ravine, and were transported to Jakarta in 35 body bags.

Experts are investigating the plane’s cockpit voice recorder for clues as to why it crashed during a demonstration flight. The search continues for the plane’s other “black box”, the flight data recorder. The promotional flight, aimed at touting the jet to new customers, was carrying mostly Indonesian airline officials. There were also four flight crew members and four Sukhoi executives from Russia on board, as well as eight Indonesian cabin attendants, a US citizen and a French national. —AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

NEWS

Tourists on a boat make their way through the Spreewald region near Burg, eastern Germany yesterday. Meteorologists forecast temperatures up to 30 degrees for the following days in the region, which is protected as a biosphere reserve. — AFP

Legal row could delay Shamali grilling...

‘Ring of fire’ dims skies Continued from Page 1 But light faded as the moon slid in front of the sun, much like turning down a dimmer switch, and then slowly returned as the moon moved away. A view of the so-called “ring of fire” spectacle at the eclipse’s peak, however, lasted about four minutes, and even then was only visible to viewers positioned along the centerline of the eclipse’s path.

In Utah, the “sweet spot” for viewing the full eclipse was Kanarraville, a community of just 355 residents about 375 km south of Salt Lake City. Accessed by an old two-lane highway, the town has just two businesses - a campground and a nursery - plus a church, town hall and tiny post office.

Patrick Wiggins, who is part of the NASA ambassador outreach program, was overcome with emotion once the moon slipped into place. Wiggins had previously seen five total solar eclipses, but had never before witnessed an annular eclipse. He wasn’t disappointed. “I’ve been planning this since the 1980s,” he said, his voice breaking. “You’re seeing the solar system in motion.”

Robin Kopaunik, 38, of Sandy, Utah, brought four of her children, ages 6 to 16, to see the eclipse in Kanarraville. “It’s so amazing. I think for them it’s a chance of a lifetime,” said Kopaunik, who home-schools her kids. “The best way to learn is to come out and see it.” A T-shirt salesman said his customers hailed from as far away as Brazil and Japan.

Domestically, Edward and Jean Eadurka drove out from Virginia for the eclipse, after Ed’s last attempt to see an annular eclipse, in 1994, was thwarted by cloud cover. Area officials said thousands more astro-tourists had been expected to attend so-called “star parties” at other locations across the region, including Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Despite the infrequent nature of an annular eclipse, it was part of the normal astronomical cycle, said Inese Ivans, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Utah. Still, she said it was bound to pique curiosities and inspire awe. “It reminds us that the Earth is spinning. That everything is constantly in motion,” Ivans said.

“This sort of gives you a chance to step out and remember

‘Oh yeah’ there (is) a lot of stuff out there that we don’t know anything about.”

The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo, where such an eclipse hasn’t been visible since 1839. Japanese TV crews watched from the top of Mount Fuji and even staked out a zoo south of Tokyo to capture the reaction of the chimpanzees - who didn’t seem to notice. Eclipse tours were arranged in Japan at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private airplanes. Similar events were held in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes. Japan Airlines laid on a sold-out observation flight.

Electronics giant Panasonic sent an expedition to the top of Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain at 3,776 m, to film the phenomenon using solar-powered equipment.

A light rain fell on Tokyo as the eclipse began, but the clouds thinned as it reached its peak, providing near perfect conditions. “It was a very mysterious sight,” said Kaori Sasaki, who joined a crowd in downtown Tokyo to watch event. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” A Japanese zoo said the eclipse apparently made ring-tailed lemurs believe it was evening.

Some 20 lemurs at the Japan Monkey Center in central Japan skipped breakfast, climbed up and jumped between trees and poles, a typical evening behavior, according to the zoo web site. They returned to normal after the eclipse.

“They must be reacting to the eclipse,” zoo director Akira Kato told public broadcaster NHK. At the Taipei Astronomical Museum in Taiwan, the spectacle emerged from dark clouds for only about 30 seconds.

But the view was nearly perfect against Manila’s orange skies. “It’s amazing. We do this for the awe (and) it has not disappointed. I am awed, literally floored,” said astronomical hobbyist Garry Andreassen, whose long camera lenses were lined up with those of about 10 other gazers in a downtown Manila park.

Hong Kong skywatchers weren’t so lucky. Several hundred people gathered along the Kowloon waterfront on Hong Kong’s famed Victoria Harbor, most of them students or commuters on their way to work. The eclipse was already under way as the sun began to rise, but heavy clouds obstructed the view. — Agencies

Kuwait issues Lebanon travel warning Continued from Page 1 “Two people were killed and 18 were wounded,” he said, adding machineguns had been fired and that the fighting had raged until about 3:00 am (2400 GMT).

An office housing a small pro-Syrian party in Tareek el-Jdideh, a mainly Sunni Muslim neighbourhood of west Beirut, was torched by partisans of ex-premier Saad Hariri’s Future Movement and the facade of the building was riddled with bullets. Several motorcycles and cars parked on the street below were burned. Calm had been restored by daylight following appeals from Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other politicians.

However tension was palpable in the capital, where residents fear a repeat of sectarian clashes like those that left some 100 people dead in 2008 and brought the country close to civil war. “I’ve had enough... of war,” said Amal Khattab, a 40-year-old teacher and mother of two who lives in Tareek el-Jdideh. “My children were terrified last night,” she added, crying. “I can’t spend another minute in this country.”

Wahid’s funeral was held yesterday in his hometown of El Bireh, in the northern Akkar region, where many businesses and shops were closed after Sunni religious leaders called for three days of mourning. “We want a fair trial, and we want the killers of Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Wahid to be executed,” Future Movement MP Khaled AlDaher said at the funeral. A judicial official said military

police were questioning 21 soldiers, including three officers, in relation to the death of the two clerics. Their killing followed a week of intermittent clashes between Sunnis hostile to the Syrian regime and Alawites who support it which left 10 people dead in the northern port city of Tripoli.

The violence highlighted a deep split between Lebanon’s political parties where the opposition backs those leading the uprising against Assad while a ruling coalition led by Shiite militant group Hezbollah supports the Damascus regime. The Sunni-led opposition has accused Assad of seeking to sow chaos in Lebanon in order to relieve the pressure on his embattled regime.

Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah, hit out at the opposition yesterday, accusing it of transforming the north of the country into a rear base for Syrian rebels. “The opposition has intentionally dragged Lebanon into the Syrian crisis and transformed into a corridor and base for armed Syrians,” he told a rally in the eastern city of Baalbek.

Since the outbreak of the revolt in Syria in March of last year, thousands of Syrians fleeing the unrest in their country as well as activists have sought refuge in northern Lebanon. Syria long held sway in Lebanese politics and had troops stationed in the country for 29 years until it was forced to withdraw them in 2005 following the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri. It has denied accusations it was involved in his killing.— AFP

Tweeter denies insulting Prophet, Gulf...

Continued from Page 1 cannot be applied in the Naqi case because the alleged crime took place before the change in legislation. But civil plaintiff Dowaem AlMowazry, who is arguing the case against Naqi, said this was a special case.” We will ask for the implementation of the death penalty for Naqi because he insulted Allah, Prophet

Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions,” he told Reuters after the opening of the trial. “He will be an example for anyone who thinks he can do such a thing.”

Naqi has told police that he did not write the comments and that his Twitter account was hacked. His lawyer Khaled Al-Shatti argued that Naqi should be granted bail because Kuwaitis charged with simi-

lar crimes had been granted it in the past. “He denied the charges. But even if we were to imagine hypothetically that he did say something, this would be an “opinion crime”, not a crime threatening state security,” he told Reuters. In recent months, Kuwaiti courts have issued jail terms against tweeters and activists amid a sharp rise in sectarian tensions. —Agencies

Continued from Page 1 According to opposition MP Mohammad Al-Dallal, the government was likely to insist on debating the first grilling filed by MP Wasmi because it was filed first and then delay the debate of the second grilling for two weeks. Under the Kuwaiti law, the maximum number of MPs who can file a grilling is three.

The National Assembly’s internal charter allows for merging similar grillings filed against the same minister and debating them at the same time.

The two grillings allege wideranging financial and administrative irregularities committed by the ministry of finance and several institutions headed by Shamali including the Kuwait Investment Authority the $400 billion sovereign wealth fund of Kuwait. According to the charter, the three MPs are given a maximum of three hours to explain their viewpoints on the allegations

and prove them with documents and figures. Then the minister will be given an equal duration to respond.

Both durations cannot be extended.

Later, the grilling MPs are given a maximum of one hour to respond again to the minister’s replies and the minister is also given one more hour to make further arguments.

Then, three MPs backing the grilling and three others against it will speak alternately for 15 minutes each, which can be extended. After the debate, MPs are expected to file a no-confidence motion which must be signed by not more and not less than 10 MPs. More than one such request can be filed. The voting on the motion will be made at least seven days later and it requires at least 25 votes in the 50-member Assembly to vote the minister out of office. The opposition has more than 30 MPs ready to vote against Shamali. The opinion and decision of Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun will be very crucial to determine how the

session proceeds.

In another development, the legal and legislative committee yesterday discussed proposals to take further action against MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel who spat on MP Hamad Al-Matar during a session two weeks ago. At the time, the Assembly applied an article in the internal charter by barring Juwaihel from attending Assembly sessions and meetings of panels for two weeks. MPs filed other proposals calling to stiffen the penalties against Juwaihel including a proposal to have his blood tested for alcohol and a proposal to prevent him from entering the Assembly building.

Rapporteur of the committee MP Dallal told reporters that the committee found no legal basis for further action under the constitution and the internal charter. He said that the panel presented a number of recommendations on the issue to the Assembly.

Iran plans oil export terminal outside Gulf Continued from Page 1 Shana quoted him as saying. Mousavi said the planned terminal outside - would have a storage capacity of 20 million barrels and cost around $2.2 billion to build.

Kharg has 22 million barrels of storage.

Gulf exporters depend on the Strait of Hormuz to export most of their oil and Iran’s total dependence on its narrow shipping lanes is seen as a deterrent to attempting any blockade. The United Arab Emirates hopes to open a new Gulf bypass pipeline to the Gulf of Oman this year and many companies are boosting storage facilities across the water from Bandar Jask, spurred by threats to shipping through Hormuz. Iran has invested in import capacity at its Caspian port of Neka to enable crude

swaps with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, but it currently consumes the oil domestically because of the lack of pipeline links with ports in the south of the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Iranian oil officials announced a major oil field find in the Caspian Sea over the weekend, with Shana reporting preliminary National Iranian oil Company estimates of up to 10 billion barrels of oil deep under the landlocked sea.

Iran has no experience of producing oil from such deepwater fields, which Shana said are at a depth of 2,460 m.

In the shorter term, Iranian oil minister Rostam Qasemi said yesterday that the country’s oil production capacity would increase by 1.5 million bpd by 2015, Shana said, compared to around 4 million bpd now. — Reuters

Sanaa blast kills 96 soldiers Continued from Page 1 has been blamed in a string of attempted attacks on US targets, is striking back against the US-backed offensive targeting the group’s stronghold. The Pentagon also confirmed that three civilian contractors helping train Yemen’s coast guard were attacked Sunday in Yemen. Cmdr Bill Speaks, a Defense Department spokesman, said yesterday that injuries to the party were minor. The three were traveling in a car in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida on Sunday, when they were shot at by militants in another vehicle. Yemeni officials initially said the three were members of the US Coast Guard, but the Guard denied that.

Military officials said the suicide bomber in Sanaa was a soldier taking part in the drill, lining up with fellow troops at a main square in the capital, not far from the presidential palace. He belonged to the Central Security, a paramilitary force commanded by Saleh’s nephew Yahia, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Witnesses described the same scenario, but officials said they were still investigating.

Yesterday’s bombing left a scene of carnage, with scores of bleeding soldiers lying on the ground as ambulances rushed to the scene. Several severed heads were on the pavement amid large pools of blood and human remains. “This is a real massacre,” said Ahmed Sobhi, one of the soldiers who witnessed the explosion.

“There are piles of torn body parts, limbs, and heads.

This is unbelievable. I am still shaking. The place turned into hell. I thought this only happens in movies.”

The bomber detonated his explosives minutes before the arrival of the defense minister and the chief of staff, who were expected to greet the troops, the

officials said. The drill was a rehearsal for a parade for the celebration of Yemen’s National Day today. Soldiers hand-picked by their commanders from different branches of the military have been practicing together for the parade for a week, Sobhi said, citing that as evidence that the attacker was a soldier and not an infiltrator.

The site of the attack has been sealed off by Republican Guard forces for the past 24 hours in preparation for the National Day celebrations. No cars or pedestrians were allowed to enter. The Republican Guard is led by Saleh’s son and one-time heir apparent, Ahmed. Khaled Ali, another soldier, told AP over the phone from the site of the attack that the explosion was followed by heavy gunfire. “In the mayhem, we were all running in all directions. I saw the guards of the minister surrounding him and forming a human cordon. They were firing in the air,” he said.

Shortly after the attack, Hadi demoted two of Saleh’s relatives from their top positions in the Central Security forces and the interior ministry. A new commander Fadl Al-Qousi was appointed as the top commander of Central Security forces, at the top of Saleh’s nephew, Yahia. Another Saleh’s in-law Mohammed Al-Qousi lost his post as the commander of a police force.

Saleh stepped down in February as part of a USbacked, power-transfer deal brokered by Gulf Arab countries. It gave Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for relinquishing his power. Since then Hadi has pledged to restructure the army and purge it from Saleh’s family members and loyalists suspected of hindering reforms. Hadi has also vowed to step up the fight against Al-Qaeda, which expanded its foothold after exploiting the political and security turmoil in the wake of the uprising against Saleh. — AP

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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Issues

Nikolic win could break up pro-EU Serbia coalition

By Aleksandra Niksic he victory of Serbian nationalist Tomislav Nikolic in presidential elections Sunday could break up an already agreed pro-EU cabinet of his rival Boris Tadic and the Socialists, analysts warned. After parliamentary polls on May 6, Tadic reached a deal with the third political force, the Socialist party founded by late strongman Slobodan Milosevic, and now led by Ivica Dacic.

The parties were coalition partners in the outgoing government. After his surprise win Sunday Nikolic is expected to offer the mandate to form a government to his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) which came first in the parliamentary election with 73 deputies in the 250-seat assembly.

According to the Serbian constitution, the future prime minister should come from the party or coalition which has the backing of the majority of deputies in the assembly. Analysts insisted that the Socialists’ support was now decisive in forming the future cabinet. “Everything now depends on the Socialists’ decision whether they will stick to the deal they have made” with Tadic’s Democratic Party (DS), said analyst Vladimir Todoric. During Milosevic’s rule in the 1990s - years of deadly conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and of Serbia’s international, political and economic isolation - Nikolic and his party had been allied with the Socialists.

Despite Nikolic’s win, the key to Serbia’s stability lies in its future government, analysts agreed.

According to the constitution, the president has a largely ceremonial role, with the government effectively running the country. “It is the government’s role to draw up and implement the political decisions of the country,” commentator Slavisa Orlovic said. Analyst Dejan Vuk Stankovic warned that Nikolic would try to “change current political arrangements” between the Democrats and the Socialists. “The talks on the future government will depend on those who have negotiated it so far,” he said.

Before the results were announced, Socialist leader Dacic, who has managed to distance the party from Milosevic’s legacy, said the “condition for our coalition (with the Democrats) is not a victory in the presidential polls”. And Dusan Bajatovic, a top Socialists official, said late Sunday the deal to form the government could go on as agreed.

“There is no reason to change that deal now. The division of power should not be bad for the democratic process in the country,” Bajatovic said.

Commentator Orlovic said Serbia had already experienced “cohabitation” when Tadic became president in 2004, when the government was run by conservative nationalist Vojislav Kostunica.

“Tadic was weaker at the time of cohabitation between 2004 and 2007 than from 2008 onwards when his party led the government,” Orlovic said.

But sociologist Vladimir Vuletic insisted that even with a government coalition led by Tadic’s DS Serbia would face a “serious crisis”. “It will be important to see whether politics will be marked by tensions and disagreements between the president and the government,” Vuletic said.

Nikolic, who vowed to keep Serbia on its European path after Tadic had brought it to EU candidacy status in March, said he would cooperate “with everyone in Serbia”. “I want to be a president of all citizens. Serbia must develop its economy, we have to get rid of poverty, we must start working,” Nikolic said in his victory speech. Analysts said the low turn-out of 46.7 percent of the votes boosted Nikolic as only those who wanted change came out to vote. “This was an electoral earthquake, a totally unexpected result,” said analyst Slobodan Antonic, pointing to pre-election surveys predicting a comfortable win for Tadic. — AFP

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Post-war Ivory Coast nurtures second ‘miracle’

By Joe Bavier rom his lagoon-side allotment in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan, Moussa Yanda has a ringside seat to watch the foundations of a $290-million toll bridge slowly rise up from the shore. “I love watching it,” enthused the softly-spoken 45-year-old as he packed up his garden tools for the day. “When things are developing, we realise we’re going to make it through this.” Little over a year ago such optimism was scarce. Mortar bombs were pouring down around Yanda’s city garden as the West African country slipped into a civil war that claimed over 3,000 lives and forced thousands more to flee their homes.

Now, helped by billions of dollars of donor cash, President Alassane Ouattara wants to shore up the peace with a dash for economic growth like the “Ivorian miracle” which turned the country into a regional powerhouse after independence in the 1960s. Internationally recognised as winner of a presidential election in December 2010, Ouattara had to wait over four months to enter office as incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down, pushing the country towards self-destruction.

Old ethnic wounds were opened in the violence that brought the economy of the world’s top cocoa-grower to a halt. Ouattara spent much of the conflict in an Abidjan hotel besieged by proGbagbo forces before his northern allies, backed by French troops, ejected Gbagbo from his palace.

Ouattara, a 70-year-old former top International Monetary Fund official, appears determined to make up for lost time. Each day a new strip of potholed road is patched up and the mirror-windowed skyscrapers of Abidjan’s Plateau financial district now show few signs of the battles waged there.

The toll bridge across the lagoon, long a symbol of Ivory Coast’s arrested development in the decade of political crisis that preceded the conflict, is now being built - 15 years after the contract with France’s Bouygues was penned. As early as his inauguration speech made a year ago on Monday, Ouattara had signalled his goal of emulating Ivory Coast’s three-decade rise that ushered in a golden age of prosperity and stability unrivalled before or since in West Africa. “It became clear to President Felix Houphouet-Boigny very early on that peace is not an accident, but an actual development strategy,” Ouattara said then of the country’s independence president, still widely revered by Ivorians.

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The Road to a Renaissance For Houphouet-Boigny, the recipe for peace was simple: heavy economic investment and close

ties with international partners. Ivory Coast’s rich agricultural sector became a magnet for migrant labour from around West Africa and expatriate workers from Europe and Lebanon flocked to take a share of the riches. But the golden era failed to survive much beyond Houphouet-Boigny’s death in 1993. Would-be heirs played the dangerous game of ethnic politics that led to a 1999 coup, a northern rebellion splitting the country in two, and a slow-burn political crisis that exploded after the December 2010 polls.

Undeterred, Ouattara is treading in Houphouet-Boigny’s steps anew with a first year in office spent blazing through projects which could be lifted straight from a donor wish-list. A reform of the cocoa sector - while yet to fully convince the food multinationals involved - aims to boost farmers’ incomes and reverse a trend that saw the rural poverty rate jump from 15 to 62 percent between 1985-2008 despite a doubling of production during the same period.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy has promised to invest $500 million by 2015 to boost power output and meet rising domestic and regional demands for electricity. Planned reviews of the mining and petroleum codes seek to unlock the potential in these long neglected but potentially lucrative sectors. Infrastructure left to decay for more than a decade is also being revamped with an emphasis on large public works projects. “He’s ticking all the right boxes,” said Andris Piebalgs, European Union Development Commissioner, one of the many donors who last year gave Ouattara a vote of confidence with aid worth five percent of Gross Domestic Product.

An IMF-backed deal on debt relief, in the works for years but never finalised as Gbagbo dragged his heels on reforms, is expected in June.

This could bring foreign debt down from around 50 percent of GDP to a more manageable 40 percent. It is hard to argue with the results. The IMF sees growth of around eight percent this year, easily wiping out last year’s contraction of 4.7 percent. Analysts expect the rate to steady to a still healthy six percent next year and pursue that trend for the foreseeable future. “Everyone in the business community is optimistic,” said Standard Bank Sub-Saharan Africa analyst and longtime Ivory Coast-watcher Samir Gadio. “The biggest thing being achieved by improving governance is that it is creating a shift in domestic sentiment. So far there is not a major shift on either foreign direct investment and far less portfolio investment but people are starting to consider investing in Ivory Coast.”

No Reconciliation, No Opposition But if the country is on the road to a renaissance, the path remains littered with potential pitfalls - chief of which are the old rivalries deep within Ivorian society on which the first era of affluence foundered. While Ouattara is in his element tinkering under the bonnet of the economy, his efforts to foster a wider reconciliation in a country of 20 million riven in two for over a decade remain constrained by former foes and supposed allies alike.

Even though Gbagbo lost to Ouattara, the UN-certified results showed he won nearly 46 percent of the vote - evidence of strong support for him and his Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) in the wealthier south of the country.

All agree that if Ivory Coast is to emerge as an inclusive democracy, it will need an opposition worthy of the name. But that is a role the FPI is not willing or able to play now. Gbagbo is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on war crimes charges. His influential and muchfeared wife Simone is under house arrest and most of the party leadership is in jail or exiled in countries such as Ghana. The FPI boycotted legislative elections last year and those mid-ranking party officials still in the country snubbed an offer of jobs in the government - partly for fear of displeasing exiled or jailed superiors, but also partly out of distrust of Ouattara and his ruling Rally of the Republicans (RDR). “We are the ones who suffered the worst difficulties,” FPI representative Sebastien Dano Djedje said, highlighting the party’s mood of resentment and alienation. Their absence has left many Ivorians feeling excluded from politics. The risk of further marginalisation is all the greater with legislation on the nationality and land ownership issues at the root of Ivory Coast’s problems now set to be decided by a parliament packed with Ouattara allies.

No Justice, No Peace While some FPI conditions for re-entering politics - such as a demand that Gbagbo be freed - are unrealistic, their charge that post-war justice has been partial is seen by many as valid. Nowhere is that truer than in Duekoue, a mainly pro-Gbagbo town in the cocoa-producing west where around 800 civilians were killed as pro-Ouattara northern rebel soldiers swept south in late March 2011 on their way to a final assault on Abidjan.

During a visit to the town last month, Ouattara repeated his promises that all crimes would be punished. But there still has not been a single arrest of a pro-Ouattara soldier. “As of now, the promises of impartial justice have been pretty hollow, with almost no action to support the rhetoric,” said Matt

Wells, who investigated the Duekoue massacres for New York-based Human Rights Watch. While the violence of pro-Gbagbo fighters may overall have exceeded that committed by pro-Ouattara forces, critics argue the lack of full justice suggests Ouattara is beholden to the fellow northerners whose armed support he needed to win power.

“We want a light to be shone on what happened here and for justice to be done. That will make forgiveness easier,” said community leader Constant Bohe, standing beside a mass grave now covered in tall grass in Duekoue’s Carrefour neighbourhood.

Two Armies UN investigators believe much of the killing in the west was the settling of old land feuds between the area’s original inhabitants and migrants, from the north as well as neighbouring countries, who possess most of the region’s cocoa plantations.

While security in most of the country has vastly improved, the west is still plagued by violence and awash with arms. Yet the army and police force, far from acting as guarantors of stability, constitute a serious danger in their own right.

Deep distrust exists between rank-and-file police agents, many of whom fought for Gbagbo, and their new, often northern, bosses. Security commanders are often loath to issue arms to their subordinates, creating a crippling dysfunction. A similar split afflicts the military. The northern rebellion was spawned from a failed army mutiny in 2002. The return of ex-rebels, many with big promotions, is viewed dimly by those army officers who, regardless of their view of Gbagbo, chose not to desert during the war. The two sides rarely mix.

“If you look at the history of this country since 1999, all the problems have come from within the army ...

It’s very dangerous to have these different streams in the army,” said Rinaldo Depagne of the International Crisis Group think-tank.

Ouattara must also somehow succeed in breaking up rebel fiefdoms that allowed some northern commanders to get rich through the control of diamond mines, regional goods smuggling routes and illegal taxation rackets. It will be a delicate task, not least because many former rebels feel a sense of entitlement having risked their lives backing the president. Ouattara himself has taken the defence portfolio - a clue that he will personally oversee reform of the army - but so far, little progress has been made. “He’s acting very cautiously and taking his time. It’s very difficult for him to do it quickly and in one shot. The goal is not another war. It can appear to some observers as weakness, but I don’t think that it is,” Depagne said. — Reuters

China reformer sees opportunity after Bo fall

By John Ruwitch and Michael Martina ne of China’s most conspicuously reformminded leaders has stepped back into the spotlight after the nation’s biggest political convulsion in a generation, positioning himself to gain from the fall of populist politician Bo Xilai. Wang Yang, leader of Guangdong province and well known for his deft handling of recent civil unrest there, is the first of three provincial-level party bosses who stand to benefit after a murder scandal snuffed out Bo’s career last month. Bo, once seen as a favourite of the party’s conservatives, was a strong contender to join China’s top decision-making body in a leadership transition due to be completed by March.

His political demise is now an opportunity for rivals such as Wang.

Wang, 57, used his provincial party congress meeting this month to garner publicity ahead of the 18th national Party Congress where, late this year, a new and younger leadership group will be unveiled to replace President Hu Jintao’s team. Wang’s performance at the Guangdong congress highlighted his image as the politician most likely to take up the reformist mantle of outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao, who had seen Bo as a threat to his reform legacy and moved swiftly to cut him down.

“Wang Yang’s speech was sort of valedictory,” said Willy Lam, a Hong Kong-based expert on the Chinese leadership. “People think that he will sort of be the next Wen Jiabao, the standard bearer of the liberals in the new Standing Committee.” Wang’s reformist credentials were burnished last year when he ended a revolt in the village of Wukan with a soft touch and no bloodshed. The villagers ended a 10-day standoff and went on to hold local elections. He has

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also promoted various experiments in administrative reform over the years.

At his Guangdong congress, Wang gave a nod toward freer markets and a lighter hand of the state in ordinary peoples’ lives, saying the party and government should not be seen as responsible for providing the people with happiness. “We must get rid of the misconception that the people’s happiness is a gift from the party and government... (and) respect the peoples’ initiative so that the people boldly explore their own path to happiness,” he said. After the congress he took questions online, and acknowledged that criticism from netizens was good for governance. Wang, however, has competition from other provincial party leaders who also see an opportunity for advancement to the pinnacle of power now that Bo has fallen away. Shanghai party chief Yu Zhengsheng opened his municipal congress on Friday and Zhang Gaoli, the party boss of the northern port city of Tianjin, kicks off his meeting today. Wang, Yu and Zhang are all contenders for the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee - expected to be led by Hu’s anointed successor, Xi Jinping - and their congress speeches offer clues to how warmly the new leadership will embrace economic, and even political reform.

Other contenders hail from central government or party bodies and do not have local party congresses to stage, and their political hues are more difficult to discern. “These municipal, provincial party congresses, they are platforms for the local party bosses to showcase their policy orientations, their policy thinking. It is a platform for them to impress the center,” said Wang Zhengxu, with the University of Nottingham’s China Policy Institute in Britain.

Premier Wen has been a steady proponent of

economic reforms during his decade-long tenure. He has also made repeated calls for accompanying political advancements, although he has been unable to convert that rhetoric into reality. Under President Hu, political reform has been glacial, lagging well behind the incremental pace of economic reform. Whether Wen’s likely successor as premier, Vice Premier Li Keqiang, will take up the reform mantle remains to be seen. Li was immersed in the intellectual and political ferment of the post-Cultural Revolution period that ended in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. But his ascent in the party and government since then has been textbook gray.

China’s leadership race is a secretive process of vetting, bargaining and coalition-building, in contrast to the raucous, publicity-soaked race for the White House that takes place in the United States over roughly the same time up until late 2012. But China’s emerging leaders are learning in their own way to court broader constituencies and potential backers, many of whom appear eager for faster reforms after a decade of President Hu’s stability-above-all tenure. The Chinese Communist Party remains a top-down body that does not answer to citizens or even its 80 million members. But the increasingly divided, assertive society formed by 30 years of market reforms has created chances for leaders to appeal to distinctive audiences in the hope of building influence, said Chen Ziming, an independent scholar who studies party politics.

“The central leadership doesn’t have the plan or the will to carry out that kind of exploration, so again reform is coming up from below,” said Chen, a former political prisoner who lives in Beijing. “This shows a broader generational difference, too. They’re showing that they’ll handle

things differently,” Chen said of Guangdong’s Wang and his cohorts.

Wang, Shanghai’s Yu and Tianjin’s Zhang are politically nothing like Bo, who courted the conservative old guard with his ‘Red’ campaigns and with calls for more egalitarian growth. Yu, 67, like Bo, is a “princeling”, the privileged offspring of former Chinese communist leaders or military top brass - but that is where any similarity ends.

Yu and Zhang, though, are likely to play things more conservatively in their party congresses than Wang. For one, Wang’s position in the top leadership is more secure than Yu and Zhang, who are older and likely to serve at most one term, analysts said. Also, breaking new ground at their congresses is unlikely - and can be risky if they hope to rise.

On Friday, Yu’s work report to the Shanghai congress called for faster and better economic development, while sticking largely to accepted rhetoric on politics, at points mimicking the exact wording of previous speeches by top leaders. “The development of socialist democratic politics is the unswerving goal of our party,” he said. The Shanghai congress closes on Tuesday.

Lam, the Hong Kong-based analyst, described Yu as the least controversial of the party’s princelings and is acceptable to the outgoing leadership. “He is not known for pushing any radical ideas,” Lam said.

Even less drama was expected of Zhang, 65, a technocrat who helped change Tianjin from a backwater into an increasingly important financial centre.”What he wants to do at this juncture is try not to make mistakes or offend anyone, to hide ambitions. He will try to ensure the (local) party congress goes through without interruptions or problems,” said the University of Nottingham’s Wang Zhengxu. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

sp orts Former Olympian dies at 75

IndyCar fines 13 teams

NEW YORK: Bob Boozer, a former NBA player and member of the United States team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games, has died at the age of 75, the Omaha World-Herald reported on Sunday. A versatile forward who was a two-time All-American at Kansas State University, Boozer died on Saturday night in his native Omaha, Nebraska.

According to the Thomas Funeral Home in Omaha, the cause of his death was not confirmed.

Boozer, an All-Star with the Chicago Bulls in 1968 and an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, played for six teams in the NBA. A draft pick by the Cincinnati Royals, he ended his 11-year career with an average of 14.8 points per game and 8.10 rebounds, totalling 12,964 points and 7,119 rebounds.

One of his proudest moments, however, came in 1960 when he won Olympic gold in Rome as a member of a strong amateur US squad that also included Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy. — Reuters

INDIANAPOLIS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway might have set a track record Sunday. Series officials levied $275,000 in fines to 13 different teams, including pole-sitter Ryan Briscoe. In all, there were 18 infractions. Track historian Donald Davidson said all of the numbers were believed to be a one-day record even though the series has not always announced infractions or fines. But none of the 13 drivers were assessed grid penalties, meaning their starting spots in next Sunday’s race will not be affected.

Series officials declined to comment after issuing the penalties that were handed down about 30 minutes after the second and final day of qualifying ended at the 2.5-mile oval, and most of the teams had already left the track when the announcement was made. All three cars that qualified for the front row of next Sunday’s race were punished. Briscoe, James Hinchcliffe and Ryan HunterReay must pay a combined total of $70,000 for six rules infractions.

Eleven teams including Briscoe, Hunter-Reay and points leader Will Power received $15,000 fines for violating technical rules regarding the braking systems on the new Dallara DW12. Penske Racing president Tim Cindric indicated in a series of tweets Sunday night that the brake rule was changed after last season’s finale at Las Vegas.

He admitted the brake pads on Power’s car were wrong, but said on Twitter it was “out of habit.”—AP

MLB results/standings Cincinnati 5, NY Yankees 2; Miami 5, Cleveland 3; Detroit 4, Pittsburgh 3; NY Mets 6, Toronto 5; Washington 9, Baltimore 3; Boston 5, Philadelphia 1; Atlanta 2, Tampa Bay 0; Texas 6, Houston 1; Arizona 2, Kansas City 0; Milwaukee 16, Minnesota 4; Chicago White Sox 6, Chicago Cubs 0; Seattle 6, Colorado 4; San Diego 3, LA Angels 2 (13 innings); Oakland 6, San Francisco 2; LA Dodgers 6, St. Louis 5.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT 27 15 .643 Baltimore Tampa Bay 25 17 .595 Toronto 23 19 .548 NY Yankees 21 20 .512 Boston 20 21 .488 Central Division Cleveland 23 18 .561 .500 C’ White Sox 21 21 Detroit 20 21 .488 Kansas City 16 24 .400 Minnesota 14 27 .341 Western Division Texas 26 16 .619 21 21 .500 Oakland Seattle 19 24 .442 LA Angels 18 24 .429

GB 2 4 5.5 6.5 2.5 3 6.5 9 5 7.5 8

National League Eastern Division Atlanta 26 16 .619 .585 1.5 Washington 24 17 NY Mets 22 19 .537 3.5 Miami 22 19 .537 3.5 Philadelphia 21 21 .500 5 Central Division St. Louis 22 19 .537 21 19 .525 .5 Cincinnati Pittsburgh 19 22 .463 3 Houston 18 23 .439 4 Milwaukee 17 24 .415 5 Chicago Cubs 15 26 .366 7 Western Division LA Dodgers 28 13 .683 .512 7 San Francisco 21 20 Arizona 19 23 .452 9.5 San Diego 16 26 .381 12.5 Colorado 15 25 .375 12.5

Munoz bags Sybase after slow-play controversy GLADSTONE: Azahara Munoz beat Candie Kung 2 and 1 on Sunday to win the Sybase Match Play Championship, a title that was set up when Morgan Pressel was penalized for slow play while in control of their semifinal match. Pressel was one of the first to hug and congratulate Munoz, her good friend, but she also had to be feeling this could have been her first win since 2008 just as easily.

It all reverted to the morning semifinal in which Munoz and Pressel were both slow, although Munoz was admittedly a little slower. They were warned about slow play after nine holes and put on the clock after No. 11. The 12th hole changed everything.

Pressel won it with a par to seemingly take a 3-up lead.

However, before she could tee off on No. 13, tour official Doug Brecht

GLADSTONE: Azahara Munoz of Spain holds up the trophy after beating Candie Kung of Taiwan on the 17th hole during the championship in the LPGA Sybase Match Play Championship. —AP informed her that she was being penalized for slow play. She had taken 2:09 to play her three shots, 39 seconds over the 30-second limit per shot. In match play, a time penalty is the loss of the previous hole and that handed the admittedly slow-playing Munoz the hole. She was 1-down and back in the match.

“It was tough timing because it was a really big, I think, turning point in the match, going from 2-up to 3-up, and then all of a sudden back to 1-up,” said Pressel, who was on the verge of tears several times in a post-match news conference after she beat Vicky Hurst 2 and 1 in the consolation match. “You know, it was - I mean, it was really unfortunate.”

The time penalty was the first for Pressel in seven years on the tour and it left a very bad taste in her mouth, knowing Munoz was the slower player.

“I think that slow play is one of our biggest problems on tour,” Pressel said.

“You know, I think that what bothers me the most is that we were given sufficient warning and she really didn’t do anything to speed up and then I

was penalized for it.” Munoz said was apologetic, adding she was surprised Pressel was penalized.

“I know I was slow and I really apologized for that and I told her, but I do feel both of us were slow and she was the only one getting penalized, and that was not fair and I know that,” Munoz said. “I would never make her lose a hole.” The penalty didn’t end the controversy.

Munoz evened the match with a birdie at No. 15, a stroke that was delayed when Pressel contended the Spaniard touched the line of her putt before striking the ball.

Robinson had two committee officials away from the 15th review the videotape of the one camera angle they had of the hole. Robinson said they could not see any evidence of a rule being broken. Munoz then made her putt. Pressel lost the match when she bogeyed the next two holes, missing a 3-foot par putt at No. 17.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, the senior vice president of tour operations. “This is one of those days where it is very tough to be an LPGA official. It’s not an easy thing to deliver a pace of play penalty to a player in a situation like this.” Daly-Donofrio said two other players have been penalized for slow play this year and five were penalized last year. Pressel was the only one disciplined in the tournament, although two others face fines for slow play.

When asked about officials deciding events instead of the players, DalyDonofrio said that USGA rules have to be upheld. Rule 6-7 says players must play without such delays and it’s up to the tour to apply its policy.

Daly-Donofrio said slow play is a concern throughout golf, which was evident on the PGA Tour last week when Kevin Na was very slow at The Players Championship. However the PGA Tour has not handed out a slow play stroke penalty in more than a decade. The afternoon matches were almost anticlimactic. Munoz, an NCAA champion at Arizona State, took a 2up lead at Nos. 11 and 12 when Kung ran into problems and never lost it.

Munoz was defensive when asked about the win being controversial and tainted. “I don’t care what - you guys are the ones that are going to say that, not people,” said Munoz, who earned $375,000. “You guys can say whatever you want to. You know, I didn’t do anything wrong. She lost the hole because she was slow, I wasn’t. I was slow before, but not when the clock was on and that’s when you can’t be slow.” Kung, who beat top-ranked Yani Tseng in the third round and topped Hurst 2 and 1 in the semifinals, earned $225,000 in just missing her chance to win for the first time since 2008.

Pressel played a bogey-free 5 under for 17 holes in beating Hurst in the third-place match. — AP

Babe Ruth jersey sells for record $4.4 million NEW YORK: A baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth has sold for more than $4.4 million, a record for any item of sports memorabilia, according to the buyer and seller. SCP Auctions says the circa 1920 New York Yankees uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by The Bambino and it fetched $4,415,658 at the company’s April auction, which ended Sunday. SCP Auctions says that price broke the previous record of $4,338,500 set in 2010 for James Naismith’s founding rules of basketball.

Lelands.com says it submitted the winning bid for Ruth’s jersey, which had been displayed for years at The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum in Baltimore. Suzan French, a spokeswoman for Lelands.com, says the company plans to sell the jersey privately rather than re-auction it. “Such a spectacular piece will find a home with one of our private clients who truly appreciates its historic significance,” Lelands.com president Michael Heffner said in a statement. — AP

Nationals pound Orioles WASHINGTON: Stephen Strasburg hit his first major league home run and struck out eight batters in five innings to carry the Washington Nationals past the Baltimore Orioles 9-3 in interleague play Sunday. Strasburg sent an 0-2 pitch from Chen Wei-yin into the Baltimore bullpen in the fourth inning to put the Nationals ahead 5-3. After dusting off his home run trot and returning to the dugout, Strasburg responded to a curtain call by waving to the crowd of 41,918. The hard-throwing Strasburg singled and scored in the third inning, then followed a shot

by Jesus Flores with one of his own in the fourth.

Known more for his pitching than his hitting, Strasburg (4-1) excelled at both. The right-hander allowed three runs, one earned, four hits and a walk in his first career appearance against Baltimore. He retired the last 10 batters he faced.

Danny Espinosa also homered, and Bryce Harper drove in two runs and scored three to help the Nationals avert a three-game sweep by their regional rivals.

Tigers 4, Pirates 3 At Detroit, Max Scherzer struck out 15 - the most by a Detroit pitcher in 40 years - as the Tigers rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to beat Pittsburgh.

Scherzer (3-3) threw 115 pitches in seven innings and was done for the day when the Tigers came back from a 2-1 deficit while he was still the pitcher of record. Alex Avila hit a two-run single through a drawnin infield to put Detroit ahead.

Mickey Lolich struck out 15 batters for the Tigers in 1972 and set the club record of 16 in 1969.

Marlins 5, Indians 3 At Cleveland, Josh Johnson twice worked out of jams to earn his second straight win and help Miami win the series with Cleveland. Johnson (2-3) allowed one run and five hits over seven innings as Miami took two of three from the Indians and improved to 14-5 in May, the best record in the majors this month.

Red Sox 5, Phillies 1 At Philadelphia, Josh Beckett pitched 7 2-3 strong innings and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a threerun homer to lead Boston over Philadelphia. Mike Aviles also homered and drove in two runs for Boston, which has won eight of 10 games overall after taking the final two of this three-game series.

Beckett (4-4) allowed one run on seven hits Sunday while striking out five and walking two. Adrian Gonzalez went 2 for 4 and now is 9

for 16 lifetime against Phillies lefty Cliff Lee. Braves 2, Rays 0 At St. Petersburg, Florida, Tim Hudson scattered four hits over 7 23 innings and David Ross homered to lead Atlanta over Tampa Bay. Hudson (3-1), who is 8-1 overall against the Rays, retired nine in a row before Ben Zobrist opened the fourth with a line single to right.

Ross put the Braves up 1-0 on an

before coasting to the win over Houston. Lewis (4-3) capped the Rangers’ first-inning scoring with a bases-loaded, two-out single to center. David Murphy added a solo home run in the fifth inning, a day after hitting his first career insidethe-park homer for Texas.

Mets 6, Blue Jays 5 At Toronto, Mike Baxter had three hits and came within a home run of the cycle, and Dillon Gee

DENVER: After receiving a throw from Marco Scutaro No. 19, Troy Tulowitzki No. 2 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base to complete the double play to end the seventh inning as Michael Saunders No. 55 of the Seattle Mariners slides during an interleague game. —AFP opposite-field, solo-homer to right in the third. Jason Heyward made it 2-0 on a two-out, RBI single during the sixth.

Brewers 16, Twins 4 At Milwaukee, Jonathan Lucroy homered twice and had a careerhigh seven RBIs, and Zack Greinke pitched six strong innings to lead Milwaukee over Minnesota. Lucroy connected on an 0-2 pitch from Jeff Gray in the seventh inning for his first career grand slam. He also had a solo homer in the first and an RBI single in the second. Greinke (5-1) extended his unbeaten streak to 20 starts (14-0) as a Brewer at Miller Park.

Padres 3, Angels 2 At San Diego, pitcher Clayton Richard scored the winning run from first base on an error with two outs in the 13th inning to lift San Diego over Los Angeles.

By taking two of three from the Angels, the Padres had their first winning homestand of the season, going 3-2 against the Dodgers and Angels. Rookie Miles Mikolas (1-1) pitched two perfect innings for his first big league win.

Rangers 6, Astros 1 At Houston, Colby Lewis allowed four hits in eight-plus innings and drove in two runs as Texas took a five-run lead in the first inning

won for the first time in four starts as the New York Mets held on to beat Toronto. New York third baseman David Wright went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a walk, raising his majors-leading average to .412.

Wright also struck out twice, once with the bases loaded. Jose Bautista homered for Toronto, his 11th, but the Blue Jays’ win streak ended at four.

Reds 5, Yankees 2 At New York, Johnny Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Ryan Ludwick delivered two big hits and Cincinnati closed its extended trip to New York with a win. The Reds rallied late against CC Sabathia, sending the Yankees to their fifth loss in six games. Aroldis Chapman closed it out as Cincinnati took two of three at Yankee Stadium, right after splitting a pair at Citi Field against the Mets.

Athletics 6, Giants 2 At San Francisco, Collin Cowgill drove in the go-ahead runs and scored in a home plate collision with pitcher Tim Lincecum as Oakland snapped an 11-game skid in San Francisco.

Cowgill capped a four-run fourth inning against Lincecum and the collision put a scare into San Francisco and its struggling ace. The diminutive Lincecum tried

to block the plate after a wild pitch, taking a helmet to the face and falling backward when Cowgill slid into him.

Mariners 6, Rockies 4 At Denver, Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak hit back-to-back home runs, and Blake Beavan tied a season-high with seven strikeouts as Seattle beat Colorado to complete a three-game sweep.

Mike Carp also homered and Dustin Ackley had two hits for the Mariners. Carlos Gonzalez homered among his three hits and Dexter Fowler also homered for Colorado.

D’backs 2, Royals 0 At Kansas City, Missouri, Wade Miley pitched seven sharp innings and John McDonald drove in the first run with a bunt single to lead Arizona over Kansas City. Miley (51) limited the Royals to five hits while throwing 99 pitches. The rookie walked two and struck out three, sending Kansas City to its 17th loss in 22 home games this season. David Hernandez and J.J. Putz each pitched an inning to finish off the shutout. Putz earned his ninth save in 11 opportunities.

White Sox 6, Cubs 0 At Chicago, Jake Peavy pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning and Adam Dunn hit his 14th homer to help the White Sox complete a three-game sweep of the Cubs. Gordon Beckham and Tyler Flowers also went deep as the White Sox matched season highs with three homers in a game and four straight wins. Back-to-back homers by Beckham and Dunn leading off the fourth gave the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Flowers made it 3-0 with a drive to start the fifth off Paul Maholm (43). Peavy (5-1) struck out seven and walked two over 6 1-3 innings Dodgers 6, Cardinals 5 At Los Angeles, pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke connected for his first major league homer, a goahead, three-run shot in the seventh inning against his father’s former team, as Los Angeles rallied to beat St. Louis.

Dodgers rookie Elian Herrera started the winning rally with a one-out single against Victor Marte, and Bobby Abreu greeted Mark Rzepczynski (0-2) with a single. Van Slyke, the son of former All-Star outfielder Andy Van Slyke, swung at a 3-0 pitch and drove it into the left-field bullpen after Andre Ethier struck out.

Javy Guerra (2-3) got the win, which completed a three-game sweep for the Dodgers and improved the best record in the majors to 28-13. —AP

Dufner wins Byron Nelson

IRVING: Jason Dufner of the United States lifts the HP Byron Nelson Championship trophy at TPC Four Seasons Resort. —AFP

IRVING: American Jason Dufner holed a 25foot birdie putt at the last hole to win his second PGA Tour title in three weeks with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas on Sunday.

Dufner, who made his breakthrough on the circuit at last month’s New Orleans Classic, pumped his right fist in celebration as his ball dropped into the cup for a three-under-par 67. That gave him an 11-under total of 269 at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, one better than compatriot Dicky Pride, who had drained a 22-foot par putt on the 18th green moments earlier for a matching 67.

JJ Henry, who had led by one shot with two holes to play, had to settle for a share of third at nine under after closing with a 68.

Henry finished level with fellow American Joe Durant (65), Australian Marc Leishman (66) and Swede Jonas Blixt (66).

Five players held at least a share of the lead in an action-packed final round but the icecool Dufner broke clear of the pack with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 16th followed by his long-range effort at the last.

“A lot of things were going on with the leaderboard, it kind of got jumbled up a little

bit and bunched up at the top,” a beaming Dufner said greenside.

“Luckily I had a nice chance there on 18 to close it out. It was a little bit right-to-left putt, downhill. I just had a really good feel for that putt.” Dufner, who had led by one stroke overnight before being caught by his challengers early in the final round, was delighted to avoid going into a playoff. “I’ve been in a couple of playoffs now and I kind of wanted to close this one out,” he smiled.

Dufner lost to fellow American Keegan Bradley in a playoff for last year ’s PGA Championship but then claimed his maiden PGA Tour title by beating South African Ernie Els on the second extra hole in New Orleans.

It has certainly been a momentous threeweek run for Dufner, who married his girlfriend Amanda on the Saturday after his triumph at the New Orleans Classic.

“It’s been a great month for both us,” he said. “Two wins in a month and to get married on top of it all. You couldn’t really ask for much more, personally or professionally.”

While Dufner had lots to smile about on Sunday, Henry was left with a bitter-sweet taste in his mouth. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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Taekwondo: Martial arts for peace in Afghanistan KABUL: The taekwondo star who became Afghanistan’s first ever Olympic medallist at the Beijing Games in 2008 wants to repeat the feat in London-in the hope of bringing peace to his troubled homeland.

Rohullah Nikpa’s story is something of a fairytale in a war-ravaged country with few happy endings.

As a 10-year-old obsessed with Bruce Lee and martial arts movies, he followed his brother to the taekwondo club while civil war raged in Afghanistan.

“I was crazy about taekwondo from the day I started it. I remember the first day I arrived at the club to practise, I was already able to do it well. I already had the mentality of being determined to reach the top,” he said.

Now 25, he was 14 when the Taliban regime fell at the end of 2001 and began training in Kabul in earnest while a bloody insurgency against the gov-

ernment and its NATO allies raged throughout the country. Nikpa overcame tremendous problems, not least financial, to qualify for Beijing, where he claimed a life-changing bronze in the under-58 kilogram division. Four years later, the moment is still fresh in his memory.

“I was so happy because throughout the history of my country Afghanistan, no one has ever won an Olympic medal before. I was so happy that I cried right there in the arena,” he said.

“It’s something priceless for our country. With this medal, I can help bring peace to our country. It shows that our people must walk away from all this war and conflict, and look towards the future generation and use sports to help lift our country up.”

His friend and training partner Nesar Ahmad Bahawi-Afghanistan’s other great taekwondo hope in London-shares his view of sport as a means of

inspiring change in society. “Taekwondo I’ve done for my country and my people, not so that I could myself become famous, just so that I can let the world hear the name of Afghanistan in a good way and make our people happy,” said Bahawi, who took silver at the 2007 world championships but came away from Beijing empty-handed.

“There’s always been fighting in our country, I want to show the world that we are not people who love war, but we want peace.”

Bashir Taraki, the Afghan team’s coach, agrees.

“The Olympic logo with its five rings shows that the world is unified. Yes, so the sport of taekwondo can show the world that we asking for peace and we don’t want war, we want to live as one with the rest of the world,” he said.

Thanks to Nikpa and Bahawi, taekwondo has become one of the most popular sports in

Afghanistan. Around 25,000 competitors-up to 38,000 according to Bahawi-practise in hundreds of clubs around the country, though facilities are sometimes basic.

The elite Afghan squad, paid around $15 a month, train in proper facilities at the Ghazi Olympic stadium in Kabul, where the Taliban used to hold public stonings-a marked improvement on the fourth floor buidling site where they prepared for Beijing. But Nikpa and Bahawi don’t care about the training setup-they are dreaming of Olympic gold.

And once they have the medals round their necks?

“I will continue taekwondo as long as I can, and when I’m no longer strong enough to do it myself, I will use the experience I have to teach our youth so that they can grow up to be even better at taekwondo than me and win more medals for Afghanistan,” said Nikpa. — AFP

Relay hiccup as flame goes out TOKYO: Japan’s Kohei Uchimura performs on the rings at the NHK trophy Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo Saturday, May 5, 2012. Three-time world gymnastics champion Uchimura has already a spot on the national team for the London Olympics. — AP

Uchimura aims for team gold at London Olympics TOKYO: When Kohei Uchimura imagines himself collecting a gold medal at the London Olympics, he thinks about collecting one for the team. An overwhelming favorite to win the all-around gold, the most prestigious event in gymnastics, Uchimura is heading to the Olympics aiming to put Japan first.

Since winning the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, the stylish Uchimura has been unbeatable. He won his third straight title at the world championships last fall in Tokyo, joining Svetlana Khorkina as the only gymnasts to win three. With Beijing gold medalist Yang Wei of China retired, it will likely take a colossal blunder for Uchimura to miss out on adding the Olympic title to his glittering resume.

But in the lead-up to the games, the soft-spoken 23-year-old Uchimura prefers to focus on doing what he can to help Japan end a drought in the team competition.

“I’m fed up with being second in the team event and that’s what we have to overcome,” Uchimura said. “The team is a special event and winning it is in many ways more rewarding that the individual event.” Japan won the team title at the 2004 Athens Olympics, beating a United States squad led by Paul Hamm.

Since then, however, the Japanese men have been stuck firmly behind China, settling for silver in Beijing and at the last four world championships.

“I have a lot of bitter memories from Beijing,” Uchimura said.

“Hopefully, we can erase those memories and bring the gold back to Japan.” For the team competition in London, squads have been cut from six gymnasts to five, and the reductions could benefit Japan. Rather than loading up with three or four event specialists who could produce big scores in team finals, countries likely will need to rely on all-arounders. For countries such as Japan or the United States, where there’s enough depth to field two or three medal-worthy teams, that won’t be a problem.

Other countries which have relied largely on the strength of their specialists could suffer. “(China) is going to be a great team,” US gymnast Jonathan Horton said. “But I think Japan, China and the United States are going to be fighting for that gold.” When it comes to the allaround title, however, the contest is not likely to be nearly so close. Uchimura captured his third title by more than three points, a massive margin in a sport where medals are often decided by hundreds or thousandths of a point. He has been so dominant that Philipp Boy, silver medalist at the last two world championships, has lamented being born in “the wrong age.”

“He’s just the greatest gymnast that’s ever lived, he really is. It’s his ability to do the difficulty that he is doing with such ease and acting like it’s just no big deal,” said Horton, who finished third behind Uchimura and Boy in 2010. “Unless he makes a major mistake and somebody, like maybe myself, has the meet of their life, I don’t think that he will be beat.”

Uchimura is a very different gymnast than Yang, who dominated gymnastics during the last Olympic cycle. Yang’s gymnastics would never be described as easy on the eyes, but he bulked up his routines with so much difficulty he started most meets two or three points ahead. Uchimura, on the other hand, has gorgeous style to go with his difficult skills. After the 2011 worlds, German gymnast Fabian Hambuechen said Uchimura was in a class by himself. “(Uchimura) is just a perfect gymnast right now. I think he’s better than Yang Wei,” said Hambuechen, runner-up to Yang at the 2007 world championships. “If Yang Wei would still compete, he’d have no chance against Kohei.” Uchimura began gymnastics when he was 3, starting in a gym his father built in the family home in Nagasaki.

As a teenager, Uchimura looked up to Naoya Tsukahara, son of Japanese icon Mitsuo Tsukahara, a five-time Olympic gold medalist. So when he was 15, Uchimura left home to train at Tsukahara’s gym in Tokyo before enrolling at Nippon Sports Science University, where he was coached by two-time Olympian Yoshiaki Hatakeda. He made his national team debut at the 2007 Paris World Cup, where he won bronze on vault.

In recent times, Uchimura has replaced 2005 world champion Hiroyuki Tomita as the leader of the Japanese team. Tomita led Japan to the team gold in Athens and Uchimura knows there are similar expectations on him in London.

“Four years ago, I felt the importance of the Olympics and how it is different from other events,” Uchimura said. “It’s a completely different atmosphere. The main advice I can give my teammates is to try to enjoy the experience.”

Like many Japanese athletes in London, Uchimura will be hoping to lift the spirits of his fans back home as they rebuild their lives following last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 19,000 people on Japan’s northeast coast. “Following the tragedy last year, I’ve realized the extraordinary power of sports to heal, unite and inspire,” Uchimura said. “I believe the Olympics will serve as the ultimate platform to provide positive changes and I hope to inspire all of Japan through my strong showing there.”— AP

Malaysia star Lee gets back to winning ways WUHAN: World number one Lee Chong Wei steered Malaysia to a first group tie win at the Thomas and Uber Cups in Wuhan yesterday, where the injury-hit shuttler hopes to regain his form before the Olympics. Lee made quick work of South Africa’s Jacob Malieka, effortlessly switching play from smash drives to delicate drop shots and showing no sign of the flu that had hindered his preparations.

“Today was very important even if the opposition was not strong,” Lee said afterwards, between shouts from adoring fans in the crowd.

“I wanted to get the tournament feeling. In train-

WUHAN: Lee Chongwei of Malaysia celebrates after winning over Jacob Malieka of South Africa during their Group C match of Thomas Cup world badminton team championships. — AFP

ing there was no air-conditioning so I was able to adjust to it today,” he added, referring to the windy conditions in the stadium that have preoccupied a number of players.

Lee arrived in Wuhan with a point to prove. After an injury-plagued season and run of poor results, his closest rivals on the circuit, particularly long-time foe Lin Dan of China, are eyeing Olympic success ahead of the Malaysian. In the evening session, all eyes were on Indonesia’s men as they played their first tie against England.

England’s Rajiv Ouseph had pushed Lin surprisingly hard Sunday and again the Brit, ranked 19 in the world, looked confident and showed some nifty footwork to return everything Indonesia’s Simon Santoso could fire at him. But the world number nine proved his class, winning all the key points to close the match after two games in just over half an hour. “This is the third time I’ve played Rajiv. He is not easy to play against because he has a habit of taking control of the match,” said Santoso. “He did it in the first game and I knew from experience that I had to take back control.”

Santoso was picked for the first men’s singles ahead of his teammate and world number 12 Taufik Hidayat, who came on for his match to the loudest roar of the night from an animated crowd.

The popular former world number two Hidayat further delighted his fans as he beat England’s Carl Baxter, 21-12, 21-16.

The same line-up is likely for tomorrow’s clash against China, meaning Santoso would face Lin Dan, while Hidayat would take on 23-year-old Chen Long.

In the doubles, England’s Andrew Ellis threw his t-shirt into the screaming crowd as he and Chris Adock won against Indonesia’s Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.—AFP

LONDON: The Olympic flame went out yesterday for the first time since the torch relay for the 2012 London Games began before being relit from a “mother flame” kept on standby for mishaps, organisers said.

The flame vanished while it was attached to the side of Paralympics badminton star David Follett’s wheelchair in blustery weather as he travelled through Devon in southwest England on the third day of the 8,000-mile (12,875kilometre) relay.

“The flame went out due to a malfunctioning burner,” a spokeswoman for London 2012 said. “It is not uncommon for a flame to go out and this can happen for a number of reasons-for example, in extreme winds.”

A replacement torch was brought out from the accompanying convoy of vehicles, and was lit from the backup flame.

“We keep the mother flame in specially designed miners’ lanterns so if the flame does go out for some reason on the relay we relight it from the source of the flame,” the spokeswoman added. The flame was flown from Greece, where it also went out during the lighting ceremony, and began its journey around Britain on Saturday.

It is passed from torch to torch and will be carried by some 8,000 torchbearers over 10 weeks ahead of the Games, which start on July 27.

Meanwhile, some of Britain’s Olympic torchbearers have been making the most of their country’s special momentby selling their torches on eBay, attracting bids of over £150,000 ($237,000, 186,000 euros).

The gold-coloured torches began appearing on the auction website within hours of the torch relay starting in southwest England on Saturday, and one torchbearer said yesterday she had received a final bid of £153,000.

Each of the 8,000 runners-chosen for their “inspirational” personal achievements or contribution to local communities-can buy their torch for £215, discounted from the £495 cost price, a London 2012 spokeswoman told AFP. One torch, used on Saturday and billed as “an amazing sporting souvenir-be one of the first to have one!” was attracting bids of over £30,000 yesterday, while another seller was asking a minimum of £145,000. Organisers said they were powerless to stop the sales.

“It’s up to the torchbearer to do what they want with their torches. We just hope they end up in a good home,” said the London 2012 spokeswoman.

“The majority of people are looking to keep them as a souvenir of their participation in the torch relay.” Sarah Milner Simonds, who will carry the flame on Monday after being chosen for her community gardening work, told BBC television she had received a final bid of £153,000.

She sold her torch in advance, with the buyer to take possession after her run. “It only occurred to me to do it on Saturday night,” she said yesterday.

“The sale closed last night at 10 o’clock and the final bid was £153,000,” Simonds added, although she admitted she needed to check the bid was genuine. She said she had received abusive emails from people who objected to her decision.

“Obviously it has really upset people but I think that it’s not something that is really me to keep my shiny trophy on a mantelpiece, when it is obvious how much good one can

do with the money,” she said. The Times newspaper said in an editorial: “It does seem a shame that the honour of carrying the flame should be so fleeting before it is turned into a harder currency.”

One torchbearer, whose son has cerebral palsy, said he would divide the proceeds of selling his torch between a disability charity, a donation to a hospital that treated his son, and financing his son’s care.

The torchbearers, who pass the Olympic flame-a symbol of purity-from one torch to another, are running alongside sports stars and celebrities on the 10-week, 8,000-mile (12,875 kilometres) relay.

The flame will travel around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and visit the Republic of Ireland in the run-up to the Games, which start on July 27. It was flown to Britain after being lit in Ancient Olympia in Greece.

The distinctive British-designed, 800-millimetre (2.6foot)-long triangular torch, made from an aluminium alloy, is perforated by 8,000 circular holes that represent the torchbearers. — AFP

EXTER: This photo issued by LOCOG showing torchbearer Garnet Mackinder as she carries the Olympic flame through the streets of Exeter. — AP

Russia romp to another world title STOCKHOLM: Alexander Syomin scored twice and Yevgeni Malkin netted another as Russia romped to a 6-2 victory over Slovakia in the final of the world ice hockey championship in Helsinki on Sunday.

Malkin scored in the dying minutes to take his personal tally to 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists) as the Russians, unbeaten in the tournament, claimed their fourth world crown.

Underdogs Slovakia, with just a single world championship from 2002 to their name, shocked the Russians as Zdeno Chara slammed home a slapshot to give them the lead after only one minute.

But Russia were not about to be denied and they combined mesmerising speed and teak-tough tackling to take control. Syomin put the Russians back on level terms midway through the first peri-

HELSINKI: Russia’s Yevgeni Malkin (right) passes the trophy to his teammate Alexander Syomin after winning the final game of the IIHF International Ice Hockey World Championship against Slovakia. — AFP

od and they followed up with a breathtaking three-goal burst in the second.

Alexander Perezhogin put them ahead, backhanding to an empty net as the Slovak defence struggled to keep up.

Alexi Tereshenko then made a lightning exchange of passes with Sergei Shirokov before firing home to make it 3-1.

Syomin stepped back into the limelight to score his second as the Slovaks gave up possession cheaply in their own zone. A quick pass inside allowed the Washington Capitals wing to go one-onone with Jan Laco in the Slovakian goal before finding the net.

Pavel Datsyuk increased the Russian lead before Boston Bruins defender Chara scored his and Slovakia’s second on a power-play. All that was left was for Malkin to get his name on the scoresheet, which he duly did with two minutes to go. The Pittsburgh Penguins centre picked up the puck around his own blue line before weaving forward and hammering home his final shot of the tournament.

In the bronze medal match, Finland flopped once again in front of their home fans, losing 3-2 to the Czech Republic. The Czechs fired three goals in the first period to leave the Finns on the ropes and lead 3-1 at the first break.

With the match slipping away, the Finns came to life in the third, exerting massive pressure and out-shooting the Czechs by a margin of 14-1. Jussi Jokinen pulled one back midway through the period but the Finns could not find another goal to force overtime. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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Cook and Bell seal England’s victory LONDON: Alastair Cook and Ian Bell led England to victory in the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s here yesterday. England, set a target of 191 to win, were faltering at 57 for four before lunch on the fifth and final day.

But Cook (79) and Bell (63 not out) shared a fifth-wicket partner-

England a 1-0 lead in this threematch series heading into the second Test at Trent Bridge starting Friday.

“We felt the wicket was pretty slow and flat,” England captain Andrew Strauss said at the postmatch presentation ceremony.

“It looked a bit dicey at 40 odd

makes it all the more special.”

West Indies-who hadn’t won a Test match outside the Caribbean against major opposition since defeating South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2007 and came into this game with a record of just two wins in 30 matches-made England work for their victory

LONDON: England’s Ian Bell cuts a ball from West Indies’ Marlon Samuels during the 5th day of the first Test match at Lord’s cricket ground. —AP ship of 132 that saw England, the world’s number one ranked Test side, to the brink of victory before left-handed opener Cook was out with two runs needed when caught in the gully off West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

Bell though struck the winning boundary for a win that gave

for four but Alastair Cook and Ian Bell set about it in a very civilised manner and saw us home.”

England’s first innings saw Strauss end his 18-month wait for a Test century and the opening batsman added: “It was lovely to score that hundred and when you do that in a winning cause it

and did well to take the game into the fifth day.

“We did a lot of good things and we need to look at them and repeat them more consistenly,” said Sammy. “We fancied our chances this morning but once the hardness of the ball went away, it became much easier to bat.

Scoreboard LONDON: Final scoreboard on the fifth day of the first Test between England and the West Indies at Lord’s here yesterday: West Indies 1st Innings 243 (S Chanderpaul 87 no; S Broad 7-72) England 1st Innings 398 (A Strauss 122, I Bell 61, J Trott 58; S Gabriel 3-60, K Roach 3-108) West Indies 2nd Innings 345 (S Chanderpaul 91, M Samuels 86; S Broad 4-43, G Swann 3-59) England 2nd Innings (overnight: 10-2, target 191) A. Strauss c Powell b Roach 1 A. Cook c K Edwards b Sammy 79 J. Anderson c Ramdin b Roach 6 J. Trott c Sammy b Roach 13 K. Pietersen c Ramdin b Gabriel 13 I. Bell not out 63 J. Bairstow not out 0

Extras (b4, lb3, nb11) 18 Total (5 wkts, 46.1 overs, 202 mins) 193 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Strauss), 2-10 (Anderson), 3-29 (Trott), 4-57 (Pietersen), 5-189 (Cook) Did not bat: M Prior, T Bresnan, S Broad, G Swann Bowling: Edwards 8-0-24-0 (1nb); Roach 13-2-60-3 (10nb); Gabriel 5-1-26-1; Sammy 10-1-25-1; Samuels 10.1-0-51-0 West Indies: Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Darren Sammy (capt), Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards, Shannon Gabriel.

Result: England won by 5 wkts Man-of-the-match: Stuart Broad (ENG) Series: England lead three-match series 1-0

“An experienced batting lineup like England’s showed their class and saw them home.”

England resumed Monday on 10 for two after Kemar Roach had taken two wickets for seven runs in eight balls to remove Strauss and nightwatchman James Anderson on Sunday. Both Cook and Jonathan Trott had yet to score.

Roach struck again Monday to remove Trott for 13 with a good length ball that squared him up and took the edge with Sammy, diving to his left, holding a good catch at second slip.

And 13 also proved an unlucky number for Trott’s fellow South Africa-born batsman Kevin Pietersen. He had just pulled Test debutant Shannon Gabriel’s third delivery of the innings for four when, to the fast bowler’s next ball ball, he tried to repeat the stroke and got a bottom edge to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

England were in trouble but Cook got them going again. He completed a 78-ball fifty featuring eight fours when he late cut off-spinner Marlon Samuels and after lunch Bell followed him to the landmark in 84 balls.

That West Indies started the last day with even an outside chance of victory owed much to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

O fficially the world’s best batsman, the Guyana left-hander made scores of 87 not out and 91 while spending more than 10 hours at the crease in this match.

Together with Samuels (86) he put on 157 for the fifth wicket in the second innings as the West Indies gave their bowlers a target to defend and a chance of a first win in 15 Tests in England.

For England, this Test was a personal triumph for Stuar t Broad, the man-of-the-match.

The fast-medium bowler took a Test-best seven for 72 in the first innings and four for 43 in the second for a match haul of 11 for 165.

Broad, who made 169 against Pak istan at Lord’s in 2010, became just the fourth player to take five wickets in an innings, 10 in a match and score a century in Lord’s Tests.

Only England’s Gubby Allen and Ian Botham, and Australia’s Keith Miller, had previously completed that ‘treble’. —AFP

LOS ANGELES: San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (left) puts up a shot as Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan during the second half in Game Four of an NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference semifinal. —AP

James, Wade combine as Heat win Game Four INDIANAPOLIS: LeBron James scored 40 points and superstar sidekick Dwyane Wade added 30 —22 in the second half — as Miami’s dynamic duo took over after halftime to bring the Heat even in the series with a 101-93 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Sunday.

With Chris Bosh injured, James and Wade saved the Heat. James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami’s season slip away. Wade rebounded from the worst playoff game of his career, shaking off a 1-of-8 shooting start and adding nine rebounds and six assists.

Udonis Haslem, playing with a large bandage covering a nasty cut over his right eye that required nine stitches, added 14 points for Miami. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 20 points.

Game 5 is Tuesday in Miami.

Spurs 102, Clippers 99 At Los Angeles, Tim Duncan scored 21 points, and Tony Parker added 17 as San Antonio rallied to beat Los Angeles, closing out the series 4-0 and advancing to the Western Conference finals.

The Spurs extended their winning streak to 18 games and their playoff record to 8-0, tying the third-best postseason streak in franchise history.

Danny Green and Gary Neal added 14 points each, and Manu Ginobili and Thiago Splitter had 11 each for the Spurs.

San Antonio could find out as soon as Monday night who it will play next.

Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 3-1 in their series, with Game 5 on Monday.

Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 21 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for Los Angeles. The Clippers blew a six-point lead in the fourth quarter.—AP

Storm threatens bumpy ride for Volvo fleet MIAMI: Tropical storm Alberto lay in wait for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet on Sunday, threatening a potentially boat-breaking reception to leg 7 across the Atlantic from Florida to Portugal.

The six-strong regatta departed Miami in almost windless conditions which restricted speeds to just a few knots but that was all set to change with Alberto promising wind speeds of 83 kilometres (51 miles) per hour and seven-metre (23 feet) waves.

The race was tantalisingly poised with overall leaders Team Telefonica, skippered by

London Olympics gold medal contender Iker Martinez, protecting a seven-point advantage over French crew Groupama. Just 14 points separates the leading four boats, a tiny gap with leg wins worth 30 points apiece. The pressure seemed to be telling on Telefonica who have now blown two consecutive in-port races in Itajai, Brazil and Miami after Martinez’s crew made navigational errors in both.

Jules Salter, who helped guide Abu Dhabi to victory in Saturday’s Miami in-port race, believes the storm front could help propel his

team through the early stages of the Atlantic crossing to Lisbon.

“In some ways it’s quite good,” he said. “It’s giving us some downwind conditions so we’re kind of cutting the corner and probably sailing a more direct route that we would have done if the storm wasn’t there.

“The closer we can get to it the better, it will give us a bit of a catapult out of the way.”

The 39,000 nautical mile race, which visits five continents and four oceans during the ninemonth round-the-world marathon, is due to finish in Galway, Ireland on July 7. —Reuters

MINNEAPOLIS: Phoenix Mercury forward Charde Houston (center) goes up to the basket against Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson (32) and forward Devereaux Peters (right) in the second half of a WNBA basketball game. —AP

Lynx top Mercury

MIAMI: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, skippered by Ian Walker from the UK, leads the fleet at the start of leg 7 during the Volvo Ocean Race. —AFP

MINNEAPOLIS: Seimone Augustus scored 19 points to lead the Minnesota Lynx before leaving with an injury to her ribs as the defending WNBA champions didn’t let up in a 105-83 season-opening victor y over the Diana Taurasi-less Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.

Augustus was hurt late in the third quarter when she leaped to save a loose ball and landed with her midsection on top of a courtside seat. After walking off on her own, she prompted a hearty cheer when she came back to the bench in the fourth quarter with the Lynx still comfortably ahead.

Lindsay Whalen had 10 of her 13 points in the final 11 minutes of the game, and backup Monica Wright added 15 points for the Lynx.

With Taurasi out due to a strained left hip flexor, Charde Houston — sent from the Lynx to the Mercury in a winter trade

— scored 24 points against her old team.

Sun 92, Liberty 77 At Uncasville, Connecticut, Tina Charles scored 18 of her 25 points in the second half as Connecticut overcame an early double-digit deficit to open the season with back-to-back wins against New York.

Charles, who shot 11 for 15 from the floor, also had 11 rebounds. Asjha Jones added 20 points and eight boards for Connecticut, which beat the Liberty in New York on Saturday to open the season. Renee Montgomery had 15 points and six assists.

Cappie Pondexter scored 18 points for New York and Plenette Pierson added 16. Connecticut, 15-2 at home last season, hasn’t lost to New York at Mohegan Sun Arena since the 2008 playoffs. —AP

19

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

SPORTS

Brazilian league begins with Corinthians loss

MEXICO: Santos’ Oribe Peralta (center) and goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez celebrate with teammates after defeating Monterrey 2-1 to win the last match of the Mexican national soccer league final.—AP

Santos clinches Mexican title TORREON: Daniel Luduena and Oribe Peralta scored either side of halftime as Santos Laguna beat Monterrey 2-1 to claim the Mexican first-division title Sunday.

Santos won the two-legged finals series 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw last week at Monterrey. The playoff decided the second half of Mexico’s split season, called the Clausura. The first half title - the Apertura - was won by Tigres. Luduena opened the scoring in the 6th minute and Oribe Peralta extended the lead in the 65th. Aldo de Nigris pulling one back for Monterrey in the 79th.

The title is Santos Laguna’s fourth since the club was founded in 1983 and extracted some revenge after losing to Monterrey 4-3 on aggregate in last month’s CONCACAF Champions League final.

“I thank the people and the club directors that have always been loyal to us,” Luduena said. “I think it has created an excellent group.” The victory was also a relief for the club, coming off the back of losses in three of the last four finals in Mexico’s top division. “I’m very happy, we worked hard for this through ups and downs,” Luduena said. “The team has pride, it is strong and recovers quickly.”

Santos Laguna took the early lead when Luduena slid the ball under goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco from a tight angle after receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty box and driving past defender Hiram Mier. Torreon-born Peralta got the vital second goal for Santos at a time when Monterrey was throwing players forward searching for the equalizer. Peralta finished into the bottom corner with a left-footed shot from just inside the area, with Monterrey’s defenders out of position.

Two minutes later, Peralta appeared to have put the game beyond doubt with another goal, but it was disallowed for a foul in the buildup. “This is the reward for all the people that believed in us,” Peralta said. “We dedicate this title to them.”

When an early second half equalizer didn’t come, Monterrey brought on Neri Cardozo and Cesar Delgado in the 52nd minute and increased the pressure on Santos Laguna. De Nigris’ shot from the left hand edge of the penalty area into the far corner of the net again put the result in doubt and the last ten minutes of the game were played from end-to-end.

The defeat was Monterrey coach Victor Manuel Vucetich’s first ever finals loss as a manager. His teams had previously won 12 straight finals, including five Mexican first division titles and two CONCACAF Champions League victories.—AP

OEIRAS: Academica’s Mario Tomas ‘Marinho’ (top) lifts the trophy while celebrating with his teammate Abdoulaye Ba, from Senegal, after winning their Portugal Cup final soccer match against Sporting.—AP

Academica win Portuguese Cup LISBON: Academica won its second Portuguese Cup by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 thanks to forward Mario “Marinho” Correia’s early goal on Sunday.

Marinho headed in Diogo Valente’s cross to the far post after three minutes for what proved to be the winner.

Sporting coach Ricardo Sa Pinto sent on three substitutes to live up his attack after halftime, but goalkeeper Ricardo Novo protected Academica’s slimmest of leads until the end. “Above everything you have to have a winning spirit,” said Academica coach Pedro Emanuel, whose team had knocked out holder FC Porto in an earlier round. “This is a great group of players that has been through some tough times this season. It was a great game, and an honor for all those who played.”

Academica hadn’t lifted the cup since the 1938-39 season, when it won the competition’s first ever edition. It had lost three finals since.

The team just avoided relegation from the first division this season, while Sporting finished a disappointing fourth after exiting the Europa League in the semifinals.

“Conceding a goal so early on, especially in a final that we wanted to dominate, didn’t make it easier,” Sa Pinto said. “We played aggressively, but we were lacking in our defense against their headers in the area. “The team showed signs that it wanted to get back in the game.

Unfortunately we couldn’t get the equalizer.”—AP

SAO PAULO: The Brazilian league kicked off Sunday with defending champion Corinthians losing 1-0 to Fluminense at home and Argentine striker German Herrera scoring a hat trick in Botafogo’s 4-2 win over Sao Paulo.

Defender Leandro Euzebio gave Fluminense the win in Sao Paulo with a header in the 72nd minute of a match in which both teams played without regular starters because of the Copa Libertadores.

Herrera came off the bench and scored all his goals in the second half at the Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro, helping Botafogo twice come back from deficits to earn the win in its home opener.

Botafogo was coming off disappointing results, including a loss in the Rio state championship final and elimination in the round of 16 of the Brazilian Cup. Sao Paulo, a six-time Brazilian league champion, got goals from former Brazil striker Luis Fabiano and former Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Jadson, who opened the scoring in the 12th.

Herrera, who replaced Uruguay striker Sebastian Abreu at halftime, scored his first goal with a header in the 50th to even the match, but Luis Fabiano put Sao Paulo ahead again with a header in the 62nd before the Argentine equalized by converting a penalty kick in the 68th after being brought down inside the area.

Vitor Junior added to Botafogo’s lead with a free kick in the 73rd and Herrera

scored his third goal with a firm shot from inside the area in 78th after substitute Sao Paulo defender Maicon misplayed an easy ball. Five-time champion Corinthians began defense of its title with a loss after Leandro Euzebio scored off a corner toward the end of the match at the Pacaembu stadium.

Corinthians will host fellow Brazilian club Vasco da Gama after a 0-0 first-leg draw in the Latin American competition, while Fluminense will host six-time champion Boca Juniors following a 1-0 first-leg loss in Argentina. Vasco da Gama also rested its squad for its 2-1 Brazilian league win over Gremio in Rio de Janeiro.

BRAZIL: Leandro Euzebio of Brazil’s Fluminense (right) controls the ball under pressure from Leandro Damiao of Brazil’s Internacional at a Copa Libertadores soccer match.—AP Both teams were without most of their regular starters as they will play decisive matches in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores this week.

Also Sunday, Atletico Mineiro defeated Ponte Preta 1-0 in Campinas with a last-minute goal by Argentine defender Damian Escudero. He headed the ball

into the net from the top of the area after a cross badly cleared by the defense.

On Saturday, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Palmeiras opened with a disappointing 1-1 home draw with second-division champion Portuguesa in Sao Paulo, allowing an 87th-minute equalizer.

Scolari rested some of the team’s top starters because it is playing in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Cup, including Chilean midfielder Jorge Valdivia.

Argentine striker Hernan Barcos, Palmeiras top scorer this year, left the match with an apparent muscle injury.

Palmeiras is Brazil’s most successful club with eight national titles, along with Santos, which on Sunday drew host Bahia 0-0. Coach Muricy Ramalho also rested regular starters, including young sensation Neymar and playmaker Paulo Henrique Ganso, ahead of its match against Velez Sarsfield in the Copa Libertadores’ quarterfinals on Thursday.

Velez won the first leg 1-0 in Argentina.

Internacional beat Coritiba 2-0 with first-half goals by striker Dagoberto and young Brazil forward Leandro Damiao at the Beira-Rio stadium in the southern city of Porto Alegre. Cruzeiro was held to a scoreless draw by Atletico Goianiense in the debut of coach Celso Roth, who took over after Vagner Mancini quit following the team’s recent elimination in the Brazilian Cup. Ronaldinho’s Flamengo, Brazil’s most popular club, drew recently promoted Sport 1-1 on Saturday in Recife with a goal by Vagner Love.—AP

James, Wade combine as Heat win Game Four

Munoz bags Sybase after slow-play controversy

18

16

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

Taekwondo: Martial arts for peace in Afghanistan Page 17

Nadal dominates Djokovic in Rome

ROME: Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves the ball to Serbia’s Novak Djokovic during their final match at the Italian Open. (Inset)Nadal (left) and Djokovic celebrate with their trophies. —AP

PARIS: Rafael Nadal won his sixth Rome Masters title in a rain-postponed final against Novak Djokovic here yesterday, defeating the world number one 7-5, 6-3.

It was sweet revenge for a straight sets loss to the Serb in last year’s final and the win means that he will move back ahead of Roger Federer at number two in the world rankings.

“I’m happy that I won in Rome without losing a set,” said Nadal. “I was facing some of the best players of the world this week.

“The most important thing is not to win against a particular player but to win the most important title of the year for me. This is why I am happy now.”

The victory was also the perfect preparation for the defence of his French Open title with the tournament due to get underway in Paris on

Sunday and takes his career head-to-head with his rival to 18-14 in his own favour.

It meant that Nadal won clay court titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome with his only loss coming in Madrid where he went down to compatriot Fernando Verdasco.

Nadal said that he was pleased to have been able to come back on a dry day to play the final, his last tournament preparation for the major.

“We were here until 8.15 last night and we played today because we love this tournament.

Yesterday the conditions were not perfect. The ATP made the right situation.

“It was a sad situation but I stayed one more day in Rome instead of resting. I preferred that because I love this tournament.” Djokovic said he was out-played by the Spaniard. “He is always the favorite, even if I’ve won against him seven

times (2011 finals),” said Djokovic. “He is the best player in the world on this surface.”

Djokovic failed to win a clay court title as he prepares to go into Roland Garros where he is aiming to make it four Grand Slam titles in a row after winning Wimbledon and the US Open crowns last year and the Australian Open early this year.

Nadal stands 16-1 on clay this season after winning the 49th title of his career. He is 35-4 in finals on clay and moved back into the lead in career Masters 1000 trophies on 21, with Federer on 20 after his Madrid title of eight days ago.

The victory prevented Djokovic from a Foro Italico hat-trick winning the event in 2008 and 2011. “If you don’t use the opportunities against Rafa he gets the momentum on his side and plays better,” said Djokovic, who said he is pleased with his week despite the concluding defeat.

“I made a lot of unforced errors today. In my opinion, he didn’t have to play his best, I made a lot of errors and that cannot happen when you play Nadal. “What can you do - Nadal is across the net and you need a strong and precise shot.

It’s been a good week and he deserved to win.”

In a final held over from Sunday because of rain, Nadal immediately pounded out two break points on the opening Djokovic serve, but the Serb saved both with powerful backhands.

There were two more break points for the Spaniard in the fifth game as Djokovic made a mess of an overhead smash and Nadal converted the second of these, easily running down a poorly-executed Djokovic drop-shot.

But just as Nadal seemed to be taking command, Djokovic earned his first break point of the match in the following game which he took as an out-of-position Nadal flopped a forehand into the net.

And two games later he had Nadal back-pedalling again with a series of punishing drives from the baseline only for a bad line-call to rob him of a first set point.

Nadal levelled at 5-5 and then, on the back of some stupendous defending, he grabbed a second break of serve and made good on it by outgunning Djokovic in a thrilling exchange of shots at the net. Still riled by the line-call, Djokovic smashed his racquet at the exchange of ends

Rmeileh first Palestinian to earn Olympic spot

Gesink clinches Tour of California LOS ANGELES: Robert Gesink of the Netherlands cruised to victory in the Tour of California on Sunday, finishing the eighth and final stage in the middle of the pack, just eight months after he shattered his leg in a fall.

The Dutchman, who claimed the leader’s yellow jersey when he won Saturday’s penultimate stage in the Californian mountains, retained his 46 lead over his nearest competitor, American Dave Zabriskie. “It’s moments like this, when you have your good times and your wins, that’s what you do it for,” said Gesink, who captured his first overall win since fracturing his leg in four places during a training run.

Sunday’s final stage, a 72 kilometres (44.7 miles) ride from glitzy Beverly Hills to downtown Los Angeles, was won by Slovakian sprint specialist Peter Sagan, who also won the first four stages of the Tour.

Sagan, who fell back during the time-trial and the two gruelling mountain climbs in the Golden State, produced another of his trademark late bursts, crossing the line first in one hour 27 minutes and 36 seconds.

Tom Boonen of Belgium, a former world road race champion currently ranked number one in the world, finished a close second while Germany’s Gerald Ciolek was third.

Zabriskie also finished in the middle of the pack to finish second overall for the fourth time in the seven editions of the Tour. His countryman Tom Danielson was third overall for the second year in a row. Gesink, now 25, emerged as one of the promising riders on the circuit when he finished six th overall in the Tour de France then won the Tour of Oman a year later, but his confidence was dented by the death of his father then his own crash. “ We have an amazing team here and the guys supported me all the way through,” said Gesink. “I had some tough months af ter breaking my leg and all that happened before that.

“I t ’s a vic tor y my team was waiting for, and this is an important race for us. Previously, I won the young rider’s jersey and this time I won the overall jersey, so California is good to me.”

Meanwhile, the Giro d’Italia is set for a stage summit finish on the famous Galibier climb in France’s Alps in the not too distant future, direc tor M ichele Acquarone has said.

The Galibier is arguably the Tour de France’s best known single climb and last year the race celebrated the centenary of its first ascent there in 1911 with its first ever summit finish, won by Luxembourg-born Andy Schleck.

“It’s a possibility in 2013 and a

and was warned by the umpire before Nadal comfortably served out to pocket the first set in 76 minutes.

“A lot of changed from 5-all,” said Djokovic, who made no apologies for his second racquet smash in three matches. “I made incredible mistakes.”

Nadal took up in the second set where he had left off in the first and he had the Serb scrambling from side to side in a failed attempt to prevent the five-times champion from grabbing an early break.

Djokovic had an immediate chance to get back on level terms in the set but he failed to capitilise on four break points in the next game allowing Nadal to move 2-0 ahead.

The defending champion stopped the rot by holding serve to make it 2-1 and he had two break-back opportunities in the next game only to squander both with unforced errors.

He was made to pay the price for those missed opportunities as Nadal slammed shut the door on his following serves and then broke again to become the first player to win six Rome titles.—AFP

LOS ANGELES: Robert Gesink of the Netherlands competes in the final stage of the Tour of California cycling race. Gesink won the race.—AP

probability in the next three Giros,” Acquarone, who replaced Angelo Zomegnan as race director last year, told Reuters.

Seeing the Tour finish on the Galibier in 2011 has given Acquarone extra motivation to follow in the French race’s wheel tracks.

“We’re smaller than the Tour, so we’re more flexible. And if the Tour did it, then so can we,” he said. “We have three different routes for 2013 and we will make a definitive decision in the two weeks after this Giro finishes.”

Unlike the 2011 Giro - widely criticised for being too tough Acquarone said the 2012 race, which started with three days racing in Denmark, is more well-balanced between difficult and easier

stages and has a more international feel overall.

“Some people said we needed a tougher route in 2011 than in 2010, but it was too much. We had to give the race more equilibrium,” he said.

“I wanted a race where riders like (world champion Mark) Cavendish can come for bunch sprints or ...have some Classic-like, hilly stages riders can try and win.”

With the race on its second rest day on Monday, there is still no clear stand-out favourite this year unlike in 2011. “ We have riders from all over the world that can still win it overall - a Canadian (Ryder Hesjedal), a Czech (Roman Kreuziger) as well as the Spanish and of course the Italians.—Reuters

JERUSALEM: A judo champion from east Jerusalem has become the first Palestinian to qualify on points for the Olympics, winning entry to the London Games, the Palestinian Olympic Committee told AFP yesterday.

Maher Abu Rmeileh, 28, who comes from Jerusalem’s Old City, will join the Palestinian delegation heading to London this summer. “Abu Rmeileh qualified on points and not by invitation like the others,” said Hani al-Halabi, who will head the Palestinian squad.

“He deserved to qualify,” Halabi told AFP, saying Abu Rmeileh’s success raised to five the number of Palestinian representatives to the Games.

“For the first time in the history of Palestinian sport, one of the athletes got enough points to qualify for the Olympics.” Until now, Palestinian athletes have participated in the Olympics by virtue of honorary invitations from the Olympic Commitee which are extended to countries which fail to reach qualifying standards.

“The fact that a Palestinian qualified to go to London is a great achievement for Palestinian sport,” Halabi said. Speaking to AFP, Abu Rmeileh said he was “ecstatic” about competing in the Games.

“I feel great. I am very happy to be the first Palestinian to qualify for the Olympics,” he said. “I have achieved something great with my qualification I got the 20 points needed.” Fighters compete in events based on their weight and Abu Rmeileh will be in the 73kg (160 pounds) category.

The other four athletes who will com-

Maher Abu Rmeileh

pete in London are Bahaa al-Farra, a 400metre runner from Gaza, Wurud Sawalha, an 800m runner from Nablus, Sabine Hazbun, a swimmer from Bethlehem who specialises in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle, and Ahmed Jibril, who lives in Egypt and competes in the 400m freestyle.

Meanwhile, officials say that Poland’s best hope for an Olympic medal in judo has been injured in a motorcycle accident and may have to skip the London Games.

Polish Judo Association President Wieslaw Blach says that 24-year-old Tomasz Kowalski and 30-year-old teammate Tomasz Adamiec hit a car Sunday while riding on a motorcycle in northern Poland.

Kowalski, who won a silver medal at this year’s European Judo Championships, suffered serious injuries to his pelvis and lower leg. Blach says Kowalski’s chances of competing in London were slim because of the accident. Adamiec was only slightly injured.—Agencies

Iraq turns to US drones to protect oil platforms Page 22

Kuwait budget surplus could hit record KD13bn: Report Page 23

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

South Korea poised to halt Iran oil imports from July Page 24

Indian rupee at record dollar low, breaches 55 Page 25

Hollande to press Merkel on euro bonds Spain denies need for external bank aid BRUSSELS: France’s Francois Hollande will push a proposal for mutualizing European debt at an informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels this week, increasing pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop her opposition to the idea.

The new French president raised the idea of bonds jointly underwritten by all

reporters at the end of the G8 talks in Camp David on Saturday, referring to the tomorrow summit.

“Within this packet of proposals there will be eurobonds and I will not be alone in proposing them. I had confirmation on this at the G8.” He is expected to have firm backing from Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Spain’s Mariano Rajoy and

N e t h e r l a n d s , Fi n l a n d a n d o t h e r states.

The rapid deterioration in the euro-zone debt crisis over the past month, with Greece’s potential exit from the 17-country currency bloc no longer taboo, has brought the idea back to the forefront, with many economists and policymakers argu-

MADRID: A woman walks past a closed-down travel agency plastered with concert posters in Madrid yesterday. — AP

euro-zone member states during G8 talks at the weekend and intends to raise it again when EU leaders meet on May 23, even if it goes against Merkel’s wishes. “I will outline all growth proposals at this informal meeting,” Hollande told

the European Commission, long a backer of euro bonds.

Germany opposes any early move, saying more progress is needed on coordinating fiscal policies across the euro zone. It has the backing of the

ing it would be one of the best ways of restoring market confidence.

“The euro bonds debate is back front and centre and Hollande will have support from other leaders if he raises it,” one EU official said. “It’s not something

that’s going to happen overnight there’s a lot that needs to fall into place first - but there is a desire for a plan of action toward euro bonds.”

Merkel has said she is not opposed to the principle of jointly underwritten euro area bonds, but believes it can only be discussed once there is much closer fiscal and economic integration across the euro-zone.

That remains a long way off and German officials were quick to reiterate that point yesterday. “(Euro bonds are) the wrong prescription at the wrong time with the wrong side-effects,” German Deputy Finance Minister Steffen Kampeter told German radio. With Greece facing elections on June 17 that could hasten its departure from the euro-zone if voters back antibailout parties, Merkel was put under some pressure at the G8 talks in Camp David but refused to budge on her insistence that any growth measures could not come via more deficit spending.

Meanwhile Spain denied yesterday it needs any foreign help for its banks, which are staggering under the mass of loans that turned sour after a 2008 property crash. “No external help of any kind is needed,” Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told reporters at a forum in Madrid.

Just 10 days earlier, the government instructed banks to set aside an extra 30 billion euros ($38 billion) in 2012 in case property-related loans go bad. That was on top of 53.8 billion euros in provisions required under reforms enacted in February. As part of the latest reform, Madrid will also name two independent auditing firms on Monday to reveal the full extent of the banks’ exposure to the collapsed real estate sector. —Agencies

New rules to boost Kuwait capital markets: CB chief KUWAIT: Kuwait’s new loan-to-deposit ratio rules for banks are aimed at encouraging capital market development, improving asset-liability matching and boosting credit supply, the country’s new central bank governor said yesterday.

Under legislation that took effect on May 11, ratios are now calculated based on loan maturities.

Banks can now group other sources of funding along with deposits in calculating their loan-to-deposit ratios. The new rules allow interbank deposits, long and medium-term loans, certificates of deposit and bonds or sukuks as part of the calculation, Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel said. “This will increase the amount of banks’ available funds for lending,” he said in a written response to questions. “Inclusion of bonds and sukuks would hopefully promote their usage and demand, thus supporting capital market development.”

For maturities below three months, the loan to deposit ratio must not exceed 75 percent, according to the new rules. “(The) higher haircut for short-term deposits is aimed to further curtail the risk of any potential asset-liability mismatch,” he said. “It is also to help banks develop a more stable funding base, since now banks would have the incentive to raise more deposits of longer maturities,” said Hashel, who took office in March.

Hashel replaced veteran policymaker Sheikh Salem Abdul-Aziz Al-Sabah, who headed the central bank for 25 years before resigning in March. The new rules also state that if the funding matures after one year, banks may have a loan to deposit ratio of 100 percent, and 90 percent if the funding matures between three months and a year. This is aimed at boosting credit supply, Hashel said, adding that this would also encourage banks to raise deposits of longer maturities, ensuring a more stable funding base. The old rules stipulated an 85 percent loan to deposit ratio. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

BUSINESS

Iraq turns to US drones to protect oil platforms

Abu Dhabi picks Goldman, others for realty merger

Iraq exports seen at 2.75m bpd by year-end BAGHDAD: Iraq is buying unmanned drones from the United States to help protect its southern oil platforms as the OPEC nation ramps up production after the withdrawal of the last American troops, US and Iraqi officials said yesterday.

Protecting the vital infrastructure around its oil reserves, the world’s fourth largest, is crucial as Iraq rebuilds an industry battered by years of war and sanctions against former dictator Saddam Hussein. “Iraq’s navy has purchased US drones to protect the country’s oil platforms in the south, from where most of Iraq’s oil is shipped,” said an official from the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, which is part of the US embassy.

The OSCI did not give further details of the number or type of unmanned aircraft. But Iraqi security officials confirmed plans to use drones to protect oil infrastructure.

Iraqi forces took over responsibility for protecting the oil infrastructure in 2005, but until the withdrawal of the last American troops in December, the US military had provided aerial surveillance and other logistical support.

Violence in Iraq has ebbed since the height of the war in 2006 and 2007 when thousands were killed in daily suicide bombings and sectarian slaughter, but insurgents still often target oil infrastructure.

“According to the energy police plans, we intend to use the drones by the end of this year,” head of the energy protection force, Major General Hamid Ibrahim told Reuters. “We are in the process of training engineers.”Iraq opened a new offshore export terminal in the south earlier this year which helped push exports to their highest level since the 2003 US-led invasion at 2.317 million barrels per day in March. A second Single Point Mooring floating platform was scheduled to further increase exports in April.

Crude exports are forecast to reach 2.75 million bpd by the end of 2012, the world’s biggest source of new oil supplies over the next few years.

The southern oilfields around Basra are the heart of Iraq’s production, where majors like BP, Exxon Mobil and Italy’s are working.

Security is generally better in the south of the country, where one Shi’ite militia ended its fight after the last US troops left in December. But the

Sorouh in a tie-up that could create a company worth some $15 billion in assets.

Analysts say the deal, outlined in March, is aimed at shoring up the balance sheet of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, which has a big stake in struggling Aldar, and stabilizing the emirate’s brittle real estate market.

A tie-up is seen as complicated, however, given the massive land banks the two companies hold and the work involved in arriving at a deal structure.

Aldar has relied heavily on the government over the past 18 months for funding. Abu Dhabi has spent more than $10 billion on the company, equivalent to the amount it deployed to rescue Dubai from a bond default in 2009. —Reuters

Aramco offers H2 ’12 naphtha at record prices

BAGHDAD: Iraqi workers operate valves at the Nahran Omar oil refinery near the city of Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. Iraq’s central government warned authorities in the semiautonomous Kurdish region yesterday that their oil deals with Turkey must have Baghdad’s approval. — AP

SINGAPORE: Saudi Aramco, the top naphtha supplier to Asia, offered naphtha supplies for lifting in the second half of this year at premiums of $25 to $33 a ton to its own price formula, making these the highest offers it has ever quoted, traders said yesterday.

Saudi Aramco is offering the following grades: A310 at $33 a ton premium, followed by A180 at $31 a ton premium, Jubail at $29 a ton premium and Rabigh/Jeddah naphtha at $25 a ton premium.

The premiums are about 25-74 percent higher than what it had fetched for naphtha lifting in second-half of last year. The offers came a day after ADNOC had asked for record offers. But buyers were disap-

DIFC Investments close to securing $1bn loan

Saudi, Sinopec refinery due online by Nov 2014 MANAMA: A major Red Sea oil refinery joint venture between Saudi Arabia and China is expected to be working by November 2014, the venture’s chief executive officer told Reuters yesterday.

Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Co’s ( YASREF) 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, a joint Saudi Aramco and Sinopec venure, was on schedule and slightly under expected cost, said Fahad al-Helal. “ The refiner y will come onstream October-November 2014... on schedule,” he said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Manama. Construction of the refinery was underway, but was originally to be built by by US oil firm ConocoPhillips and Aramco. Conoco pulled out in April 2010 as it shifted away from the refining business to focus exploration.

The cost will be less than $10 billion, Helal said, slightly under previous projections. “Its approximately less than that, I would say, less than 10 billion dollars,” he said, without giving fur ther details. The refinery is slated to

oil industry has not been immune from attacks from other insurgents. Three bombs hit a pipeline in December, disrupting output at the huge Rumaila oilfield.

Iraq’s 40,000-strong energy police stepped up protection to deter attacks it expected from Sunni Islamist armed groups linked to al-Qaeda.

But officials long complained they were poorly equipped for the task of protecting the vital sector. — Reuters

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi has picked four banks as financial advisors for the potential state-backed merger of property developers Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate, three sources aware of the matter said yesterday.

The oil-rich emirate has hired Goldman Sachs and National Bank of Abu Dhabi to advise a steering committee that will oversee the potential merger, one of the sources familiar with the matter said.

Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are advising the companies, the three banking and industry sources said speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter has not been made public.

Spokesmen for Aldar and Sorouh declined to comment. Abu Dhabi is contemplating merging indebted Aldar with

DUBAI: DIFC Investments, the investment arm of the company running Dubai’s financial free zone, is close to securing a $1 billion loan from four banks to help refinance an upcoming Islamic bond maturity, a banking source familiar with the matter said.

Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest lender, and Standard Chartered will contribute an equal amount into the deal, while Noor Islamic Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank, also join the deal but with a smaller commitment.

The loan will help refinance a $1.25 billion sukuk maturing in June, and will be in place in time for the redemption date. “It’s in the documentation phase,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.

“There will be a syndication in due course but they want to deal with the sukuk first.”

Mohammed Al-Shaibani, chief executive of the Investment Corporation of Dubai and deputy chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Committee, said on Monday that the loan was close to completion.

“There is a ... facility maturing this year with respect to DIFCI, which is, as we speak, being con-

process heavy crude from Saudi Arabia’s Manifa oilfield, which is currently under development to reach an output of 900,000 bpd by 2014.

The crude will be shipped from the kingdom’s Eastern region where Aramco’s oilfields are located, to Yanbu crude terminal and then will be transported via a 6km long pipeline to the refinery, 62.6 percent owned by Aramco and 37.5 percent owned by Sinopec.

The refinery will produce cleaner fuels such as 10 parts per million (ppm) ultra low sulphur diesel. The main products of the refinery will be 3,000 bpd of benzene, 263,000 bpd of diesel, 90,000 bpd of gasoline, 6,200 tons per day of pet coke and around 1,200 tons per day of sulfur.

Some of the products will be for the domestic use of the kingdom while some will be exported.

“The next phase is petrochemical expansion,” Helal said. He added that the company was looking into the possibility of an initial public offering (IPO) eventually but it was still in early stages. — Reuters

cluded,” Shaibani told Reuters in Mumbai. The presence of three Dubai-based may raise compliance issues on new central bank rules limiting bank lending to sovereign and state-linked entities.

“We are all comfortable with what we are taking on but with the new central bank rules on GREs (government-related entities), we will want to pass on some of our exposures accordingly.”

In April, the UAE central bank introduced new caps for bank loans made to local governments and their entities in the first such change in nearly two decades. The International Monetary Fund said the move would help contain banks’ risks from GREs. DIFC Investments’ sukuk obligation has been highlighted by analysts as one of the most challenging refinancings in the Gulf Arab region this year, given the size of the maturity and the firm’s limited cash position.

Earlier this month, the company said it was “committed” to the sukuk repayment and was in final talks with banks and manage ment for a bank financing agreement. — Reuters

pointed with the asking price, citing higher supplies ahead amid falling demand due to weak petrochemical margins. “This is a term contract, so weaker demand ahead has to be factored in. On paper, the naphtha market is already in contango,” said a trader. Contango reflects to prices being in discounts while backwardation refers to prices being in premiums. Saudi Aramco will end its talks with buyers on Tuesday, cutting down from its usual one-week meeting.

Traders said it could be that the supplier wants to seal the deals before the somber mood deepens. Cracks, the margins for refining Brent crude into naphtha, extended losses to hover around a 5-1/2 month low at $64.58 a ton. — Reuters

Rajhi rates Hassan Ghazi as overweight RIYADH: : Al Rajhi Capital initiated coverage of Al-Hassan Ghazi Ibrahim Shaker Co with an “overweight” rating and said it expects the air-conditioner marker and distributor to benefit from ramped-up production capacity and improving demand.

“The Saudi air-conditioning industry has so much to offer as it richly benefits from hot climate, a boom in the building and construction market, ever-increasing population and high GDP (gross domestic product) per capita,” the brokerage said.

With the government undertaking wide-scale construction activity, Shaker is

well positioned to bag government contracts this year, Al-Rajhi said and set a price target of 83.5 riyals on the stock.

Al-Rajhi expects Shaker’s revenue to grow by 13.7 percent on the back of higher utilization rates at the LG Shaker plant, a joint venture with Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. LG air-conditioners contributed 83 percent to Shaker’s total revenue in 2011.

The partnership between Shaker and LG is scheduled to end in 2016, but Al-Rajhi expects it to continue for another ten years given the success of the venture.

Shares of Al Hassan fell marginally yesterday. —Reuters

DIB eyes 5-year sukuk DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank has released initial price guidance for a new 5-year benchmark-sized Islamic bond, or sukuk, arranging banks said yesterday.

Indicative pricing for the sukuk was given at 375 basis points over midswaps. The borrower wraps up roadshows in London yesterday, and execution of the deal is expected today, arrangers said.

Benchmark is usually understood to mean at least $500 million.

Deutsche Bank, Emirates NBD, HSBC , National Bank of Abu Dhabi and DIB itself are arranging the deal.

An eventual sukuk issue is expected to benefit from a strong local bid as well as demand for Islamic assets despite renewed uncertainty in the euro-zone. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4410000 .3530000 .2940000 .2740000 .2750000 .0040000 .0020000 .0756880 .7374080 .3830000 .0710000 .7228970 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2788000 GB Pound/KD .4436410 Euro .3552050 Swiss francs .2957460 Canadian dollars .2757260 Danish Kroner .0477860 Swedish Kroner .0390120 Australian dlr .2775040 Hong Kong dlr .0358900 Singapore dlr .2205520 Japanese yen .0034730 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0759360 Bahraini dinars .7398170 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0743660 Omani riyals .7244380 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2820000 .4510000 .3610000 .3030000 .2830000 .2830000 .0070000 .0035000 .0764490 .7448200 .4000000 .0770000 .7301620 .0072000 .0500000 .2809000 .4469820 .3578810 .2979740 .2778030 .0481450 .0393060 .2795940 .0361610 .2222130 .0034990 .0051980 .0021860 .0031040 .0034470 .0765080 .7453890 .3973130 .0749270 .7298950 .0065950

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah

279.700 3.075 5.135 2.170 3.419 6.515 76.255 74.745 743.600 46.218 448.000 3.090

Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

1.550 363.300 279.300 3.350

UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

280.000 358.850 445.100 276.200 3.525 5.123 46.265 2.159 3.417 6.478 3.078 744.650 76.150 74.650

COUNTRY

SELL DRAFT SELL CASH

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

280.61 279.53 301.04 359.13 280.00 445.84 3.60 3.420 5.112 2.173 3.220 3.083 76.11 743.99 46.22 397.92 726.92 77.13 74.68

288.00 281.50 303.00 360.00 280.00 447.00 3.65 3.550 5.330 2.400 3.850 3.200 76.50 743.50 47.75 395.00 727.50 77.55 74.80

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

279.950 280.950 447.925 357.300 297.345 741.150

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound

SELL CASH 278.500 743.990 3.670 277.600 549.400 45.600 49.100 167.800 47.930 361.700 36.710 5.350 0.032 0.160 0.229 3.630 396.450 0.189 92.650 44.600 4.300 215.200 1.812 48.100 726.660 3.160 6.820 77.380 74.690 220.910 36.140 2.665 446.800 40.200 301.200 4.300

9.300 198.263 76.270 280.100 1.350

9.130 76.170 279.700

GOLD 1,678.010

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 414.800 279.700

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Rate for Transfer

Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

76.195 76.840 74.615 394.070 46.344 2.169 5.152 3.088 3.423 6.533 686.710 4.480 9.000 5.895 3.320 88.815

SELL DRAFT 277.000 743.990 3.416 276.100

220.900 46.303 360.200 36.560 5.130 0.032

396.410 0.188 92.650 3.220 213.500 726.480 3.087 6.500 76.950 74.690 220.910 36.140 2.158 444.800 299.700 4.300

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht 8.963 Malaysian Ringgit GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

3.542 5.204 3.073 2.179 3.301 225.500 35.996 3.411 6.574 91.158 74.536 76.800 726.000 742.390 76.110

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar 179.33 Jordanian Dinar 394.720 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier 4.876 Morocco Dirham 33.183

48.000 46.231 1.304 1.875

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 279.400 Euro 363.78 Sterling Pound 452.930 Canadian dollar 282.79 Turkish lire 156.700 Swiss Franc 305.16 US Dollar Buying 278.200 GOLD 20 Gram 285.000 10 Gram 143.000 5 Gram 71.000

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

BUSINESS

Global wins $250m case against UAE bank KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Global Investment House said it won a longrunning legal battle over an aborted buy of a stake in National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain after an appeals court ordered the Abu Dhabi-listed bank to return its deposit plus interest.

The $250 million sum was placed with NBQ in August 2008 as the first part of Global’s purchase of a 20 percent stake in the bank through a 2.36 billion dirhams ($642.5 million) convertible bond issue.

However, as financial markets slumped in late-2008 and the Kuwaiti firm encountered debt problems which forced it into a restructuring, Global cancelled the planned purchase and wanted the money back, but NBQ said it was entitled to keep it. Last year, Global won a initial ruling from a Dubai court which NBQ later appealed. A UAE court halted the refund decision in June pending the appeal.

On top of the $250 million original deposit, NBQ will also pay an extra $79 million in interest, Global said in a statement on the Dubai bourse. The money will be used to strengthen the company’s financial position, it said, without elaborating.

The company is in the midst of a second debt restructuring in three years. Having completed a $1.7 billion rescheduling in 2009, it said in September it would ask creditors to halt repayments while it sought a new deal. Shares in Global, one of the largest investment houses in the Gulf state, have not traded on the Kuwait Stock Exchange since December after the bourse suspended the stock for having accumulated losses which exceeded 75 percent of its capital. Earlier this month it reported a third straight yearly loss of KD57.5 million ($207.1 million). — Reuters

Kuwait’s petrochem share in GCC only 5%: EQUATE CEO KUWAIT: President and CEO of EQUATE Petrochemical Company Mohammad Hussein said yesterday that Kuwait’s share of the total petrochemical production of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) does not exceed five percent currently.

In an exclusive interview with KUNA, Hussein said that if growth of this industry remained stalled, Kuwait’s impact in the petrochemical sector would be “very limited” compared to countries in the region. Hussein said that petrochemicals’ prices are closely related to prices of crude oil and its light derivatives, such as naphtha and natural gas, adding that with the increasing global demand for these materials, petrochemicals’ prices are expected to remain in the current level of between $1,300-1,450 per ton.

He added that with the failure to meet the steady increase in production to consumption, there will be an additional impact on prices and access to high levels in the near future. On the size of the company’s production; estimated at five million tons per year of petrochemical products, and whether this production has increased, Hussein pointed to the possibility of growth of the Kuwaiti petrochemicals’ sector by improving means of production or local expansion through the construction of new facilities or take advantage of acquisition opportunities outside.

He said EQUATE started production in 1997 with a million metric tons per year and currently produces five million metric tons annually through its factories.

He said the strategic direction for EQUATE is expansion, which would enable it to maintain competitive strength in regional and global markets. He added that this does not mean that the company has no desire to launch new products to suit the market and customer needs, as well as economic feasibility. — KUNA

Kuwait budget surplus could hit record KD13bn: Report NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Oil prices saw significant declines through April and continued to fall in early May. From a peak of $124 per barrel (pb) in mid-March, the price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) had fallen to under $109 by 8th May, including a sharp drop in the final few days. Prices have now returned to the $100-110 pb range that endured for most of 2011. Brent crude has fallen $16 from its March peak of $128 pb, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - the main US benchmark crude - has dropped back below $100 for the first time since February.

The fall in prices coincides with news of loosening market fundamentals. On the supply side, OPEC has maintained its output at well above its official 30 million barrels per day (mbpd) target, underpinned by the recovery in Libyan production and high output in the Gulf. In addition, the OPEC leadership continues to try and talk prices back down. Saudi authorities, for example, have publically emphasized their desire to see lower prices, that the kingdom’s crude storage facilities around the world are full and that it remains ready to respond to future supply shocks.

On the demand side, fears about the prospects for the European economy have deepened, in light of elections that have strengthened anti-austerity movements and upset financial markets. Europe accounts for around 16% of global oil demand but a financial crisis could have global ramifications.

These concerns have offset slightly better recent news on demand from the US and Japan. Global crude inventories are said to have built significantly in 1Q2012.

Some of the recent decline in prices may be temporary or seasonally-related: this year seems to have seen extended maintenance shutdowns at refineries, while warm weather in the OECD has crimped demand for heating fuel. The reversal of these factors in the second half of the year, alongside the potential squeeze on physical markets from the embargo on Iran, could see crude prices regain support.

Oil demand outlook Analysts’ projections for oil demand growth are little changed over the past month, but some had already come down a long way since the start of the year. The International Energy Agency, for example, has reduced its demand growth outlook for 2012 to 0.8 mbpd (+0.9%) from 1.3 mbpd (+1.4%) in December. Alongside weaker economic growth, higher oil

price assumptions have contributed to the downward revisions to demand; recent price falls, therefore, could prevent demand pessimism from gathering. Most other forecasters expect similar demand growth of 0.8 to 0.9 mbpd in 2012, with falling demand in OECD countries (up to -0.5 mbpd) more than offset by growth in emerging markets.

Oil supply outlook Crude oil output of the OPEC-11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) stood at 28.5 mbpd in March, up by only 11,000 bpd from February levels. Large declines were witnessed in Angola (98,000 bpd) and Iran (71,000 bpd). The latter’s production reached 3.3 mbpd in March, its lowest level since 1992 and almost 200,000 bpd below end-2011 levels. Meanwhile, Libyan production has continued to recover rapidly, rising by 112,000 bpd in March to 1.4 mbpd, 0.2 mbpd shy of pre-war levels. In addition to its usual figures collected from third party sources, OPEC has begun to quote production figures that member countries supply themselves. Saudi reported that production reached 9.9 mbpd (up 69,000 bpd) and Iran reported that their output had actually increased in March.

Total OPEC production (including Iraq) reached 31.3 mbpd in March, its highest level in three and a half years. Iraqi crude oil output surged by 125,000 bpd in March, following the startup of the new 900,000 bpd export facility. This lifted total production to 2.8 mbpd, Iraq’s highest since May 2001. However, Iraqi supplies could be jeopardized in coming months by the ongoing Kurdish-Baghdad dispute which resulted in a halt of around 50,000 bpd of Kurdish contribution to Iraqi northern exports in early April.

Expectations for non-OPEC supply growth have improved and it is now projected to rise by 0.5-1.2 mbpd in 2012, with OPEC natural gas liquids (NGLs) contributing to at least half of the increase. These expectations are driven by optimism about US shale output and production growth in the Former Soviet Union. In total, if OPEC-12 output were to remain at its current level, global oil supplies could climb by more than 2 mbpd in 2012. However, this is contingent on the ability of OPEC members to offset any future loss in Iranian output.

Price projections Oil market fundamentals are expected to ease as softer oil

demand growth and surging OPEC production contribute to rising global inventories. However, given the tight starting point, oil prices could still remain relatively firm this year. If non-OPEC supplies rise by 0.8 mbpd (including OPEC NGLs), and OPEC output increases on average by 1.2 mbpd, then based upon a consensus-looking increase in demand (0.9%) we are likely to see a relatively large stock-build of 0.7 mbpd this year. This would be the first significant increase in global stock levels for six years. In this case, the price of KEC begins to slip slightly in the second half of the year, to just below $100 pb by year-end.

If, on the other hand, growth in non-OPEC supply comes in at the lower end of expectations (0.5 mbpd), then we could see a lower 0.4 mbpd build-up in stocks. In this scenario, the price of KEC accelerates in the final quarter of 2012 to about $120 pb. Alternatively, if non-OPEC supplies turn out to be 0.4 mbpd higher than anticipated, then oil market fundamentals could weaken further and oil prices are likely to fall markedly. The price of KEC could begin to slip significantly in the third quarter, and further thereafter to below $80 pb by year-end. This is likely to prompt OPEC members, specifically Saudi Arabia, to make significant production cuts.

Budget projections Although official figures for fiscal year 2011/12 have not yet been released, we expect oil revenues to have reached KD 28.2 billion or 45% higher than the previous year, based on average KEC prices of $110 pb. If as we expect, spending comes in at 510% below the government’s budget, last year’s budget surplus could close between KD 11.3 billion and KD 12.4 billion before allocations to the Reserve Fund for Future Generations (RFFG). Official figures for the first eleven months of the year show a surplus of KD 16.1 billion, but this surplus should decline once late spending is included.

The projections for the new fiscal year are linked to our three scenarios, which yield oil prices within the range of $90 to $118 pb in FY 2012/13. According to press reports, budgeted spending for this fiscal year is set at KD 22 billion, although the number could subsequently be revised. Assuming that spending comes in below budget, we project a surplus of between KD 3 billion and KD 13 billion before allocations to the RFFG.

Gulf markets, Egypt rise on bargain-hunting MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

BERLIN: French Economy, Finance and Foreign Trade Minister Pierre Moscovici (right) arrives for talks with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (not in picture) at the finance ministry in Berlin yesterday. — AFP

No eurobonds to solve debt crisis: Germany BERLIN: A German official made clear yesterday that Berlin continues to oppose the idea of jointly-issued bonds for the 17-nation euro-zone, which France’s new president had suggested could be used to create much-needed economic growth and ease the region’s financial crisis.

At the weekend’s Group of Eight summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined French President Francois Hollande and US President Barack Obama in signing on to a statement that called for adding growth-promoting measures to painful cutbacks to fight the euro-zone crisis.

How exactly to do that has become a topic of heated debate among European leaders, who will meet Wednesday in Brussels to try to find common ground. Hollande has pushed for issuing debt backed by financially strong countries like Germany to finance growth in weaker countries like Greece or Portugal.

But Germany has long resisted so-called eurobonds, arguing they would lessen pressure for heavily indebted countries to get their finances in order. They would also likely raise borrowing costs for countries in better fiscal shape such as Germany, which currently pay very low interest rates.

Eurobonds would be “a prescription at the wrong time with the wrong side-effects,” Steffen Kampeter, a deputy finance minister, told Deutschlandfunk radio. “We have always said that as a first step we need solidity in European finances, and that is the fiscal compact,” a budget-discipline pact that Merkel championed and Hollande has criticized, he said.

In addition to the informal meeting of European Union leaders Wednesday in Brussels, there will be a summit at the end of June at which the issues of economic growth and austerity will likely be the main point of debate. Merkel said last week that “it will be very important that Germany and France present their ideas together at this summit.”—AP

DUBAI: Egypt’s bourse and most Gulf markets rose yesterday as investors bought stocks oversold in recent days on euro zone fears, while a rise in oil prices helped improve local sentiment.

Having hit a 2012 low on Friday, Brent crude rose 73 cents to $107.87 a barrel by 1246 GMT on hopes China could take steps to stimulate growth and lift fuel demand at the world’s second largest oil user. However, the specter of European sovereign debt and a potential ‘Grexit’ event - Greece leaving the euro zone - would continue to be a primary driver of regional trading on a lack of domestic catalysts. “The valuations for some of the names, even a couple of weeks ago, were very attractive but, recently, international sentiment has been driving the market lower,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management, referring to exchanges in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

“Many stocks have been oversold recently so we were expecting a pick-up and that it what we’ve got today. But we will continue to take our lead from international markets as there are no local catalysts.” Volumes, which slumped on Sunday, recovered somewhat - the number of shares traded on the Dubai exchange was more than double Sunday’s figure.

This, traders said, was a good sign as investors were not dumping stocks in volatile markets and, instead, were waiting to return when opportunities arose. “We’ve recovered from 1,460-1,465 and there were minimal volumes on the downside as investors were not willing to sell at those levels,” said Musa Haddad, head of MENA equity desk at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, about Dubai’s bourse. Dubai’s index made its largest one-day gain in four weeks, climbing 1.5 percent to 1,488 points.

National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) jumped 4.9 percent and was the most traded stock on the exchange. The majority of shares made gains on the day. In Abu Dhabi, Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate jumped 4.9 and 5.1 percent respectively, taking gains in the past three sessions to 11.3 and 8.4 percent.

Sources told Reuters after markets had closed that four banks had been selected to advise on the state-backed merger of the pair. The Abu Dhabi bourse ended up 0.2 percent.

The Saudi index closed above a key psychological level as buyers sought bargains and oil price rises buoyed photochemical stocks. The exchange posted its biggest one-day gain since April 28, rising 0.7 percent to 7,029 points. Heavyweight Saudi Basic Industries Corp rose 0.5 percent. In Egypt, the main index gained 1.8 percent, ending five sessions of declines on bargain-hunting and foreign buying.

Anxiety about the outcome of a presidential election nevertheless lingered two days before voting begins.“After their falls yesterday and in days before, prices become attractive enough to buy. It isn’t necessarily a sign of optimism about the direction of elections or the wider state of the economy,” Mohamed Seddiek of Prime Securities said.

Talaat Moustafa Group, the country’s biggest real estate developer, jumped 5.7 percent, and Orascom Telecom and Media climbed 4.6 percent. “We are seeing some foreign buyers coming into the market,” Teymour el-Derini of Naeem Brokerage said.

Qatar’s index gained 0.2 percent, with Vodafone Qatar climbing 1.3 percent to reach its highest close in at least two years. — Reuters

BOCHUM: The head of the workers council at Opel’s plant Rainer Einenkel (left) talks to the media after an employees’ meeting with Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke at the Opel car factory in Bochum, Germany, yesterday. — AP

Arab Spring to create ‘opportunities for private equity’ KUWAIT: Renewed interest from international limited partners for compelling opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa suggests that despite short-term turbulence, the Arab Spring will result in a more vibrant and competitive landscape.

The co-founder of Africa’s largest private equity firm told a gathering of global private equity leaders in Washington, DC, that the Arab Spring will ultimately help reinforce the macroeconomic fundamentals that made the Middle East and North Africa one of the world’s fastest-growing regions prior to January 2011.

“MENA is still among the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, and exporters there remain ideally suited to cater to the needs of key global markets.

What’s more, governments will be prompted by balance sheet constraints in the period ahead to rely on the private sector to help meet the aspirations of more than 350 million people,” said Hisham El-Khazindar, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Citadel Capital, the leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa with US$ 9.5 billion in investments under control.

What has changed, El-Khazindar noted, are the scale and nature of the region’s long-term opportunities.

“Despite the economic and political turbulence arising from prolonged transition periods, the course is clear: As governments shift towards more democratic systems, transparency will increase, economies will be run more efficiently, corruption will be reduced, and subsidies will be better directed under the scrutiny of elected parliaments. If 3-5% economic growth was the norm before, 6% or more could be the new normal post the Arab Spring,” El-Khazindar said at an opening panel discussion entitled ‘MENA Investing After the Arab Spring’

at the Fourteenth Annual Global Private Equity Conference of the International Finance Corporation and Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA).

Moreover, he noted, “The frontrunners in Egypt’s upcoming presidential election, irrespective of their political orientations, share similar economic views on the centrality of market economics and the role of the private sector. However, growth will need to be more balanced, with the private sector and private equity investors playing a more socially responsible role. The ongoing transition to democracy has thrust the role of the private sector to the forefront in many ways.

“Ultimately, the Arab Spring will create new opportunities for private equity investors who have clearly articulated investment themes, the entrepreneurial spirit needed to build or turnaround businesses that can be transformed into regional champions, and a willingness to put their own capital on the line as substantial principal investors. MENA remains a proven international market for limited partners seeking to lock-in their chances of significant returns,” El-Khazindar noted.

Despite fallout from the Arab Spring, Citadel Capital raised nearly three quarters of a billion dollars in thirdparty international equity and debt in 2011, with substantial sums having been committed by leading institutional LPs including the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the International Finance Corporation, the European Investment Bank, Germany’s DEG and KfW, the Netherlands’ FMO, France’s PROPARCO, the African Development Bank, the ICF Debt Pool and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, among others.

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business

Brent edges up toward $108, Greece weighs LONDON: Oil prices rose back towards $108 per barrel yesterday, after last week’s falls, supported by uncertainty over talks between Iran and world leaders planned for this week, although fears of Greece’s possible exit from the euro continued to weigh.

A summit of the Group of Eight major economies at the weekend failed to deliver any signal that Europe would act quickly to address the risk of a chaotic Greek exit from the euro, leaving investors in a state of alert, curbing an upturn in oil prices.

“Gains may be short-lived as EU politicians as usual are having a hard time agreeing on anything.

However an interesting week ahead with the European debt crisis posing a risk on the downside and the potential for nuclear talks with Iran to fail on the upside,” said Thorbjoern Bak Jensen, oil analyst at Global Risk Management. Brent crude was up 73 cents to $107.87 a barrel by 1246 GMT, up from a 2012 low on Friday. In the last three weeks, Brent has shed almost 11 percent - its largest threeweek fall since May 2011.

US crude, widely known as WTI, gained 23 cents to $91.71, its first rise in seven sessions.

Barclays Capital’s technical chart analysis team predicted further sell-offs in oil markets, saying it was bearish on both crude benchmarks in the medium term. The bank’s analysts are usually among the most bullish on oil prices, along with its US peer Goldman Sachs.

“We are bearish for WTI and look for a move toward $90.45. Beyond there, we target $90.00 and then $89.00. The aggressive selloff in Brent broke below our target near $108.50 and compels us to expect further downside toward $104.75,” the team wrote in its daily technical note.

Sending a strong message to Iran ahead of talks tomorrow, G8 leaders put the International Energy Agency on standby to tap emergency oil stockpiles if tougher new sanctions on Tehran threaten to strain supplies.

Western states have imposed sanctions on Iran’s energy and banking sectors since the beginning of this year to try to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, which they suspect is aimed at developing weapons. Iran says its intentions are peaceful.

The European Union is preparing to apply a total embargo on the purchase of Iranian crude oil in July. However, in a bearish move for oil markets, the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog began rare talks in Tehran yesterday after voicing hope for a deal to investigate suspected atomic bomb research - a gesture that Iran may count on to get international sanctions relaxed and deflect threats of war.

“All signs point to progress. Not everything is going to be solved by these meetings but at least there is some progress,” said Olivier Jakob of consultancy Petromatrix. China’s premier called for additional efforts to support growth on Sunday, boosting sentiment in oil. China’s crude oil imports from Iran rebounded more than 50 percent in April from March after resolving pricing disputes over term contracts, but shipments fell nearly a quarter from a year ago, with Saudi Arabian supplies helping to plug the gap. — Reuters

Aker Solutions buys ME oil services firm OSLO: Norwegian oil services firm Aker Solutions has agreed to buy a Dubai-based oil services firm, hoping to improve its recent weak track record of winning contracts in the world’s top oil producing region.

Aker Solutions has agreed to buy NPS Energy, part of oilfield services company National Petroleum Services, for an equity value of $350 million plus around $110 million in net interest bearing debt, it said in a statement yesterday.

“In order to succeed in the region, we need a strong distribution platform and well established customer relationships managed by a management team with a proven track record. Basically, this is what we achieve by acquiring NPS Energy,” Executive Chairman Oeyvind Eriksen said.

Aker Solutions has focused primarily on well intervention services in the Middle East, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, but has been seeking to expand in the region.

“Despite ... recent successes and the fact that we have technology and products in our portfolio which is highly relevant for oil and gas fields in the region, we have to admit that our success rate in recent tendering has been fairly low,” Eriksen said. “With the added local presence and the NPS management’s deeper understanding of the market in the region, we expect to be able to target opportunities with much greater precision in the future,” Eriksen added. NPS Energy employs around 900 people and offers specialized services, such as coil tubing, wire-line services, cementing, pressure pumping, well logging and testing. For 2012, NPS Energy expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of $48 million.— Reuters

South Korea poised to halt Iran oil imports from July Indian refiner MRPL turns to Iran firm for insurance SEOUL: South Korea will effectively become the first of Iran’s major Asian customers to halt oil purchases from July 1, when a European Union insurance ban will prevent further imports.

South Korea’s largest oil refiner SK Energy will stop Iranian oil imports after the ban takes effect, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said yesterday.

Last month, industry sources said the only other South Korean refinery that buys Iranian crude, Hyundai Oilbank, would stop imports from June.

Iran exports most of its 2.2 million barrels of crude per day to Asia, home to its four biggest buyers China, India, Japan and South Korea. But US and EU sanctions aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear program by reducing its oil revenues have made purchases difficult, with the impending EU ban on insurance for Iranian crude shipments so far proving an effective deterrent as all Iran’s Asian customers struggle to secure coverage.

The sources declined to be identified because they were not authorized to

speak to the media on a topic the Korean government considers politically sensitive. “SK Energy won’t lift Iranian crude oil after lifting a 2 million barrel cargo in early June,” one of the two sources said. “SK Energy will not import Iranian oil for July arrival.”

SK Energy had agreed to impor t 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude this year under a long-term supply deal, while Hyundai Oilbank had agreed to import 70,000 bpd. Both refiners have declined to comment on their plans. The United States and Europe are trying to squeeze the revenues Iran makes from oil exports to force it to halt a nuclear program they fear will be used to make weapons but which Tehran says is for power generation. South Korea’s government has shied away from taking an official stand on the issue of Iranian oil imports. The United States is its main guarantor for security against North Korea, which has a nuclear weapons program.

Seoul is seeking a waiver from the US financial sanctions by reducing its oil

first few months of the year as it negotiated terms with Iran for annual supplies.

Industry watchers say the marine insurance sanction will be the most effective measure by Western nations in 17 years of tightening the screws on Iran’s nuclear program.

The EU sanction bans EU insurers and reinsurers from covering tankers carrying Iranian crude anywhere in the world. Around 90 percent of the world’s tanker insurance is underwritten in the West. Asian crude buyers have asked their governments to provide state-guaranteed insurance coverage for their Iran oil shipments. A supertanker carrying around 2 million barrels of oil would typically have $1 billion insurance cover against personal injury and pollution claims. But Indian state insurers have refused to cover Iranian impor ts, fearing the action could fall foul of the EU ban. However, refiner MRPL turned to an Iranian insurer to cover a crude cargo that arrived last week, sources with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. — Reuters

Spain moves to claw back taxes from gaming firms LONDON: European online gambling firms are scrambling to make a back-tax payment being demanded by the cashstrapped Spanish government, which effectively raises the cost of market entry ahead of an expected new license round.

Internet gaming firms said yesterday that they have been in talks with the Spanish tax authorities in recent weeks over the payment of retrospective taxes for January 2009 to May 2011, a period in which they were in the market without a clear legal framework.

Sweeping new gambling reforms, set to tackle online gambling for the first time and give the state a way into taxing profits in the lucrative sector, have been planned in Spain for some time, and first licenses are due to be issued in June. But the government - struggling with a stagnating economy and making deep spending cuts to hit deficit targets - contacted the major online operators last month to say that two historic laws that had previously not applied to them would now do so.

Although the award of licenses is not explicitly linked to the back-duty, companies keen to secure the licenses are expected to pay up.

Bwin.party digital, the world’s largest listed online gaming company, said in a statement on Monday that it would pay 33 million euros ($42 million) after carrying out a tax self-assessment.

“Having taken these steps, we believe we have now fulfilled all requirements and look forward to receiving our license and entering the Spanish market,” said the Gibraltar-based company, which already

has a considerable Spanish profile via its sponsorship of soccer team Real Madrid.

About 60 companies have applied for licenses.

Smaller British online gaming firm Sportingbet Plc said it was in talks with the Spanish authorities but gave no further details. Analysts at Peel Hunt and Barclays Capital estimated that Sportingbet would proportionally be harder hit and is likely to see a tax bill of up to 20 million pounds ($32 million). Online casino and poker operator 888 is in talks with the Spanish authorities and taking legal and tax advice, a source close to 888 said, adding that any payment was likely to be considerably less than Bwin’s $40 million. Peel Hunt estimates 888’s exposure at less than $20 million. Rival online betting operator Betfair which earlier this month won one of the first online gambling licenses issued in Germany - could not be reached immediately for comment.

As European countries move to regulate what was once a grey area, the risk to betting companies derives mainly from the possibility of others copying Spain’s move, analysts said.

But short-term pain could be a longterm gain for the larger operators, who benefit from well-regulated markets, analysts said. “While this is an initial cash outflow, if it aids the licensing process and leads to more clarity in a key European market, this could be viewed as a positive in the medium term,” said BarCap analysts.

Shares in Sportingbet were down 6.2 percent at 1240 GMT, while other online gaming firms were largely flat. —Reuters

BEIJING: An elderly Chinese hawker sharpens a knife at the Houhai Lake area in Beijing yesterday. Chinese state press said that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao vowed proactive policies to make growth a bigger priority, as the world’s second largest economy showed signs of weakness.—AFP

Copper up but Greek contagion fears weigh LONDON: Copper extended gains yesterday as investors saw value in a metal that fell to fourmonth lows last week, even as they remained concerned about the risk of contagion if Greece defaults on its debt and leaves the euro.

Leaders of G8 major industrialized nations meeting at the weekend vowed to take steps to combat financial turmoil and revitalize a global economy threatened by Europe’s debt crisis, but they offered no specific prescription for debtcrippled Greece which is to hold elections on June 17.

Recent opinion polls show Greek voters are returning to the establishment parties that negotiated its bailout, offering potential salvation for European leaders.

But deepening banking sector instability in Spain heightened concerns about contagion from Greece’s political turmoil, meaning investors will likely stay risk-averse at least until the Greek election.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was traded up more than 1 percent at $7,745.50 a ton in official midday rings from

imports from Iran and has been negotiating with the EU over the insurance ban. The government is also believed to be taking actions to limit exports to Iran, over concerns that Iran will struggle to make payment as its foreign exchange earnings are squeezed.

Japan, the only Asian nation to have secured a waiver from US sanctions, cut its Iran crude imports in May by about 60 percent compared to the average of the first three months of the year.

South Korea has cut its imports by just over a fifth year-on-year for the same period.

China and India, major trading partners with Iran, have reduced oil purchases, but both nations have publicly said they do not support the unilateral sanctions of the EU and the United States against Tehran and have not asked for a waiver. Customs data released yesterday, however, showed China had cut crude imports from Iran by just over 30 percent in the first four months of the year compared with the same year-earlier period. China reduced imports in the

$7,650 on Friday. “Compared to the pessimism that was going around last week there has been some recovery, but the next significant move (in copper) is going to be in a downward direction,” said Capital Economics commodities economist Ross Strachan. “ We’re going to see weak (Chinese) copper imports over the coming months because end-use demand remains weak and stockpiles have increased dramatically. That combined with weakness in manufacturing demand in Europe is obviously weighing on metals.”

Offering copper some relief, however, China’s premier Wen Jiabao called for additional efforts to support growth on Sunday, after a recent series of economic indicators suggested the world’s second-biggest economy will slow further in the second quarter.

“Copper prices increased for a second day on the Chinese premier’s comments that the government should give more priority to maintaining growth,” Fairfax said in a note.

China is the world’s largest copper consumer, accounting for around 40 percent of global cop-

per demand, but monetary stimulus in the Asian giant can at best put a floor under copper, given worsening fundamentals. Metals warehouses in China are said to be so full that workers are starting to stockpile iron ore in granaries and copper in car parks.

The latest LME data showed copper stocks rose 3,200 tons to 224,375, with net inflows into mostly South Korea, where traders suspect Chinese merchants have booked around 110,000 tons for delivery.

In the United States, money managers monitored by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) slashed their net long or “buy” positions in copper in the week of May 15 by the largest amount since the start of April.

The exodus reflects weakening confidence in commodities markets and mounting concerns about the euro-zone debt crisis that knocked the euro to four-month lows against the dollar on Friday. In other metals traded, tin was last bid down at $19,400 a ton from $19,645, while zinc, used in galvanizing, was last bid up at $1,903 a ton from $1,895.— Reuters

TOKYO: A man looks at an electronic stock indicator in Tokyo yesterday. Bargain-hunting helped Asian stock markets edge upward yesterday but gains were limited as investors remained unconvinced that the world’s major economies nailed a solution to the European debt crisis following a summit in Washington. —AP

Markets inch up after G8 vague on Europe fix MOSCOW: Global stocks rose modestly yesterday, though gains were limited by concerns that leaders from the Group of Eight most powerful countries had failed to provide a concrete plan to ease the euro-zone debt crisis.

Traders in Europe and Asia were kept on edge by worries about the economic future of Greece and whether it would exit the 17-country euro currency union.

“The defensive mood among market participants is unlikely to change soon,” UniCredit analysts said in a note to clients, adding that the impending election in Greece will likely be the market driver over the next four weeks. Antibailout political parties made gains in general elections in Greece earlier this month, but the ballot proved to be inconclusive. A new vote is scheduled for June 17, and the radical left party Syriza is expected to make gains. Without the rescue package, Greece will likely default and leave the euro-zone. That would mean a financial disaster for Greece, but it will also send shockwaves throughout Europe.

At stake is a bailout package that Greece urgently needs to stay solvent.

International lenders have threatened to cancel the package if Greece fails to follow through on its austerity plans.

Britain’s FTSE 100 index gained 0.6 percent at 5,298.78 points, Germany’s DAX added 0.6 percent, to 6,310.93, while France’s CAC 40 added 0.3 percent to 3,015.85 Early trading in the United States was mixed after a new survey by the National Association for Business Economists suggested that economists are upbeat about housing and employment but still expect consumer spending, business investment and gross domestic product to remain below historic norms. Dow Jones industrial average was up 35 points at 12,404 just ten minutes into the trading. Standard & Poor ’s 500 was down 9.7 points to 1,295.22. Nasdaq composite index was down 34 points to 2,778.79, with shares in social network Facebook plunging 12 percent in their second day of trading.

A weekend summit in Washington among the G-8 leaders provided little in the way of encouragement for investors nervous that the political turmoil in Greece could hurt the rest of Europe and the global economy. The leaders issued a

joint statement calling for measures to boost growth and lower debts, but left the actual steps to individual governments to take.

“Far from demonstrating the leaders’ authority, it advertised their powerlessness in the face of forces which they cannot control and which, we may suppose, they do not comprehend,” Stephen Lewis of London-based Monument Securities said in a note to investors.

European officials signaled Monday that there’s still no consensus among them about possible ways out of the European debt crisis. Germany’s deputy finance minister said that Berlin still opposes the new French president’s idea to jointly issue bonds for the euro-zone which could be used to fund economic growth.

Germany has resisted the idea of eurobonds because they would likely raise its borrowing costs and would lessen pressure for heavily indebted countries to get their finances in order.

Leaders of the 27 European Union countries will hold an informal meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, followed by a summit at the end of June at which the issues of economic growth and austerity will likely be the main point of debate.

Merkel said last week that “it will be very important that Germany and France present their ideas together at this summit.” Spanish stocks trailed other European indexes, with the IBEX 35 index down 1.6 percent, as investors were spooked by last week’s news that Spain’s 2011 budget deficit was higher than expected.

In Asia, markets posted only muted gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index came off four-month lows to rise 0.3 percent at 8,636.89. Australia’s S&P/ASX rose 0.2 percent to 4,055.90. Mainland China’s Shanghai Composite Index was 0.3 percent higher at 2,351.06. But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 0.3 percent at 18,893.53.

Benchmark oil for June delivery was up 15 cents to $91.63 a barrel in early electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell $1.08 to settle at $91.48 in New York on Friday. In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.2736 from $1.2737 late Friday in New York. The dollar rose to 79.21 yen from 79.08 yen. — AP

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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Economists more upbeat about US job growth NEW YORK: A new survey shows US economists are growing slightly more optimistic about recovery in the job and housing markets but expect other pillars of the economy to remain weak. The National Association for Business Economists says in a report issued yesterday that its forecasters expect modest growth for the remainder of the year, with the pace picking up in 2013.

Still, the 54 economists NABE surveyed expect consumer spending, business investment and gross domestic product to remain below historic norms. The quarterly survey compiles expectations for indicators such as hir-

ing, home construction and spending from economists at industry groups, government agencies, banks and consultancies.

The panel now expects average monthly job growth for 2012 of 188,000, up from its forecast in February for 170,000 new jobs per month in 2012. The improved outlook would lead the unemployment rate to fall to 8 percent by the end of the year, the economists said. The rate is now 8.1 percent. By the end of 2013, the unemployment rate is expected to ease further to 7.5 percent.

The NABE economists expect housing starts to rise 18 percent to 720,000

JPMorgan’s whale in a fishpond: Analyst LONDON: Former Kansas City Fed President Thomas Hoenig suggested banks that are too big to fail are also too big to exist, and should be broken up (“Financial reform: post-crisis?” Feb 23, 2011).

But are banks that are too big to fail also too big to trade and too big to manage properly?

JPMorgan Chase & Co’s reported hedging losses suggest the bank, famed for a disciplined approach to measuring and managing risk, is struggling to cope with increased demands of scale, after swallowing up a string of other institutions in the last decade. Massive hedging losses by the bank’s Chief Investment Office are the second time in under two years JPMorgan has been forced to own up when a big trade went wrong and the bank struggled to extricate itself because of the size of its positions.

In 2010, the bank lost several hundred million dollars on coal trades.

Blythe Masters, the head of the bank’s commodity trading division, owned up to a “rookie error” when the bank’s management and risk oversight functions failed to prevent a large position that overwhelmed the liquidity available in the thinly traded coal market, and proved expensive to exit.

Now Chief Executive Jamie Dimon has issued a similar apology for big loss-making positions at the Chief Investment Office. “In hindsight, the new strategy was flawed, complex, poorly reviewed, poorly executed and poorly monitored,” he told a conference call on May 10.

The CIO hedge is an order of magnitude larger than the earlier problem in coal. And it was supposedly a hedge where the coal trade was speculative.

But the common element of both is that the bank took positions that were so large relative to the rest of the market they were dangerously illiquid. When the trade went wrong JPMorgan could not get out without making its losses even worse.

The question is why the bank is repeatedly taking such dangerously large positions?

The short answer is over-confidence among the bank’s traders and managers, coupled with a failure of proper systems and controls. Dimon has admitted the trade was poorly reviewed and monitored. In a frontpage article today, the “Wall Street Journal” suggests the operations of the Chief Investment Office were scrutinized less closely than other parts of the bank, perhaps because it had contributed $4 billion of net income or around 10 percent of the bank’s profits over the last three years (“Inside JPMorgan’s blunder” May 18).

“The big lesson I learned: Don’t get complacent despite a successful track record,” Dimon said in an interview earlier this week. “No one or no unit can get a free pass.”

But it is too simplistic to blame the problems entirely on hubris and occasional lapses of risk control.

JPMorgan has been a consistent pioneer of more sophisticated approaches to measuring and controlling risks in both its trading book and its banking portfolio.

Unlike most investment banks, JPMorgan escaped largely unscathed from the subprime mortgage crisis.

The success of JPMorgan’s risk management gave Dimon a bully pulpit to lecture regulators and lawmakers on the banking system’s ability to manage its own risks without micromanagement by banking supervisors.

The real problem arguably stems from JPMorgan’s size. As the bank has expanded through a series of acquisitions (including Chase, Washington Mutual, Bear Stearns, parts of Sempra Commodities), as well as organic growth, it seems to have been encouraged or even compelled to take larger positions.

There are several strands to the size problem. First as the bank gets bigger, the size of trades needed to “move the needle” of its results has

increased significantly. For a bank of JPMorgan’s size, putting on oil trade expected to produce an extra $10 million of profits is immaterial. The bank needs trades that will yield tens of millions, hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.

JPMorgan has suggested a Chief Investment Office was set up to hedge the bank’s aggregated risk exposure. But the fact that it contributed so much of the bank’s profits over the last three years suggests it may have been seen as a profit centre.

That leads on to the second part of the size problem. Even if the bank thought it was hedging, the aggregated risks across all its divisions are so large it needs enormous hedges to offset them. But there are very few markets and instruments which can provide that much liquidity and hedging capacity. In effect, JPMorgan has become a whale in a fishpond.

From the press reports, the recent failed hedge was an attempt to hedge the bank ’s exposure to a broad macroeconomic downturn especially in Europe.

I have cast doubt elsewhere on whether such large portfolio hedges are really effective and should receive special hedging treatment by regulators. But even if the logic of portfolio hedging is valid, there is no way a bank of JPMorgan’s size can effectively hedge macroeconomic or systemic risks.

The amount of potential macroeconomic and systemic risk in the por tfolio of a bank the size of JPMorgan is enormous. Who or what could possibly take it on? Moreover, macroeconomic and systemic risks are by their nature common across the entire financial system.

It is almost impossible to identify other market participants willing to take them on in anything like the required size. Moreover, if JPMorgan tries to hedge certain macro risks, other big investment and commercial banks are likely to try the same strategy, assuming they have the same information and roughly similar outlooks.

The only way JPMorgan could successfully execute this type of hedge would be to find another set of hedge funds or investment banks that were as optimistic about the outlook as JPMorgan was gloomy. If JPMorgan was right in its gloomy call, however, would the other banks and hedge funds be in a position to pay?

Systemic and macro risks are by their nature difficult if not impossible to hedge. The only effective hedge is to have lots of cash and other liquid assets on hand, a reasonably wellmatched set of assets and liabilities, and the backstop of a lender of last resort to maintain confidence and provide unlimited liquidity.

Finally, JPMorgan seems to have fallen victim to control problems associated with managing risks across an enormous diversified institution.

The bank’s portfolio model relies on aggregating and managing risks centrally through a powerful chief executive and Chief Investment Office. But any centralized system of control is likely to struggle with a bank and por tfolio as large and diverse as JPMorgan’s has become.

Dimon’s response has been to call for renewed rigor within the existing process, painting losses as an unfortunate aberration. But the real problem appears structural.

The solution is to decentralise risk management closer to the frontline, leaving the centre with a more detached and impartial supervisory role, or more radically to think about reducing the size and complexity of the bank.

Dimon has been fiercely critical of regulators like Hoenig who have called for large institutions to be broken up and subjec t to much more intrusive super vision. But Dimon’s failed hedging strategy has proved Hoenig right. —Reuters

units this year and increase again to 850,000 in 2013. Residential investment is forecast to increase 8.8 percent this year; that’s better than the 6.6 percent the economists predicted in February.

In 2013, they now expect a 10.4 percent rise, up from 10 percent. The outlook for light vehicle sales is also brighter, and the NABE panel now expects sales to reach 14.5 million units this year, up from their previous forecast for 14 million units. In 2013, they now expect 14.8 million light vehicles to sell, up from a forecast for 14.6 million. On a broader level, however, the panel’s forecast remains rela-

tively bleak. GDP, which reflects the economy’s total output of goods and services, is predicted to grow just 2.4 percent this year, which is shy of the roughly 2.5 percent growth forecast by the Federal Reserve. For 2013, the panel of NABE economists expects the GDP to grow 2.8 percent.

Panelists also say consumer spending will grow 2.2 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2013, below the historic average rate of 2.8 percent.

After-tax corporate profits are projected to rise 5 percent this year and 6.3 percent next year. The NABE economists earlier forecast 6.3 percent growth in 2012 and 7 percent in 2013.

The annual average over the past 20 years is 10.2 percent.

NABE’s panel now expects real spending on nonresidential structures to grow 2.9 percent, down from the 4.2 percent they forecast in February.

The panel revised its projection for industrial production upward to 4.1 percent in 2012. Panelists still expect labor productivity growth to pick up from last year’s rate of 0.4 percent, rising to 1 percent in 2012 and to 1.4 percent in 2013.

And they expect a trade deficit of $562 billion this year, up from $535 billion. For 2013, they expect a deficit of $569 billion, up from $525 billion. — AP

Indian rupee at record dollar low, breaches 55 Global uncertainty plagues Indian currency MUMBAI: The Indian rupee sank to a record low for the fourth successive trading day yesterday, breaking the key level of 55 to the dollar amid global uncertainty.

The partially convertible Indian unit fell to a new low of 55.05 in late afternoon trade, below its previous low of 54.91 hit on Friday, as demand for the US currency grew. It later clawed back marginally to 54.97.

Local foreign exchange trade was steady yesterday morning after G8 leaders said they wanted Greece to remain in the euro-zone, but global concerns brought back jitters during the day.

While Europe’s debt crisis has weighed on the unit, it has also been hit by a plethora of domestic problems including India’s widening trade and current account deficits and slowing foreign fund inflows. There has also been pressure from oil importers, who exchange rupees for dollars when they buy crude for energy-scarce India, which imports four-fifths of its crude oil needs.

There was no immediate sign of fresh central bank intervention after the rupee’s dive yesterday, although the bank is thought to have stepped in to prop up the currency more than a dozen times this year. “I am pessimistic about the entire scenario. The RBI (Reserve Bank of India) cannot think of selling more dollars each time,” said Abhishek Goenka, chief executive of consultancy firm India Forex.

Many analysts and traders expect the rupee to fall further in the coming days with

NEW DELHI: A man counts Indian rupee notes at a foreign exchange center. The Indian rupee sank to a record low for the fourth successive trading day yesterday, breaking the key level of 55 to the dollar amid global uncertainty. risk-aversion hitting global markets and sentiment souring over India due to its gaping deficits and slowing economy.

The RBI’s deputy governor Subir Gokarn has said the bank will “use all its available tools” to

curb rupee volatility. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee last week blamed the deteriorating international climate for the falls as international investors sell risky emerging market assets and retreat to safe havens. — AFP

Thai economy rebounds strongly from flood crisis

Barclays to sell 20% stake in BlackRock LONDON: British bank Barclays is selling its near-20 percent stake in US asset manager BlackRock, worth $6.1 billion, as tougher global regulations have cut the attraction of such holdings.

Barclays has held the stake for almost three years, a legacy of BlackRock’s $13.5 billion purchase of Barclays Global Investors, but Basel III regulations mean banks have to hold more capital against minority stakes in asset managers and other firms, making it less profitable. “All this is just showing how difficult it is for banks to make a profit and sufficient RoE (return on equity) in the new regulatory environment. They are deleveraging or pursuing transactions like this to improve capital ratios,” said Richard Barfield, a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Barclays said the shares would be sold by way of an offering and a related buyback by BlackRock of up to $1 billion of the stock. Bookbuilding was expected to take a couple of days before the price of the share sale is finalised, possibly on Wednesday, bankers said. Barclays holds BlackRock common stock and convertible stock representing a 19.6 percent economic interest in the firm, equivalent to about 35.2 million shares. BlackRock bought BGI in a cash and share deal in June 2009, making it the world’s largest money manager, almost doubling its size. It was seen as a good deal for Barclays, giving it a much-needed capital boost at a time when all banks were under strain.

The deal also left BlackRock as one of the biggest shareholders in Barclays, with a 7.1 percent stake.

Barclays said the future of that holding was a matter for BlackRock, and BlackRock declined to comment. Barclays Capital, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are joint bookrunners for the offer. A prospectus was filed by BlackRock yesterday.

BlackRock shares closed last Friday at $171.91.

Barclays shares were up 1.5 percent at 178.7 pence by 1200 GMT, outperforming a flat European bank sector index. “The question was always would they sell ahead of Basel III fully coming in, so there’s a logic to it,” said Mike Trippitt, analyst at Oriel Securities in London. Barclays did not say what it would do with the cash.

New York-based BlackRock, founded more than 20 years ago as a one-room bond investment firm, grew to become the largest publicly traded asset manager through a series of acquisitions, led by Chairman and CEO Laurence Fink. It bought BGI after sidestepping the toxic assets that laid low many competitors in the financial crisis, particularly attracted by its exchange-traded funds arm. It now has $3.7 trillion of assets under management. — Reuters

BANGKOK: Thailand’s economy posted double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2012, rebounding sharply from the fallout of last year’s devastating floods, official data showed yesterday.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 11 percent in January-March from the previous quarter, when the economy had contracted 10.8 percent, according to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). GDP rose 0.3 percent compared with the same period in 2011.

The months-long floods last year killed hundreds of people and caused widespread damage to Thailand’s industrial heartland north of Bangkok.

Investment by companies to get their plants back up and running is now helping to revive the economy, while the agriculture sector posted solid growth and consumer demand also rebounded in the first quarter, the figures showed. At their height the floods affected 65 of the country’s 77 provinces, deluged hundreds of thousands of homes and forced the closure of large industrial parks, disrupting global supply chains. But with plants starting to reopen, the NESDB economic planning agency forecast economic growth of 5.5-6.5 percent for the whole of 2012.

The manufacturing sector has not yet returned to full strength, said Thanawat Polwichai, director of the Center for

Economic and Business Forecasting at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

“Industry will recover further in the second quarter,” he predicted. But Thailand’s economy is heavily reliant on exports so the euro-zone debt crisis and slowing Chinese growth is expected to take its toll. “The major risk for our recovery is the sluggish global economy, which may cause our exports to decline, while the manufacturing sector may face higher costs from increased wages and material prices,” Thanawat said.

On May 11 the Bank of Thailand upgraded its forecast for the kingdom’s economic growth this year to 6.0 percent, from a previous projection of 5.7 percent.

Earlier this month the central bank held its key interest rate steady at 3.0 percent, where it has been since January, to spur the economic recovery. Analysts expect the Bank to maintain official borrowing costs at current levels in the coming months to give the economy time to regain its strength.

“The interest rate will be held at 3.0 percent for the rest of the year because there are downside risks to growth such as the EU debt crisis,” said Usara Wilaipich, senior economist at Standard Chartered Bank. “Falling oil prices will also ease inflationary pressures,” she added. — AFP

BANGKOK: Thai commuters wait for a metro train at an elevated platform in Bangkok yesterday. Thailand’s economy posted double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2012, rebounding sharply from the fallout of last year’s devastating floods, official data showed. — AFP

26

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

BUSINESS

Al-Yousifi concludes Sharp festival Raffle draw winner gets 2 tickets for Euro Cup final match KUWAIT: In the presence of a representative from the ministry of Commerce and Industry, Al-Yousifi United General Trading Company’s administrative team conducted its Sharp festival with a draw at AlRai BEST Showroom on Wednesday, May 16.

The first prize winner, Fareed Abdul Rahman Yousif Abdul Salam, won two tickets to attend the European Cup Final match due to be held in Kiev. He also won flight tickets and accommodation for two people.

Speaking on the occasion, SHARP Sales Manager at Al-Yousifi Amjad Fayyadh said that Sharp was an official sponsor of this year’s Euro Cup. He added that the winner got his lucky winning coupon on purchasing a 60 inch LED Aquas TV.

Mopar celebrates 75th anniversary, expands Middle East operations KUWAIT: Starting as the name of a single product - antifreeze - the Mopar brand has evolved over 75 years, developing a strong identity that represents authentic parts and accessories, expert service and convenient car care. Today, Mopar is moving full-speed ahead into the global and Middle East marketplaces, building on its reputation for top quality, trusted service and high performance.

“The Mopar brand has a proud 75-year heritage,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and Chief Executive Officer - Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. “The mission at Mopar today is to fully support all of our brands by providing every single one of our customers with an exceptional after-sales experience. We will do this by continuing to offer cuttingedge technology, innovative products, authentic, quality-tested parts, and highquality customer service.”

Chrysler Group LLC was recently honored at the eighth annual Golden Chariot Awards, co-hosted by the Russian Business Council (RBC), receiving the prestigious “Outstanding Development of Supply Chain Operations” award for the global expansion of its Mopar operation - after opening facilities in the UAE and China, the opening of further parts distribution centers in Argentina and Brazil has also been announced, and these facilities will join the global network that already includes the operations in Dubai (18,000 sq. metres) and Shanghai (16,000 sq. metres).

“The new Mopar Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) for genuine Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram in Dubai is a key part of our regional expansion plans,” explained Jack Rodencal, Managing Director of Chrysler Group Middle East. “Our sales grew significantly in 2011 - in most markets, our growth rates were way above the industry average - and we finished the year with record sales that were 20% up year on year.

We are shifting up another gear in 2012 and 2013, our intention being to at least double our Middle East sales over this period. In order to do so, we will fur ther expand our model ranges and strengthen our activities in the region.”

“This means that it’s essential for us to offer first-class after sales service, an important part of which is rapid parts supply. That’s why we invested in opening our UAE-based Mopar RDC - to ensure that our distributors, and subsequently our customers, consistently receive fast and efficient response.”

Strategically located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, the facility distributes parts to general distributors and local sales companies across the Middle East and Africa, handling over 30,000 part numbers.

Another strategic regional move saw the opening of more Mopar Express Lane Service Centres - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam), UAE (Sharjah) and Jordan - in 2011. This year will see 15 more opening including Kuwait, the UAE (Abu Dhabi), Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Dammam and Jeddah) and Iraq (Baghdad).

“Mopar Express Lane sets new global quality benchmarks for automotive service, offering Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram drivers quick and comprehensive multi-point vehicle inspections that are very competitively priced,” said Rodencal.

“The Express Lane initiative delivers firstclass after sales service to our customers and runs parallel to the expansion of the Mopar spare part and accessory range available throughout the region.”

Committed to Customers in Kuwait “Chrysler Group already runs an intensive ongoing program to enhance and improve the quality and performance of its vehicles on a global level,” said Maher Abu-Shaaban, Assistant General Manager, Sales and Marketing at Al Mulla & Behbehani Motor Co. (MBMC), the sole distributor of Chrysler,

stage further, with a team of specialist engineers and technicians from the US carrying out extensive vehicle testing in Kuwait, along with the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

This is especially important in the harsh environments of the Middle East, particularly Kuwait, where climactic conditions and vehicle usage differ greatly from any other

How It All Began: MOtor PARts The Mopar brand was officially trademarked in 1937 at a meeting of the Chrysler Parts Corporation’s Activities Council in Highland Park, Michigan. The committee mulled over a list of names for Chrysler’s antifreeze product and came up with “MoPar,” a contraction of the words MOtor and PARts. Mopar became a brand name for most Chrysler Corporation parts and gradually evolved into the name of the parts business itself. The moniker was officially attached to a Chrysler parts organization in the late 1960s, when Chrysler created an aftermarket business unit named the Mopar Division.

In the 1960’s, the brand took on an expanded meaning with the advent of highperformance “package cars,” based on the 1962 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Belvedere.

These specially crafted race vehicles dominated the drag strip, garnering the brand enduring respect from grassroots racers and automotive enthusiasts.

Mopar’s trained technicians.

State of art warehousing and ultimate parts availability.

75 years of service heritage.

Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Mopar in Kuwait. “Inline with our commitment to deliver products that meet the exact needs of our customers in Kuwait and throughout the region, the testing process has been taken a

Customer”, is also staged on a continuous basis to gather valuable feedback and enhancement suggestions directly from drivers of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles.

In-line with the Chrysler Group’s radical new approach towards the quality of the products offered to customers, MBMC has, since its formation in 2006, invested heavily in its sales and service network in order to deliver world-class customer service excellence and add real value to customer relationships - the central pillars of the company’s long-term objectives.

This commitment has seen the company dramatically increase its market share in recent years. “We are determined to consistently set new benchmarks in Kuwait’s automotive industry and grow our market share,” said Abu-Shaaban.

market in the world, and the results gathered here will play a major role in developing future models.”

A specifically designed, dedicated customer-focused program, “The Voice Of The

Mopar Today With Chrysler Group LLC’s partnership with Fiat SpA., Mopar continues to expand its global footprint and started showcasing its vast product portfolio at international auto shows. The evolution of Mopar continues unabated, with a number of milestones and innovations achieved in recent years.

Over the years, Mopar expanded its service and parts offerings. With the introduction of Mopar Express Lane service, customers now have an option for fast, affordable and dependable routine vehicle service. With extended customer-service hours, needed repairs and service can be scheduled to fit even the most hectic schedule.

Today, competitive makes are also welcome for Mopar service at Chrysler Group dealers. The brand’s new partnership with Magneti Marelli, announced in April 2011, gives the Chrysler Group dealership network the ability to fully service competitive vehicles. The Italian aftermarket parts supplier is currently supplying Mopar and Chrysler Group dealers with brakes, shocks, struts, oil filters, air filters, fuel filters and cabin filters for competitive makes.

After 75 years, Mopar continues to serve a vital role in the success of Chrysler Group, reflecting the brand’s strength and heritage.

Mopar adds value to every Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA vehicle, with the shared goals of adding value to the Company’s brands and satisfying customers. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA vehicles - a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide.

KIB welcomes summer season with offers for Visa cardholders KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) continues its attractive offers for Visa cardholders during the summer season in an effort to cater to their traveling plans and give them a chance to enjoy great discounts on flight tickets and hotel accommodation.

In line with this, KIB Visa cardholders can book their upcoming summer trip through the leading online travel agency Cleartrip.com and receive up to 30% instant money back. The offer is applicable through the following Cleartrip’s websites: KSA, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait and is valid for bookings until July 31, 2012 however dates for travel are open.

To enjoy this offer and receive instant cash back KIB, Visa card holders need to follow a few simple steps which starts with booking any round-trip flight on Cleartrip websites. Once a coupon code is required, merely enter “COOLDEAL” prior to paying. The payment must to be done using the Visa Credit card and the discounted amount will be calculated instantly and transferred back to the cardholders account.

Commenting on the benefits Visa cardholders at KIB will receive, Tareq Al-Ajlan Marketing Manager said: “This special offer is one of a series of offers in which KIB distinguishes its Visa customers with, designed specifically to facilitate any payment transaction made, anywhere and anytime. It offers flexibility and speed to any transaction being made, whether it is buying online tickets, make online hotel reservations, shop and pay online bills or even to withdraw cash from any visa ATM.” Worth to mention, KIB’s wide range of Visa cards include Al-Moyassara Visa credit card which is available in both classic and gold, Visa platinum card, AlMomayaza Visa charge card, Visa prepaid card and Visa Gift card.

For more information on KIB’s services and products, please visit the bank’s website on www.kib.com.kw or check the latest updates on www.facebook.com/aldawlibank or follow us on Twitter @alDawliBank or call customer service on 1866866.

Burgan Bank’s winners of Yawmi Account draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000. Winners’ names will also be announced through Marina FM on a daily basis during their prime shows. The lucky winners for the five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Nadiah Ali Abdullah Alyahya 2. Amani Abdulhadi Abbas 3. Hanan Khalel Mohaemd Ali Al Shaneer 4. Boutros Adel Dawoud 5. Masoud Mansour Altaan Alhariri The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services, or log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

GE establishes technical academy in partnership with TVTC in Saudi KUWAIT: Reinforcing its long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of a knowledge economy, GE yesterday signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) to establish a technical academy that will train annually 150 select Saudi technical graduates in advanced skills such as key areas of maintenance and repair of gas turbines, electrical motors and generators that are critical to the efficient generation of electricity in the Kingdom.

Under the patronage of Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, and in the presence of Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaad, Deputy Governor of the Eastern Province and other dignitaries from the Eastern Province, the strategic

partnership agreement was signed by Dr. Ali bin Nasser Al-Ghafis, Governor of TVTC and Joseph Anis, President and CEO, GE Energy in the Middle East.

“TVTC is proud to team up with GE, a worldclass technology company, to train the engineers and technicians, who will form the cornerstone of the Saudi energy industry of tomorrow,” said Dr. Ali Bin Nasser Al-Ghafis. “The agreement reflects TVTC’s strategy to build partnerships with the private sector to implement programs that support Vision 2020, Saudi Arabia’s initiative to promote diversification, create new jobs and drive overall welfare.”

This milestone agreement establishes a strategic partnership between TVTC and GE, designed to contribute to the empowerment of

Saudi nationals with world class technical training. The agreement is another step forward in the wake of the successful GE Joint Technical Program with TVTC which was launched in 2010 to train Saudi students over several years.

Successful graduates will be offered the opportunity to join GE’s business in the growing GE Saudi family to support the expanding energy sector in Saudi Arabia.

“This establishment of this technical academy signifies a new milestone in our collaboration with TVTC and underscores our joint commitment to empower Saudi Arabia’s most promising students with the advanced skills needed to support the Kingdom’s growth and development,” said Joseph Anis, President and CEO, GE Energy in the Middle East.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

HP hosts first annual Finance Sector summit KUWAIT: HP Middle East is hosting this week its first Annual Finance Sector Conference in Dubai, where industry experts from both finance and IT sectors will discuss the merits of running IT depar tments as a business.

Delegates from financial institutions are set to hear from senior representatives from HP and partners, including Gartner, as to how operating their IT systems like a business will improve business performance while automating systems leads to lower cost, reduced risk and faster deployment times, in addition to obtaining realtime control over their environment.

“IT executives of financial services firms face a tough task in balancing a

number of objectives, from maximizing return, mitigating risk and improving performance - this has to be achieved in a constantly evolving environment too,” said Tayfun Topkoc, Regional Director HP Software, HP Middle East.

“At HP we recognize these challenges IT chiefs in the financial industry face, and by hosting the First Annual Finance Sector Conference we’ll highlight the range of solutions available to achieve this balance and tackle many of the hurdles encountered by IT executives.”

With a strong focus on IT best practice to help meet targets and aims, delegates will discover how their IT organization can build faster, operate

simpler, store information more effectively and securely, monitor risks more completely and execute systematically.

In such a rapidly changing IT landscape, there is a need for putting the latest technologies into context which Halil Aksu, a consultant from Gartner, will discuss in his session. With analysis on how trends such as cloud computing, mobile, social and information go beyond impact on just technology, Aksu will highlight how they are changing whole industries, economies, governments, societies and human behaviour. He will look at how this is not the final conclusion and that there is yet more to come that will directly affect how the finance sector utilizes

its IT infrastructure.

Additionally, delegates will hear case studies from IT executives involved in implementing software solutions in the banking sector. HP provides project and portfolio management solutions to better align IT with business making sure that proper governance is in place. HP software provides quality, performance and security testing solutions to make sure that core banking applications run based on business requirement more efficiently and meeting customer requirements. The First Annual HP Finance S ec tor Conference tooks place at Atlantis Hotel, Dubai, yesterday from 9 am to 5 pm.

Tayfun Topkoc

Facebook shares dive Where are Facebook’s friends? Stock down after IPO

Myths, reality of security in the virtual environment

K

aspersky Lab announces the launch of a special online project devoted to debunking notions and shattering myths about the security of virtual environments.

The resource http://me.kaspersky.com/en/beready provides access to exclusive up-to-the-minute information about what really threatens your virtual environment - and how to ensure it stays secure.

Virtualization has become a worldwide trend. According to a survey by Forrester Research1, Inc., 85 percent of companies in Europe and North America have already implemented or are about to implement ser ver virtualization. Research from Gartner2 also confirms virtualization technologies are spreading fast: by the end of 2012 about 50 percent of the load on x86 servers will be virtualized.

This is hardly surprising, as businesses gain many advantages from virtualization, including reduced capital expenditures, ease of maintenance, and growth of net efficiency and stability. But if the advantages are clear, the risks are less well known: virtual machines are still thought to be safer than physical ones. In reality, almost the opposite applies with practically all known cyberthreats existing in virtual environments. According to Gartner3, this complacency could mean that in 2012 60 percent of virtual servers will be less well protected than their physical predecessors.

At the same time the amount of mal-

ware keeps growing at a startling speed: Kaspersky Lab detects up to 70,000 new threats every day and every 14th file downloaded from the Internet The http://me.kaspersky.com/en/beready portal is designed to help companies gain a better understanding of IT security problems in virtual environments and how they can protect against them. It ties in with the launch of Kaspersky Security for Virtualization, a brand new solution from Kaspersky Lab that which was released in April 2012.

The web portal will be updated in the coming months, giving users the chance to view the latest analytical materials, research articles and reports dedicated to protection for virtual environments. In addition, a wealth of exclusive material is made available after a simple registration process is completed.

“Virtualization technologies are increasingly prominent on corporate networks around the world. While the advantages are universally acknowledged, the level of awareness when it comes to security solutions for virtual infrastructures is woefully inadequate. Our new web portal, containing both Kaspersky Lab material as well as independent data, allows companies to find out more about existing solutions and help them make the right choice,” explains Vladimir Udalov, Senior Corporate Product Marketing Manager at Kaspersky Lab.

New app identifies faces in photos TORONTO: Imagine taking a snapshot of a group of friends and having your smartphone instantly reveal the identity of everyone in the photo. A new iPhone app called KLiK performs real-time facial recognition to automatically identify and tag friends in photos. “It’s our most recent evolution of both the platform and the consumer product that we’re offering,” said Gil Hirsch, the CEO of the facial recognition technology platform Face.com, which launched the app.

“We noticed that at parties or events there were many photos being taken but only a few were actually getting tagged.” By connecting with Facebook, the app scans friends’ photos to develop a facial profile of everyone in a user’s network. The app identifies people by matching faces in photos taken with, or uploaded to, the app to these profiles.

Because the app relies on the connection to Facebook, only friends in a user’s network can be identified.

“It’s not like you can point this at someone on the street and make it work,” said Hirsch. But the app does include a learn mode to use for friends who are not on Facebook. It allows users to teach the app who someone is by pointing the camera at them and manually entering their name. “It’s all private and on your device only,” explained Hirsch, adding that the person will then be tagged automatically.

“I use it to tag my children so that I can later search for all the photos I took of them.”

Users can also apply Instagram-style filters and share photos via Facebook, Twitter or email. Although the app is only able to identify Facebook friends, or people entered manually, some critics are concerned about privacy issues.

“This system has been engineered from the get-go to preserve privacy and also deliver a social fun value and nothing creepy,” Hirsch responded. The company, which was established in 2009, has created several other apps, including Photo Finder, a Facebook app that scans friends’ photos to identify photos of you that were never tagged.

The company also provides technology for facial detection, which is distinct from recognition because it reveals information about subjects in a photo without revealing identity. The technology can reveal gender, mood, and even age. “We provide a minimum and maximum and approximate age guesstimate, only using the facial information in the photo- nothing else,” Hirsch said. In 2010, Face.com made their underlying facial recognition technology freely available for developers to incorporate into their own applications. Since then 45,000 developers have made use of their technology. The company says KLiK is approximately 90 percent accurate. —Reuters

NEW YORK: US stocks rebounded yesterday from their worst week of the year after G8 leaders voiced support for debt-stricken Greece to remain in the eurozone and economic growth efforts. In the first 45 minutes of trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 48.78 points, or 0.39 percent, to 12,418.16. The S&P 500-stock index climbed 6.04 (0.47 percent) to 1,301.26, while the tech-rich Nasdaq added 14.70 (0.53 percent) at 2,793.49.

Wall Street stocks were “supported by a relatively calm eurozone crisis front following a weekend meeting of G8 world leaders that urged Greece to remain a member of the eurozone and that economic growth policies accompany austerity plans,” Charles Schwab & Co. analysts said. Analysts noted that the Group of Eight leaders backed growth measures at the US-hosted summit but did not offer any specific details.

“What policies produce growth over the long term appears not to be a matter for discussion,” said Dick Green at Briefing.com. “For now, there are no decisions as to what action will be taken.”

Facebook shares plunged more than 11 percent below the initial public offering price of $38, after fizzling in their debut Friday. The shares were changing hands at $34.05. On Friday, US stocks slumped after Facebook’s IPO disappointed, leaving the Nasdaq

MENLO PARK: Facebook founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (centre) rings the Nasdaq opening bell from Facebook headquarters. — AP down 1.2 percent. In their sixth straight day of losses, the Dow dropped 0.6 percent and the S&P 500 shed 0.7 percent.

There was no major economic indicator on the calendar.

Aerospace giant Boeing led the blue-chip Dow higher, gaining 2.3 percent. Asset management firm BlackRock dropped 1.5 percent

after British bank Barclays said it would seek to sell its $6.1 billion stake.

Yahoo! rose 0.3 percent. The struggling Internet pioneer announced Sunday it would sell its stake in Alibaba, China’s top e-commerce player, for at least $7.1 billion. Lowe’s Companies, the nation’s second-largest home-improvement

retailer, plunged 10.5 percent after reporting better-than-expected profit in the first quarter but lowering its full-year forecast. The bond market fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.74 percent from 1.70 percent Friday, while the 30year fell to 2.81 percent from 2.79 percent. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.— AFP

Zuckerberg’s post-IPO wedding is smart legal move: Lawyers SAN FRANCISCO: Getting married was a smart business move as well as a personal milestone for Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, with the timing of the wedding, the day after the company’s initial public offering, potentially proving particularly advantageous, California divorce lawyers said on Sunday. Assuming the couple signed a prenuptial agreement, as most wealthy Californians do, Zuckerberg and Chan would have agreed exactly how to split assets, including his Facebook stock, if their marriage dissolved in future. Even without a prenup, the wedding’s timing would help establish the value of their assets in the event of any future divorce battle, lawyers said.

A spokeswoman for Facebook declined to comment on whether the couple signed such an agreement.

Priscilla Chan and Zuckerberg live together in the modest house in Palo Alto, Calif., where they were married on Saturday. The couple met as undergraduates at Harvard University in 2004. Zuckerberg, now 28, dropped out of college to work on Facebook, while Chan, a pediatrician, stayed to earn her undergraduage degree in 2007. Chan’s work led to Facebook creating an organ donation page.

The pair recently travelled to China. Had they continued the status quo, Chan could potentially lay claim to a much larger portion of assets, including a chunk of his $20 billion in Facebook shares, lawyers say. “In California, people who live together without the benefit of marriage could claim they had an agreement to pool resources and efforts,” said Napa, Calif., lawyer Robert Blevans. Although they are hard to prove, “those claims can get really ugly.”

Blevans cited the case of Anthony Maglica, the founder of the company that makes Maglite flashlights. In 1994, an Orange County court awarded $84 million to Maglica’s girlfriend Claire, who took his name and lived with him for 23 years. Although an appeals court reversed the award in 1998, she later negotiated a $29 million settlement. The same logic-avoiding messy court fightsenters into the calculus of a prenuptial agreement. “One of the primary reasons that wealthy people enter into prenups is to prevent the type of carnage that can come with divorce,” said Garrett Dailey, an appellate attorney in Oakland, Calif., “Better to sort it out in advance.”

Dividing assets A prenuptial agreement in California typically states how spouses would divide assets in the event of a divorce. The couple usually waives the right to make claims based on community-property laws, which state that any property created after the marriage is essentially community property and should be split evenly after any divorce. California is one of a handful of states with community-property laws. Most states rely on equitable-division rules, which give more flexibility to a judge in dividing assets.

In Chan’s case, she could lay claim to a portion of the options and grants in Facebook stock that vest during the time of their marriage, lawyers said. If there were no prenup, or if there were and Chan contested it, she could also try to go after stock Zuckerberg held previously if she could claim it increased in value during the relationship and the increase was due directly to Zuckerberg’s efforts.

Lawyers said that is hard to prove for publicly-traded companies. — Reuters

Chicago, Peapod’s largest market, is the second US city to roll out interactive supermarket shelves. —MCT

Mobile grocery shop eyes bored commuters CHICAGO: You wouldn’t think picking up milk at the “L” station would be a good idea.

But online grocer Peapod has turned a busy Chicago train station into a virtual supermarket aisle, enabling commuters to use their smartphones to scan and buy any of 70 items on the fly. Appearing overnight on once-barren walls, seven-foot tall virtual shelves line both sides of a 60-foot tunnel, filled with everything from paper towels and diapers to fresh produce. Android and iPhone users can download a free Peapod mobile app to load up their electronic grocery carts for delivery the next day.

Chicago, Peapod’s home base and its largest market, is the second US city to roll out the interactive supermarket shelves, which first appeared at Philadelphia train stations last month. Other Chicago locations may be added, and other cities down the line, depending on what happens during a 12week run at the station, which averages 17,640 commuters - and potential shoppers each weekday.

“It kind of changes the game for the outof-home advertising medium, almost as a kind of service rather than branding,” said Dave Etherington, senior vice president of marketing and mobile for Titan, a New Yorkbased media firm specializing in out-of-home advertising, which created the campaign for Peapod. A combination of advertising and retailing, the first virtual supermarket was rolled out last summer by British-based chain Tesco, which set up shop at subway stations in Seoul, South Korea.

Skokie, Ill.-based Peapod took the idea as a promotional launching pad for its recent expansion into the Philadelphia market. In April, the interactive billboards were placed at 15 train station platforms across the city. The displays were winnowed down to nine locations, which will be running through early June. Response to the ads has been strong, according to Etherington, both in terms of

introducing the service, and selling the items on-site to virtual shoppers waiting to catch a train. “It does a fantastic job of branding, but in a very transparent, measurable way, it ships products and it generates revenue,” Etherington said. Founded in Evanston in 1989, Peapod pioneered the concept of online grocery shopping, long before many people even knew what the internet was.

Perhaps ahead of its time, the publicly-traded company struggled during the dotcom bust, and was acquired by Netherlands-based Royal Ahold in 2001.

Peapod serves 24 US markets and has delivered 21 million grocery orders in just over two decades. With Internet shopping now fully integrated into the retail landscape, the company introduced its first mobile app about a year ago, trying to get out in front of the next wave in marketing. Used primarily by existing customers to re-order items called “trash scanning” - the mobile app has new utility with the virtual supermarket billboards, both as a lure for new customers and a way for customers to fill out shopping lists on an ongoing basis.

“Grocery shopping doesn’t necessarily happen the way it used to,” said Mike Brennan, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Peapod. “It’s becoming more of a task that happens in multiple steps throughout the week.” The shelves were fully stocked at State Street “L” last week as the first wave of commuters perused the virtual supermarket aisle on their way through the station. Some swiveled, others stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel and a few stopped to shop, tossing their dog-eared shopping lists away for good. Many commuters took notice of the very realistic depiction of typical grocery store shelves. Items included Huggies Diapers, Coke, Lysol, Swiffer Wet Jet, Bounty paper towels, Barilla readyto-heat pasta and fresh produce such as apples and bananas. —MCT

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Purse-sized innovation born out of necessity Pill pouch helps organize medication

Woman with flesh-eating disease takes own breaths ATLANTA: The father of a young Georgia woman fighting a flesh-eating bacteria says his daughter is now breathing on her own.

Aimee Copeland was taken off of a ventilator for several hours, representing the latest

Aimee Copeland

milestone in her recovery, said her father, Andy Copeland. Aimee “is breathing completely on her own! How cool is that?,” her father wrote late Sunday on his blog, where he’s been providing regular updates on the 24-year-old’s condition. “Aimee is being Aimee,” her father added in the latest update. “She’s cracking jokes, speaking frankly, displaying her usual early morning grumpiness and she has been off of the ventilator for over 10 hours.” The University of West Georgia student developed a rare condition called necrotizing fasciitis after cutting her leg in a May 1 fall from a homemade zip line over a river.

She’s since had most of her left leg amputated. Her father said she was told late last week that her hands and remaining foot would also need to be amputated.

Her recovery has led to well wishes from across the globe, and Andy Copeland said in his latest update that he’s grateful for the outpouring of concern. “The level of prayer and support has been phenomenal and we intend to read every card and send thank you cards for every gift,” he wrote. — AP

Phosphorous may have been on hot beach rocks LOS ANGELES: Beach rocks that caused a California woman’s shorts to catch fire and severely burn her legs and hands appeared to be coated with phosphorus, but it was unclear how the flammable chemical got onto the stones found near a military base, authorities said Thursday. “We have never been aware of anything like this before,” said Denise Fennessy, assistant director of Orange County’s environmental health division.

Field tests indicated the phosphorus was found on two rocks from San Onofre State Beach that will be submitted to a state-certified laboratory for verification, Fennessy said.

A naturally occurring mineral, phosphorus is found in oxidized form in rocks, but in its pure elemental form can burn when exposed to air. Phosphorous compounds are used in everything from flares to fertilizer.

Coast Guard and fire officials, however, said they never heard of local beach rocks igniting. “I spoke directly to the paramedic on the call,” said Capt. Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority. “He’s worked 27 years as a paramedic and specifically on the beach areas, and it’s the first time he’s ever seen anything like this.”

The beach where the rocks were found is near the Camp Pendleton Marine base and an offshore island used as a live firing range. A

nuclear power plant is also in the vicinity.

Camp Pendleton spokesman Capt. Barry Edwards said there was no evidence that military training aids were involved in the discovery, but the base will cooperate with investigators if asked.

Five other rocks became cross-contaminated with the substance, possibly when the chemical reaction occurred, Fennessy said.

The children of the 43-year-old woman who was injured collected the seven rocks Saturday from San Onofre State Beach near the border of Orange and San Diego counties, a popular surfing beach nicknamed Trestles for its location near a railroad bridge.

The children took the rocks home. Hours later, the woman, whose name was not released, scooped them up from the floor of her San Clemente home and put them in the pocket of her cargo shorts, where they either caught fire or became hot enough to set fire to her clothing, Stone said.

The rocks were small and smooth. One was greenish in colour and another had rusty orange streaks, Stone said. “She actually had flames coming off of her shorts,” he said. “She did a stop, drop and roll manoeuvre ... that was unsuccessful because of the amount of heat coming out of her pocket.”—AP

DETROIT: Eighty-eight-year-old Stella Mazur took eight medications a day for conditions that ranged from high blood pressure to seizures, but she was frustrated because she couldn’t keep all of her pills straight. “My mother would get confused when she tried to set up her pills for the week,” said Kathi Sitek, 58, of Macomb Township, Mich., who was the sole caregiver for her mother. Mazur lived on her own and was fiercely independent.

Sitek wanted to make a simple visual display of her mother’s pills to make it easier for her to manage her medications without help. Gary Sitek, Kathi’s husband, helped make it, taping a sample of each pill to one side of a small piece of cardboard.

They labeled the pills on the other side, listing the medication’s name, the dosage and the usage.

The Siteks called it the Pill Pouch, and that piece of cardboard would become the prototype for a product the family now produces and sells at community pharmacies across Michigan and Ohio. “We made it out of necessity,” Kathi Sitek said. The Siteks aren’t alone in the struggle to help a loved one manage their medications. It is crucial for patients, especially seniors, to find some kind of system that ensures they take their medicine, said James Cameron, a health coach at the Henry Ford Health System. “One out of 10 admissions for seniors admitted to hospitals is related to medication issues,” Cameron said. One of the least expensive ways to organize medication is with a pill box.

There are several types, including some that can detach to make it easy to carry around that day’s medications. Mazur took her prototype Pill Pouch with her to doctor visits, to the pharmacy and carried it in case of an emergency. She used the Pill Pouch for about two years until she died of heart failure in 2007 at the age of 90. Several doctors looked at the cardboard Pill Pouch and said, “Boy, you should patent that.”

When she died, Mazur left Kathi Sitek about $30,000 in inheritance, which she used to start a company that makes the Pill Pouch. “I know it helps people,” Kathi Sitek said. “I’m real passionate about it because I think it’s a good thing.” A patent for the Pill Pouch is pending, but the product is already in community pharmacies across Michigan. It also sells for $9.99 online at www.pillpouch.net and is manufactured in Troy, Mich. The printing for the packaging is done in Madison Heights, Mich. It is packaged and shipped from Kathi Sitek’s basement in Macomb Township.

“It’s really taking off,” Kathi Sitek said. When it comes to finding a solution for managing medications, Cameron said the options are plentiful. “I would start out with a pill box,” Cameron said.

“They have daily pill boxes, weekly, monthly. Those are very good if the senior can keep track of time

and remember to take all those pills. Those are very simple solutions.”

He also suggested using alarms. “If people have a hard time keeping track of time, is there some kind of an alarm they can set up to know when to take their pills?” Cameron said. “Or can they have a caregiver or loved one give them a call?”

Monty Kamposh, the pharmacy manager at Daring Drugs in Southfield offered another tip for customers to organize their pills. “There are a lot of patients who take multiple meds,” he said. “I tell them to put morning pills by toothbrush. Night pills by nightstand.”

Kamposh recently ordered a batch of Pill Pouches to stock in his store. He said he expects to have the shipment “It’s very easy to use,” Kamposh said. “It’s a nice tool. It really helps seniors who have a hard time with their medication.”

LuAnn Linker bought a Pill Pouch about a year ago for her mother, Celia Fardell, 94, who lives in a senior residence. “I thought it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Linker, 57, of Berkley, Mich. “It’s so simple. It’s just one more tool that helps somebody maintain their independence.” The entire Sitek family now works on the product invented to help Mazur with her medications.

Kathi and Gary Sitek’s son, Matt Sitek, 32, left a management consulting company on the East Coast and joined the company last year. His title is

Kathi Sitek has developed a pill organizer that she hopes to market along with a smartphone app to help people take the proper medication. — MCT

The bright and dark side of the sun WILDWOOD: Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, is nearing and the sun’s rays will be at their strongest. Some people will head for the nearest pool, where they’ll roast themselves golden brown. They’ll also get a dose of Vitamin D that will sustain them for the summer. Others will slather on sunscreen, wear wide-brim hats and take vitamin supplements.

Our relationship with the sun ranges from phobic to “tanorexic,” a term coined for people who seem addicted to the sun.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends leaning toward the phobic. The academy maintains there is no safe amount of sun when it comes to skin cancer risk.

Not for adults, and especially not for children. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that one in five people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime; more than 2 million people are diagnosed each year. Between 40 percent and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have it at least once.

Health experts believe children’s skin is particularly vulnerable.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a few serious sunburns during childhood can increase the risk of skin cancer later. “We do think kids are more vulnerable, and animal models of melanoma

agree with that,” said Dr. Lynn Cornelius, chief of dermatology at Washington University.

While most health experts agree that prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays is bad, some think we’ve gone overboard with protecting ourselves from the sun. Before vitamin supple-

Heritage’s natural history department. By contrast, he said, most dinosaur skeletons on display in museums are “50 percent complete or less.”

Heritage declined to identify the buyer, who submitted the winning bid by telephone.

The sale will not be completed, however, until a court fight launched by the Mongolian government last week is resolved. The Mongolian government obtained a temporary restraining order against the sale in Texas state district court in Dallas, where Heritage is based. A US lawyer for the Mongolian government tried to interrupt the sale on Sunday afternoon in New York, Heritage said. “I am very surprised that Heritage Auctions Inc. knowingly defied a valid court order, particularly with the judge on the phone, listening and ready to explain his order,” Houston attorney Robert Painter, who is representing the Mongolian government, said in a statement. —Reuters

F. Holick, an endocrinologist and professor of biophysics and physiology at Boston University. In his 2009 book, “The Vitamin D Solution,” Holick argues that sun phobia is causing an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency. He recommends about 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure on the arms and legs

WILDWOOD: Second grade student Emily Ehrlich, 8, plays at recess at Fairway Elementary School, Missouri. — MCT ments and fortified foods, the sun was the only source of Vitamin D. The vitamin promotes calcium absorption, which is essential for bone growth.

One of the most outspoken critics of the no-sun approach is Dr. Michael

two to three times a week.

His ideas are so controversial that he was fired from Boston University’s department of dermatology in 2004.

Some health experts, including Holick, believe that Vitamin D deficiencies are

contributing to a host of health problems beyond osteoporosis, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and even cancer.

Dr. George Griffing, an endocrinologist and professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University Medical School, won’t go that far, but he does agree that the sun is a good source of Vitamin D. In the summer, Griffing suggests spending 10 to 20 minutes a day outdoors wearing short sleeves, a hat and no sunscreen.

Dark skinned people have to be in the sun about twice as long to get the same benefit, he said. But he estimated that only about 20 percent of people are Vitamin D deficient. Some estimates have put that rate as high as 80 percent. Regardless, most people don’t need expensive testing to determine their Vitamin D levels, Griffing said. They can get enough of the vitamin by taking supplements and consuming fortified foods and milk. Oily species of fish, such as tuna and salmon also contain Vitamin D. But for people who have had bariatric surgery and are having a difficult time absorbing Vitamin D from fortified foods and supplements, the sun is a simple and effective option, Griffing said. Cornelius prefers supplements.

“We don’t like to advocate UV exposure as a way to get Vitamin D,” she said. “Why would you expose yourself to the sun and its carcinogens when you don’t have to?” — MCT

Chinese most likely to miss work for sports

Dinosaur skeleton fetches $1.05m at disputed US bid NEW YORK: A nearly intact skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus sold for $1.05 million at auction in New York on Sunday, although the sale has been disputed by the Mongolian government, which has questioned whether it was obtained legally. The skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus bataar, a smaller Asian cousin of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex that roamed North America during the Cretaceous period about 80 million years ago, measures 8 feet tall (2.4 metres) and 24 feet long (7.3 metres), according to a statement by Heritage Auctions, which conducted the sale in New York.

It was discovered in the Gobi Desert, which stretches across portions of northern China and southern Mongolia. Heritage Auctions President Greg Rohan said he does not know in which country the skeleton was found. The body of the skeleton is 75 percent complete and the head is about 80 percent complete, said David Herskowitz, the director of

chief cultivator. He is working on a free mobile app that will help organize pills. It is expected to be available later this month on the company website.

Their daughter, Jessica Sitek, 29, is the vice president of communications. Gary Sitek, 60, a retired firefighter from Hamtramck and a retired fire chief from Highland Park, is the chief grunt.

“He’s the cheerleader and the guy who will do whatever it takes,” Matt Sitek said. “If we need to package hundreds of Pill Pouches, he’s doing it. He does a little bit of everything.” The original prototype Mazur used was cardboard, measured about 4 inches by 6 inches and held eight pills. The current product is 5 inches by 7 inches when closed, handles up to eight pills and is made of vinyl.

Now, the Sitek family is working on a tri-fold version of the Pill Pouch that can hold up to 16 pills as well as a tri-fold for men about the size of a wallet that would fit in a back pants pocket. Kathi Sitek said she loves working with her children. Her goal is to grow the company so they can start to hire people.

“It’s been a blessing just to see my son excited about it,” Kathi Sitek said. She still works three days a week in marketing and business development for a credit union. “He has given me a boost. For a while, I was in a slump, trying to work and do this.

After all the money you spend on patents, and you wonder if it’s the right thing.” — MCT

MULHOUSE: A veterinarian of the Mulhouse zoo holds on her knees “Argoun”, a one-monthold Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis).

Amur leopards’ population is estimated to be about 50 in nature around the world. —AFP

NEW YORK: Americans may seem obsessed with football and Canadians are crazy about ice hockey, but it is nothing compared to China’s devotion to basketball, according to a new poll released yesterday. An online survey of 9,500 workers in eight countries showed that Chinese workers were the most likely to call in sick to view a sporting match, or after a late night watching or attending a game. China also had the most people skipping work to play a sport, and basketball was most likely to spur absenteeism there.

“The findings were in line with the findings of our survey last year on absenteeism around the world,” said Joyce Maroney, director the Workforce Institute at Kronos, the think tanks of the workforce management company that commissioned the Harris interactive online poll. Nearly 60 percent of Chinese workers said they had called in sick to watch or attend a sports event, compared to only one percent of the French.

India was second in spor t-related absenteeism, with the United Kingdom and Mexico a distant third or fourth. The

countries with the lowest rates, besides France, were the United States, followed by Canada. Soccer was the top sport spurring absenteeism in Australia, Mexico, United Kingdom and France, while in India it was cricket.

Although the poll did not look at the cause of the findings, Maroney suggests it is due to cultural differences. “Does the fact that they (the French) work a 35-hour work week and have more time off than most other countries contribute?”

Maroney asked. “Probably it does,” she added. “Look at a countr y like China, where people work incredible hours, 70 and 80 hours a week, with less time off and less regulation around paid time off, and it makes sense that they are calling in sick more frequently.”

People questioned in the poll said flexible hours were the best way to stop healthy employees from calling in sick.

Most workers said they felt guilty about calling in sick to watch a sporting event and believe that unpaid leave or the option to work from home would help stem such absences. — Reuters

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

H E A LT H

Long-distance surgery within reach Hundreds of attempts to master da Vinci system Mad cow quarantines lifted FRESNO: Quarantines were lifted on two Central California dairies associated with a case of mad cow disease after investigators found no link between the illness and food the diseased bovine might have consumed, federal officials said Friday. Tests performed by the World Organization for Animal Health also confirmed what US labs had found: The cow had a random mutation of the illness that was unlikely to affect other cows in the herd.

The tests were part of an investigation begun in April when an examination of a carcass of a nearly 11-year-old cow taken to a Hanford rendering plant tested positive for mad cow disease, the nation’s fourth case and the third “atypical” strain to be discovered. Mad cow disease is a deadly affliction of the central ner vous system that can be transmitted to humans who eat meat from infected cows.

The rash of cases that occurred in Great Britain in the 1990s were caused by cattle being fed protein supple ments made from the spinal columns and brains of diseased cows, a practice that has since been banned. The California cow had what is known as atypical L-type bovine spongiform that scientists know happens occasionally.

In the disorder, a protein the body normally harbours folds into an abnormal shape called a prion, setting off a chain reaction that eventually kills brain cells. Scientists say they do not yet know what causes this strain of the disease. The incubation period is two to eight years.

The USDA tests 40,000 of the 35 million cattle slaughtered annually for BSE, but some public health experts have called for more aggressive testing, especially in light of Friday’s announcement. “If that’s true, then it’s even more impor tant to increase sur veillance since the feed ban could not be expect-

ed to prevent future cases,” said Dr. M ichael Greger, direc tor of public health and animal agriculture with the Humane Society of the United States.

He said adopting the European model of testing all older cattle, or the Japanese model of testing every cow slaughtered for human consumption would add mere pennies per pound of beef sold and lower the risk of human cases of the fatal disease. As part of its investigation, the FDA and the California Depar tment of Food and Agriculture examined feed records at the affected dairy and identified at least 10 suppliers. They said Friday that all were in compliance with regulations. The California cow, which came from a still-unnamed Tulare County dairy, had been unable to stand when she was euthanized and hauled away to a plant that renders carcasses into animal food protein and other products. Dairy operators are not required to report if their cattle contract neurological diseases. Investigators with the California Depar tment of Food and Agriculture and the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service were still working to track down at least a dozen other living cows that were raised on a calf ranch with the sick cow.

Calves taken from their mothers after bir th are fed a protein supplement made from slaughtered cattle blood, and some question whether that blood might carry BSE. Already investigators have tracked down two offspring of the diseased cow. One that was euthanized for testing turned out to be healthy. Another calf was stillborn within the last two years, but officials have not yet said what happened to the carcass.

Baker Commodities, the rendering plant where the diseased cow was discovered, is a voluntary participant in the USDA testing program. — AP

CELEBRATION: A giant machine equipped with tiny, rotating scalpels, clamps and cauterizing tools hovers like a remote spider ready to pounce on the board game Operation. A surgeon at a nearby console slips his thumb and index finger into two master controls that operate the robot’s heavy arms and watches through a 3-D viewer as the tools delicately remove the funny bone and Adam’s apple from the game’s rotund patient.

The faux surgery is an extreme way of playing a child’s game with a $1.8 million robot. But it illustrates the research being conducted at Florida Hospital’s Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement in Celebration that will help more doctors perform remote surgery across the state, country and even half a world away. Officials are using a $4 million grant from the US Department of Defense to learn how surgeons can compensate for the lag that happens when the distance between doctor, patient and robot stretches across an ocean.

Those findings could lead to improvements in how wounded soldiers are treated on the battlefield by surgeons thousands of miles from the front. “We can discover ways to do this so the US has a leg up on this type of surgery,” said Dr. Roger Smith, chief technology officer at the center. And so far, the training is going well, Smith said.

“Not only will soldiers not die as often, but it gives our hospitals and patients a little more flexibility,” he said. “I think we are set to do this surgery now.”

Doctors already are using the da Vinci Surgical System robots, but only with onsite patients in need of precise surgical procedures. The surgeon and robot operate in real time, thanks to a 30-foot fiber-optic cable that links the machines.

But so far, it has not been used across vast distances because of a risky quarter- to full-second lag time between the surgeon’s movements and the robot ’s response.

Federal regulators permitted the only true US telesurgery procedure in 2001 when a team of French surgeons in New York operated on a patient using robots in

Strasbourg, France, to test the procedure.

Canadian health authorities already allow the practice across great distances for routine procedures. Doctors say it can take hundreds of attempts to master the da Vinci system. Some of the physicians trained in remote surgery who participated in the study were surprised at how their rigorous training did not prepare them for a one-second delay.

“You think that a one-second delay isn’t a big deal, but it’s extremely frustrating,” said Jacksonville obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Angela Martin, who took part in the study. “By the time the robot moves an arm, I’m already on my second movement, and there’s a tendency to repeat the first action.

By then, I could have poked a hole in the patient.”

Martin, who has three years of remotesurgery experience, said she learned to

“move slower, with more precise, smaller cuts” to compensate for the lag. That’s the kind of information researchers are looking to gather. “( Telesurger y) requires surgeons to relearn how they perform remote operations or improve the technology to reduce the delays,” Martin said. Still, she thinks telesurgery is “far from becoming a reality in the United States.” For some patients, however, the promise of that reality is a blessing.

“I didn’t mind the idea of a surgeon performing the operation with a robot. It was my first operation, and I had done my research,” said Christine Puttick , a 34-year- old Jacksonville resident who recently underwent a hysterectomy via remote surgery at Florida Hospital in Celebration. “I would feel confident with having that type of (remote) surgery if it meant I wouldn’t have to drive two hours to a hospital.” — MCT

FLORIDA: The classic game of Operation is used as a training aid for doctors practicing the da Vinci Si Surgical System at the Florida Hospital Nicholson Center in Celebration. — MCT

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Announcements ‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

Free Arabic course IPC is opening an Intensive Basic Arabic Course for ladies commencing from June 3 to July 8, 2012.

The class will be from 5-7 pm for three days a week. Registration is on! For information, call 22512257.

Yoga with the Golden Era Club The Golden Era Club presents ‘The Eight Fold Path to Yoga’ on 25th May; 5 to 7 pm. Yoga here! Yoga there! Yoga everywhere! Yet, few comprehend Yoga’s true nature! Join Yoga Guru - Aacharya Shashikala Pushkarna - on this unique journey to the true ‘union’ between the mind, body and spirit. All seniors (60+) are cordially invited. VenueHouse #34, next to Abu-Tammam Intermediate School for Boys, Sate Alhusari St., Block 2, Rumaithiya.

ABS holds Teachers’ Appreciation Party n honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, the American Bilingual School hosted a surprise event for teachers as a way to say thank you. Each day teachers received small gifts from the administrations as a token of appreciation, but on May 8, students packed the library full of balloons and treats they had made with the librarian,

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Hadeel Thebian, the day before. Teachers entered the library to attend what they thought was a mandatory faculty meeting but instead they were greeted by students tossing balloons and clapping. Students presented handmade cards to their teachers and even voted for their favorite teacher to be recognized as Ms. and

Mr. ABS. The event was a huge success and teachers seemed to enjoy as they spent time laughing with one another. Although this was the final library event for the year at ABS, the school looks forward to hosting many more activities next year.

Open House for Indian Citizens The Ambassador of India will be holding an Open House for Indian citizens to address their problems/grievances on Wednesdays of the second and the fourth week of every month between 1500 hrs and 1600 hrs at the embassy. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day. To ensure timely action/follow-up by the Embassy, it is requested that, wherever possible, Indian citizens should exhaust the existing channels of interaction/grievance redressal and bring their problems/issues in writing with supporting documents.

It may be mentioned that Embassy of India’s Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizen on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the consular officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) could be contacted.

Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances. Similarly, a labor wing Help Desk functions from 0830 hrs to 1300 hrs and 1400 hrs to 1630 hrs in the Labor Hall to address the labor related issue. There is also a 24X7 Help Line (Tel No. 25674163) to assist labors in distress. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned Attaches in the labor section and the head of the labor wing could be contacted.

Pravasee Deseeya Congress commemorates Rajiv Gandhi ravasee Deseeya congress (I) central committee president Jacob Channapetta inaugurated the function. Thomas Panicker, Kaipattor Thankachen, Chessil Ramapuram, Kochapally Vijayabhanu, Premson, George Thomas and Jeyesh Onaseril and Jose Samuel and Anchal Jose spoke at the function. Many dignitaries from different areas attended and paid tribute to the late prime minister and congress (I) president in India.

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Basil Arts Kuwait he Basil Arts Kuwait requests all its registered members to attend the General Body / Family gettogether, scheduled at 11:00am on Friday, the 1st June, 2012 at the HiDine Restaurant, Abbasiya. For further information contact General Secretary on 65003040

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Aware presentation he AWARE Center cordially invites interested Western expatriates to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “You and the environment: how can you make a difference?” by Dr Mohammed Al-Furgi.

Environmental issues are sometimes classified as academic or elite issues and we may feel that we as individuals do not have a role to play. We do have a role to play in improving our environment and an important one indeed. We (the individuals) are by far the majority and we are the ones that dictate what will happen to our environment. We are targeted as consumers and by making the right choice we could force the producers to change their products. Kuwait a country with a relatively small population but high consumption rate suffers from environmental problems, and we as citizens or residents could make a difference in alleviating these problems through simple practices. What can citizens and residents do to reduce littering and conserve water and energy? In his 25-minute presentation, Alforgi will discuss these questions and many more.

Dr. Alforgi graduated from the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Oklahoma with a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering and an M.S. in engineering management. He also holds a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming, USA. Dr. Alforgi has taught petroleum engineering at the College of Technological Studies in Kuwait, as well as at universities in Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Wyoming. He was a chairman of the Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology, at the College of Technological Studies. He wrote several papers on petroleum economics and takes deep interest in socio-economic changes that occur due to this particular resource.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Engineers’ Day celebrated

he Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh-Kuwait chapter celebrated the 64th Engineers’ Day of the organization on May 18, 2012, at Ramada Kuwait Hotel, Dasman Hall. The program started with recitation from Holy Quran by Mohammad Faziur Rahman. Ambassador of Bangladesh,

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Syed Shahed Reza, was the chief guest and delivered an inspiring speech.

Aminul Haq, an ex-chairman of the chapter read a well-researched paper on the history of the organization. A cultural program was presented, including songs from Kalpotaru, Laboni Salam, Sharmistha Barua, M. I.Alam, Abdus

TRASSK to conduct Pooram 2012 hrissur Association of Kuwait (TRASSK) conducting our first event for the year 2012-13, ‘Pooram 2012’ at Indian Community School, Khaitan on Friday, May 25, 2012 between 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Pooram 2012 - a dazzling display of Thrissur pooram (major attractions of festival) besides several other enthralling musical programs, dances and other events.

TRASSK proudly bringing the mood of joy, celebration - a colorful event to remember the “Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, also called “the land of Poorams”. An opportunity aimed to meet all Thrissurians residing in Kuwait under the umbrella of “TRASSK” and to share and feel of our homeland.

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Salam, Mohammad Hossain, child artistes Tasnim Tabassum, Ramisa Nawal and an attractive poetry recitation by Nafis Jahan Joarder. Gifts were presented to the artists by ambassador and lucky draw prizes were handed over by the Commander of the Bangladesh Military Contingent, Brigadier-General Hamidur

Rahman Chowdhury. A large number of Bangladeshi elites and engineers attended the party. Ahmed Rois Khan, of the chapter conducted and compeered the whole function with overall supervision

by Mushtaqul Hassan Khan, Chairman of the Chapter. A colourful souvenir was published with technical articles.

PALPK, ILF to hold legal seminar he Palakkad Pravasi Assocaition of Kuwait, (PALPAK) the association of Palakkad natives living in Kuwait and ‘Indian Lawyers’ Forum’, (ILF) the association of Indian Lawyers and Law graduates in Kuwait are conducting Legal Seminar, on 1st June Friday 2012, at 11.00 AM at Mangaf - Friends of Kannur (FOKE) Auditorium.

The Legal Seminar will focus on Kuwait New Labour Law, Traffic laws, Indian civil and criminal laws, and all legal related questions from the Indian community present. The

T

seminar will be addressed by the ILF Advocates. A panel of ILF Team, which includes Adv. Thomas Panicker, President, Adv.Suresh Pulikkal, Gen.Secretary, Adv Rajesh Sagar, Adv. Stephen Thomas and Adv Sumod will be answering the questions and lead the discussions on the subjects. All Indian community members in Kuwait, especially Palpak members, families and friends are cordially invited to participate. Your legal doubts/questions can be send by email to: palpaklegal@gmail.com and it will be answered in the seminar.

‘Indian Lawyer’s Forum’ has 85 Indian lawyers, law graduates and their family members as members.

Severl of ILF members are working with Kuwaiti Law firms and Corporations as Senior Lawyers and are with 15 to 20 years practicing experience in Indian courts.

For further information please contact, PNKumar: 99771830, Aravindhashan: 66535989 (PALPAK) or Thomas Panicker: 24346934, 97203939 or Suresh Pulikkal: 97260159.(ILF) Email: advpanicker@gmail.com

31

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

WHAT’S ON

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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Members of the American Women’s League gathered for a Mother’s Day breakfast at the Regency Hotel on Saturday morning. Many members attended the fun-filled social event. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

American Women’s League hosts Mother’s Day event

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.

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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 The French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed on Sunday, May 27, 2012 for Pentecost holidays.

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Ammani Al-Yousefi and Jenna Khaja

Christina Davis is seen with her daughter Rawan N. Al-Gharabally.

Fatma Sharif and Maxine Meilleur

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 KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy.

We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

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(From left) American Women League’s board members Hanan Al-Qanai, Jerry Esmaiel, Denise Tueller, Deborah Al-Qanai, Patricia Al-Enezi and Maxine Meilleur are pictured at the American Women’s League event.

Mona Al-Hajjaj and Heyla Palmer

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952 ■■■■■■■

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 ■■■■■■■

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 ■■■■■■■

KNES hands over funds collected to K’S PATH, PAWS

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

uwait National English School annually hosts a Fun Day in support of charities both locally and abroad.

In keeping with the school’s Mission Statement and in their quest of “Going Green”, this year’s proceeds were shared between PAWS and K’S PATH, both organisations involved in protecting the environment and its inhabitants. Pupils at KNES have also been involved in cleaning up the beaches with K’S PATH.

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EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 02:35 Great Animal Escapes 03:00 Great Animal Escapes 03:30 My Cat From Hell 04:25 Wildest Africa 05:20 Wildlife SOS 05:45 Escape To Chimp Eden 06:10 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 07:25 Wild Animal Orphans 07:50 Natural Born Hunters 08:15 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:40 Extraordinary Dogs 09:10 Must Love Cats 10:05 Wildest Africa 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Animal Cops South Africa 12:50 Safari Vet School 13:15 Safari Vet School 13:45 Bondi Vet 14:10 Wildlife SOS 14:40 Wildest Africa 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 16:30 Wild Animal Orphans 17:00 Natural Born Hunters 17:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:20 Trophy Cats 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Escape To Chimp Eden 20:10 Fur Seals 21:05 Queens Of The Savannah 22:00 Safari Vet School 22:25 Safari Vet School 22:55 Wildlife SOS 23:50 Animal Cops Phoenix

00:00 Newsday 00:30 Asia Business Report 00:45 Sport Today 01:00 Newsday 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Hardtalk 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 World Business Report 04:45 BBC World News 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 World Business Report 05:45 BBC World News 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 Sport Today 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 Hardtalk 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 BBC World News 11:00 GMT With George Alagiah 11:30 GMT With George Alagiah 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 13:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 14:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 Hardtalk 16:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 16:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 17:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 18:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 19:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 19:30 World Business Report

19:45 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 21:45 22:00 22:30 22:45 23:00 23:30 23:45

Sport Today BBC World News America Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:00 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 18:10 19:00 19:15 19:40 19:55 20:20 20:35 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:20 23:45

Duck Dodgers The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Jetsons Puppy In My Pocket Popeye Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races The Flintstones A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Popeye Classics Dexters Laboratory Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Duck Dodgers Tom & Jerry Kids Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! Dastardly And Muttley Looney Tunes Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Moomins The Garfield Show Dexter’s Laboratory Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley New Yogi Bear Show

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:25 Eliot Kid 06:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Regular Show 08:05 Grim Adventures Of...

08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:25 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 11:50 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Ben 10: Alien Force 13:30 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 13:55 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 14:20 Camp Lazlo 14:45 Powerpuff Girls 15:35 Angelo Rules 16:25 Grim Adventures Of...

17:15 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:40 Adventure Time 18:05 Regular Show 18:30 Ben 10 18:55 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 19:20 Hero 108 19:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 20:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:00 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:25 The Powerpuff Girls 21:50 Cow And Chicken 22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

00:15 One Man Army 01:10 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Gold Rush 02:30 Gold Divers 03:25 Alone In The Wild 04:20 One Man Army 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Flying Wild Alaska 07:00 Chop Shop: London Garage 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 How It’s Made 10:55 How It’s Made 11:25 Deception With Keith Barry 12:20 One Man Army 13:15 Storm Chasers 14:10 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 14:35 Auction Hunters 15:05 Flying Wild Alaska 16:00 Chop Shop: London Garage 16:55 Wheeler Dealers On The Road 17:20 Ultimate Survival 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How It’s Made 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Carfellas 21:30 Deception With Keith Barry 22:25 One Man Army 23:20 An Idiot Abroad

00:35 01:25 01:50 02:40 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:35 10:25 10:50 11:20 12:15 13:05 13:55 14:20 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 17:00

Meteorite Men The Tech Show Mega Builders Superships How Does That Work?

How Does That Work?

Stunt Junkies Stunt Junkies Mega Builders Smash Lab Meteorite Men How Does That Work?

How Does That Work?

Mega Builders Superships The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Smash Lab Mega Builders Meteorite Men How Does That Work?

How Does That Work?

Stunt Junkies Stunt Junkies The Tech Show Smash Lab The Gadget Show

17:25 The Gadget Show 17:50 Meteorite Men 18:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Space Pioneer 20:20 The Gadget Show 20:45 The Gadget Show 21:10 Smash Lab 22:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:50 Space Pioneer 23:40 Mega Builders

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:50 02:40 03:30 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:25 09:35 10:00 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:35 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:50 22:05 22:55 23:45

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Fish Hooks Recess So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny Recess Aladdin & The King Of Thieves A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb So Random Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Jessie A.N.T. Farm Geek Charming Fish Hooks Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Aladdin & The King Of Thieves Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:21 American Dragon 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Zeke & Luther 07:35 Zeke & Luther 08:00 Zeke & Luther 08:25 Zeke & Luther 08:50 Kick Buttowski 09:15 Zeke & Luther 09:40 I’m In The Band 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Kid vs Kat 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Aaron Stone 11:45 Rekkit Rabbit 12:10 American Dragon 12:35 Kick Buttowski 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:25 I’m In The Band 13:45 Kid vs Kat 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:25 Pokemon: Black And White 15:50 Timon And Pumbaa 16:15 Rated A For Awesome 16:40 Rated A For Awesome 17:05 Zeke & Luther 17:30 Mr. Young 17:55 Phineas And Ferb 18:20 Phineas And Ferb 18:45 I’m In The Band 19:10 Kickin It 19:35 Kick Buttowski 20:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 Escape From Scorpion Island 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 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 Scouted 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Khloe And Lamar 17:25 Khloe And Lamar 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Giuliana & Bill 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Fashion Police

AEON FLUX ON OSN ACTION HD

01:30 03:05 04:35 06:25 08:10 09:45 11:20 12:55 14:20 16:00 17:40

Some Girls-PG Midnight Witness-18 The Red Shoe Diaries-18 Semi-Tough Joey-PG Carry Me Home Hell Boats-PG Sibling Rivalry-PG Salt And Pepper-PG High Tide-PG High Noon-PG

19:10 20:40 22:00 23:45

Book Of Days-PG Transformations Three-PG Cuba-PG

00:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 01:00 Deadliest Journeys 01:30 Deadliest Journeys 02:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 03:00 Banged Up Abroad 04:00 Treks In A Wild World 05:00 Endurance Traveller 06:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 07:00 Deadliest Journeys 07:30 Deadliest Journeys 08:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 09:00 Banged Up Abroad 10:00 Treks In A Wild World 11:00 Endurance Traveller 12:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 13:00 Deadliest Journeys 13:30 Deadliest Journeys 14:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 15:00 Banged Up Abroad 16:00 Treks In A Wild World 17:00 Endurance Traveller 18:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 19:00 Word Travels 19:30 Word Travels 20:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 20:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 21:00 Food School 21:30 Food School 22:00 Long Way Down 23:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy

00:00 Megastructures 01:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 02:00 Is It Real?

03:00 Megastructures 04:00 Caught In The Act 05:00 Hunter Hunted 06:00 Banged Up Abroad 07:00 Inside 08:00 Megastructures 09:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 10:00 Is It Real?

11:00 Megastructures 12:00 Caught In The Act 13:00 Hunter Hunted 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Inside 16:00 Megastructures 17:00 Ancient Secrets: Mystery of The Silver Pharaoh 18:00 Is It Real?

19:00 Megastructures 20:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 21:00 Shark Men 22:00 Lockdown 23:00 Inside

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

01:00 03:00 05:00 PG15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00

Animal Underworld The Rise Of Black Wolf Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act Wildlife Rescue Africa The Living Edens Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act How Big Can It Get Cliffhangers My Life Is A Zoo World’s Deadliest Animals Hooked Expedition Wild Caught In The Act Hippos: Africa’s River Beast Ape Genius Animal Underworld Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act How Big Can It Get Cliffhangers

Animal Underworld The Rise Of Black Wolf Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act Wildlife Rescue Africa The Living Edens Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act How Big Can It Get Cliffhangers My Life Is A Zoo World’s Deadliest Animals Hooked Expedition Wild Caught In The Act Hippos: Africa’s River Beast Ape Genius Animal Underworld Superfish Expedition Wild Caught In The Act How Big Can It Get Cliffhangers

4.3.2.1.-18 Gothika-18 Rollerball-18 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 Rocky IV-PG15 Snake In The Eagle’s ShadowX-Men-PG15 Rocky IV-PG15 Collateral-PG15 X-Men-PG15 Fade To Black-18 Aeon Flux-PG15

Home-PG15 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 Stonehenge ApocalypseBound By A Secret-PG15 Letters To Juliet-PG15 Miles From Nowhere-PG15 Yogi Bear-FAM Coyote County Loser-PG15

HOME ON OSN CINEMA 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Tempest-PG15 Calvin Marshall-PG15 Burlesque-PG15 No Strings Attached-18

00:00 King Of The Hill 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Louie 02:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 03:00 The Simpsons 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Weird Science 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Mr. Sunshine 06:30 Melissa And Joey 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Weird Science 08:30 The Simpsons 09:00 Seinfeld 10:30 Melissa And Joey 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Weird Science 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Melissa And Joey 14:00 Raising Hope 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Perfect Couples 18:30 Wilfred 19:00 The League 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Eastbound And Down 22:30 Hung 23:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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

Justified Game Of Thrones The Closer Revenge Damages Good Morning America The Invisible Man Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Justified Revenge Good Morning America The Invisible Man The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice House The River Damages

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 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 22:00 23:00

Pan Am The Closer Game Of Thrones Justified Revenge Eureka Pan Am Emmerdale Coronation Street Royal Pains The Closer Justified Revenge Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Royal Pains Pan Am Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Surface Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice House The River True Blood

01:00 The Craigslist Killer-PG15 03:00 Mirrors 2-18 05:00 RoboCop 2-PG15 07:00 Tracker-PG15 09:00 A Lonely Place For DyingPG15 11:00 Hurricane Season-PG15 13:00 Age Of The Dragons-PG15 15:00 A Lonely Place For DyingPG15 17:00 The Librarian: The Curse Of Judas Chalice-PG15 18:45 The Hurt Locker-18 21:00 Aeon Flux-PG15 23:00 Outcast-R

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 PG15 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:15 22:00 23:45

Heart And Souls-PG The Lonely Guy-PG15 Flubber-PG Heart And Souls-PG Nothing Like The Holidays-

00:30 02:45 04:45 06:45 08:15 10:30 12:15 14:00 16:15 19:00 21:00 23:00

Jungle Fever-18 American History X-18 Grace Of My Heart-PG15 Oceans - Into The Deep-PG Another Year-PG15 The Sting II-PG The Third Wave-PG15 Another Year-PG15 The Horse Whisperer-PG15 Return To Paradise-PG15 Too Big To Fail-PG15 The Burning Plain-18

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

Saw VII: The Final Chapter-R The Fighting Temptations-

Spud-PG15 That Old Feeling-PG15 Like Mike-PG Spud-PG15 Mystery Men-PG15 Mr. Wrong-PG15 Pete Smalls Is Dead-18 That Old Feeling-PG15

Shanghai-PG15 That’s What I Am-PG15 Unstoppable-PG15 Lord Of The Dance-PG The Great Debaters-PG15 Strength And Honour-PG15 Unstoppable-PG15 127 Hours-PG15 The Deep Blue Sea-PG15 Love And Other Drugs-R

00:00 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers-PG15 02:00 Winnie The Pooh-FAM 04:00 The Nimbols: Part II-FAM 06:00 Emilie Jolie-PG 08:00 Legend Of Sleeping BeautyPG 10:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 12:00 Free Birds-FAM 14:00 Winnie The Pooh-FAM 16:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-FAM 18:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 20:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 22:00 Free Birds-FAM

00:00 MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 01:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 03:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 04:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 08:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 10:00 ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now

11:00 NBC Early Today 11:30 ABC America This Morning 12:00 ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:00 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 Live MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 18:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 19:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:00 MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 21:00 MSNBC Newsnation 22:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir 23:00 MSNBC The Dylan Ratigan Show

00:00 07:00 08:00 11:30 13:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Test Cricket Super Rugby Highlights Premier League Darts Super League Volvo Ocean Race Volvo Ocean Race Super Rugby Highlights Super Rugby Super Rugby Super League UFC Countdown

00:30 01:30 02:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

European PGA Tour Highlights AFL Highlights Premier League Darts SPL Highlights Mobil 1 The Grid NRL Premiership Super League Adventure Sports Adventure Sports Adventure Sports Triathlon Super Rugby Highlights AFL Highlights Premier League Darts SPL Highlights NRL Full Time Top 14 Highlights Mobil 1 The Grid Futbol Mundial SPL Highlights European PGA Tour Highlights Golfing World

00:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 01:00 Super League 03:00 Scottish FA Cup 05:00 Adventure Sports 06:00 World Cup Of Pool 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 AFL Highlights 09:00 Top 14 Highlights 09:30 Super Rugby Highlights 10:30 Scottish FA Cup 12:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 13:00 AFL Highlights 14:00 Golfing World 15:00 Top 14 Highlights 15:30 NRL Premiership 17:30 Super League 19:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 20:00 Super Rugby Highlights 21:00 Super Rugby 23:00 NRL Full Time 23:30 Super Rugby

01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

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Classifieds TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR RJA GFA UAE ETD OMA DHX FDB MSR RBG QTR JZR THY DHX FAH JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD IRA GFA MEA JZR MSR JZR JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB KNE QTR SVA KAC RJA KAC KAC QTR JZR JZR ETD JZR UAE SVA GFA UAL JZR JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC MSR JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK SYR KLM UAE JZR ABY QTR DHX AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH THY PIA

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 22/5/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 301 ABU DHABI 619 LAR 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 640 AMMAN 678 ABU DHABI 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 215 DEIREZZOR 535 CAIRO 303 ABU DHABI 787 RIYADH 857 DUBAI 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 786 JEDDAH 166 PARIS 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 325 NAJAF 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 341 DAMASCUS 415 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 981 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 772 ISTANBUL 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:35 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:35 7:15 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:20 9:30 9:40 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:25 12:30 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:05 15:15 15:15 16:00 16:35 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:59

Airlines AIC UAL DLH KLM PIA THY UAE FDB OMA DHX RBG ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY KAC BAW FDB KAC ABY JZR KAC KAC UAE JZR QTR KAC FDB ETD IRA IRA GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR MSR KAC JZR JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC KNE SVA KAC JZR RJA QTR KAC KAC KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY SVA UAL JZR FDB KAC MSR JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA DHX ALK SYR KLM ABY KAC UAE FAH QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX QTR AXB GFA KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Tuesday 22/5/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 411 AMSTERDAM 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 371 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 677 ABU DHABI 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 856 DUBAI 214 DEIREZZOR 133 DOHA 101 LONDON 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 324 AL NAJAF 641 AMMAN 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 613 BAHRAIN 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 982 BAHRAIN 266 BEIRUT 64 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 607 LUXOR 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 342 DEIREZZOR 415 DAMMAM 120 SHARJAH 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:55 1:00 2:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 8:10 8:25 8:25 8:35 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:15 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:15 12:25 13:10 13:15 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:05 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:30 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:05 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:50

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

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:21 11:45 15:20 18:38 20:06

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for one person in Sharq, near Hamra Tower.

Contact: 97263809.

(C 4019) 21-5-2012 Sharing accommodation available in Mahbooula for non-smoking Keralites.

Contact: 66725394.

(C 4015) Sharing accommodation immediately available in single room with TFC for Filipino single/couple in Hawally.

Contact: 94948506.

(C 4016) Sharing accommodation (big room) available only for Indian working lady or couple in Salmiiya near Salmiya Garden. Contact: 99307471/ 99838117/ 25635450.

(C 4018) 20-5-2012 Accommodation available from June in a C-A/C flat in Abbasiya, for one or two Christian bachelors. Contact: 65625804. (C 4011) 19-5-2012

MATRIMONIAL Christian Orthodox boy, 29/178cm working as IT Professional invites proposal from parents of well qualified girls.

Contact: lijoshere@gmail.com (C 4013) Female, 29 years, Malayalee, CSI, Accountant in Australia, B.Com, Master in professional Accounting, Australian citizen willing to relocate, seeks suitable alliance from professionally well qualified boys with good family background.

Contact Email: tcjohn@gmail.com (C 4014) 19-5-2012

Accountant, MBA-Finance, B.Com-Accounts & CA-Inter, having 5 years experience looking for part time job; can prepare accounting reports, financial statements.

Contact: 55829223 or Email: acconline@yahoomail.com 19-5-2012

SITUATION VACANT Indian driver for Kuwaiti family. 1) Working as driver in Kuwait at least 5 years. 2) Knows to speak English. 3) Residence 20. Contact: 66343220.

(C 4017) 20-5-2012

FOR SALE Fully furnished C-A/C, big hall: 8x4m. 2 spacious bed rooms, two bath rooms, one maid’s room/store room, and balcony, plus reserved shaded car parking, with complete good quality furniture (mostly from IKEA & Denmark) and Elect. Appliances for sale at Salmiya area 11 (Maidan Hawalli), behind petrol station. Contact: 66654074, Email: nisar_shaikh@hotmail.com (C 4020) 21-5-2012

AIRLINES Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

Hospitals

SITUATION WANTED

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

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

34

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 682

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) There could be a challenging work issue brought to your attention this morning. Ambition is a powerful motivation and can lead you into conflict if you let it get out of control—think through your ideas. Properly channeled, your passion will meet these challenges and you find satisfaction in your achievements—along with a bit of recognition. Events make it easy for you to be original, have breakthroughs and find new solutions to problems. Patience pays off as you find yourself able to put your own ideas into practice. Your social life may blossom in the least likely places this afternoon. Perhaps you stop at a quick serve grocery and see an old acquaintance or former neighbor. He or she may want to visit and catch up on the local news.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Before you leave for work this morning, grab a few snack items that will help dissuade you from large purchases of food. You do really well with a little protein snack a few times during the day and you will find an increase in your energy is habit forming. There is a tendency to miss important information today and the extra protein will help you with that. Take time to proof your work and take nothing for granted. For relaxation later today, walk during the noon break—perhaps a pet store, music store or library will give you a creative fun break, particularly after you eat at noon. The afternoon is much more successful when it comes to accomplishments. Despite any difficulty at work, there are many areas of life where you have clear vision.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. System of measurement based on centimeters and grams and seconds.

4. (mathematics) Directly proportional.

10. Tag the base runner to get him out.

13. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

14. Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico).

15. The United Nations agency concerned with international maritime activities.

16. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

17. The cardinal number that is the sum of six and one.

18. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

19. Covered with paving material.

21. Founder of Buddhism.

23. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

25. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

26. Little known Kamarupan languages.

29. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

33. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

35. 10 grams.

37. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

38. 10 hao equal 1 dong.

39. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

41. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.

44. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

46. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

48. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

51. The habitation of wild animals.

52. A building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented.

58. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

59. A unit of magnetic flux density equal to one weber per square meter.

61. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

62. A member of the Dravidian people living in southeastern India.

63. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic protozoa that form temporary pseudopods for feeding and locomotion.

65. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea.

66. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

67. An official or legal cancellation.

68. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. An informal conversation.

2. Offering fun and gaiety.

3. Indicating the most important performer or role.

4. An avalanche volcanic water and mud down the slopes of a volcano.

5. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

6. A period of time spent sleeping.

7. The administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma.

8. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

9. Cut down on.

10. Mild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adults.

11. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

12. A cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie.

20. God of death.

22. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

24. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

27. Massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws.

28. A slender double-reed instrument.

30. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

31. Keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view.

32. A small cake leavened with yeast.

34. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

36. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

40. Ancient Greek or Roman galley or warship having three tiers of oars on each side.

41. A period of time spent sleeping.

42. Scottish sea captain who was hired to protect British shipping in the Indian Ocean and then was accused of piracy and hanged (1645-1701).

43. A Dravidian language spoken in southern India.

44. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

45. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

47. A light springing movement upwards or forwards.

49. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

50. Greek author of fables (circa 620-560 BC).

53. The act of drawing or hauling something.

54. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.

55. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

56. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

57. God of love and erotic desire.

60. Towards the side away from the wind.

64. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Your desire for knowledge moves in so many different directions at once that you sometimes lose focus and become scattered.

You will be happiest when you create a list to help keep you on target with the main attraction. This way you will be more encouraged to quickly complete the business and move on to the next desired subject. Everything points to your taking the initiative at this time. You may feel much support from those around you, or circumstances could dictate your taking action. You feel healthy and natural. You like to work with words and ideas and have a natural appreciation for anything that is literary or artistic.

You are hungry for variety—a longing for the new, the different and the unique. You enjoy keeping busy and productive.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You and a co-worker may have an ongoing competition this month about using a new word each day. You enjoy nothing more than a good conversation and may be very skilled at speaking and communicating.

Business contacts, contracts, proposals or sales can be quite profitable today. As a born coach or teacher, you may find yourself guiding a group of young people after work this afternoon. Tonight you spend a little time finding the right book for one of your students. You put a very high value on the written word and may have many beloved books you have read—and perhaps, reread from time to time—giving one or two books away brings you much joy. This evening may be a good time to firm up a love relationship. It may not be your turn to cook.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Before you leave for work you may decide to cut a few flowers or purchase some flowers to place around your work area. You can also create pleasant surroundings at work in different ways. Lectures, group discussions or work sessions with one or more persons will prove successful at this time.

Mental stimulation is good and you make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. Perhaps there will be time this afternoon to think and study—you have a real appreciation for ideas and thoughts. You may find yourself enjoying long conversations, writing a letter, or making a special phone call this afternoon. Take your loved one(s) to an early movie or treat them to dinner out this evening. Your support system is strengthened.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are positive and able to handle any challenge that may occur in the workplace today. You have plenty of enthusiasm and warm up to things and people quickly. There is an inner self-confidence that burns with its own light. Interaction with authority figures may be in the forecast this afternoon. Working with—rather than against—the flow should be easy to do—all day.

You may have trouble understanding those who seem emotional or sentimental, however, and may not be able to show much patience. Balance your lack of intuitiveness with logic and common sense and you will have a most successful day. Some changes may have you examining your responsibilities; you can easily adapt and bargain in order to gain a balance.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Your fuel tank of fervor is overflowing today and you may feel as though you could tackle anything! Try to engage in projects that need to be finished before starting new ones—this will surely lead to success. Make lists of what you want to accomplish so that you do not become too scattered. This is a time where the results of your work may come under scrutiny from people in authority. Your spiritual life follows you wherever you go and today, in the workplace, you may be asked about your spiritual beliefs. Do not try to match someone else’s faith; very simply express your own background and then walk away. It is always a good idea not to discuss religion or politics in the workplace. A bookstore or library can be enjoyed this afternoon.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The urge to create a clean and peaceful environment may have you placing flowers throughout the workplace, house or apartment—you enjoy the results of your work. A parent figure may be contacting you— there are plans for this evening. Closure to the past and a positive attitude toward future events may find you communicating in an energetic manner to all with whom you visit today. Good news comes to you this afternoon regarding your future finances. Whatever changes take place, a raise or a change of responsibilities, there are positive happenings. Your love life and the relationships you have with friends now are most rewarding. Sometime today, or this evening, there will be some good surprises that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are charming, kind and popular, but today you will enjoy any quiet time you can find. Difficulties, blocks and all manner of hot spots may be discovered and worked through. Money matters could be a hot discussion in the workplace and the mistakes you find may or may not be yours. Accountability from others cannot be obtained through a third degree. You affect others in positive ways. Your management abilities are good and in high gear; you will direct yourself through any difficulties you may find. If you give your best effort now, considerable success will follow—you may also unconsciously help a close friend through your efforts. You may find yourself enjoying some quiet time this afternoon.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a good day for practical ideas and planning where your professional life is concerned. Perhaps you will be coordinating some event or organizing and administering to people. You can really get your thoughts and ideas across—good communication. You are in a mood of self-enjoyment and can appreciate your own better qualities. You may see value in, or feel love for, an older person or someone in authority. You are warm and genuine and attracted to teaching and guiding others. There is a volunteer opportunity this afternoon to which you will give over as much of your time as you can. This time with a volunteer group can be most enjoyable as well as rewarding. Walking this evening with a loved one may help you to unwind and relax.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You enjoy your own company, but you also enjoy sharing a good conversation with others. You appreciate your place in life. A period of intellectual creativity has dawned in your life; expressing yourself with flair comes to mean more to you. Beating the odds through cleverness is appealing and this may lead to an interest in all kinds of financial speculation. This afternoon, in the workplace, you may finally see value in a particular authority figure. You have the ability to become inspired deeply for just about anything meaningful you set your mind to accomplish. This is a day that should just move along quickly. Later today you will do well in activities that include children, young people and your home. You give and receive support and harmony.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Circumstances may seem to irritate you today. Someone could challenge you. It could be difficult to remain calm. You must learn patience along with the ability to control the tendency to exaggerate as misunderstandings may be created today. If you take a particular situation too seriously you could miss a lighter and more imaginative approach to a solution. Open up your mind to new ideas and fill your life with the possibilities of new opportunities by attending educational pursuits, travel, trying your hand at creative writing or learning new ways of communication. Your confidence and optimism are strong and you will need to direct your efforts in ways that will increase your effectiveness.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

lifestyle

By Alex Kline/McClatchy-Tribune

As March is now upon us, we celebrate Women’s History Month and commemorate the amazing ladies who took women from having no legal existence to being political leaders.

The field is as vast as it is diverse, with martyrs, astronauts, poets and first ladies filling the outspoken — and at times shocking — role as revolutionaries. The memorable women said some incredible things and paved a solid road to equality, all while proving they were so much more than their necessary and important roles as wives, mothers and caregivers.

The changes wrought by these women are best expressed through their own words. Read on for a brief history lesson on the important women of our past and for some inspiration to continue their work.

The air is the only place free from prejudices.

— Bessie Coleman (top), Aviator ●●●

“If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

— Abigail Adams, first lady ●●●

“As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold the person down, so it means you cannot soar as you thought otherwise.”

— Marian Anderson, singer

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”

— Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer ●●●

“We rely upon the poets, the philosophers and the playwrights to articulate what most of us can only feel, in joy or sorrow.

They illuminate the thoughts for which we only grope; they give us the strength and balm we cannot find in ourselves.”

— Helen Hayes, actress ●●●

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.”

— Julia Ward Howe, social reformer and author ●●●

“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”

— Zora Neale Hurston, anthropologist and author ●●●

“If they want to hang me, let them. And on the scaffold I will shout ‘Freedom for the working class!’”

— Mary Harris Jones, labor organizer ●●●

“I have no power of submitting tamely to injustice inflicted either on me or on the slave. I will oppose it with all the moral powers with which I am endowed. I am no advocate of passivity.”

— Lucretia Mott, feminist and abolitionist ●●●

Loosen your girdle and let ’er fly!

— “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias (above), athlete ●●●

“Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.”

— Susan B. Anthony, suffragist ●●●

“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”

— Rachel Carson, marine biologist and author ●●●

“I want to do it because I want to do it.

Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”

— Amelia Earhart, aviator ●●●

“Energy rightly applied can accomplish anything.”

— Nellie Bly, investigative journalist

“I can truthfully say I know of no other recreation that will do so much toward keeping a woman in good health and perfect figure than a few hours spent occasionally at trap shooting.”

— Annie Oakley, markswoman ●●●

“I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.”

— Harriet Tubman, slave, liberator of slaves and spy ●●●

“Sometimes questions are more important than answers.”

— Nancy Willard, poet and writer ●●●

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power.

You just take it.”

— Roseanne Barr, actress

S O U R C E S : B I O G R A P H Y. C O M , W W W. G R E AT- I N S P I R AT I O N A L - Q U O T E S . C O M ; H T T P : / / W W W. L O C . G OV / T E A C H E R S / C L A S S R O O M M AT E R I A L S / P R E S E N TAT I O N S A N D A C T I V I T I E S / P R E S E N TAT I O N S / W O M E N S - W O R D S / A LT E R N AT I V E . H T M L

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

— Dolly Parton, singer ●●●

“When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.”

— Peace Pilgrim, teacher, spiritual leader and peace prophet ●●●

“Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved.”

— Barbara Johnson, best-selling writer ●●●

“I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on.

Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady ●●●

“I am not afraid… I was born to do this.”

— Joan of Arc, Catholic saint and martyr ●●●

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”

— Harriet Beecher Stowe, American abolitionist and author ●●●

“The soul should always stand ajar. Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”

— Emily Dickinson, American poet ●●●

“Though I am grateful for the blessings of wealth, it hasn’t changed who I am. My feet are still on the ground. I’m just wearing better shoes.”

— Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and producer ●●●

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.”

— Anne Frank, Holocaust victim ●●●

“I am prepared to sacrifice every so-called privilege I possess in order to have a few rights.”

— Inez Milholland, suffragist

Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.

— Janis Joplin (above), singer ●●●

“I was born to swing, that’s all.”

— Lil Hardin Armstrong, bandleader ●●●

“We are coming down from our pedestal and up from the laundry room.”

— Bella Abzug, lawyer and congresswoman ●●●

“I do not know the word ‘quit.’ Either I never did, or I have abolished it.”

— Susan Butcher, Iditarod winner ●●●

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady ●●●

“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination.”

— Mae Jemison, astronaut ●●●

“In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.”

— Margaret Thatcher, British politician ●●●

“I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”

— Mother Theresa, social activist

Life is too large to hang out a sign: ‘For Men Only.’

— Barbara Jordan (left), politician I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y M I C H A E L H O G U E / DA L L A S M O R N I N G N E W S / M C T

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

lifest yle F e a t u r e s

A Wanda Cinema sign is displayed in Beijing yesterday. — AFP photos

A Wanda Cinemas logo is displayed outside a cinema.

anda, a property firm owned by one of China’s richest men, said yesterday it would buy US cinema chain AMC Entertainment for $2.6 billion, in a sign of China’s growing clout in the entertainment business. The deal, which Wanda said would create the world’s largest cinema owner by revenue, gives the Chinese company access to the US movie market, the world’s largest-a key aim for China’s rapidly growing movie industry. Founded by tycoon Wang Jianlin, Wanda has business interests ranging from commercial property to film production and is China’s third largest cinema operator behind two state-owned giants.

The company has moved aggressively to capitalize on China’s growing box-office revenues by putting cinemas in its property developments, and now owns 86 movie theatres in China, with a total of 730 screens. “This is about Chinese money purchasing something that could allow it to gain access to a market,” Teng Jimeng, professor of film at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told AFP. “It will allow China to exercise a kind of soft power influence by gaining this kind of movie theatre chain,” he said.

Wang, who was ranked as China’s sixth richest person last year

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Bangladesh tribals fear linguistic ‘genocide’ angladesh can justly claim to be a nation born of language, but its status as a cradle of linguistic diversity is under threat from nationalist pride and economic growth. Of the more than 30 recognized languages spoken in Bangladesh, experts say 20 are now on the verge of extinction. Many like the Laleng language spoken by the 2,000-strong Patra tribe in the country’s far northeast are inherently vulnerable, having no script and relying instead on a rich but fragile oral tradition of folk songs and storytelling. The current head of the tribe, Laxman Lal Patra, smiles as he talks of a Laleng lullaby his mother used to sing when he was a child but then frowns as he tries to recall the actual words, eventually managing just a single verse.

“Our fairy-tales, poems and songs are gone as we don’t have a written script to preserve them. Even my daughter-in-law these days hums Bangla lullabies to my grandson,” the 70-year-old said. Bangla, or Bengali, is the undisputed heavyweight in Bangladesh’s linguistic arena, spoken by 95 percent of the population and the sole passport to a decent education and career. National pride in the Bangla language runs deep and is cemented with the blood of the “language martyrs”-students shot dead by police on February 21, 1952, when Bangladesh was still East Pakistan. The students were protesting the Pakistani government’s Urdu-only policy and demanding that Bangla be recognized as an official language.

The deaths triggered the start of a nationalist struggle that finally ended with the creation of Bangladesh after victory in the 1971 independence war with Pakistan. February 21 is feted as a heroic national holiday in Bangladesh and is designated by UNESCO as International Mother Language Day to highlight the ethno-linguistic rights of people around the world. But now Bangla’s dominance in schools, the workplace and cultural life in general is threatening those rights in Bangladesh itself. “Most of us can still talk in Laleng. But we’re learning Bangla fast, replacing even the most essential Laleng words,” said Patra.

“Young boys pick up Bangla expressions from schools and Bengali neighbors and never forget.” An expanding economy, which has brought roads, electricity and television sets to all but the remotest villages, has helped smother the life out of indigenous languages that werealready struggling for survival. Dhaka University Linguistics professor Shourav Sikder, whose 2011 book “Indigenous Languages of Bangladesh” highlights the seriousness of the situation, reels off a long list of languages that are now dead or dying.

“No one talks in Mahali, Malto, Razoar and Rajbangshi these days,” he said, laying the blame squarely on the overriding state patronage and promotion of Bangla. According to Shikder, only two tribal languages can claim to be secure, largely thanks to the fact that they have written scripts. Mesbah Kamal, whose Research and Development Collective charity works with indigenous people, believes the loss of tribal languages verges on “cultural genocide” given the loss of identity that inevitably follows. “And if the indigenous people lose their language, it’s not only their loss,” Kamal said.

“We are also losing diversity and plurality in our cultural life, and that will create intolerance. “Our students fought for the rights of their mother language, thanks to which we’ve got an independent Bangladesh. Yet it’s a shame that on the same land other languages are dying out fast,” Kamal said. The government rejects accusations of neglect, with Cultural Affairs Secretary Suraiya Begum insisting that tribal groups “have scope to practice their language and culture” through a variety of state-run bodies.

Begum particularly pointed to the International Mother Language Institute set up in 2001 to preserve and study the ethnic languages spoken in Bangladesh and across the world. But critics say such institutions are mere window dressing, and totally ignore the ground realities of Bangla’s steamroller dominance. “My beautiful language is dying,” said Patra. “Our young people have turned their backs on it. To them jobs and education are everything.”—AFP

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with a personal fortune of $7.1 billion, according to the independent Hurun Report, said the purchase would turn Wanda into a “truly global” cinema owner. The combined movie box office for the United States and Canada was valued at $10.2 billion last year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, although the audience is shrinking as people turn to the Internet.

China’s communist leaders have said the country needs to make greater use of so-called “soft power” to promote the nation’s values abroad.

But critics say censorship is hampering the Chinese film industry’s ability to compete with Hollywood and even those films that get a strong reception in China have difficulties in cracking the bigger US market. The high-profile “The Flowers of War,” by China’s most famous director Zhang Yimou, failed even to make the shortlist for best foreign-language film at the 2011 Oscars. Privately-held AMC, the second largest movie exhibitor in the United States, operates 346 multiplex theatres mostly located in major US and Canadian cities with a total of 5,034 screens.

Wanda will invest a further $500 million in AMC for future initiatives, the companies said in a joint statement.

Bollywood star

Shetty has baby boy

ollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, who shot to global fame when she was subjected to allegedly racist taunts on Britain’s “Celebrity Big Brother” television series, gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. “God has blessed us with a beautiful baby boy. Both mother and baby are fine. I am thrilled to bits,” her husband Raj Kundra announced on Twitter. In another tweet he thanked staff at the Hinduja Hospital in suburban Mumbai where the baby was born.

Shetty, 36, who together with Kundra owns a stake in the Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals, was the victim of allegedly racist bullying by the late Jade Goody during the 2007 “Celebrity Big Brother” reality series. The controversy sparked international headlines, and Shetty went on to win the series. Shetty has not broken through into major film roles, but she has remained one of Bollywood’s most talked-

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about and photographed figures. She also caused a stir when she locked lips with American actor Richard Gere at an AIDS awareness event in 2007, leading an Indian judge to issue an arrest warrant against him. — AFP

ctor Gary Sinise, known for playing Vietnam War amputee Lt. Dan in the film “Forrest Gump,” is keeping his promise to raise money for a southwest Virginia Marine who lost his limbs while on a mine sweep in Afghanistan. After canceling a March benefit concert due to a car accident, the star of TV’s “CSI: New York” is set to perform with his band, named after his fictional Lt. Dan character, in Martinsville on Thursday. The cover band’s performance is part of a fundraiser to help build a specially equipped home for 22-yearold Patrick County Marine Cpl. J.B. Kerns, who lost his right arm below the elbow and both his legs below the knees in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2011 during his third tour of duty.

The 57-year-old Sinise’s foundation, along with others like the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, have helped build several such “smart homes” for wounded veterans across the country as part of an ongoing efforts to support US military

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AMC’s headquarters will remain in Kansas City in the US after the deal, the statement said. The firm has a handful of theatres in Asia, including Hong Kong and Japan. It is the latest in a series of movie industry deals as Chinese and US companies seek greater access to each other’s markets. DreamWorks Animation announced a Chinese joint venture to make films for the domestic market in February, while Walt Disney said in April it had joined an initiative to develop Chinese animation productions Disney will also co-produce and partly film Iron Man 3 in China with DMG Entertainment, as Hollywood seeks to tap into the Asian nation’s fast-growing movie market.

Teng said yesterday’s deal could also allow greater access to the booming Chinese market for US movie makers. “AMC can also use Wanda to reach into the huge Chinese market, to run American films,” he said. Imports of foreign films to China on a revenue-sharing basis are currently limited to just 34 annually, though that was raised from 20 earlier this year.—AFP

In this photograph taken on March 11, 2012 Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty poses as she arrives for the inaugural Super Fight League (SFL) in Mumbai. — AFP

personnel and first responders. The foundations partnered to create the Building For America’s Bravest program to build the homes. Nearly 1,450 military personnel have been treated at military facilities for amputations during post-9/11 operations, and more than 435 have multiple amputations, according to the Department of Defense.

And the department says that those wounded in battle now have a 50 percent better chance of surviving than any previous war because of improved armor, better medical training and emergency care.

“These are young guys that have been blown to bits and they’ve given a lot for their country and they’re going to have to go for the rest of their lives with a real challenge,” Sinise said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We’re trying to do as much as we can for as many of them as possible.”

Sinise hopes his fundraising efforts can give those wounded, like Kerns, a “place that is adapted to their needs so that they know for the rest of their

Gary Sinise

lives they have a place to call home.” The smart homes are custom designed to meet the needs of the amputee and typically feature energy-efficient appliances, along with automated systems to help them handle everyday tasks, said John Hodge, a spokesman for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Even cabinets and drawers can be opened and closed by pushing a button or an application on an iPad. The costs for the homes range from $500,000 to $1 million, depending on the location and features, Hodge said. For Kerns, the new home will help him be more independent, but he said his disability hasn’t stopped him from living life to the fullest. “I might be missing three limbs but I still do a lot of stuff I used to do. I still ride my four-wheeler, I still go out shooting and fishing and hunting,” Kerns said. “Ever since I’ve gotten hurt I’ve had good spirits about anything and everything. I’m going to do what I want to do, you know. I’m not going to let it slow me down.”

Kerns said he thinks it’s great that Sinise stuck to his word and is “giving up his free time” to help raise money for his new home. Sinise became more active in supporting military members like Kerns after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but has long been involved with similar efforts. When playing the role of Lt. Dan, who lost both his legs during combat, Sinise worked with Vietnam War veterans groups and wanted to honor vets “with an accurate portrayal of a Vietnam veteran who didn’t end up committing suicide or getting drunk at the end of the story, but he’s successful and he’s walking around and he’s moving forward with his life.” “Certainly his disability was important, but it didn’t define him at the end,” Sinise said of his character. “I’ve met incredible, inspirational guys who have lost parts of their body in service to our country and if I can get out there and help them ... it is my privilege and honor to do that.”—AP

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Fans of US pop singer and songwriter Lady Gaga are pictured in outlandish costumes and placards as they gather to attend her concert in Manila yesterday. —AFP/AP photos

Lady Gaga rocks Philippines, defies critics ady Gaga rocked the Philippines yesterday defying critics and state censors as thousands of fans, many of them dressed as outrageously as she was, roared their approval. Despite the protests of conservative Christians and warnings by state censors, Lady Gaga declared “I’m not a creature of your government, Manila”. She then belted out her controversial song “Judas”, which her Filipino critics have labeled as blasphemous. The audience tweeted photos of the US pop phenomenon wearing a full-length yellow dress inspired by Philippine national costume as she and a dance crew gyrated for the song “Born This Way”-a gay anthem.

The city government had earlier warned that her second show on tonight could be banned if the censors among the audience monitored any hints of blasphemy, devil worship, nudity or lewd conduct. Up to 40,000 fans in the Catholic-majority nation paid as much as 15,840 pesos ($370) each to watch the US singer. Her world tour, “The Born This Way Ball”, has been dogged by controversy in Asia, with an upcoming concert in Muslimmajority Indonesia cancelled on police orders for fear of violence from religious hardliners.

In the Philippines, Catholic leader Archbishop Ramon Arguelles urged the pub-

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lic to boycott her two concerts. “Her fans are in danger of falling into the clutches of Satan,” he told reporters. Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza, one of those calling for a concert ban, said he was opposed to the song “Judas”.

“We respect freedom of expression in this country. We also appreciate art and culture... but the laws should be respected,” he told

Film effects company DDMG plans Abu Dhabi studio he American special effects company that brought the “Transformers” movies to life and recently wowed concertgoers with a performing hologram of late rapper Tupac Shakur is setting up a studio in oil-rich Abu Dhabi. The deal signed yesterday between Digital Domain Media Group and Abu Dhabi’s government-backed twofour54 deepens the Emirati capital’s ties to Hollywood as it accelerates its efforts to become a media hub. Port St Lucie, Fla.based Digital Domain plans to establish an animation, visual effects and motion-capture studio and a media school in Abu Dhabi as part of the deal. The wealthy emirate is providing $100 million in grants for the project.

Although several movies have been filmed in the Middle East - including last year’s “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” set partly in Dubai - it is the first time an international studio is laying down such deep roots in the region, said Wayne Borg, twofour54’s deputy CEO and chief operating officer. “I think it’s a real game changer for the region in terms of giving us a seat at the table,” he said by phone from the Cannes Film Festival, where the deal was signed. “Historically we’ve never had the access and exposure to a company like that in the region.”

Digital Domain expects to begin hiring immediately and start work at the studio by early next year. The aim is to produce animated feature films, visual effects and other content both for the region and for international productions. Over time, it plans to employ about 500 people in Abu Dhabi. A 150,000 square foot (14,000 square meters) production center is slated to open in twofour54’s main media campus by the end of 2015. Borg doubts Abu Dhabi’s conservative Islamic culture will influence Digital Domain’s work in the region, saying the US company will be producing “mainstream content ... for the international market.”

Neither company disclosed how much Digital Domain is kicking in. But Digital Domain Chairman and CEO John Textor said in an interview his company would make “a material capital expenditure” to the project. “Traveling around the world and collecting grants is not a business model,” he said. “We’re not going to Abu Dhabi just to say we’ve got our toe in the water,” he added, saying the planned Gulf center could end up employing roughly as many people as its Florida headquarters. Digital Domain has worked on more than 90 films, including “Titanic,” “TRON: Legacy,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” where it digitally added decades to Pitt’s character.

Filmmaker James Cameron helped found the company in 1993.

It recently made waves for producing an eerily lifelike hologram of late rapper Tupac Shakur that appeared to perform alongside Snoop Dogg at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.

It has studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Florida, Vancouver, Mumbai and London, and is setting up operations in Beijing. Abu Dhabi controls the bulk of the oil in the seven-member United Arab Emirates, OPEC’s third-largest producer. It is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to carve out a niche in the global media industry.

It set up a company in 2008 to partially bankroll Hollywood films, and has wooed major media brands such as CNN, the Financial Times and Cartoon Network to set up operations in the emirate. Sky News Arabia, a new pan-Arab news channel, began broadcasting from Abu Dhabi last month. The sheikdom now wants to entice more filmmakers on the ground.

It is launching a new program this week to offer producers a rebate of up to 30 percent of what they spend on making movies, television shows, commercials and music videos in the emirate. —AP

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AFP. But officials in the Manila district of Pasay allowed the show to go on last night at the Arena, a new, oblong theatre built in Pasay by the country’s richest man, Henry Sy of the SM shopping mall chain.

About 100 “little monsters”-the name given to Lady Gaga’s devoted followers-had lined up hours before the show, sporting her signa-

ture outrageous clothing, hairstyle and makeup. A group of about 500 Christian activists tried to march on the Arena, singing religious songs while carrying placards saying “Stop Lady Gaga, the mother monster.” However riot police stopped them about one kilometer (half a mile) away. Local authorities earlier said they had worked out a deal to permit the

show while addressing the clamour by Christian conservatives.

Censors were in the audience to monitor possible violations of a law against “immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows”, said Glenn Agranzamendez, secretary to Pasay mayor Tony Calixto. Christian groups have vowed to send their own monitors and warned they could sue Lady Gaga under a law that penalises taking part or sponsoring “indecent shows” with prison terms of up to six years. Despite the protests, the demand for tickets has been so strong that the Manila concert’s organizers had to extend the event from the original one-night show to two nights.

Similarly in Hong Kong, huge demand saw organizers extend Lady Gaga’s original one-night run to four concerts. But question marks remain over whether she will be able to perform to 50,000 fans in Jakarta on June 3.

Promoters are trying to save the show despite police denying it a permit after Islamic hardliners threatened to unleash “chaos”. —AFP

Pop star Lady Gaga, left, arrives at the concert venue before her performance in suburban Pasay.

‘Avengers’ solidly on top in North American cinemas he Avengers” kept packing its amazing box-office punch, industry data showed Sunday, breaking records and powering its way on the top at North American box offices for a third week.

The comic book superhero blockbuster made $55.1 million over the weekend in North America, said box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. The film has become the highest-grossing movie in Walt Disney Studios history with global earnings exceeding $1 billion, according to industry website IMDb. “The Avengers”-which include Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America and Thor-was directed by cult favorite Joss Whedon in collaboration with Marvel Comics and made for an estimated $220 million.

The movie’s success will help mitigate Disney’s $200 million loss on the sci-fi fantasy film “John Carter” in March, which prompted the departure of Walt Disney Studios boss Rich Ross. “The Avengers” pounded new release “Battleship,” which earned the number two spot and about $25.4 million in its debut weekend. Trailing “Battleship” was comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s wacky “The Dictator,” which scored a third place finish and $17.4 million in its premier weekend.

Next was Tim Burton’s new Johnny Depp vampire flick “Dark Shadows,” in fourth place with $12.7 million.

Newcomer “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” opened in fifth place with $10.5 million, followed by “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” a comedic drama about British retirees in India, that netted $3.25 million. In the seventh spot was smash action hit “The Hunger Games.” The movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence, earned $3.0 million and

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has raked in more than $387 million in North America since its opening. Romantic comedy “Think Like A Man” dropped to eighth place earning $2.7 million, followed by tearjerker “The Lucky One,” an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks book starring Zac Efron of “High

School Musical” fame as a US soldier back from Iraq. The movie made $1.8 million. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” a children’s animation film from the studio that produced the “Wallace and Gromit” series was in 10th place earning $1.45 million. —AFP

Amy Lynn Hartzler, American singer-songwriter and pianist of the rock band Evanescence, performs during the 11th edition of the Mawazine international music festival ‘World Rhythms’ in Rabat on May 20, 2012. —AFP

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

lifestyle M u s i c

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Miley Cyrus

Mike Fisher, left, and Carrie Underwood arrive at the 2012 Billboard Awards at the MGM Grand on Sunday in Las Vegas, NV. — AP photos

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Country Singer and Dancing With the Stars favorite Julianne Hough.

nergetic performances and heart-felt tributes took center stage at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, as Adele, LMFAO, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift came away with top awards. British Grammy-winning singer Adele won 12 awards from 18 nominations for her juggernaut album “21,” including top artist, top female artist and top album. Her awards were not presented during the live show and the singer was not present.

But LMFAO, the uncle-nephew duo Redfoo and SkyBlu, showed in trademark outrageous fashion and picked up two awards, song of the year for “Party Rock Anthem” and the top duo/group, along with four more honors.

Rappers Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne and R&B singer Chris Brown took honors for top new artist, male artist of the year and R&B artist of the year, respectively. LMFAO kicked off the show with an energetic medley of their hits “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy And I Know It.” They were followed later by a shirtless Chris Brown performing his dance single “Turn Up The Music” with BMX bikers doing stunts.

Katy Perry, clad in a white dress, hung above the stage in a swing to sing her latest “personal and intimate” heartbreak single “Wide Awake,” while Justin Bieber, one of last year’s big winners at the Billboard show, presented a grown up image this year after turning 18-years-old, singing “Boyfriend” with dancers dressed as clowns and neon geisha girls.

Other performers included Kelly Clarkson, The Wanted, Carly Rae Jepsen, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Linkin Park, Nelly Furtado and Billboard Battle of the Bands winner, Patent Pending. Taylor Swift was given the Billboard Woman of the Year honor for her success as a recording artist, and she picked up the award from “New Girl” TV star Zooey Deschanel and veteran artist Kris Kristofferson, who praised Swift for having “done it the old-fashioned way by speaking the truth beautifully.”

Bieber picked up the award for the most social artist, thanking his 22 million Twitter followers and 43 million Facebook fans, saying “the Internet is where I got my start.”

Perry was given the Spotlight award for being the only

TV’s Modern Family stars Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen.

female artist in history to see five No. 1 singles from one album. Michael Jackson is the only artist to have received the award previously.

Veteran soul singer Stevie Wonder, 62, was honored with the Icon award this year and sang “Higher Ground” and “Overjoyed” with R&B singer Alicia Keys, wrapping the set with his hit song “Superstition.”

Tributes to the fallen With some big losses in the music world already this year, the awards show featured numerous tributes to late artists. Early in the show, hosts Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell paused to remember late Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer, with a moment of silence.

New Zealand artist Natasha Bedingfield paid tribute to late ‘Disco Queen’ Donna Summer, who died earlier this week after fighting lung cancer, saying “if we can remember her through her music, this will never really be her last dance,” before kicking off into Summer’s hit, “Last Dance.”

Wiz Khalifa paid tribute to late Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch, who passed away earlier this month after battling cancer, while Cee Lo Green joined his hip hop band Goodie Mob to perform “Fight For Your Right” in Yauch’s memory.

The biggest tribute of the night was for Whitney Houston, who died suddenly aged 48 in February this year.

The late singer was posthumously given the Millennium award, while singers John Legend and Jordin Sparks led heartfelt renditions of “The Greatest Love of All” and “I Will Always Love You” against a backdrop of photographs of Houston. Houston’s sister-in-law Patricia Houston and teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown accepted the award, with the late singer’s emotional daughter saying “I’m just blessed to have been in such an incredible woman’s life, there will never be another one ever.” — Reuters

Taylor Swift

Nelly Furtado

Singer/songwriter Usher

SkyBlu, left, and Redfoo of LMFAO Alicia Keys

Lisa Marie Presley

Justin Bieber

Katy Perry

Platinum record selling singer/songwriter and 2012 Dancing With the Stars favorite Gavin DeGraw.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

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Cronenberg junior shrugs off dad’s shadow in Cannes B

randon Cronenberg fought the film bug for a long time before deciding to walk in his father’s footsteps, the Canadian told AFP as he made a keenly-awaited big screen debut in Cannes. David Cronenberg-in the Palme d’Or race with the thriller “Cosmopolis” cheered on from the audience Saturday as his 32-year-old son premiered his first feature film, “Antiviral”, in the Riviera festival’s new talent section. The tense sci-fi thriller, a parable on celebrity worship where obsessive fans inject themselves with diseases culled from the bodies of their idols, has drawn all the inevitable comparisons with Cronenberg senior.

“Pass the sick bag, there’s a new Cronenberg on the block,” was how the Hollywood Reporter cheekily summed up the work, which is right up there with the likes of his father’s “Crash” or “eXistenZ” when it comes to body-horror. “I’ve been getting a lot of questions obviously about that,” the slender young man, with cropped dark hair and nose- and ear-studs, told AFP at a round-table interview on Sunday. “He’s my father, we share genes and I grew up with him,” he smiled. “So I feel like the fact that we share interests and there might be some overlap in our aesthetic sensibilities is to be expected.” “I was a little worried about it at first, and then I realised it’s going to completely define me in everything if I let it be a serious concern. So I just stopped thinking about it.”

“I was just going to do what was interesting,” he

said. As a young man Brandon worked on several films with his father, including on the special effects of the 1999 “eXistenZ”, but the elder Cronenberg was “not involved at all” in making “Antiviral”. For a long time, he resisted going into directing for fear of being stuck under his father’s shadow. “I was put off by people’s preconceptions, I encountered a lot of people who assumed that I wanted to walk in my father’s footsteps and that kind of turned me off. “But I had these scattered creative pursuits-I was interested in writing novels, and I was doing visual art, and I worked as an illustrator a little bit and was playing music.

“And at a certain point... film seemed like a way to collect those interests into one art form.” The idea for “Antiviral”, which is running for the Camera d’Or first film prize in Un Certain Regard, came to him almost a decade ago in 2004, during a bout of sickness. “I was having a kind of delirious fever dream and I was obsessing over the physicality of illness and how I had something in my cells, in my body, that had come from someone else’s body and how that was a sort of strangely intimate connection,” Cronenberg said. It later occurred to him to use the idea as a platform for discussing modern society’s obsession with celebrities. “It’s an incredibly common aspect in our culture but it’s something I find kind of strange and grotesque at the same time,” he said. “I think it connects to broader human impulse to deify people and tear them

apart afterwards.”

“Antiviral” tells the story of Syd, an employee at a clinic which injects paying customers with diseases culled from the bodies of celebrities-a patch of eczema here, a flu virus there-as a means of offering them an intimate bond with their idols. To supplement his income Syd-played by Caleb Landry Jones-smuggles out viruses in his own body and sells them on the black market. But things take a dark twist when one of them proves fatal to its starlet host, and Syd is swept up in a web of commercial espionage, against the graphic, blood-spurting backdrop of his physical decline.

Much of the film unfolds in a clinically white atmosphere, a way for Cronenberg to have “control over what was the focus of each frame”, like the giant celebrity portraits covering the walls. “And blood stands out on white really well,” he added, deadpan. The Hollywood Reporter regretted that Cronenberg “loses his grip on the material” towards the end of the film, which it described as “a petri dish of high-concept perversity and cultural commentary teeming with lo-fi ickiness.” “But its early days. Brandon Cronenberg is the scion of a phenomenon, working in the same freaky field, so the curiosity factor is high.”—AFP

Canadian director Brandon Cronenberg, US actor Caleb Landry Jones and Canadian actress Sarah Gadon pose during the photocall of ‘Antiviral’ presented in the Un Certain Regard section at the 65th Cannes film festival on May 20, 2012 in Cannes. — AFP

Love and rain dominate as Cannes hits half-way mark

Jacques Audiard praises B movies at Cannes

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acques Audiard is on a quest to revive the B movie. The French director has won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival and been nominated for an Academy Award, but he has a passion for the colorful cut-price end of the cinema market: horror films and thrillers, melodramas and westerns. Audiard said the original notion for his new feature “Rust and Bone” was to make “a B movie with a star” the star being France’s Marion Cotillard, whose best-actress Oscar for Edith Piaf biopic “La Vie En Rose” has spawned a Hollywood career.

It’s not a bad description. On one level, the film is an opposite-attract love story, set on the grittier side of the French Riviera, involving Cotillard’s haughty animal trainer and Matthias Schoenaerts’ down-and-out boxer. But the plot twists verge on melodrama. Early in the film Cotillard’s character has her legs bitten off by a killer whale, and Audiard also throws in brutal bare-knuckle fights, a child in peril and scenes scored to a pounding Katy Perry track. “In the end it’s a very simple story - with some complex elements to it,” Audiard said in an interview at the Cannes Film Festival alongside his screenwriting collaborator Thomas Bidegain. “We take things from life and try to put cinema in them.”

It is, he admits, a risky approach. “If you get too stylized then it becomes ridiculous, it becomes unbelievable,” said Audiard, as outside, thunder rumbled, unseasonable rain pounded the Croisette and a stiff wind whipped up a gray Mediterranean. “If you stick to reality you end up with a documentary approach and it can be boring.” The balance of gritty subject matter and cinematic flourish gives Audiard’s films a flavor unlike those of any other filmmaker.

His 2005 film “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” about a man torn between crime and music, was a deft French update of the 1978 Harvey Keitel vehicle film “Fingers.” “A Prophet,” which won Cannes’ second-place Grand Prize in 2009, was a blend of tough prison drama and little-guymakes-good story that was nominated for the foreign language Oscar. Looking like a dapper academic with his trademark trilby hat and pipe, Audiard cited film fanatic’s range of influences - from 1960s Brazilian director Glauber Rocha to 1950s thriller “The Night of the Hunter” and Tod Browning’s 1930s sideshow shocker “Freaks.”

Bidegain, who also worked on “A Prophet,” chimed in to call “Rust and Bone” “‘Terms of Endearment’ meets ‘Freaks.’”

“Rust and Bone” grew from a desire to make a movie about the economic crisis, and was loosely adapted from a book of short stories by Canadian writer Craig Davidson - with their California setting replaced by the Cote d’Azur. Audiard said the power of B movies - from 1930s horror films to 1940s film noir thrillers - is that they said something about the crisis-ridden world around them. It’s an element he finds lacking in a lot of films now that the world is in crisis again. “If you look at American studios, the big productions have nothing to do with reality,” he said.

“We are just French filmmakers, but seen from here, things need to move. You have to find niches where you can put yourself, points of view from which you can see the world changing.” “Rust and Bone” has been well received at Cannes, where it is one of 22 films competing for the top prize, the Palme d’Or. There has been near-universal praise for the performances of Schoenaerts - the beefy Belgian star of Oscar-nominated cattle drama “Bullhead” -and Cotillard. Audiard said Cotillard was the obvious choice for the role.—AP

Director Jacques Audiard poses for portraits at the American Pavilion during the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 19, 2012. — AP

(From left) director Claude Lelouche, unidentified person, David Cronenberg, Ken Loach, at back, Roman Polanski, Jean-Pierre Dardennes, Luc Dardennes and French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti arrive for the screening of Love at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Sunday. — AP

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olish director Roman Polanski has returned to the Cannes Film Festival, where he is to present a new film. The festival’s artistic director, Thierry Fremaux, tweeted that Polanski presented the film yesterday after a screening of a restored version of “Tess” Polanski’s 1979 movie film starring Nastassia Kinski.

The festival earlier screened documentary “Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir,” which features conversations between Polanski and his friend Andrew Braunsberg about his US arrest in 1977 for unlawful sex with an

underage girl and his subsequent flight to France before sentencing. Polanski, who currently lives in Paris, was in 2009 arrested in Switzerland to be extradited to the United States. The Swiss eventually rejected the request. Polanski won the Cannes’ Palme d’Or in 2002 for “The Pianist.”—AP

(From left) South Korean actor Yu Jun Sang, South Korean actress Moon Sori, French actress Isabelle Huppert, South Korean director Hong Sangsoo and South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung during the photocall of ‘Da-Reun Na-Ra-E-Suh’ (In Another Country) presented in competition at the 65th Cannes film festival yesterday in Cannes. — AFP

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boriginal feel-good comedy “The Sapphires” got a glittering reception in Cannes, drawing strong reviews and a standing ovation for its world premiere at the Riviera film festival. Screened out of competition over the weekend, the feel-good feature by firsttime director Wayne Blair tells of an all-girl singing group plucked from a remote Aboriginal community to play for Australian troops serving in Vietnam. The Hollywood Reporter said Cannes had hit upon “a sparkling charmer”, describing the film as “an exuberant celebration of Aboriginality that fizzes with humor and heart.”

Variety magazine was more measured but still upbeat in its review, writing that “soul music’s alleged

Romanian nunnery tale, a killer whale of a drama and whimsical pre-teen love jostled for Cannes glory yesterday as the world’s top cinema showcase hit the half-way mark. Awful weather and a lingering sexism row made only a slight dent in the French Riviera festival’s glamour that saw stars like Jessica Chastain, Bill Murray and Marion Cotillard sashay up the fabled red carpet. Cannes has hosted a frenzy of champagne-fuelled parties, deal-making and publicity pranks since its 65th edition started with a seafront stunt by a camel and Sacha Baron Cohen in character as his zany alter ego Admiral General Aladeen.

Love was a dominant theme in the nine movies premiered so far out of the 22 jockeying to get the Palme d’Or top prize on Sunday, with critics putting a Romanian film by a previous Palme winner and a French work in the lead. Cristian Mungiu, who took Cannes gold in 2007 with the chilling Communist-era abortion drama “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”, was back in the running with “Beyond the Hills”, the true story of a deadly “exorcism”. “‘Beyond the Hills’ is less fun than any film about lesbian nuns and their psychotic ex-lovers ought to be,” said The Hollywood Reporter, but it declared it “an engrossingly serious work (that) confirms Mungiu as a maturing talent”.

Screen International’s compilation of ratings by leading critics gave the 150-minute Romanian film as Palme favorite, while Le Film Francais magazine’s compilation put Frenchman Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone” in pole position. Set a stone’s throw from Cannes in Antibes, it stars Marion Cotillard as a killer-whale trainer who loses both legs in an accident before falling for bare-knuckle fighter Ali, played by Belgian Matthias Schoenaerts in a breakout performance. “Moonrise Kingdom”, a bittersweet American family romp by Wes Anderson with an all-star cast about the thrill and sting of first love, delighted audiences as it opened the festival last Wednesday. “Love” is the title of the new work by previous Palme d’Or winner Michael Haneke who bowled Cannes over on Sunday with the tale of a devoted husband and his dying wife in a wrenching study of love at the bitter end.

Fellow Austrian director Ulrich Seidl was also back at Cannes with “Paradise: Love”, which follows a middleaged woman on holiday in Kenya whose search for love turns into a bitter lesson in sex tourism. Another Palme contender creating a buzz was Australian John Hillcoat’s “Lawless”, a Prohibition-era rural gangster movie scripted by rocker Nick Cave, which the director said was a parable for the “failed” war on drugs. The film by “The Road” director Hillcoat features Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce-with Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain as love interests-in a violent slice of hillbilly moonshine myth-making. —AFP

redemptive powers are fully at work in this jumbled, sketchily written but vastly appealing true-life musical comedy.” Harvey Weinstein last week acquired distribution rights for the film. The US producer was reported to have likened it to “The Artist”, which broke out at Cannes before going on to Oscars glory, but he later said his comments had been overblown.—AFP

Alain Resnais back in Cannes competition at 89 T

he Cannes Film Festival has received a dose of theater in the form of French director Alain Resnais’ new film. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is a love letter to the acting profession that shows a troupe of thespians performing a play based on the Greek myth of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice. There are several plays-within-a-play in the drama, which features a who’s who of French dramatic talent, including Lambert Wilson, Michel Piccoli and Mathieu Amalric.

The 89-year-old Resnais says he was trying to show the similarities between theater and film, often portrayed as very different. He said yesterday that “people often say that the theater is a noble art whereas films are not.” But, he said, “In both cases, you need actors.” The festival runs until Sunday. — AP

(From left) French producer Jean-Louis Livi, French actors Anne Consigny, Pierre Arditi, French actress Sabine Azema, French director Alain Resnais, French actors Hippolyte Girardot, Annie Duperey, French actor Lambert Wilson, Denis Podalydes and French director Bruno Podalydes duringthe photocall of ‘Vous n’avez encore rien vu !’ (You ainít seen nothing yet!) Presented in competition at the 65th Cannes film festival yesterday. — AFP

Adele, LMFAO sweep tribute-filled Billboard awards

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2012

British band Bee Gees singer, Robin Gibb, flanked by his two brothers Maurice and Barry, sings during a concert at Paris Bercy on June 23, 1991. — AFP/AP photos

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In this Oct. 22, 2003, file photo, musician Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees kisses his prize after he received it at the World Award ceremony in Hamburg, Germany.

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A file picture taken on February 5, 2010 shows British musician Robin Gibb speaking during the awardings of the Goldene Kamera 2011 (golden camera media prize) of the Axel Springer Verlag publishing house in Berlin.

ee Gees star Robin Gibb, singer with one of the biggest-selling groups of all time and a key figure in the breakthrough of disco has died aged 62, having lost his battle against cancer. Gibb had been in remission earlier this year but was hospitalized in April and then fell into a coma after contracting pneumonia. Though he woke up again on April 20, he had advanced colorectal cancer and finally succumbed to his illness late on Sunday night. “ The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away on Sunday 20 May, 2012 at 10:46pm (2146 GMT) following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” a statement on his website read. The Bee Geesbrothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb-helped turn disco into a global phenomenon in the 1970s with hits such as “How Deep Is Your Love”, “Stayin’ Alive”, and “Night Fever”. Hailing from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, they grew up in Manchester and Australia and were singing publicly from childhood. Born on December 22, 1949, Robin was 17 when he sang lead vocals on the Bee Gees’ first British number one, “Massachusetts”, in 1967, before they switched styles to disco in the 1970s.

The trio’s sharp songwriting and immaculate harmonies helped them notch up record sales of more than 200 million. Former British prime minister Tony Blair was a close friend and stayed at Gibb’s Miami mansion in 2006. “Robin was not only an exceptional and extraordinary musician and songwriter, he was a highly intelligent, interested and committed human being,” Blair said. “He was a great friend with a wonderful open and fertile mind and a student of history and politics. I will miss him very much.” Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, a pop history expert, called Gibb “one of the important figures in the history of British music” and “talented beyond even his own understanding”.

“Robin had one of the best white soul voices ever,” he said, citing “Massachusetts”. “The Bee Gees are second only to Lennon and McCartney as the most successful songwriting uniting British popular music,” he added. “Their accomplishments have been monumental,” he said, citing not only their own number one hits, but those written for others, such as Diana Ross. Fellow music stars voiced their sadness at the singer’s passing.

“They were on a par with The Beatles and I think sometimes people forget that,” Cliff Richard told BBC radio.

Queen guitarist Brian May said on his website: “An amazing voice, so distinctive and expressive. Real magic, and will remain immortal.” Gibb’s death comes three days after Grammy winner Donna Summer, nicknamed the queen of disco, who died aged 63 from lung can-

tarting from May 16th, all outlets of Malabar Gold and Diamonds in the GCC will be showcasing a wide array of unique jewelry from all over India as a part of the ‘Brides of India’ jewelry festival. The second edition of ‘Brides of India’ jewelry festival is a great opportunity for jewelry lovers to view and purchase exclusive jewelry and also get guaranteed prizes with every purchase.

As a part of the festival, Malabar Gold and Diamonds is also offering price protection scheme to further benefit the customers. A true shopper’s paradise, Malabar Gold and Diamonds will surely delight the customers by exhibiting eye catching designs in contemporary as well as international

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In this March 6, 1979, file photo, Andy Gibb eats a cherry from his birthday cake at a party given by his family in his home in Miami Beach.

In this January 1979 file photo, the British pop group the Bee Gees, from left, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb and Maurice Gibb, pose for photographers, somewhere in England.

cer. Canadian rocker Bryan Adams wrote on Twitter: “Robin Gibb RIP. Very sad to hear about yet another great singer dying too young.” Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall called Gibb a “musical giant”. Boyzone singer Ronan Keating and Take That songwriter Gary Barlow-whose bands both topped the British charts with Bee Gees covers, also paid tribute.

“I am devastated. Can’t believe it,” said Keating, while Barlow added: “His music will outlive us all.”Gibb’s latest composition, “The Titanic Requiem”, a classical work written with his son Robin-John, was given its world premiere in London in April, but he was too ill to attend. He spearheaded the campaign to create a memorial to the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command, which carried out controversial, devastating World War II air attacks on German cities. It is due to be unveiled in London next month. “It is a tragedy that Robin will not see the finished article,” the Bomber Command Association said.

“But Robin did his bit for all who served in Bomber Command and on the behalf of the veterans and the relatives of those who died in WWII, we would simply like to say: thank you.” He is survived by three children: Spencer and Melissa, born to his first wife Molly, and Robin-John, born to his second wife Dwina.—AFP

This June 20, 1984, file photo, shows from left, Morris Gibb, Dolly Parton, and Robin Gibb, on ABC-TV’s ‘Good Morning America Show’ in New York.

In this Wednesday, May 12, 2004, file photo, Barry Gibb, left, and Robin Gibb, right, clown around as they pose for pictures after receiving honorary degrees from the University of Manchester, in Manchester.

styles. Think India and the first thing that comes to your mind is its diversity. No wonder the weddings of the country are as diverse as the cultures it encompasses. Being a Jeweler who is quite proud of the varied cultures and the jewelry traditions of the wonder that is India, Malabar Gold and Diamonds was the first to take a decisive step towards understanding, protecting and propagating various wedding traditions of the country, with specific emphasis on the wedding jewelry from all over India. The result was quite evident in the mindboggling success of the First Edition of ‘Brides of India’ Jewelry Festival, which placed its focus on 11 different wedding traditions from various parts of the country. The overwhelming response from

In this July 31, 1978, file photo, the British pop group the Bee Gees, from left, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb and Maurice Gibb, pose for photographers, in Los Angeles.

customers and well-wishers to the First Season of ‘Brides of India’ festival, inspired Malabar Gold and Diamonds to launch the Second Edition of the festival this year.

For this year, the jeweler has identified a new set of seven weddings from different regions of the country, starting in the north from Kashmir lying in the lap of Himalayas to the southernmost tip of India. The seven weddings are Arya - Viasya, Mangalore Shetty, Bengali, Chettiar, Rajastani, Christian and Kashmir Muslim. Different factors like richness of the traditions, novelty of the wedding jewelry and wider geographical spread where taken into consideration before choosing the weddings, thanks to extensive research and studies undertaken on the

varied wedding traditions of the country. According to K P Abdul Salam, Group Executive Director, “Apart from featuring jewelry from these seven weddings, this year the customer has the opportunity to choose special jewelry collections from different parts of India. It is something that is going to make Season Two of this festival quite unique.”