23rd May 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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Govt walks out over joint grilling dispute Opposition asks Cabinet to face questioning today

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

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Before it’s too late!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

T

his parliament sucks! I am sorry to use this term but I have tried to be patient. Me and the nation have lost our patience. Since this parliament was formed in February, all we hear is tribalism, sectarianism and grill threats. There has been a total stalemate in the development sector.

Parliamentarians - I am repeating for the 1001th time - think that they are in a cowboy movie. They think they are heroes and are not MPs who represent the nation. I think they totally forgot that they represent us. We have to send them letters of reminders: “Hey guys, you are in parliament to represent us. Do not think you are stars in a big blockbuster and everyone shows off their muscles. Sit down, relax and recalculate your agendas!”

History repeats itself. You started repeating the same scenario of last year and the one before and the one before that which resulted in the whole nation crying and begging the Amir to dissolve parliament. Now you even want a double-grilling.

If you want to grill the finance minister, for instance, you finish the first grilling and then tender another one. Don’t make it an enigma and force the government to walk away over trivial matters.

You make us feel like you have a grudge and you are grilling for the sake of grilling. In all honesty, I am Sunni, but I see that there is a big rift between Sunni MPs and Shiite MPs in parliament.

All of you are Kuwaitis and you represent Kuwait.

You should always remember that. Bring your loyalties back home where it’s needed. Especially with the turmoil all around us.

Don’t get carried away. Though we are OPEC’s third largest producer, we are not one of the major global powers. We are a small country. We have giant neighbours. It is clear that each one of our giant neighbours has an agenda for us. With the Arab Spring spreading from Morocco to Bahrain and Yemen, these are very sensitive times for Kuwait and Kuwaitis to speak in one voice.

Regardless of your origins, now you are all Kuwaitis!

Believe me! Without Kuwait nobody will care for you. Don’t start dreaming that if things turn the other side you will be in a better position. Actually, you will have no position at all. Concentrate on the interest of Kuwait. It is far better for you and for the nation. Do this before it is too late!

Kuwait eyes $6bn airport expansion DUBAI: Kuwait will spend $6 billion to expand its international airport to handle 13 million passengers by 2016, the head of the civil aviation directorate said yesterday. “The cost of the projects amounts to $6 billion,” Fawaz Al-Farah told reporters at an airport show in Dubai, adding that work is expected to begin this year.

The passenger terminal, which was built in 1980, currently has the capacity to handle around seven million passengers a year but this will increase to 13 million by 2016, the year the expansion plan should be completed, Farah said. The capacity could be increased to 25 million by 2025, he added.

The plan to expand the passenger terminal to occupy 710,000 square metres is expected to cost $3 billion.

The other $3 billion will be spent on other projects, including widening the runways, a new control tower and a new cargo town, he said. Kuwait airport handled 8.5 million passengers in 2011, he said, expecting the number to exceed nine million passengers this year.

The state’s Kuwait Airways and the privately-owned low-cost Jazeera Airways operate from the airport. The privatisation-bound national carrier has been a loss maker in all but one of the past 21 years, accumulating losses of more than $2.7 billion. — AFP

KUWAIT: Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali (right) chats with Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah before the Cabinet walked out from the session at the National Assembly yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Kuwait braced for yet another political crisis hardly three months after parliamentary elections after ministers walked out of a National Assembly session yesterday after opposition lawmakers insisted on merging two grillings against Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali. Shamali and the government strongly rejected the attempt by the opposition, which has a majority in the Assembly, to refer the controversy for voting and walked out of the session led by Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

The move was strongly criticized by the opposition which refused to back down and called on the government to attend the session today to debate a single grilling against the finance minister. On its part, the government said the merger of the two grillings is a breach of the constitution and the Assembly’s internal charter and insisted that it will not accept to debate the combined grilling, though it said Shamali was ready to debate the two grillings one by one.

Two weeks ago, four opposition lawmakers filed two requests to grill the finance minister over alleged financial and administrative irregularities. The first was filed

by MP Obaid Al-Wasmi and the second by MPs Musallam Al-Barrak, Abdulrahman Al-Anjari and Khaled Al-Tahous. A few days ago, the opposition decided to merge the two grillings into one and Barrak agreed to withdraw so Wasmi could join the unified grilling since under the law, the maximum number of MPs who can grill a minister is three.

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Dubai expat prisoners on hunger strike DUBAI: Five expatriates jailed in Dubai said they were among a group of prisoners who have gone on hunger strike to protest against lengthy prison sentences handed down to most of them for financial crimes. The men, most of them real estate developers and businessmen working in Dubai during its economic boom years, fell into debt when the emirate’s property bubble burst after the 2008 global credit crisis. Zack Shahin, a US citizen accused of embezzlement while at the helm of Deyaar, was arrested in 2008 after a corruption investigation and is one of those who have gone on hunger strike in the emirate’s jail. There have been hearings of his case but no judgment. “I no longer wish to engage in this game. I’m now in prison for four-anda-half years without a judgment. This is inhuman,” he said, speaking from jail.

“I’ve told my daughter that I’m coming home, even if it’s in a box.”

Other hunger strikers have told Reuters over the past few days that around 16 men are part of the protest against sentences handed down for bouncing cheques, a criminal offence in the UAE punishable by fines or jail terms.

Police and the public prosecution service in Dubai did not respond to repeated requests for comment. “I would rather go on hunger strike than stay here for 23 years,” said Peter Margetts, a British property developer, speaking by telephone from prison. Margetts, 48, who says he has been on hunger strike since April 22, was convicted after cheques securing a 20-million dirham ($5.45 million) loan bounced. A British embassy spokeswoman said the embassy was aware of Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Birds fly past a man during a heavy dust storm yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

SpaceX blasts off to space station CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Opening a new era in private space flight, the US company SpaceX yesterday became the first commercial outfit to launch its own craft toward the International Space Station. The test flight of the Dragon space capsule, which launched atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 3:44 am (0744 GMT), aims to show that industry can restore US access to the ISS after NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last year. The mission is set to include a fly-by and berthing with the station in the next three days, before the capsule returns to Earth at the end of this month.

Shortly after liftoff, the cargo-carrying spacecraft entered orbit and live video images showed mission control staff at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California jumping from their seats, hugging and clapping. SpaceX chief executive officer and Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk said watching the rocket rise from the launch pad was an “extremely intense moment”. “Every bit of adrenaline in my body released at that point,” he told reporters after the flawless launch, which followed an attempt on Saturday that was scrubbed at the last second when computers detected high pressure in the central engine of the Falcon 9.

SpaceX engineers discovered the root cause was a faulty check valve and repaired it the same day. No humans are traveling aboard the Dragon, but six astronauts are already at the $100-billion space lab to help the capsule latch on, to unload supplies and then restock the capsule with cargo to take back to Earth. On May 24, the spacecraft’s sensors and flight systems are to undergo a series of tests to see if it is ready to berth, includ-

ing a complicated fly-under at a distance of about 2.5 km.

If NASA gives the green light, the Dragon will then approach the ISS on May 25 in an attempt to berth with the station.

Continued on Page 13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifts off early yesterday as it heads for space carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft. — AFP

Bahrain hunger striker in court in wheelchair Khawaja slams detention as ‘crime’ MANAMA: Bahraini activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja described his imprisonment as a “crime” yesterday as he attended his trial for the first time since launching a hunger strike in February, arriving in a wheelchair. “The continuation of my arrest is a crime,” Khawaja, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, told the appeals court. “Stop this sham trial.” “There is no legal excuse for my continued detention,” he said. The prominent activist, who is being retried in a civil court after a military tribunal had sentenced him to life in prison, looked frail and weak but moved his chair forward without medical assistance. A doctor and three nurses accompanied him.

Khawaja, who has dual Bahraini and Danish nationalities, was convicted last June, along with 20 other activists, of plotting to overthrow the government and has been on a hunger strike since Feb 8.

“For more than 100 days I have been on hunger strike and am ready to sacrifice my life to demand freedom,” Khawaja told the court.

Khawaja, who held the government responsible for any “risks” he might face in the coming days, claimed at court that he had been subjected to “abuse... humiliation” and “sexual harassment” during his detention. “I was treated violently and humiliated,” said the activist who described himself as a human rights defender and not “a member of any political group.”

The activist, who made a few small steps towards the judge before returning to his wheelchair, said he had been “force-fed” in prison. Khawaja, arrested in April last year, became a symbol of Bahrain’s popular uprising that began in Feb 2011. His lawyer, Mohammed al-Jishi, told AFP last week after meeting with him at Jaw prison south of Manama that “his health has slightly improved because he was force-fed”.

Seven activists, including Khawaja, were jailed for life, while 14 others were sentenced to between two and 15 years in prison. Of these, one has since been freed while 12 are being retried along with Khawaja and were present in the court. Seven remain at large.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

LOCAL

Amir honors students, children of martyrs KUWAIT: Students with an excellent academic record, children of martyrs, expressed gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah for being felicitated at a ceremony held at Bayan Palace.

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah also attended the event held yesterday.

Ahmad, son of the martyr Nawaf Ahmad, expressed deep pleasure and pride at shaking hands with His Highness, praising the Amir’s unlimited support for the children of martyrs. Such care

by HH “motivates us to seek further excellence and success for service of the dear homeland, which we aspire to see in the front ranks,” he said at the ceremony for the scholastic year 2010-2011. Ahmad added that

the Amir, during his meeting with him and his fellow students, guided them to seek further perseverance and join their fellow students taking part in construction of the country.

The son of a martyr Nasser AlQahtani, affirmed that being honored by “our Amir, father and leader” gave a strong boost for striving further for more excellence. Sara, daughter of martyr Mohammad Al-Hais, expressed pride for meeting the Amir. Her younger sister, Nora, said she would strive more for sake of securing another meeting with the Amir.

Mohammad, son of the martyr Jassem Al-Ustath, expressed hope that such gatherings be held in the future. Identical sentiments were expressed by other junior attendees.—KUNA

Women closer to working as general prosecutors KUWAIT: The post of General Prosecutor in Kuwait is still limited to male law school graduates. Yet, this fac t will soon change af ter female Kuwait graduates of the Faculty of Law filed a case at the cour t demanding to work in this position and recently won the case in the first instance. Marwa AlSairafi, is one of the six young women who won the case and is looking forward to working as a prosecutor.

“It all started after I graduated from the law faculty. I saw an ad in a daily about a job vacancy as legal researcher. One of the conditions for the applicant to this ad was to be a male, which I considered illegal, and along with five other colleagues, after not being allowed to apply to this post, we filed a case at the court to be accepted to apply for this job. The law didn’t discriminate against females, and has never mentioned that the post of general prosecutors is only limited to men,” she told the Kuwait Times yesterday.

“We are happy with the ver-

dict that ruled in our favor. But, this is not a final verdict. The government appealed the verdict on May 20 and we are wait-

of Legal Researcher. “Kuwait has signed different international conventions on bringing to light discrimination between males

Marwa Al-Sairafi

ing for the judge’s decision.

Then there is the final instance of the Supreme Cour t. Then, only, will we be able to work in the post that females were not allowed to work in,” added AlSairafi. She is confident of winning the case and aims to apply for the legal course for the post

and females in the work field.

Also, there is international pressure on Kuwait to apply equality to both genders. Kuwait is a civil state and has a constitution that directs its laws and life,” she noted. “It’s true that Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation, but not the only source. And

many of our laws are not Islamic.

The judge recommended that the rules of Sharia be legalized and put them in a legal framework to become law,” Al-Sairafi further said.

Al-Sairafi and her five colleagues were not the first to file such a case. Shurouq AlFailakawi filed a similar case in the past, but failed to be accepted to the post of legal researcher as she had not met one of the other conditions, which was also necessary for male applicants; she did not meet the condition of being a new graduate, as she was already work ing when she applied for this post and filed the case. This condition is applied to all applicants, so she did not win the case. However, Al-Sairafi and her colleagues are all new graduates. “ The legal course for prior working has already started, so I will submit my papers along with a copy of the verdict to either open a new course for me and other colleagues or to be accepted next year, as the delay in registration was not from my side,” concluded Al-Sairafi.

Kuwait, Vietnam promote commercial ties K UA L A L A M P U R : K u w a i t ’s C o n s u l General in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City Omar Suleiman Al-Qenai discussed means of expanding industrial and commercial cooperation with Vietnam.

Al-Qenai told KUNA yesterday that h e m e t w i t h V i e t n a m’s C h a m b e r o f Commerce and Industr y Chairman Vu Tien after discussing all possible means of enhancing bilateral commercial and industrial ties.

They also discussed the possibility of exchanging visits between the two countries’ officials and businesspersons.

The Vietnamese official praised the sug-

gested idea of holding an exhibition that embraces all the Vietnamese companies to facilitate investment opportunities in both countries.—KUNA

Amir to inaugurate Warba Bank KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is scheduled to attend the official inauguration of Warba Bank today. The inauguration ceremony will be held at Sheikha Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Hall, Marina Hotel.

EVF to release 60 documentaries KUWAIT: The Environmental Voluntary Foundation (EVF) is preparing to release 60 documentaries about marine life in Kuwait, and voluntary and environmental projects of Kuwait Diving Team.

Faisal Al-Naga, the Project in-Charge, said that in collaboration with the UN’s Development Program (UNDP) in Kuwait, the KFH will hold a special press conference on June 5, coinciding with the World Environment Day at the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA)’s headquarters. He added that the press conference focuses on boosting public awareness on environmental issues and voluntary work by distributing special publications and documentaries, in addition to screening movies at 7:30 pm.

Furthermore, Al-Naga added that Al-Nazaer company has completed editing 60 documentary movies on EVF’s work, and has delivered them to Waleed AlFadhel, EVF Chairman.

News

in brief

EPA denies animals’ deaths caused by oil spill

Female graduate wins case

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving the chairman of the Politburo of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Khaled Mashaal at Bayan Palace yesterday.

KUWAIT: An environmental official in the government has denied reports about birds and marine species dying due to an oil spill detected recently at Al-Zoor beach, according to statements quoted by a local daily yesterday.

Recently, a local environmental organization released a statement mentioning the “detection of wide-scale death of birds and squids at Al-Zoor beach (north) where an oil spill of unknown origin recently appeared”.

But Hamza Karam, the General Director of the water pollution detection department at the Environment Public Authority, argued that the spill was only “2x2 meters in area”, and insisted, following three consecutive days of observations, that no dead animals were discovered as a result of the spill.

“The dead birds shown in pictures have likely been killed by hunters from nearby chalets”, Karam argued, referring to pictures released by the Green Line organization.

Karam further suggested that the oil leak was caused by “a person who was angry about the oil engine on his boat “. The Green Line insisted in their statement, however, that “chalet residents detected dead birds and squids after the oil spill reached the beach last Wednesday”, Al-Qabas reported.

Meanwhile, a number of environmentalists recently gathered at the Judailiyat Beach (south) where large quantities of dead stingrays have been seen. “As this phenomenon obviously needs prompt action and studying, we see state officials totally ignoring the hazards that pose risks to Kuwait’s environment”, said Ammar AlJeraywi, a member of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, who added that “the large number of dead stingrays is shocking and disturbing”. On the other hand, fellow KEPS members Rashid Al-Hajji and Awdah Al-Bathali blamed fishermen for throwing them back to the sea after catching them “due to their low sales value”.

“The government is required to take action against over-hunting and activity of fishermen who could care less about the importance of protection of the marine environment and biodiversity”, Al-Hajji told Al-Rai.

Kuwait abandons nuclear ambitions KUWAIT: Kuwait has abandoned plans to utilize nuclear power to produce energy after a study found that potential risks of such a project are too high for a country of the Gulf state’s size.

According to sources, the Kuwait National Nuclear Energy Committee (KNNEC) received recommendations from the Cabinet recently to “cancel an order to reconsider the possibility of studying a project to establish a nuclear plant for peaceful purposes.”

The decision comes after “experts made recommendations which pointed out the catastrophic repercussions on Kuwait in case of an explosion or radiation leak from a nuclear reactor,” said sources who spoke to Al-Rai. While adding that “concerns expressed by lawmakers to the prime minister” have contributed to the decision, sources confirmed that Japan’s failure to contain the leak at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant following 2011’s earthquake “has increased Kuwait’s concerns over establishing its own nuclear plant.”

Meanwhile, environmental sources complained that the cancelation causes major financial losses “after huge amounts were spent on studies and research, as well as Memorandum of Understanding signed with countries to provide detailed studies about safety and security.”

French institute organizes media seminars

KUWAIT: A French institute here opened Monday evening a series of seminars about modern media means and democracy. The event is being held in association with Kuwait Journalists Association (K JA), Kuwait lawyers Association and Kuwait Graduates Society. It will conclude on May 23.

French Ambassador to Kuwait Nada Yafi, opening the first seminar about challenges and limits of modern media’s organization, said that the seminars and dialogue with Kuwaiti and French intellectuals aimed at exchanging expertise over modern communication methods.

“We have a problem to discuss which is organizing and controlling crossborder modern communication means,” she said, while praising the freedom enjoyed by Kuwait civil society.

Chairman of Kuwait Laywers Association Khaled Al-Kandari said that the rapid spread of modern communication means required a legislative intervention. Kuwait University (KU) law professor Dr Yusuf Al-Herbesh said freedom was a gift from Allah the Almighty, and it is a basic right like education and health care.

Every person has the right to express his opinion, noted Al-Herbesh.

Dr Fayez Al-Kandari, another law professor at KU said that freedom of opinion was not absolute. It should be responsible and respect others’ freedom. He said that traditional media were forced to use modern communication methods to report news at a quick pace. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

local

News

in brief

Minister ‘leaks’ Al-Muwaizri’s stance KUWAIT: A minister has reportedly leaked the political stance of Minister Shuaib Al-Muwaizri to Khalid Hilal, Consultant to the Prime Minister and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Jarida. It was published in the front page of the newspaper, thereby creating a clash between ministers and igniting sedition in the state. It comes just before time when the grilling motion debate against Mustafa Al-Shamali will be held. Sources said that the incident is a dangerous indicator of information received from Council of Ministers and secret works that leak out, creating a question about the ability of Cabinet secretaries’ ability to retain Cabinet secrecy.

MoC to utilize unused spaces KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communications (MoC) intends to implement a new method to utilize spaces in different locations, especially unused ones near Liberation Tower. It is an important place that is beneficial to the state budget. The new method is to collect all outstanding ministry dues so that locations and buildings, especially longstanding dues accrued since 1990 has resulted in the state treasury losing about KD 1.473 million.

Rent will be reviewed for spaces allocated near Liberation Tower since it depends on ministerial decisions and is not compatible with the present situation.

Interior Ministry seeks five-year work permits Govt tries to curb visa trafficking KUWAIT: The Ministr y of Interior demands that expatriate labor forces be given the option of issuing work permits that would be valid for a maximum of five years, which would help curb cases of ‘visa trafficking’ in addition to easing the pressure on the labor and migration department, according to a senior ministry official.

This was mentioned in a recent report quoting a letter sent by General Director of the Migration General Department, Maj Gen Kamil Al-Awadhi, to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, requesting

that the maximum date for a work permit in the private sector be increased from three to five years.

Kuwait’s residency laws stipulate that the migration department and MSAL must coordinate procedures by which the process of issuing work permits to private sector expatriate employees is conducted. On that basis, the letter is seen as an effort from the Interior Ministry to establish coordination with the MSAL in the hope of increasing the length of work permits.

“While the MSAL has been following

the same procedures for years, it is important to take notice of the fact that changes have taken place, especially with regards to the increase in the number of expatriate labor forces, which subsequently leads to an increase in the transactions and procedures at both labor and migration departments”, the letter reads, Al-Qabas reported.

In other news, senior Interior Ministry officials believe that “a major reshuffle” could take place by early next year. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, made these statements fol-

lowing news about the decision of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud AlSabah to appoint Sheikh Mubarak Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah as Undersecretary Assistant for the State Security Service, and Major General Abdulhameed AlAwadhi as Undersecretary Assistant for Criminal Security Affairs, while moving Major General Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah to the Undersecretary Assistant for Administrative and Financial Affairs’ post, Al-Rai reported.

Imams’ allowances increased KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission(CSC) has decided to employ only law college graduates in legal jobs. Those employed in the legal field but graduated from Sharia specialization will be treated on par with law graduates. The Commission also agreed to increase allowances paid to Imams, lecturers, researchers in Islamic Studies who have university qualification. These will range between KD 140 and KD 440.

Bosnia eyes special ties with Kuwait SARAJEVO: Speaker of Bosnia-Herzegovina Parliament Milorad Zivkovic has underscored the importance of cooperation with Kuwaiti constitutional bodies, particularly the National Assembly.

After receiving Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sarajevo Mohammad Fadhel Khalaf at Bosnian Parliament headquarters, Zivkovic said that this cooperation would be based on the special ties shared between Bosnia and Kuwait. Zivkovic also lauded the solid support lent to Bosnia and its constitutional bodies. The Parliament Speaker vowed to follow up the efforts exerted to develop cooperation with Kuwaiti Parliament through a special committee. Ambassador Khalaf said the Kuwait Embassy will do all in its power to activate the signed cooperation agreements between Kuwaiti and Bosnian parliaments.

KUWAIT: People cover their nostrils to protect themselves from the sandstorm that hit Kuwait yesterday.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Abdellatif Shaara

Dusty weather to continue for next couple of days KUWAIT: The current sandstorm and variable weather conditions are expected to continue for the next couple of days, said a weather forecaster here yesterday. Mohammad Karam, head of weather forecast at the Directorate General for Civil Aviation(DGCA) said that the nor thern to nor thwesterly winds are carrying a huge quantity of sand, resulting in a sandstorm that is expected to prevail in the coming days.

Visibility in the country is low, said

the official who added that on the bright-side, the sandstorm will help reduce hot weather in Kuwait. Karam urged people to avoid the sea due to strong wind movement and high waves.

Meanwhile, air traffic was normal at Kuwait International Airport despite the dusty weather conditions, said head of operations at the airpor t Issam AlZamel. Al-Zamel said that inbound and outbound flights were on schedule,

adding that horizontal view was at 300 meters.

But, the movement of marine shipping in the por ts of Shuwaik h and Shuaiba were put on halt as a result of the sandstorm. Director of marine operations at the port of Shuwaikh in Kuwait Ports Authority Suleiman AlYahya said that the wind speed exceeded 50 kmph and there are no incoming or outgoing ships at the port.

He added that Shuwaik h por t is

awaiting the arrival of the first ships this evening to anchor in the waiting area until weather conditions improve.

For his part, director of marine operations at the Shuaiba port Captain Faraj Al-Saeed said that the wind speed reached 60 kmph, while a low level of visibility was also reported at the port.

He said that bad weather forced three ships to dock in the waiting area, would be allowed entry as soon as the weather improves. —KUNA

Youngsters drop from work force in Middle East Cops rape Filipina in patrol car

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Two policemen face sexual assault charges following their arrests yesterday in connection with a possible rape incident that was filed the previous night, the Ministry of Interior announced in a press statement.

“Two Jahra security patrol officers arrested for sexually assaulting a Filipina woman in felony case number 126/2012 have been referred to the Public Prosecution for further investigations”, the official statement reads.

The victim reportedly approached Jahra police station officers Monday night to report being assaulted by a policeman who arrested her for failing to carry proper identification.

According to an Al-Aan report quoting a security source with knowledge of the case, a patrol officer reported to the police station shortly after orders were made to summon drivers of SUV patrol cars matching descriptions provided by the victim.

“The driver told officers that his partner, a lance corporal, has assaulted the victim”, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The crime reportedly happened when the driver stopped the patrol vehicle to respond to a fighting incident reported nearby.

While stopped, the other policeman assaulted the detainee before letting her go, according to the driver’s statements. When they both received orders to report to the station, the policeman who committed the assault asked his partner to stop, handed over his firearm and admitted that he committed the crime. He then disappeared, after asking his partner to return to the station “and help him avoid prosecution”, the source said.

Kuwaiti journalists meet Jordan minister AMMAN: Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication and Government Spokesman Sami Ma’aytah met here yesterday a visiting delegation of the Kuwait Journalists’ Association.

During the meeting, which was attended by Kuwaiti Ambassador in Amman Hamad Al-Duaij, they discussed the press freedom atmosphere in Jordan and Kuwait.

The Jordanian minister voiced his country’s willingness to share media experience with the State of Kuwait.

Hailing Kuwaiti media freedom, he said Kuwait has been a pioneer in the field of press freedom, something which he said positively affected major Arab issues.

For his part, the head of the Kuwaiti media delegation, Jassem Kamal, spoke highly of Jordan’s great media training experience. He recalled the significant role by Jordanian and Palestinian journalists in the Kuwaiti press area.—KUNA

By Sawsan Kazak KUWAIT: The International Labor Organization (ILO) published a study recently that detailed the grim state of youth unemployment around the world. It was reported by the ILO findings that over six million youth globally have dropped out of the labor force, given up on looking for a job altogether or decided to prolong their studies due to lack of job opportunities. The youth drop-out rate of the work force in the Middle East is the highest in the world, even higher than economic crisis-ridden Europe and developing Africa. According to the report, the female rate adjusted for labor force

gap stands at 43.1 and male rate stands at 22.3. The world rate for male and female labor force gap stands at 13.6 and 13.5 respectively.

With youth unemployment at 26.5 and 27.9 per cent in 2011, the Middle East continues to experience exceptionally high levels of youth unemployment.

Together with South Asia, these regions are also characterized by large gender gaps in youth labor force participation.

The report also showed that the Middle East and North Africa stand out in terms of their overall unemployment problem, and these are the only two regions where the unemployment

rate exceeded 10 percent in 2011 for the population aged 15 and above.

Moreover, the ratios of youth-to-adult unemployment rates are exceptionally high, at 4.0 in the Middle East, the report said.

Amal, a Kuwaiti in her mid-twenties, is a graduate student at Kuwait University. She is about to graduate and is already feeling the pressure of the lack of opportunities in the Kuwaiti job market. “I know many people who are graduating and don’t have a plan for the future,” says Amal. She adds, “We don’t know who to talk to; no one can help us, not even the teachers.”

“Well, it’s okay... we have oil,” Amal says jokingly asked about the high level of

unemployment. Ahmad, a university student in Kuwait is finishing up his bachelor’s degree this year and is in the same situation as Amal and her classmates.

“I know many people who graduated last year but are still unemployed.

Also, I have friends who are working in jobs that have nothing to do with their field of study or have jobs they absolutely hate because of the lack of oppor tunities out there,” explains Ahmad. The report on world youth unemployment “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2012” repor t (www.ilo.org/getyouth) was published by the I nternational Labor Organization (ILO).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

LOCAL

Satire Wire

OP-ED

Overuse, abuse of instant messaging

Kuwait’s first franchise abroad

By Raith Al-Hamad

“C

herriez has already been approached by individuals from the GCC, India, Jordan and the US who have expressed interest in signing a franchise agreement for our frozen yogurt business,” said Ahmad Al-Ajlan.

Al-Ajlan is one of four co-founders of Cherriez, a Kuwaiti company established just one year ago with a single outlet in downtown Kuwait City. The business has since opened five more units, and their quest to grow has become stronger with every passing month.

But what makes Cherriez so special? And why is it unique enough to potentially become Kuwait’s first franchise abroad?

From the onset, the company’s five-year plan had international franchising as part of its objectives. Their business model was made simple enough to be adopted anywhere worldwide, at a minimal cost to investors.

Secondly their certified nutritionist, Yousef AlSharqawi (also co-founder), has worked tirelessly to create and produce their own base flavors in-house.

In other words, they are able to change their flavors every few months to suit changing customer demand for new flavors. By having the ability to develop and change flavors, they can cater to international franchisees in, say, Egypt where customers may prefer different flavors than what we prefer in Kuwait.

Of course, you may wonder about Kuwait’s already established international businesses, such as Americana Group and M. H. Al-Shaya Company.

Though these two companies have done an admirable job in expanding Kuwait’s name into the MENA region (and further afield), they haven’t franchised their own concepts. For example, Chicken Tikka was developed by Americana and has expanded beyond Kuwait’s borders. However, these international outlets remain fully owned by Americana rather than become franchisees.

Apart from Americana and Al-Shaya, Kuwait does have many young talented people with encouraging entrepreneurial skills who have set up their own shops and stores in and around Kuwait; from fancy cupcake shops to specialized online stores akin to Amazon.com. However, many seem happy with their single outlet shop and none appears to be ready to franchise internationally just yet.

This is what differentiates Cherriez from the rest.

Their total commitment to the concept of franchising facilitates the investor, who wants to pay for the name and adopt the concept overseas.

With Cherriez recently voted as the best frozen yogurt shop in Kuwait (by thektown.com users), inhouse fat-free flavor formulations, local dairy input, simple business plan, and a growing network of outlets in Kuwait, Cherriez has the right formula to franchise its business internationally and become Kuwait’s first home grown franchise store. *** Raith Al-Hamad works in a private Kuwaiti realestate company. He is currently studying for an MBA at Kuwait’s Gulf University for Science and Technology.

kuwait digest

Respecting people’s dignity

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

T

he Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) is currently carrying out wide-scale inspection operations at local companies to look for violations of labor regulations. Nobody denies that major violations are being committed by some employers in Kuwait, such as offering jobs to people employed by other firms. This phenomenon has increased recently, prompting the current activity by the MSAL. However, MSAL officials should also be aware of the fact that routine work procedures in labor departments make the residency transfer process go slowly.

This situation drives many workers to become technically ‘in violation’ of labor laws when they start in their new jobs or are in a tryout period while waiting for the long residency transfer process to finish.

In this case, I believe the MSAL can issue a permit for an employer which indicates that the illegal status of the new employee is temporary pending the residency transfer procedures.

I make this introduction before I tell a story of an incident I witnessed by coincidence the other day, involving an MSAL operation to “bust” violators inside a shop one afternoon. I was very saddened by what I saw of the violent approach in dealing with staff members and carrying out the operation in a similar style to a police operation against a vice den.

There was so much yelling and shouting going on, as the inspectors immediately closed the store and rushed into the owner’s office. After that, all of the employees were taken as ‘suspects’ on a bus that drove to the nearest police station in a manner that, the least I can say about it, was that it was inhuman and uncivilized.

As I stood watching the fiasco from afar, I wondered what would stop the inspectors from entering the shop calmly and asking the owner respectfully to look into his employees’ official documents while keeping the doors closed, in the meantime, to prevent anyone’s escape. After that they could have easily identified the violators, and escorted them in an organized matter to the authorities.

I understand the commitment by the MSAL to fight irregularities, and I appreciate inspectors’ loyalty.

They could easily accept bribes to overlook violations.

But this absolutely does not mean that they have the right to disrespect people, even if they are in violation of the law. Implementing the law must be done with respect. Treating violators or others inhumanly is unacceptable under any circumstances.

No one has the right to unjustifiably reprimand another person, be it an employee, a housemaid or a worker, because all people have a dignity that needs to be respected. We need an office where people can complain against cases of mistreatment that they are subjected to, regardless of the reason behind the case. —Al-Qabas

By Sawsan Kazak

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

B

kuwait digest

Bid to foil GCC unity project

By Sherida Al-Maosherji

T

he GCC Union is a dream for each GCC citizen. The call for such unity is not premature. Contrarily, it is overdue and was not motivated by the recent incidents in Bahrain. It has been a wish for GCC citizens for a long time. GCC unity is a safe haven, a way to achieve development, prosperity and sovereignty.

The political weight that might be achieved in case the union sees light will surely be capable of restoring regional balance and moderation. It will help restrain impulsive and adventurous policies adopted by some major powers in the region. Such a union will also create a significant power of negotiation with other international groups. It will be focused on by the whole world. It will revive the Arab unity project that used to be a dream for Arabs but was terminated by false practices and personal greed and ambitions of some Arab leaders.

For all the aforementioned reasons, the ‘good guys’ in the region should support the project and encourage leaders to carry on to achieve it regardless of some suspicious calls here and there.

The immediate Iranian response to foil the GCC Unity project is not strange or unex-

The immediate Iranian response to foil the GCC Unity project is not strange or unexpected. The thing came out rudely and disgracefully, regardless of all diplomatic norms and rules of goodneighborly relations and the policy of not interfering in others’ domestic affairs.

With such practices, Iran is actually revealing its ugly side and ill intentions to control the whole region by weakening countries so that it can take them over whenever possible.

pected. The thing came out rudely and disgracefully, regardless of all diplomatic norms and rules of good-neighborly relations and the policy of not interfering in others’ domestic affairs. With such practices, Iran is actually revealing its ugly side and ill intentions to control the whole region by weakening countries so that it can take them over whenever possible.

What’s even more dangerous than Iranian demonstrations against the unity is Iran’s mobilization to some groups of GCC nationals, forcing them to express rejection of the project with the excuse of limiting the spread of Saudi influence in all GCC states.

This, of course, is a fake excuse that only hides Iran’s true aspirations and greed that is becoming so boldly expressed. Iran is now disclosing its interior and long term goals to occupy the whole Arab region on the west coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Yes indeed, each GCC state would not give up any of its respective state’s citizens easily.

However, the steps already taken towards achieving this target should be resumed all the way to the end without retrieval for whatsoever reason. We are all looking forward to it! — Al-Jarida

kuwait digest

Sodomy within school walls

By Abdallah Buwair

P

roblems that are taking place inside our schools are many and on the increase, and the Ministry of Education is not doing one thing.

School administrations have became the master of the moment. It takes the decisions and we have to comply with them.

Among such problems is sodomy in a private school. Two juveniles, aged 14 and 16, raped their victim several times and in turns inside the private school where they study. Then they convinced the victim that they married him, and the strange thing is that the school administration did not know anything about what was going on.

The incident came to light when a Jordanian expatriate told police that his 12-year-old son was raped by two juveniles, an Egyptian and a Jordanian, inside a private school in Maidan Hawally. The rape victim told police that whenever he left the school, the two took him inside an electric transformer station where they sodomized him, and it was not the first time. He said a teacher at the school saw the two take the victim to the school bathroom and did not intervene.

My dear reader...the tragedy is that a teacher in the same school knew about what took place, and used to see what happened as the victim was led to the school bathroom, but did not intervene and did not tell the school administration about it.

Another recent incident was a rape inside a secondary school for girls. Four butch girls raped a female student, and the school administration is keeping a lid on the incident. This inhumane crime that took place in a secondary school reveals the deteriorating education situation. The ministry is not taking action on the rape of a female student by masculine girls, and the school administration is covering up what happened. We hear about problems caused by girls who imitate men in schools, so where is the ministry during all that? Are schools no longer safe!?

Accidents are many and we cannot list them in

this column. Here is another incident. A mother of a female student said that a butch girl made her daughter lose consciousness while the teacher was watching. The mother of the student said the masculine girl beat her daughter until she collapsed inside the classroom. She found it strange that this took place in front of the students and that the teacher was satisfied with being a spectator.

The mother was shocked by the behavior of the female bully, who was punished with a five-day suspension, She threatened the victim with unthought of harm. The details of the story reveal that the mother produced a medical report stating that her daughter had several bruises. She added that her 15-yearold daughter had a dispute with the bully in their secondary school.

When her daughter asked this masculine female to allow her to pass to her seat, the butch girl considered this an insult and began beating her in front of other students and teachers. She did not stop until she was unconscious, and other students attempted to revive her. The mother said that when she went to the school to take her daughter home, she told her what happened. The mother went to the administration and told officials about the incident, but she was surprised with them dealing with the matter as if it was natural and did not need attention. She did not get any other response from them, so she went to the educational district and submitted a complaint about the attack on her daughter. Then the administration decided to suspend the culprit for five days, and filed a report stating that she suffers from “psychological pressure”.

The mother said the violent butch girl threatened her daughter by saying “I will be back after the suspension, and we will see”, which makes the mother very worried about her daughter falling victim to that tomboy student.

We ask the Ministry of Education to take such matters into consideration, and not to let them pass by easily.

eing able to contact friends, family and co-workers in an instant, and for free is a great development in technology. But, there are some people who don’t seem to understand how to use it. With any technology we use, there is always a potential of overuse, misuse and abuse. Let us face it, there are some people out there that are guilty of all of the above.

Traditional text messaging charges the user per message, whereas instant messaging is free for both parties. Just because messages are free, it does not mean you should be sending hundreds of them at a time. Instant messaging should be used, as you would be text messaging. That is to put all of your ideas in one message and then send. Segmenting your thoughts and sending seven messages to cover one sentence is downright annoying. People seem to forget that every message they send has a corresponding ‘ding’ or ringing sound on the other end. The constant ringing of your phone is annoying, especially if you are in a meeting, with friends or trying to sleep. Usually you will check your phone and it will look as follows: lk l awesome l perfect l that’s great l see ya l thanks l thanks again l sorry about any inconvenience l sorry again l really mean it l thanks lk l bye That means the phone rang 13 times when it could have just been once. The message should have been ‘k, thanks, see ya!’ I do not understand why instant messaging has made people more talkative and less patient. Just wait until all your thoughts are all out and then press send.

Just like there is proper etiquette when it comes to the amount of messages you send out, there is proper etiquette when it comes to the time messages are sent.

We all appreciate a good joke or cute pictures every once in a while, but not at 3 am. Being woken up by a knock-knock joke on a weekday is not what I call proper etiquette.

Finally, there are just some things that should not be sent by instant messaging. Enjoying links to websites of weird videos, strange pictures or awkward poems are an acquired taste, not everyone appreciates the irony of a cat scratching a dog. We should definitely take advantage of the fact that we can now communicate with each other for free, we should just be careful that it is communication and not harassment.

kuwait digest

It’s seen only in Kuwait

By Jaafar Rajab

W

hen you come across a story about a man who has an argument with his wife and goes out to the river to think about his mistakes, then returns home with flowers and a smile - the man here is probably from Holland.

On the other hand, when you hear a story about a man who has an argument with his wife during which he spares none of her family members with his verbal assault, then goes to the diwaniya to spend four hours of laughter and lectures about moralities with his friends before returning home with a grimace and complains that the dinner is not yet served - the guy here is most definitely Kuwaiti! l A man takes his food in a small lunch box to the office and spends only five minutes to eat before returning to work. I would say this kind of hard work is found in Japan.

In another part of the world, an employee stops whatever he is doing to order food, then waits for the food to arrive. After that he invites his coworkers to share a lunch period that can last for several hours, before they all agree that the Government needs to pay them allowances. Sounds familiar? It happens in Kuwait! l “Hey honey, I just left work. Is there anything you need me to get on my way home?” A man from Portugal would have this conversation with his wife.

(After answering his wife’s call) “What? Milk for the baby? I don’t feel like it right now. I’m too tired from work. You’re on your own. It’s your fault for only remembering to tell me after I got out of the office” a regular conversation between a Kuwaiti man and his wife. l In China, a person is usually congratulated by his friends and family when he buys something new. In Kuwait, after buying a new item a man usually hears his friends say: “You’ve been tricked. You paid way too much. Next time call me before you buy anything, fool!”. l A French voter who grows very frustrated at the performance of the lawmakers he voted for makes sure on election day to vote for someone else. A Kuwaiti voter keeps expressing extreme dissatisfaction at the lawmakers he voted for, but come election time he reelects the same people he has voted for during the past 20 years. l If you ask a man a question, then he looks downwards and scratches his forehead it means he is Italian. If you ask a man a question then he looks upwards, closes one eye and keeps the other open it means he is Kuwaiti!

This is the Kuwaiti man and we love the way he is. — Al-Rai

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

local

Dissolution of parliament ‘within two-three weeks’ Deadlock in NA-Cabinet relations

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait inaugurated a clinic for Infants’ Natural Feeding and Rest Center at Maternity Hospital in the presence of Dr Mohammad Al-Harbi, Dr Nawal Al-Hamad, Dr Nawal Al-Kazemi and a number of officials of the hospital. The aim is to make mothers aware about the benefits of breastfeeding and offer them support advise about problems faced. Amani Al-Waraa, assistant public relations director at CBK, said that the bank seeks to promote initiatives that are useful to society members concerning their health.

Kuwait depends on national human resources for full development KUWAIT: Kuwait counts on national human resources and youth to achieve comprehensive development, said Undersecretary of Information Ministry Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHomoud Al-Sabah yesterday.

Youth are Kuwait’s real assets, a ministry statement quoted Sheikh Salman as saying during the faculty of administrative sciences ceremony of Kuwait University for honoring 2008-2011 graduates.

Kuwait follows the directives of His Highness the Amir, HH the Crown Prince and HH the Prime Minister in the basic work rules to achieve comprehensive development and bright future for Kuwait, Sheikh Salman added on behalf of Minister of Information in attending the ceremony, organized by students’ association of administrative sciences.

Earlier yesterday, Sheikh Salman received Kuwaiti ambassador to Argentina Saud Abdulaziz Al-Roumi and discussed ways of media cooperation, according to ministry statement.

Sheikh Salman also discussed with Chairman and members of the Union of Workers in the Ministry of Information demands and proposals of the union in raising the level of workers and means of motivation through rewarding in order to raise standards of efficiency and performance in different sectors of the ministry. During a visit to the Al-Arabi magazine, Sheikh Salman was briefed on new releases published by the magazine issued by the Ministry of Information and distributed throughout the Arab world.

Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Dr. Suleiman Al-Askari received Sheikh Salman upon his visit. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Prior to yesterday’s developments, which saw a deadlock in relations between the parliament and Cabinet, insiders predicted that escalations, which significantly hurt cooperation between the two authorities, are “sooner or later going to lead to a constitutional dissolution of the parliament”. Speaking anonymously to Al-Rai, “political sources” indicated that cooperation has reached a “dead end” as a result of “redundancy of grilling motions, a low-standard level of speech and increases in sectarian, religious and tribal infighting”. The report, published yesterday, quotes the sources as predicting a dissolution of parliament “within two to three weeks”.

Making a decision to dissolve parliament is the exclusive constitutional right of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who reportedly met Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah yesterday afternoon following a rocky parliamentary session that saw the premier lead ministers out of the Assembly in protest when parliament refused his plea to reject the merger of two grilling motions filed against Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali.

Meanwhile, sources further spoke of “a sug-

gestion considered seriously” by the government to return to the ten constituencies electoral system “which would effectively curb the emergence of sectarian or tribal political groups, as seen in recent years” with the current five constituencies system.

In another matter, Minister Al-Shamali released an order Monday to temporarily suspend General Director of the Public Institution for Social Security Fahad Al-Rajan, pending investigations into corruption charges .

In the meantime, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad Al-Rujaib lashed out in a statement at his potential interpellator MP Saifi Al-Saifi, who hinted in a recent statement that the minister has adopted a biased approach against tribal citizens.

“Any person with the slightest bit of reason can’t possibly believe [Al-Saifi’s allegations] that I pose a danger to national unity, which in my opinion are more at risk by his repeated allegations”, reads the statement in which AlRujaib further argues that the strife between himself and the lawmaker goes back to “a phone conversation between us during my time in the Interior Ministry after [Al-Saifi] first won parliamentary membership in 2009”. The

High school graduates’ acceptance

Kuwait participates in Petrotech exhibition MANAMA: Kuwait is taking part in Petrotech 2012 exhibition held here, represented by Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) with a significant experience in the field of refining and petrochemical industry, Azzam Mubarak AlSabah, Kuwaiti ambassador to Bahrain said.

The ambassador said that exhibition is a great opportunity to take a look at the latest technology in this field, especially in manufacturing environment-friendly products. He expressed gratitude to

KNPC officials for offering him a memorial shield. The Kuwaiti embassy will best serve the Kuwaiti institutions working in Bahrain, he added.

The Kuwaiti participation in a conference accompanying the exhibition is a great chance for KNPC to present scientific research, and also benefit from the experiences of international companies tak ing par t in the fair, Bak heit AlRashidi Deputy Managing Director of Planning and Local Marketing of KNPC, said. —KUNA

Charity collection program KUWAIT: The Ministry has approved the ninth program to collect charity during the month of Ramadan, sources at Ministr y of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) revealed. During the coming days, Ministry of Social Affairs will meet with its counterpart from Ministry of Awqaf to coordinate and nominate

mosques that collect charity funds.

Sources said that charity will be collected through banks. Ministry will allow cash donation, provided that the donor is given a receipt that is signed and stamped by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Receipts will be printed and distributed to committees before Ramadan.

minister gave no further information about the nature of the alleged conversation.

Simultaneously, Minister of Housing Affairs and State Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri, released a new statement Monday recognizing his “battle” with people who question the legality of his decision to fire the General Director of the Savings and Credit Bank, Salah Al-Mudhaf. “Corruption is dying and I will not be intimidated by their attacks”, the minister proclaimed. Separately, MPs Marzouq Al-Ghanim and Dr. Abdullah AlTuraiji revealed, during Monday’s meeting of the parliament’s health committee, the existence of documents “which prove involvement of Kuwaiti officials in causing the suspension of Kuwait’s international sports activity”, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

Head of the committee, MP Mubarak AlWa’lan, announced following the meeting that a request has been made to Parliament Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun to “send representatives to Lausanne, Switzerland” where the headquar ters of the International Olympic Committee is located “to discuss details about Kuwait’s international sports issue”.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality’s Acting Assistant Director in Farwaniya and Ahmadi, Fahad Dughaim Al-Otaibi honored Ahmadi emergency team leader, Meshal Aba Al-Safi, Assistant Khaled Al-Shammari and inspectors Eid Al-Ajmi and Fahad Al-Meshani yesterday for their efforts to fight violations in Mina Abdullah. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Manama hosts journalism conference KUWAIT: The Third General Conference of Gulf Journalism Association (GJA) will start today in Manama, Bahrain under the patronage of Information Affairs Authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain following the arrival of Editors-inChief of Gulf major newspapers.

Nasser Mohammad AlOthman, Secretary General of Gulf Journalism Association said that the opening session will be held in Awal Hall at the Gulf Hotel, Manama in the presence of Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Chairman of Information Affairs Authority, and Samira Rajab Minister for Information Affairs along with a large number of officials, diplomats, journalists and media personalities.

The opening session will include a speech by the Association’s President Turky bin Abdallah Al-Sudairi, Chairman Information Affairs Authority, the Association’s Secretary General, Dr Tariq Al-Shami and Chairman of the Gulf International Relations Council.

The prize of Gulf Journalism ‘Personality of the Year’ will be presented during this opening session. Nasser Al-Othman said that the conference will discuss the issue of creating an annual journalism prize in the name of the Association, and create a symposium for female gulf journalists affairs in private and public sectors about the affairs of women work in journalism, and their ambitions and problems.

Today’s meetings will include several important meetings and activities including an exhibition for the founders and pioneers of journalism in the kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Secretary General said that the number of Editors-in-Chief who will participate in an annual meeting over 40 colleagues.

KUWAIT: The ministry’s plan to accept high school graduates in colleges, universities or granted scholarships will be announced early next month, said Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education said Monday.

Al-Hajraf expressed hope that all posthigh school institutions would accept graduates. He was speaking to the press after a ceremony to honor former ministers of education and higher education Ahmad AlMulaifi and Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud.

Al-Hajraf, added that the ministry ’s development projects were suspended because the Parliament has not yet approved the third year of the government’s development plan.

He noted that a project to evaluate and classify private schools and nurseries will be announced soon. He said that this assessment would be applied to public schools. — KUNA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

local

Shop owner cons police officer in Al-Riggae Twitter insults jail security officer KUWAIT: A shop owner was arrested after cheating a police officer who earlier reached an agreement to buy the suspect’s store in AlRiggae. The State Security Service officer went to the Sabah Al-Salem police station recently to press charges against his Indian friend, who reportedly refused to hand over his computer maintenance store after receiving KD7000 to sell it. The officer explained that he trusted his friend to reach an agreement by which he was supposed to give him the money and receive the shop the next day, without signing a contract. The shop owner initially denied the accusations following his arrest, but eventually admitted collecting the payment, which he said he distributed to three of his friends. He remains in custody as police search for the three friends, Al-Rai reported.

Officer insulted A security officer at the Central Jail approached Sulaibiya police to report offensive remarks made against him by a Twitter user he believes is a prisoner in the same jail.

The officer had reportedly sought help from online crimes division investigators, who confirmed that the offensive tweets came from

their jail facility. After a search of the jail failed to discover a handheld device among the prisoners, the officers reported the case to local police, Al-Anba reported.

Saved by the AC A window air conditioning unit saved the life of a child in Farwaniya who clung to it after falling from her sixth floor apartment.

The 6-year-old Egyptian girl was saved by firefighters who arrived at the scene minutes after the incident was reported. The child was said to be unharmed, landing on top of an air conditioning unit after falling from an upper floor apartment window, Al-Watan reported.

Drunk driver A drunk driver was arrested in Hawally recently for possession of alcohol intended for sale. The Nepalese man was pulled over by police for driving recklessly. Patrol officers later arrested him after realizing he was heavily intoxicated. Six bottles of homebrewed liquor were found inside his vehicle, which the suspect later confirmed he was delivering to customers. He remains in custody pending further action, Al-Rai reported.

Drunk man charged A drunk man faces multiple charges after he resisted arrest and damaged an office inside the Sulaibiya police station recently.

The suspect was held in the area following reports from residents about his causing a disturbance while intoxicated. Later, he reportedly broke a door and the contents of a room in the police station, and was then jailed, where he remains pending legal procedures, AlWatan reported.

Morality raids Ten people were arrested during a campaign against immoral activities over the weekend, which included raiding three apartments in Salmiya. According to a security officer with knowledge of the unscheduled operation, “four homosexual males and two females in indecent clothes” were arrested inside one of the apartments in which “banned sexual items” were seized. Meanwhile, two couples were arrested “in compromising situations” inside two other apartments, said the source.

He added that one of the female detainees “is a homosexual who hosted suspicious parties at her apartment”. Al-Rai reported.

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah with co-op’s management delegation.

Ahmadi schools plan energy, water conservation KUWAIT: Public schools in Ahmadi Governorate plan to carry out electricity and water conservation campaigns next year, for the second consecutive school year, Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr. Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah announced in a statement yesterday.

The statement was released following a meeting with Ministry of Electricity and

Water’s assistant undersecretary for coordination Khalid Baqr at the governorate’s dewan. Governor Al-Sabah also announced efforts to coordinate with state departments to mediate disputes pertaining to the Ahmadi Cooperative Society, according to a separate statement released after a meeting with a delegation from the co-op’s management.

KFAS announces prize winners’ list KUWAIT: The Kuwait Foundation for Advancement of Science (KFAS) announced here yesterday, the list of winners of its scientific, book fair, research prizes for 2010 and 2011.

In a press release, KFAS said that the prizes for Scientific Production category were won by Dr Mohammad Al-Haji, Dr Naif Al-Mutairi, Dr Dalal Al-Hadhoud, Dr Mansour

Al-Fahdeli, Dr Habiba Al-Munae, Dr Eman Ali Maqdas, adding that the prizes are being given according to their contribution to numerous branches in science.

Meanwhile, the name list for the 2011, 36rd Kuwait Book Fair Prize are Dr Mohammad El-Sakndarani, Iyad Abu-Shagra, Hanan Abu-Shagra, Nabiha Mahidili, in addition to other authors, book translators, and

publication companies. KFAS also revealed the list of names for the 2010 prize for Scienitific Search. The list included Dr Mahmoud Butarah, Dr Hala Al-Jaser, Dr. Majida Abdulrasoul, Dr Jassem Hajiyah, Dr Faisal Al-Shawaf, Dr Yahya Abdal, Dr Amina AlAzimi, Dr Maria Al-Mahdi, and Dr Kota Siva Rao. The awards are being presented for their contribution to scientific research. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Khalifa Mubarak Burisli with miniature dhow made of glass.

—Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Creating distinctive art work

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Khalifa Mubarak Burisli has a penchant for designing fancy items and unique decorative items. He has designed a miniature aquarium which boasts of a distinctive style It is designed to resemble a dhow made of glass. “I thought of designing the traditional Kuwaiti dhow using glass instead of wood. It is a new idea. It will be filled with water and fish. I will be designing these dhows on order, and the customer will be able to choose the size and the figure of sailors. The sizes can be fall between 40 to 70 centimeters. I will also install a cassette recorder that plays Kuwaiti folk songs,” Khalifa Burisli told the Kuwait Times.

The miniature aquarium will be placed in diwaniyas, companies or living rooms as a decorative piece. The water

used does not need to be changed as it is connected to pipes that change the water automatically. “I plan to go to China so that it can be manufactured there,” said Burisli, adding “All the pieces will be handmade, not mass produced by machines.”

Burisli took up the hobby in the early 60s when he designed trophies and maps carved in glass and presented them to ministries. He does them alone because his family is not convinced about ideas. As a child, Burisli also designed simple styles of aero planes and boats.

“I have chosen this design to preserve Kuwaiti tradition and to showcase to people outside, the landmarks of our great country,” noted Burisli. He insists that money does not motivate him but is driven only by the joy of ar tistic endeavor.

Meeting hails civil society role in development plan KUWAIT: The Supreme Council for Development and Planning’s annual meeting on Monday was praised by Minister of Public Works Dr Fadhel Safar.

He said that it will aid in expanding civil society’s role in fulfilling Kuwait’s development goals.

In his talks with governors, state Municipal officials and Interior Ministry officials, Safar, also the State Minister for Planning and Development Affairs, told reporters that the talks mostly focused on ‘second mid-term goals,’ which include ‘youth projects’ in Kuwait’s ambitious development plan.

These also include electricity, roads, environmental projects and the demographics of the country, said Amiri Diwan advisor, Dr Yousif Al-Ibrahim. Easing bureaucracy pertinent to the execution of development projects was urged during the talks, according to Adel Al-

Wegayan Secretary General and Chief Spokesman of the Supreme Council for Development and Planning.

The discussions aimed to find common ground between various state bodies on how to approach the priorities for the upcoming stage. Al-Wegayan highlighted the need to enable an effective tourism policy, as the development plan targets a diversification of state income with tourism, he regarded, one of these priorities.

On the country’s demographics, with the expatriate workforce currently surpassing the number of nationals, he said that the government aims to decrease this number to only 35 percent in the coming years. This will be achieved by reducing temporary immigration to Kuwait, particularly of low-skilled laborers, while increasing reliance on nationals, he added. — KUNA

Kuwait participates in Petrotech exhibition 2012 MANAMA: Kuwait is taking part in Petrotech 2012 exhibition held here, represented by Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) with a significant experience in the field of refining and petrochemical industry, Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ambassador to Bahrain said.

The ambassador said that exhibition is a great opportunity to take a look at the latest technology in this field, especially in manufacturing environment-friendly products.

He expressed gratitude to KNPC officials for offering him a memorial shield. The Kuwaiti embassy will best serve the Kuwaiti institutions working in Bahrain, he added.

The Kuwaiti participation in a conference accompanying the exhibition is a great chance for KNPC to present scientific research, and also benefit from the experiences of international companies taking part in the fair, Bakheit Al-Rashidi Deputy Managing Director of Planning and Local Marketing of KNPC, said. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

Syrian prisons are ‘slaughterhouses’

Excitement sweeps Egypt ahead of poll Page 8

Page 12

JERUSALEM: Israeli soldiers walk past the Dome of the Rock in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, during a visit under Israeli police protection in Jerusalem’s Old City. — AFP

Jerusalem expansion reaches point of no return Israeli building plans to cut off Arab neighborhoods JERUSALEM: Named for the crash site of an airforce plane shot down during the Six Day War in 1967, Givat HaMatos may yet prove the place where Palestinian hopes of a creating a capital in Jerusalem also plunge to earth. ‘Airplane Hill’ lies on the southern fringes of Jerusalem’s city limits - rock-strewn land dotted with shabby, prefabricated bungalows and the occasional pine tree. Once a tranquil backwater, the area has become the focus of hectic activity in the last six months, with Israeli authorities releasing plans for 2,610 housing units and 1,110 hotel rooms.

With the approval process going more quickly than expected, building could start later this year, creating the first new Israeli settlement in 15 years among the sprawl of a modern Jerusalem that is spread out over many hills. If that happens, it would effectively cut off the city’s mainly Arab neighborhoods from Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, imperiling the Palestinians’ prospects for establishing a coherent capital and with it their goal of an independent state.

“There is only so much territorial abuse this tortured land can take before we kill the political options of saving the twostate solution,” said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli attorney who monitors urban developments he thinks affect chances for peace. “What is happening at Givat HaMatos is a game changer,” he said, his finger tapping a map of the area for added emphasis. “Events are careering out of control.” Of all the obstacles blocking the way to peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, the status of Jerusalem is arguably the most intractable. “It’s the most difficult symbolic issue for the peace process. It’s an emotional issue,” Israeli Prime Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters earlier this month.

For Israelis, all of the city, including East Jerusalem and its West Bank suburbs captured in 1967, is their “eternal and indivisible” capital, the home the Jews dreamed of through 2,000 years of exile, and the site of their revered Western Wall. For Palestinians, there can be no peace until Israel cedes them control over East Jerusalem, a symbol of their national struggle and home to Islam’s third holiest site, Al-Aqsa mosque and the glittering Dome of the Rock. In the absence of a deal, or even meaningful negotiations, Israel has been busy developing the holy city, building impressive, stone-clad neighborhoods across the annexed land in defiance of constant international criticism.

PRECIOUS LAND A series of recent interviews with Israelis and Palestinians suggests that the development is at a tipping point. Plans for Givat HaMatos are not taking place in a vacuum. Israeli officials are also pushing to expand the nearby settlements of Gilo and Har Homa, thereby building a broad, concrete crescent just north of the hilltop town of Bethlehem. Some 35 percent of Palestinian economic activity is centered on a line that stretches from Bethlehem through East Jerusalem and on to Ramallah, the West Bank’s administrative centre, north of Jerusalem. Critics say the southern settlements will snap this link. “It is like putting a ribbon around a finger and pulling tighter and tighter until all the blood is cut off,” said Ashraf Khatib, a Palestinian activist from East Jerusalem. “But it is not just in the south. The Israelis are creating facts on the ground across the eastern city,” he added. A proud exponent of that policy is Aryeh King, the founder of the Israeli Land Fund whose stated mission is to “reclaim the land of Israel for the people of Israel”. In April, he secured the eviction of an Arab family from a home in the Arab neighborhood of Beit Hanina after a court ruled that the place had been legally bought by a Jew. He immediately moved half a dozen young supporters into the house and promised further evictions in the months ahead.

POPULATION GROWTH As British imperial forces left Palestine in 1948, 60 percent

of Jerusalem’s population was Jewish. The United Nations had planned to put the city under international control, but war intervened and when a truce ended it, Jordan held the eastern sector, including the walled Old City with its sacred sites. Israel controlled the West Jerusalem.

Following the 1967 war, Israel swept away the armistice boundary, or Green Line, and more than doubled the city limits. In 1980, parliament passed a law declaring united Jerusalem as the national capital, a move never recognized internationally. Palestinians say the new masters have strived to alter the demographics, limiting land available to develop in Arab neighborhoods, imposing residency rules that push Arabs out and demolishing more than 2,000 of their homes in East Jerusalem.

This has had little impact on population ratios, even as the number of inhabitants has soared from 263,000 in 1967 to around 800,000 today. Indeed the Arab ratio is climbing, with secular Israelis reluctant to settle in a city known for tensions and as home to growing numbers of religiously observant

Jews. According to the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, 36 percent of inhabitants were Arab in 2009 against 28 percent in 1980. City officials say the figure will hit 40 percent by 2020. By contrast, 20 percent of Israel’s total population are Arabs. “Jerusalem is not a Jewish city, not an Israeli city, but a bi-national city. It is not a united city. It is divided in more ways than you could care to imagine,” said Seidemann, who is the go-to person for diplomats seeking information on town planning.

WINNERS AND LOSERS Ironically, just a hundred meters from Har Homa’s outer ring of houses, lives a Palestinian shepherd stranded by a fence. Saed Al-Zawahri lost a third of his land as the settlement spread this past decade. He grazes his small flock of sheep over his remaining three acres, cut off from Bethlehem, which lies tantalizingly close behind coils of barbed wire.

Israel has sealed much of the West Bank behind walls and fences following a wave of Palestinian suicide attacks at the

start of the last decade that killed many hundred Israelis. This has ensnared Zawahri in a bureaucratic mess. Denied Jerusalem residency, he says he is only allowed to travel to Bethlehem but is not entitled to register a car with Israeli licence plates to drive on the Israelis-only roads he would need to get him there. Likewise, he says he does not have the right to shop in the adjacent Har Homa and must call in special deliveries from Palestinian stores. “They plan a thousand years ahead,” said the 74-year-old shepherd. “They plan to get rid of us.”

Asked if anything could stop the Israeli expansion, he smiled wryly. “Only God. All the Arab armies already tried and failed,” he said, referring to the wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973, when combined Arab forces tried but failed to defeat Israel.

However, recent events in Jerusalem suggest that the United States could influence policy-making if it wanted to. A review of city planning activity shows that between March 9 and Nov 1 in 2010 there was a de facto halt on settlement work in the city and again from Jan 3, 2012 to early April.— Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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

25 killed, 45 injured in Indian train collision BANGALORE: At least 25 people were killed and 45 injured early yesterday when a passenger train slammed into a stationary goods train in southern India, rail officials said. The sleeper train crashed into the parked goods train at Penneconda station in Andhra Pradesh state as it was travelling overnight to Bangalore, the information-technology hub and capital city of Karnataka state.

“The number of deaths now is 25 and 45 are injured out of which some have minor injuries but 10 are grievously hurt,” railway ministry spokeswoman Chandralekha Mukherjee said in New Delhi. The Andhra Pradesh state police said the bodies of 16 of the victims travelling in a carriage behind the engine were badly burnt as it caught fire following the collision. “The coach was meant only for women but it is not possible to say if the bodies are women or men as they are charred,” Charu Sinha, deputy inspector general of Andhra Pradesh

police said from the crash site. “There are no more bodies in the wreckage as (rescue and salvage) operations are now over,” she said by telephone.

A police statement said bodies were taken out after rescuers sliced through the crushed carriages with mechanical cutters and used cranes brought from Bangalore. “It appears that the driver of the passenger train overshot a signal and hit the goods train, but we are awaiting the results of an inquir y,” Mukherjee said. Television footage from the scene showed mangled, upturned coaches with rescue workers carrying injured passengers out on stretchers by torchlight before dawn. “When the train stopped with a loud bang, I got down to see burning passengers crying for help,” Munijayendra, 25, who uses only one name, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.

“I will not be able to sleep for many days to come as their cries will be ring-

ing in my ears,” he said. “The worst part is we were helpless as the heat was just unbearable”. Rescuers and medical officials worked through the day, hacking through the twisted metal to get to those trapped inside the overturned carriages. PTI said that the driver of the train had survived the impact but was unconscious. “Every life is precious. This is a very sad incident,” Railway Minister Mukul Roy, who arrived at the site of the accident yesterday afternoon, told reporters.

He promised compensation for the injured and families of the dead. India’s rail network is still the main form of long-distance travel in the country despite fierce competition from private airlines. The last major train accident in India occurred in July last year when a packed express train travelling from Kolkata to New Delhi derailed at high speed in the state of Uttar Pradesh, killing 69 people. —AFP

ANANTHPUR DISTRICT: Railway officials oversee the clear up operation of the mangled remains of the Bangalore-bound Hampi Express after it collided with a stationary goods train near Penneconda town in Ananthpur District yesterday.— AFP

US lawmakers approve tougher Iran sanctions National oil, electronic banking, satellite services targeted

CAIRO: Egyptian women talk in front of banners supporting Presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq in Cairo yesterday. — AP

Excitement sweeps Egypt ahead of poll CAIRO: A buzz of excitement swept through Cairo yesterday, a day before its first presidential election since an uprising overthrew Hosni Mubarak, ushering in a tumultuous military-led transition. “This is the first time I’ll be going to vote in any election, and it’s definitely a big deal. My family has been talking about it for weeks,” said Ibrahim Farrag Hassan, 64, who sells toys in a small market in central Cairo.

Around 50 million eligible voters are being called to choose Mubarak’s successor today and tomorrow with a run-off scheduled for next month should there be no outright winner. “This election will change things, whoever is coming will be scared of the people and will have to listen to them,” said Hind Ahmed, 25, a shop assistant at a lingerie store. “All my friends and family are talking about the elections all the time. It’s the first time in their lives that any of them are voting in a presidential election because this time the result isn’t known in advance.”

Campaigning for the landmark poll ended on Sunday night, with candidates banned from giving any media interviews or making public appearances for 48 hours before the election. But the “campaign silence” did little to dim the excitement in the capital. “Tomorrow is the big exam, I have knots in my stomach and can’t sleep,” giggled Warda, 25, an attendant in an upmarket sports club in Cairo. After decades of pre-determined results, for the first time, the outcome of the vote-which pits Islamists against secularists and revolutionaries against old regime members-is wide open. 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; independent Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi. Prime Minister Kamal Al-Ganzuri yesterday urged for calm during the election and urged political forces to accept the results of the historic vote, echoing a call a day earlier by the ruling military. Ganzuri asked Egyptians to “stand together to ensure the success of the electoral process and to accept the decision of the majority of Egyptians who will express their will through the ballot boxes.”

In a statement, he expressed hope that “the elections proceed with calm” and called on “candidates, political forces, parties to urge their supporters to respect the will of others and accept the results of the election.”

In Cairo, an army vehicle rumbled through Tahrir Square-the epicenter of protests that toppled Mubarak-urging Egyptians to vote.

“Rise, Egyptian; Egypt is calling you,” the soldier shouted through a loudspeaker, borrowing the lyrics from a popular nationalist song by iconic composer Sayyed Darwish. “It’s the first time your vote will count, don’t stay at home,” he pleaded. On Monday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power when Mubarak was deposed, called on Egyptians to accept the results of the looming election. 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.”— AFP

WASHINGTON: The US Senate has unanimously approved a package of new economic sanctions on Iran’s oil sector just days ahead of a meeting in Baghdad between major world powers and Tehran.

The sanctions add to a raft of punitive measures by the United States and the European Union aimed at shrinking Iran’s oil revenues to force it to halt a nuclear program the West suspects is being used to build an atomic bomb. Iran has said its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. The new package would extend sanctions to cover dealings with the National Iranian Oil Co and National Iranian Tanker Co, if they are deemed to be an agent or affiliate of the Revolutionary Guards. It aims to close a potential loophole that could have allowed Tehran to continue selling some of its oil using its own fleet.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill in December and now the Senate and House must work out their differences in the legislation before it is signed into law by President Barack Obama.

“This bill is another tool that will demonstrate to Iran that the United States is not backing down,” Robert

Menendez, the Democratic senator who helped craft the legislation, said on the Senate floor. “Today, the US Senate put Iranian leaders on notice that they must halt all uranium enrichment activities or face another round of economic sanctions from the United States,” said Republican Senator Mark Kirk, a coauthor of the bill, in a statement.

The Senate bill was brought up on Thursday but was blocked by Republicans who wanted some parts toughened up.

Iran, OPEC’s second-largest producer, exports most of its 2.2 million barrels of oil per day to Asia, home to its four main customers: China, Japan, India and South Korea. All four nations have cut back on their purchases, dissuaded by the previous package of US financial sanctions that due to take effect at the end of June as well as an EU oil embargo and a ban on shipping insurance, which take effect on July 1. The US sanctions threaten to shut out importers of Iranian oil from the US financial system unless they make substantial, sustained cuts to their purchases.

Washington has already granted 10 EU nations and Japan a waiver from these measures and is pressuring

Iran’s main buyers China and India to comply.

In addition to totally banning Iranian oil imports, the EU measures prohibit European insurers from covering Iranian oil exports anywhere in the world, which would leave importers exposed to personal injur y and pollution claims.

Typically, a supertanker insures against these liabilities to the tune of $1 billion per shipment. Almost 90 percent of the world’s tanker insurance is based in Europe. South Korea will effectively become the first of Iran’s major Asian customers to halt purchases from July due to the ban. The cumulative impact of the US sanctions will be severe, said Suzanne Maloney, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy.

“Right now, both sides are playing a game of chicken - the Iranians want to see how much they can get and how little they can give, whereas Washington and its allies are counting on the looming threat of impending sanctions to elicit more concessions on the part of Tehran,” Maloney said.

The escalating Western sanctions, and threats by Israel and the

United States of last-ditch military action, have helped to push up world oil prices, compounding the economic misery wrought by debt crises in many industrialized countries.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief held talks in Tehran on Monday ahead of a meeting between major powers and Iranian officials this week, but there was no immediate sign of a breakthrough.

During the meeting in Baghdad, the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany will try and make Iran stop the highergrade uranium enrichment it started two years ago and has since expanded. Paul Pillar, a former CIA analyst for the Near East and Persian Gulf region, said any new sanctions could be counterproductive ahead of the talks as Iran may think the West is less interested in a deal than in undermining the regime.

“The biggest requirement now for getting an agreement is not to pile on still more sanctions, but instead to persuade the Iranians that if they make concessions the sanctions will be eased,” said Pillar, now a security studies professor at Georgetown University. — Reuters

News

in brief

India backs deaf, mute witnesses NEW DELHI: Deaf and mute witnesses can provide admissible evidence in trials by making “signs and gestures” to the judge, the Indian Supreme Court has ruled in a murder case appeal. “A deaf and dumb person is a competent witness... they need not be prevented from being a credible and reliable witness merely due to his/her physical disability,” two Supreme Court judges said in a written ruling Monday. “Signs and gestures made by nods (of the) head are admissible and such nods and gestures are not only admissible but possess evidentiary value,” they said. “Deaf and dumb persons were earlier contemplated in law as idiots... this has changed over the years but even now the court has to exercise due caution.

Rock slides kill nine

Iran nuke program: some thorny issues VIENNA: Iran is set to meet with the P5+1 powers-the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany- today to seek a way out of their long-running dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program. Herewith a short summary of the main issues: IRAN AND THE BOMB Iran says its nuclear program, which has expanded dramatically in recent years, is for peaceful purposes, to generate electricity and provide medical isotopes. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in February that possession of a nuclear bomb “constitutes a major sin,” reiterating a religious edict he made in 2005. Many in the international community suspect the program however to be a front for a covert nuclear weapons drive, with the UN Security Council passing four rounds of sanctions on the Islamic republic.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES As a 1968 signatory of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Iran says it has the right to a peaceful nuclear program. However the treaty also stipulates Iran has to submit to inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to determine that no materials or sites are being used for other purposes. The IAEA says that a lack of Iranian cooperation means it is unable to guarantee that this is the case.

URANIUM ENRICHMENT The trickiest part of making a nuclear weapon is creating the fissile core, either uranium or plutonium. Iran has for some time been enriching uranium to 3-5 percent purities needed for power generation, but in 2010, it began processing to 20 percent, and since

January it had done so at the Fordo site in a mountain near the holy city of Qom. This takes it significantly closer to weapons-grade of 90 percent and reduces the “breakout” time needed to make a bomb-if it decided to do so.

MILITARY DIMENSIONS A major IAEA report in November 2011 substantially increased suspicions that at least until 2003, and possibly since, Iran has done research into how to actually make a nuclear bomb. The report, which cited intelligence from several countries as well as the IAEA’s own data and Iranian information, has been rejected by Iran as based on forgeries. The IAEA also says Iran refused it access in two visits earlier this year to the Parchin military site where some of this work is alleged to have been carried out.

FUEL SWAP One way of cooling tensions would be to revive earlier ideas whereby Iran would ship out its stockpiles of enriched uranium to a foreign country, thereby easing fears that it could be further enriched and used in a nuclear weapon, and be supplied in return with fuel pads for the Tehran Research Reactor, which makes medical isotopes.

ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL Another way of building confidence in Tehran’s nuclear program would be for Iran to implement the additional protocol of the NPT, something it briefly adhered to but then rejected in 2006. This would give the IAEA greater inspection rights and help soothe one of the biggest concerns, namely that the country has sites the IAEA does not know about. —AFP

HANOI: An official in northern Vietnam says rock slides have killed nine people in two separate accidents at quarrying operations. Local official Nguyen Xuan Truong says four workers died at the scene following the first accident Monday in the northern port city of Hai Phong.

Two others died in a hospital, and four workers remain hospitalized. The cause remains unclear, but falling rocks buried workers below and crushed them, he said. Truong says a rock slide at a nearby quarry yesterday killed three other workers. The quarry operations produce limestone for cement factories and construction.

Iraq seeks drones BAGHDAD: Iraq is seeking to acquire surveillance drones to help protect its oil pipelines and platforms, which are key to the country’s economy, Iraqi and US officials said.

An Iraqi oil ministry spokesman said authorities were in contact with Chinese and US firms to provide the drones, which he said may or may not be armed, but a US official said Baghdad had already agreed to buy American aircraft. “There is collaboration with the interior ministry to update monitoring systems in contact with Chinese and American companies that specialize in this area, to provide the energy police with modern drones,” ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. Jihad said the drones would be “equipped with high-tech monitoring equipment to protect platforms and pipelines.” “It has not been decided yet if the drones will be armed or not,” he added.

Storm shuts Iraq airport BAGHDAD: A dust storm shut Iraq’s airport yesterday, an Iraqi Airways official said, a day ahead of key talks between world powers and Iran on the Islamic republic’s controversial nuclear program. “There are no take-offs or landings ... because of bad weather,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The closure began at about 8:00 am (0500 GMT), the official said, adding that four departing flights had been delayed so far. It was unclear when the airport would reopen, or if attendance of the nuclear talks would be impacted by the closure. Iran’s chief negotiator Saeed Jalili arrived in Baghdad Monday. The talks, set for today, are to be held between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security CouncilBritain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

BAGHDAD: Iraqi police officers search a motorbike at a checkpoint during a heavy sandstorm in Baghdad yesterday. — AP

World powers, Tehran seek to write history in Baghdad BAGHDAD: World powers and Iran hope to lay the groundwork for an end to the longrunning crisis over Tehran’s nuclear program in talks in Baghdad today, but the challenges are immense. The meeting with the P5+1 the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany-comes at a time of unprecedented tensions more than three years since Barack Obama became US president promising a new dawn in relations.

Israel, seeing its very existence under threat if Iran does get the bomb, has made it clear that its patience with the ability of diplomacy and sanctions alone to help the country sleep easy is running very thin.

Since Obama’s election, Iran has dramatically widened the scope of its nuclear program, including by enriching uranium to 20 percent, taking it significantly closer to weapons-grade of 90 percent. In return, the UN Security Council has tightened the screw on Iran’s shrinking, high-inflation economy with more sanctions. Additional EU and US restrictions on its oil sector due to hit from July are already being felt. Obama, seeking re-election in November against a Republican challenger accusing him of dawdling over Iran but also wary of Israeli air strikes pushing up gasoline prices for US voters even more, also wants progress.

As a result of these factors, both sides decided to give talks another go, coming together for a breaking-the-ice session in Istanbul in mid-April, for the first Iran/P5+1 meeting in 15 months, and agreeing to come

to Baghdad. Both sides hailed a changed atmosphere, with one P5+1 envoy saying there was a “difference in tone, in mood,” and Iran’s negotiator Saeed Jalili welcoming a “desire of the other side for dialogue and cooperation.” In Turkey though, the bar was set low. In Iraq the parties will have to tackle some of the thorny issues that for the past decade have divided Iran and much of the international community, and also the P5+1 powers themselves. The P5+1 will want Iran to take a series of steps that convince it once and for all that the real aim of Tehran’s nuclear activities is not producing the bomb, but power generation and producing medical isotopes-as Iran insists.

One key way to do this would be for Iran to agree to at least suspend 20-percent enrichment, while another measure that could build confidence would be Iran shipping its stockpiles of enriched uranium abroad. What might also help is Iran implementing the additional protocol (AP) of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which allows for more intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Only the full implementation of the AP could restore confidence,” said Bruno Tertrais, senior research fellow at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. The IAEA also wants Iran to address allegations made in its November report that until 2003, and possibly since, Tehran had a “structured program” of “activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.” —AFP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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

Merkel returns home to more policy fights German SPD plotting strategy with French president BERLIN: Angela Merkel returns from one of her most difficult foreign trips in recent memory yesterday to face more, severe tests of her longstanding command over the policy agenda in Germany and Europe. The chancellor looked unusually isolated at a weekend G8 meeting in Camp David, where new French President Francois Hollande teamed up with host Barack Obama to push back against the bitter austerity medicine Merkel has prescribed for reeling euro zone members.

That conflict will continue to haunt her this week at an informal summit of EU leaders today and at a meeting with German opposition leaders the following day, where she must defuse an escalating row that could delay approval of her cherished “fiscal compact” on budget discipline. The man that Merkel was relying on to push these new fiscal rules through parliament, her chief whip Peter Altmaier, was abruptly shifted to the post of environment minister last week and will now have his hands full getting Merkel’s stalled energy transformation plan back on track. All this comes against the backdrop of embarrassing conflicts within her centre-right coalition over childcare subsidies and data protection, that have left Merkel looking indecisive and her government inept before a federal election in September of next year.

Some leading German commentators are likening Merkel’s troubles to the last months of her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder’s reign, although no one expects her to gamble on early elections as he did. Instead, people close to the chancellor suggest, she may be forced into compromises she would not have considered in the past, when her political standing seemed unassailable.

The concessions may start today in Brussels when Hollande and other European leaders, including Italy’s Mario Monti and Spain’s

Mariano Rajoy, look poised to gang up on her and push for the introduction of joint euro zone bonds. Merkel’s opposition has been firm on this issue, nor will she entertain separate French calls to let the European Central Bank to lend directly to troubled euro states like Greece. But after her lonely experience at the G8 summit, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the German leader to stick to all of her policy “red lines”, no matter how popular they may be at home.

“Chancellor Merkel will have to change her savings-focused policy in Europe,” the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper wrote in a Monday editorial titled “Germany versus the rest of the World”. “No one holds it against the Germans that they don’t want to pay unlimited sums for the mistakes of others. Despite that, Merkel’s consolidation course is now seen as a huge mistake.”

SPECIAL CARE A first step might be for Merkel to agree to loosen deficit reduction targets for countries like Spain and Greece that many economists view as wildly unrealistic. One German official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter said such a concession could come as early as the second half of June, but warned that special care must be taken not to send a signal to financial markets that it was “party time” again in Europe.

“We need to ensure that Hollande doesn’t tell people the period of savings is over,” the official said. “Then the markets will say, the Europeans just haven’t understood.” Merkel needs to give Hollande something to get the Social Democrats (SPD) behind her course. She needs the SPD’s backing to win parliamentary approval of the fiscal compact and will try to forge a compromise at a meeting with opposi-

tion leaders on Thursday. Her government is insisting on a simultaneous vote by the end of June on the tough new budget rules written into the pact, and the euro zone’s permanent rescue mechanism (ESM). The SPD is threatening to decouple the two votes, approving the ESM next month in time for it to go into force on July 1, but waiting until after the summer to vote on the fiscal compact — a move that Merkel’s aides worry could endanger the entire European approval process.

“If the Germans delay approval until after the summer, what kind of signal is that for Europe and the financial markets,” the German official said. “You will see immediately, on the same day, three or four other countries pushing it back.” In an unusual move that underscores the breadth of opposition to Merkel’s course, the head of the SPD Sigmar Gabriel is expected to travel to the Elysee Palace in the coming weeks to plot strategy with the new French president. Josef Joffe, editor of influential weekly Die Zeit, said he believed Merkel would weather the storm and has little incentive to make big concessions despite the rising backlash against her policies.

He points out that the SPD has limited room to score points with its growth-oriented focus because a solid majority of Germans still back Merkel’s focus on austerity. Any moves by Hollande to engage in more deficit-spending could backfire quickly, putting France at the centre of the crisis. “Merkel has more than a year until the next election and no one can force her out,” he said. “She is a disciple of Helmut Kohl who spent 16 years in power by waiting out policy debates like this.” Still, the camaraderie between Hollande and other leaders over the past days, a newly feisty German opposition, and the ongoing tensions in her own government show that life is unlikely to get any easier for Merkel in the months to come. — Reuters

Putin gives old ministers new Kremlin jobs MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday moved seven former cabinet ministers to his Kremlin administration in defiance of pressure for new faces from street protesters against his rule. The swift reassignment of officials to the Kremlin one day after they formally left the cabinet further cements Putin’s command of Russia and limits the sway of Prime Minister Dmitry

Medvedev. But analysts said it also underscored both Putin’s continued refusal to look outside his team of most trusted advisors and amplified suspicions that his old guard were not prepared to fully embrace much-needed economic reforms.

“It is obvious that the presidential administration intends to run everything,” former Kremlin advisor Gleb Pavlovsky said. “Any

talk of modernization now is laughable,” added Higher School of Economics professor Yuly Nisnevich.

Putin’s election in March was preceded by months of protests on the streets of Moscow over the prospect of the ex-KGB spy extending his 12-year domination of Russia until at least 2018 with the same clique of top officials.

Officials seemed sensitive to the

criticism and had promised in the two weeks since Putin’s March 7 inauguration a complete government overhaul design to shed the ruling party’s image of bureaucracy and waste.

But Putin issued a decree yesterday announcing that he was taking on half a dozen top former ministers who were not included in Medvedev ’s new government. —AFP

PERNIK: A general view of the damaged cooler tower of the Pernik’s thermal power plant is seen after an earthquake, measuring 5.8 on the open-ended Richter scale. — AFP

Quake rocks Bulgaria SOFIA: A 5.8-magnitude quake struck Bulgaria yesterday, triggering panic among sleepy residents who ran into the streets in their pyjamas, and some minor damage, but no casualties were reported. The quake jolted an area near Pernik, about 30 kilometers southwest of Sofia and was felt in the capital and other towns as well as in neighboring Greece and Macedonia. Residents of tall apartment buildings in Sofia said objects crashed to the ground during the tremor which lasted several minutes, and was followed by about 20 lighter aftershocks, according to local seismologists.

“Everything was shaking like crazy. I ran out shouting ... I won’t go back home today,” teenager Maria said outside her apartment building in a western Sofia neighborhood.

A state of emergency has been declared in the area around Pernik, a mining town of about 80,000 people, and police and firefighters were dispatched to the region to held distressed residents and check for damage. School classes were cancelled yesterday and today. “So far, there are no (known) casualties or injuries, which is good news,” Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told Focus press agency. Civil defense chief Nikolay Nikolov said his service has received reports of toppled chimneys, falling masonry, cracked walls, broken windows and damaged cars in the Pernik region and Sofia.

However, there were no reports of any interruptions of electricity or communications and Sofia’s airport was operating normally, as was Bulgaria’s nuclear plant which lies about 200 kilometers north of

the epicenter. The quake comes on the heels of a 6.0-magnitude earthquake in northeastern Italy on Sunday that killed six people and reduced homes and historic buildings to rubble. National radio stations and news agencies broadcast advice for people to stay outdoors after being inundated with calls. “Let’s hope it does not strike again. I know that people are in panic and this is only normal,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov told Blitz news agency.

Pernik mayor Rositsa Yanakieva sought to reassure residents that there was no danger that a major dam near the town could burst. “ The wall of the Studena dam is in good condition. It is being monitored constantly ... There are no reports of casualties or injuries in Pernik so far,” Yanakieva said. Over 20 lighter aftershocks were registered after the first quake hit, which had a magnitude of 5.8-5.9 on the Richter scale, according to the Bulgarian Seismological Institute.

Local people who were still sitting outside in their pyjamas over an hour after the first jolt said they felt new tremors before dawn which the seismological institute measured at 4.2 and 4.3.

Bulgaria’s Seismological Institute chief Emil Botev said it was the strongest quake ever to hit the Pernik fault. In August 2009, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Black Sea between Bulgaria and Romania but no serious damage was reported, while in 2004 a 5.5 quake hit downtown Sofia. The deadliest was in 1904, when a 7.8 magnitude quake hit along the southwestern Struma River, killing over 200 people. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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

‘Racist’ surgical scars spark protest RAPID CITY: Hundreds of people marched on Monday in support of a man who says the letters KKK were carved into his stomach by a surgeon at a South Dakota hospital. A YouTube video featuring 69-year-old Vern Traversie, a Lakota man who lives on the Cheyenne River Reservation, has gone viral in Native American communities. In it, Traversie shows a photo of his abdomen. Though he himself is blind, Traversie says he was told by others that the scars left after his heart surgery make out the hateful letters, and he is outraged.

The problem is, not everyone sees it. Like those spotting the Madonna in a water stain, Traversie’s advocates are staunch believers. Those who aren’t include police who investigated his allegations and hospital officials. Rapid City police say they conducted an investigation but found no evidence of a crime. Craig Saunders, a cardiolo-

gist at Barnabas Hospital in Newark, NJ, said incision marks can take many different shapes, depending on where the doctor needs to get into the body.

Saunders, who did not operate on Traversie, said surgical tape also can leave scarring and lesions depend on the makeup of the person’s body.

The lack of clear letters hasn’t deterred Traversie, his supporters or those who see the scars as just more evidence of continued mistreatment of Native American people. “Rapid City ... we understand you have been carving up our people. This is going to end today,” American Indian Movement founder Dennis Banks said to a roaring crowd before leading the supporters on a more than two-mile long march from a Rapid City plaza to the hospital where the surgery happened .

While Traversie’s story spurred the protest, many in attendance referred to broken treaties, unsolved murders

News

in brief

Prostitution scandal widens WASHINGTON: A prostitution scandal in Colombia involving US Secret Service and military personnel ahead of a presidential visit has spawned a separate investigation of the behavior of drug enforcement agents in Cartagena, officials said yesterday. A spokesman for the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General said in a statement that its investigators were probing “allegations about potential misconduct” by Drug Enforcement Administration staff. The official would not comment on the case or say how many DEA personnel might have been implicated but said it was not directly related to the incident involving prostitutes and Secret Service members last month. In that case, a dozen Secret Service agents and a dozen military personnel were linked to a raucous party ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to Cartagena that ultimately led to as many as 21 prostitutes going back to some of their hotel rooms.

Chinese fake parts ‘flood’ US military WASHINGTON: More than a million Chinese counterfeit electronic parts are estimated to be in use in US military aircraft, according to a US Senate report released Monday saying the discovery jeopardizes safety and national security. The Senate Armed Services Committee said its year-long investigation launched by Democratic chairman Carl Levin and ranking Republican John McCain uncovered 1,800 cases of bogus parts, including on the US Air Force’s largest cargo plane, special operations helicopters and Navy surveillance planes. The 112-page report “outlines how this flood of counterfeit parts, overwhelmingly from China, threatens national security, the safety of our troops and American jobs,” Levin said. “It underscores China’s failure to police the blatant market in counterfeit parts-a failure China should rectify.” The report also said the Chinese government denied visas to committee staff to travel to the Asian giant as part of the committee’s probe, with a Chinese embassy official saying the issue was sensitive and that a negative report could end up “damaging” US-China relations.

Grandma shot grandson BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP: A 74-year-old woman has been charged with murder in the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson. Police said Jonathan Hoffman called police and told an emergency dispatcher that he had been shot in the chest by his grandmother, Sandra Layne, and “was going to die.”

By the time officers arrived at the family’s upscale condo in a Detroit suburb, police said at least four more shots from a .40 caliber handgun had been pumped into the high school senior. A West Bloomfield Township detective told a judge during a Monday court hearing that eight entry and exit wounds were found in Hoffman’s body after the Friday afternoon shooting in the condo he shared with his grandparents northwest of Detroit. Layne’s lawyer Jerome Sabbota has said Hoffman was troubled, Layne was afraid of her grandson and she fired her new handgun because she felt she had no choice.

Layne has been charged with open murder and is being held without bond. She stood mute in court when the charge was read, and a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf. An open murder charge allows a jury to decide on whether a first- or second-degree charge applies after hearing evidence.

and incarceration rates among Native Americans as their reasons for showing up. “We’re classified as second class citizens,” said Hap Marshall, 69, a resident of the Cheyenne River reservation. “But when they want our votes, we’re their brother.” The protest was relatively peaceful. Officers from the Rapid City Police Department blocked off traffic as the supporters, many dressed in red shirts and waving American Indian Movement flags, marched to the beat of a drummer riding in a truck leading the way. Passing cars occasionally honked.

A group of about 15 people including Banks and Oglala Sioux Vice President Tom Poor Bear - met with officials at the hospital, while police prevented other supporters from entering the building. The march was largely organized by Cody Hall, who lives on the Cheyenne River Reservation, and Chase Iron Eyes, who

lives on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border, in an effort to bring attention to what they say is continued mistreatment of Native American people.

Many in the Native American community believe there are different standards of justice for them and for other races, said Stew Magnuson, who writes a column for a Native American newspaper and wrote a book about issues on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation. Prior to the 1970s and the American Indian Movement, Native Americans felt powerless without representation on juries. AIM changed that by marching into towns and demanding justice, which no one had ever seen before, Magnuson said, adding: “So, I think some of these feelings live on, rightly or wrongly.” As long as the marches and rallies remain peaceful, Magnuson said he believes

the demonstrations are an appropriate way for Native Americans to get their voice heard. On the other hand, he said, people can’t let rumor and speculation be the narrative of the story.

Some Pine Ridge reservation residents - Native American and nonNative - mentioned a March protest as an example of an instance when demonstrators didn’t check their facts beforehand. In that incident, a group of residents began protesting what they said was a truck carrying materials for TransCanada’s Keystone XL project. The Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux tribes have been vocal in their disapproval of the proposed pipeline that would bring oil from Canada’s tar sands region in Alberta to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. But the trucks they were attempting to block were not a part of the pipeline, which has been stalled by rejection of a federal permit. — AP

Amid criticism, US nuke chief resigns Jaczko criticized for abrasive management style WASHINGTON: Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the US Nuclear Regulator y Commission, said on Monday that he would resign, following a year of intense criticism over his abrasive management style. A series of reports and congressional hearings have painted Jaczko as a bully who had reduced some senior female employees to tears - accusations that have overshadowed new rules he championed in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex. Jaczko, 41, has consistently dismissed and denied the reports. He said announcing his decision to step down more than a year before his term expired was “not at all” related to the accusations but rather publicly signals his intention not to pursue a second term as chairman.

“I just wanted to provide the best opportunity for a successor to be brought on board and to give the president and the Senate maximum opportunity to do that,” Jaczko said, noting he will stay in his job until his replacement is confirmed by the Senate. The White House plans to nominate a new chairman soon, a spokesman said. Jaczko said the negative headlines have not taken a toll on him or his family. “I’ve learned to separate and not take personally the kinds of things that people have said,” he said. “It’s rare in life to have the opportunities I’ve had as chairman and I relish every moment of it.

If that means being in the middle of some difficult issues with Congress, then that’s just part of the job and something I will continue to deal with,” he said.

ACCUSATIONS OVERSHADOW CHANGES Having cast himself as a reformer at

an agency where change typically happens at a glacial pace, Jaczko was long an irritant for the nuclear power industry, which fears the new regulations could drive up costs at the same time that cheap natural gas heightens competition. The head of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a lobby group, acknowledged in a statement that the industry had differences with Jaczko but wished him well and urged the White House to name a new chairman quickly. Republicans, with an eye to elections in November, were quick to cheer the departure of Jaczko, a Democrat, and also want a replacement soon.

“The only thing surprising about his resignation is the fact that the Obama administration has remained silent for more than a year after allegations of Jaczko’s offensive behavior surfaced,” said M itch McConnell, Republican leader in the US Senate.

The selection of a replacement could happen in tandem with the reconfirmation of a Republican commissioner, Kristine Svinicki, whose term expires next month. Jaczko’s replacement likely will be someone more open to “consensus building,” said Ed Batts, a partner at law firm DLA Piper. “It would seem likely that his successor ... will be from a more conventional background, either a technocrat or academic, and perhaps less of a dynamic personality,” Batts said.

DECENT GUY BUT TOO DIRECT Jaczko got his start in Washington as a young, socially conscious physicist helping his then-boss Harry Reid, now Senate majority leader, block a plan to store radioactive waste under Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. Jaczko, a

Democrat, had served at the NRC for almost eight years, and was appointed to the chairman role by President Barack Obama. “He was a decent guy but he was too direct,” said Najmedin Meshkati, an engineering professor at the University of Southern California.

Gregory B Jaczko “ To r u n t h e N R C h e n e e d e d to b e much more diplomatic, much more circumspect.” The resignation comes as the nuclear agency overhauls safety r u l e s fo r t h e n a t i o n’s 1 0 4 n u c l e a r plants, owned by companies such as E xe l o n a n d E n te rg y Co r p. I t a l s o recently approved licenses for the first new US plants in more than 30 years, ow n e d by S o u t h e r n Co a n d S c a n a Corp.

Jaczko cast the lone dissenting vote against the new licenses, drawing ire from the industry and Republicans.

UNCOMFORTABLE HEARINGS The four other commissioners at the NRC - two Democrats and two Republicans - took the unprecedented step last year of complaining to the White House about Jaczko.

Uncomfortable congressional hearings followed with the commissioners detailing their concerns and Republicans grilling Jaczko. At the time, Bill Daley, then White House chief of staff, expressed his support for Jaczko and urged the commissioners to get along, perhaps with help from a mediator.

But the rancor did not fade.

Republicans helped revive the story when the White House was slow to renominate Svinicki this spring. House Republicans had a hearing planned for next week expected to focus on Jaczko’s tactics. The inner turmoil at the NRC first attracted public scrutiny a year ago when the agency’s inspector general, an internal watchdog, released a report that described Jaczko as someone who often lost his temper and used threats and intimidation to try to get his way.

The NRC’s inspector general is expected to release a follow-up report about Jaczko’s leadership style soon, although the timing and content of the report is not clear. Jaczko said he had not seen the report and said he would not see it until it is final. Jaczko’s defenders said the accusations have been amplified by opponents to distract the agency from its reforms. “These attempts to make a slender, balding particle physicist appear to be careening about the NRC like Mike Tyson with Evander Holyfield’s ear in his teeth were always complete nonsense,” said Peter Bradford, an adjunct professor at Vermont Law School and a former NRC commissioner. — Reuters

Who will drones target?

Chen revives debate on US influence in China

CHICAGO: Partner of President Hollande, First Lady Valerie Trierweiler (right) and US First Lady Michelle Obama smile during a tour of the Gary Corner Youth Center in Chicago. — AFP

WASHINGTON: The United States has achieved a rare human rights breakthrough with China by negotiating the departure of dissident Chen Guangcheng, but few are ready to predict that the case will set a precedent.

The dramatic case has revived debate over what influence the United States holds on human rights with China’s increasingly confident leadership, which in recent years has ended a practice of freeing dissidents as goodwill gestures.

Chen, a self-taught lawyer subjected to years of jail and house arrest for exposing forced abortions and sterilizations, arrived in New York Saturday, capping weeks of crisis between the world’s two largest economies. The 40-year-old last month pulled off an escape worthy of Hollywood. Despite being blind, he scaled walls in the dead of night as a getaway car took him from eastern Shandong province to the safety of the US embassy in Beijing.

Hours after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived for previously scheduled talks, US officials escorted Chen to a hospital and said China had assured that he would be allowed to join his family and study in a safe place. Some US administration officials privately believed they had reached a historic achievement that could serve as a template for future rights cases as Beijing had negotiated over the conditions of a citizen on Chinese soil. — AFP

Michelle Obama gives France’s first lady tips CHICAGO: France’s new first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, Monday said she had been given some precious tips on her new role by Michelle Obama, as she eyed a future as an ambassador for equality. “What interests me, is the beginning, the children, equal opportunity,” she told reporters after a visit to a French school in Chicago, where NATO leaders held a summit. “There is an expectation and we are getting huge amounts of letters from associations. I’ll look into it, little by little.”

Trierweiler, who has raised eyebrows as she is not married to new French President Francois Hollande although the couple have been together since 2007, confirmed she did not intend to give up her career.

A twice-divorced 47-year-old journalist and mother of three teenagers she plans to continue her media career and combine it with her first lady role. “I’ve given up being a political journalist, so that’s done, but I am still counting on carrying on,” she said Monday.

Trierweiler also said that she had been impressed by her first meeting with America’s First Lady Michelle Obama, who welcomed her to the White House with the other spouses of the G8 leaders. “She is really one of the people who has impressed me the most in my life,” Trierweiler said. “She has incredible presence, and an amazing charisma. She could also launch a political career,” she added, thanking Obama for her “warm welcome” and “her precious advice” on the role of the first lady. — AFP

WASHINGTON: White House counterterror chief John Brennan has seized the lead in guiding the debate on which terror leaders will be targeted for drone attacks or raids, establishing a new procedure to vet both military and CIA targets. The move concentrates power over the use of lethal US force outside war zones at the White House.

The process, which is about a month old, means Brennan’s staff consults the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies as to who should go on the list, making a previous militaryrun review process in place since 2009 less relevant, according to two current and three former US officials aware of the evolution in how the government targets terrorists.

In describing Brennan’s arrangement to The Associated Press, the officials provided the first detailed description of the military’s previous review process that set a schedule for killing or capturing terror leaders around the Arab world and beyond. They spoke on condition of anonymity because US officials are not allowed to publicly describe the classified targeting program. One senior administration official argues that Brennan’s move adds another layer of review that augments rather than detracts from the Pentagon’s role.

The official says that in fact there will be more people at the table making the decisions, including representatives from every agency involved in counterterrorism, before they are reviewed by

WASHINGTON: White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan speaks in Washington. — AP

senior officials and ultimately the president. The CIA’s process remains unchanged, but never included the large number of interagency players the Pentagon brought to the table for its debates. And the move gives Brennan greater input earlier in the process, before senior officials make the final recommendation to President Barack Obama.

Officials outside the White House expressed concern that drawing more of the decision-making process to Brennan’s office could turn it into a pseudo military headquarters, entrusting the fate of Al-Qaeda targets to a small number of senior officials. Previously, targets were first discussed in meetings run by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen at the time, with Brennan being just one of the voices in the debate. The new Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen Martin Dempsey, has been more focused on shrinking the US military as the Afghan war winds down and less on the covert wars overseas. With Dempsey less involved, Brennan believed there was an even greater need to draw together different agencies’ viewpoints, showing the American public that Al-Qaeda targets are chosen only after painstaking and exhaustive debate, the senior administration official said.

But some of the officials carrying out the policy are equally leery of “how easy it has become to kill someone,” one said.

The US is targeting Al-Qaeda operatives for reasons such as being heard in an intercepted conversation plotting to attack a US ambassador overseas, the official said. Stateside, that conversation could trigger an investigation by the Secret Service or FBI. Defense Department spokesman George Little said the department was “entirely comfortable with the process by which American counterterrorism operations are managed. The CIA did not respond to a request for comment.

Drone strikes are highly controversial in Pakistan, too. Obama met briefly on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago on Monday with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Pakistan has closed key transit routes used by NATO to send supplies to troops in Afghanistan in response to a US airstrike that killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers. — AP

12

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

international

Troubles continue for Myanmar’s Rohingya minority KLANG: For five years, Abdul Rahim Abdul Hashim was repeatedly pressganged into forced labor at a Myanmar military camp, until the ethnic Rohingya teenager could take no more. Abdul Rahim crossed the border into neighboring Bangladesh late last year and secured passage on a rickety boat for the perilous 3,200-kilometre sea voyage to Malaysia. “I could not stay (in Myanmar) anymore. We could not go to school, I could not get any job,” said Abdul Rahim, 18, of the plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority that alleges particularly acute repression under Myanmar’s government.

The newly civilian government’s moves to relax decades of military rule have been hailed worldwide and provided hope of a new era for majority Burmese and ethnic minorities who have long claimed oppression. But refugees and activists say initial optimism is fading among many Rohingyawhom the United Nations calls one of the world’s most persecuted minoritiesas repressive practices have continued and an exodus abroad shows no sign of abating. “I don’t want to go back. There will be no change,” Abdul Rahim said in the Rohingya language through a translator.

Myanmar has an estimated 750,000 Rohingya, according to the United Nations, mainly in the western coastal state of Rakhine bordering Bangladesh.

Another one million or more are believed to already live in exile in other countries. A Muslim minority in mainly Buddhist Myanmar who speak a Bengali dialect, Rohingyas claim decades of per-

tively stateless. “There is no change at the moment. The Rohingya still see no future,” said Chris Lewa, director of Bangkok-based The Arakan Project, an advocacy group monitoring the

KUALA LUMPUR: Ethnic Rohingya refugees from Myanmar get ready for an afternoon prayer inside their community school in Klang. —AFP secution by a government that they say views them with suspicion.

Activists say forced labour is common and Rohingyas face discriminatory practices including travel restrictions, limits on family size, and a refusal to issue them passports that leaves them effec-

Rohingya. An estimated 7,000 Rohingya, some from exile in Bangladesh but also directly from Myanmar, risked the voyage to Malaysia since October, she said.

Many still flee to Bangladesh but Muslim Malaysia has steadily become a magnet due to its more developed

economy and because authorities have closed one eye to illegal migration in recent years due to a need for cheap labor. Malaysia has an estimated two million illegal migrants, most seeking economic opportunities, but the UN refugee agency said there also are about 97,000 legitimate refugees fleeing persecution or other hardship, mostly from Myanmar and including 23,000 Rohingya. “The new destination country is Malaysia. This year it could be more than ever coming here,” Lewa said. Once in Malaysia, Rohingya remain vulnerable to harassment and have limited access to services such as health care.

Lewa said Myanmar invited Rohingya to vote, stand as candidates and form political parties in 2010 elections, but adds that a corresponding offer of possible citizenship never materialised, crushing the hopes of many. “While the new government has engaged in a series of reforms toward democratization, there has been no real progress for the Rohingya, no change at the policy level and very little on the ground,” Lewa said. “Forced labor, marriage restrictions, restrictions on movement and arbitrary arrests continue.”

Abdul Rahim embarked on the dangerous journey south along the Myanmar, Thai and Malaysian coasts with two dozen others aboard a small boat in Bangladesh. “I was very scared,” he said.

Philippines’ top judge testifies at Senate trial Emotional Corono rejects Aquino’s conspiracy MANILA: The Philippines’ top judge denied he was a crook as he testified at his own trial yesterday, denouncing his impeachment as an illegal conspiracy orchestrated by President Benigno Aquino. Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corono, accused of graft and of protecting tainted former president Gloria Arroyo, repeatedly broke down in his three-hour testimony which was interrupted with a dramatic walkout. “I did not steal a single centavo from the government,” the 63-year-old said. He also signed a conditional document that he said would authorize his bankers to release details of his bank accounts to public scrutiny, but only if all the legislators who had impeached him would also sign a similar waiver.

Aquino, who won a landslide election victory in 2010 on a platform to end corruption, has said driving Corona from office would be a crucial step in cleaning up the government and ridding the coun-

try of pervasive corruption. Prosecutors have alleged Corona failed to declare up to $12 million in bank accounts and blocked Aquino’s efforts to prosecute Arroyo for corruption. Corona’s lawyers had earlier said he did not need to take the stand, but changed their minds after Ombudsman Conchita Morales disclosed documents on his alleged 82 bank accounts that prosecutors described as a “smoking gun”.

Corona testified yesterday that he had been investing his salary since the start of his career in 1968, but that he has just four dollar and four peso bank accounts. He accused the prosecutors of fabricating evidence and said he was not under any obligation to disclose the bank deposits in his statement of assets and liabilities. The country’s foreign currency deposits law guaranteed their secrecy, he said, adding his peso accounts were “commingled funds” including money owned by relatives. Corona was impeached by the

House of Representatives, parliament’s lower chamber, in December, sending him for trial in the Senate, which began hearings in January.

The proceedings have gripped the nation for four months, with millions watching the drama live on T V. Prosecutors allege Corona lacked integrity, failed to declare his assets properly, and blocked Arroyo’s prosecution. They said his actions amounted to “culpable violation” of the constitution and betrayal of public trust. A guilty verdict on any of the three charges would lead to his removal from office. There is no appeal process and the government would then be able to pursue criminal charges against him over the alleged hidden wealth.

Prosecutors expect to finish quizzing Corona by Thursday, after which the 23 senators sitting as judges will adjourn before delivering a verdict. Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile said yesterday the decision could come as early as next

Monday. Aquino’s allies have said Arroyo planted Corona in the Supreme Court just before leaving office in 2010 as a rearguard action to protect herself from future criminal prosecutions. After ruling for nearly 10 years, Arroyo was arrested last year and charged with vote-rigging.

Corona alleged yesterday that his impeachment was a personal vendetta by “the landlord president” following a landmark Supreme Court verdict that would break up Hacienda Luisita, a giant sugar estate owned by the president’s clan.

Shortly before the Aquino-controlled House of Representatives voted to impeach Corona last year, the Supreme Court ruled 4,300 hectares, or most of the estate, must be subjected to land reform.

The 15-member court last month threw out an appeal by the clan to overturn the ruling and stop the farm being parceled out to its workers, leaving the Aquino government no option but to enforce the decision.—AFP

Syrian prisons are ‘slaughterhouses’ SANAA: Yemeni police cadets march during a military parade marking the 22nd anniversary of Yemen’s 1990 reunification in Sanaa yesterday. —AFP

Yemen marks National Day SANAA: Yemeni soldiers marched in a National Day parade yesterday, watched from behind a bullet-proof glass shield by the president, in a show of defiance one day after a bomber killed more than 90 troops in an attack on the ceremony’s rehearsal. A somber mood hung over the event, meant to celebrate the 1990 unification of north and south Yemen, but it passed off without any repeat of Monday’s bloodshed despite militant threats to carry out more attacks. The bombing, one of the deadliest in Yemen in recent years, was a setback to the Gulf state in its battle against Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda and heightened US concerns over a country in the front line of Washignton’s global war on militants. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its affiliate Ansar Al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) both claimed responsibility. Heavy security surrounded President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and senior civilian and military officials as they watched yesterday’s parade, which was moved from the scene of the attack at Sabaeen Square to the air force academy in Sanaa. Hadi, who took over after former President Ali Abdullah Saleh handed over power in November following months of protests against his 33-year rule, told victims’ families on Monday that the fight against Al-Qaeda would carry on undaunted. “The war on terrorism will continue until it is uprooted and annihilated completely, regardless of the sacrifices,” Hadi said, quoted by the state news agency. Patrols were stepped across the city and dozens of policemen were stationed at street intersections. Few people ventured out, partly due to the holiday and partly for fear of more attacks.

“We are sad for our comrades, but Al-Qaeda will not scare us,” said Khaled Al-Ansi, a soldier stationed at a street corner in central Sanaa.

“We will confront it and defeat it,” he added, fingers on the trigger of his gun. The huge explosion, carried out by a man in a military uniform in the middle of the tightly-packed parade rehearsal, killed more than 90 people and wounded at least 220, according to the Defense Ministry. One Yemeni investigator said preliminary findings suggested the bomber was a rogue soldier recruited by Al-Qaeda, who somehow evaded security checks. —Reuters

AMMAN: A prominent Palestinian writer who was jailed in Syria for nearly three weeks described the facilities as “human slaughterhouses,” saying security agents beat detainees with batons, crammed them into stinking cells and tied them to beds at night. Salameh Kaileh, 56, was arrested April 24 on suspicion of printing leaflets calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting a 15-month-old uprising against his rule. Kaileh’s story offers a rare inside glimpse into the conditions faced by detainees held by the country’s feared security services.

“It was hell on earth,” Kaileh told The Associated Press on Sunday, nearly a week after Syrian forces released him and deported him to Jordan. Speaking at his friend’s home in an Amman suburb, Kaileh had bluish-red bruises on his legs, which he said were the result of beatings with wooden batons that were studded with pins and nails. “I felt I was going to die under the brutal, savage and continuous beating of the interrogators, who tied me to ropes hung from the ceiling,” said Kaileh, a soft-spoken man with a shock of white hair who appeared frail, barely able to stand on his feet. Born in Birzeit, West Bank, Kaileh has suffered under the regime in Damascus before. He was imprisoned by the Syrian government in 1992 for eight years because of his alleged links to underground Syrian communist and leftist opposition groups. A well-known leftist, he has written books on subjects ranging from Marxism to Arab nationalism. This time, he was held in at least four detention centers after security forces arrested him at his home in Damascus, the Syrian capital where he’s lived for more than 30 years.

Kaileh denied printing the leaflets, which he said angered the regime because they read: “For Palestine to be free, Syria’s regime has to fall.” Syria often has touted its support of the Palestinian cause to boost its credentials as a bastion of Arab nationalism. Kaileh’s detention caused an outcry by Arab intellectuals, who called for his release and lashed out at Assad - whose crackdown has not spared other intellectuals and artists. Ali

Ferzat, a political cartoonist whose drawings expressed Syrians’ frustrated hopes for change, was beaten by masked gunmen as he left his Damascus studio last August. The assailants broke his hands and dumped him on a road outside Damascus.

A group of intellectuals and artists, including Syrian actress May Skaff, were rounded up and jailed for a week last summer after holding a protest in Damascus.

Recalling his arrest, Kaileh said Syrian intelligence stormed his house in an upscale Damascus district shortly after midnight.

“They handcuffed and blindfolded me, took

the chairman of the UN’s Committee Against Torture, said this month that the Syrian government has carried out widespread killings, torture in hospitals, detention centers and secret detention facilities, as well as torture of children and sexual torture of male detainees. Kaileh said he shared a cell with at least six army defectors and several doctors who had treated wounded civilians. At night, he said he heard other prisoners “cry and scream while they were beaten.” Days later, Kaileh said he was admitted to a government hospital to treat his leg wounds.

There, the conditions were “worse than

Intercepted by Thai authorities, they were detained in a jungle camp for several weeks and fed just once a day until Abdul Rahim and several others bribed their way out. They eventually made their way by bus and on foot to the Malaysian border. Those who make it must dodge Malaysian authorities while scraping out a meager living through manual labor. In a bare room in a residential neighborhood in Klang, a port town 30 kilometers west of the capital Kuala Lumpur, scores of young Rohingya men recounted their troubles back home as they sat together after an Islamic lesson.

Abdul Rahim said he was regularly snatched from his home to help build roads, cut down trees and perform other hard labor at the military camp. “In Myanmar we can never sleep. Now we can sleep here,” he said. Several of the men said they paid smugglers up to $1,000 for passage, yet now earn just 30 ringgit ($10) a day transporting boxes of produce at a local fishmarket.

Some harbor dim hopes of resettlement through the UN refugee agency to a third country such as the United States or Australia. But others embark on the even longer boat journey to Australia via Indonesia. “They have no hope. If they die (at sea), never mind.

(They may) find a better life,” said a Rohingya exile who only gave his name as Yahya. —AFP

News

in brief

‘Foreign trash’ tirade BEIJING: A well-known state television presenter’s call for China to kick out “foreign trash” and two highly publicized incidents of bad behavior by visitors have set off a heated debate on foreigners in China. The vitriolic comments posted online by Yang Rui, who presents a daily talk show in English on the state-run China Central Television network, have channeled into a growing controversy playing out on China’s popular microblogs. “The Public Security Bureau needs to clean out the foreign trash,” wrote Yang on his microblog, accusing expatriates of “engaging in human trafficking” and “spreading lies” about China. He made his comments after Beijing police last week launched a 100-day crackdown on foreigners working illegally in the capital, with posters showing a clenched fist and a phone line for residents to inform on visa violators. Yang urged police to focus on areas popular with expatriates in Beijing, and also welcomed the recent expulsion of Al Jazeera journalist Melissa Chan, which has been strongly condemned by rights organizations and by Washington.

China halts execution BEIJING: A 31-year-old Chinese entrepreneur who was once one of the nation’s wealthiest women has been spared the death penalty, an official said yesterday, after her case sparked a rare public outcry. Wu Ying, a hairdresser who built a business empire from scratch, had her sentence changed to death with a two-year reprieve Monday, the official said, a penalty that is almost always commuted to life in jail. “Wu Ying was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve,” said the official, an employee at the high court in Wu’s home province of Zhejiang in eastern China. In one of the most widely watched trials in recent years, Wu was sentenced to death in 2009 for swindling private investors out of about 380 million yuan ($60 million). Wu raised money by promising returns as high as 80 percent annually to investors, but then used the funds to repay other debts. She borrowed more than 700 million yuan from 2005 to 2007.

Her case attracted considerable sympathy from the Chinese public, which does not normally oppose the death sentence. In particular, there was a widespread feeling that because she was a private entrepreneur, the court dealt with her more harshly than if she had been a governmentemployed official.

Australia immigration program SYDNEY: Some 50 percent of Australians want an end to the nation’s immigration program because they believe the country has too many people, a poll showed yesterday. The survey of 2,000 people, conducted for the tabloid Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper, found 51 percent thought “our population is too high (and) we should stop immigration”.

Australia has some 23 million people, compared to 19.6 million a decade ago. Canberra set its immigration program for the year to June at 185,000 places, with another 13,750 slots available to refugees on humanitarian grounds. But in the poll only 32 percent of respondents felt Australia should welcome more immigrants and almost two thirds, some 65 percent, said “migrants should adopt the Australian way of life”. The responses revealed a marked swing away from the more tolerant attitudes of previous surveys conducted in 2005, 2001 and 1995, the newspaper said. Immigration expert Bob Birrell said fears over job security in the shaky global economy and local pressures on infrastructure were behind the shift in opinion.

North Korea ramps up work at nuke test site

AMMAN: Palestinian writer Salameh Kaileh shows some of his wounds, during an interview in Amman, Jordan. —AP my three laptops, cell phones and any shred of paper they could lay their hands on.” “I told them I had nothing to do with the leaflets, but the interrogators insisted that they had information I was distributing them and that I had printed them out,” he said. He said Syrian security wanted to intimidate him by being “disdainful to Palestine and the Palestinian people, cursing us and saying the Israelis were better than us.”

In one of the detention facilities in Mazeh - a Damascus suburb - Syrian security threatened they will “rape me and tape it to put the clip on the Internet,” he said. Rights groups have accused the Syrian government of torture of detainees. Claudio Grossman,

in the detention centers.” He said he was squeezed into a small room with 30 other prisoners, mostly activists who allegedly participated in anti-government protests.

“The room was barely enough to accommodate five people,” he said. “It was filled with body stench, dirt, urine and stool. Two people shared small beds and were tied to them, the food was lousy and we couldn’t eat properly because our hands and feet were handcuffed day and night.” “We were not allowed to go to the restroom,” he said.

“Still, we were beaten if we urinated in our sleep.” “The detention facilities I was taken to were human slaughterhouses,” Kaileh said.—AP

SEOUL: North Korea has ramped up work at its nuclear test site over the last month, according to an analysis of satellite images released yesterday, a day after the top US envoy for North Korea warned Pyongyang that an atomic test would unify the world in seeking swift, tough punishment. Glyn Davies’ comments after meetings Monday in Seoul with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts reflect widespread worry that North Korea may follow a failed April 13 long-range rocket test with its third nuclear test. Both of its previous nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009, followed rocket launches. Satellite images taken by DigitalGlobe and GeoEye in the past month show heightened activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea’s northeast, including mining carts, excavation equipment and a large amount of debris taken from inside a tunnel and piled around its entrance, James Hardy, IHS Jane’s Asia Pacific specialist, said in a statement yesterday. The most recent image was from May 9.

South Korean intelligence officials said last month that satellite images showed North Korea was digging a new tunnel in what appeared to be preparation for another nuclear test at the site. A new tunnel is likely needed because existing ones probably caved in and became contaminated with radioactive material after previous tests. North Korea is being led by Kim Jong Un, who took power in December following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. —Agencies

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

NEWS SpaceX blasts off to space ...

Continued from Page 1 The astronauts on board the ISS will maneuver the station’s robotic arm to help capture the capsule and attach it to the orbiting research outpost. The hatch of the Dragon is set to open on May 26 for unloading 521 kg of cargo for the space lab and restocking it with a 660-kg load to return to Earth. On May 31, the Dragon is to detach from the station and make a safe landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California.

SpaceX, owned by 40-year-old Musk, a billionaire who also co-founded PayPal, is the first of several US competitors to try sending spacecraft to the ISS with the goal of restoring US access to space for human travelers by 2015. “We are really at the dawn of a new era of space exploration, one where there is a much bigger role for commercial space companies,” Musk said, likening the space effort to the expansion of the Internet in the mid 1990s. “The Internet was created as a government endeavor but then the introduction of commercial companies really accelerated the growth of the Internet and made it accessible to the mainstream,” he added. “I think we are actually at that stage and the success of this mission - even what we have seen thus far - I think bodes well for that new stage of space exploration.”

The company successfully testlaunched its Falcon 9 rocket in June 2010,

then made history with its Dragon launch in December of that year, becoming the first commercial outfit to send a spacecraft into orbit and back. Its reusable Dragon capsule has been built to carry both cargo and up to seven crew members. “Every launch into space is a thrilling event, but this one is especially exciting,” said John Holdren, President Barack Obama’s assistant for science and technology. NASA administrator Charles Bolden congratulated SpaceX for opening “a new era in exploration”. “We’re handing off to the private sector our transportation to the International Space Station so that NASA can focus on what we do best - exploring even deeper into our solar system, with missions to an asteroid and Mars on the horizon.”

Until now, only the space agencies of Russia, Japan and Europe have been able to send supply ships to the ISS. The threedecade US shuttle program, which ferried astronauts and cargo to the research outpost, ended in 2011, leaving Russia as the sole taxi to the ISS until private industry comes up with a replacement. SpaceX and a handful of other companies are being helped in their endeavors with seed money from NASA to build cargo and crew capability. SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the ISS with cargo in the coming years.

Orbital Sciences has a $1.9 billion contract and is scheduled for its first launch attempt later this year. — AFP

Dubai expat prisoners on...

Continued from Page 1 the hunger strike and was monitoring the situation.

The strikers jailed for bouncing cheques want their cases reviewed, sentences reconsidered and to be released. Lebanese prisoner Tarek Saleh, reading a statement from the protesters, said 16 men had stopped taking solid food for more than 20 days and would stop taking all fluids and medication unless they won a review of their cases. Post-dated cheques are frequently used as a guarantee by busi-

nesses, banks and individuals in the UAE for everything from apartment rentals to multi-billion dollar deals.

Lawyers say the cases highlight the need for financial and legal reforms in a country that has no bankruptcy law to protec t debtors. Many call for the decriminalisation of bounced cheques.

“The government should not be responsible for being a debt collector,” said Habib Al-Mulla, a prominent UAE lawyer.

“But the problem is that this system is rooted in society. To change this you have to find an alternative. Until today there is no other alternative.” — Reuters

Bahrain hunger striker in court...

Continued from Page 1 Abdulwahab Hussein, who leads the Shiite Wafa Islamic Movement and was among those jailed for life, reiterated at the court his demand for “a republic in Bahrain”.

Yesterday’s hearing was attended by Western diplomats and family members of the detainees. The next hearing was set for May 29. Bahrain has repeatedly come under pressure from rights groups as well as Western governments to release Khawaja. The United Nations on Monday urged Bahrain to release its political prisoners, including prominent rights activist Nabeel Rajab who is charged with tweeting insults against the government, as well as Khawaja.

At the meeting in Geneva of the UN

Human Rights Council, France requested a “humanitarian response” for the dissident and Denmark said he should be released for treatment. Another court in Manama adjourned on Monday the hearing in Rajab’s trial over another charge - taking part in “illegal” gatherings - to May 28.

Rajab, who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was brought to court yesterday handcuffed and accompanied by two guards, according to an AFP journalist.

He has been leading anti-government protests following a brutal crackdown on Shiite-led demonstrations against the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty in March 2011.

London-based rights group Amnesty International says 60 people have been killed since the uprising began in midFebruary last year. — AFP

Govt walks out over joint...

Continued from Page 1 At the start of the session yesterday, Barrak informed the house of his decision to withdraw and of the decision to merge the two grillings. The finance minister however rejected the move and said he was prepared to debate the two grillings separately, adding that he was prepared to refute all the allegations. At this point, the Assembly got involved in a legal debate on whether the two grillings can be merged or not based on an article in the internal charter and almost all MPs spoke.

There were two opinions, the first backed by the government and its supporters among MPs that insisted that it was illegal to merge the two grillings because they were not on identical issues as the internal charter requires. The other group, consisting of the opposition, insisted that the same article in the internal charter allows for merging the two grillings because they were against the same minister and tackled similar issues, adding that the issue should be referred to the Assembly for voting.

As Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun decided to refer the issue for voting, the prime minister stood and insisted that this was an act of imposing the will of the majority and a clear violation of the law, warning that if the Assembly was to vote on the issue, the government will walk out of the session. The prime minister followed by other ministers carried out the warning and left the session, which forced the speaker to adjourn the house because under Kuwaiti law, parliamentary sessions are illegal without the presence of at least one minister.

The government went immediately into an emergency meeting as did the opposition, who later issued statements insisting on their respective positions, putting the country on course for the first real showdown between the government and the opposition. The opposition

said in its statement that what happened in the Assembly yesterday was another attempt by the government and certain quarters to lead to dissolve the Assembly for fear of the results of an ambitious reform program and the outcome of investigations into a number of corruption scandals.

The opposition said in the statement that it will not change its position on the merger of the two grilling, saying that in case of a dispute, the issue must be resolved through voting. It also called on the government to attend today’s session and accept the debate of the grilling against the finance minister. Several opposition lawmakers also accused the government of deliberately attempting to create a political crisis in the country, saying that the prime minister and two other ministers faced grillings they charged were unconstitutional because they came from pro-government MPs, and now when they faced the first real grilling, they created this problem.

On its part, the government insisted that it will continue its policy of cooperating with the Assembly but this will not come at the expense of laws and the constitution. The statement added that it was illegal to merge the two grillings and that was the only reason the finance minister rejected the debate. A number of pro-government MPs including Hussein Al-Qallaf and Faisal Al-Duwaisan called for dissolving the Assembly as the only solution to the ongoing political crisis in the country.

But Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah denied that the government plans to recommend dissolving the Assembly or expressing non-cooperation with MPs which could force HH the Amir to dismiss the Cabinet or dissolve the Assembly.

The events in today’s session will determine the course of action in the political dispute and to what extent the crisis can develop.

TOKYO: This combo picture taken on (left to right) Oct 13, 2009, April 14, 2010, Aug 17, 2010, Dec 1, 2010 and May 16, 2012 shows the construction progression of the world’s tallest radio tower, the Tokyo Sky Tree. — AFP

Glitch mars tallest tower opening TOKYO: Strong winds forced the operators of the Tokyo Skytree, the world’s tallest tower, to shut down its lifts on its opening day yesterday, leaving some visitors stranded on a 450-metrehigh observation deck. Tens of thousands of people had flocked to the 634-m tower as the Japanese capital’s newest attraction opened to the public for the first time, hoping to catch the spectacular views from the top. The glitch occurred at around 6 pm, when the attraction’s operators decided to shut down two lifts linking an observation deck at 350 m with another at 450 m for around 30 minutes due to safety concerns.

Skytree spokeswoman Maki Yamazaki was unable to say how many of the tens of thousands of visitors were affected by the closure, adding that all were later able to return to the lower level once the lift service resumed. Rainy weather also put a damper on the proceedings, with visitors saying they were unable to enjoy the tower’s far-stretching views. “I have long been looking forward to coming here,” said Ayumi Nakazawa, who won tickets to the opening ceremony of the tower, which ranks as the world’s second-tallest structure. “I can’t see the view (because of the rain), but it was exciting,” Nakazawa told reporters after becoming the

first official visitor to the observation deck.

Japan’s hard-hit tourism sector is hoping the tower will boost the number of visitors from abroad after figures plummeted in the wake of Japan’s quake-tsunami disaster last year. The disaster, which sparked the worst nuclear crisis in a generation, saw the number of visitors to Japan fall 27.8 percent from the previous year to 6.22 million, according to the Japan National Tourist Organisation. Amid safety concerns, the tower’s operator said Tokyo Skytree was equipped with state-of-art technology to counter the earth tremors that regularly shake Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active nations.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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Issues

In India, supply bottlenecks no small potatoes

By Manoj Kumar uried in recent monthly data for wholesale prices in India, the wild gyrations of a humble vegetable tell the tale of an economy trapped in inflation by its own rigidities. Back in December, after a bumper harvest of potatoes, furious farmers dumped tonnes of their crop on roads in protest over a crash in prices: four months later, the annual wholesale inflation rate of the potato is galloping at 53 percent. In street markets and on the handcarts of vegetable hawkers, the rise has been even steeper, a shock for millions of Indians who lay their tables each day with curries made of onions, tomatoes, lentils and “aloo”, or potatoes.

“We used to buy whatever vegetables we liked, but now we always have to check the prices,” says Maninder Kaur, shopping with her family at a market in Jalandhar, in the northwestern state of Punjab, where a kilogram of potatoes that cost 4-5 rupees (8-10 US cents) at the beginning of the year is now up to four times more expensive.

Meanwhile, onions are selling for about a fifth of the price they were at the end of last year and the price of tomatoes rose 33 percent in April alone. Such erratic prices for perishable goods are routine in India, partly because the majority of farms depend on the variable monsoon for rains. However, they are also due to inadequate cold storage facilities and transport bottlenecks - that together cause up to 40 percent of the country’s food harvests to rot before they get to market - and a primitive distribution network in which many layers of middlemen take cuts, forcing prices higher.

“The storage and the distribution networks are not getting better, so whenever there is even a small supply shock or a small demand shock prices are going haywire,” said Samiran Chakraborty, chief economist at Standard Chartered in Mumbai. “It has become structural in nature, and this is precisely why everybody is calling for supply-side reforms.”

Inflation was stuck close to a double-digit clip last year, forcing the central bank to keep monetary policy tight despite a slowdown in India’s stellar economic growth. Although headline inflation has eased to about 7 percent, the Reserve Bank of India rarely misses an opportunity to remind the government that interest rates have limited impact and only policies to tackle structural shackles on the flow of goods will knock inflation on the head.

There was a brief chance last December to sort out the distribution system, which for agricultural goods is deeply fragmented by a decades-old marketing act that prevents large retailing companies from buying produce directly from farmers. But, hemmed in by coalition allies with an aversion to free market reform, the government was forced into a U-turn on plans to open up the retail sector to global chains like Wal-Mart and Carrefour. “The current marketing system has been in existence for more than 60 years, neither benefitting the farmer nor the consumer,” said N R Bhanumurthy, an economist at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, a Delhi-based think tank. “We need competition and an alternative business model ... where retailers can buy directly from the farmers and eliminate the middlemen,” he said.

Take the “aloo”, which is passed from farmer to middleman after middleman and then to the final vendor like a hot potato, climbing in price at every stage. In Punjab, a potato-growing state, big trading firms bought more than 80 percent of the crop from farmers at the end of last year for 3,500-4,000 rupees ($66-76) a tonne and put their purchases in storage. Then, in the new year, as supplies tightened, they drip-fed wholesale markets, auctioning their stock off at 7,000-8,000 rupees ($133-152) per tonne, a mark-up of more than 60 percent after their transport and storage costs.

At this point “commission agents” make a 5 percent charge, and the government levies 4 percent in auction tax. The auction buyers sell for a 20-30 percent profit to intermediate wholesalers, who take a similar cut and pass the potatoes on to final vendors in the streets and neighbourhood shops. At the end of the chain, potatoes that were sold at the farm gate for 3-4 rupees per kg reach the market at 15-20 rupees. The story is the same for many farm products. Neeraj Kumar, a commission agent in Jalandhar town, says garlic bought some 2,500 km away in the state of Assam at 3-4 rupees/kg can soar to 30 rupees within hours of being unloaded.—Reuters

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

Rifts widen in Syrian opposition

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis power struggle within Syria’s main opposition group is pitting Islamists against secular politicians and exiled leaders against activists at home, further undermining its claim to be an alternative to President Bashar Al-Assad. Fourteen months into an uprising, the squabbling in the Syrian National Council makes it even less likely to be able to win international recognition or to get more than halfhearted foreign support against Assad. On the ground, the council shows no sign of exterting control as grassroots activists organise protests themselves and rebel fighters operate under nobody’s orders but their own.

More than anything, critics say, the disarray within the opposition mirrors the chaos of Syria itself.”You have a classic situation in the SNC, not much different from the four-decade old totalitarian Assad family rule the uprising aims to topple,” said veteran opposition figure Fawaz Tello. The internal conflicts have come to a head over the position of Burhan Ghalioun, who offered to step down as leader of the 313-member council last week if a replacement can be found - not that there is guarantee one will be.

Some critics brand the 67-year-old liberal sociologist a stooge of the Islamist Muslim Brotherood and say he was chosen because he would attract Western support. Some criticise him for monopolising the position of council leader, which is meant to rotate every three months. Others fault him for failing to back the armed rebellion against Assad. “Burhan Ghalioun: the Syrian National Council is dying...

We accept your resignation,” read placards at an anti-Assad rally in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Friday. There are signs that foreign patience with the council is running thin too. That does not bode well for the opposition’s chances of getting diplomatic or military support.

The Western and Arab countries which recognised Libyan rebels within weeks of them taking up arms against Muammar Gaddafi are still holding back when it comes to Syria. A military source in France, one of Assad’s most vocal opponents, said the oppposition needed to be better organised. “We don’t have that and now it’s playing into the hands of Islamist groups and making it even more difficult for the opposition to organise itself,” the French source said. The first step is sorting out the leadership position

A

and the Islamists who dominate the council say they are trying to convince Ghalioun to stay on.

“If he insists on leaving it will be time to convene the whole council and choose a new leadership on every level,” said Mulhem Droubi, a high-level Muslim Brotherhood official.

Ghalioun is well-connected with France and with Qatar so may still be as close as possible to a consensus figure.

But counting against Ghalioun is opposition from inside Syria because of his scepticism over armed resistance by majority Sunni Muslims to the rule of Assad, who is from the minority Alawite sect. “The rift between the SNC and those inside is growing,” said Yasser Saadeldine, an opposition leaning commentator living in the Gulf. “Ghalioun lacks charisma and he has not embraced armed struggle after Assad killed

thousands of his peaceful opponents.” A senior member of the Free Syrian Army rebel group said Ghalioun was not even “in the equation” but did acknowledge that the Islamists who support him were trying to build serious links with the rebels.

Another candidate for leader could be George Sabra, who came second to Ghalioun in the last leadership vote. Sabra is an ally of Syria’s top dissident Riad Al-Turk, an 81-year-old former leftist who spent 25 years as a political prisoner and operates underground inside Syria.

The Islamists might also put forward another candidate of their own.

But demands are growing for a more radical change than simply a new leader. “There is an elite in the SNC who have brought their own cohorts into the council. They will essentially re-

elect themselves unless the SNC is seriously restructured,” said Tello, jailed for five years after a brief period of openness in 200, when Assad inherited power from his father. Critics say the council needs to better articulate its policy on a UN and Arab League peace plan that envisages talks with the authorities on a transition, but not removing Assad’s family or dismantling the police state.

Some believe the council will fall apart if it does not undergo a radical overhaul. “The SNC is on the verge of collapse unless it becomes representative of the whole opposition,” said Rima Fleihan, a human rights campaigner who quit the SNC last year. “It needs to become democratic from A to Z. What is needed now is a broad opposition meeting to escape the vicious cycle of infighting and division.” — Reuters

Lebanon sucked into unrest

By Rana Moussaoui ebanon has fallen hostage to the conflict in neighbouring Syria following deadly sectarian clashes between the country’s pro- and anti-Damascus camps, experts say. “These incidents were a clear message that Lebanon could explode at any time,” said Ghassan Al-Azzi, political science professor at Lebanese University. “The country, which is divided between pro- and anti-Syrian camps, has become hostage to the crisis” he added. Simmering tension fuelled by the 14-month revolt in Syria has led to several clashes over the past year in the northern city of Tripoli between Sunni Muslims who back the uprising and Alawites who support the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.

That boiled over again in the port city after Shadi Al-Mawlawi, an anti-Syrian Islamist, was arrested on May 12 on charges of belonging to a terrorist organisation. Ten people were killed over several days as Sunnis and Alawites battled it out in two rival neighbourhoods.

Supporters of Mawlawi say he was targeted because he was helping Syrians fleeing the unrest in their country. Tension escalated further at the weekend and clashes reached the capital Beirut, leaving two dead, following the killing of two anti-Sunni clerics at an army checkpoint in the north.

Analysts say there is a direct link between events in Lebanon and mounting irritation in Damascus over Tripoli becoming a key base of support for rebels seeking to overthrow Assad. “Damascus now considers part of Lebanon as an enemy,” said Hilal Khashan, political science professor at the American University of Beirut. Syria’s UN envoy Bashar Jaafari last week accused some areas in Lebanon of “incubating” terrorist elements of Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. For its part, the United Nations has said it has information that arms are being smug-

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gled in both directions between Lebanon and Syria. Last month, Lebanese authorities seized a large consignment of Libyan weapons from a boat caught off the coast of Tripoli.

“Syria cannot tolerate the north becoming a strong base of support for the Syrian opposition,” said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Middle East Carnegie Center. “Obviously, Syria is putting pressure on its friends and allies in Lebanon to do something about it, which is causing tension and will cause tension.” The Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which plays a key role in the Lebanese government and is allied with Damascus, has so far stayed clear of the recent clashes in Tripoli and Beirut but accuses the opposition of transforming the country into a rear base for rebels seeking the overthrow of Assad.

In turn, the opposition accuses Damascus and its allies in Beirut of seeking to sow chaos in Lebanon to relieve the pressure on the Assad regime. Salem said the escalation of violence in Lebanon was a clear warning from Damascus to its tiny neighbour. “The message is if you want to do this, we can make life in Tripoli and the north quite bad and you are not going to get away with it for free,” he said. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army is also increasingly finding itself drawn into the conflict in Syria with many accusing it of being used as a pawn by Damascus. “There is an effort to create an atmosphere of tension in the north to invite the Lebanese army to take matters into their own hands, to prevent the use of the north against the regime in Damascus,” Khashan said. Also fresh in the minds of many Lebanese are sectarian clashes in 2008 that left some 100 people dead and brought the country close to civil war. Azzi said the recent violence linked to Syria was but a foretaste of what could be in store. “For now, the incidents we witnessed were merely tremors,” he said. “After that, we could witness strong quakes.” — AFP

Ghosts of ethnic strife haunt Ghana vote

By Kwasi Kpodo hen Ghanaian parliamentary hopeful Ursula Owusu toured the capital Accra to watch voters register for December’s elections, events took a turn for the worse at one of the downtown markets she visited. “I heard people saying ‘leave this place, leave this place, what are you doing here? ...

The next thing I knew was pah, pah - slaps from behind,” said Owusu, a candidate for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Pointing to a cut on her face, Owusu alleges she and her team were set upon by around 20 “heavily built men” wielding broken bottles and hurling stones. She said she took shelter in a local shop until NPP security guards came to rescue her.

The incident last month was the latest in a series of stand-offs between rival groups that highlight the tensions simmering within a country hailed by Barack Obama as a model of African democracy. Some fear they could taint Ghana’s image as one of the continent’s investment hotspots. Ghana has seen democratic elections decide its leadership no fewer than four times since the last military coup in 1981, a rare feat in a region where power is still just as often determined by the bullet as by the ballot.

This time, President John Atta Mills will bid for a second term in December polls. His National Democratic Congress (NDC) will also take on its arch-foe the NPP for control of the national parliament and the job of ensuring the West African country makes the most of its 2010 debut as an oil exporter. Ghana’s politics

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are, by the standards of neighbours such as Ivory Coast or Nigeria, dull. But at election time, the ethnic roots of the two main parties creep out into the open - as they did with disturbances that marked Mills’ poll win in 2008.

Owusu says she was taking a keen interest in voter registration after hearing reports that locals with names linking them to the Akan ethnic group were being prevented from signing up in the central Accra district of Odododiodioo. The Akans have ties with the central Ashanti region that is the stronghold of support for the NPP - creating the basis of a political rivalry with Accra’s Ga community and the Ewes of the eastern Volta region from which the NDC draws much support.

Owusu’s allegation that her attackers were NDC supporters is unproven - the party denies it - as are the accusations of her rivals that she visited the market simply to stir up trouble. But whatever the truth of the incident, it has only strained the atmosphere further. “We’re declaring war in Ghana today,” Kennedy Agyapong, a firebrand deputy for the NPP, declared on his private radio station a few days after the Owusu episode. “They started it in Accra, We’ll start it in Ashanti,” he said, calling on Ashanti locals to “beat and slash” Ewes and attack any Gas who had settled there. Agyapong was arrested and now faces preliminary charges of treason over his outburst.

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (Codeo), which deployed more than 600 observers to watch the registration process, said one stand-off in an Accra suburb

involved rival gangs brandishing machetes and clubs. Isolated cases of violence were reported in the Ashanti city of Kumasi 250 km north.

“There were heated confrontations as a result of direct interference in the process by political activists, particularly aspiring parliamentary candidates, who have no business to be at the centres in the first place,” said Codeo’s John Larvie.

Preliminary data showed 12.75 million voters registered in all, compared to 12.4 million on the list used for the 2008 elections. While most Ghanaians have accepted the figures, some members of the two leading parties are still disputing them. Many observers remain confident that, just as in 2008, Ghana will manage to put the genie of ethnic rivalry back in the bottle and so avoid the fate of countries such as Kenya, whose 2007 polls led to an explosion of deadly communal violence.

But Ghana has had its share of bloodshed in the past - for example in 1994 when the escalation of a feud between northern tribes led to 5,000 deaths - and some say the strong ethnic card in politics means an ever-present potential for trouble. “The ethnic undertones ... could degenerate into ethnic conflicts if politicians continue to whip up ethno-centrism,” said Theophilus Richardson, a policy analyst and lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

Richardson said a failure to keep a lid on the tensions in the coming months could tarnish Ghana’s attraction to investors who, according to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre,

doubled foreign inflows to $1.2 billion last year.

They have already been unnerved by the 15percent dive of the local cedi currency since the start of the year to record lows around 1.90 to the dollar as the rapidly expanding domestic economy sucks in imports.

Religious leaders, traditional rulers and civil society groups have urged the country’s politicians to tone down their rhetoric and some radio and television stations have threatened to ban the worst offenders from the airwaves.

“We should avoid unethical and sensational reportage, especially at this times, and most importantly ensure no politician uses us to fuel reprisal attacks,” said Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association.

But ultimately, as in 2008, it will have to be the leaders of the two main parties who must call their troops to order. So far, civil society groups say they have been unconvincing.

NPP presidential candidate Nana AkufoAddo has said he himself will not play the card but has not clearly condemned the calls to racial violence of the firebrand Agyapong. Mills has made an appeal for calm, but observers such as Kojo Asante of the Centre for Democratic Development think tank say political leaders must come out more firmly still to encourage police to deal firmly with acts of intimidation. “We are now at a point that we have to draw the line because the protagonists are not doing it out of ignorance,” he said. “It’s very clear the parties are not prepared to play by the rules - they want to use force to guarantee their desires.”— Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

sp orts Vlasic doubtful for Olympics

Gabriel out of England tour

Bolt eyes 9.7 at Ostrava

SPLIT: Blanka Vlasic, one of the world’s best high jumpers, may miss the London Olympics because of health problems, the Croatian said on Tuesday. The 28-year old Vlasic, who holds the second best jump of all time with 2.08 metres, has had surgery on her left ankle and heel this year, but the recovery was complicated by a prolonged bacterial infection. “This whole season, particularly London, is in question. I will make my decision a day before the Olympics,” Vlasic told reporters in her native city of Split on the Adriatic coast.

Vlasic has had a history of health problems, culminating in thyroid surgery which sidelined her for most of 2005. She recovered to win gold at the 2007 world championships and she took silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Vlasic, world champion again in 2009, finished second at last year’s world championships in South Korea after struggling with a knee injury and poor form for most of the season.

“I don’t want to go to London and jump 1.90 or 1.95. — Reuters

LONDON: West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took four wickets on his debut in the first test against England, will miss the remainder of the series after suffering a back injury, the West Indies Cricket Board said in a statement.

“Shannon made the complaint late in the first test against England and scans conducted following the match showed a stress reaction in the lower spine,” West Indies team physiotherapist C.J. Clark said yesterday.

“He was subsequently ruled out of the second test and, after further consultation, we feel that to prevent this injury developing any further it is in Shannon’s best interest for him to return to Trinidad & Tobago for rest and rehabilitation to ensure he is fully fit when selected for West Indies in the future.”

Tino Best, who has played 14 tests and 12 one-day internationals, has been called up as replacement. Best last represented West Indies in 2009.

The second test starts at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Friday. England won the first test by five wickets at Lord’s on Monday. —Reuters

PRAGUE: Olympic champion Usain Bolt hopes to clock 9.7 seconds in the 100 metres at the Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic on Friday as he continues his preparations for the London Games. Arriving in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava, Bolt said on Tuesday he was happy with his season start but wanted to improve on the 9.82 he set in his sole race this year in Kingston on May 5. “I think I am in a great shape. My coach is very happy with where I am at, and I am very happy with it also,” he told reporters.

“So I’m definitely going out there to run, probably 9.7 would be good for me.”

Bolt owns thev world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100, as well as world records in the 200 and 4x100 relay.

He won gold in 100, 200 and 4x100 relay races at the Beijing Games in 2008 and is hungry for more success in London this year. “I definitely want to improve on my last Olympic Games. Run fast, win more golds,” he said. — Reuters

MLB results/standings Boston 8, Baltimore 6; Kansas City 6, NY Yankees 0; Washington 2, Philadelphia 1; Pittsburgh 5, NY Mets 4; Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 2; Miami 7, Colorado 4; Cincinnati 4, Atlanta 1; Houston 8, Chicago Cubs 4; San Francisco 4, Milwaukee 3 (14 innings); St. Louis 4, San Diego 3; LA Dodgers 6, Arizona 1; Oakland 2, LA Angels 1; Seattle 6, Texas 1.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT 27 16 .628 Baltimore Tampa Bay 25 18 .581 Toronto 24 19 .558 NY Yankees 21 21 .500 Boston 21 21 .500 Central Division Cleveland 23 18 .561 .500 C’ White Sox 21 21 Detroit 20 21 .488 Kansas City 17 24 .415 Minnesota 14 27 .341 Western Division Texas 26 17 .605 22 21 .512 Oakland Seattle 20 24 .455 LA Angels 18 25 .419

GB 2 3 5.5 5.5 2.5 3 6 9 4 6.5 8

National League Eastern Division Atlanta 26 17 .605 .595 0.5 Washington 25 17 Miami 23 19 .548 2.5 NY Mets 22 20 .524 3.5 Philadelphia 21 22 .488 5 Central Division St. Louis 23 19 .548 22 19 .537 0.5 Cincinnati Pittsburgh 20 22 .476 3 Houston 19 23 .452 4 Milwaukee 17 25 .405 6 Chicago Cubs 15 27 .357 8 Western Division LA Dodgers 29 13 .690 .524 7 San Francisco 22 20 Arizona 19 24 .442 10.5 San Diego 16 27 .372 13.5 Colorado 15 26 .366 13.5

Dodgers roll over D’backs PHOENIX: Los Angeles’ Matt Treanor, Andre Ethier and James Loney all homered to lead the Dodgers to a 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday and their fifth straight win.

Ethier’s solo home run in the seventh and raised his National League-best RBI total to 38. Loney added a two-run homer deep in the eighth. It came one pitch after Justin Sellers’ first career triple brought in the Dodgers’ fourth run.

Los Angeles starter Chris Capuano (61) allowed one run in six innings, striking out five and walking one. Treanor gave him all the support he needed with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot off Patrick Corbin (2-3) in the second. The Diamondbacks have lost eight of nine home games.

Pirates 5, Mets 4 In Pittsburgh, Neil Walker scored on Clint Barmes’ tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Pittsburgh rallied to edge New York.

Mike McKenry tied it with a two-run homer in the seventh and Walker made it all the way to third base in the eighth when his long drive off Jon Rauch (3-3) glanced off the glove of the center fielder for an error and rolled to the wall. One batter later, Barmes hit a fly to right and Walker just beat the throw to the plate.

Pittsburgh’s Jared Hughes (1-0) earned his first major league win in relief.

Joel Hanrahan worked the ninth for the save. David Wright had two hits for the Mets to lift his batting average to a major league-best .415.

Cardinals 4, Padres 3 In St. Louis, Tyler Greene hit a goahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, trumping Jesus Guzman’s tworun double in the top half, as St. Louis beat San Diego to snap a four-game losing streak.

Yadier Molina hit a broken-bat single with one out in the eighth off Andrew Cashner (2-3). With two outs, Greene homered with his third hit of the game.

The injury-riddled Cardinals maintained their half-game lead in the NL Central over Cincinnati. St. Louis’ Jason Motte (3-1) allowed Guzman’s two-run double but finished off the win.

PHOENIX: Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andre Ethier watches the flight of a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning in an MLB baseball game. —AP Reds 4, Braves 1 In Cincinnati, pitcher Mike Leake hit his first career homer - one of three solo shots in a row by Cincinnati - and allowed only two hits over eight innings for a victory against Atlanta.

Drew Stubbs hit two of the careerhigh four homers allowed by Braves starter Mike Minor (2-4). All the runs scored on solo homers at one of the majors’ most hitter-friendly ballparks.

Leake (1-5) finally got his first victory in eight starts this season, doing a little bit of everything. He struck out a seasonhigh six and retired 14 in a row.

Nationals 2, Phillies 1 In Philadelphia, Gio Gonzalez pitched six shutout innings to steer Washington past Philadelphia. Gonzalez (6-1), a former Phillies minor leaguer, struck out seven of the first nine batters and finished with nine strikeouts. That upped his total to 35 over his past four starts, all wins, in 25 innings.

Ian Desmond homered and drove in both runs for Washington, while Bryce Harper had two hits. Sean Burnett came in with one out in the ninth and runners on second and third but escaped the jam to earn the save.

Giants 4, Brewers 3 In Milwaukee, backup catcher Hector Sanchez led off the 14th inning with a home run to lift San Francisco over Milwaukee.

Buster Posey hit a three-run shot in the first, accounting for the rest of San Francisco’s runs. Sanchez’s second homer of the season came off reliever Juan Perez (0-1). Giants reliever Santiago Casilla (1-2) pitched the final two innings for the win.

Drabek gets Jays past Rays ST. PETERSBURG: Toronto’s Kyle Drabek overcame command issues to win for the first time on the road this season, guiding the Blue Jays to a 6-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, closing within a game of their American League East rivals.

Drabek (4-4), who entered 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA away from home, allowed three hits in six innings in a winning but less-than-convincing performance. Yunel Escobar put Toronto in front 3-2 on a solo homer off Jeremy Hellickson (4-1) in the sixth.

Yankees to the bottom of the AL East division.

Mike Moustakas and Jeff Francoeur hit two-run homers for the Royals. New York’s bats fizzled once again, going 0 for 13 with

runners in scoring position. Booed repeatedly by their demanding fans, the Yankees lost for the sixth time in seven games. Hiroki Kuroda (3-6) took the loss. —AP

Red Sox 8, Orioles 6 In Baltimore, David Ortiz homered in the sixth inning to start Boston’s comeback from a three-run deficit, overrunning Baltimore.

The Red Sox got three hits from Will Middlebrooks, while Dustin Pedroia had two RBIs and Mike Aviles scored the go-ahead run in the seventh.

The Red Sox moved back to .500 (21-21) for the first time in three weeks. Boston went up 7-5 with two runs in the seventh against Kevin Gregg (2-2). Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller (10) retired all five batters he faced to earn the win on his 27th birthday.

Mariners 6, Rangers 1 In Seattle, the hosts saw off Texas pitcher Yu Darvish after just four innings in his shortest start of the season, and the Mariners rolled to their fourth straight win.

Seattle is the first team that Darvish (6-2) has faced twice, and for a second time he struggled. The Japanese labored through 96 pitches and a season-high six walks.

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (4-3) rebounded from consecutive poor starts and held the highest-scoring team in the majors to one run in eight innings.

Athletics 2, Angels 1 In Oakland, Tommy Milone was in command over seven innings, steering Oakland to a tight win over Los Angeles. Milone (6-3) walked only one and never allowed the anemic Angels lineup to get going. His only blemish was an RBI double in the fifth.

Kila Ka’aihue drove in the go-ahead run for the Ahtletics. Angels starter Jerome Williams (4-2) had his four-game winning streak stopped. He hadn’t lost since his first start of the season.

Los Angeles has lost three straight and learned Monday that Vernon Wells will be out for at least two months with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Royals 6, Yankees 0 In New York, Felipe Paulino (2-1) blanked New York for the second time in a month, guiding Kansas City to a victory that sent the

ST PETERSBURG: Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kyle Drabek delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game. —AP

Devils see off Rangers NEWARK: Martin Brodeur made 27 saves and survived a thirdperiod punch to the chest by Mike Rupp as the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 in Game 4 to level the Eastern Conference finals Monday.

Zach Parise had two goals and

an assist, and Bryce Salvador and Travis Zajac beat Henrik Lundqvist less than four minutes apart in the first period in a series where the intensity and the emotions are picking up. Brodeur even notched an assist in the third, on Parise’s empty netter, capping a game in which the

Devils maintained their composure and bounced back from a 30 shutout in Game 3, while the Rangers took several uncharacteristic penalties and seemed rattled from the start. Game 5 is today at Madison Square Garden.

This game was one where the chippiness increased with each

Marlins 7, Rockies 4 In Miami, Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam to highlight a five-run fourth inning that set up Miami’s win over Colorado. Austin Kearns tied a career best with four hits for the Marlins, whose 15-5 record in May leads the majors.

Miami starter Buehrle (4-4) worked 7 2-3 innings, giving up four runs in the first but only one more hit the rest of the way.

Astros 8, Cubs 4 In Houston, Jason Castro and Chris Johnson each hit three-run homers to power Houston past slumping Chicago.

Castro’s home run came in the second inning and Johnson added his in the third, handing the Cubs their seasonworst seventh loss in a row. Jed Lowrie also homered for the Astros.

Houston starter Bud Norris (5-1) threw seven scoreless innings, striking out eight. He has allowed just one earned run during his current four-game winning streak.

Cubs starter Matt Garza (2-2) yielded a season-worst seven runs in three innings - his shortest start of the season. —AP

NEWARK: New York Rangers’ Mike Rupp (right) falls back while attacking against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur during the first period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference final playoff series. —AP

period. Rangers defenseman Marc Staal whacked Patrik Elias in the back of the knee with his stick in the second.

New York captain Ryan Callahan and Devils wing Ilya Kovalchuk tussled and finally Rupp jabbed Brodeur in his crease in the third period after a stoppage.

That almost set off a free-forall among the players on the ice, especially after Brodeur reacted like he had been hit by a roundhouse right.

The best action, though, was along the benches where Devils coach Peter DeBoer screamed at Rangers coach John Tortorella what he must have perceived was an intentional attack on his goaltender in a game in which the Rangers were once again dominated.

The two coaches also sniped at each other on Sunday, complaining about pick plays and embellishing penalties. Indeed, there are the makings of another classic series in this rivalry.

The Rupp punch came about four minutes after Parise scored on a power play to give New Jersey a 3-0 lead and for all practical purposes, ended the game.

Ruslan Fedotenko ruined Brodeur’s bid for his 25th career playoff shutout with just over five minutes to play. —AP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

sp orts

Same skills, new mindset for LeBron?

FALZES: Spanish cyclist Jon Izagirre of Euskatel competes in the last kilometers of the 16th stage of ‘Giro’ Tour of Italy cycling race. — AFP

Izagirre wins Giro stage FALZES: Spaniard Jon Izagirre’s solo break paid off as the Euskaltel rider won the 16th stage of the Tour of Italy here yesterday.

Fellow Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez of the Katusha team retained the overall leader’s pink jersey a day before the race heads to the northern Dolomite mountains.

Izagirre pulled ahead of a group of nine fellow escapees in a climb just 4km from the line, to claimed his first success for the Euskaltel team.

The 23-year-old, who turned professional last year, finished 15sec ahead of Italy’s Alessandro De Marchi and Dutch rider Stef Clement.

It was his second career win after a time-trial stage in the Tour of Asturias in April. After a fast-paced first hour in the saddle a break-away group of ten riders moved ahead after 61km of the 173km stage, building up a lead of 12min 30sec just 25km from the line.

But Izagirre took control in the final 2.3km climb ahead of compatriot Jose Herrada and Swiss Matthias Frank. The peloton crossed the line nine minutes behind the leaders.

Today ’s stage covers 186km from Falzes to Cortina d’Ampezzo and includes four climbs, including one to 2236 metres altitude 18km from the line.

Meanwhile, Australian cycling star Robbie McEwen retired after the final stage of the Tour of California, concluding a 17-year professional career saw him capture 12 Tour de France stage victories.

The 39-year-old from Brisbane was among the world’s greatest sprinters at the peak of his career, which also saw him win 12 stages of both the Giro d’Italia and his homeland’s Tour Down Under.

“It’s a little bit surreal,” McEwen said as

the notion of retiring hit him a few minutes after climbing off the bicycle competitively for the last time.

“Crossing the line I felt like, ‘Oooh finished.’ I’m still going. I just want to go back to the hotel, have a shower, sit down, have a cold beer and think, ‘All right.’

“Maybe (it will hit me) when I don’t have to pack a suitcase for the next race... that’s something I’m honestly looking forward to. I’ve had a great career.”

McEwen thanked fans, rivals, teammates and even bitter enemies-”Thank them all. I’ve had a fantastic run. I’ve enjoyed it all, the pain and suffering too.”

“It started as my hobby, turned into my profession,” McEwen said. “It’s the biggest scam going, getting paid to ride our bicycles. It’s what we love to do. It doesn’t get much better.”

McEwen’s 2009 season came to an early end with a broken leg after an accident on the second stage of the Tour of Belgium, a spill he recovered from to reclaim a spot among the world’s topclass riders.

“Apart from the winning, it’s (most enjoyable) coming through the hard times, the really tough times when you’ve had a bad injury,” McEwen said.

“You come through it and you rejoin the peloton, you find a good level again and the dream continues. It’s not a moment but it’s part of the whole cycle.

It’s part of the lifestyle. It’s a passion.

“When you feel that’s going to be ripped away from you and you win again, that is something special.”

Among his favorite memories was the 2007 Tour de France opening stage to Canterbury when he crashed with 20 kilometers remaining but recovered to win the stage with a remarkable sprint to the finish line. — AFP

BALTIMORE: Mario Gutierrez on I’ll Have Another edges out Bodemeister ridden by Mike Smith to win the 137th Preakness Stakes in this file photo. — AFP

I’ll Have Another settled in New York for Belmont NEW YORK:- Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another has arrived safely in New York to begin his preparations to try and win the elusive Triple Crown.

The colt was transported from Baltimore after his stunning win in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes gave him the first two legs following his victory in the Derby two weeks earlier.

The three-year-old got his first look at the track on Monday where he will run the Belmont Stakes on June 9 but did little more than stretch his legs as the heavens opened and drenched the course.

Jack Sisterson, assistant to I’ll Have Another’s trainer Doug O’Neill, said the horse had travelled perfectly and settled in well to his temporary home. “He ate everything up last night and is a very happy horse,” Sisterson said.

“He walked the shed row this morning. I have to speak with Doug, but it’s likely he will go to the main track at some point this week.”

The Belmont Stakes, run over one and

a half miles (2,414 metres), is the longest and most gruelling of the three Triple Crown races but Sisterson said I’ll Have Another was showing no signs of fatigue after the first two legs.

“He came out of the Preakness fantastic, just like he came out of the Derby,” said Sisterson. “He acts like he never even ran a race.”

The field for the Belmont Stakes won’t be finalised until a few days before the race but I’ll Have Another was expected to face a dozen rivals, including Dullahan, who finished third in the Derby, and the highly rated Union Rags.

They both skipped the Preakness to save themselves for the Belmont but I’ll Have Another at least won’t have to contend with Bodemeister, who was runnerup in each of the first two legs, after he was returned to California.

Only 11 horses have completed the Triple Crown, with Affirmed, in 1978, the most recent. Eleven horses have since won the first two legs, only to stumble at the last hurdle. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Spectacular as it seemed, it was nothing we haven’t seen from LeBron James before. Maybe that’s the funny thing about all the hoopla over James’ performance in Game 4 of the Pacers-Heat series. Because for once, it wasn’t just his talent that deserved the spotlight, but his maturity. The question, after all, was never how good James was; he answered that long before his fateful decision to trade Cleveland for Miami turned James into the superstar everybody loves to hate.

He won a scoring championship, back-toback MVP awards and single -handedly dragged the Cavs into the playoffs each of his last five seasons there - and still had enough energy left to deliver a handful of postseason performances every bit as eye-popping as the one he dropped Sunday on Indiana.

People forget that now.

In 2007, James scored 48 points, including all of his team’s last 25, in a double-overtime victory over Detroit. Former NBA sharpshooter Steve Kerr, who played alongside Michael Jordan and was doing the color commentary that night, bestowed the ultimate compliment that night: “Jordanesque.”

In 2009, James put up 41, 44 and 37 points in consecutive games against Orlando. Over those five postseasons with the Cavs, he averaged 43 minutes and 30 points. Somehow, it was never enough.

So it’s worth remembering the reason that Jordan, Charles Barkley and a handful of other NBA greats - plus nearly every NBA fan outside Miami - turned thumbs-down on James’ decision to leave Cleveland in the first place.

They simply thought he was too good and too young to go looking for so much help so soon.

To say James should have developed a sense of urgency since doesn’t tell the half of it. He’s 27 and still without a ring after the first season of the “Big Three” experiment ended in failure against the Dallas Mavericks.

So when Chris Bosh went down in the first game of the series against Indiana, and Miami’s response was two shaky losses in a row, everybody was quick to drop the blame into LeBron’s lap instead of where it squarely belonged - on Dwyane Wade’s shoulders.

It’s one measure of how much James may have matured that he took the criticism in silence. Usually, he finds no slight too small to ignore and he’s had so many public feuds running at any moment that it’s hard to keep track of them all. Earlier this season, he cor-

Miami Heat’s LeBron James (6) talks with Dwyane Wade.

rectly pointed out, “If someone wants to get a point across - just throw LeBron’s name in there. You could be watching cartoons with your kids and you don’t like it, you say, ‘Blame it on LeBron.’ If you go to the grocery store and they don’t have the milk that you like, you just say, ‘It’s LeBron’s fault.’ “ And so it seemed likely to happen again this postseason as the Heat’s tailspin - and Wade’s funk - continued through the early going in Game 4.

Consistency comes when people know what’s expected of them. And despite twoplus seasons trying to make their talents mesh, James’ supporting cast in Miami is finding it just as hard as the one he left behind in Cleveland to figure out what their roles are when the star of the show is still trying to decide what his is going to be. For this one game, at least, James erased all doubts by doing just about everything. He scored down low, knifed through the lane, blocked shots, defended the post, brought the ball up - anything and everything Miami needed to stay within touch of the Pacers.

Just before halftime, with 19 points of his own, he fired off an assist to set Wade up for a dunk that may have reversed the momentum in the series for good. That one pass said

more than any pregame pep talk James may have considered.

“I didn’t say anything to him for a reason,” James recalled afterward. “He’s one of the best players in the world, but I know that the best thing for a scorer who’s struggling is to get him an easy one.”

“When ‘Bron gave it back to me, I caught it in rhythm and you could tell I wasn’t thinking of anything,” Wade confirmed. “I was just playing basketball again.”

The two combined for 70 of Miami’s 100 points - 40 for James; 30 by Wade - including 38 straight at one point. Wade had 10 in a row by himself. Even Udonis Haslem got into the act, doing a passable imitation of Bosh in the paint. “I felt like I had to do whatever it takes for us to win,” James said.

Yet the difference between James trying to do it all himself in Cleveland and Miami wasn’t apparent until the end. It was only then that Wade realized he’d already spent too many minutes doing what James’ teammates have been doing since LeBron first wrapped his hands around the ball: Watching.

“We played off each other really well. We were both,” Wade said almost sheepishly, “aggressive at the same time.” — AP

Born to run barefoot? Some end up getting injured LOS ANGELES: Swept by the barefoot running craze, ultramarathoner Ryan Carter ditched his sneakers for footwear that mimics the experience of striding unshod.

The first time he tried it two years ago, he ran a third of a mile on grass. Within three weeks of switching over, he was clocking six miles on the road.

During a training run with a friend along a picturesque bike path near downtown Minneapolis, Carter suddenly stopped, unable to take another step. His right foot seared in pain.

“It was as though someone had taken a hammer and hit me with it,” he recalled. Carter convinced his friend to run on without him.

He hobbled home and rested his foot. When the throbbing became unbearable days later, he went to the doctor. The diagnosis: a stress fracture.

As more avid runners and casual athletes experiment with barefoot running, doctors say they are treating injuries ranging from pulled calf muscles to Achilles tendinitis to metatarsal stress fractures, mainly in people who ramped up too fast. In serious cases, they are laid up for several months.

Many converts were inspired by Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-seller “Born To Run,” widely credited with sparking the barefoot running trend in the Western world. The book focuses on an Indian tribe in Mexico whose members run long distances without pain in little more than sandals.

While the ranks of people running barefoot or in “barefoot running shoes” have grown in recent years, they still represent the minority of runners. Some devotees swear they are less prone to injuries after kicking off their athletic shoes though there’s no evidence that barefoot runners suffer fewer problems.

In some cases, foot specialists are noticing injuries arising from the switch to barefoot, which uses different muscles. Shod runners tend to have a longer stride and land on their heel compared with barefoot runners, who are more likely to have a shorter stride and land on the midfoot or forefoot. Injuries can occur when people transition too fast and put too much pressure on their calf and foot muscles, or don’t shorten their stride and end up landing on their heel with no padding.

Podiatrist Paul Langer used to see one or two barefoot running injuries a month at his Twin Cities Orthopedics practice in Minneapolis. Now he treats between three and four a week.

“Most just jumped in a little too enthusiastically,” said Langer, an experienced runner and triathlete who trains in his barefoot running shoes part of the week.

Bob Baravarian, chief of podiatry at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, Calif., said he’s seen “a fair number” of heel injuries and stress fractures among first-timers who are not used to the different forces of a forefoot strike.

“All of a sudden, the strain going through your foot is multiplied manifold” and problems occur when people don’t ease into it, he

said. Running injuries are quite common.

Between 30 to 70 percent of runners suffer from repetitive stress injuries every year and experts can’t agree on how to prevent them.

Some runners with chronic problems have seized on barefoot running as an antidote, claiming it’s more natural. Others have gone so far as to demonize sneakers for their injuries.

Pre-human ancestors have walked and run in bare feet for millions of years often on rough surfaces, yet researchers surprisingly know very little about the science of barefoot running. The modern running shoe with its cushioned heel and stiff sole was not invented until the 1970s. And in parts of Africa and other places today, running barefoot is still a lifestyle.

Ryan Carter

The surging interest has researchers racing for answers. Does barefoot running result in fewer injuries? What kinds of runners will benefit most from switching over? What types of injuries do transitioning barefoot runners suffer and how to prevent them?

While some runners completely lose the shoes, others opt for minimal coverage. The oxymoron “barefoot running shoes” is like a glove for the feet designed to protect from glass and other hazards on the ground.

Superlight minimalist shoes are a cross between barefoot shoes and traditional

sneakers - there’s little to no arch support and they’re lower profile.

Greg Farris decided to try barefoot running to ease the pain on the outside of his knee, a problem commonly known as runner’s knee.

He was initially shoeless - running minutes at a time and gently building up. After three months, he switched to barefoot running shoes after developing calluses.

Halfway through a 5K run in January, he felt his right foot go numb, but he pushed on and finished the race. He saw a doctor and got a steroid shot, but the pain would not quit. He went to see another doctor, who took an X-ray and told him he had a stress fracture.

Farris was in a foot cast for three months.

He recently started running again - in sneakers. “I don’t think my body is made to do it,” he said, referring to barefoot running.

Experts say people can successfully lose the laces. The key is to break in slowly. Start by walking around barefoot. Run no more than a quarter mile to a mile every other day in the first week. Gradually increase the distance.

Stop if bones or joints hurt. It can take months to make the change.

“Don’t go helter skelter at the beginning,” said Dr. Jeffrey Ross, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of the Diabetic Foot Clinic at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston.

A year and a half ago, Ross saw a steady stream - between three and six barefoot runners a week - with various aches and pain. It has since leveled off to about one a month.

Ross doesn’t know why. It’s possible that fewer people are trying it or those baring their feet are doing a better job adapting to the new running style.

There’s one group foot experts say should avoid barefoot running: People with decreased sensation in their feet, a problem common among diabetics, since they won’t be able to know when they get injured.

Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman runs a lab devoted to studying the effects of running form on injury rates. He thinks form matters more than footwear or lack of - don’t overstride, have good posture and land gently.

In a 2010 study examining different running gaits, Lieberman and colleagues found that striking the ground heel first sends a shock up through the body while barefoot runners tend to have a more springy step.

Even so, more research is needed into whether barefoot running helps avoid injury.

“The long and the short of it is that we know very little about how to help all runners - barefoot and shod - prevent getting injured.

Barefoot running is no panacea. Shoes aren’t either,” said Lieberman, who runs barefoot except during the New England winters.

Carter, the ultramarathoner, blames himself for his injury. Before he shed his shoes, he never had a problem that kept him off his feet for two months. In April, he ran his fourth 100mile race - with shoes. Meanwhile, his pair of barefoot running shoes is collecting dust in the closet.— AP

18

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

S P ORT S

McLaren’s MP4-12C

McLaren F1 car

McLaren ‘F1 car for the road’ launched in Kuwait

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: McLaren gull-winged 200 miles per hour British supercar named ’F1 car for the road’ was launched on Monday at the Alghanim showroom in Shuwaikh. UK racing specialist McLaren entered Kuwaiti market months after the launch of the newest ‘MP412C’ which promised safety, reliability and comfort.

Speaking with reporters right after the launch, Antony Sheriff, McLaren Automotive Managing Director said with the launch of its newest ‘road car’ sports car enthusiasts in Kuwait would also drive McLaren not only on the track as many knew about McLaren’s history, only to see and actually drive its car every day. “It is typical that customers will buy many cars; we like to think in McLaren, it is not targeted against any particular competitors [Lamborghinis and Ferraris]. We tried to design a car the way we would like it to be. We really have radical technology in this car which gives it fantastic performance, but its class is understated, allows you to use ability, not just drive

Antony Sheriff

on the track but rather drive every day. We expect that many of our customers who are driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis will also drive our McLaren ‘MP4-12C’ every day,” he added.

The car, according to Sheriff, is designed differently from its competitors. “If you look at the chassis of the car, it is a carbon fiber structure. All of the sports cars use aluminum. We pioneered the use of carbon fiber structure in the road car with the McLaren F1. What the McLaren carbon fiber gives you is very light, incredible strength. In case of car safety, it gives great advantage over the aluminum structure, our competitors do not allow this because it is expensive. We have the longest experience of any manufacturing carmaker in the world, with making carbon fiber structures for road cars. We were the first manufacturing company to use carbon fiber structure in Formula One car. We were the first to introduce carbon fiber in the road car. That is one very clear fundamental difference from the rest of the sports cars,” he said.

Sheriff also underscored that McLaren ‘F1

road car’ has a different approach to suspension control system, which he said, conventional wisdom dictates that a passive suspension control system is better for sports car because it feels more natural. McLaren developed a semi-active chassis control system which uses hydraulic pressure which not only controls the stiffness of a shock absorber but also controls your car. “The result is that you have a car that is absolutely on top of any sports car but at the same time, the level of comfort and reliability is comparable to RollsRoyce. So it is a car that you can drive every day, but you can also take it to the track for the best performance,” he said. Another advantage is a choice of the engine. “We set up a car that is very efficient. In Formula One, you need efficiency. In our case, we want to have a very good fuel economy engines although we do not want to eliminate performance. So we downsized engine to 3.8 liters, the smallest among our competitors, but brings 600 boiler horse power - equivalent to about six Ford Fiestas, the most powerful car in the segment, and fuel efficiency car. In the US, we are selling

this car very well,” he beamed. McLaren claims that it is the world’s most efficient internal combustion engine and the pinnacle of British hi-tech engineering. The new McLaren twoseater will accelerate from rest to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds.

Asked whether McLaren plans to introduce other segments other than sports car, he said, “Our customers knew what we do and our customers know how we do it, that is our image. So we want to stay focused on sports car segment.” Sheriff also appreciated their partnership with Alghanim showroom for the quality care and dedication to customer service provided. GCC, especially Kuwait, according to Sheriff is important market for McLaren.

In fact, Sheriff expects to sell at least 20 to 30 units of its ‘F1 road sports car’ into Kuwait market alone. “MENA market comprises 15 percent of our market values; we expect to sell up to at least 20 to 30 units. Customers in Kuwait have very good experience driving sports car, they know what they need. We believe we can successfully penetrate into Kuwait and the GCC market.”

Goa Maroons, Navelim YC, AVC and Skynet Raiders in semis GOA Rolling Trophy KUWAIT: Justifying their direct seeding into round two, Goa Maroons and Navelim YC took their expected places in the last four while AVC & CA and Skynet Raiders were the other two teams to qualify for the semifinals, in the 18th edition of the

Goa Maroons

Skynet Raiders

prestigious GOA Rolling Trophy organized by Goan Overseas Association (Goa Maroons) under the auspices of KIFF and sponsored by Bassem International Trading Company at the MOH ground, Shuwaikh (Kuwait).

In the day’s first match, last

year’s finalist Navelim YC overcame a strangely subdued DHL FC 2-0. The ever dependable Alfred Pires put Navelim in front when he scored from close range in the first half while star forward Cruzedio Rodrigues put the game beyond DHL FC with his

usual cool and clinical finish in the second half.

Midfielders Terence and Roland played their hearts out for DHL but with no luck and with some erratic shooting by their forwards, could not get past Adrian deputing for Britto in the Navelim goal who did well to keep a clean sheet. Navelim YC made three substitutions in the second half, notable one being veteran Gasper Crasto who immediately made his presence felt in the Navelim half line.

In the second quarter final, a depleted CRC Chinchinim without the brilliant Gomes brothers and goalkeeper Antonio who are all on vacation, fielded only nine players against defending champions Goa Maroons and the outcome of the game was easily foreseeable when the redoubtable Zelito Cardozo scored for Goa Maroons in the very third minute of the game from an excellent cross by Bonny Niasso. Prolific scorer Steven Rodrigues added two more and Bonny Niasso scored the fourth from a scorching 25 metres drive to make it 4-0 before the end of the first half.

In the second half, using the shield of soccer law three, C.R.C Chinchinim players star ted falling like nine pins and the referee had no choice but abandon the match, as they did not have the minimum number of seven players on the field, and the match was awarded to Goa Maroons.

In the last match of the day, Gulf Cable flattered only to deceive after taking the lead through Sinu Thomas in the 15th minute and then going on to lose 1-7 to Skynet Raiders. Gulf Cable were unfortunate to lose Abdul Kumarakkttil to a second bookable offence and Skynet Raiders taking advantage of an extra man in the extremely hot conditions scored at will in the second half through Sathyaraj Mohan (2), Doruesh Naik (2), Maleston Dias, Reazer Dias and Dominic Fernandes.

Schedule for semifinal matches:- Coming Friday, May 25, AVC & CA take on Navelim Youth Centre at 6:30am, followed by Goa Maroons versus Skynet Raiders at 8:00am.

PUNE: Bollywood star and co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan celebrates after his team won the IPL Twenty20 first playoff cricket match between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders. —AFP

Kolkata in IPL final PUNE: Jacques Kallis produced a fine allround effort of 30 and 2-24 as Kolkata Knight Riders secured an 18-run win over Delhi Daredevils yesterday to ensure its maiden Indian Premier League final appearance.

Kallis steadied the Kolkata innings with a solid 30 off 33 balls as the team scored 162-4 after electing to bat at Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium. The veteran South African

then took the important wickets of Venugopal Rao and Ross Taylor as Delhi was restricted to 144-8.

Hard-hitting batsman Yusuf Pathan (40 not out) and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine (2-24) were the other main contributors to Kolkata’s victory. For Delhi, Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene top-scored with 40 but his dismissal in the 15th over tilted the balance in Kolkata’s favor. —AP

Preview

IPL set for exciting finale NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League heads for a thrilling climax this week when the play-offs take place to determine the champions of this season’s popular Twenty20 tournament.

The fifth edition of the glitzy cash-rich event is already being hailed as the most exciting ever despite off-field troubles as packed houses watched enthralling cricket over the past six weeks.

The final spot in the play-offs was decided in Sunday’s penultimate match of the 72-game league as defending champions Chennai Super Kings sneaked through while Royal Challengers Bangalore were stunned by unfancied Deccan Chargers.

Table-toppers Delhi Daredevils will take on number two Kolkata Knight Riders in the first play-off in Pune, with the winner advancing to the May 27 final in Chennai.

The Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, the third and fourth teams in the league, will face-off in Bangalore today with the losers being knocked out of the race.

The loser of the first play-off will then meet the winner of the second in Chennai on Friday to determine the second finalist.

“The play-off system rewards consistency over seven weeks,” said IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla. “One bad day in the office does not ruin a team’s chances.”

The winner of Sunday’s title clash at the Chidambaram stadium in Chennai will pocket $2 million and the runner-up will get $1.5 million. The third-placed team will get a direct entry into the Champions League to be held in India in October

between the top domestic Twenty20 clubs from around the world.

Delhi Daredevils, led by Virender Sehwag and featuring Sri Lankan veteran Mahela Jaywardene and South African fast bowler Morne Morkel, have shown consistent form by winning 11 of their 16 league matches.

But the Knight Riders will fancy their chances on a slow Pune wicket ideal for their West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, whose haul of 22 wickets this season is second only to Morkel’s tally of 25.

“You can’t predict what will happen in a T20 game, but we have faith in ourselves,” said Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir. “We want to win this one for the people of Kolkata.”

Mumbai Indians, featuring the inspirational Sachin Tendulkar, bounced back after a shaky start to finish third and set up an intriguing clash against India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.

“We must not waste the second life given to us,” said Dhoni. “We must execute our plans well because Mumbai will come hard at us.”

Among a series of scandals to hit the tournament has been police charges against Australian Luke Pomersbach, who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, over allegedly molesting a woman and beating up her fiance.

Five Indian players signed to IPL teams were also suspended after an undercover TV report alleged they were prepared to take money for spot-fixing. —AFP

19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

SPORTS

Ukraine prepared for ‘professional’ hooligans KIEV: Ukraine will use fighters and helicopters to guard its air space and put security and health services on full alert during the European soccer championship, but officials said yesterday they could do little to stem a likely flood of prostitutes.

The country’s top security and defence official, Andriy Klyuev, told security chiefs that the world would judge Ukraine by how it dealt with the security challenges posed by the month-long Euro-2012 tournament in June.

The leadership of President Viktor Yanukovich is under fire over the jailing of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko for abuse of office in what Western governments say is a politically-motivated prosecution.

Several Western politicians have said they will stay away from Euro-2012 matches in protest.

The former Soviet republic, co-host of Euro-2012 with Poland, expects about one million fans for the 16 matches to be played in four Ukrainian cities - the biggest single influx of for-

eign visitors since it became independent 20 years ago.

Ukraine says it will have about 23,000 police on duty for the tournament which opens in Poland on June 8 and climaxes with the final in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on July 1.

Anti-terrorism measures include having 10 surface-to-air missile units on standby. Four air fighters and two military helicopters will be deployed to protect air space over the host cities, the Defence Ministry said.

“We will be permanently monitoring the air space of the match cities.

All security and emergency institutions andservices will be on 24-hour duty from the beginning of June.

Medical services and the emergencies ministry will be on heightened alert,” said Klyuev, who is secretary of Ukraine’s security and defence council.

“Courts will work under an emergency schedule which will allow them to deal quickly with administrative offences by foreigners,” he said.

Klyuev said Ukraine was working with the police and intelligence servic-

es of some Western countries and Interpol to head off crowd trouble, particularly from “professional” hooligans.

Trouble could range from clashes between rival supporter groups to “outbreaks of xenophobia and racism”, he was quoted as saying by his press service.

“The main thing is that we know what the possible threats are and we must be ready to react adequately to handle them. We have to put the time left before the Euros start to the best possible use,” he said.

While possible crowd trouble is a concern for authorities, police are at the same time under pressure to improve the poor image they have at home for heavy-handedness and corruption.

The national Euro-2012 organisers on Monday urged police to be on their best behaviour and be “service-oriented and tolerant” in handling foreigners.

Authorities signalled yesterday that, despite pressure from social and femi-

nist watchdog groups like the Kievbased Femen, an expected surge in prostitution at the Euros is beyond their ability to control. Some of these groups say the Euro soccer tournament will only give a spurt to the already booming sex industry in Ukraine which demeans the international image of Ukrainian women.

“Tourists are coming with money, and girls from outside Kiev will try to be here. We are seeing a worsening of the criminal situation,” said Vasyl Poshtak, the head of department on combating human trafficking of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry.

“We have drawn up a plan to carry out checks at hotels, night clubs, massage parlours and streets where prostitutes work ... we will follow the situation,” he said.

But he added: “We will do our best, but this is like tilting at windmills.”

Femen, whose female activists strip to the waist in public to dramatise their cause, have carried out topless protests against the Euro tournament by trying to seize the Euro soccer cup

which is being taken on a tour of the Ukrainian provinces.

Prostitution was decriminalised in Ukraine in 2005 and is punishable now by a light fine. This was a “serious mistake”, he said.

According to Ukrainian social organisations, about 1.5 million Ukrainians are involved in the sex industry and 20 percent of them are under 18, the legal age for sexual contact in Ukraine.

In the eyes of many foreigners, Ukraine is a country of available and cheap woman and many social groups say indifference by police - and even connivance by them in prostitution rackets - is the main problem.

“Ukraine now is looked on as a shopwindow of erotic or sexual products,” said Vasyl Kostytsky, head of Ukraine’s national comission for public morality.

“Prostitution is dangerous for foreigners. Their property can get stolen, they can get AIDS. If problems arise, the only loser in all this will be the image of the state,” he said.—Reuters

Mourinho extends contract with Real

Geeta Phogat of India

Grappling with gender bias, Geeta heads to Olympics PATIALA: As Geeta Phogat completes her sprint at a sprawling sports campus in Punjab state, one of her coaches nods approvingly at her stopwatch, another rushes to check her pulse, and a third ushers her toward the gym for a bout of wrestling.

Such attention and encouragement is routine for a top athlete, but it is unusual for women from Geeta’s village in the northern Indian state of Haryana.

It is rare for a girl to have a life outside her home. “In my village, girls have limited opportunities,” says 23-year-old Geeta, the first female Indian wrestler to qualify for the Olympics. “If they get admission in a college, only a few households would allow them to go for further studies.”

When Geeta and her wrestler-sisters began training, they were ridiculed by the community.

“They said nobody will marry us because we would have disfigured ears,” says Geeta, pointing to her cauliflower ears, a common condition among wrestlers in which the outer ear is swollen.

Twelve years later Geeta is a local celebrity. Ask for the house where Geeta lives and people several kilometres away can direct you to it.

Tanned and lithe, Geeta stood with her legs apart and her muscular arms folded across her chest, as she spoke to Reuters at her gym. It was a confident posture, unlike that of many of the women from her village who were too shy to speak to journalists.

Her home state of Haryana is notorious for its gender bias and sex-selective abortion. A girl child is considered so undesirable, and they are so frequently aborted, that a 2011 census found there were only 877 women for every 1,000 men. The national sex ratio is 940.

Girls are often viewed as a financial burden because of the marriage dowry given by the bride’s family to the groom a social custom widely practised despite being illegal in India.

“In my village earlier, when families found they were going to have a girl child, they used to get an abortion,” says Geeta’s younger sister, Ritu, who is also a wrestler.

An adolescent girl in Haryana is typically expected to do household chores and is often married by the age of 15, says Anjali Makhija, who works for the Institute of Rural Research and Development.

Most women are expected to do chores such as bathing livestock, milking cows or working in the fields. Education is not a priority.

Hardly any of Geeta’s childhood friends went to college or have a job. She had an unconventional upbringing as her father decided to coach her in kushti, traditional Indian wrestling, which is usually fought on a mud surface.

“If I was not a wrestler, or if my father was not a good coach, I would have been married by now,” she says. Instead, Geeta and her sisters were brought up as boys

with her father disapproving of long hair or feminine clothes.

“We used to wear a track suit and Tshirt while training,” says Geeta, who has grown her hair longer now and has a ponytail. “But that did not go down well with the villagers, because women are usually supposed to wear salwar kameez (a long shirt paired with loose pyjamas).”

Geeta now trains in a fully equipped, air-conditioned gym at Asia’s largest sports institute, which includes a palace built by the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala.

It is a far cry from her initial days, when she trained in an enclosure adjoining a cattle shed in her village home. “There was no roof where we trained, so it used to get very hot during the day and the mud used to feel very cold during the evening,” says Geeta, as she toys with the keys of her grey sedan, a recent gift by the Haryana state government.

Her father and coach could not afford to buy a wrestling mat used in international competitions. “I received no facilities or help from the government,” says Mahavir Singh, a 52-year-old former wrestler, as he smokes a hookah in his courtyard.

While kushti is popular in Haryana, a state known for producing quality wrestlers, it is considered a man’s sport with no training infrastructure for women.

The Phogat sisters had mud bouts with boys to hone their skills.

“We were known as the sisters who beat all the boys,” says Geeta. While she was excused from doing household chores, she found her father’s training schedule overwhelming at first.

“She used to cry a lot earlier,” says Daya Kaur, Geeta’s mother, who keeps her face covered like most women in rural Haryana. “Her dad used to keep a stick. If she was late even by one minute in the morning, she used to get beaten up.”

Geeta says she is both excited and nervous about the Olympics in London, a city she has never seen before. But even if she does not win gold, her success has inspired girls in and around her village.

“Those who used to ask my father to be ashamed of himself for training us in wrestling now say they wish they have daughters like me,” says Geeta, who will be competing in the 55-kg category at the London Games this year.

Since the success of the Phogat sisters in international tournaments, their father has started training other girls from the village in the family wrestling hall - which finally has a mat.

“Those girls who used to think they can only do field work, they want to make a name for themselves,” says Babita, Geeta’s younger sister, who bagged a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. “Now they convince their parents to send them here for training.”

“My grandmother had desired a male child,” says Geeta, who plans to marry after the Olympics. “Now she says if she has a hundred daughters like me, she won’t have any regrets.”—Reuters

MADRID: Jose Mourinho has agreed a two-year contract extension with Real Madrid which ties him to the club until 2016, the Spanish champions said yesterday.

Mourinho, the self-styled Special One, joined Real from Inter Milan in 2010 on a fouryear deal and led them to victory in the King’s Cup final in his first season, the club’s first cup triumph in 18 years.

They won their first La Liga title for four years this month, smashing league records along the way and ending Barcelona’s domestic dominance.

Real set a new points record of 100 from 38 games, beating the previous best of 99 achieved by Pep Guardiola’s side in 2009, and broke the league’s goal-scoring record of 107 set by the Whites in 198990 by finding the net 121 times.

On a personal level, the league title was Mourinho’s seventh after winning two in

Portugal with Porto, two in England with Chelsea and two in Italy with Inter.

Mourinho’s next big chal-

League successes with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010.

Real have fallen in the semifinals to Barcelona and Bayern

Jose Mourinho lenge is to win a 10th European Cup for Rea, and his third with a different club after Champions

Munich in his two years in charge. The last time they reached the final four before

then was 2003.

The 49-year-old has fought for and won unprecedented freedom and power as their coach with the full backing of club president Florentino Perez.

His new commitment to Real ended any speculation that he might be lured away elsewhere.

The show of unity and strength at the world’s richest club by revenue comes at a moment when their great rivals Barcelona appear to be entering a period of transition.

Mourinho’s opposite number Guardiola has decided to step down at the end of the season after winning 13 trophies in four years at the Nou Camp. He could add a 14th if Barcelona win this year’s King’s Cup final against Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

Guardiola said he needed time out to recharge his batteries and is to be replaced by his assistant Tito Vilanova next season.—Reuters

Drogba to quit Chelsea LONDON: Didier Drogba brought down the curtain on a trophy-laden career at Chelsea yesterday when he announced he would be leaving the club after eight years in West London.

The Ivory Coast striker will leave when his contract expires at the end of June and is now odds-on to follow his former team mate Nicolas Anelka to China.

He leaves the club on a high after a starring role in Saturday’s Champions League final when he scored an emphatic late headed equaliser before coolly slotting home the decisive penalty in the shootout. It capped a glittering period at Stamford Bridge where he also won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups. “I wanted to put an end to all the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea,” Drogba said on the club website (www.chelseafc.com).

“It has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am very proud of what we have achieved but the time is right for a new challenge for me.”

Drogba, 34, joined Chelsea from Olympique Marseille in 2004. His menacing physicality was ideally suited to the fast-paced hubbub of the Premier League.

He found goals easy to get, scoring 157 times in 341 appearances, making him the club’s fourth alltime leading scorer, while his 34 European goals are a Chelsea record. He won the Premier League Golden Boot twice, most

recently in 2010, but his Chelsea career appeared to be coming to an end when the club signed Fernando Torres for a British record fee of 50 million pounds ($79.01 million) in January 2011.

Former manager Andre VillasBoas tried unsuccessfully to reinvigorate his team by phasing out Chelsea’s older players, with Drogba and midfielder Frank Lampard his principal victims.

The Ivorian striker frequently found himself sidelined to accommodate a below-par Torres who struggled to make an impact following his big-money move.

The departure of Villas-Boas, however, led to a renaissance for Chelsea’s ‘old guard’ who helped to propel the club to a golden finale in which Drogba featured prominently. On top of his Champions League heroics, he also scored in the FA Cup final as Chelsea beat Liverpool at Wembley.

“Didier is undoubtedly a Chelsea legend and will always be part of the Chelsea family,” Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said.

“He is certainly leaving on a high after Saturday night but he feels the time is right for a new challenge.“We have known for some time that this outcome was likely but Didier and the club only made a final decision on that in the last couple of days, because for obvious reasons neither Didier nor the club wanted to distract focus away from the Champions League final.

“The talks were amicable all the way through and we wish him all

Chelsea’s Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba the best for the future. He is welcome back to Stamford Bridge at any time — either as a player or as a guest of ours.”

Drogba has been linked with a

move to Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua where he would join up with former Chelsea team mate Anelka who left Stamford Bridge in January.—Reuters

Malaysia pedals hard for elusive Games gold MELBOURNE: Aspiring Malaysian track cyclists have had to contend with infrastructure issues and the national obsession with soccer and badminton but coach John Beasley believes he has a team that could deliver the country’s first Olympic gold medal.

Up-and-coming cyclists have a choice of two velodromes across the steamy Southeast Asian nation of 28 million on which to hone their craft.

One offers a bumpy ride on a circuit built for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the capital Kuala Lumpur. The other, an older outdoor track in the central town of Ipoh, invariably offers waterlogged timber due to monsoon downpours. Infrastructure issues aside, Beasley, the Australian in charge of the country’s elite pro-

gramme, says his team can challenge the best of the West at the London Games.

“I’m very quietly confident,” the burly 50year-old told Reuters as he watched over his three Olympic hopefuls at a sleepy suburban velodrome in southeast Melbourne.

“We’ve got to get it right on the day, but I’m hoping worst case scenario we’ll get a medal in the keirin and best case we’ll win it.

“We’re not scared of racing Chris Hoy or anyone else.” Pint-sized world silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang, nicknamed the ‘Pocket Rocketman’ for the power he generates from his five-foot-seven frame, is likely to lead a small, but plucky, charge for Malaysia at the London velodrome where British great Hoy is expected

to defend his keirin title. Azizul will battle with two-times Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion Josiah Ng to be Malaysia’s sole cyclist in the individual sprint and keirin, while the much-improved Fatehah Mustapa is set to become the first Malaysian woman to compete in Olympic track cycling, also in the keirin.

Ng, a 32-year-old rider raised in California, broke new ground for Malaysia when he made the final of the keirin at the 2004 Athens Games.

“That was probably the first time that everyone in Malaysia opened their eyes and said: ‘Who is this guy? What’s this sport? Oh, it’s not badminton! Wow!” Ng, who like his team mate Azizul, has defied his slim build to reap global success.—Reuters

Born to run barefoot? Some end up getting injured

Page 17

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY: Kobe Bryant No. 24 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes the slam dunk against Serge Ibaka No. 9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. —AFP

Thunder oust Lakers, Celtics win OKLAHOMA CITY: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant scored 53 points between them as the Oklahoma City Thunder surged ahead in the second half and beat Los Angeles 106-90 in Game 5 on Monday, eliminating the Lakers from the NBA playoffs. Westbrook scored 28 points, while Durant added 25 and 10 rebounds. The two All-Stars both bypassed their breaks in the second half and used the time they’d normally be resting to fuel the big run that put away the game and end the Lakers’ season. Westbrook had a pair of three-point plays during a 14-3 burst that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay late in the third quarter, and Durant hit two 3-pointers as the Thunder scored the first 10 points of the fourth to push their lead to 93-77.

Kobe Bryant played almost a lone hand for the Lakers, scoring 42 points. The Thunder will open

the Western Conference finals on Sunday at topseeded San Antonio.

Oklahoma City was eliminated from the playoffs

by Los Angeles in 2010 and Dallas in 2011, with both those teams going on to win the championship. This year, the Thunder have knocked both out on their way to the West finals for the second straight year. Their next opponent, the top-seeded Spurs, are the only team other than the Lakers or Mavericks to win the West in the past 13 years and are currently riding an 18-game winning streak.

Westbrook celebrated after scoring the first of his key 3-point plays in the third quarter; running to the scorer’s table and pumping his fist in the air after being able to flip the ball in despite Ramon Sessions fouling him on the fast break.

He converted another after banking in a jumper

from the left side despite Sessions slapping him on the arm, making it 82-76 with 1:29 left in the third quarter. Durant extended the lead with a 3-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth and then hit another 32 seconds later - just after Bryant had stepped to the scorer’s table to check in after a brief rest. There was little Bryant could do after he got back in, despite the 13th 40-point game of his playoff career. Los Angeles’ Pau Gasol took 14 shots, his most of the series, but made only five to finish with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) scored 11 and Andrew Bynum 10.

Celtics 101, 76ers 85 In Boston, Brandon Bass scored 18 points in the third quarter as Boston pulled away from

Philadelphia and took a 3-2 edge in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Bass set a postseason career-high of 27 points while Kevin Garnett added 20 points and Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 14 assists for the Celtics, who can advance to the East finals with a victory in Philadelphia in Game 6 today. The Sixers would need a win there to force the series back to Boston for a decisive seventh game on Saturday.

Elton Brand scored 19 and Evan Turner had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, which led by six points early in the third quarter before Boston scored 14 of the next 16 points. Bass scored eight of them, including back-to-back dunks followed by a steal that set up Ray Allen’s layup and gave the Celtics a 63-57 lead with five minutes left in the quarter.

Boston closed out the third with a 10-2 run over the final 3 minutes and outscored the Sixers 28-16 in the period. The Celtics also scored 16 of the first 22 points in the fourth quarter - seven from Rondo - to seal the game.

Paul Pierce had 16 points - a perfect 9 for 9 from the free throw line - and Allen, back in the starting lineup because of an injury to Avery Bradley, had five points.

The Celtics acquired Bass in December in a trade with Orlando for Glen “Big Baby” Davis, and he worked his way into the starting lineup after the All-Star break. Although he solidified the power forward position after Garnett moved to center, he hadn’t done anything spectacular - until Monday.

He left the game to a standing ovation with 2 minutes left and the Celtics leading by 18.—AP

Ramadan sets Muslim athletes extra test London Games LONDON: When Malaysian cyclist Azizulhasni Awang opted to postpone his Ramadan fast until after the London Games, the decision was all about going for Olympic gold.

Anything that might jeopardise the chance of a medal for the 24-year-old at his second Olympics had to be dealt with sensibly, he says.

And going without food and drink between sunrise and sunset every day for four weeks is just too risky.

“We need to train, we need food, fluids, water,” he told Reuters during a training session at a velodrome in Melbourne with team mate Fatehah Mustapa, who will become the first Malaysian woman cyclist to ride at an Olympics.

“We’ve trained really, really hard ... to strive for the gold medal, so we’re not going to waste it.

This Olympics is really important for me and Fatehah. You think we’re going to sacrifice that?”

The coincidence of Ramadan this year with the London Olympics, which starts on July 27, a week into the month-long Muslim fast, has thrown up a dilemma for the estimated 3,000 Muslim athletes expected to compete.

The Ramadan fast is a time when Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. Athletes are allowed to defer their fasts until a later date, but many Muslim sportsmen and women from cultures or countries where not fasting is frowned upon may well honour the holy month.

Medical experts say that, theoretically at least, a reduction of food intake during Ramadan could deplete an athlete’s liver and muscle glycogen stores. This is likely to lead to a drop in performance, particularly in sports requiring muscle strength.

Foreseeing potential problems and working far ahead of time, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) nutrition working group convened a meeting in 2009 to review the evidence.

They came to the conclusion that Ramadan fasting could be problematic for some athletes in some sports, but the likely overall impact of

Ramadan on London 2012 is far from clear.

Ronald Maughan, a sports scientist from Britain’s Loughborough University who chaired the IOC working group, agrees some physical changes are likely.

However, he also noted that observing the Muslim holy month involves mental and spiritual discipline, the effects of which should not be underestimated.

“Some individual Muslim athletes say they perform better during Ramadan even if they are fasting because they’re more intensely focussed and because it’s a very spiritual time for them,” he told Reuters. “Their faith gives them strength and Ramadan is an integral part of that faith.”

Maughan led a team of scientists who reviewed more than 400 research articles on Ramadan and selected those relevant to sporting performance. They found that “actual responses vary quite widely, depending on culture and the individual’s level and type of athletic involvement”.

“There are often small decreases of performance, particularly in activities requiring vigorous and/or repetitive muscular contraction,” the team wrote in the review, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) this month.

But they concluded that in most situations “Ramadan observance has had only limited adverse consequences for either training or competitive performance”.

Still, experts say Azizul and Fatehah’s concerns, that fasting could dim their chances of standing on the podium at the end of their competition, are well-founded.

Jim Waterhouse, a sport and exercise science professor at Liverpool John Moores University in Britain, laments that so few studies have been done that give direct insight into how Ramadanobserving athletes may fare during the Olympics.

Het suggests looking at other similar research on fasting, such as in soccer players, or in people who are sporty but non-athletes. A study in the BJSM in 2007 which looked at two Algerian pro-

fessional soccer teams found that players’ performance declined significantly for speed, agility, dribbling speed and endurance during the Ramadan fast.

Nearly 70 percent of the players thought their training and performance were adversely affected. Another study published in the BJSM in 2010 concluded that “Ramadan fasting had an adverse effect on performance, albeit small in magnitude, during 60 minutes of endurance treadmill running” by moderately trained Muslim men.

“It depends on the sport,” says Azizul . “If you come from skilled sport it doesn’t matter, but we (cyclists) require quite a lot of energy. I did try fasting last year during training. For the first one or two days it’s not really a huge decrease of performance, but after that I felt really flat.”

Some experts have wondered whether changing the timing of some events might be a way forward.

A Muslim 100 metres runner who is observing Ramadan and whose race is in the early part of the morning is unlikely to be particularly badly affected if he or she has been able to eat and drink up until sunrise, for example.

“But suppose you’re a decathlete and your competition starts first thing in the morning and ends at 8pm. With no food or drink in that time, that’s a long hard day, especially if it’s hot,” said Maughan.

Waterhouse notes that with many nonMuslim athlete also taking part in London 2102, and with peak television viewing times a key factor in scheduling events, changing timetables to accommodate Ramadan would be “fraught with difficulty”.

For now, his core advice would be to follow Azizul and Fatehah’s l ead and postpone fasting until after the event. “It’s very difficult to see that a person who is a strong adherent to Ramadan could maintain a proper programme of preparation for something as important as an Olympic event while fasting,” he said. “It just doesn’t fit in with the physiology.”—Reuters

Dubai’s DIB prices 5-year $500m Islamic bond Page 22

Less Iranian oil passing through Suez Canal Page 24

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

Fitch cuts Japan’s credit rating, cites huge debt Page 25

IMF calls on Britain to do more to boost economy Page 23

PARIS: Mexico’s Secretary-General of the OECD Angel Gurria (left ) with Jordan’s Queen Rania during the opening of the OECD Forum 2012 with the theme of discussion on new approaches to the social and economic challenges of the faltering global economy, in Paris yesterday.—AP

‘Severe recession’ looming for euro-zone OECD asks ECB, EU states to act fast to avert catastrophe PARIS: The 17-country euro-zone risks falling into a “severe recession,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned yesterday, as it called on governments and Europe’s central bank to act quickly to keep the slowdown from dragging down the global economy.

OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan warned the euro-zone economy could contract by as much as 2 percent this year, a figure that the Paris-based organization had laid out as its worst-case scenario in November. In its twice-yearly global economic outlook, the OECD - which monitors economic trends for the world’s most developed economies - said its average forecast was for the euro-zone economy to shrink 0.1 percent this year and grow a mere 0.9 percent in 2013.

“Today we see the situation in the euro area close to the possible downside scenario” in the OECD’s November report, “which if materializing could lead to a severe recession in the euro area and with spillovers in the rest of the world,” Padoan told reporters before the report’s release.

The report forecasts Europe falling fur-

ther behind other countries, particularly the United States, whose economy is expected to grow 2.4 percent this year and 2.6 percent next. “There is now a diverging trend between the euro area and the US, where the US is picking up more strongly while the euro area is lagging behind,” Padoan said. Europe itself is increasingly split between a wealthier north continuing to grow and a southern rim that is sliding deeper into recession, the OECD figures show. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, will accelerate to 2 percent growth next year after 1.2 percent growth in 2012, while France, the euro-zone’s second-largest economy, will expand 1.2 percent next year after 0.6 percent growth this year, the OECD said. Italy’s economy, by contrast, will shrink 1.7 percent this year and 0.4 percent in 2013, the OECD forecast. Spain is also set to remain mired in recession, with contraction of 1.6 percent this year and 0.8 percent next. Padoan called on euro-zone leaders to adopt a “growth compact” to promote growth even while reducing deficits.

French President Francois Hollande has made securing such a pact the focus of his European diplomacy in the first weeks of

his administration.

So-called eurobonds - debt issued jointly by countries in the currency bloc - could be used to recapitalize banks, Padoan said.

He also reiterated his call of six months ago for the ECB to do more to stem Europe’s crisis. The ECB has an “essential” role to play in solving Europe’s crisis, Padoan said, both by using its balance sheet firepower to shore up banks and by lowering interest rates. The ECB should also consider renewing the “unconventional measures” it used last year such as buying up government bonds, “if there is need to cope with contagion problems,” Padoan said. Asian economies will also do better than Europe, the OECD predicted. Japan is forecast to grow 2 percent this year and slow down to 1.5 percent in 2013, while China is expected to accelerate from 8.2 percent to 9.3 percent.

Despite their growth downgrades for Europe, the OECD’s figures are more optimistic than those of the International Monetary Fund. Last month the IMF predicted Europe’s economy would shrink 0.3 percent this year, with the U.S. expanding 2.1 percent. —AP

Dubai rebounds, Gulf gains as traders up risk MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

PARIS: OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan waits prior to the start of the press conference in Paris.—AFP

French finance chief warns against Greek euro exit PARIS: Greece’s exit from the euro-zone risks causing an “unpredictable” spread of the debt crisis, a scenario which France will work to avoid at all cost, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said yesterday.

“Everything must be done to help pro-European and pro-euro forces in Greece,” ahead of repeat elections due next month, Moscovici told AFP, citing “measures to boost growth and give back hope to the Greek people”.

Moscovici was also confident that Paris and Berlin would find compromises on a string of French proposals to revive economic growth in Europe even though both capitals currently disagree on eurobonds. “Compromises are possible, notably on boosting the capital of the European Investment Bank, the mobilization of unused structural funds and the creation of a European tax on financial transactions,” he said after talks Monday with German counterpart

Wolfgang Schaeuble in Berlin.

Moscovici said he and Schaeuble had found “a common language” to face the current crisis. “Wolfgang Schaeuble’s talk was very positive,” he said on the plane back to Paris. However Moscovici still cited “major disagreement” between Paris and Berlin on eurobonds, which would allow embattled governments to borrow from financial markets more easily by having their debt guaranteed by fellow EU members.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has adopted a hard line against eurobonds, arguing that GermanyEurope’s largest economy and the state with the lowest borrowing costs-would pick up the tab if euro-zone debt were pooled. With new elections looming in Greece on June 17 and Spain’s crippling recession showing no sign of abating, the euro-zone crisis dominated the talks between Schaeuble and his new French counterpart. “We agreed that we

have to do everything to keep Greece in the euro club,” Schaeuble told a joint press conference. “We both believe that Greece has its place in the euro-zone,” Moscovici said, adding that “the commitments undertaken had to be respected” in reference to reforms demanded in return for huge bailout packages. Europe has to support investment and economic growth in Greece “at a time when it is going through a violent recession”, the French minister added. The pair sought to present a united front ahead of a summit of EU leaders on Wednesday in Brussels, after a weekend G8 meeting left Berlin looking increasingly isolated with its austerity-driven solution to the crisis.

Moscovici said that new French President Francois Hollande, who last week met Merkel just hours after his inauguration, wanted to “put everything on the table, even topics that not everyone agreed on.”

Eurobonds are a “strong idea,” he said. He stressed Europe had to come up with concrete results by a June summit. Schaeuble said Germany “would participate in all constructive ideas to strengthen sustainable growth” but cautioned that budgetary consolidation was “a necessary precondition.”

Moscovici also insisted that France would play its part in reducing its own budget deficits, pledging: “The commitments made by President Francois Hollande during his campaign on public finances will be kept to.” France aims to reduce its deficit to below the EU limit of three percent of gross domestic product by next year and balance its budget by 2017. In a reminder that the crisis was not limited to Greece, Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos predicted that his country’s economy, already mired in recession with recordhigh unemployment, would shrink again in the second quarter. — AFP

DUBAI: Dubai’s index rose for a third session in four yesterday as upbeat global markets buoyed sentiment, but late selling wiped out much of its intraday gains, with short-term retail traders dominant and seeking a quick profit.Most Middle East markets were also up as investors worldwide bought into riskier assets on hopes European leaders would agree on fresh action to tackle the region’s debt crisis.

Dubai’s index climbed 0.6 percent, easing away from Wednesday’s 15-week low to take its 2012 gains to 10.6 percent. “What we’re seeing now is daily trading from small speculators - they are watching global and regional markets and trading based on that,” said Samer Al-Jaouni, general manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage Co. “People prefer to do daily trading. Institutions are cautious and prefer to watch.”

Traders focused on mid-cap, liquid stocks that are easy to enter and exit. National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) fell 1.6 percent and Islamic mortgage lender Tamweel dropped 0.9 percent, while builder Arabtec rose 0.7 percent.

This trio accounted for more than a third of all shares changing hands.

In neighboring Abu Dhabi, Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate climbed 3.7 and 3.9 percent respectively, extending gains after sources told Reuters the emirate had picked four banks to advise on a potential merger of the two statebacked developers. The merger plan comes after property prices tumbled in the United Arab Emirates from 2008 peaks.

Property firms have been forced to cancel projects and restructure their huge pile of debt, while Aldar’s shares are down 92 percent from a 2008 high. In Saudi Arabia, petrochemical and bank stocks led gains as the kingdom’s benchmark rose for a third day since Saturday’s three-month low.

Bellwether Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) climbed 1.1 percent, Al-Rajhi Bank rose 2.4 percent and Yanbu petrochemical (Yansab) added 1.9 percent. “It’s mainly oil prices dictating Saudi market sentiment,” said Hesham Tuffaha, Bakheet Investment Group head of asset management.

Saudi will not cut spending even if oil prices fall, Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf said yesterday.

Oil was steady at around $92.55 at 1152 GMT, having rebounded from Friday’s seven-month low.

The scope for further gains will depend on crude prices should oil break above $100 again, Saudi’s share index could head towards 8,000 points, but if prices drop below $90, it will be difficult for the benchmark to hold at current levels, Tuffaha said.He forecast the Saudi market would rise 1-2 percent over the next week or so. “Most likely, oil and global markets will continue rising and that will help the Saudi market,” he added.

Oman’s index climbed 2.3 percent, its largest gain in 15 months as volumes hit a five-week peak.—Reuters

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

BUSINESS

Dubai’s DIB prices 5-year $500m Islamic bond First foray into debt market since 2007 DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank priced a five-year, $500 million Islamic bond, or sukuk, yesterday, the first time the bank has tapped debt capital markets since 2007.

The deal priced at par with a profit rate of 4.752 percent at a spread of 365 basis points over midswaps, arranging banks said. The spread was 10 basis points tighter than initial price guidance released the previous day, indicating good demand for the issue.

The sukuk market has proved relatively resilient amid the latest phase of euro zone volatility, benefiting from the ability to tap pockets of liquidity in the Middle East which are sheltered from wider market dislocation. Deutsche Bank, Emirates NBD, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, HSBC and DIB itself are bookrunners on the deal.

While DIB itself has not issued since 2007, Dubai’s largest Islamic bank did guarantee a $300 million five-year sukuk from Islamic mortgage lender subsidiary Tamweel in January.

That transaction priced at par with a profit rate of 5.154 percent and carried a spread of 400 basis points over midswaps. Tamweel 2017s were trading at a z-spread of 415 bps yesterday, but the bonds are not very liquid. The z-spread is a pricing tool which calculates the number of basis points that need to be added to a zerocoupon yield curve to make the bond’s discount-

ed cash flows equal the bond’s present value.

The lack of any significant new issue premium and a modest targeted deal size of $500 million, plus support from Middle Eastern accounts should ensure the bond gets away and trades stably, though euro zone worries will cool the market response. DIB, majority-owned by the Dubai government, released initial price guidance for the Islamic bond at a spread of 375 basis points over midswaps, equating to a profit rate of 4.85 percent.

The lender, heavily exposed to real estate and Dubai government-related entities, is hoping to capitalise on strong regional demand for sukuk to prop up the deal at those price levels, even if investors say they leave little by way of a “sweetener” to attract large orderbooks.

Lead arrangers said on Tuesday that the deal already had orders of around $1.8 billion.

Deutsche Bank, Emirates NBD, HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and DIB itself are mandated arrangers.

“The general trend observed recently of huge support from local investors will continue and the majority of the allocation of the bond will be to Middle Eastern investors,” said Anas El Maizi, senior portfolio manager at Royal Capital.

He added a cautionary note, saying that market conditions had worsened since the Greek

Abu Dhabi’s TAQA eyes investments in Turkey

Iran’s oil exports halt decline in May LONDON: Iranian oil exports have not dropped further in May after falling sharply since March, industry sources said yesterday, because core customers in Europe and Asia continue to buy ahead of European sanctions aimed at slowing Tehran’s nuclear program.

Crude exports from Iran appear to be holding steady at around 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), according to a firm that tracks oil shipments. A source at a leading European oil company and another industry source also said shipments were little changed so far this month.

Last year, Iranian crude exports were running at about 2-2.2 million bpd with total production, including domestic consumption, at 3.5-3.6 million. The lack of a significant drop in shipments in May contrasts with declines in March and April and indicates that while many countries have said they will buy less Iranian oil in response to tightening Western sanctions, they have yet to do so. “Exports in May are looking steady,” said one of the sources, who declined to be identified. “I think it has come down to the core customers who are continuing to buy.” Some customers of Iranian oil, including European oil companies Total SA and Hellenic Petroleum, have already stopped buying in advance of a European Union ban on Iran crude from July 1.

The EU in January embargoed purchases of Iranian crude but let those with existing contracts continue importing until July 1. The West suspects Iran is trying to develop atomic bombs, while Iran says its nuclear work is solely for civilian purposes. The source with the European

elections, making it difficult for DIB to tighten the pricing if the bank wanted the bond to perform reasonably in the secondary market.

Investor skittishness has been heightened by the prospect of a Greek exit from the euro-zone and some funds may stay on the sidelines, waiting for clarity to emerge on the European debt crisis.

The sukuk market has proved relatively resilient amid the latest phase of euro zone volatility, and a large majority of regional deals so far this year have opted to take advantage of this format to meet capital raising needs.

Although the imbalance between supply and demand for Islamic bonds allows borrowers to price at tighter levels than conventional issuers, DIB’s latest price guidance may appear to offer little for investors, especially when compared to other, similar deals.

DIB’s last debt markets foray was to back a $300 million sukuk issued by by its Islamic mortgage lender subsidiary Tamweel in January, which priced at 400 bps over midswaps.

That sukuk, fully guaranteed by DIB, was bid at a cash price of 101.5 by some local accounts on Tuesday morning, from 100 levels earlier, indicating that investors see more value in that bond versus the latest DIB issue, for the same risk. — Reuters

oil company also saw Iranian exports as largely steady so far in May and estimated that the amount of crude heading into storage on tankers in the Gulf was on the rise. “That’s what we are seeing, and they keep on building their floating storage,” the source said.

The amount being held in floating storage, estimated at 33 million barrels in April, has risen to around 36 million barrels, according to an Iran-based shipping source. Iran is holding talks with world powers over its nuclear program this week and the UN nuclear watchdog chief said on Tuesday he expected to sign a cooperation deal with Iran soon. Without a political breakthrough, Iran’s exports are set to head lower later in the year as more buyers respond to sanctions.

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. Other customers such as Turkey have said they will buy less. There is no timely official data on Iranian crude export levels and there are often differences of opinion among those that monitor supplies on the rate of shipments.

Iran in April conceded that its exports had fallen slightly to 2.1 million bpd from 2.2 million bpd at the end of last year.

Industry sources are keeping an eye on the potential for the crude held on tankers to head into the market quickly should the West and Iran make progress on the nuclear issue, boosting exports. “If they decide to push it, they will flood the market,” said the source with the European oil company. “It’s a flow destined for Europe if it happens.” — Reuters

ABU DHABI: State-controlled Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. (TAQA) and the Turkish energy ministry have formed a joint committee to discuss investment opportunities for the oil and gas utility in Turkey, the firm said yesterday.

The committee will “discuss the investment opportunities available in the energy sector in Turkey,” TAQA said in a statement. The announcement came after a delegation from TAQA, headed by the firm’s chairman Hamad Al-Hurr Al-Suwaidi, went to Turkey to meet with officials from the energy ministry, including Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, TAQA said.

Suwaidi, who is also the chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Finance, also met with Turkey’s Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, the statement said. “Developing our international power business in the Middle East and North Africa region is a core to TAQA’s growth strategy. We have ambitious plans for growth and consider Turkey to be an attractive market offering a range of investment opportunities,” TAQA chief executive Carl Sheldon was quoted as saying in the statement.

Earlier this month, TAQA, which is 75-percent owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, said its first-quarter net profit more than tripled to 534 million dirhams ($145 million), helped by a gain selling non-core Canadian assets. TAQA has also said it planned to spend up to $2.2 billion in capital expenditure this year, and will seal a deal on acquiring 50 percent of a power plant in the Kurdish region of Iraq in the second quarter. — Reuters

Saudi FM sees more sukuk, bond issuance RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will see more Islamic bond, or sukuk, and conventional debt issuance this year, the oil-rich kingdom’s finance minister said yesterday.

“I see more sukuks and bonds being issued in future including from government agencies that have the ability to generate income and operate commercially,” Ibrahim Alassaf said, speaking at a conference in the capital of Riyadh. Asked if that meant this year he said: “Why not.”

A number of Saudi entities have priced issued local currency sukuk this year as interest in the country’s debt market grows on the back of high investor liquidity and a desire to diversify funding sources away from bank loans. —Reuters

MOSCOW: Visitors crowd around Russian Ka-62 helicopter at the 5th International Helicopter Industry Exhibition, HeliRussia-2012, on the outskirts of Moscow. More than 200 companies from 18 countries around the world were to participate in the Exhibition. — AFP

Jordan tackles deficit woes amid dangers AMMAN: Cash-strapped Jordan is bracing for tough economic times as the government prepares to raise commodity prices and taxes as part of an austerity plan to avoid a mammoth deficit of around $3 billion. But economic analysts and the powerful opposition Islamists have warned these moves would be “very dangerous” and likely to aggravate political instability in the country.

Jordan has witnessed regular street protests since January 2011 demanding sweeping reforms and tough action against corruption. In the past week, Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh has told MPs that his government was “carefully studying” an increase in the prices of electricity, some fuel derivatives and several commodities, warning against a record deficit of nearly $3 billion in this year’s $9.6-billion budget.

Tarawneh, who was appointed in April to push through a package of reforms needed to hold elections this year, acknowledged that Jordan’s economy was “much worse than I expected.”

He said the budget deficit could drive up Jordan’s overall debt to $24.6 billion by the end of this year. The 2012 budget had projected a $1.5-billion deficit — 4.6 percent of gross domestic product.

“Correcting the country’s financial situation requires taking such measures that would help us overcome the current difficult time,” said Tarawneh. “These immediate measures represent a first step towards approving a national financial reform program.” Other austerity measures, which are expected to yield around $425 million, include cuts in government spending, a freeze on hiring and a hike in taxes on some banks, according to state-run Petra news agency. Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood has warned of their potentially explosive consequences. “These are very dangerous steps that would inflame people all over the country. God knows how things would develop. The government needs to understand that there will be no economic reform in the absence of political change,” the group’s spokesman Jamil Abu Baker told AFP. “Once again, these cosmetic government plans are not expected to produce genuine economic reform. They will make people poorer, increase unemployment and worsen the crisis in the country.”

Gross domestic product per capita was estimated at $5,900 last year, when inflation stood at 6.5 percent. Officially, unemployment is about 14 percent in the country of nearly 6.5 million people, 70 percent of whom are under the age of 30. But others, mostly non-government organizations, put the number out of work at 30 percent.

“The prime minister says the economy is ‘bleeding.’ In other words, he is telling people not to sell or buy. This would affect the stability of the Jordanian dinar and put the country at economic risk,” analyst Yusef Mansur told AFP. He expects inflation to jump to 18 percent this year.

“If the government seeks political stability, it should not raise prices now.”

Ratings agency Moody’s has warned that political instability in Jordan, rated “Ba2/negative,” will delay fiscal reform, following the April resignation of prime minister Awn Khasawneh, only six months after he was appointed to implement political reforms. He was the third premier to be named in 2011. “Popular opposition to electricity price hikes highlights the challenges faced by the authorities in reining in the fiscal deficit while satisfying demands for social transfers,” the agency said.

The government has expressed concern that cuts in Egyptian gas supplies, which covers 80 percent of electricity production demand in Jordan, could cost the kingdom more than two billion dollars this year.

Since 2011, the pipeline supplying gas from Egypt to both Israel and Jordan has been attacked 14 times.

Analyst Labib Kamhawi also argues that price hikes are the wrong answer to the government’s the budget shortfall.

“There are other ways to boost state revenue. Billions of dollars that have been siphoned through corruption should be collected instead of jumping into people’s pockets,” he told AFP. Kamhawi said Jordanians “are already burdened with inflation and limited income.” “People will not accept all of this.

Meanwhile, the countries around us refuse to help because they are not sure their assistance will go to the treasury,” he said.

Taleb Awad, in charge of economic research at the University of Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies, agreed, saying the government should cut spending and tax luxury goods. — AFP

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 .4380000 .3540000 .2940000 .2720000 .2730000 .0040000 .0020000 .0756070 .7366170 .3830000 .0710000 .7221200 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2777500 GB Pound/KD .4381370 Euro .3542840 Swiss francs .2949450 Canadian dollars .2732150 Danish Kroner .0476730 Swedish Kroner .0389930 Australian dlr .2746530 Hong Kong dlr .0357690 Singapore dlr .2188210 Japanese yen .0034800 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0756500 Bahraini dinars .7370310 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0740860 Omani riyals .7217100 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2817500 .4480000 .3620000 .3050000 .2820000 .2820000 .0070000 .0035000 .0763670 .7440200 .4000000 .0770000 .7293780 .0072000 .0500000 .2813500 .4438160 .3588760 .2987680 .2767560 .0482910 .0394990 .2782130 .0362330 .2216580 .0035250 .0051070 .0021750 .0030910 .0034520 .0766310 .7465840 .3979490 .0750470 .7310640 .0065670

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 3.060 5.105 2.160 3.419 6.525 76.255 74.745 743.600 46.237 447.700 3.090

Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

1.550 363.400 280.800 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

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

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

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

SELL DRAFT SELL CASH

280.61 278.95 301.72 359.91 279.30 444.03 3.58 3.417 5.058 2.154 3.195 3.078 76.11 743.99 46.22 397.92 726.92 77.13 74.68

288.00 281.50 304.00 361.00 280.00 447.00 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 Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate

279.650 277.340 444.790 358.870 298.160 740.355

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 280.700 743.990 3.660 278.700 549.400 45.600 49.100 167.800 47.930 361.900 36.720 5.350 0.032 0.160 0.235 3.620 396.450 0.189 92.650 44.600 4.300 217.000 1.812 48.300 726.660 3.160 6.720 77.380 74.690 222.300 36.140 2.665 446.400 40.300 301.800 4.300

Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

9.320 198.263 76.270 280.100 1.340

10 Tola

GOLD 1,678.010

Sterling Pound US Dollar

9.150 76.170 279.700

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 444.400 279.700

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY

76.115 76.760 74.535 393.650 46.294 2.150 5.090 3.069 3.420 6.487 685.975 4.525 9.005 5.890 3.290 88.720

SELL DRAFT 279.200 743.990 3.416 277.200

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.542 5.204 3.073 2.179 3.301 225.500 35.996 3.411 6.574 8.963 91.158 GCC COUNTRIES 74.536 76.800 726.000 742.390 76.110

222.300 46.303 360.200 36.570 5.095 0.032

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

396.410 0.188 92.650

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.000 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.231 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.304 Tunisian Dinar 179.33 Jordanian Dinar 394.720 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.875 Syrian Lier 4.876 Morocco Dirham 33.183

3.200 216.100 726.480 3.087 6.490 76.950 74.690 222.300 38.140 2.153 444.400 300.300 4.300

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 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 285.000 143.000 71.000

BUSINESS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

IMF calls on Britain to do more to boost economy Euro-zone crisis biggest threat to UK

MOSCOW: Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin speaking during a meeting at Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. — AFP

Putin aide named as Russian oil giant chief MOSCOW: A trusted ally of President Vladimir Putin was yesterday appointed chief executive of state oil giant Rosneft, a surprise move that cemented the Russian strongman’s control over the energy sector.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev named Igor Sechin Rosneft chief executive, in a finishing touch to Russia’s new power structure where Putin is serving again as president after his four year stint as prime minister. A shadowy figure who normally steers clear of the media, Sechin has been one of Putin’s most trusted confidants for years and served as deputy prime minister in charge of the energy sector during his premiership.

“I have just signed the instruction to the Rosneft board of directors to appoint you as the head of this company’s executive body,” Medvedev told Sechin in a meeting.

Medvedev told Sechin that one of his key tasks would be ensuring the supply of oil to the domestic market at stable prices.

“I am counting on your focused and competent work on this question, taking into account the realities of the market,” he said, according to a transcript published by the government. The future of the outgoing Rosneft chief executive Eduard Khudainatov was not immediately clear.

The main uncertainty surrounding the top-level reshuffle after Putin’s May 7 inauguration was the future of Sechin, who reportedly has such tense relations with Medvedev that he could not stay in the cabinet.

Sechin is believed to strongly support state involvement in the economy-an opinion that is not shared by some of

Medvedev’s more liberal allies like new Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich with whom he has repeatedly clashed. Like so many of the Russian ruling elite, Sechin, 51, was born in Putin’s hometown of Saint Petersburg. A fluent Portuguese speaker, he is rumored to have worked in the KGB like Putin although this is not officially confirmed. In the mid-1980s he worked in Angola and Mozambique and from 19911996 worked in the Saint Petersburg city hall alongside Putin before moving to Moscow to take up posts in the Kremlin.

Sechin has already helped build Rosneft into a key pillar of the modern Russian state, which relies on receipts from its oil and gas exports as the main support of the budget. Rosneft and ExxonMobil in August clinched a massive cooperation deal to explore Russia’s Artic shelf, its major unexploited energy resource, after a similar deal with BP fell through. Sechin championed both deals in his role as deputy prime minister which made him the main point of contact for foreign oil majors seeking a share of Russia’s energy riches. He had also served as chairman of Rosneft’s board of directors but stepped down in April last year as Medvedev, while serving as president, sought to distance state officials from public companies. The company’s rise to its status as Russia’s largest oil firm was hugely controversial.

It expanded by acquiring prize assets belonging to the now defunct private giant Yukos when the firm was broken up by the Russian state after the arrest of its chief executive and founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky in 2003. — AFP

US home re-sales edge up, boding well for economy WASHINGTON: US home resales rose in April to their highest annual rate in nearly two years and a falloff in foreclosures pushed prices higher, hopeful signs for the country’s economic recovery.

The National Association of Realtors said yesterday that existing home sales increased 3.4 percent to an annual rate of 4.62 million units last month, the highest since May 2010.

“The housing market is showing some signs of life,” said Gary Thayer, a macro strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors in St Louis. Nationwide, the median price for a home resale jumped to $177,400 in April, up 10.1 percent from a year earlier. That was the biggest year-over-year increase since January 2006.

Prices rose in large part because a drop in foreclosures led to fewer distressed sales, said NAR economist Lawrence Yun. At the same time, Yun said some seasonal factors might have also played a role in the price increase, because families tend to buy in the spring, which means bigger homes comprise a larger share of total sales.

Yun still thinks overall price increases in 2012 will be muted, rising between 1 percent and 2 percent. US stocks rose as

investors bet the data was another sign the housing market may be on the road to recovery. US Treasuries prices fell.

The housing market has been one of the economy’s weakest links as it recovers from the 2007-09 recession, but data in recent months has raised hopes the sector has touched bottom.

The US government said last week that groundbreaking for US homes rebounded in April, which helped to dampen fears that the recovery in the world’s largest economy was stagnating after tepid job growth last month. While job creation has slowed in recent months, Yun said it was enough to get more people buying homes.

“Now with the jobs creation and high affordability this is a very good combination,” he said. March’s sales pace was revised marginally lower to 4.47 million units from the previously reported 4.48 million units. Economists polled by Reuters had expected sales at a 4.60 million-unit sales pace last month.

Inventories rose to 2.54 million, which Yun also attributed to seasonal factors.

April tends to be one of biggest months of the year for new homes going on the market, he said. — Reuters

‘Fiscal cliff’ could derail US recovery: OECD WASHINGTON: A sharp fiscal contraction next year could derail the US economic recovery, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned yesterday as it urged the government to move only gradually to tighten its budget.

A wave of US spending cuts and tax hikes dubbed the “fiscal cliff” - are set to take effect in January unless politicians agree on ways to delay at least some of them. Bush-era tax cuts and jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed are both set to expire. In addition, $1.2 trillion in across-the-board reductions in spending on federal programs would kick in as a result of Congress’ failure last year to find a comprehensive deal to cut the budget deficit.

In its latest economic outlook, the OECD said these actions would mark an ill-timed Uturn in fiscal policy given the still-fragile health of world’s largest economy.

“The programmed expiration of tax cuts and emergency unemployment benefits, together with automatic federal spending cuts, would result in a sharp fiscal retrenchment in 2013 that might derail the recovery,” the OECD said. It did not specify what the impact on US gross domestic product would be if all the tax cuts lapsed and all the planned spending cuts went into force at the same time. Wall Street economists forecast that fiscal policy could tighten by about $600 billion

next year, or about 4 percent of GDP, if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement. Goldman Sachs estimates the “fiscal cliff” could shave nearly 4 percentage points from GDP in the first half of 2013.

Most economists, however, expect lawmakers to find a way to soften the blow.

In its forecasts, the OECD said the US economy should grow 2.4 percent this year and 2.6 percent in 2013. Those projections assume the budget deficit is cut by 1 percent and 1-1/2 percent of GDP, respectively, this year and next. The United States has run budget deficits topping $1 trillion for three straight years, and it is on course to do so for a fourth.

“This smoother and more gradual pace of consolidation would greatly reduce the risks of derailing the recovery, at little cost to longerterm fiscal sustainability,” the OECD said.

The OECD said authorities could lower the budget deficit by restricting items such as mortgage interest deductions for tax purposes and credits for health insurance. Such moves would also help to reduce market distortions and narrow income inequality, the OECD said. Given its moderate growth outlook, the OECD said it expected monetary policy to remain accommodative through 2013.

The Federal Reserve, which cut overnight interest rates to near zero in late 2008, has said it expects to keep them “exceptionally low” through at least late 2014. —Reuters

LONDON: The International Monetary Fund has issued a tough assessment of UK economic policy, urging the coalition government and Bank of England to do more to boost demand in the economy.

The IMF’s report of its latest consultation with British authorities released yesterday called for more stimulus, either through further rounds of quantitative easing or by a further cut in the alltime low base lending rate of 0.5 percent. Since coming to power in 2010, the UK’s coalition government has introduced an extensive austerity program of state spending cuts and reforms aimed at bringing down the country’s deficit.

However, as the IMF report states, that while the UK has “made substantial progress toward achieving a more sustainable budgetary position”, the country has fallen back into recession and “the hand-off from public to private demand-led growth has not fully materialized.”

The Bank of England, meanwhile, has been working to keep inflation - which halts income growth and squeezes household spending down to a target 2 per cent. Latest figures released yesterday show that consumer price inflation fell from 3.5 percent in March to 3 percent in April, a bigger drop than expected.

The BoE has also paused in its program of quantitative easing - buying high-quality assets to free up the flow of money in the economy after spending 325 billion pounds ($513 billion) to support the economy. The IMF said that by cutting rates and introducing another round of QE “inflation could take longer than expected to return to target, with convergence being further delayed by additional monetar y easing.

Nonetheless, the cost of such a delay is likely to be low relative to the benefits of a more rapid closing of the output gap.”

Britain’s Treasury chief, George Osborne, welcomed the IMF report as an endorsement of the government’s policies. “The IMF couldn’t be clearer today. Britain has to deal with its debts and the government’s fiscal policy is the appropriate one and an essential part of our road to recovery,” Osborne said.

The opposition Labor Party, however, has

LONDON: Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) listens to Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, during a press conference in the Treasury in London yesterday. — AP The IMF also warned that the difficulties faccalled for more emphasis on promoting growth.

“In Britain, cutting spending and raising taxes ing the economy of 17 country euro-zone too far and too fast has backfired, with the which is the UK’s biggest export market - is the resulting slow growth and high unemployment,” biggest threat to the UK economy.

“An escalation of stress in the euro area could said Ed Balls, Labor’s economic spokesman in Parliament. Blerina Uruci at Barclays Capital set off an adverse and self-reinforcing cycle of Research said there appeared to be little lower confidence and exports, higher bank fundprospect of a change of course by the govern- ing costs, tighter credit, and falling asset values, ment, “even if the economic recovery were to go resulting in a substantial contractionary shock,” the IMF said. further off track.”

While the government will be encouraged by “In this respect, at least, the IMF’s message is the inflation data, the April budget surplus of likely to fall on deaf ears,” Uruci said.

The drop in April’s consumer price inflation 16.5 billion pounds was below the market condoes give the government and BoE added lee- sensus of 20 billion pounds. The transfer of Royal way to respond to the IMF’s call for more action Mail pension fund assets pushed the account to boost demand. “The signs are that the Bank of into surplus for the month.

The government’s tax take was down 0.9 perEngland is keeping the door fully open to more QE given the major uncertainties over both the cent compared to a year earlier. Excluding the growth and inflation outlooks,” said Howard pension fund effect, “the deficit of 11.5 billion Archer, European economist at HIS Global pounds looks pretty nasty,” said Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics. — AP Insight.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

business

Morgan Stanley cut Facebook estimates just before IPO NEW YORK: In the run-up to Facebook’s $16 billion IPO, Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the deal, unexpectedly delivered some negative news to major clients: The bank’s consumer Internet analyst, Scott Devitt, was reducing his revenue forecasts for the company.

The sudden caution very close to the huge initial public offering, and while an investor roadshow was underway, was a big shock to some, said two investors who were advised of the revised forecast.

They say it may have contributed to the weak per formance of Facebook shares, which sank on Monday - their second day of trading - to end 10 percent below the IPO price. The $38 per share IPO price valued Facebook at $104 billion. The change in Morgan Stanley’s estimates came on the heels of Facebook’s filing of an amended prospectus with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in which

the company expressed caution about revenue growth due to a rapid shift by users to mobile devices. Mobile advertising to date is less lucrative than advertising on a desktop.

“This was done during the roadshow - I’ve never seen that before in 10 years,” said a source at a mutual fund firm who was among those called by Morgan Stanley.

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, which were also major underwriters on the IPO but had lesser roles than Morgan Stanley, also revised their estimates in response to Facebook’s May 9 SEC filing, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment and Devitt did not return a phone message seeking comment. JPMorgan and Goldman both declined to comment.

Typically, the underwriter of an IPO wants to paint as positive a picture as possible for prospective investors.

Investment bank analysts, on the other hand, are required to operate independently of the bankers and salesmen who are marketing stocks - that was stipulated in a settlement by major banks with regulators following a scandal over tainted stock research during the dotcom boom.

The people familiar with the revised Morgan Stanley projections said Devitt cut his revenue estimate for the current second quarter significantly, and also cut his full-year 2012 revenue forecast.

Devitt’s precise estimates could not be immediately verified.

“That deceleration freaked a lot of people out,” said one of the investors.

Scott Sweet, senior managing partner at the research firm IPO Boutique, said he was also aware of the reduced estimates.

“They definitely lowered their numbers and there was some concern about that,” he said. “My biggest hedge fund

client told me they lowered their numbers right around mid-roadshow.”

That client, he said, still bought the issue but “flipped his IPO allocation and went short on the first day.”

Sweet said analysts at firms that are not underwriting IPOs often change forecasts at such times. However, he said it is unusual for analysts at lead underwriters to make such changes so close to the IPO. “That would be very, very unusual for a book runner to do that,” he said. The lower revenue projection came shortly before the IPO was priced at $38 a share, the high end of an already upwardly revised projected range of $34-$38, and before Facebook increased the number of shares being sold by 25 percent.

The much-anticipated IPO has performed far below expectations, with the shares barely staying above the $38 offer price on their Friday debut and then plunging on Monday. Companies do not

make their own financial forecasts prior to an IPO, and underwriters are generally barred from issuing recommendations on the stock until 40 days after it begins trading.

Analysts often rely on guidance from the company in building their forecasts, but companies doing IPOs are not permitted to give out material information that is not available to all investors.

Institutions and major clients generally enjoy quick access to investment bank research, while retail clients in many cases only get it later. It is unclear whether Morgan Stanley only told its top clients about the revised view or spread the word more broadly. The firm declined to comment when asked who was told about the research.

“It’s very rare to cut forecasts in the middle of the IPO process,” said an official with a hedge fund firm who received a call from Morgan Stanley about the revision. —Reuters

Less Iranian oil passing through Suez Canal Western sanctions impact crude movement

QINGDAO: The departure of China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC)’s first independent deep-water oil drilling rig, from the port of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province. China’s first homegrown deep-water drilling rig will be located in the South China Sea, some 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Hong Kong, as the country dependent on oil imports to fuel its surging economy, claims full sovereignty on the sea, which has huge oil and gas reserves, often leading to diplomatic rows with its neighbors. — AFP

Oil falls below $109 on Iran talks progress LONDON: Oil prices fell below $109 a barrel yesterday as hopes for a cooperation deal over Iran’s disputed nuclear program eased concerns about major oil supply disruptions and as a report predicted more misery for the eurozone.

The United Nations nuclear agency chief said yesterday he expected to sign a cooperation deal with Iran “quite soon”. “(A) decision was made to conclude and sign the agreement...I can say it will be signed quite soon,” Yukiya Amano, direc tor general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters at Vienna airport after returning from Tehran where he held talks with senior Iranian officials.

Brent oil prices reversed their earlier gains to trade 37 cents down at $108.44 a barrel by 0848 GMT and US crude was also edging down 30 cents towards $92 a barrel.

Major powers will meet Iran today in Baghdad to discuss its nuclear program, but tensions with the West remain high, as the US Senate unanimously approved a package of new economic sanc tions on Iran’s oil sec tor on Monday.

“The mere possibility of the negotiations failing is keeping markets on their toes,” said David Wech from JBC Energy.

Worries about the loss of supply from Iran, OPEC’s second largest producer, have kept Brent futures prices in the $110-$128 range for most of 2012 as the European Union will impose a full

embargo on Iranian oil imports from July and Washington is also pushing major Asian customers to cut Iranian oil purchases.

But those worries have been overshadowed by a renewed debt crisis in the euro zone aggravated by a poor set of US and Chinese statistics, which pushed oil prices below $110 over the past week.

As markets await Wednesday’s meeting of European Union leaders, a report by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co - operation and Development (OECD) said that Europe’s failure to contain the crisis would derail a fragile economic recover y led by Japan and the United States.

“Clearly Europe may eventually come out with huge intervention this summer but it is unlikely to be this preemptive and unlikely before the EU leaders know which way the political wind is blowing in Greece,” said analysts from Deutsche Bank referring to new elections in Greece on June 17.

French President Francois Hollande will push a proposal to share the burden of European debt at a EU summit this week. Rising crude stockpiles in the United States may also weigh on oil prices. Crude inventories were expected to rise 1.0 million barrels last week, up for the ninth straight week , a Reuters poll of analysts showed.

Distillates and gasoline stocks were forecast unchanged from the previous week’s level. — Reuters

SYDNEY: Qantas planes on the tarmac at Sydney International Airport. Embattled Australian flag carrier Qantas said yesterday it will split its loss-making international arm from its domestic operations as part of a drive to transform the airline. — AFP

DUBAI: The number of Iranian crude vessels passing through Egypt’s Suez Canal has dropped this year as Western sanctions bite, an official from the Suez Canal Authority said yesterday.

“I can say there’s been a 5-6 percent drop in Iranian crude ...since the first of January,” Sayed Mariee, deputy director of planning, research and studies at the Suez Canal Authority, told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry event yesterday.

He added that Egypt will continue to allow Iranian vessels to use the Canal even after July, when the European Union fully moves ahead with an embargo on Iranian crude.

“These sanctions are by Europe and the US, they’re not sanctions from Egypt,” said Mariee.

“There’s no discrimination. Iranian tankers

pass through Suez, Israeli tankers pass too.”

Escalating sanctions on Iran’s key energy exports are designed to lift the veil on Tehran’s nuclear energy development which western powers suspect is a front for work on atom bombs.

Asked if Iran was still using the Sumed pipeline connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean to transport its oil, Mariee said that it was but he was not certain if volumes had dropped.

The 2.3 million bpd Sumed pipeline is filled with 65 percent Saudi crude, 25 percent Iranian and 4 percent Kuwaiti. This year revenues from the Canal, a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt, was expected to increase slightly to $5.4 billion from $5.3 billion a year ago, said Mariee. “The problem is not in the

container business. But we have some challenges, we have competition from other routes like the Panama Canal and North Sea.” The Suez Canal Authority increased the toll for vessels by 3 percent in March and Mariee played down prospects for a further rise. “Our philosophy is not only boosting revenues but also increasing the number of clients and the number of passenger ships,” he said. “The Suez Canal must be the cheapest way of transportation.” Mariee said the authority was looking at increasing revenues by expanding its fuel bunkering base.

“But we have a shortage of (fuel). One alternative is to import from Yanbu (Saudi Arabia),” said Mariee, adding that the plan was to increase bunker quantities from 3 million tonnes annually to 8 million tons. — Reuters

Malaysia Airlines weighs $800m Islamic bond issue KUALA LUMPUR: Loss-making Malaysia Airlines yesterday said it plans to raise up to 2.5 billion ringgit ($800) in Islamic bonds as part of an ambitious fundraising plan to fly out of financial difficulties. In February the flag carrier said it lost 2.52 billion ringgit last year largely due to soaring fuel costs, admitting it was “in crisis”.

The new funding plan comes after budget carrier AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines scraped their controversial share swap deal early this month.

Last August fast-growing flyer AirAsia agreed to acquire 20.5 percent of Malaysia Airlines under a strategic tieup aimed at turning around the struggling national carrier. “ We anticipate to drawdown the first tranche of 1.0 billion ringgit of the proposed sukuk sometime in June 2012 once all regulatory approvals are cleared, and for the remaining amount of the program later,” it said in a statement. Malaysia is the world’s biggest market for Islamic bonds. Islamic banking fuses principles of Islamic law and

modern bank ing. Islamic funds are banned from investing in companies associated with tobacco, alcohol or gambling.

The state-owned airline said it had secured a 1.0 billion ringgit bridging loan from a local commercial bank “to ensure our working capital cash balances remain adequate” until the expected drawdown of the first tranche of the proposed sukuk.

Malaysia Airlines also said that it plans to lease six new Airbus A380s and two new Airbus A330 with a total capital value of 5.3 billion ringgit. “ We are indeed hopeful and optimistic that we can secure the proposed elements of our funding plan as soon as possible.

“With the above funding plan, MAS (Malaysia Airlines) is able to proceed with all upcoming aircraft deliveries which is paramount to its recovery plan,” it added. For the quarter ended March 31, Malaysia Airlines reported its fifth consecutive loss amounting to 171.8 million ringgit, compared with a loss of 242.3 million a year earlier. —AFP

Tough NZ budget eyes 2015 surplus WELLINGTON: New Zealand is set to deliver its toughest budget in 20 years this week, promising no spending increase in a struggling economy and a lower tax take, as the government strives to return to surplus by 2015.

The government relies on offshore lenders to fill its budget gap and has repeatedly reaffirmed its surplus plan to defend its double-A rated credit ratings.

Moody’s still rates New Zealand tripleA. The $150 billion economy is largely driven by agriculture exports such as dairy, beef, wool and timber and is highly vulnerable to global turndowns like the euro-zone crisis.

New Zealand’s sluggish economy has seen tax revenue fall behind forecasts, forcing Prime Minister John Key to slash spending, cut jobs, merge ministries and trim services, including shutting overseas embassies. The centre-right government also plans to sell state assets, including power companies, to raise up to NZ$7 billion to help fund the budget gap.

But economists doubt New Zealand will achieve its surplus goal. “We doubt that a surplus will be achieved as soon as forecast,” said Deutsche Bank chief economist Darren Gibbs.

New Zealand’s deficit hit a record NZ$18.4 billion last year, worsened by a massive earthquake in Christchurch on the South Island.

Finance Minister Bill English said earlier this month the chances of reaching

the updated forecast surplus of NZ$370 million in three years’ time was under threat because of a NZ$1 billion deterioration in its current finances.

The Treasury has forecast this year’s budget deficit will be NZ$12.1 billion, but then picked a near halving in each of the next two years before a small surplus.

New Zealand’s public finances have come under pressure as the economy has failed to gather momentum because of weaknesses in retail, manufacturing and construction.

The much anticipated NZ$20 billion ($15 billion) rebuilding in quake-hit Christchurch has also largely been delayed because of regular aftershocks.

State spending is a crucial growth driver, accounting for about one-fifth of the economy.

“Government activity will remain a modest drag on GDP growth in coming years - but the Christchurch rebuild will be the dominant factor,” Stephens added. Westpac is now forecasting annual growth of 1.6 percent for the year ended March 2012 and 2.6 percent for March 2013. That compared with Treasury’s forecast of 1.9 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively. Standard & Poor’s, which downgraded New Zealand’s sovereign rating last September by one notch, has said the country will retain its rating even if the government misses its targeted return to a budget surplus by one year. — Reuters

MUMBAI: Vodafone India’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Marten Pieters speaks during a news conference in Mumbai yesterday.

Vodafone India announced their first earnings of financial results for year 2011-2012 . — AFP

Finnair hands more routes to Flybe to cut costs HELSINKI: Loss-making Finnish flag carrier Finnair plans to hand over the operation of a third of its European routes to low-cost British airline Flybe to cut costs and help restore profitability.

The companies, which launched their Flybe Nordic joint venture last year, said yesterday Finnair would transfer 12 Embraer aircraft, along with around 200 cabin crew, to Flybe. Flybe will take over the operations in October, although it is not yet decided which routes will be affected.

Finnair has been looking for ways to overhaul its business in Europe, where it faces fierce competition from discount airlines. The company wants to focus instead on profitable routes to Asian destinations such as Japan, China, and Singapore.

“This move is a part of our strategy to restore Finnair ’s profitability,” Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen said. He also said the company would aim to boost the profitability of the remaining two thirds of its European flights through more deals or cost cuts.

Finnair shares were up more than three percent by 0855 GMT and Flybe’s shares were up four percent.In the past four years, Finnair has reported net losses totalling around 250 million euros ($319.20 million). The economic downturn, low-cost competitors and high fuel prices have eroded profits of many national carriers around the world.

Finnair said it was on track to achieve annual cost savings of 140 million euros by 2014, although the latest deal would not mean any immediate job cuts.

Under this latest deal, Finnair will pay a fixed amount for Flybe Nordic to operate the aircraft on the routes, but will still take care of sales and marketing.

Flybe Nordic, owned 60 percent by Flybe and 40 percent by Finnair, agreed last July to buy Finnish Commuter Airlines for 25 million euros ($32 million).

Finnair, 55.8 percent owned by the Finnish government, has faced an uproar this year over executives’ pay, particularly over bonuses for top officials when the company was cutting jobs. The government has pushed the airline to overhaul its board after the executive pay row.

The government has previously said it might trim its stake.— Reuters

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

business

Fitch cuts Japan’s credit rating, cites huge debt Setback to tokyo’s efforts to kickstart economy

NEW DELHI: An Indian parking lot employee counts Indian rupee notes in New Delhi. India’s rupee hit a new life-time low against the dollar yesterday on persistent concerns over the euro-zone debt crisis. —AFP

India’s rupee hits new low against dollar MUMBAI: India’s rupee hit an all-time low against the dollar for the fifth successive trading day yesterday amid concern about slowing domestic growth and continuing global uncertainty.

The Indian unit fell to 55.20, below its previous record low of 55.05 a day earlier, as demand for the US currency grew. The partially-convertible rupee opened yesterday slightly higher on improved global risk appetite, but steady dollar buying pushed the Indian currency down.

While Europe’s debt crisis is a major concern, the rupee has also been affected by several domestic problems including India’s widening trade and current account deficits and declining 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.

Many analysts and traders predict the rupee may fall further in the coming days with risk-aversion hitting global markets and sentiment souring over India due to its gaping deficits and poor economic data.

The Indian economy is predicted to have grown 6.9 percent in the last fiscal year to March-the slowest pace since the 2008 global financial crisis. Yesterday, there was no immediate sign of fresh central bank intervention as the rupee weakened further, but the bank is believed to have stepped in to prop up the currency more than a dozen times this year.

The rupee was Asia’s worst performing currency in 2011, losing more than 20 percent of its value against the dollar compared to the previous year. — AFP

Vodafone cuts sales target on weak European markets LONDON: Vodafone cut its medium-term sales target and took a write down of 4 billion pounds yesterday as cash-strapped customers in southern Europe made fewer calls and regulators upped the pressure on the world’s largest mobile operator.

Vodafone posted full-year results in line with forecasts and stood out from its peers by promising another strong dividend as strength in emerging markets and Germany, Britain and Turkey offset a slump in spending in Spain and Italy.

But with trading in its two big southern European markets showing little sign of improvement and regulatory and foreign exchange pressures due to continue, Vodafone said it now expected organic service revenue growth in 2013 to be slightly below its previous medium-term target range of 1-4 percent. It took an impairment charge of 4 billion pounds against its businesses in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal, all at the heart of the euro zone debt crisis. The problems have hurt consumer spending which is expected to hit Vodafone’s cash flow.

“Europe continues to be challenging,” Chief Executive Vittorio Colao told reporters. “But even though the macro economic conditions remain tough, Vodafone is well positioned for the coming years. “We have continued to gain revenue share in many of our markets ... and geographic exposure is a positive differentiator.”

The British-based group is the latest in a long line of major companies to be hit by government austerity measures being imposed across Europe, where consumers facing tax rises, inflation and muted wage growth are cutting spending.

A reluctance to spend on discretionary goods, particularly in Italy, Spain and Greece, has hit Europe’s biggest retailer Carrefour, drinks group Diageo and electricals retailer Kesa among others in recent weeks.

British retailer Marks & Spencer scaled back its revenue growth guidance yesterday.

The telecoms sector has also been hit by the steady cuts to so-called mobile termination rates, which are the fees operators pay each other to connect and disconnect calls.

But despite the twin pressures, Vodafone has managed to stay ahead of rivals due to its strong presence in faster growing emerging markets, strong corporate offering and a reputation for a better network.

It raised its total dividend by 7 percent to 9.52 pence, before the addition of a special dividend from its business in the United States, and said it expected that growth rate to continue for the 2013 financial year. “Our return to shareholders has been exceptional this year,” Colao said.

Analysts said the results for the 2012 financial year were in line or above forecasts, and said the lower outlook had been expected, although some previously supportive analysts started to question what more the group could be doing in Europe. — Reuters

TOKYO: Fitch cut Japan’s credit rating by two notches yesterday, citing its “leisurely” efforts at shrinking a massive public debt, as Tokyo struggles to kickstart the world’s third-largest economy.

The global agency downgraded Japan’s long-term foreign currency rating to ‘A+’ from ‘AA’, with a negative outlook, noting “growing risks for Japan’s sovereign credit profile as a result of high and rising public debt ratios.” Japan has an eye-watering national debt that amounts to more than twice its gross domestic product, the highest among industrialized nations, a problem that would usually mean paying a high premium to borrow funds.

But its bonds are mostly held by domestic investors, meaning Japan pays low interest rates on its debt and is less vulnerable to criticism from foreign buyers over its fiscal management-a fate that has befallen Greece. However, Fitch said Japan’s debt load is projected to hit 239 percent of output by year’s end, “by far the highest for any Fitch-rated sovereign” debt.

“The country’s fiscal consolidation plan looks leisurely relative even to other fiscally-challenged high-income countries, and implementation is subject to political risk,” the ratings agency said in a statement. Fitch also warned that “a lack of new fiscal policy measures aimed at stabilising public finances amid continued rises in government debt ratios could lead to a further downgrade.”

Finance Minister Jun Azumi said yesterday that Tokyo would continue to hack away at the country’s debt load, declining to comment directly on the Fitch downgrade.

“I’d like to move ahead with fiscal reform, while making efforts to enact the tax and social security reform bills,” Azumi told reporters. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is trying to double Japan’s consumption tax to 10.0 percent in a bid to stem the surging national debt, as the costs of a rapidly ageing population heap pressure on public coffers.

Fitch noted that Japan has “exceptional financing flexibility” owing to the low yields it pays on government bonds, with the rate on a 10-year Japan government bond hitting a near decade-low of 0.815 percent last week.

That is less than Europe’s top economy Germany pays to service its debt.

Japan also has a high personal savings rates, while the yen is a global reserve currency that has emerged as a safe haven unit, Fitch said, amid worries over Europe’s economy and a slow recovery in the United States.

“Japan’s sovereign ratings are supported by fundamental structural strengths including one of the world’s most advanced high-income economies and strong public institutions,” it said.

“However, its demographic profile is a structural weakness,” it added.

With a chronically low birth rate, near-

ly one-quarter of Japan’s 128 million people is older than 65, threatening growth and its ability to finance an increasingly expensive social security system.

exports and consumer spending. Japan’s economy grew 1.0 percent in the three months to March, offering a glimmer of hope for an economy hampered by years of deflation and stuttering growth.

TOKYO: A man under an umbrella walks past an electronic stock indicator in Tokyo yesterday. Hopes China will announce new measures to boost economic growth helped push Asian stock markets higher yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1 percent to 8,716.27. — AP The Fitch downgrade comes just days after Tokyo upgraded its view of the economy for the first time in nine months, after better-than-expected growth figures and thanks to a pickup in

The moribund economy was also hammered last year by the quake-tsunami disaster and severe flooding in Thailand, which hurt manufacturers with plants in the country. — AFP

Argentina’s long economic boom coming to an end

HONG KONG: Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn (second from right), Executive Vice President Andy Palmer (second from left) and Senior Vice President Shiro Nakamura, right, attend the opening ceremony for the new office in Hong Kong yesterday. —AP

Nissan’s luxury Infiniti brand opens HK HQ HONG KONG: Nissan’s upscale Infiniti brand unveiled its new global headquarters in Hong Kong yesterday, as the Japanese automaker uses the southern Chinese financial center to grab a bigger piece of the world’s top car market.

Nissan Motor Co President and CEO Carlos Ghosn dotted the eyes on traditional Chinese lion dancers at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new office, which will have 100 staff by the end of the first year. Infiniti is the first car maker to base itself in Hong Kong, a semiautonomous region of China better known for its banking prowess and stock market.

Ghosn said the company chose to move the high-end division to Hong Kong so staff could better observe the city’s luxury goods market. Many foreign brands have flocked to the city in recent years in pursuit of wealthy Chinese shoppers. He reiterated Infiniti’s target to raise market share in China to 10 percent of the luxury car market from 3 percent now. “During the next five years, Hong Kong and mainland China will together be our most important growth market,” Ghosn said.

He brushed off worries of a slowing Chinese economy, pointing out that the world’s biggest car market was still expanding. Some 18.5 million vehicles

were sold in China last year but sales growth has been slowing, from 35 percent in 2010 to just 2 percent in the latest quarter. Ghosn said 5-6 percent growth for the passenger car market in 2012 is “completely realistic.” Infiniti joins other rival luxury marques from MercedesBenz to Cadillac who see China’s newly rich buyers as a big source of future growth. Despite the overall market slump, China’s luxury sales are still buoyant, surging 21 percent in the first quarter over a year earlier, according to JD Power & Associates. Car makers are designing models that cater to Chinese tastes and shifting some production to the country as brisk economic growth mints scores of new millionaires.

“Chinese tastes are becoming more and more important,” Ghosn said. At the Beijing auto show in April, Infiniti said it would start manufacturing cars in China for the first time, with production of two vehicles starting in 2014. Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said the vehicles would be all-new but would not disclose any other details. Ghosn said the company decided to move production to China to reduce risks from big swings in currency rates. He also reaffirmed Infiniti’s goal of raising sales to 500,000 vehicles by 2016, up from 145,000 in 2011 and expanding into 70 markets from 45. — AP

HONG KONG: Nissan Infiniti M37S is displayed at the opening ceremony for its new office in Hong Kong yesterday. Nissan’s upscale Infiniti brand has unveiled its new global headquarters in Hong Kong. — AP

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s nine-year economic expansion appears to be slowing sharply, according to analysts, who predict growth of 2.5 percent to 3 percent this year, half the 5.1 percent projected by the government’s 2012 budget and down sharply from last year’s 8.9 percent rise.

Some economists are even predicting recession before year ’s end, saying recently imposed currency and trade restrictions, high inflation, price controls and capital flight are making it tougher to protect Argentina from the global slowdown. “The tail wind has ended and there are storm clouds gathering.

Argentina is more exposed,” said Ramiro Castineira, an economist with the Econometrica consultancy. He estimates 2.5 percent growth this year and worries the government’s economic interventions have left it too weak to respond to global pressures.

Argentina’s GDP averaged annual growth of 7.1 percent from 2003 to 2011 as President Cristina Fernandez and her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, guided the country out of an economic abyss created by its worldrecord loan default and currency devaluation in 2002. Key to the comeback was Kirchner’s refusal to pay back international lenders in full. The move made Argentina a pariah among many investors, but enabled the government to spend billions on rebuilding the domestic economy.

The government has poured money into industrial subsidies, public works projects, generous welfare payments and other popular stimulus programs collectively known as the Kirchners’ model for growing a more inclusive society. The year-after-year growth has been a point of pride for Fernandez, who insists the US and Europe should learn from Argentina’s example rather than impose austerity measures that have so far failed to turn around failing economies. Now, however, even Fernandez is acknowledging that the good times are running out, although she blames the problems on

the global crisis, not her own policies.

“We’ve never fallen from the world; we have the problem that the world is falling on top of us,” the president said last week as she announced a new round of government-backed credits to Argentine businesses worth $1.8 billion.

“Today we have to focus on investment; that’s the key to surviving what’s coming,” she said, warning that business leaders who want her government’s support will be expected to make long-term bets on Argentina. A wide range of factors is involved in the slowdown.

Agricultural production dropped sharply due to low rains this past growing season. Industrial production also dropped despite high internal demand because trade protections make it more difficult to get parts for everything from smartphones to refrigerators to automobiles.

Brazil, meanwhile, has been devaluing its currency as its economy slows, making Argentine exports to its main trading partner less competitive.

Construction is usually a main economic driver, and Argentines habitually turn to real estate as a way to shelter their wealth against inflation. But new projects have slowed sharply as sales plunged 15 percent this year, due in large part to currency controls imposed by the government to stem capital flight.

Nearly all Argentine real estate transactions are done in dollars, which are now scarce as people try to dump their pesos and move their wealth out of the country. For three months now, Maria del Carmen Fernandez hasn’t been able to sell a dead relative’s two-bedroom apartment in Buenos Aires.

“Nobody even comes to see it,” the attorney complained. “It’s a property that would have sold rapidly before this, without problems. Now I’m facing bills that my budget doesn’t have room for.” Jorge Safar, sales chief at one of the city’s OPPEL real estate franchises, agreed the market has changed. “We’re hopeful that something will clear up the doubts generated by the currency controls, but the political news hasn’t been ideal.” — AP

Tesco CEO turns down 372,000 pound bonus LONDON: Tesco boss Philip Clarke has opted not to take an annual bonus of about 372,000 pounds ($588,000) following a poor performance by the world’s third-biggest retailer in its main British market. Shares in Tesco, which issued a shock profit warning in January, have lost almost a quarter of their value this year and the company is now investing about 1 billion pounds in a bid to stem a declining market share in Britain.

A statement on Tesco’s website yesterday, to coincide with the publication of the retailer’s annual report, said its top 5,000 managers would receive a reduced annual bonus representing 16.9 percent of their maximum entitlement. Executive directors will receive 13.5 percent of the maximum.

“I decided at the beginning of the year that I would decline my annual bonus for 2012,” Clarke said in a statement emailed to Reuters. “I wasn’t satisfied with the performance in the UK and I won’t take

the bonus. I’m confident that we’re tackling the right issues.”

Clarke, a former Tesco shelf stacker, would have been entitled to a payout of about 372,000 pounds h ad he taken the 13.5 percent being paid to other executive directors.

The Tesco chief executive’s decision comes amidst a round of high profile shareholder revolts over remuneration at companies like Barclays, Inmarsat and Prudential in a phenomenon dubbed the “shareholder spring”. Increasing investor resistance to executive pay rises at underperforming firms has also led Aviva boss Andrew Moss, and Sly Bailey, head of newspaper group Trinity Mirror , to quit this month. In March, Clarke jettisoned the head of Tesco’s UK operation, assumed his duties and is now directly in the firing line if his plans fail to halt a slide in sales.

Tesco shares were broadly flat at 0935 GMT at 309.85 pence. — Reuters

26

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

BUSINESS

Rasameel, Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons to launch luxury car lease program First of its kind in Kuwait for Lexus elite customers KUWAIT: Issam Al Tawari - Chairman and Managing Director, Rasameel Structured Finance, announced that Rasameel’s fully owned subsidiary engaged in the automotive leasing business has signed an agreement with Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons for exclusive lease of Lexus luxury cars within the State of Kuwait .

Al-Tawari said: “ This program offers an ideal option for elite customers interested in luxury Lexus lease, who seek variety , conven-

ience and peace of mind”.

He added:” The new program provides customers with the required flexibility and financial facilities by providing a unique combination of competitive price and optimum convenience”.

Anthony Harman-Wilson General Manager - Lexus Division with Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons (MNSS) has stated that: “Lexus elite customers program offers a wide range of benefits including replace-

ment car during regular maintenance or accident - may God forbidrepairs, road assistance service round the clock 24/7, and special 7 star service at Lexus service center, the winner of the best service center award in Kuwait, for the year 2010. In addition, customers will enjoy other additional benefits including comprehensive insurance throughout the period of the lease”.

Al-Tawari also said: “The new program to be launched by MNSS and

Rasameel is unique in Kuwait, it is designed to serve the elite customers of this luxury brand. The program is designed to make Lexus ownership a much easier and more rewarding experience than ever, free of credit facilities troubles and routine procedures, all to provide such exclusive and distinct services”.

Al-Tawari added:” We cannot afford to forget that Kuwait is one of the best GCC market for luxury cars, and this is why Lexus program offers a lot of incentives and additional

elite customers. This is a further indication of Rasameel strong commitment to development and keeping with the needs of its customers and their aspirations based on best benefits and incentives to lease this luxury car, having regard to the ever growing luxury vehicles market in Kuwait.

Anthony Harman-Wilson, General Manager - Lexus Division (MNSS) added that “there is a wide gap in Kuwait between the growing needs for luxury vehicle lease by elite cus-

designed recently by the company to keep pace with the future requirements of this market segment away from the normal competition in the wider sector. Rasameel will focus in the next five years on debt capital market issues and on developing lease portfolios with balanced risk income generating assets along with the existing business of the company. With respect to income generating assets, structured financing schemes, Sukuk and investment banking as an additional source of

benefits to the customers who love this brand in order to make Lexus brand available for the largest number of elite customers “.

New lease program to be launched by Rasameel and Al-Sayer shortly in the local market is one of the special initiatives, and offers providing innovative products meeting the needs and requirements of its

tomers and the available plans and programs to meet such plans.

Therefore, Al Sayer is well prepared to meet demand for such luxury car with highest standards and specifications to provide unique experience for the customers of this car”.

Al-Tawari announced that elite lease program is quite consistent with the new business plan,

income for Rasameel in the future to boost its financial position.

Al-Tawari revealed that Lexus lease scheme is the first of a series of other options within the new plan.

He expects growing demand for elite vehicle lease in Kuwait which could attract a wide elite customer base specially with the competitive benefits offered by this plan.

Standard & Poor’s affirms NBK’s ratings, outlook stable ‘Strong business position, asset quality, capital and earnings’ KUWAIT: Standard & Poor’s, the international credit rating agency, affirmed the long-term credit ratings of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) at A+. All the bank’s ratings carry a stable outlook.

“Our outlook on NBK is stable, reflecting our belief that its overall business and financial profile will remain resilient and generally unchanged over the next 12-24 months,” said Standard & Poor’s in a recent report on NBK. The agency pointed out that NBK’s major rating strengths include the leading commercial position in its domestic market, strong capitalization on the back of good earning capacity, and more resilient asset quality than that of its peers. Standard & Poor’s said that “NBK’s business position is strong. We believe the

bank’s business position will remain stable, underpinned by its leading position in Kuwait, long

track record of good and stable performance, as well as good and experienced management.”

“We assess NBK’s capital and earnings as “strong,” mainly based on the bank’s level of capitalization and profitability,” the agency added. “NBK is the largest bank in Kuwait, with $48.8 billion of consolidated assets on December 31, 2011, and market shares in loans and deposits exceeding 25%.

Earnings by segment and geography tend to be well diversified.”

NBK has consistently been awarded the highest credit ratings of all banks in the region by the major international rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings. In 2012, NBK moved up 14 positions to rank 33 among the 50 safest banks in the world. NBK is the only Arab bank to be listed among the world’s 50 safest banks five times in a row.

All-new Nissan Sunny now in Al-Babtain showroom KUWAIT: Abdul Mohsen Abdul Aziz Al Babtain Co raised the flag on allnew Nissan Sunny, the completely revised tenth generation of its highest volume selling model in the GCC region. This key competitor in the highly competitive C-segment market breaks new ground for entry-level compact sedans and proves you don’t have to sacrifice style for affordability, interior roominess for a smaller footprint, or drivability for high mpg. In short, the exciting All-New Sunny boasts even more innovative design features to further broaden its appeal.

Underlining Sunny’s popularity in the region the six GCC flags were displayed on ten units in a symbolic gesture of the Sunny reaching across the GCC and involving all countries together. Named ‘Nissan Sunny GCC Heritage Drive’, the campaign also highlights the long heritage of the Sunny with a drive which starts in Dubai and will reach all the regions.

The All-New Nissan Sunny’s exterior design is a departure from most current compact sedans, offering a refreshing design character that is both sophisticated and highly aerodynamic. The designers gave the exterior shape a strong sense of volume, with a wide shoulder width and a smooth silhouette. In front, Sunny features Nissan’s new signature sedan

grille design and jewel-like headlights.

The front end blends smoothly into the cabin, which offers flowing curves, while design elements such as the shape of the trunk-lid help give the new Sunny excellent aerodynamics, including a low coefficient of drag of just 0.31.

The designers of the new Sunny sought to combine five-passenger practicality with a high degree of comfort and refinement. The new AllNew Nissan Sunny’s interior volume of 2549 litres and trunk volume of 490 litres (3,039 litres total) are intended

some mid-size sedans - trumping even some luxury cars. And the trunk design focuses on useable space, taking into consideration everything from the size of the hinges to the shape of the sidewalls. The interior is further enhanced with a range of advanced and innovative features including available: Bluetooth(r) hands-free phone capability with steering wheel control, rear comfort fan (first in class), integrated LED turn signals in door mirror and rear parking sensors.

In addition, to help ensure superb

Sedan, the approach was a little more radical - create a totally new global platform and drive-train, reducing the size of engine and transmission, reducing the number of component parts and reducing platform weight.

The All-New Nissan Sunny’s frontwheel drive global “V” platform, designated “V” for Versatile, utilizes nearly 20 percent fewer platform components and weighs around 150 pounds less than the previous “B” platform. While retaining the same 2601mm wheelbase and 1694mm width as the previous generation

to not only look great on a specifications sheet - the passenger and cargo spaces have been configured for realworld use. Nissan Sunny has, for example, more rear legroom than

functionality, fresh ideas were addressed in the initial stage between the designers and the engineering team. For example, the indented line in the middle of the Sunny Sedan’s sweeping roofline is not just a design feature, but a functional innovation that helps reduce the amplitude of the roof panel vibrations in order to create a quieter cabin interior without the use of reinforcement devices.

One of the biggest challenges in designing a compact sedan, of course, is where to put everything people, cargo, engine, transmission and other mechanical components.

Often the solution is to gather a fraction of an inch here, a fraction there and hope they add up to a usable benefit. For the new Nissan Sunny

Sunny, the new model is 30mm lower in height (1514mm) (overall length is 4425mm). The biggest dimensional gain, however, is in the visible gain in trunk length - provided by a more compact engine/transmission design that allows for a 69mm increase in rear overhang (the distance from the center of the rear tire to the rear bumper).

Combining the proven Nissan 1.5liter HR15DE engine. All-New Sunny delivers ease in handling for city driving where there’s frequent acceleration and deceleration, and superior environmental performance as a projected class leader in fuel economy.

The All-New Sunny is available with automatic and 5-speed manual transmission.

GM warns consumers about real cost of counterfeit parts KUWAIT: General Motors Middle East held a two-day seminar for teams from Kuwaiti Customs and Consumer Protection to highlight the growing problem of counterfeit vehicle parts and accessories across the Middle East and the consequences for consumers.

Counterfeit parts are manufactured, packaged and represented in a way to mislead the public. Imitators often duplicate a trademark, or alter it just enough, so that the average customer does not notice the difference. The people who make and sell these fakes want consumers to think you are getting a part produced by a reputable brand such as ACDelco or GM. The manufacturers of counterfeit parts are also undertaking a criminal offense.

“Counterfeit parts may be cheaper to buy, but they could cost you a lot more in the long run and, more importantly, impact the safety of you and your family,” said Scott Emmer, Global Brand Protection Manager in General Motors’ Global Investigations team.

“Imitation parts do not have the same quality, reliability and dependability as genuine parts, making it necessary to replace them more frequently.

Counterfeit parts are also not specifically built to your vehicle’s specifications and can lead to other mechanical problems and system breakdowns. All this costs consumers more money in the long-run.

“But the biggest concern is safety. If you buy a counterfeit luxury watch and it breaks, the worst thing that happens is you don’t know the time. However, if you go in for a brake job and somebody puts counterfeit pads on your car, the result could be fatal,” added Emmer.

To help tackle the issue of counterfeit parts and accessories, GM set up the Global Investigations team which is part

of GM Global Security. With a worldwide team of Brand Protection investigators, GM Global Investigations works with a network of partners, ranging from law enforcers and customs, to identify and stop the activities of counterfeiters.

Speakers at the seminar provided advice on how consumers can protect themselves from buying counterfeit parts: ● If you’re not installing the part yourself, ask the vehicle technician to show you the part and packaging. ● Inspect the packaging. If it appears flimsy, lacks the name and brand or logo, or has graphics or a name that is pronounced the same but with a different spelling that the original (such as AZDelco instead of ACDelco), then it is a counterfeit. Counterfeiters often use color, artwork and type fonts on their packaging that are similar to the genuine parts. ● A competitive market drives variation in price among reputable manufacturers; however, extremely large differences in price should cause you to be suspicious. ● Remember, counterfeiters have become very sophisticated; a visual inspection of the product may not be enough to distinguish genuine parts from the fake. Insist on genuine parts from authorized dealers and retailers.

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive is an authorized dealer for General Motors genuine parts serving Kuwait for over 60 years with a widespread network of parts outlets conveniently located across Kuwait in Canada Dry Street, Oxygen Street, Fahaheel, Sharq, Al-Rai and Jahra. Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons also provides genuine parts through an authorized network of distributors and offers warranty on GM genuine parts giving customers complete peace of mind.

Crescent Enterprises in TVM Capital MENA’s $50m Healthcare Fund TVM Capital MENA has announced the recent final closing of its T VM Healthcare MENA I fund at $50m.

Crescent Enterprises, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Crescent Group of companies in the UAE, and a group of entrepreneurs from the MENA region managed by Dubai-based Alcazar Capital, amongst others, have joined the fund as investors alongside the three founding investors, the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, GE Healthcare, a subsidiary of General Electric Company, and The Olayan Group of Saudi Arabia.

TVM Capital MENA is the first interna-

tional private equity house with a focus in healthcare to establish operations in the MENA region. The fund currently has two por tfolio companies, ProVita International Medical Center, which has been established in Abu Dhabi for over 12 months and is in the process of setting up a second facility in Al Ain; and Bourn Hall Clinic which operates in the Middle East and India and is due to open its MENA reference centre in Dubai in June 2012. Both companies are consistent with the strategy of involving leading global operators to provide unique and specialized healthcare services in the Middle East.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

EMC announces wave of innovations to help customers NEW YORK: At EMC World 2012, EMC announced significant progress in its strategy to enable the New User, accelerate our customers’ journey to the cloud; deliver pervasive governance and transform our customers’ business with high-value solutions. In a series of announcements, the company demonstrates significant traction with EMC OnDemand, a hybrid cloud deployment model managed by EMC experts, and success with its EMC Certified Solution partner program. The Information Intelligence Group division of EMC delivers solutions to help global organizations balance the user demands for productivity and ease of use with IT’s mandate for security and governance; this struggle hampers innovation and limits business agility.

Information Intelligence Group Highlights: EMC delivers new solutions and innovation across the Documentum product line, enabling customers to:

Empower the “New User” in the Post PC Era Delivering support for the “New User” requires a compelling, fast and modern user experience for users to access, share and collaborate on their preferred device, and enabling agile composition of new information-enabled solutions.

• Announces the next release of EMC Documentum D2.

• Enhances user experience for configuring intuitive and personalized user interfaces to the EMC Documentum platform.

• Application is available for implementation in a traditional environment or hosted as part of EMC OnDemand, a hybrid cloud deployment model managed by EMC experts.

Accelerate Our Customers’ Journey to the Cloud EMC OnDemand is a hybrid cloud deployment model for enterprise-class

applications, designed to help customers accelerate their journey to the cloud.

Developed using a range of best-in-class technologies from VMware, RSA and EMC, the infrastructure can contain one or many EMC and EMC partner products and can be completely portable from one data center to another. It also enables customers to provision and configure the system for rapid deployment.

EMC delivers two new solutions for EMC OnDemand, the EMC Documentum for Life Sciences Solution Suite and the EMC Documentum Engineering, Plant and Facilities Management (EPFM) solution.

Enabling Pervasive Governance Pervasive governance is managing, controlling and protecting information within an enterprise, to an extended enterprise with partners and contractors, to enforcing federated policies to information as it moves to mobile devices

and through the cloud.

• Delivers next release of Documentum Mobile, providing Information Rights Management to mobile content managed by the Documentum platform.

• Offers new personalization and user experience capabilities • Expanded language support, adding Japanese and Simplified Chinese Transform Our Customers’ Business with Solutions The focus is deliver purpose-built solutions that enable customers to derive near-immediate value. The company announced the immediate availability of two solutions, both available via the OnDemand platform: • The EMC Documentum for Life Sciences Solution Suite, built on top of the Documentum platform focus on simplifying compliance, cost reduction, cost

avoidance and enabling process quality.

• The first available solution is Documentum Quality and Manufacturing for Life Sciences • The EMC Documentum EPFM solution focuses on highly project-centric and repeatable processes for designing, building and operating complex plants.

The company also announced traction with its global partners, validating 45 partner solutions in the first full year of its EMC Certified Solution Program.

The certifications cover functional completeness, performance and scalability, security and interoperability, and instill customer confidence in the solution architecture and foundation for successful implementation. The EMC partner team also awarded Americas’ partners for Innovation in solution development and best practices in implementation, and the first President’s Award for Customer Satisfaction.

Apple still dominates world’s top brands Facebook, fastest climber in the top 100

SEOUL: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer delivers a speech during Seoul Digital Forum in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. Microsoft is seeking to revamp its position in the mobileled industry market with its new PC and tablet-compatible OS, Windows 8. —AP

Microsoft sees ‘rebirth’ with new Windows 8 system SEOUL: Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 series-featuring an upgraded cloud computing service-marks a “rebirth” of its operating systems, chief executive Steve Ballmer said yesterday. Ballmer described Windows 8 as the “deepest, broadest and most impactful” Windows software ever created by the US tech giant, after the current Windows 7 sold at unprecedented rates to businesses.

“It’s really, in some senses, a dawning of the rebirth of MS Windows... It’s certainly the most important piece of work we’ve done,” he said in a speech to the Seoul Digital Forum. Windows 8, whose preview version will be released in June, allows users readily to store and share personal data among various devices under the “SkyDrive” cloud computing service. Rival Apple already offers such a service.

The new Microsoft system will support a wider range of devices, including touchand stylus-based smartphones and tablet PCs as well as desktop and laptop machines, Ballmer said. The software giant has been trying to expand its presence in the booming software market for smartphones and tablets, which is currently dominated by Apple and Google.

Ballmer predicted that the cloud computing market would become dominated by a few big players. “The number of core (cloud) platforms, around which software developers will do their innovation, is not ever-broadening,” he said.

“It’s really a quite smaller and focused number-Windows, various forms of Linux, the Apple ecosystem.” In three to five years from now, “there will be just a few ecosystems that really can get the critical mass”, he said.

Ballmer estimated up to 500 million users will have Windows 8 next year, promising the “best economic opportunity” for device makers and app developers who adopt the new system.

Microsoft will also soon introduce Skype powered by Windows 8, Ballmer said. His company last year bought the leading

Internet video and voice-calling service for $8.5 billion.

An “experimental” project by Microsoft to mix online social networking and academic research was open to the public. The Redmond, Washington-based software colossus invited anyone to join its Internet community at so.cl, which was pronounced “social.”

“So.cl is an experimental research project, developed by Microsoft’s FUSE Labs, focused on exploring the possibilities of social search for the purpose of learning,” a frequently-asked-questions page at the website said.

“So.cl combines social networking and search to help people find and share interesting Web pages in the way students do when they work together.” The online community had previously only welcomed students studying information and design at select US universities.

As of Monday, those interested in getting involved with the social network were invited to send messages to socl@microsoft.com.

“We expect students to continue using products such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other existing social networks, as well as Bing, Google and other search tools,” the facts page at the website said. “We hope to encourage students to re-imagine how our everyday communication and learning tools can be improved, by researching, learning and sharing in their everyday lives.”

However, so.cl hints at having greater aspirations with banners displaying messages inviting people to “discover like minded people,” express themselves, and have fun. The opening of the so.cl gates came ahead of a day of Nasdaq trading in which Facebook’s freshly-issued shares plunged nearly 11 percent.

The stock closed at $34.03, down 10.99 percent for the day and well below the $38 initial public offering price, which made Facebook the second largest US IPO of all time when it went public on Friday. — AFP

JAKARTA: Models display a Samsung Galaxy S III, the latest smartphone in the company’s Galaxy lineups, during its launching for media in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. Samsung said the phone, that has emerged as the biggest competitor to the iPhone, will go on sale in 145 countries with 296 phone companies, making it the company’s biggest launch so far. —AP

NEW YORK: Apple has maintained its place as the world’s most valuable brand over the past year, leading a group of technology-related companies that dominate the top 10, according to a study published yesterday.

The iPhone and iPad maker has boosted its brand value by 19 percent in the past year to $183 billion, or 37 percent of its market capitalisation, according to the annual BrandZ study by leading brands and market-research agency Millward Brown.

Facebook, with a market value of $82 billion after its initial public offering last week, was the fastest climber in the top 100, seeing its brand value rise by 74 percent to $33.2 billion to put it in 19th place.

Seven of the top 10 were technology-related firms, although McDonald’s and Coca-Cola kept their respective number four and number six rankings. Marlboro moved up a notch to seventh place despite anti-smoking campaigns in much of the world.

Nick Cooper, managing director of Millward Brown Optimor which produced the study, said the strength of technology brands was a measure of the central and transformative role it plays in contemporary life.

“It’s all pervading,” Cooper told Reuters, “and there’s a lot of excitement and new news. This is where it’s all happening. That tends to increase not only the demand and financial performance but also the role of brand.”

Millward Brown, part of global advertising group WPP , takes as its starting point the financial value of

Apple has maintained its place as the world’s most valuable brand over the past year with its innovative products. the company or the part of the company that produces the brand, and combines it with the brand’s ability to create loyalty.

“When cars first appeared or when air travel first appeared, they became liberating. It’s the turn of the technology sector at the moment,” said Cooper. Business technology brands also featured prominently in the top 10, with IBM switching places with Google to rise to second place. Microsoft kept its position at number five.

Cooper said the so-called consumerisation of IT, in which business hardware and software makers increasingly have to come up to the standards that consumers are

used to in their private lives, played a role.

“The brands that are generally demonstrating the best growth are those that tend to be occupying spaces where there is a lot more intuitive natural use, where the consumer experience is informing the B2B experience rather than the other way around.”

Mobile phone brands AT&T as number eight, Verizon as number nine, followed by China Mobile completed the top 10. Cooper said, however, some technology brands were vulnerable to public opinion swinging against them, especially over emotive issues such as privacy, where Facebook and Google have

already suffered a backlash for gathering large amounts of user data.

“Consumer technology is receiving the same kind of scrutiny once reserved for banks and brands will have to respond convincingly to increasing regulatory oversight.

This may impact social brands like Facebook in the future,” he said.

Cooper added that Apple’s increasing its brand value despite the death of its visionary founder Steve Jobs in the past year was extraordinary.

“They are catchable but they’ve either got to falter or someone else has got to put on a sprint,” he said. —Reuters

It pays to upgrade with a PC graphics booster BERLIN: To really bring a computer game to life, you’re going to want to see all the reflections, shadows and other effects that add pixellated texture to the action. To get that, you’re going to need a powerful graphics card and a PC powerful enough to handle that card.

Just remember, when picking out your graphics card, there’s more to consider than pure power.

Should you go with AMD or Nvidia? The two companies have more or less split the market between them. But that has not cleared away any of the confusion, since it often remains unclear which cards can do what.

Since abstinence isn’t an option, it’s best to check out all the most recent developments.

For instance, graphics processing units (GPU) no longer sit directly on the mainboard, but are grouped with the CPU. Intel includes the technology with all of its second generation Sandy Bridge i3, i5 and i7 chips. AMD has called the combination of GPU and CPU its Fusion. “Technologically, it’s clearly the better solution,” says Andreas Stahl of the computer graphics and visualization lab at the Technical University of Dresden, noting that the combination allows the GPU to work much better with the CPU and main memory.

That helps the integrated graphics processors keep up with games, says Stahl. “But you still don’t get the best resolution and effects this way.” But Hendrik Weins of the German computer magazine Gamestar is sceptical of the power behind Bridge and Fusion.

“Normally, with a starter graphic card for between 80 and 100 euros (103 to 129 dollars) you can already get a multiple of the performance of an onboard chip.”

Nonetheless, the newest graphics card from Intel doesn’t seem able to stand up to the integrated graphics cards. The HD 4000 is included in the fastest version of the new Ivy Bridge processors. The first computer and notebooks outfitted with this successor to Sandy Bridge are supposed to go on sale at the end of May. “Compared to the old HD 3000, the 4000 is noticeably better,” says Weins. But if you want to view the newest and most demanding game titles in full quality, then its performance

will never make the grade. Thus, any halfway discerning gaming enthusiast will not be able to make do with a separate graphics card. But what about other users, who might - at the most - need a separate card for viewing videos?

“Any halfway up-to-date integrated booster can do that,” says Stahl. “Even in high resolution.” Graphics cards truly remain a niche industry, for example when it comes to rendering complicated 3D models or acting as a secondary processor for academic research calculations. Still, people who own older PCs might want to consider swapping out their old graphics card or looking into a new computer with a GPU integrated into the CPU, says Stahl.

That’s because manufacturers have done more than just speed up the graphics: “Graphics cards are a lot more energy efficient today.”

New models turn their computing cores on and off depending upon demand and make less noise than their predecessors thanks to better ventilation. And a quieter computer is always good, and absolutely necessary, if it’s meant to be used as a multimedia PC alongside the TV. Gamers are expressly interested in the new cards because of the advances in ventilation and energy consumption. That’s because there really hasn’t been much development in terms of power for years.

“Today’s game graphics are, in principle, at the same level as they were five years ago,” says Stahl. That’s the same age as the most recent Playstation 3 and the XBox 360. And, to boost sales, games developers tend to make their games so that they’re accessible for these platforms, which still rake in the most sales.

Stahl says he expects the next big jump in graphics card power to come when Sony and Microsoft release their next video gaming consoles. Until then, older insertable cards will stay in the running with newer models.

Another problem: when shopping for a graphics card, it’s possible to get confused by the blur of product numbers. For example, Nvidia has the laptop GPUs Geforce GTX 485M and GTW 680M, according to the website notebookcheck.com. These belong to its highest

performance class. But, in its third performance class are the GT 620M and the GT 525M. The same confusion reigns in the Radeon family from AMD, with the HD 4890. The company Passmark, using its G3D Mark test, says the HD 4890 performs better than the HD 6300M, which, in turn trumps the HD 4270. To avoid confusion, always check resources like notebookcheck, 3Dmark or G3D Mark before making a purchase. — dpa

YouTube marks new milestones SAN FRANCISCO: YouTube celebrated its seventh birthday by saying it has hit fresh milestones in terms of its offerings and the amount of time spent on the video-sharing website. “ Today 72 hours of video are uploaded to the site every minute,” the Google-owned website said in a blog post Sunday. “Like many 7-year olds around the world, we’re growing up so fast! In other words, every single minute you now upload three whole days worth of video instead of two. That’s 61 Royal Wedding Ceremonies, 841 Bad Romances, and 1,194 Nyan Cats.”

The blog added, “all 800 million of you all over the world have shown us we’re on the right track by increasing subscriptions 50 percent and watching over three billion hours a month.”

Google bought YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion. The Mountain View, California-based Internet search and advertising giant has not yet announced a profit for the video-sharing site despite its massive global popularity.

YouTube has been gradually adding professional content such as full-length television shows and movies to its vast trove of amateur video offerings in a bid to attract advertisers. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Pomegranate juice claims deceptive, US rules WASHINGTON: Pomegranate juice has not been proven to be an effective treatment for cancer, heart disease or erectile dysfunction, US regulators said yesterday, calling a company’s ad claims deceptive.

The US Federal Trade Commission’s chief administrative law judge D. Michael Chappell ruled that the company, POM Wonderful LLC, violated federal

law by making deceptive claims. The judge ordered the company to stop making claims of health effects in the absence of “competent and reliable scientific evidence.”

The judge said in a 345-page decision that there was “inadequate” evidence to back up the company’s superfood claims. But the judge said the company would not have to submit to pre-

approved marketing, which the FTC lawsuit had requested.

The company, a unit of the Roll International group that includes Teleflora and Fiji Water which has claimed the the FTC was interfering with speech, said this was a victory. The company said the judge upheld the firm’s “right to share valuable, scientifically validated information about the

health benefits of its safe food with consumers.” The company said the FTC lawsuit “tried to create a new, stricter industry standard, similar to that required for pharmaceuticals, for marketing the health benefits inherent in safe food and natural food-based products.”

“While we are still analyzing the ruling, it is clear that we will be able to continue to promote the health bene-

fits of our safe, food products without having our advertisements, marketing or public relations efforts preapproved,” said Craig Cooper, the company’s chief legal officer.

POM has been in a long battle with authorities over the so-called superfood which has also been purported to help fight Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis and improve sperm quality. — AFP

US task force against routine prostate test Hundreds harmed by treating non-threatening tumors

NASHUA: In this June 3, 2010 file photo, Dr Steven Birnbaum works with a patient in a CT scanner at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua, N.H. New lung cancer screening guidelines from three medical groups recommend annual scans but only for an older group of current or former heavy smokers.—AP

Lung cancer CT scans: Just for older heavy smokers CHICAGO: New lung cancer screening guidelines from three medical groups recommend annual scans but only for an older group of current or former heavy smokers. The advice applies only to those aged 55 to 74. The risks of screening younger or older smokers or nonsmokers outweigh any benefits, according to the guidelines.

About 8 million Americans would be eligible for screening under the new criteria, and if all of them got the scans, about 4,000 lung cancer deaths per year could be prevented, said Dr Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

He chaired the expert panel that wrote the new guidelines for the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

The recommended screening involves lowdose CT scans, which are a special kind of X-ray that can detect lung cancer early, but also can have false-positive results. Regular chest X-rays can also detect lung cancer but they provide less detailed images than CT scans, can also have false-positive results and have not been recommended as a screening tool because they have not been shown to save lives.

The guidelines were published online Sunday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. An estimated 226,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths for US men and women. An estimated 160,000 lung cancer deaths nationwide will occur this year.

That number has declined in recent years, partly because of better detection and fewer people smoking. Widespread screening will

likely lead to some deaths because abnormal results are typically followed by biopsies and other invasive tests that sometimes have deadly complications. Still, the three groups say those deaths would be far outnumbered by people saved from lung cancer deaths by screening.

The recommendations go slightly further than preliminary guidance issued last year by the American Cancer Society and targeting current or heavy smokers in the same age range. That guidance said eligible adults “may consider” CT screening but should discuss risks and benefits with their physicians.

The new guidelines say screening with lowdose CT scans should be offered, but only in academic medical centers and other sites with specialized radiologists and surgeons on staff.

The guidance is based on a review of evidence including a large National Cancer Institute study involving more than 53,000 people with a history of smoking at least one cigarette pack daily for 30 years or two packs for 15 years. The guidelines recommend screening only for people who have smoked that much.

The study is considered the strongest evidence favoring CT screening and also was the basis for the cancer society’s guidance and recent similar guidelines from the American Lung Association.

The US Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed panel that issues public health guidance, is evaluating that study as it prepares to update its 2004 stance on lung cancer screening. The task force said then that there was insufficient evidence to recommend lung cancer screening with CT scans, X-rays or sputum tests. —AP

SIAYA: In this Oct. 30, 2009 file photo, a mother watches her child who is suffering from severe malaria at the Siaya Hospital in Siaya, western Kenya. More than a third of the malaria-fighting drugs tested over the past decade in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were either fake or bad quality, seriously undermining efforts to combat the disease, a study said yesterday. — AP

Fake malaria drugs common in Asia, Africa HANOI: More than a third of the malariafighting drugs tested over the past decade in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa were either fake or bad quality, seriously undermining efforts to fight the disease, a study said yesterday.

With up to 1 million people - mostly children in Africa - already dying every year from malaria, bogus drugs and those containing the wrong chemical makeup could upend a decade of progress fighting the mosquito-transmitted disease, the U.S.funded review said. International efforts to combat drug counterfeiting - much of it believed to take place in China - are urgently needed. Fake drugs with no malaria-fighting agents can lead to deaths when patients rely on them, and those containing some active ingredients - but not enough to fully kill all parasites - are also problematic because they promote resistance that can eventually outsmart medicines and render them useless.

Alarm bells have sounded in recent years over signs of increasing resistance in western Cambodia on Thailand’s border with Myanmar among artemisinin-based drugs,

the only effective medicine now widely used to cure the disease. Studies show the drugs are taking longer to work there, and experts fear the emerging resistance could eventually spread to Africa as has occurred previously with other malaria treatments that now are worthless against the disease.

If artemisinin-based drugs stop working, there is no good replacement and many people would ultimately die. Currently, malaria kills an estimated 2,000 children every day in Africa. Some 3.3 billion people worldwide are at risk of getting infected.

“We feel a sense of emergency considering the impact these medicines can have,” lead author Gaurvika Nayyar, of the Fogarty International Center at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in an email.

The study says more labs are needed worldwide to test for fake drugs - only three out of 47 malaria-plagued countries in Africa are equipped to do so. Nayyar also calls for counterfeiters to be brought to justice, including the creation of a universal way to crack down on those involved in the cross-border trade. Currently, laws only exist within individual countries— AP

NEW YORK: A task force advising the US government recommended against routine use of the prostate-cancer screening test called PSA, or prostate specific antigen, for lack of a discernible health benefit.

Like a draft proposal last October, the US Preventive Services Task Force gave PSA screening a D, for “don’t recommend” in healthy men. The reaction was fast and furious. Screening advocates warned that the recommendation will cost lives, but critics of PSA testing said thousands of men will be spared impotence and incontinence as a result of needless cancer treatment.

A D means there is “moderate or high certainty” that a procedure has no net benefit or that harms outweigh benefits. It is a downgrade from the panel’s last PSA recommendation, in 2008, which said the evidence was insufficient to assess the procedure’s risks and benefits, although PSA screening for men 75 and older was not recommended.

Now, however, “there is convincing evidence that the number of men who avoid dying of prostate cancer because of screening after 10 to 14 years is, at best, very small,” the task force said in the May 22 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Doctors, therefore, should discourage it.

The recommendation does not preclude men from asking for PSA screening, or doctors from offering it. But it could affect whether insurers, including the government’s Medicare program, cover the test’s $60 to $80 cost. The only other screening method is the old-fashioned digital rectal exam, which cannot detect small, early cancers.

Neither the exam nor PSA can distinguish slowgrowing from aggressive cancers.

About one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his life; 2.8 percent, or a projected 28,000 this year, will die of it.

Many cases pose no risk even without treatment.

Research has shown that between one-quarter and one-third of 60-something men have prostate cancer, often without knowing it. Three-quarters of men older than 85 years have prostate cancer but few die of it.

PSA, a blood test, is a poor screening tool because PSA levels can rise for reasons unrelated to cancer, including age and prostate enlargement.

Yet an elevated PSA level can trigger a biopsy to check for cancer. Most biopsies show no cancer, which means the PSA was a false positive. But

prostate biopsies that detect cancer do so based on research from the 1840s, explained Dr Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

“As many as 70 percent of these lesions are cancer only by this antiquated definition and not in behavior,” he said. That is, they are indolent or inert and will not threaten a man’s health or life.

Radiation oncologist Anthony D’Amico of DanaFarber Cancer Institute in Boston acknowledges that PSA screening causes overdiagnosis, “but if you get rid of the PSA test, men will suffer and die of prostate cancer,” he said.

“I’m shocked that they would let people die in order to avoid incontinence and erectile dysfunction, which can be corrected.” The task force analyzed 64 studies, but focused on two, both published in 2009 and updated this year.

The US study compared 76,685 men aged 55 to 74. About half were assigned to receive annual PSA screening and half to “usual care,” which sometimes included a PSA test. The study found no evidence that PSA screening saved lives after 13 years.

The European study was similar, with about half of 162,243 men aged 55 to 69 getting regular PSA tests and half not. But for every 1,055 men who were screened every one to four years, there was one fewer death from prostate cancer after 11 years compared to men in the unscreened group.

That is the basis for the task force’s conclusion that PSA screening for a decade will prevent at most one man in 1,000 from dying of prostate cancer.

The trials themselves were imperfect, polarizing the debate even further. The American trial was marred by the fact that some men in the “unscreened, usual care” group did receive PSA tests. Such so-called crossovers can weaken a trial’s conclusions.

“With the rate of screening in the ‘unscreened arm’ matching that in the ‘screened’ arm, you can never measure a difference” in the death rates “even if one exists,” said D’Amico. The trial scientists disagreed, saying the crossovers were statistically equivalent to having fewer people in the trial, said biostatistician Paul Pinsky of the National Cancer Institute, a member of the study team. “But there was twice as much screening in the intervention arm, and we did not find a mortality benefit.”

The European study is actually seven studies, each from one country. In five, the results mim-

icked the American findings: No statistically significant reduction in deaths from prostate cancer among screened men. But studies from Sweden and the Netherlands showed benefits. The European scientists and their supporters argued that the Swedish trial in particular was strong enough to stand on its own as evidence that PSA screening saves lives.

Perhaps the greatest problem with the European study is that the screened men diagnosed with prostate cancer generally received topof-the-line care from academic physicians. If the unscreened men developed prostate cancer, they received less specialized, less aggressive care. “That means this was a trial not only of PSA screening but also of aggressive vs. non-aggressive treatment,” said Brawley.

Against the tiny benefit of PSA testing, the task force weighed its harms. At least 15 percent of PSA tests will trigger a biopsy, after which up to onethird of men experience pain, fever, bleeding, infection, difficulty urinating, or other problems requiring medical attention, studies show.

If a biopsy finds seemingly malignant cells, as happens to 120 in 1,000 screened men, about 90 percent of men opt for surgery, radiation or hormone-deprivation therapy. Up to five men in 1,000 opting for surgery will die within a month of the operation; 10 to 70 more will have serious cardiovascular complications such as a stroke or heart attack.

After radiotherapy and surgery, 200 to 300 of 1,000 men suffer incontinence, impotence or both.

Hormone-deprivation therapy causes erectile dysfunction in about 400 of 1,000 men. “When you stack up those harms, the tiny or zero benefits do not outweigh the risk,” said task force co-chair Dr. Michael LeFevre of the University of Missouri Medical School. Because PSA tests cannot distinguish between aggressive and indolent cancer, said ACS’s Brawley, “men are rendered impotent and put in diapers, and for what?” he asked. “They never really had cancer in the first place.” The task force is not saying no man of any age under any circumstances should undergo PSA screening. “A D recommendation does not preclude discussions between clinicians and patients to promote informed decision making that supports personal values and preferences,” it said. The recommendation is against routine screening.— Reuters

CDC: Get tested for hepatitis C ATLANTA: For the first time, the government is proposing that all baby boomers get tested for hepatitis C. Anyone born from 1945 to 1965 should get a one-time blood test to see if they have the liverdestroying virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in draft recommendations issued yesterday.

Baby boomers account for more than 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans infected with the bloodborne virus. It can take decades to cause liver damage, and many people don’t know they ’re infected.

CDC officials believe the new measure could lead 800,000 more baby boomers to get treatment and could save more than 120,000 lives.

“The CDC views hepatitis C as an unrecognized health crisis for the country, and we believe the time is now for a bold response,” said Dr. John W. Ward, the CDC’s hepatitis chief. Several developments drove the CDC’s push for wider testing, he said. Recent data has shown that from 1999 to 2007, the number of Americans dying from hepatitis C-

related diseases nearly doubled.

Also, two drugs hit the market last year that promise to cure many more people than was previously possible. The virus can gradually scar the liver and lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, and is the leading cause of liver transplant. It can trigger damage in other parts of the body as well. All told, more than 15,000 Americans die each year from hepatitis C-related illnesses, according to the CDC. The hepatitis C virus is most commonly spread today through sharing needles to inject drugs. Before widespread screening of blood donations began in 1992, it was also spread through blood transfusions.

Health officials believe hundreds of thousands of new hepatitis C infections were occurring each year in the 1970s and 1980s, most of them in the younger adults of the era - the baby boomers. The hepatitis C virus was first identified in 1989.

Today, about 17,000 infections occur annually, according to CDC estimates. About 3 percent of baby

boomers test positive for the virus, the CDC estimates. Of those, some manage to clear the infection from their bodies without treatment, but still have lingering antibodies that give a positive initial test result.

That’s why confirmatory tests are needed. Still, only a quar ter of infected people are that lucky. Most have active and dangerous infections, Ward said. The agency’s current guidelines recommend testing people known to be at high risk, including current and past injection drug users.

But as many as a quarter of infected baby boomers say they don’t recall engaging in a risky behavior.

It’s possible some people were infected in ways other than injection drug use or long-ago blood transfusions. Some experts say tattoos, piercings, shared razor blades and toothbrushes, manicures and sniffed cocaine may have caused the virus to spread in some cases. Those kinds of experiences might not raise flags in the minds of many patients or their physicians, experts said. A recent Harris Interactive survey of 1,000

baby boomers found other forms of ignorance about hepatitis C. Fewer than 20 percent knew they belonged to the generation most likely to be infected, and only a similar percent were aware it can be cured in many patients. Also, only about 25 percent said they had been tested, according to the survey, done on behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which makes one of the hepatitis C medications.

Currently, many baby boomers learn of their infection almost by accident, like when they donate blood or get a physical exam for a life insurance policy, said Dr. Ryan Ford, an Emory University physician specializing in hepatitis care.

He and other physicians celebrated the CDC’s announcement. “It’s a long awaited and very much hoped for development that I believe will save lives,” said Dr. Ira Jacobson, a hepatitis expert at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center The new testing recommendation is expected to become final later this year. — AP

CARACAS: People do yoga in “Los Palos Grandes” public square in Caracas, yesterday. Tired of cowering in their homes to avoid street violence, residents of one of the region’s most dangerous cities are overcoming their fear of crime by organizing outdoor exercise groups. A park,a plaza or a street can become an ideal space to bring together hundreds of Caraquenos to do yoga, aerobic dance, jog, ride bicycles or for just the pleasure of an evening stroll. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

H E A LT H

Vitamin D deficiency a risk factor for Crohn’s Disease KUWAIT: Dr Salim Farhan Al Shemri, Consultant Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Head of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit at Al Adan Hospital, and a member of the Kuwait Gastroenterology and Hepatology Association, said that for years Vitamin D deficiency was believed to have been one of the complications of suffering from Crohn’s Disease. However, recent studies show

us that there is a high probability of Vitamin D deficiency playing a role at a much earlier stage.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, a general term for gastronomical illnesses that cause inflammation and swelling in the digestive tract. It has been on the rise in Kuwait over the past few years.

It is known that this disease comes with a deficiency in Vitamin D, which

Are sweaty brokers more ethical?

LONDON: If you want to know how ethical your broker is, give them a moral dilemma and see how much they sweat before deciding what to do. It’s quite a jump from the laboratory to real-world decisions about asset management but British researchers have found that gut feeling can override rational thought when people are faced with financial offers that look unfair.

Even when we could benefit, a physical response like sweating can make people reject a financial proposition they consider to be unjust. The key is how tuned in they are to their own bodies.

Researchers from the University of Exeter, the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and the University of Cambridge, gave 51 people a series of offers based on dividing 10 pounds ($16) between two people. They found that although an offer to split the money 50:50 was mostly accepted, an offer of less than a ‘fair share’ was often rejected, even though rejecting it left them with nothing.

The game, a version of a well-known psychological test called the Ultimatum Game, showed gut reactions, especially made under time pressure with incomplete information, can lead to decisions that are irrational from a purely economic perspective.

The researchers measured how much

participants sweated through their fingertips and how much their heart rate changed. Clinical psychologist Barney Dunn, who led the study, told Reuters that participants were also tested on how accurately they could monitor their physical responses by counting their own heartbeats. Those who were most accurate were more prone to having their bodies dictate their decisions in the game.

“It’s a bizarre finding but it’s very robust,” said Dunn. It’s uncontroversial to say that thoughts trigger responses in your body but the research, published yesterday i n the journal Cognitive Affective and Behavioural Neuroscience, adds to growing evidence that our bodies can sometimes govern how we think and feel, rather than the other way round.

“Humans are highly attuned to unfairness and we are sometimes required to weigh up the demands of maintaining justice with preserving our own economic self-interest,” said Dunn. “At a time when ideas of fairness in the financial sector from bankers’ bonuses to changes to pension schemes - are being widely debated, it is important to recognise why some individuals rebel against perceived unfairness, whereas other people are prepared to accept the status quo.” Once you know how ethical your broker is, the next decision is whether they will make you the most money, of course. — Reuters

was reflected in a number of recent researches showed that this vitamin deficiency has a direct effect on two genes that have been previously connected to causing Crohn’s disease.

With this finding, Vitamin D deficiency has moved from being a complication to a cause. There is still no concrete proof as to what causes Crohn’s disease; however, individuals lacking in Vitamin D are more prone to

getting it, especially if there is a family history. In the same context it is recommended that if any family member has been diagnosed with Crohn’s, the rest of the family should get tested as well as increase the Vitamin D intake.

The importance of this vitamin comes in the fact that it helps bones absorb calcium as well as boosting bone growth. The sources are varied, with the most important one be

receiving direct sunlight. The other sources are certain food including fish and fish oils, egg yolk, beef and fortified milk. Finally, there are Vitamin D supplements which should only be taken if the doctor recommends it.

There is no guarantee that increasing Vitamin D consumption will definitively prevent Crohn’s disease; however, we now know that it can help reduce the risk.

‘Grandpa’ fights for Bulgarian zoo’s survival RAZGRAD: “Come babe, come to grandpa. Don’t be afraid,” Behcet Ali coos as he handfeeds two eightmonth-old lion cubs at his tiny zoo in the sleepy northeastern Bulgarian town of Razgrad.

At 82, Bai (Granddad) Behcet, as he is known locally, is Bulgaria’s oldest zookeeper, famous for raising over 15 lion cubs during his 33 years of work and the only one to be in full contact with the predators.

Bai Behcet’s unwavering devotion to saving the little 52-year-old zoo, spread over only 2,000 square metres (about 21,000 square feet), earned him the title of honorary citizen of Razgrad in 2007.

His prime concern now are the two cubs-one male and the other female-of six-year-old lioness Raya, who already weigh over 50 kilos (110 pounds).

“I haven’t named them yet. I call them ‘babies’ and they understand,” the zookeeper says, patting them on their backs and rubbing them behind the ears under the attentive look of their mother in the adjoining enclosure. “To become friends with animals, as with people, you need to have a knack, to show them that you love them.” “And if people sometimes do not respond in kind when you do them good, an animal always understands and returns kindness,” Bai Behcet explains.

The cubs love an iron ball he brought for them to play, tackling it

with their oversized paws. But it is quickly forgotten when he lets Raya back into the enclosure and the cubs rub against her sides, purring. The father killed Raya’s first litter but she is a very caring mother, Bai Behcet says.

“She is jealous that I love them so much but sees that I do not harm them and would not hurt me,” he says, while ordering to the trio to stand still for a photo shoot. Bai

Behcet, who used to work at the local veterinary clinic before coming to the zoo in 1979, has been clawed by lions as well as bears, which he also used to raise here, but says he has never feared his charges.

And he won’t even think of retiring despite several entreaties by his family. “It never crossed my mind to give up as that would be the end of it.” “The animals give me joy, I am happy that I can bring them up, raise

SOFIA: Zookeeper Behcet Ali, 82, poses with eight-monthold lion cubs in a tiny zoo in the town of Razgrad, some 350 km north-east of Sofia on May 12, 2012. Behcet is Bulgaria’s oldest zookeeper, famous for raising over 15 lion cubs during his 33-year service and the only one to be in full contact with his predators.—AFP

them. What more can you want?”

Besides the three lions, Bai Behcet tends to over a dozen other animals all by himself, including lamas, goats, mouflons or a subspecies group of wild sheep, a pony, pigeons, pheasants, racoons and guinea pigs.

But lack of space-which the environment ministry has found a serious problem in all 11 zoos in Bulgariaforced the zookeeper to send his bear away to another establishment.

Municipality funds in this small town, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the capital Sofia and dominated by ethnic Turks, are also scarce and the zoo does not make visitors pay for admission either.

Still, Bai Behcet’s fridge is full of meat and three small mountains of stale bread can be seen piled up in a shed-all donations from local companies. “All this I get myself by going around town, asking, convincing... without having to pay out money.”

“Everyone wonders how I manage...

But there’s a saying that if you do it yourself, it will be done better,” he says. Through the years he tried to recruit several workers as well as his son-in-law but Bai Behcet says learning such an uncommon trade has proven difficult. His 24-year-old grandson helps when he needs to be away on errands. “People are used to having working hours. I don’t. And my wife knows that when I am here I decide when I’ll be going home. — AFP

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 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.

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.

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 AlFurgi.

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

PAS marks KG graduation function he KG section of Pakistan Academy School (PAS) celebrated the 6th Graduation day ceremony on 24th April chaired by Madam Alia Saad Munir Al- Mohannah while Madam Susan Khalil from Ministry of Education participated as chief guest to honor the brilliant, out-

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standing and excellence performance of the students.

The blooming buds of UKG welcomed the gathering with a sweet welcome song. In his inaugural speech, Professor Syed Zakir Ali, the principal welcomed the honorable guest and applauded the

meritorious performance of the school students in academics. The stage came alive with a splash of colors when UKG-G children in their attractive costumes danced to the tune of the popular Arabic song Baba Nazal Maash followed by other performances on English, Arabic and

Urdu songs. The young graduates were honored by the chief guest for their extraordinary achievements and excellence. Certificates of appreciation were presented to the teachers and the ceremony ended with the distribution of gifts to the young graduates.

IKEA launches exciting summer sale campaign KEA Kuwait announced the launch of its much awaited summer sale campaign. Thousands of products across different areas of the home are now on excitingly low prices.

The sale campaign at IKEA Kuwait store will offer visitors and shoppers the advantage to purchase products at discounted prices, where IKEA co-workers will be always around to offer solutions for every corner of the house.

The products that are on sale range from living room furniture, bedroom and storage solutions, bathroom accessories, children’s furniture, cookware, textiles, decoration, lighting and many more.

The IKEA Kuwait store offers its customers’ products that reflect value for money. IKEA sale campaign serves as a platform for customers to purchase some of their favorite IKEA products at even lower prices.

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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 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

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Kalashala pays homage to Rajiv Gandhi alashala Kuwait an association based and focused in social and cultural activities commemorated the 21st death anniversary and paid homage to the former prime minister and Indian national congress president Rajiv Gandhi, who was killed in a suicide bomb attack on 21st May 1991.

All members were remembering during the homage paid to Rajiv Gandhi as he was the youngest prime minister of India and he made

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valuable contribution in modernizing Indian administration.

He had the vision and foresight to see that information technology will play a key role in the 21st century and worked actively to develop India’s capacity in this realm.

Association president Chessil Ramapuram chaired the meeting, patron Thomas and advisory board member John Abraham delivered the speech in remembrance of Rajiv Gandhi.

General Secretary Sam Nanthiyattu delivered the welcome address and Treasurer Zen Mathew gave the vote of thanks.

Meeting included lighting the lamp and followed by paying floral tributes on the photo of Rajiv Gandhi. Association leaders Anil Mathew, Roy John, Shaiju Kurian, Bibin Mathai, Deepak Sadhananthu, Deepak Panicker, Sunny Thomas were controlling and led the meeting.

Overseas Indian Cultural Congress office bearers pay homage to former Indian premier late Rajiv Gandhi on his 21st death anniversary in a function held in Abbassiya.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 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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GAC holds customer event for customers he Gulf Agency Company (GAC) held a customer event at their office in Shuwaikh on May 2, a staff together with a large number of customers who attended the event. Henrik Althen, the managing director delivered a speech on this occasion expressing hap-

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piness and highlighted the enduring cooperation between the company and its clients, he went on to say that the aim for the function was to thank GAC customers and forge a better relationship. GAC established its first office in Kuwait in 1956 and holds the first ship-

ping license issued by the state. Today the company remains one of the leading shipping and logistics service providers in the country. A number of clients attending the event expressed their gratitude and wished the company success and continued growth.

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).

21st martyrdom day of Rajiv Gandhi observed

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EMBASSY OF FRANCE The French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed on Sunday, May 27, 2012 for Pentecost holidays.

he Rajiv Gandhi Awards Committee (RGAC), Kuwait observed the 21st Martyrdom Day of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 2012 at a solemn function held at the residence of RGAC Chairman Markos Williams.

Prominent businessman Mukesh Kumar inaugurated the event by lighting the traditional lamp. Well known social worker N.A. Muneer, Vice Chairman of Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association, eminent dentist Dr Jeetender Ariga and Markos Williams spoke on the occasion. A cross section of the Indian community paid rich homage and floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion.

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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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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 ■■■■■■■

Hawally fire department visits KNES n Key Stage 1 we’ve been studying the different jobs that people in our community do. It was extremely exciting for our Key Stage 1 pupils to welcome the Hawally Fire Department

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to Kuwait National English School (KNES) on Tuesday, 15th May. Pupils were treated to a demonstration by the Al Salem, one of the fire fighters, on how to put on a fire suit,

mask and oxygen tank as well as how use the “Jaws of Life” in an accident situation.

He also addressed pupils on Fire Safety measures and Road Safety. Pupils

thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and many pupils are now convinced that they want to be “firemen or firewomen” when they grow up.

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 ■■■■■■■

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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 I’m Alive 02:35 Safari Vet School 03:30 Wildlife SOS 04:25 Queens Of The Savannah 05:20 Wildlife SOS 05:45 Escape To Chimp Eden 06:10 Safari Vet School 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 Trophy Cats 10:05 Queens Of The Savannah 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Animal Cops South Africa 12:50 Cell Dogs 13:45 Bondi Vet 14:10 Wildlife SOS 14:40 Queens Of The Savannah 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 16:30 Breed All About It 17:25 Dogs 101: Specials 18:20 Project Puppy 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Escape To Chimp Eden 20:10 Ocean Odyssey 21:05 Safari Vet School 22:00 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 22:55 Wildest India

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 05:30 World Business Report 05:45 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 11:00 GMT With George Alagiah 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 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 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News America 20:30 Hardtalk 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 BBC World News America 22:30 Asia Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 Asia Business Report

00:10 Duck Dodgers 00:35 The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop

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

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 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 05:55 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 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:25 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...

17:00 Total Drama: Revenge Of The Island 17:25 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 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:00 22:50 23:40

Courage The Cowardly Dog Ben 10: Alien Force The Powerpuff Girls Cow And Chicken Codename: Kids Next Door Ben 10 Chowder

00:15 One Man Army 01:10 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Deception With Keith Barry 02:30 One Man Army 03:25 An Idiot Abroad 04:20 One Man Army 05:15 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 11:25 Unchained Reaction 12:20 James May’s Man Lab 13:15 Inventions That Shook The World 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 20:05 Border Security - Series 6 Specials 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Carfellas 21:30 Unchained Reaction 22:25 James May’s Man Lab 23:20 Inventions That Shook The World

00:35 Meteorite Men 01:25 The Tech Show 01:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 02:40 Space Pioneer 03:35 How Does That Work?

04:25 Stunt Junkies 05:20 Mega Builders 06:10 Smash Lab 07:00 Meteorite Men 07:50 How Does That Work?

08:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:35 Space Pioneer 10:25 The Gadget Show 11:20 Smash Lab 12:15 Mega Builders 13:05 Meteorite Men 13:55 How Does That Work?

14:50 Stunt Junkies 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:40 The Tech Show 16:05 Smash Lab 17:00 The Gadget Show 17:50 Nasa’s Greatest Missions 18:40 Weird Or What?

19:30 Invisible Worlds 20:20 The Gadget Show 21:10 Smash Lab 22:00 Weird Or What?

22:50 Invisible Worlds 23:40 Mega Builders

00:10 01:00 01:50 02:40 03:30 04:20 05:10 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20

Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fish Hooks Recess So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb

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 18:30 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:50 22:05 22:55 23:45

00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 25 Hottest Hollywood Cougar Tales 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 40 (More) Crimes Of Fashion 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kendra 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Dirty Soap 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Ice Loves Coco 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Unwrapped 00:55 Guy’s Big Bite 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Meat & Potatoes 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Outrageous Food 04:40 Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia 05:05 Gourmet Farmer 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa 06:35 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 Gourmet Farmer 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Unique Sweets 09:05 Good Eats 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia 10:20 30 Minute Meals 10:45 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 12:00 Food Network Challenge 12:50 Aarti Party 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 14:30 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 14:55 30 Minute Meals 15:20 Mexican Made Easy 15:45 Iron Chef America 16:35 Cooking For Real 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Outrageous Food 18:15 Unique Sweets 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Mexican Made Easy 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Unique Sweets 22:00 Kid In A Candy Store 22:50 Unwrapped 23:40 Outrageous Food

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

BRIGHTON ROCK ON OSN CINEMA

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny Recess Starstruck 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 Wendy Wu Fish Hooks Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Starstruck Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

Ghost Lab A Haunting Killer Kids Deadly Women Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab A Haunting Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared LA: City Of Demons Cops And Coyotes Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Adventure Wanted 01:00 Word Travels 02:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:00 Food School 04:00 Long Way Down 05:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy

06:00 Adventure Wanted 07:00 Word Travels 08:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 09:00 Food School 10:00 Long Way Down 11:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 12:00 Adventure Wanted 13:00 Word Travels 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Food School 16:00 Long Way Down 17:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 18:00 Adventure Wanted 19:00 By Any Means 20:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 21:00 Pressure Cook 22:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 23:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali

00:00 Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood18 02:00 Fade To Black-18 04:00 Aeon Flux-PG15 06:00 X-Men-PG15 08:00 Phone Booth-PG15 10:00 Collateral-PG15 12:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 14:00 Phone Booth-PG15 16:00 Tremors-PG15 18:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 20:00 Jason X-18 22:00 The Killer Inside Me-18

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

Older Than America-PG15 Coyote County Loser-PG15 Miles From Nowhere-PG15 Yogi Bear-FAM The Tempest-PG15 Gasland-PG15 Certified Copy-PG15 Jumping The Broom-PG15 District 9-PG15 Brighton Rock-PG15 Your Highness-18 Jackass 3-R

SEASON OF THE WITCH ON OSN MOVIES HD

10:00 Hanging Up-PG15 12:00 Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie-PG15 14:00 The Dukes-PG15 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon 16:00 Hanging Up-PG15 Stewart 18:00 A Fork In The Road-PG15 01:00 The Colbert Report 20:00 Reginald D Hunter Live-PG15 02:00 Hung 22:00 40 Days And 40 Nights-18 02:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 03:00 Perfect Couples 03:30 Wilfred 04:00 Weird Science 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay 01:00 Cat People-18 Leno 03:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 05:30 Seinfeld 05:00 Return To Paradise-PG15 06:30 Melissa And Joey 07:00 The Third Wave-PG15 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 09:00 On Broadway-PG15 08:00 Weird Science 10:45 The Horse Whisperer-PG15 08:30 Perfect Couples 13:30 9-PG 09:00 Seinfeld 15:00 On Broadway-PG15 09:30 The League 17:00 Hollywood, I’m Sleeping Over 10:30 Melissa And Joey Tonight-PG15 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay 19:00 The Greatest-PG15 Leno 21:00 Romeo + Juliet-PG15 12:30 Weird Science 23:00 Fragments-18 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Melissa And Joey 14:00 Wilfred 15:00 The League 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 01:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 Stewart 03:00 Lord Of The Dance-PG 16:00 The Colbert Report 05:00 The Great Debaters-PG15 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 07:15 Strength And Honour-PG15 18:30 Wilfred 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay 09:00 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 11:00 Ice Age-FAM Leno 13:00 Alabama Moon-PG15 15:00 Secretariat-PG15 17:00 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 19:00 Nine-PG15 21:00 Your Highness-18 00:00 Private Practice 23:00 The American-18 01:00 House 02:00 The River 03:00 Grey’s Anatomy 04:00 Damages 00:00 Winnie The Pooh-FAM 05:00 Good Morning America 02:00 Legend Of Sleeping Beauty 07:00 The Invisible Man 04:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

08:00 Emmerdale Evil-PG 08:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Adventures Of Don 09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Quixote-FAM 10:00 The Martha Stewart Show 08:00 D’fenders-PG 11:00 The View 10:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The 12:00 Private Practice Lake Monster-PG 13:00 Grey’s Anatomy 12:00 Christmas In New York-PG 14:00 Good Morning America 14:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

16:00 The Invisible Man Evil-PG 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 16:00 The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG 18:00 Emmerdale 18:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The 18:30 Coronation Street Lake Monster-PG 19:00 C.S.I. 20:00 Snow Dogs-PG 20:00 American Idol 22:00 Christmas In New York-PG 21:00 Grimm 22:00 The Glades 23:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00

Pan Am The River House Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Eureka Pan Am Emmerdale Coronation Street Surface The Ellen DeGeneres Show Grey’s Anatomy

01:00 The Hurt Locker-18 03:15 Aeon Flux-PG15 05:00 Outcast-R 07:00 Age Of The Dragons-PG15 09:00 Riddles Of The Sphinx-PG15 11:00 The Librarian: The Curse Of Judas Chalice-PG15 13:00 Attack On Leningrad-PG15 15:00 Riddles Of The Sphinx-PG15 16:45 Iron Man 2-PG15 19:00 Thick As Thieves-18 21:00 The Grudge 3-18 23:00 Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night-PG15

01:45 04:00 06:00 08:00

Mystery Men-PG15 Spud-PG15 That Old Feeling-PG15 Like Mike-PG

00:00 Volvo Ocean Race v02:30Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 03:00 Super Rugby Highlights 04:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 05:00 Super League 07:00 Volvo Ocean Race 08:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 08:30 Premier League Darts 12:00 Super Rugby Highlights 13:00 Live Rugby League 15:00 WWE Vintage Collection 16:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 17:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 18:00 UFC Countdown 19:00 Rugby League 21:00 WWE SmackDown 23:00 Trans World Sport

00:00 AFL Highlights 01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 02:00 NRL Premiership 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Futbol Mundial 07:30 SPL Highlights 08:00 Scottish FA Cup 10:00 Triathlon 12:00 IronMan 12:30 Super Rugby Highlights 13:30 Super Rugby 15:30 NRL Full Time 16:00 Rugby League 18:00 Trans World Sport 19:00 Top 14 Highlights 19:30 Volvo Ocean Race 20:30 Scottish FA Cup 22:30 AFL Highlights 23:30 European PGA Tour Highlights

01:30 Super Rugby Highlights 02:30 Premier League Darts 06:00 World Cup Of Pool 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Sevens World Series 11:00 Golfing World 12:00 Super Rugby 14:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 15:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 15:30 Golfing World 16:30 Super Rugby 18:30 AFL Highlights 19:30 Trans World Sport 20:30 Golfing World 21:30 European Tour Weekly 22:00 Top 14 Highlights 22:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 23:00 NRL Full Time 23:30 Rugby League 23:30 European PGA Tour Highlights

00:00 01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

V8 Supercars Highlights PrizeFighter UFC 146 Countdown UFC Unleashed UFC The Ultimate Fighter WWE SmackDown PrizeFighter WWE Experience WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottomline Mobil 1 The Grid V8 Supercars Highlights UAE National Race Day Mobil 1 The Grid WWE NXT UFC 146 Countdown UFC

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

Pawn Stars Ax Men Mud Men American Pickers Ancient Aliens Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ax Men Pawn Stars Ancient Aliens Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Ax Men Mud Men American Pickers Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Mud Men American Pickers Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Pawn Stars Ax Men World War II: Lost Films Vietnam: Lost Films

00:00 01:00 01:25 01:55 02:50 03:20 04:15 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 20:20 21:15 22:10 23:05

Fashion Police Fashion Classics Open House Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Videofashion News Videofashion Daily Open House Fashion Classics How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Dress My Nest Mel B: It’s A Scary World Bridalplasty How Do I Look?

Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Clean House: New York Clean House: New York Big Rich Texas Big Rich Texas How Do I Look?

How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Wicked Fit

00:30 02:15 05:10 07:00 08:20 10:00 11:20 FAM 13:10 14:55 16:25 17:55 19:50 22:00 23:45

Enter The Dragon-18 Quo Vadis-PG Passage To Marseille-PG Bonnie Scotland-FAM Light In The Piazza-PG Go West-FAM Please Don’t Eat The DaisiesZiegfeld Follies-FAM Invitation To The Dance-FAM The Main Attraction-PG Escape To Victory-PG The Hill-PG Heart Of Darkness North By Northwest-PG

00:00 Down The Line 01:00 Planet Food 02:00 Floyd Uncorked 02:30 Floyd Uncorked 03:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Chef Abroad 05:30 Chef Abroad 06:00 Flavours Of Greece 06:30 Glutton For Punishment 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Great Scenic Railways-New Zealand 08:30 Life’s A Trip 09:00 Essential 09:30 Distant Shores 10:00 Chef Abroad 10:30 Chef Abroad 11:00 Flavours Of Greece 11:30 Glutton For Punishment 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Hollywood And Vines 13:30 Hollywood And Vines 14:00 Planet Food 15:00 Floyd Uncorked 15:30 Floyd Uncorked 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Glutton For Punishment 17:30 Flavours Of South Africa 18:00 Chef Abroad 18:30 Chef Abroad 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 People Of The Sea 21:00 4real 21:30 Travel Today 22:00 Intrepid Journeys 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction 01:10 Little Einsteins 01:30 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Lazytown 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Lazytown 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 The Hive 08:20 Handy Manny 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:15 A Poem Is...

09:20 Disney Princess 09:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:30 Handy Manny 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:00 The Hive 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Jungle Junction 12:40 Imagination Movers 13:05 The Hive 13:15 Special Agent Oso 13:30 Lazytown 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:20 The Hive

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 23/5/2012 Route

Airlines

Flt

JZR QTR JZR JZR ETH GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR KAC THY DHX FAH QTR JZR AFR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD GFA FCX MEA JZR MSR IRM KNE JZR IRC CLX MSR KAC RJA GFA FDB KNE KAC QTR SVA KAC JZR KAC QTR JZR KAC ETD IYE SYR UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR BAB JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC FDB MSR RBG JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA KAC ALK KLM JZR UAE ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX AIC GFA UAL SAI JZR DLH THY

185 148 539 267 620 211 853 305 370 67 612 138 544 770 170 201 6130 555 6702 412 157 529 206 382 284 53 302 352 362 344 855 125 132 55 603 301 213 203 404 165 606 5066 460 561 6791 792 610 672 640 219 57 472 790 140 500 788 257 546 134 535 538 303 824 341 857 215 510 982 177 436 777 127 542 166 786 63 620 3553 787 618 674 102 572 774 393 61 647 402 146 221 514 229 417 135 859 307 43 129 136 372 975 217 981 441 239 636 772

DUBAI DOHA CAIRO BEIRUT ADDIS ABABA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO DOHA CAIRO ISTANBUL BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA ALEXANDRIA PARIS MANILA LONDON ASSIUT ISLAMABAD DELHI DHAKA DUBAI MUMBAI COCHIN COLOMBO CHENNAI DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA DUBAI SHIRAZ ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT DUBAI LUXOR MASHAD MEDINAH SOHAG MASHAD LUXEMBOURG CAIRO DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH MEDINAH DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA CAIRO SHARM EL SHEIKH ABU DHABI SANAA DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH WASHINGTON DC DULLES DUBAI BAHRAIN JEDDAH SHARJAH CAIRO PARIS JEDDAH DUBAI ASSIUT ALEXANDRIA RIYADH DOHA DUBAI NEW YORK MUMBAI RIYADH KOZHIKODE DUBAI MUSCAT BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN TEHRAN COLOMBO AMSTERDAM BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DHAKA SHARJAH DOHA BAHRAIN CHENNAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN LAHORE AMMAN FRANKFURT ISTANBUL

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:50 1:45 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:10 4:35 5:00 5:30 5:45 6:00 6:05 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 10:00 10:30 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:55 12:10 12:25 13:15 13:15 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 16:00 16:10 16:35 16:35 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:10 23:40

Airlines AIC UAL DLH PIA THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY QTR AFR KAC KAC BAW FDB KAC JZR ABY KAC JZR KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA KAC FCX MEA MSR JZR KAC KNE KAC JZR IRM IRC GFA FDB MSR RJA CLX KAC KNE SVA KAC JZR QTR KAC KAC ETD JZR IYE SYR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY SVA UAL JZR FDB BAB RBG MSR JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA GFA JZR DHX ALK KLM ABY ETD KAC UAE FAH QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX BBC AXB QTR GFA KAC JZR SAI

Departure Flights on Wednesday 23/5/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 6131 DOHA 6702 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 175 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 117 NEW YORK 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 789 MADINAH 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 204 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 619 ASSIUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 461 MADINAH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 5065 MASHHAD 6792 MASHHAD 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 792 GIALAM 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 503 MADINAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 773 RIYADH 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 824 SANAA 342 DAMASCUS 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 982 BAHRAIN 266 BEIRUT 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 621 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 153 ISTANBUL 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 44 DHAKA 394 KOCHI 147 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT 442 LAHORE

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 1:25 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:55 7:05 7:10 7:45 7:55 8:10 8:20 8:25 8:25 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:05 9:10 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:20 13:25 14:15 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:25 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:25 19:35 19:45 19:55 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:50 23:50 23:59

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

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 Laptop Dell, Model D510, Ram 1GB, HD 60 GB, DVD + CD Writer Combo, Wi-Fi +

Bluetooth, display 15”, excellent condition, price KD 50/-.

Contact: 99322585. (C 4012)

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 SITUATION WANTED United States citizen 15 plus year experience working on U.S. Military 3 non military tire including MRAP looking for employment with US Army contract company in Middle East. Contact: 60461658. (C 4023) 23-5-2012

al from parents of well qualified girls.

Contact: lijoshere@gmail.com (C 4013)

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)

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

CHANGE OF NOME I, Syed Arhad Ahmed holder of Indian Passport No. J5395460 do hereby change my name to Syed Arshad Ahmed. (C 4022) 23-5-2012

MATRIMONIAL Christian Orthodox boy, 29/178cm working as IT Professional invites propos-

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

2627 - 2630 Ext.: 262

Fax: 24348714 WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Dusty with moderate to fresh north westerly wind, with speed of 25 - 50 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Dusty and dust will subside gradually with fresh to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 20 - 40 km/h Dusty

WA ARNING ST TATION T

MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WA AIT CITY

38 °C

36 °C

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

39 °C

34 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

41 °C

33 °C

WA AFRA

40 °C

35 °C

SALMI

39 °C

28 °C

ABDAL LY

38 °C

33 °C

JAL ALIY YAH A

41 °C

33 °C

FA AILAKA

40 °C

31 °C

AHMADI POR RT

36 °C

33 °C

UMM AL-MARADEM

33 °C

30 °C

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

38 °C

31 °C

SFC. CHART

22/05/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Wednesday e

23/05

temperature will decrease + raising dust

37 °C

20 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

Thursday Friday

24/05

hot + raising dust

39 °C

23 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

25/05

hot + raising dust

41 °C

26 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

Saturday

26/05

hot

43 °C

28 °C

NW-N

12 - 35 km/h

PRA RA AY YER TIMES Prayer timings Fajr

Fajr: 03:21 Sunrise Duhr: 11:45 Zuhr Asr: Asr15:20 Maghrib:Sunset 18:38 Isha: Isha20:06

AIT AIRPORT RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA 03:21

MAX. Temp.

45 °C

04:52

MIN. Temp.

28 °C

11:45

MAX. RH

46 %

15:20

MIN. RH

18:37

MAX. Wiind

20:06

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

22/05/12 02:21 UTC

07 % SE 46 km/h 00 mm V1.00

T1.06

34

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 683

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You are apt to spend a great deal of time communicating with co-workers today. This is a good time to take stock of your work in order to find and make any changes necessary to create and ensure a positive outcome. You have lots of drive to complete any project today. You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste. You are called on to make use of your natural abilities and rational thinking. You will find a way to improve finances. Your emotions are heightened making you sympathetic and well disposed to loved ones. Try to keep a measure of objectivity. You may find that someone close to you understands and is supportive of your unique ideas.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your career can be at the front of your mind today as a few changes are in the works. Not to worry, these changes are improvements and opportunities to move forward with your skills. You will be intensely examining ideas, thoughts and concepts—with an eye to getting rid of unwanted debris.

There is much searching, research, detective work and such. You are in a planning mood and are very clearheaded and able to view all the choices—move forward now.

A celebration this weekend may find you busy out shopping this afternoon, perhaps a gift for a shower or a wedding. Someone you care about may need your help in making a few decisions. You may find yourself serving to guide someone younger than you this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The law enforcement agency in the Justice Department.

4. Wood of a sumac.

9. Broken husks of the seeds of cereal grains that are separated from the flour by sifting.

13. Concerning those not members of the clergy.

14. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

15. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

16. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

17. Or or relating to or caused by tides.

19. A unit of astronomical length based on the distance from Earth at which stellar parallax is 1 second of arc.

21. The type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs.

23. The square of a body of any size of type.

25. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

26. Shabby and untidy.

30. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

31. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

34. A Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy.

35. A public promotion of some product or service.

37. A group of Plains Indians formerly living in what is now North and South Dakota and Nebraska and Kansas and Arkansas and Louisiana and Oklahoma and Texas.

39. A motley assortment of things.

41. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

43. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

44. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

45. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

46. A state in New England.

48. Genus of beetles whose grubs feed mainly on roots of plants.

51. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

54. A person who participates in a meeting.

57. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

61. Step on it.

62. The arch of bone beneath the eye that forms the prominence of the cheek.

63. A republic in the West Indies on the western part of the island of Hispaniola.

64. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

65. An independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia).

66. Loose temporary stitches.

67. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

DOWN 1. Any broad thin and limber covering attached at one edge.

2. A small cake leavened with yeast.

3. The eighth month of the civil year.

4. Fill to satisfaction.

5. An agency of the United Nations responsible for programs to aid education and the health of children and mothers in developing countries.

6. Used in combination to denote the middle.

7. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

8. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

9. An oil port in southern Iraq.

10. Thrown into a state of agitated confusion.

11. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

12. Remaining after all deductions.

20. Short and fat.

22. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

24. Type genus of the family Myacidae.

27. A sudden very loud noise.

28. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

29. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

32. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

33. Any loose flowing garment.

36. Panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from the rest.

38. A poplar that is widely cultivated in the United States.

40. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

42. United States writer of hard-boiled detective fiction (18941961).

47. Measuring instrument in which the echo of a pulse of microwave radiation is used to detect and locate distant objects.

48. A brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur.

49. The lofty nest of a bird of prey (such as a hawk or eagle).

50. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

51. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

52. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

53. An island in Indonesia east of Java.

55. A genus of Mustelidae.

56. Having been read.

58. A bachelor's degree in theology.

59. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

60. (prefix) Bad or erroneous or lack of.

61. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You may be very forceful in what you say and think today.

With all of this emotional drive, you could communicate very well. As a proud person, you have an inner need to express your thoughts.

Careful—this could lead to some sort of unnecessary competition. You have compassion and have learned to stop and listen when you see someone needs your attention. You have the mental drive to get much accomplished; the number of interruptions is few today. Heed a warning from an older person that may encourage you to have a plan before you start moving for the heck of it. Too many deadend roads can lead to a feeling of failure. Pay attention to your dreams. You are headed into much more successful times.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This is the perfect time to dare to be a little unusual. You will prosper through new insights, inventions and an independent point of view. However, you will be wise to know your subject matter before approaching higher-ups. Challenging authority and striving for success are on your agenda for now. Ambition is a powerful motivation but it can lead you into conflict if you let it get out of control. Properly channeled, your energies result in great achievements. Events make it easy for you to be original, have breakthroughs and find solutions to old problems. You may find yourself able to execute your ideas and see them develop. This evening is a good time for surrounding yourself with friends and having a good time.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) You could rush past superficialities and right to the heart of most any matter today. To keep up your pace in the business world, some very careful planning may have to begin to keep your seat warm. Competition is high but your energies match any challenge you come across. Put your visions and dreams to work. Your imagination drives you to make your dreams and inner vision a reality. You can be intense, passionate and very personal. Careful—there is aggressiveness to your emotions that may cause you to be prone to emotional outbursts. Do not misdirect your aggression. This, again, is a period of hard work, both in salvaging some endeavors that appear to be failing and in branching out in new directions. Try a relaxed atmosphere tonight.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Stop and rethink your plans for this day. If you are looking for a job and you are desperate—you undermine your confidence.

Perhaps you should change the location of your search, shake hands, make eye contact and call back. Consider work in the world of food, science, medicine, adventurous occupations, acting, cashiering, firefighting, news reporting, etc. A philosophical discussion opens your eyes this afternoon. Think logically when considering the options that are before you now. Consider taking the path with the least resistance. Treasure special moments spent with loved ones this afternoon. Be open to a suggestion of someone that cares about you. Peace of mind is clearly an internal matter; tonight is for enjoying things that help you relax.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You should take advantage of furthering your professional aims now. You are your most charming self today and can have the greatest impact on the ones at work who pass out the raises and promotions. If you have been out of work, try particularly hard during this time to find the kind of job you really want. Your communication skills are good and your intellect is sharp. You will be curious, talkative and adept at problem-solving situations. You could come up with new solutions. You may not value something extraordinary or unusual, however.

Domestic chores can be fun when shared. A massage may also be enjoyed after the workday is over. There is ardent passion that manifests itself in art and a physical desire for the opposite sex.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Today you do your best to concentrate and complete your responsibilities in the workplace. You may actually surprise yourself and find that promotion or practical insights come with ease. You could represent or speak for your company or communicate about your skills. Money comes through your work and you have plenty of motivation to achieve your work goals. Try to assert yourself today—new ventures will prove successful. You may communicate a great deal with co-workers as well as people apart from work. You are unusually affectionate and are likely to have that affection reciprocated. It is a good time to express your love for someone or perhaps begin a new relationship. This is the day that your wishes could come true!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) On these last few days of May, you may feel more like ignoring responsibilities. Realities may creep in and bring your attention back to the work of the day. If you are at home today, interruptions can make it even more difficult to concentrate. Agree to visit or be with the family in the afternoon, especially if they have given you more time than usual for your special work. You could find that you are appreciated. Good eye-hand coordination and a sustained effort make almost any task run well. Someone else cooks, watches the young people and generally leaves you to your work this afternoon. You may feel like getting outside this evening.

Emotions are very present but within control. You will enjoy serving your loved one(s) this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste. You are called on to make decisions pertaining to money matters. You are able to make good use of your talents and you have good common sense. There is a need to be respected and staying power pays. You develop a sense of ambition and may strive for much achievement. There is also a need to communicate and experience the exchange of ideas. You may find yourself looking at computers and checking out the new products on the market regarding communication. You could be listening to a book review or standing in line for a book signing. There is much laughter from home this evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Pleasant attitudes are created in the home and in the workplace today. A need for emotional security is accented and you should not pressure a partner or co-worker into doing things just to please you. You have an increased tendency to partake in working partnerships or group activities.

Mental stimulation is the key for you now and it is a good idea to make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. Any project begun today should be very successful. This is a time when you might find a deepening of a love relationship. If you are not in a love relationship this could be a time in which you will meet a very special person. You desire pleasure and stimulation and may find pleasure through this very special person; patience.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You are happiest when the goals for each day are understood.

People that are aboveboard and frank become very special to you. It is easiest to work under a boss that has clear expectations. Revising or reassessing your work responsibilities and scheduling may take up most of the day. You could be helping to change several methods of operation today. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high point. Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, particularly in social situations. You will have a grasp for all sorts of ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. You are able to find the easiest way to turn a negative to a positive—good for you!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

112 GOVERNORATE

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

Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-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

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

23915883 23715414 23726558

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36

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

lifestyle G O S S I P

Jackson wanted to

’s l i z ra

a x u X

B

marry me:

Sheen’s ex-wife avoids jail for now in drug case

ctor Charlie Sheen’s former wife has received a deferred judgment in a drug case in Aspen, Colo, meaning her record will be cleared if she lives up to terms of a one-year probation. Brooke Mueller pleaded guilty in March to felony drug possession of four grams or less of cocaine. The charge stemmed from her arrest Dec. 3 after another woman reported being assaulted at a nightclub.

A razil’s children’s television show host Xuxa has revealed that the late Michael Jackson wanted to marry her and that she had been sexually abused as a child. Maria da GraÁa Meneghel, better known as “Xuxa,” made the surprise disclosure in a television interview that shocked the country late Sunday. “The entourage of Michael Jackson wanted him to marry, have children. They were looking for someone. I was working in Spain, they invited me to see his show several times,” she told TV Globo’s Sunday program Fantastico. “Later they called me to invite me to Neverland (Jackson’s ranch). He knew everything about me, he read everything about me. I had dinner with him,” Xuxa said. “And later came a proposal from his impresario asking me whether I would consider living with him because he wanted to have children, marry. They thought marriage with a person concerned about children in Latin America would be a good thing,” she added. “For me (Michael Jackson) was an idol, but from idol to some-

B

thing else there is a difference. My answer, obviously, was no,” she noted. The late King of Pop died suddenly on June 25, 2009 at his rented mansion in Los Angeles after an overdose of powerful prescription drugs as he was preparing to perform a series of comeback concerts in London. In the 1990s the television actress and singer made headlines for, among other things, dating football legend Pele and the late racing ace driver Ayrton Senna, who died in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Xuxa shocked the television audience Sunday when she revealed that she had been sexually abused until the age of 13. “I was abused in my childhood until the age of 13,” a tearful Xuxa said. “I know what a child feels (when abused).

We think it’s our fault. I was ashamed, I kept quiet, I felt bad, dirty,” she added, without giving further details on the abuse. Now 49, Xuxa is Brazil’s richest woman with a fortune estimated at $1 billion.

Kanye wants Kim to have natural look anye West prefers Kim Kardashian to have a “natural” look like Catherine Middleton. The rapper has been advising his reality TV star girlfriend’s style team on how he wants her to look, naming Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, as a reference point. Kim’s stylist Rob Scheppy told the Daily Star newspaper: “Kanye does like to get involved with Kim’s look. “He actually has a lot of input, he has amazing style so we take his opinions to heart and I say, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’ “Catherine Middleton has influenced her look while in London.

Catherine’s amazing. We watched her wedding and we thought it was beautiful.”

Catherine married into the British royal family when she wed Prince William in April last year. Rob added ‘Stronger’ hitmaker Kanye - who has his own women’s fashion line DW Kanye West - is not afraid to speak his mind, and dislikes it if Kim wears too much makeup. He added: “Kanye’s not afraid to say what he likes. He definitely likes the less-ismore look. “Everyone wants to look good for their man, so Kim will listen and say, ‘OK. I’ll go with what my boyfriend says.’ “ Kanye has been in London over the weekend while he performs with Jay-Z for their ‘Watch The Throne’ tour, but on Sunday , Kim was the one ordering him around, reportedly sending him away from a party because he spent too much time with fellow revelers. A source said: “Kim was all over Kanye at the start, but when he started to mix with other people she had a stern word and took him away from the party. “He followed her orders with minimum fuss. He knows the deal.”

K

Dick

to undergo pretrial diversion Idol’ judge

Tyler

charmed by ‘sexy beast’ J-Lo teven Tyler is quiet on whether he or Jennifer Lopez will return to the judging panel on “American Idol” next year, but the rocker says he has loved the experience of sitting next to her. “She’s a sexy beast,” Tyler said in a phone interview Monday. He added: “I’m always flirting with her. It’s not a bad thing. It’s really a good thing. The best part of it all is that we been able to pick some good talent. Just look at this year.”

Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez are the final two contestants. The winner will be crowned tonight. If the 16-year old Sanchez wins, she’ll be first girl to win the competition since Jordin Sparks took home the crown five years ago. Tyler gives her the edge: “She sings so good you can’t deny, but America votes for it, so we’ll see.” The 64-year old rocker said he was always comfortable judging the talent competition. When he took the job in 2010, it was rumored his band Aerosmith, which has had its share of friction over the years, would not survive. But this summer, Aerosmith is touring and is set to release its first studio album in 10 years. Tyler said his “Idol” gig never was a problem for the band. “There was no working through it. I took a job. I took a day job (and) for whatever reason, it was very successful,” he said. Tyler attributes his “Idol’ success to the chemistry among the judges and host Ryan Seacrest. “The ride has been nothing but good. I think people at home see that realness. I didn’t think it would transcend like that, and God bless that it did.”

S

Usher breaks down in court over bad dad allegations

sher broke down in tears at allegations he was a bad father in an Atlanta court. The 33-year-old singer was accused of excessive partying by his ex-wife Tameka Foster’s attorney, who showed pictures of him out at clubs while in Europe recently. The attorney also asked him whether he took drugs to try and prove he was not a fit parent to stop him from getting further time with his children, Usher Raymond V, four and Naviyd Ely, three. According to TMZ.com, Usher admitted to smoking marijuana but said he had not done so in front of the children.

The personal attack came just hours after the ‘Without You’ singer claimed Tameka spat on his current girlfriend during a row. Usher alleged his former spouse walked to his car and said: “I’m gonna kick your ass. Bitch get out of the car. How dare you bring this woman into my subdivision in my house? “She continued to spit. At this point she pulled the door open, tried to swing at her.” Usher and Tameka filed for divorce in June 2009 after almost two years of marriage. She later filed court documents in Georgia asking the singer to be stripped of joint physical custody of their sons. — Agencies

U

Mueller’s spokesman confirms that terms of a sentence handed down Monday bar Mueller from drinking alcohol while she is on probation. She also must submit to random urine tests. Sheen and Mueller divorced last year. Sheen was arrested on suspicion of assaulting her in 2009. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and completed his probation in 2010.

Spears’ ‘X Factor’

rider revealed

C

omedian Andy Dick has agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program that, if completed successfully, would absolve him of sex abuse charges arising from a 2010 nightclub incident, authorities said. Corky Hammers, an assistant prosecutor in West Virginia’s Cabell County, said Monday that the program requires Dick to stay out of legal trouble for the next six months under the agreement. It allows for no drug use and no arrests during that time. If Dick fails to comply, Hammers says Dick could be tried on felony charges stemming from the club incident in which he was accused of grabbing a bouncer’s crotch and groping and kissing a male patron at a Huntington bar. At the time, Dick was in town for a comedy club performance. Dick wasn’t present for a status hearing Monday in the county circuit court. His attorney, Marc Williams, didn’t immediately return a phone messagez Hammers said that under the agreement, Dick also could be summoned for random drug screenings and must report to the county prosecutor’s office if he is arrested or has a run-in with police anywhere. He also must remain employed. Two previous trial dates were postponed. Hammers said Monday the case isn’t over, adding Dick must comply with the agreement’s terms and conditions. “If he doesn’t do that ... we get to start from scratch and we get to try the case,” Hammers said. Dick had a long-running stint in the 1990s on NBC’s “NewsRadio.” He briefly had his own program on MTV called “The Andy Dick Show.” He also has had roles in several movies, including “Dude, Where’s My Car?” and “Old School.”

ritney Spears’ ‘X Factor’ rider includes 34 Herve Leger dresses and 12 Snickers bars. The ‘Toxic’ singer - who has signed a $15 million deal to join the panel of the US version of the show alongside Demi Lovato - has made a number of backstage demands, including six cases of Diet Coke containing 24 cans, which must be replenished every week. She also wants 10 snack size bags of Doritos for her and her team a day, 12 vases of magnolia blossoms in her dressing room, 10 pieces of chicken and four pints of potato salad every week. According to LOOK magazine, Britney - who is engaged to Jason Trawick - also requires a beauty team which includes a personal

B

manicurist, a facialist and a massage therapist. Now that she has signed on the dotted line to join Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid on the panel the 30-year-old pop superstar aware there is a lot of hard work ahead but she is excited to get auditions underway. A source said: “Britney is well aware of what the critics are saying about her. She is anxious to prove to everyone that she isn’t just a ditzy blonde and she is hunkered down with her fiancÈ Jason, who will be with her at all times during the auditions and filming. “Britney has been asking a lot of questions about the process and is seeking advice from Simon Cowell about how she can be the best judge possible.”

37

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Azerbaijan hosts Eurovision clash of generations A

American pop singer and songwriter Lady Gaga poses before the media upon her arrival in a hotel Saturday in Manila’s financial district of Makati, Philippines. —AP

‘Provocative’ Lady Gaga allowed second Manila show ady Gaga was allowed to hold a second concert in Manila yesterday night after state censors ruled her “provocative” act was within legal bounds, a city official said. Officials who monitored the first show on Monday found no violations of the permit terms banning nudity, blasphemy, and lewd conduct, said Antonino Calixto, mayor of Pasay City, the district where the event was held. “Admittedly, some of the statements and choreography were provocative but the content and presentation taken all together can be considered as part of an artist’s expressions” that are protected by the constitution, he added.

“Therefore, the city government of Pasay sees no compelling or legal reason to disallow the second concert

L

from proceeding,” Calixto said in a statement. Up to 20,000 fans are expected to attend the American pop phenomenon’s final Manila show, the same number as were at Monday’s concert. Conservative Christians in the Catholic-majority nation have been staging street protests daily to demand a government ban on the events, alleging some of Lady Gaga’s songs are blasphemous. One senior church leader said her show amounted to “devil worship”. Lady Gaga spoke out against her local critics at Monday’s concert, declaring she was “not a creature of your government” before belting out her controversial song “Judas”.

Her world tour, “The Born This Way Ball”, has hit the headlines on its way through Asia, with an upcoming con-

cert in Muslim-majority Indonesia denied a police permit for fear of violence from religious hardliners.

Prominent Filipino lawyer Romulo Macalintal, one of those who sought to block the Manila concert, said he was resigned to the local government’s ruling. “They are the persons authorised by law and if that is their decision, I cannot do anything, I just leave it to God,” he said.—AFP

Beijing orchestra fires Russian cellist for verbal abuse he Beijing Symphony Orchestra has fired a Russian cellist who was caught on camera verbally abusing a female passenger on a train, sparking an online outcry over the behavior of foreigners in China. The orchestra said its reputation had been “badly damaged” by the actions of Oleg Vedernikov, who was shown rudely insulting a fellow train passenger who repeatedly asked him to take his feet off the back of her seat. The Beijing Symphony Orchestra said in a statement late Monday that it had dismissed Vedernikov.

“His conduct has severely damaged the orchestra’s reputation. We have decided to fire him in accordance with orchestra regulations and the terms of his employment contract,” the orchestra said. Vedernikov has apologized over the May 14 incident in a video posted online. But this has done little to dampen the controversy over his actions, which came to light shortly after video footage of a British tourist apparently sexually assaulting a Chinese woman in Beijing was posted on the Internet.

The two events have fed into a broader debate over the behavior of foreigners in China, where many web users yesterday welcomed the musician’s dismissal.

His sacking comes after police in Beijing last week launched a 100-day crackdown on foreigners working illegally in the Chinese capital, asking residents of the city to report visa violations. There is no suggestion that the cellist was working illegally. —AFP

T

zerbaijan this week hosts the Eurovision song contest, the biggest event the ex-Soviet state has ever held, where singing pensioners will challenge the younger generation for the kitsch pop crown. The run-up to the event has been marred by accusations over Azerbaijan’s rights record and forced evictions of locals, but the government is hoping the event will be a unique shop window for the increasingly glitzy capital Baku. Among the favorites at the 57th edition are a troupe of dancing grannies from an obscure Russian village, the Buranovskiye Babushki, and veteran British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck who first topped the UK charts 45 years ago in the era of the Beatles.

At 76, Humperdinck will be the oldest male ever to sing at Eurovision, while one of the traditionally-costumed Russian ensembles will be the oldest woman. Forty-two countries will compete for musical supremacy and national pride in Baku, where Eurovision is being held for the first time after duo Ell and Nikki won in the German city of Duesseldorf last year. Sweden’s highenergy techno-pop entry “Euphoria” by Loreen is this year’s best bet according to many bookmakers, who also tip Russia, Italy, Serbia, Romania and Britain as potential challengers at the televised contest watched by an estimated 125 million people around the world.

As usual most of the contestants will be singing in English, although Russia’s Buranovskiye Babushki will deliver some lines in their Udmurt language and the peculiarly-named Austrian entrants Trackshittaz promise “tractor gangster party rap” lyrics in a little-known regional dialect. There will be two semi-finals on May 22 and 24, with 10 from each going on to the final on May 26 alongside Azerbaijan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain.

International viewers can vote for their favorites in the final by phone or text message and these results will then be merged with scores awarded by professional juries in each country to reach a verdict. Some past winners like Swedish pop maestros Abba who triumphed in 1974 with the irrepressibly catchy “Waterloo”, have gone on to lasting fame and critical acclaim. Other entrants however have been mercilessly mocked for their inane kindergartenstyle lyrics, even though the competi-

A man stands near one of the numerous billboards promoting the Eurovision 2012 song contest. tion’s initial aim was to “stimulate the output of original, high-quality songs”, according to the book “Eurovision Song Contest: The Official History”.

The authorities in Azerbaijan, an oilrich, mainly Muslim state of 9.2 million

A security officer guards an area around Crystal Hall, the site of the Eurovision 2012 song contest. people, hope the contest will attract international acclaim to a country until now mainly known as an energy exporter on Europe’s eastern fringe.

Unlike some European countries which see Eurovision as little more than frivolous fun, Azerbaijan has treated it like an

ecord-breaking blockbuster “The Avengers” stayed atop North America’s box offices for a third straight week, easily outgunning new arrival “Battleship,” industry data showed Monday. The comic book superhero blockbuster made $55.6 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 so far of $1.18 billion, the fourth highest total of all time, it said.

“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 scifi 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 $25.5 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.

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Next was Tim Burton’s new Johnny Depp vampire flick “Dark Shadows,” in fourth place with $12.6 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 $3.2 million. In the seventh spot was smash action hit “The Hunger Games.” The movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence, earned $3.0 million and 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 $1.6 million. —AFP

alleged security concerns after the Azerbaijani president described Armenians as enemies. —AFP

Review

Anderson rediscovers balance in ‘Kingdom’ he contradiction inherent to all Wes Anderson films - the juxtaposition of the meticulous artificiality of the settings and the passionately wistful emotions that are longing to burst free - is at its most effective in a while in “Moonrise Kingdom.” The director and co-writer’s tale of first love, filled with recognizable adolescent angst and naive fumblings, feels at once deeply personal (and, indeed, it was inspired by a boyhood crush of his own) and universally relatable. Of course, it features the fetishistic obsession with production and costume design that is his trademark; nothing ever happens by accident in Anderson’s films, which are frequently and accurately described as dollhouses or dioramas. Despite its rigid structure, which includes exact tracking shots from room to room or person to person, the look of the film is alive and inviting, the

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Steve Zissou” and “The Darjeeling Limited” - Anderson seemed too preoccupied with all the clutter, all the idiosyncratic doo-dads that defined his characters at the expense of character development itself. With “Moonrise Kingdom,” he’s recaptured that perfect balance of style and substance.

And, similar to “Rushmore,” it has precocious, misunderstood young people at the center of its precise yet off-kilter world. Newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward star as Sam and Suzy, 12 year-old loners who find each other and run away together at the end of summer 1965. Sam, an orphan, flees his Boy Scout-style troupe of Khaki Scouts (Edward Norton plays their loyal leader);Suzy, the only daughter and eldest child of married lawyers who ignore each other (Anderson regular Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), feels neglected and has been acting out.

In this picture taken on March 13, 2012 shows Russian cellist Oleg Vedernikov rehearsing with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra in Beijing. —AFP

Avengers outgun ‘Battleship,’ stays atop US box office

event of major political significance, spending millions of dollars on beautifying the capital. The organizers have promised a spectacular show spiced up with elements of traditional Azerbaijani culture at the ultramodern, purposebuilt Crystal Hall on Baku’s Caspian Sea shore.

“Eurovision will make Azerbaijan famous worldwide. It is our pride that it’s being held here in Baku,” said local student Lala Mirzoyeva, 22. “I’m so happy that I managed to buy tickets and I will be part of this historic event,” said another, 31-year-old banker Ramil Salayev. But rights groups accuse the government led by strongman President Ilham Aliyev of systematically violating human rights, jailing opponents, persecuting journalists and suppressing free speech. There has also been concern over the evictions of tenants whose homes were demolished as part of an urban regeneration project which includes the Crystal Hall.

“Azerbaijan is doing its best to put on a show but people should know about the real problems behind all the glitz and glamour,” said Giorgi Gogia of campaign group Human Rights Watch.

Neighbour Armenia has meanwhile boycotted this year’s contest, citing

In this film image released by Focus Features, from left, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman and Jason Schwartzman are shown in a scene from “Moonrise Kingdom.” —AP work of Anderson’s usual director of photography Robert Yeoman.

If you love Wes Anderson, you’ll love this: The best of what he can do is vibrantly on display. The screenplay, which he co-wrote with Roman Coppola, has resulted in his sweetest and most sincere live-action movie since the one that remains his best, 1998’s “Rushmore” (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” from 2009, which he crafted through painstaking stop-motion animation, was also a real charmer). But beneath all the mid-century nostalgia, the tightly framed shots of quirkily decorated rooms, lies an innocent and vulnerable beating heart. In his post-”Rushmore” films - especially “The Life Aquatic With

Trouble is, these two have nowhere to go - they live on the insular New England island of New Penzance, a rocky, rugged place with no paved roads and only one phone - and a storm of epic proportions is on its way. We know this because every once in a while, Bob Balaban pops up, bundled in weather-appropriate gear as the film’s narrator who explains not only the history of this remote, beautiful place but also what’s in store. This may sound like a cutesy, self-conscious narrative device, but Balaban is so unassuming (and informative to boot!) that you’ll be happy to see him each time he arrives. Still, Sam and Suzy have packed up all the items they think they need to start a

new life together. This includes camping supplies (his) and plenty of books, a record player and a kitten (hers). Gilman and Hayward nicely underplay their emotions at first as two sad, socially awkward kids tenderly feeling each other out, but the way Anderson and Coppola unveil their backstories in time gives them unexpected complexity.

These flashbacks are among the elements that infuse “Moonrise Kingdom” with both absurd humor and an engrossing fluidity; the letters Sam and Suzy wrote to each other over the year they planned their escape are filled with a breathless excitement, as if they can’t wait for forever to start now.

There’s still hope for them - that’s what’s thrilling. You almost long to protect these two once you get to know the adults who are scrambling around trying to find them, including Bruce Willis as the island’s lonely sheriff and Tilda Swinton as the all-business social services worker known only as Social Services. The grown-ups don’t provide much heft, especially toward the end, but maybe that was intentional to make the kids’ relationship stand out that much more. Longtime Anderson friend and collaborator Jason Schwartzman rounds out the excellent supporting cast as the fast-talking, highly efficient scout leader who helps Sam and Suzy with their plan; the performance will put a familiar smile on your face as it suggests who “Rushmore’s” Max Fischer might have grown up to become.

“Moonrise Kingdom,” a Focus Features release, is rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.

Running time: 94 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions: G - General audiences. All ages admitted.

PG - Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 - Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

R - Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17 - No one under 17 admitted.—AP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Swiss tourist

File photo shows the Swiss village of Montana.

regions outvoted in holiday homes upset

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igh in the Swiss alpine village of Salins, plans are afoot to build a new hotel and residence complex catering to the hordes of skiers who flock to the resort each season.

Developer Jean-Marie Fournier can breath a sigh of relief: he submitted the development proposal before a March 11 vote which sent shockwaves across the country. The initiative was the mastermind of an 84-year-old called Franz Weber who has described it as a watershed in the country’s environment policy. It saw the Swiss narrowly back a cap on second homes in every community, sparking concern in the construction, property and tourism sectors.

The ballot, approved by 50.4 percent of voters, will limit the number of second homes to only 20 percent in any one area. What this means is that no further permission will be given to build second homes in towns and villages where the 20 percent mark has already been reached. The people of the canton of Valais, where Salins is located, are assessing their options ahead of the implementation of the new law in 2013, though some legal experts think it will more likely come into force the following year. “The revolt is under way,” said Fournier, who is also the owner of the regional newspaper, Le Nouvelliste.

“A committee has been put together,” he told AFP. The local man’s firm, VIP, plans to build a new cable car station at the foot of the resort as well as several residential blocks and hotels with a total of about 1,500 beds. They will serve the needs of the thousands of Europeans-mainly Belgians and Dutch-who come to enjoy the ski season each winter, says Fournier. The problem is that out of season the buildings are more often than not left empty, creating a desolate picture.

In the Crans-Montana resort, also in the Valais canton, chalet blocks five to ten storeys high extend for as far as the eye can see.

Come spring and their shutters remain closed

ommends that investors, and wealthy foreigners in particular, should act fast. Marcel Maurer, mayor of the Valais capital Sion, voiced his discontent.

“A 20 percent quota is no way to carry out town planning,” he says, adding: “We don’t need lessons,” he said. Maurer however remains optimistic. “There is a culture (of tourism) that is in the process of changing. The Valais people have understood that.”

And as his town prepares to merge with Salins next year, Maurer promises that he will keep a close watch on Fournier’s hotel development.

“We will do something exemplary,” he says reassuringly. In the meantime, local finance and tourism officials are mulling the creation of a property fund which would finance “tourism residences” for rental. How this will fit in with the new law remains to be seen. — AFP

barring a few exceptions. Swiss Environment Minister Doris Leuthard said the government shared the voters’ concerns about the increasing number of empty holiday homes off-season and the difficulties locals face in holiday resorts to get housing. “We need a more careful use of our territory as well as a better occupancy rate of second homes,” she said. Owing to the confusion surrounding the terms of the proposed law, Swiss authorities have had to create a working group tasked with responding to a mountain of ques-

A photo taken on March 16, 2012 in Crans-Montana shows an advertisement for new secondary residences under construction in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana. — AFP photos

A car passes a secondary residence on March 16, 2012 in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana. tions, not least the most obvious: what is classed as a second home?

But while many in property and tourism sectors fear the consequences of the new law, which a conference of seven mountain cantons said “jeopardises the economic development of the mountain regions”, some are acting swiftly to capitalise on the present muddle. For Angela Turnbull from the real estate agency Angela Immobilier, acquiring a property in CransMontana “has never been so attractive.” The new

law “will certainly mean that few or even no newbuilds whatsoever will see the light of day in the years to come,” she says. And by logic of supply and demand, this will likely lead to an jump in value of second homes.

“Switzerland is becoming the hottest property owners’ club in the world,” said Turnbull, who rec-

Huge secondary residence chalets in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana.

LA’s Old Chinatown ponders a future with Wal-Mart O

n the surface, a big Wal-Mart store might seem out of place in the midst of the old-fashioned curio shops, the little dim sum eateries and the colorful lanterns and pagodas that make up one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States.

But then so does the Catholic church that offers Sunday Masses in Croatian. Or the one that performs them in Italian. Not to mention the imposing statue of French hero Joan of Arc that stands just a stone’s throw from the one of modern China’s founding father, Sun Yat-Sen. When Wal-Mart announced plans earlier this year to open one of its outlets on the fringes of Old Chinatown, alarm bells went off in some quarters. The local city councilman pushed successfully for a moratorium on opening large stores in downtown, although Wal-Mart got around that by pulling its permits before the ordinance took effect.

Several business owners, meanwhile, expressed concerns that Wal-Mart, known for its cheap prices on everything from tires to toys, would put them out of business and lead to the destruction of the area’s ambience. Overlooked in much of the debate was that Chinatown wasn’t always Chinatown.

Over the years, it has also been Frenchtown and Little Italy, and a portion of it was once home to a Croatian community. Evidence of the latter is 102-year-old St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church, located just up the hill from where the Wal-Mart would go.

More recently, Chinatown’s population has seen an increase in Hispanics, who now make up about a quarter of the square-mile (square-kilometer) area’s 11,000 residents. It’s a square mile that displays the city’s famous diversity and multicultural history to a

The Chinatown Gateway Monument through cherry three branches in the Chinatown section of Los Angeles.

remarkable degree, says Los Angeles writer Lisa See, who has drawn extensively from her own family’s Chinatown history for such books as “On Gold Mountain” and the 2009 best seller “Shanghai Girls.” “We as a city, I think, don’t pay much attention to that history or that diversity, but once you cover it up it’s gone for good,” added See, acknowledging she frets about the impact a generic Wal-

Kirsten Zeleny, 7, of Simi Valley, holds a traditional Chinese dress.

A Chinatown banner hangs on a light pole in the Chinatown section of Los Angeles.

Mart will have on the culturally rich area where she spent hours as a child playing in her family’s store.

Wal-Mart spokesman Steve Restivo says the store won’t be one of those gigantic

supercenters the company is famous for but a much smaller “neighborhood market” about one-fifth the size. Those markets typically sell groceries, fresh produce and such other items as pharmaceuticals, deli foods, stationery and dry goods. He said the store, scheduled to open next year, is going into a building that has been vacant for years. The Chinatown location was selected, Restivo said, after WalMart determined the area was lacking in stores that sell fresh food.

Whatever the store’s impact on Chinatown, it won’t mark the first time downtown’s Chinese community has been reshaped or reinvented. Old Chinatown, as it’s now known, was actually New Chinatown

A man eats his lunch as a shopper picks out fruits at a produce stand.

when it welcomed the public on June 25, 1938, with a gala party attended by, among many others, Hollywood’s first ChineseAmerican movie star, Anna Mae Wong. Often overlooked in accounts of that opening day, however, was that New Chinatown was built from the ground up to replace OId Chinatown, which was razed to make room for another LA landmark, historic Union Station.

An entire neighborhood of thousands of people occupying buildings dotting more than a dozen streets was packed up and moved lock, stock and wok to the middle of what was then Little Italy and Frenchtown.

“They had no property rights, so it was easy

Pedestrians cross a dragon-engraved street.

to move them,” Fenton Eng, administrator of the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California, says dryly, adding that laws allowing Chinese immigrants to become U.S. citizens and own property were still several years away.

As the Chinese moved in, the Italians and French moved out, although remnants of their time there remain, including St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church and the statute of Joan of Arc that stands just outside Pacific Alliance Medical Center, which until 1989 was known as French Hospital. From behind the counter of K.G. Louie’s, the large curio shop his grandfather opened during that 1938 celebration, Donald Liu sees still another change coming. The younger generation of Chinese families like his, the ones that built Chinatown, are moving on to Monterey Park and several other Asian-majority suburbs just east of Los Angeles.

“And I see more Hispanic folks moving in, especially at the school across the street,” Liu, 62, who still lives in Chinatown, said between ringing up sales on items like small jade and wood carvings and other Chinatown memorabilia for the tourists. Across the street and down an alley known as Chung King Road still other changes are afoot. Several art galleries, some with lofts and most all featuring contemporary work by non-Asian artists, have moved onto the alley during the past 10 years. —AP

A boy walks past a hair salon in Monterey Park, Calif.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Theme parks opening new attractions, coasters The first phases of a reimagined Fantasyland In this 2012 image released by Disney theme parks, Radiator Springs Racers are shown at Cars Land, a new attraction based on the Disney-Pixar animated series “Cars,” at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif.

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ollywood’s new Transformers ride top the list of new attractions at theme parks across the country this year. And thrill ride enthusiasts won’t be disappointed, with at least 20 new roller coasters debuting at parks from Maryland to California. Disney says the renovation and new construction at Fantasyland inside the Magic Kingdom in Florida is the largest expansion project in the park’s 40-year history, doubling the size of the current Fantasyland. Part of it - including one of what will eventually be dueling Dumbo rides and the rethemed Barnstormer family roller coaster - opened in April.

Much of the construction is still in the middle stages, but Disney says most of the new elements will be open in time for the winter holidays this year, with the rest opening later.

It’s going to include new “attract-areas” immersive mini-parks that include attractions, restaurants and retail - built around the stories of “Snow White” and “Beauty and Beast,” as well as a new dark ride based on the adventures of “The Little Mermaid.” Replacing Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Fantasyland will be Princess Fairytale Hall, where visitors will be able to interact with all the Disney princesses.

“The opportunity to greatly expand and relaunch Fantasyland, which has been largely unchanged since 1972, is just a huge opportunity,” Tom Staggs, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “Every time I go down and look at

the progress in construction I get more excited about it.” Industry consultant Dennis Speigel said the Fantasyland expansion with detail-oriented areas immersing guests in Disney-themed worlds is expected to pay dividends for years, much like the hugely successful Harry Potter mini-park at Universal Orlando, where visitors feel like they’ve been dropped right into meticulously decorated movie sets.

“It ’s a big deal,” Speigel, president of Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services, said of the Fantasyland project. “It’s the largest expansion ever in the history of the park. The last number we heard is that it’s approaching $500 million. ... Parks have realized it takes more than a Space Mountain by itself or one ride and attraction. It has to have a combination of all the elements now.” In June, Disneyland California Adventure is opening Cars Land, replicating the town of Radiator Springs from the movies, including a race-course ride and two other new little-kidfriendly attractions.

the 30-minute show will undoubtedly be a welcome respite for park visitors in the heat of the Florida summer. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions trade group reports 135 new attractions opening this year, including water parks, rides and shows, spokeswoman Colleen Mangone said. Among those are 20 new roller coasters. “It’s almost like timing is everything,” Mangone said. “And in 2012 we’re seeing short-term and long-term projects coming to fruition at the same time, which certainly should create some great thrills at amusement parks.” Based on attendance trends and season-pass sales, Speigel said the theme park industry is expected to see 7 percent growth or more this year, which is much better than expected. He attributes it to the number of new attractions, an improving economy, pent-up demand and other factors. —AP In this undated image released by Universal Studios Hollywood, riders exit the ‘Transformers the Ride: 3D,’ attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. — AP photos

In this May 12, 2012 photo released by Disney theme parks, people ride the “Dumbo the Flying Elephant,” attraction in the new Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

This undated photo provided by Dollywood shows riders on the Wild Eagle, a new 210foot tall coaster that opened in March at the theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

This undated image provided

by SeaWorld Orlando shows a new attraction at the park featuring sea turtles.

Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles is expected to debut the new Transformers ride a dark ride with motionsimulator vehicles inspired by the science fiction action film - on Friday. On May 8, Universal Orlando introduced a daily interactive character parade and nighttime pyrotechnics show celebrating Universal’s 100 years of making movies. A new 3-D ride based

on the “Despicable Me” movie will open at Universal Orlando sometime this summer. In April, SeaWorld Orlando opened a new attraction centered on sea turtles, including a firstof-its-kind 360-degree domed theater showing a 3-D movie about the endangered creatures.

Legoland, which opened in October in central Florida, is renovating and reopening an existing water park at the site in time for

This undated photo provided

by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island shows performers in a scene from ‘Iceploration,’ a new elaborate ice show at the theme park.

In this May 2012 photo released by Universal Orlando Resort, characters from Nickelodeon’s ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ program are shown during the new Superstar Parade at Universal Orlando in Orlando, Fla. the summer season. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this spring rolled out an elaborate ice show called “Iceploration,” which features everything from bombastically costumed skaters to real live exotic birds flying around the indoor theater. The show tells the story of a kid who, with the help of his wise grandfather, puts down his electronic devices and discovers the natural wonders of the world.

And entering the cool indoor theater for

Lady Gaga tweets about Indonesian concert censorship

37

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

(Right) Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn, US actor Ray Liotta, US actor Brad Pitt and US actor Scoot McNairy pose during the photocall of ‘Killing Them Softly’ presented in competition at the 65th Cannes film festival yesterday. —AFP

Brad Pitt

scotches rumors of August wedding to Jolie Iranian film noir B casts spell in Cannes

rad Pitt yesterday scotched rumors that his wedding to the other half of Hollywood’s hottest couple, Angelina Jolie, would take place in August. Pitt also said his partner would not join him on the red carpet in Cannes later yesterday for the premiere of the blood-drenched drama “Killing Them Softly”.

“She’s not here right now. She’s prepping for a movie that starts pretty soon,” the 48-year-old actor, sporting shaggy blond-tinted hair and a goatee, told reporters after a press screening of Andrew Dominik’s movie. Asked if he planned to act in another film alongside 36-year-old Jolie, he replied: “Actually, I’d love to.” “We actually really, truly have no date” for the wedding that the couple announced in April and which will come after six children and years of unwedded coupledom, he said.

Pitt and Jolie became close on the set of 2005 film “Mr and Mrs Smith.” They have three biological children together and adopted three others. Pitt’s new film features him as a contract killer working for a mob syndicate run like any major US corporation, complete with brutal cost-cutting to cope with the recession. “Killing Them Softly” is one of 22 films vying for the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or top prize, to be awarded on Sunday.

Brad Pitt stars as a hit man in the blood-drenched drama “Killing Them Softly” set against the US financial meltdown and Barack

Obama’s election and premiering at Cannes yesterday. The film, which got a warm reception at an early press preview, features Pitt as a contract killer working for a mob syndicate run like any major US corporation, complete with brutal cost-cutting to cope with the recession. The action unfolds just as the subprime mortgage crisis begins to wreak havoc on financial markets at the end of 2008, in the thick of the US presidential election campaign.

The picture reunites Pitt with New Zealand-born Andrew Dominik, who directed him in 2007’s “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”, and couples highly stylised violence with a nostalgic American soundtrack. Pitt as the mob enforcer Jackie Cogan is called in when two bumbling thieves knock over a high-stakes poker game among local gangsters. His contact with the organisation, a straightlaced squeamish attorney played by Richard Jenkins, passes on the mobsters’ orders and later has to inform the killer that his fee for a triple murder has been slashed by a third. —Agencies

Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi poses during the 65th Cannes film festival on May 21, 2012 in Cannes. — AFP

A

n Iranian film noir about an academic who returns home after two decades in the West to a family and country he no longer recognizes made a splash at the Cannes festival this week. “A Respectable Family”, the feature film debut of the 39-year-old Tehran documentary maker Massoud Bakhshi, is rooted in the director’s own experiences as a teenager growing up during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88.

“It’s not an autobiographical film, but it was inspired by real-life events from the lives of people around me,” the director told AFP after a screening in Cannes’ Directors’ Fornight sidebar section. “I’m talking about a generation that lived through the Iran-Iraq war, a war that changed the destiny of my generation.” The picture tells the story of Arash, whose family breaks up when his teenaged brother is killed in the conflict, as his violent father commits his griefstricken mother to an asylum and brings home a second wife and her son.

The action opens in contemporary Iran, where Arash, a college professor, is invited home after 22 years in Paris to teach in the southwestern city of Shiraz where his elderly mother now lives. While there, he is contacted by his step-brother’s son, who convinces him to renew ties with his dying father. But when his father dies, and money comes into the equation-in particular the money paid to his family as compensation for the death of his war martyr brother-things take a menacing turn. Weaving in flashbacks and documentary footage, the story takes the viewer back and forth in time, towards the dark family secrets at the film’s core.

From the opening handheld shots of a taxi crossing the city at night, to scenes of family life or negotiations with the thuggish step-brother, the film distils a compelling portrait of modernday Iranian society. Through the financial intrigue in Arash’s family, Bakshi hints repeatedly at the scourge of corruption and profiteering.

We also see repeated attempts at censorship by the university where Arash teaches, although Bahkshi smiles that: “In Iran we don’t have a word for censorship-we have surveillance.” But he also sought to celebrate “the enthusiasm of young Iranians today”, shown through Arash’s lively students, and the vital role played by women in Iranian society, through a string of finely drawn female characters. —AFP

From left, actors Guy Pearce, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Mia Wasikowska, Dane Dehaan, screenwriter Nick Cave, director John Hillcoat, actors Jessica Chastain and Shia LaBeouf at for the screening of ‘Lawless’.

Haneke, Loach among Cannes highlights thus far

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he first half of the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival has completed a life cycle in films that range from the motivating spark of child birth to the despair of slow death in old age. The latter came by way of Michael Haneke’s “Amour,” which is by wide consensus the favorite thus far for the festival’s top honor, the Palme d’Or. Such an outcome would make the Austrian filmmaker, who won three years ago for his previous film, “The White Ribbon,” the seventh director to win two Palmes.

Cannes audiences sit down for a movie with expectations of nothing less than a masterpiece, and “Amour” has been the only film generally considered worthy of that label. Masterly austere, it’s a simple and direct story of a French couple in their 80s, played by Emmanuelle Riva as Anne, and Jean-Louis Trintignant as Georges - both French acting greats in thrillingly good late performances.

Early in the film, they return home from a concert to find signs of an attempted break in. No one has entered the apartment, but something worse; something more destructive seems to have been let in. The next morning during breakfast, Anne freezes, staring vacantly. It’s the first sign of an irrevocable decline, to be followed by doctor visits, a dementia-inducing stroke, and the mounting indignities of dying while Georges cares for her.

For Haneke, a provocateur of mysterious terrors, it’s a film of exceptional intimacy, where death slowly disassembles love. Though “Amour” - solemn and deadly - is the kind of serious stuff Cannes most celebrates, the festival also loves a crowd-pleaser, even if it doesn’t confer quite the same respect on them. —AP

Cannes Film Festival, Kuwait’s gate to global production C

annes Film Festival is the “real gate” for Kuwaiti cinema production to reach international markets, Kuwaiti director and film producer Abdulmehsen AlKhalfan said here yesterday. He told KUNA that since two decades ago, he has been keen on taking part in the event, monitoring all latest and most remarkable international cinema productions. He called on the official bodies in Kuwait like the Ministry of Information, and The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters to enact legislations and laws to boost the local cinema production.

This production is limited compared to a large number of countries which launched film festivals and cinema production institutions, he added. Kuwaiti actors have remarkable presence in Arab countries, thus contributing in marketing local cinema production, in the Arab countries and worldwide, he affirmed. He hailed the experience of a number of Kuwaiti directors in the field, like “Tora Bora” movie by Waleed Al-Awadi, and “Al-Salheya” short movie by Sadegh Bahbahani. The two movies were part of Cannes Film Festival.

Al-Khalfan notices an increasing turnout

of Kuwaiti drama and cinema productions in film festivals like Cannes, and TV production festivals, such as MIPCOM, and MIPTV. The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival held in southern France, takes place between May 16 to May 27, 2012. Italian film director Nanni Moretti has been announced as the President of the Jury for the main competition, and British actor Tim Roth has been announced as the President of the Jury for the Un Certain Regard section. French actress Berenice Bejo has been announced to host the opening and closing ceremonies. — KUNA