25 Mar 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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Kuwait National & Liberation Days

‘Utter regret’ following Kazakh anthem blunder Shooting officials left red-faced after ‘Borat’ booboo

Max 28º Min 12º High Tide 01:32 & 13:21 Low Tide 07:09 & 19:36

By Lisa Conrad and Agencies

KUWAIT: Women participate in the annual National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) walkathon at Marina Crescent in Salmiya yesterday. This year’s walkathon carried the slogan ‘Health with Every Step’. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 40)

Tear gas kills two Bahrainis DUBAI: A man and a woman died of asphyxiation caused by tear gas grenades fired by Bahrain’s security forces to disperse protests in Shiite villages, the country’s main opposition group said yesterday. Ahmed Abdul Nabi, 31, died after a tear gas grenade landed in his family’s house in the village of Shahrakan, said a statement by AlWefaq, citing family members. The Shiite opposition group said he died due to the “poisoning and asphyxiating gases” used by security forces against Shiite youths, who stage frequent protests against the regime of the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty. It provided a picture showing a broken

window through which the canister is claimed to have entered the house.

Meanwhile, a woman named Abda Ali Abdul Hussein died on Friday after inhaling gases in the village of Jid Hafs, near the Bahraini capital Manama, Wefaq said, again citing family members. The cause of the deaths could not immediately be confirmed. Thousands demonstrated on Friday after the Shiite-led opposition called for several simultaneous protests across villages near Manama, in an act of defiance despite a brutal crackdown last March which quelled a month-long uprising demanding democratic change.

Continued on Page 13

US still fixated by nuke terror SEOUL: Visions of a mushroom cloud over a US city may have led America into a dubious war in Iraq, but the threat of nuclear terror has lost none of its power to fixate US leaders and shape foreign policy. President Barack Obama put counter proliferation at the center of his political project, earning himself a Nobel Peace Prize, and has worked to secure radioactive material around the globe ever since. He arrives in Seoul for the second Nuclear Security summit today in the next step in that quest, though the meeting will be overshadowed by nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea.

Views among scientists differ on whether a terror group like Al-Qaeda could build and detonate a primitive

US sergeant charged in Afghan massacre

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nuclear bomb on a US city. But no president will take the threat lightly after seeing the impact of mass terrorism wreaked by the Sept 11 attacks in 2001.

Obama said while hosting the first nuclear summit in Washington two years ago that a nuclear strike on a major populated area could change the global security landscape for years to come. “The ramifications economically, politically and from a security perspective would be devastating,” he said.

Analysts say that Obama’s concern is justified. “What we have seen is increasing evidence of intentions... it is not just Al-Qaeda, it is other organisations as well,” said Sharon Squassoni, of the Center for Strategic and International Continued on Page 13

Trayvon Martin, my son, and the Black Male Code

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Bishops slam fatwa against Gulf churches PARIS: Christian bishops in Germany, Austria and Russia have sharply criticised Saudi Arabia’s top religious official after reports that he issued a fatwa saying all churches on the Arabian Peninsula should be destroyed. In separate statements on Friday, the Roman Catholic bishops in Germany and Austria slammed the ruling by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Shaikh as an unacceptable denial of human rights to millions of foreign workers in the Gulf region. Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Russian Orthodox department for churches abroad, called the fatwa “alarming” in a statement on Tuesday. Such blunt criticism from mainstream Christian leaders of their Muslim counterparts is very rare.

Christian websites have reported Sheikh Abdulaziz, one of the most influential religious leaders in the Muslim world, issued the fatwa last week in response to a Kuwaiti lawmaker who asked if Kuwait could ban church construction in Kuwait.

Citing Arab-language media reports, they say the sheikh ruled that further church building should be banned and existing Christian houses of worship should be destroyed. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chairman of the German Bishops Conference, said the mufti “shows no respect for the religious freedom and free co-existence of religions”, especially all the foreign labourers who made its economy work.

“It would be a slap in the face to these people if the few churches available to them were to be taken away,” he said.

At least 3.5 million Christians live in the Gulf Arab region. They are mostly Catholic workers from India and the Philippines, but also Western expatriates of all denominations. Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim houses of prayer, forcing Christians there to risk arrest by praying in private homes. There are churches for Christian minorities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen.

The bishops conference in Austria, where Saudi King Abdullah plans to open a controversial centre for Continued on Page 13

Deadly clashes in Egypt after football club banned

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KUWAIT: The organizing committee of the International Shooting Grand Prix issued a statement yesterday regarding the accidental use of Borat’s parody national anthem in place of Kazakhstan’s real national anthem at a medal ceremony in Kuwait on Thursday. The committee accepted responsibility and offered further apologies for the incident. “The committee gave an official apology to the Kazakh delegation to the tournament, and the national anthem was replayed correctly. The Organizing Committee of the International Grand Prix expresses its utter regret for this unintentional mistake and reaffirms its great respect to its brothers and friends from the Republic of Kazakhstan, and affirms the deep sports relations between the Kazakh and Kuwait shooting federations.”

The blunder received considerable international press coverage, even reaching the BBC’s number one spot of the most popular news stories and making the rounds among major news agencies and leading newspapers alike. Borat, the short name for ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’, deeply offended many Kazakhs upon its release for providing an inaccurate and negative view of their country and was subsequently banned. Many were upset over the sporting incident, which saw Maria Dmitrienko stand in shock following her gold medal performance as Borat’s spoof began playing.

“It is an embarrassing mistake of course. I know that anyone can make a mistake but it is not represented that way in the press, of course,” said Salwa, a Kuwaiti teacher. “I understand that mistakes can be made, but I really wish it hadn’t received quite so much attention,” she added.

Continued on Page 13

Syria rebel hubs hit as Annan arrives in Russia DAMASCUS: Syria’s army resumed heavy shelling of the rebel hubs of Homs and Hama yesterday, monitors reported, as international envoy Kofi Annan arrived in Russia in a new push for peace. Mortar rounds rained down on the flashpoint central city of Homs and nearby town of Qusayr from early morning, killing at least 10 people, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least 24 people were reported killed nationwide, among them four government soldiers.

The fiercest regime assault targeted Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib which was stormed by troops backed by 26 tanks that “took up position to split the town in two,” activist

Nureddin Al-Abdo told AFP. Residents cowered indoors as explosions rattled Saraqeb and troops swooped to make arrests, he said from the town where there is a considerable rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) presence. One civilian and three soldiers died in Saraqeb, the Observatory said. The army also used mortars to pound the town of Qalaat AlMadiq in the central province of Hama, which troops have been trying to seize for the past two weeks, added the Britain-based monitoring group.

Activists reported fierce overnight clashes between troops and mutineers in and around the capital, after a day of protests under the rallying cry Continued on Page 13

SERMIN, Syria: A Syrian boy holds remains of a mortar and shells fired by the Syrian army as mourners carry the coffin of 13-year-old Ahmad bin Muhsin Qarush during his funeral yesterday. The boy was killed two days earlier in shelling by regime forces in this northwestern city. — AFP

Chelsea fail to close gap after draw with Spurs

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SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

LOCAL

GCC meeting discusses easier facilitation of UK study visas Cultural attaches meet in London

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: Students looking to pursue their studies in the UK are breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of visa procedures becoming easier. Cultural Attaches of the GCC countries in England met in London yesterday to discuss various means of facilitating visa procedures for students heading to the UK for further education, Dr Mohamad Al-Hajiri, Cultural Attache at the Kuwaiti Embassy in London told KUNA. Al-Hajiri added that the mechanisms for achieving the changes will be further deliberated before being presented to the relevant authorities.

As it stands, students have to

provide considerable documentation and follow strict guidelines throughout the visa application process, an aspect of studying abroad that many dread. Highschool student Dhari, said “I definitely want to study abroad, but the whole visa process is terrifying.

You don’t know exactly how long you’ll be waiting, either. I think if it were easier, more people would be interested in studying abroad.”

Faris, an engineering student currently at a top UK university, commented, “The process is time consuming. But we are used to it.

We have to get visas to most places anyway. Students should be proactive regardless of how difficult the procedure may be. Coming here

was one of the best decisions I have ever made.” He added, however, “The procedure is understandable, but it would be nice if it were a bit more streamlined, and if you could get information on the progress of your visa more easily.”

However, some students do not share such enthusiasm, “I wanted to get a visa to study in the UK, and then I saw the amount of documentation I needed for the procedure,” said Lama, who currently studies English Literature in Kuwait.

“My parents were going to pay, which meant I would have to provide my birth certificate showing that they are my parents. I don’t know where my birth certificate even is,” she added. Realizing that

she would first have to source the documents before collating them and filling the necessary forms was enough to deter Lama from completing the visa application process all together. Faris insisted however that being unable or unwilling to go through the process is an indicator of whether or not prospective study abroad students should even be considering the option in the first place, “The education system in the UK is intense. If you are not even capable of getting paperwork together, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make it through your degree. Maybe the whole visa procedure is an accidental blessing which actually weeds out the weak.”

‘Controversial’ forum underway despite ban KUWAIT: A public forum promoting civil society concepts was held on Friday night despite strong opposition by Islamist lawmakers. The MPs raised questions about some of the guests, who are considered to be controversial figures in their home country of Saudi Arabia.

The event was hosted by The Graduates Society, which opened its doors for the organizers to hold their forum after its previous destination, the Safir Hotel in Fintas, received notice from the Ministry of Interior that the event was banned. “Holding the Al-Nahdhah Youth Forum is a testament for true commitment to protecting public freedoms of expression, pluralism

and tolerant approach in Kuwait”, liberal daily Al-Qabas wrote in their coverage of the event.

Public freedoms highlighted discussions during the forum, as participants rejected misconceptions which picture freedom as “a way to support anarchy and destroy statutes of the state.” They insisted that freedoms can be utilized to “instill foundations of true uprising based on tolerance and rejecting oppression”.

“Non Government Organizations always support public freedoms by standing in the face of extremists”, said forum member Saad Al-Ajmi in gratitude of the Graduates Society’s gesture to host the event. Several Islamist law-

makers, namely Mohammad Hayef and Abdullatif Al-Omairi, criticized the forum claiming that it holds a suspicious agenda and targets the conservative nature of Kuwaiti society.

After news emerged that the forum took place at the Graduates Society, Hayef announced plans to file questions for both the Interior and Social Affairs ministers regarding the NGO decision to overlook the ban.

Islamist MP Dr. Jamaan Al-Harbash said on Friday that he did not agree with the ideologies discussed during the forum, but he is against pressures on the Ministry of Interior to ban it. —Al-Qabas

Islamic insurance to boom globally KUWAIT: The interest-based traditional system of insurance is being replaced by the Islamic profit-sharing method, according to an eminent Kuwaiti academic.

Dr Mahmoud Behbehani, Kuwait University professor of insurance and actuarial science, said Islamic insurance is forecast to post noticeable growth on the international level as part of overall development in the Islamic banking sector, following the eruption of the global debts crisis.

Dr Behbehani warned that this sector might “face a tsunami” locally.” He said the 2005 bill, issued by the National Assembly, will be affected and the current status of the Islamic insurance sector must be altered.

Dr Behbehani said Islamic insurance requires

a large market, unlike the one in Kuwait. He indicated a high demand for the establishment of new companies due to a mounting volume of installment payments, from KD 90 million dinars per year to KD 180 million paid over the past few years.

The number of Islamic and traditional insurance companies have risen from 15 to 28, and studies show that payments for such companies are in the range of KD five million to enable them to continue and prosper.

He indicated two approaches to tackle the sector; either halting the issuance of licenses to new companies to ensure the success of existing ones, or allowing the launch of new ones to boost competition.

On a global level, companies have either established branches or are planning to set up subsidiaries, particularly in nations with large Muslim communities. Some conglomerates have shown interest in acquiring Islamic insurance companies.

Dr Behbehani said the Islamic form of insurance is much more useful and beneficial to the insured. If the Islamic system is applied literally, the client becomes a share-holder.

This kind of insurance, which abides by Islamic jurisprudence, is primarily intended to secure a continuous income for a family and pays the debts a deceased person. The insurance also aids the sick, disabled or unable to work, and retired persons.—KUNA

KUWAIT: A team from the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) returned to Kuwait after performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia. The trip is organized annually by the KJA. Adnan Al-Rashid, Supervisor and KJA Treasurer expressed gratitude to Dr Abdul-Aziz Al-Fayez, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Kuwait, for facilitating the journey.

Amir’s visit to Philippines helps strengthen bilateral relations KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is paying an official visit to the Philippines for talks with President Benigno Aquino III on means of cementing bilateral ties between Kuwait and the Asian nation.

Relations between Kuwait and the Philippines, since their establishment in 1979, have noticeably improved in all sectors. Zenia M. Rodriguez, Philippine’s University of Santo Tomas professor in political science, has affirmed that HH the Amir’s visit will substantially contribute to cementing the friendly bonds of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the investment and oil sectors. Kuwait and the Philippines signed, in 2008, several accords for cooperation in the oil, gas, tourism and health sectors. They also signed an agreement for averting double tax-

ation, halting financial liabilities’ evasion, with the aim of spurring movement of capitals and trade exchanges between the two countries.

Filipino workers, who have been flocking to Kuwait since the 70s, have reached some 150,000. They are present in sectors of nursing, restaurants and mechanics.

The Philippines has expressed satisfaction at treatment accorded to the Filipino workers in the Gulf country. Kuwait is the sixth economic partner for the Philippines in the Middle East. Value of the commercial exchanges between the two countries reached some USD 50 million in 2006.

Kuwait has helped the Philippines at hard times, such as natural catastrophes. And the Asian nation proved to be grateful, siding along Kuwait in the face of the 1990 Iraqi aggression. —KUNA

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

local

ABK MasterCard ‘most prestigious’ KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s Emirates World MasterCard is recognized as the most prestigious and rewarding premium credit card in Kuwait. As the only premium credit card to even qualify from a Kuwait bank, the ABK Emirates Word MasterCard was recently nominated for the ‘Best Premium Credit Card’ award by ‘The Banker Middle East.

The ABK Emirates World MasterCard has been designed to service ABK’s most prestigious clients with its unique design, rewarding features and unrivalled benefits. Through our partnership with Emirates Airline, ABK World MasterCard cardholders enjoy premium Skywards Miles on international purchases, earning 7 miles per KD 1 spent abroad com-

Stewart Lockie

pared to the 5 miles on local spend.

The product has been carefully designed to offer exclusive privileges such as complimentary access to over 600 airport lounges across the globe (including all GCC airports) through the Priority Pass Program, automatic upgrades to SPG Gold Preferred Membership at Starwood Hotels and Resorts worldwide, access to the world’s leading luxur y lifestyle Concierge Service and World privilege access services, as well as preferential servicing with Hertz car hire worldwide. ABK Emirates World MasterCard cardholders also benefit from complimentary purchase protection, extended warranty, plus up to $1 million free travel accident insurance and medical coverage. “ The ABK Emirates World MasterCard is by far the most prestigious and rewarding premium credit card in Kuwait, delivering unrivalled features and benefits for our most prestigious and affluent customers,” said Stewart Lockie, GM, Retail Banking. “Every time a cardholder uses his card, whether paying for groceries, booking a holiday or renewing their monthly subscription, locally or abroad, they are being rewarded with Skywards Miles. It is better than paying by cash, debit card or any other credit card.” For a limited time, valid until April 30, ABK Emirates World MasterCard is awarding 10,000 Bonus Skywards Miles immediately on issuance for new members.

Indian found dead in police cell

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: An Indian was found hanging dead yesterday morning at the Daiya police station where he was detained on Thursday following violence incidents at the Indian embassy.

The Andhra Pradesh native Mohammed Ali reportedly used a bed-sheet to hang himself from an AC metal bar in a special police cell where he was lodged.

According to a top Indian Embassy official, Ali appeared ‘mentally unstable’ when he arrived at the embassy premises on last Wednesday when he sought the embassy’s help to return to India.

“Ali arrived in Kuwait on a domestic visa on March 14.

He could not answer any of the queries satisfactorily regarding the sponsorship and his responses sounded unrelated,” the official said. The embassy officials had assured him that it would take all steps to repatriate him after completing legal formalities. However, Ali resorted to abrupt violence without any provocation and destroyed the glass panes at the labor section of the embassy, the official said.

As per the request, Daiya police officials detained him on Thursday and lodged him in a special cell in view of his disturbed mental state, the official added.

“Since he was detained on a Thursday, we had to wait until Sunday to move further on his repatriation procedure. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite tragic,” he said.

Steps are being taken to repatriate his body after completing legal formalities, the official added.

Indian female teacher robbed in Abbassiya Armed robbers have returned to Abbassiya with a bang after a lull of few months. The latest victim, a female teacher from an Indian school, is being treated in Farwaniya Hospital after being assaulted by a gang of thieves yesterday morning.

“The teacher was attacked around 7:15 am near the Hot Breads Bakery while on her way to the school, by a group of adolescents, who came in a pick-up van. They attacked her, snatched her bag and fled the scene,” Adv John Thomas, Administrator, United Indian School, Abbassiya told the Kuwait Times. A case has been registered with police, he informed.

“The teacher tried to resist the robbery attempt, but the gang assaulted her, pulled her down and escaped with her bag even before anyone could reach the spot,” an eye -witness said on condition of anonymity.

According to Adv Thomas, the teacher lost valuables including money, mobile phone and civil ID card.

Of late, there has been a lull in armed robberies and mugging in Abbassiya, a largely South Asian neighborhood. The area has been a hot spot for crimes and antisocial activities where incidents of purse-snatching and armed robberies were reported on a daily basis.

“Things were normal for a while and there were no incidents of mugging or assaults of late. But with today’s incident, we all are worried again,” Adv Thomas added. He hoped that the authorities would take necessary measures to check such incidents of crimes and armed attacks in the area.

Employees’ evaluation KUWAIT: Chairman of Civil Service Commission Abdul Aziz Al-Zaben spoke with ministries and government organizations regarding the suggestion of amending Article 16 of civil service system.

This will oblige the government to give the employee feedback of his performance and rate him as excellent, very good, or good.

The current evaluation mentions only ‘poor’ on the grading scale. Al-Zaben asked the undersecretary of the ministries to respond to Civil Service Commission regarding this matter and justify their response.

MPs to propose 30% pay raise for public sector employees Joint committee formed KUWAIT: Lawmakers plan to propose a 30 percent increase to the basic salary of public sector employees replacing a 25 percent increase that was recently approved by the Cabinet, announced a lawmaker on Friday.

“The proposed increase will amount to 30 percent of the basic salary, in addition to raising the monthly child support allowance to KD 100,” said MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabae.

Meanwhile, Al-Tabtabae announced that a joint committee was formed between the financial and legislative committees to discuss the issue. “Committee members agree that a 30 percent increase is necessary, given the fact that labor unions in 42 state departments demand financial privileges because they did not benefit from previously enforced allowances”, said Al-Tabtabae.

The decision to form the joint committee was made during the parliamentary session on Thursday, involving discussions staged by Customs General Department and Kuwait Airways personnel last week. The committee

should be given a three months’ ultimatum to finish its report. “The government’s concept and MPs’ recommendations will be discussed on Monday to outline the work plan during the three months,” said MP Mohammad AlDallal.

MP Riyadh Al-Adasani hinted that the committee will address “the imbalance created by the government’s selective approach in paying allowances combined by the lack of efforts to prevent abrupt prices hikes.”

In other news, the Cabinet is reviewing a proposal to raise the salaries paid to MPs. The government is seriously mulling over the possibility of increasing MP’s allowances to as much as KD 5,000 from the current KD 2,300, which is the lowest amount paid in the region. A number of MPs commented on this subject including Faisal Al-Duwaisan who demanded that said increase would be conditional, based on a lawmaker’s competency.

Meanwhile, MP Mohammad Al-Kandari said that public sector salary raises should be

accorded top priority before discussing the possibility of increasing MPs’ annual allowances.

Meanwhile, His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, has emphasized that Government members must abide by the internal memorandum of the National Assembly, particularly concerning answering Parliament questions raised by MPs to ministers. MP’s must abide by the time span decided for giving the answers, without delay.

The instructions from the Prime Minister came after Parliament questions remained without any response for so long that they lost their importance and value. Informed sources said that many MPs raised this issue in previous sessions and the current one.

Now clear instruction have been issued that MPs questions must be answered within two weeks from the date of the question, as per the internal memorandum of the National Assembly. —Al-Rai, Al-Watan

Eight accidents over the weekend

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 57-year-old Kuwaiti sustained broken teeth and complained of back pain after a car accident. He was taken to Jahra Hospital.

A 27-year-old Kuwaiti ended up with a fractured right leg during a car accident on Sixth Ring Road. He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

A 28-year-old Kuwaiti had a bruised left hand and a 38-year-old Syrian sustained injuries on

his chest and neck during a car accident in Hawally. He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

A 15-year-old Kuwaiti had a lacerated chin following a motorcycle accident in Khairan. He was taken to Adan Hospital.

A ceiling collapsed in a building near the bakery in Shuwaikh injuring nine Egyptians who suffered head injuries, fractures and back pain.

They were all taken to Sabah Hospital.

A 58-year-old Indian had a backbone injury

while a 50-year-old Bangladeshi had a bruised chest during a car accident on Mohammad bin Al-Qassim Road. They were taken to Sabah Hospital.

A 47-year-old Egyptian was killed when a light pole fell on him. His body was recovered by the medical examiner.

A 45-year-old Indian had a head injury during a car accident near Bayan Palace. He was admitted to Mubarak Hospital’s ICU.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

local VIVA to sponsor Kuwaiti boy wonder Al-Zanki KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, yesterday announced it is to be the exclusive sponsor of Kuwait’s youngest application developer, 15-year-old Abdulrahman Al-Zanki.

Al-Zanki is the developer behind the successful and exciting game ‘Doodle Destroy’, which he offers as a free download via Apple’s iTunes website as an iPhone and iPad application. The game was first published in April 2010 and surpassed a million downloads within its first year.

Commenting on this occasion, Salman Al-Badran, VIVA’s chief executive officer said: “We at VIVA are especially committed to developing young Kuwaiti talent, so we are very proud to be the first Kuwaiti company to officially recognize Al-Zanki’s skills in application development. His success with ‘Doodle Destroy’ is an inspiration for young application designers everywhere and an example of what Kuwaiti youth can achieve, using initiative, commitment and creativity.

“Our very close relationship with Apple as official distributors in Kuwait, along with Al-Zanki’s talent in developing applications, makes this sponsorship a perfect opportunity for us to turn the spot light on the importance of youth development in Kuwait. Al-Zanki is truly a wonderful example of the sort of talent Kuwait can produce and hope that his success is the first of many individual Kuwaiti success stories in the future.” The company will utilize Al-Zanki’s skills to help VIVA launch its recently announced VIVA App Club. This exclusive new club will be launched on 15 April and will be a creative hub for young people between the ages 13 to 18 years old. VIVA will announce the registration dates and process for applicants wishing to join the VIVA App Club during the first week of April. The club will host workshops which will be held on a bi-weekly basis, and will include topics such as ‘basics of app development’ and ‘steps to create your own application’.

VIVA will continue to open new chapters on its commitment and dedication towards all sectors of Kuwaiti society, reaffirming its position as a socially dedicated and responsible institution.

Huda Al-Saleh

Tahir Al-Khateeb

TEC to host chess tournament KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) will hold its first annual chess tournament next month in cooperation with the Kuwait Mental Games Club, the Company announced in a statement released yesterday.

“The tournament, sponsored by TEC and supervised by the recently established Kuwait Mental Games Club, offers chess enthusiasts the opportunity to test their skills at top level,” said Huda Al-Saleh, TEC’s Public Relations and Marketing Manager and Head of the organizing committee. The TEC has also announced a KD 700 reward for the junior team of the Kuwait Mental Games Club that wins the tournament. It will take place at the Yacht Club for nine days starting April 8, 2012, featuring 80 club members. Tahir Al-Khateeb, Vice President of the Kuwait Mental Games Club expressed gratitude to the TEC for sponsoring the tournament.

Two Kuwaitis to be held in Guantanamo Bay forever Is there enough proof for indefinite detention?

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Parliament has condemned the continued detention of the last two Kuwaiti prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Kuwaiti Parliament has further requested that a delegation be allowed to visit Fayiz Al-Kandari and Fawzi Al-Odah at the American prison. The Parliament is “deeply disturbed that for over 10 years...they are yet to be given a fair trial,” the statement said.

They “have endured torture, hardship, deprivation and all forms of dehumanization and still the US Government continues to ignore their fundamental rights to fair trial, justice and liberty.” The prisoners’ families have said the same things.

“Why are they still holding my son?”

Khaled Al-Odah asked late one evening as he sat in his son’s study. After 10 years he does not have his answer. His eldest son, Fawzi AlOdah, is a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay detention center. He has never been charged with a crime. When the son is allowed to speak to his family he is always asking them to tell him funny stories. “I am really astonished how he kept his brain intact to his body and have this high morale. It is really amazing,” his father said. “Fawzi said I want to get back (home) and get married as soon as I get back.”

Presently 171 people remain in Guantanamo Bay prison. Eighty-nine have been cleared for release, but the US administration has decided it will detain dozens of men forever. Two of these men are Fawzi AlOdah and Fayiz Al-Kandari, both Kuwaitis who said they went to Afghanistan for charitable reasons. The US has said they are members of Al-Qaeda. Neither man was captured on a battlefield and both said they were sold to the Americans for bounty money.

Al-Odah and Al-Kandari have lost their habeas corpus petitions challenging their detention. Since 2001, they have not had a chance to challenge the hearsay evidence against them. They are not high-value detainees; the handful of experts I have contacted in the terror circuit have not heard of them; and according to their lawyers, they are not alleged to have engaged in hostile acts against the US. “We will never know the rationale for putting them in the indefinite detention category,” said David Cynamon, a lawyer who represents the Kuwaiti detainees.

Based on Al-Odah’s and Al-Kandari’s most recent classified Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) reports made available via WikiLeaks, many of the other prisoners’ evidence against them is unreliable. Other allegations against the two men are often vague and unsubstantiated.

Abdul Hakim (or Abdul Bukhary), who said he had previously been tortured by Al-Qaeda and held in a Taliban prison on suspicion of espionage, is alleged to have said al Odah “swore bayat (allegiance) to UBL..(and) detainee knows all about the [Al-Qaida] cells

in the US and the UK.” Hakim noted detainee was similar to a “mufti (one who interprets Islamic religious law) and heard detainee was the last person to speak to Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora, via radio communications.”

Hakim, a former Guantanamo prisoner from Saudi Arabia, is said to have made at least six serious allegations against Al-Odah including, Al-Odah “was among a group of individuals who were trained to commit suicide attacks similar to that of Sept 11, 2001.”

Hakim has said that “he provided information in a deliberately misleading manner in order to receive incentives from his debriefers.”

When contacted about Al-Odah’s and AlKandari’s cases a US Defense Department Press Operations spokesperson, Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde said the DoD does not “discuss the provenance of individual detainees unless they are currently before a commission.”

Cmdr. Hull-Ryde added further, “We strongly condemn any continued, illegal disclosure of classified US Government information, and we do not comment on the authenticity of the documents released by WikiLeaks.”

Others that have made allegations against Al-Odah and/or Al-Kandari include Mamdouh Habib who said he was rendered to Egypt where he was tortured for six months. He has said all of the information he gave was under duress. Habib was said to have photo-identified Al-Odah as an individual seen at an al Qaeda guesthouse in Kabul in September 2001. Perhaps one of the most unreliable prisoners at Guantanamo Bay was Yasim Basardah, a Yemeni whose statements against prisoners have been widely called into question by the US military, US courts and others.

Basardah made at least four allegations against al Odah and eight against Al-Kandari.

Basardah “identified (Al-Odah) as a member of the Islamic committee in Tora Bora...Other members of the committee were Fayiz AlKandari.” Basardah further claimed that AlKandari was one of bin Laden’s “closest confidants, as well as an advisor and assistant.”

Another Kuwaiti formerly held in Guantanamo, Adel Al-Zamel, allegedly made several statements against both Al-Odah and Al-Kandari, according to the JTF-GTMO reports. Al Zamel said recently for this article, that he did not know Al-Odah or Al-Kandari prior to his time in Guantanamo so it would not be possible to know things about them.

Al-Zamel does not remember making allegations against the two Kuwaitis and he thinks the Americans might have made them up because the Americans were trying to drive a wedge between the Kuwaiti prisoners. But AlZamel said if he did say anything against AlOdah or Al-Kandari it was because he was under duress.

The list of unreliable allegations against the two Kuwaitis does not stop there. Abdul Al-Janko had been tortured and imprisoned

by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban because they thought he was a spy. Another, Mohamedou Salahi’s allegations of abuse were confirmed and well documented by a 2008 US Senate Armed Service Committee report. Both were alleged to have made statements against AlKandari. Janko allegedly said Al-Kandari “claimed to be in the same cave as bin Laden in Tora Bora when the U.S. bombing campaign began.” Salahi was reported to have said Al-Kandari “held speeches in al Qaeda training camps and at the front lines.

The combined testimony of those prisoners mentioned above makes up close to three dozen allegations against Al-Odah and AlKandari in their JTF-GTMO reports.

Additionally in the JTF-GTMO reports on the two Kuwaitis, there is no discrimination of the different pieces of evidence. The reports do not note if some claims are more truthful than others.

“One thing I think is pretty strange with the intel assessment process is the absence of grading the veracity of other inmates’ story,” said Magnus Ranstorp, from the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies at Swedish National Defence College. “Most of the indictment/intel assessments are derived from that and all is baked together as equally credible,” said Ranstorp, who has interviewed hundreds of terrorists and members of Islamic militant movements. The US “cannot claim that everything is actually equally credible.”

Looking at the Al-Odah’s JTF-GTMO report, Ranstorp concluded that it is unreasonable to assume Al-Odah did everything the US has said he did. “It appears al Odah travelled and was recruited in August/September 2001. He seems also to have had a very marginal role given the brevity of his period. Yet intel brief gives him a trumped up position in al Qaeda as recruiter and courier; an associate of 9/11 hijacker,” Magnus said.

“The list goes on about hearsay what other prisoners claim and much of this seems poorly sourced...He spent three months in the Afghanistan-Pakistan area and given he arrived just before 9/11 - and associated turmoil- I doubt there was very much training as everyone was running to ground,” Ranstorp added. “The analyst notes are poorly sourced and huge inferences are drawn as to matching information that ‘sounds’ like real suspects.” For this article, the US Defense Department was asked if there is additional classified information about the two Kuwaitis, if all the evidence against the men is treated as equally credible, and if US authorities have made any attempts to verify claims against the prisoners. But because the information in this report was made available via WikiLeaks, the DoD declined to comment. There are further unsubstantiated claims in the two Kuwaiti’s JTF-GTMO reports. In Al-Odah’s case,

the US alleged that he was in Bosnia when he was 17 years old and “detainee has an extensive history as a jihadist as evident in his presence with other mujahideen in Bosnia as a teenager.” An analyst states “this indicates detainee has an extensive history with international militant jihad, and based on his age at the time, probable support and encouragement from family members for his participation.”

Khaled Al-Odah, Fawzi Al-Odah’s father and a retired Kuwaiti Air Force pilot who fought with the Americans when Iraq invaded Kuwait in the 1990s, said the allegation is categorically false.

It is further stated in the US reports that al Odah is a member of Abu Qatada’s cell in London, but “no info is specified as to his travel there-this could be verified by UK entry and departure records,” Ranstorp noted. The US states he is a mufti, “doubtful he has the religious authority given his age,” Ranstorp noted. (Al-Odah was 24 when he was sent to Guantanamo.)

Ahmed Rashid, an expert on Afghanistan and the Pakistan and author of Taliban, was asked if based on the publicly available information he believed Al-Kandari could be as alleged an “advisor” or a “consultant” to bin Laden. “Not at all. Not at all, I would say,” Rashid said. “You know they (al Qaeda) were running many camps in Afghanistan. He (AlKandari) could have been part of one camp and Osama may have visited that camp at some stage...To be down in Kandahar in the main camp there near the airport, I mean no these are very very trusted people.” Rashid added further that the word “consultant” is very western terminology that would not be used by Al-Qaeda.

The allegations against Al-Odah and AlKandari include affiliations with alleged AlQaeda or terrorists operatives - or note that the two Kuwaitis were at times in al Qaeda areas. But according to Rashid not much can be inferred from that. Al-Qaeda “had all sorts of people...with them, Kashmiris, Central Asians, Pakistanis, Afghanis all sorts of people that were not necessarily al Qaeda,” Rashid said. “They were either guards or trainers or people who were training but were not necessarily al Qaeda. You didn’t have to join al Qaeda to get training with al Qaeda.”

After the attacks of 9/11 and before he was imprisoned by the Americans, Al-Odah called his father Khalid Al-Odah. “Yes, once he talked to me. Very short telephone call,” the father said. “I asked him to come back. He said I am coming back, but there is a lot of refugees, I want to help them,” the father said.

“And that is it. He said within a week or two I will be back. And I never heard of him afterward.” Months later Khaled Al-Odah found out his son was in Guantanamo, where Fawzi AlOdah, now 34, still remains.

Barbecue festival at Egaila beach KUWAIT: A barbeque festival was hosted at Egaila beach on Friday, during which an entertainment program was staged. More than 2,000 visitors attended the event. “Several activities including cultural displays and programs for children were held, as well as competitions for visitors belonging to all age groups,” said Nasser Al-Foudari, Egaila Beach Supervisor. A judging panel from the beach’s management selected the top three winners in a competition based on quality of food and serving method.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

local

Beggar makes KD 1,356 in two days in Salmiya Former minister injured KUWAIT: A man was arrested in front of a bank in Salmiya recently where he faked disability to help him in begging. The man was apprehended by police who monitored his activity for days during which they discovered his apparent disability was fake. Investigations revealed that the man came to Kuwait from his home country Egypt on a visitor’s visa to practice begging. It was also revealed that he managed to collect KD 1,356 within only two days of begging. He remains in custody pending legal procedures.

Suspect escapes Search is currently ongoing for a male suspect busted recently with drug possession, as well as seven other suspects who helped him evade arrest. The incident took place near a street in Taima early Friday morning where police arrested a bedoon driver they pulled over when he was found with hashish. Before they could leave the scene with the suspect, the two patrol officers were approached by seven people who stepped out of a vehicle that stopped outside. The suspects beat the officers which helped the perpetrator escape, and they also managed to flee before back-up police arrived.

Clean-up campaign

Police were able to identify the escapee who they hope to arrest first before going after his accomplices. - Al-Watan, Al-Rai Nuzha accident Former minister Rashid Al-Hammad was hospitalized Friday after he was hit by a car on a street in Nuzha. Al-Hammad, who served as deputy prime minister for legal affairs, minister of justice and minister of Awqaf and Islamic affairs, was reportedly walking towards a mosque in the area to attend the Friday prayers when the incident occurred. He was rushed to Amiri Hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken shoulder and fractured rib.

Fatal accidents A male driver was killed and another was injured in a car crash that took place recently on King Fahad Highway. Police and paramedics rushed to the scene in front of Bayan late Thursday night where the accident was reported. Paramedics pronounced an Asian driver dead on the scene, while a Kuwaiti man in the other car was hospitalized with several injuries.

Investigations revealed that the deceased driver

Kuwait, Cambodia to cement relations

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Ahmadi governorate municipality launched a campaign to remove mobile grocery stores, abandoned vehicles, roaming vendors and tents used as food stores in open areas of Mina Abdallah, Jlaiah and Wafra.

Acting Ahmadi Municipality Director Yousuf Mulla Ali said the campaign began at the start of the weekend and continued for four days and resulted in the removal of 20 snack-cars, eight ice pick-ups, six ATVs, four tents used as food stores, apart from handing out 14 citations for roaming vendors.

Director of Public Cleanliness and Roads Occupation Sultan Al-Hajiri, Director of Acting Director Aziza Abdallah, Head of Emergency team Mishal Aba Al-Safi and other officials participated in the drive.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s ambassador to Cambodia Dherar Al-Tuwaijri has held talks with Heng Samrin, the Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly, on mutual cooperation between Kuwait and the Kingdom.

In remarks yesterday, the ambassador said he was pleased to meet such a veteran politician, known for defense of the Cambodian people against the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country in the 70s.

Al-Tuwaijri conveyed greetings of National Assembly (Parliament) Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun and the chairman personal aspiration to elevate level of the parliamentary ties between the two friendly countries, the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The diplomat indicated that his meeting with the top Cambodian legislator

was part of a series of scheduled meetings with the nation ranking figures, aimed at cementing the KuwaitiCambodian relations at various levels.

For his part, Samrin affirmed necessity of boosting the parliamentary KuwaitiCambodian relations, following reciprocal visits by the prime ministers of the two countries in 2008 and 2009.

Samrin praised democratic practices in Kuwait, namely activities of the parliament, wishing the Gulf country further progress and prosperity.

The chairman of the Cambodian parliament is known as an eminent struggler against the defunct Khmer Rouge regime.

At the end of the meeting, the ambassador presented Samrin with a memorial award depicting Kuwait’s heritage. — KUNA

lost control over his vehicle when traffic stopped unexpectedly, and crashed into the other’s car.

Meanwhile, a pedestrian was run over and killed in Sulaibiya on Friday. Paramedics and security officers rushed to a street in the area where the accident was reported. The victim, a bedoon was pronounced dead on the scene. The Indian driver who hit him was taken to the police station to face charges.

Rapist at large Police are looking for a male suspect accused of sexually assaulting his best friend’s wife while being under the influence of alcohol. The suspect reportedly beat up his friend and left him with numerous injuries when he found out about what happened. Salmiya officers were approached by an Indian man late Friday night with injuries across his body. He accused his best friend of breaking his bones after he confronted him for raping his wife. The woman who escorted her husband to the police station told officers that the suspect stormed her apartment while his friend was outside, and assaulted her sexually. The husband indicated that the suspect was drunk. A case was filed for investigations.

KSSC to host grand fishing tournament KUWAIT: The Kuwait Sea Sports Club(KSSC) announced that a fully equipped American-made Yamaha fishing boat will be given away as the grand prize during the 38th Annual Kuwait Fishing Grand Tournament set to take place on March 31, 2012. Cash prizes will be awarded to second and third place winners.

The top prize will be given away by the Kuwait Development and Trade Company(KDTC), the official supplier of the Yamaha brand in the country, announced Ali Al-Qabandi Cultural Chief Director.

The competition is open to citizens and residents who can register until 8:00 pm next Friday at the KSSC building in Salmiya. Contestants are only allowed to use fishing lines and rods during the tournament. The top three winners will be selected based on the total weight of their catch.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

LOCAL Local Spotlight

satire wire

Apologies to Kazakhstan

Calling all phone users

By Sawsan Kazak

Muna Al-Fuzai

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

istakes happen all the time, especially when grand events are staged and many organizers pull the strings by multi-tasking a lot. When an anthem is erroneously played, thereby insulting a nation, I would call it a stupid, irresponsible blunder for which an official apology must be issued.

When Kuwait hosted a Shooting Championship last week, and at the medals ceremony, Kazakhstan’s shooting team was shocked to listen to Borat’s version of their country’s anthem being played instead of the official one! It has been said that the wrong Serbian national anthem was played as well.

The satirical parody was produced by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for the film named ‘Borat’ in which Kazakhs are depicted as being backward and bigoted. The film was banned in Kazakhstan! I did not see it in Kuwait. So, I guess it was banned here as well. Sadly, those who were tasked with the duty of preparing anthems for the championship did not bother to use the right copies of anthems!

Gold medalist Maria Dmitrienko said, “I stood at the podium with other winners expecting to hear a rendition ‘My Kazakhstan.’ Instead, she was greeted by Borat’s parody!

This incident only highlights how unprofessional we are and our inefficiency in hosting a real championship. No wonder we are considered a developing country! I believe such mistakes are offensive to both Kazakhstan and Serbia.

During major events, the anthem plays a key role in honoring attendees and their countries. When a folly is made, people remember that all year long. There are videos of the event uploaded on YouTube, with derisive comments made by people around the world about the host country. The BBC was among the first news channels to run the news. Shame on us! We can’t do anything right here!

The Kazakh team has sought an apology. I believe we owe it to them. The team’s coach told the media that the organizers had unwittingly downloaded the parody from the Internet. If this is true, I would say it is a poor excuse for being careless! I hope an official apology will be made sincerely, with a commitment to never repeat such an error of judgment ever again.

Sorry, Kazakhstan. You are still welcome to Kuwait if you wish to come in the future. The next time, please bring along the correct version of your country’s anthem.

ur mobile phones have become an integral part of our lives. We use them as a means of communications, as alarms, as calendars, as computers and as entertainment units on a daily basis. With such a big presence in our day to day doings, it is only normal that they would also take up a significant part of our budget.

A recently published news report stated that Kuwaitis spend about KD 650 on phone bills a year while middle-class expats spent about KD300. Apparently, even individuals with limited income spend about KD 150 a year on their phone bills. The same news report claimed that the Kuwaiti phone market is valued at KD 675 million.

These numbers are startling only because they can be avoided. Phone calls from landlines are absolutely free; be it from one landline to another or from one landline to a mobile number.

Seeing that most of us speak on the phone for long periods of time when at home or in the office place, there should be no reason that these phone bills are so high.

I blame it on laziness for the fact that people still pay such high amounts for calls that can be made for free. I too am guilty of this; I will be in the house, a few steps away from the landline connection and will still opt for my mobile phone. The mobile is quick, easy and you do not have to get up to use it. But that still is not an excuse.

The money spent on calls is like money spent buying thin air. You do not have anything to show for it at the end of the day. Ten years of spending KD 650 totals KD 6,500; now think of all the things that can be accomplished with that kind of money.

Even if money was not an issue, and you can afford to spend in double digits every month, it’s still not money well spent. You could donate that money for a needy cause or a needy friend!

Whatever your financial situation, a conscious effort can be taken to reduce the amount of money spent on buying air time.

O

muna@kuwaittimes.net

M

kuwait digest

Right to strike is conditional

By Mohammad Al-Muqatea he right of workers to stage labor strikes is protected by constitutions worldwide, and recognized by international agreements as being a main method by which labor forces protest and express their opinion.

While the Kuwaiti Constitution stands neutral on this issue, it does not restrict workers’ rights to protest, which is protected by international agreements that Kuwait signed.

Yet, exercising this right is still restricted by certain conditions which ensure that strikes stay under control and do not lead to negative effects on the country’s national interest.

Activity at places like the oil sector and at Kuwait International Airport must never be stopped, with all due respect to the protestors’ demands. A strike that leads to paralyzing work in these two fields have political dimensions that affect the state’s relationship with other countries.

In such case, protecting what is best for the national interest is given priority ahead of workers’ right of protest.

For this reason, many countries came up with conditions to achieve a balance between a worker’s rights and the national interest, which include: 1- Labor unions must inform the Government beforehand about the time of their planned strike to allow for precautionary measures to be taken.

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2- Labor unions must ensure that the strike does not cause full paralysis of work at the places where the protesting staff are employed. This is to ensure that public interests are not harmed by the work stoppage.

3- Protesting workers must be protected against harm or threats of any kind as long as they stay committed to the strike agreed by the Government.

4- The strike must not be endless or held with specified conditions. Instead, it should allow for negotiations to take place with the Government or the body the workers are protesting against.

5- The state has the right to use alternative methods in dealing with labor strikes by assigning temporary staff at locations where work stoppage can damage the national interest.

Labor unions in Kuwait must realize that their right of strike ends when their actions harm the greater good. In turn, the Government needs to make decisive decisions regarding labor demands and make sure to explain their point of view if the increases they adopt come up short of what workers are asking for. In that case, the Government must guarantee workers’ right of protest, while at the same time have back up plans to protect the state’s interests. The Government must also avoid falling to MPs’ pressure, even if the price is that the Cabinet resign. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Strikes expose govt’s flaws

By Waleed Al-Ghanim he recent strikes carried out

by Customs and Kuwait Airways personnel exposed the weakness that all public institutions in Kuwait suffer from.

Notably, the problem proved that the government’s crisis management teams are inept - presuming that they even exist. It failed to contain the situation which paralyzed the Kuwait International Airport(KIA), seaports and land border checkpoints.

While protestors can be blamed for taking Kuwait hostage in order to seek financial demands, completely disregarding the outcome of their actions, I believe that the government is to be blamed completely.

First, the Civil Service Commission(CSC) failed to provide a comprehensive pay raise that treated public sector employees equally. Meanwhile, the Civil Service Council - which formulates

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regulations based on which the Civil Service Commission organizes employment and payment procedures in the public sector - has failed to adopt a unified mechanism according to which state employees are paid standardized wages.

Third, former Minister of Oil Dr Mohammad Al-Busairi failed to contain an oil sector strike that was staged last year, eventually leading the former Cabinet to fall under pressure and approve protestors’ demands - thereby paving the way for other public sector labor unions to follow suit. Meantime, Salem AlOthaina, Minister of Communications should be partly blamed after failing to meet promises made late year to KAC’s labor union.

This is, not to mention, the method according to which ministers have dealt with labor demands in the public sector both politically

and in the media - as their failures have encouraged more labor protests to take place.

The government must understand the gravity of the strikes, and start assigning high level committees to conduct thorough studies in order to find the root cause of the problem. The studies should end with recommendations that the government can follow so as to avoid strikes at vital locations such as the airport and border checkpoints.

At the end of the day, the responsibility of resolving problems remains in the government’s hand. It should devise a method to achieve equal pay among public sector employees. Yet, I hope protestors understand the gravity of their actions, realizing that their strike not only hurts national interests, but also makes them lose public support for their cause. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Freedom of opinion at risk

By Waleed Al-Rujaib everal conclusions can be drawn from the Ministry of Interior’s decision to ban the ‘Al-Nahdhah Forum’ at the Safir Hotel in Fintas before it was hosted last Friday at the Graduates Society.

First, it proves the Ministry is vulnerable to fall under pressure from Islamist MPs, and is willing to go as far as breaking Constitutional principles in order to avoid clashing with close-minded lawmakers.

This step forms a setback in Kuwait’s democratic process, as it moves Kuwait further away from a civil state and more into the concept of a religious state.

The reactions of Islamist MPs regarding the forum reflects an ideology that Kuwaiti society is marred by immorality needing to be

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resolved, rather than the civil, tolerant society it has always been known as.

Their stance is in line with the narrow-minded ideology they made evident ever since winning a parliamentary majority. In Parliament they have proposed enforcing a ‘moral code’ for people’s attire in public, as well as constitutional amendments to transform state laws into more Islamic versions that put restrictions on public freedoms.

The forum was held in Qatar and Bahrain without a single problem before it arrived in Kuwait.

I find it strange that the State Security Service would intervene in a gathering for youth activists to discuss the principles of civil society.

I am confident that the ban will not thwart Kuwaitis’ eagerness to instill foundations of civil society in their community, yet I am afraid that similar incidents may indicate that efforts will continue to restrict public freedoms in Kuwait. This will put the future of the country at risk.

It is a shame that lawmakers are busy with subjects that limit public freedoms instead of defending citizens’ constitutional rights. Instead of worr ying about the reaction of Islamist MPs, the Government is required to prove their ability to protect people’s constitutional gains and push away all aspects that hinder the country’s development process. —Al-Rai

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

Pontiff attacks ‘evil of drugs’ in Mexico

‘Stand Your Ground’ laws under scrutiny Page 10

Page 12

World leaders tackle nuke threat N Korea, Iran to loom large at nuke summit SEOUL: World leaders including US President Barack Obama tomorrow will launch a summit on the threat from nuclear-armed terrorists, but the atomic ambitions of North Korea and Iran are set to feature heavily. North Korea’s upcoming rocket launch has overshadowed the run-up to the two-day meeting in Seoul, which seeks agreement on locking down fissile material that could be used to build thousands of terrorist bombs. Obama will hold talks on the launch plan and other issues with leaders of China, Russia and host South Korea during his visit.

The nuclear-armed North says its rocket will merely put a peaceful satellite into orbit. The United States and others believe next month’s launch will test a long-range missile which could one day deliver an atomic warhead. Gary Samore, coordinator for arms control at the US National Security Council, warned that North Korea would face a “strong response” from Washington and its allies if it goes ahead with the launch. “We will be working with other countries, when President Obama is here (in Seoul), to try to discourage North Korea from going ahead with the proposed satellite launch,” he told South Korea’s Yonhap news agency on Friday.

Leaders or senior officials from 53 nations will attend the Nuclear Security Summit, with Interpol, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union and the UN also taking part. The IAEA, while worried about nuclear proliferation by North Korea, also suspects that Iran is bent on making nuclear weapons. Iran says its uranium enrichment activities are peaceful.

Neither Iran nor North Korea are on the formal agenda in Seoul. But leaders of five nations involved in stalled nuclear negotiations with the North-the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan-will all be present, offering an

opportunity for consultations. Pyongyang sees the summit as a chance for Washington and Seoul to gang up on it. Any South Korean move to address the North’s nuclear program at the summit would be seen as a declaration of war, it has vowed.

Seoul says the formal event is not about nations but “non-state actors”. Obama in a 2009 speech described nuclear terrorism as “the most immediate and extreme threat to global security”. He announced a drive to secure all vulnerable nuclear material worldwide within four years, a process which led to the first nuclear security summit in Washington in April 2010. A joint report by the Washington-based Arms Control Association (ACA) and the Partnership for Global Security (PGS), which campaign against nuclear proliferation, acknowledged major progress since then.

Former Soviet republic Kazakhstan secured over 13 tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU) and plutonium, while Chile eliminated its entire HEU stockpile, the report said. The United States and Russia signed a protocol under which each will dispose of 34 tons of plutonium-enough for 17,000 nuclear weapons. Russia ended plutonium production. Ukraine eliminated two-thirds of its HEU and was expected to dispose of the rest by the Seoul summit. But experts say much more must be done to end an apocalyptic threat. “The commitments on the books will not get the job done,” said Michelle Cann of PGS, the report coauthor.

“To prevent nuclear terrorism in the years ahead, the global nuclear security system must grow and adapt to new threats,” she said. “There is a danger that early successes of the summit process will lead to complacency.”

The ACA says there have been 16 confirmed cases of unauthorized possession of HEU or

SEOUL: Protesters denounce North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of the nuclear security summit in Seoul yesterday. — AP plutonium documented by the IAEA since size of a grapefruit, she told a Seoul forum weapon of mass disruption” since radiation sources were everywhere. The meeting will 1993, mainly in the former Soviet Union. Thursday.

The summit agenda has been expanded to also discuss the link between nuclear security Alexandra Toma of the Connect US Fund, which promotes nuclear non-proliferation, cover the securing of radioactive material, and nuclear safety after Japan’s March 2011 said a sophisticated extremist group could freely available from hospitals and other Fukushima disaster. Experts say the accident plausibly take advantage of such lapses. “It sources. Stanford University expert Siegfried showed terrorists could create the same contakes only 50 kilograms of highly enriched Hecker told the Thursday forum the most like- ditions as a tsunami did, by damaging cooling uranium to make a crude nuclear bomb” the ly nuclear threat was a “dir ty bomb... a systems and cutting off power.— AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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

Senegal’s Wade, Sall woo voters DAK AR: Senegal’s veteran leader Abdoulaye Wade and his challenger Macky Sall made their final appeals to voters yesterday ahead of a weekend presidential election run-off. The 85year-old Wade held a “victory tour” in Dakar where music rang out as his convoy made its way through the streets on the last day of campaigning of the cliffhanger election in the west African countr y. Having failed to deliver a crushing victory in the first-round vote a month ago, Wade faces a stiff challenge from his former Prime Minister Sall, 50, who has gathered the full weight of the opposition behind him.

Sall was to hold a mass rally in an outlying suburb of Dakar along with 12 candidates who lost in the February 26 first round and have thrown their support behind the challenger as they vow to elect “anyone but Wade”. While laden with suspense, the run-up to the second-round of the election has been calm compared with the first vote, which was marred by a month of riots over Wade’s candidacy that left six dead and over 150 injured.

However in the troubled Casamance region, a soldier was killed and four injured in an attack by separatist rebels who have carried out a low level war there for 30 years, making it a priority for the next government. France called

for a free, fair and transparent election in its former colony. Wade’s efforts to seek re-election by circumventing a constitutional term limit earned him stiff rebukes from abroad and raised

DAKAR: Security agents stand next to a large photograph of presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Macky Sall at the start of his final campaign rally, in the Yoff neighborhood of Dakar, Senegal. — AP fears for the stability of one of Africa’s oldest democracies. Wade polled 34.8 percent in the first round and said he failed to win outright because “the West was campaigning against me.” The

Political risks to watch in Yemen DUBAI: A transfer of power backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia has yet to stabilize Yemen, where Islamist militants controlling entire towns and regions have dealt painful blows to a divided military that Washington wants as a partner against Al-Qaeda. The inauguration of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Feb 25 as successor to President Ali Abdullah Saleh was to accelerate a political transition including restructuring an army which split after mass protests against Saleh erupted in 2011.

But only hours after Hadi was sworn in, under the terms of a pact Yemen’s Gulf neighbors crafted to avert civil war, militants linked to the country’s AlQaeda branch killed dozens of troops in the south, where their influence has grown during a year of turmoil centered on Saleh’s political fate. The deal that saw him step down - with guarantees of immunity for the killings of protesters who demanded the end of his 33-year rule - envisions a two-year period leading to new elections, in which Yemen can tackle its multiple crises.

Apart from the expanding Islamist footprint, Yemen has unresolved conflicts with a formerly separate south where many want to secede, and with Shiite Muslim rebel tribesmen in the north, which threatens to become a theatre of the regional struggle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran. A post-election offensive against Ansar AlSharia, a group linked to the Al-Qaeda wing that has plotted abortive attacks outside Yemen, has proved costly for government troops, more than a hundred of whom were killed.

That rout in early March was followed by heavy air strikes that killed dozens of people in the south where the United States has waged its own campaign of drone attacks - including killing US citizens suspected of Al-Qaeda links. It is far from clear how Hadi will balance US pressure for cooperation on “counterterrorism” with the politically explosive task of reshaping a military in which Saleh’s son and nephew lead units.

Violence and economic hardship have displaced around half a million people in Yemen. Tens of thousands, fleeing battles between the government and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, have taken refuge in the port city of Aden, which has seen a spate of attacks on security officials in recent months.

ISLAMIST MILITANCY Saleh’s opponents have repeatedly accused the outgoing president of manipulating the threat of militancy and even encouraging it to scare Washington and Riyadh into backing him as a bulwark against Al-Qaeda.

Yemen is the main base for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has emerged as one of the network’s most active and ambitious branches after setbacks in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Although AQAP appeals little to most Yemenis and did not figure in the antiSaleh protest movement, it has taken control of parts of three Yemeni provinces including Abyan, near a shipping lane that channels some 3 million barrels of oil daily. AQAP has vowed to bleed US resources with small, cheap attacks that draw responses costing billions of dollars. It claimed responsibility for an attack on a US security team in the port of Aden this month that it called a response to the dispatch of US troops for “counter-terrorism” purposes.

SEPARATISTS, NORTHERN REVOLTS The protests have eclipsed earlier challenges to Saleh’s rule by northern Shiite rebels and southern secessionists.

odds are in Sall’s favor heading into the run-off election.

The opposition obtained a total 65 percent of the vote in the first round, but turnout was low and it is not clear

Their grievances, however, will pose a serious headache for post-Saleh Yemen, and a failure to deal with them equitably could lead to further violence and instability. North and South Yemen formally united under Saleh’s leadership in 1990. But many southerners complain northerners have discriminated against them and usurped their resources most of Yemen’s fast-declining oil reserves are in the south.

“Houthi” rebels - who draw their name from a tribal leader - control Saada province bordering Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Arabia, which intervened militarily against the Shiite rebels in 2009. Saleh’s forces failed to crush them then. Fighting has flared in recent weeks between the Houthis, who are members of the Zaydi branch of Shiite Islam, and Salafis - Sunni Muslims whose puritanical creed mirrors doctrines that prevail in Saudi Arabia. Salafis brand Shiites as heretics. At least 32 people were killed in clashes between the Houthis, local tribesmen and militants from a Sunni Islamist group in two separate incidents in January and February.

The Houthis accuse their foes of getting arms from Saudi Arabia, as part of a campaign of mobilization against Shiites the kingdom regards as a “fifth column” for Iran. In the south, many demand a divorce from the north and the option of being able to vote on that after a transitional period of some years in which the south would be recognized as an entity with which the north should negotiate as an equal. Those secessionist leaders are themselves divided, and complain they have been frozen out of the transition. That complaint is echoed by the Houthis, whom a UN envoy says must be brought into the political process.

FINANCE, WATER, FUEL CRUNCHES Prolonged turmoil has crippled the economy of a country of 24 million people with limited natural resources. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 57 percent of Yemen’s 12 million children are chronically malnourished the highest level in the world after Afghanistan. Protests in 2011 saw unemployment rise to an estimated half of the labor force, with tens of thousands of Yemenis losing their jobs. The price of basic commodities like rice jumped by as much as 60 percent. Even before protests, some 40 percent of the people lived on less than $2 a day. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank began engaging with Yemen once more in January, months after freezing financial support due to political unrest.

The country’s planning minister said last month he would seek some $3 billion in aid that Gulf states previously pledged to Yemen that was not disbursed.

Meetings of prospective donors are slated for next month and June.

The IMF expects the economy to have shrunk by more than two percent in 2011. Yemen has set a budget envisioning a deficit of about $2.6 billion for 2012, promising to make good on past unpaid wage increases to public sector employees. Aid flows intended to support political transition would likely be central to such plans, as the modest oil exports that were a source of foreign exchange have been hit by repeated attacks on pipelines. Unrest has also slowed down the country’s main refinery, forcing it to rely on grants of refined products from Saudi Arabia, in addition to purchases on the spot market. Yemen is rapidly depleting the water in its aquifers, and by some estimates the capital Sanaa may run out of water in the coming decade or sooner.— Reuters

whether voters will follow their respective leaders in backing Sall against the incumbent. “Let nobody question our victory. Anyone who tries to steal our victory will face the full mobilization of

the population,” Sall said at a rally this week. While Sall won the backing of the opposition, Wade scored the official support of a leading member of the country’s most powerful Islamic brotherhood, the Mourides, seen as key in the Muslim majority nation.

The head of the 90-person European Union observer mission, Thijs Berman, called Friday for “a respect of democratic rules,” adding: “Violence achieves nothing.”

Meanwhile African Union observer chief, former N igerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, said: “Senegal is a grand democracy. I hope it will prove this once again in this run-off election and become a model for other African countries.” The 15-member Economic Community Of West African States also announced Friday it would deploy 100 observers across the country for the run-off. Wade has remained defiant in the face of criticism.

“There is only one hypothesis. I win.

The possibility of my defeat is absurd,” he told local television station Africa7 on Wednesday. “It is as if I say the sky is going to fall on our heads in one minute. It is absurd because the sky is not going to fall on our heads.”

A Wade victory would stoke fears of violence after his mere presence in the race prompted opposition supporters

to take to the streets. Despite having served two terms in office, a limit he himself introduced, Wade says later changes to the constitution allow him to serve two more successive mandates. O fficially the second oldest African leader after Zimbabwe’s 88year-old Robert Mugabe, some claim Wade is in fact pushing 90 due to discrepancies in the way birth certificates were filed at the time he was born in a nation where the median age is now 18.

In 2007, he won in the first round with 55 percent of the vote, but his popularity has plunged in recent years amid rising food prices and power cuts which crippled economic activity last year but were repaired in time for the elec tion campaign. While Wade receives kudos for an aggressive infrastruc ture drive, critics say he has focused on fanciful legacy projects to the detriment of good governance initiatives. Wade has said he wants only a few more years to finish his “grand projects” but is seen as stalling so he can line up his unpopular son Karim to succeed him. Despite its stability, Senegala nation of some 13 million whose main earners are fishing, tourism and groundnut production-has a large propor tion of people living below the poverty threshold.—AFP

Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker’s breakdown Is LRA the wrong target?

LOS ANGELES: The public meltdown of the man behind the viral “Kony 2012” video has thrown his campaign into turmoil even as the film succeeded in turning the world’s attention to capturing an elusive and brutal Ugandan warlord. Jason Russell, whose 30minute video sensation shone a spotlight on Joseph Kony’s use of child soldiers in Uganda, was taken by police to a hospital in California last week after suffering what doctors described as a brief psychotic breakdown.

Videos posted online showed him pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, naked, in broad daylight, in an incident certain to raise questions over the viability of Russell’s Invisible Children group. “You always hear people say, ‘I’m so stressed out, I’m about to go crazy,’” said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. “Still, the story of all this happening and then he literally is wigging out is very odd.”

He said the episode could serve to divert attention from the warlord to Russell. “Now whenever you see a Kony story, it’s about the guy, not Kony.” Kony, accused of terrorizing northern Uganda for two decades, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. He is accused of abducting children to use as fighters and sex slaves and is said to like hacking off limbs.

Russell’s wife, Danica, has said her husband would remain under hospital care for a number of weeks, and might not be able to return fully to his work at Invisible Children for months. In downtown San

KWAMBA: The Lord’s Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony (left) and his deputy Vincent Otti sit inside a tent at Ri-Kwamba in Southern Sudan in this file photo. —AP Diego, Invisible Children’s office has been locked up.

Russell’s Invisible Children cofounders, Laren Poole and Bobby Bailey, declined through a spokeswoman to be interviewed, as did the organization’s CEO, Ben Keesey.

Keesey has attributed Russell’s breakdown to the severe emotional toll of the previous two weeks in which the Kony video went viral.

Even as the video drew attention to the warlord, it sparked criticism over what some called its misleading portrayal of current events in Uganda. A spokeswoman would

not say how or if Invisible Children planned to proceed with a planned April 20 day of action, in which viewers of the video were asked to paper their homes, lawns and cities with Kony posters to turn him into a household name.

Analysts said the fate of the group may be largely irrelevant because it had already served the purpose of persuading millions to care, and policy decisions were taking shape. “It’s rare that we have literally millions of Americans calling for more engagement in Africa,” Senator Chris Coons, chair of the

Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on African Affairs, told Reuters in an interview, noting his subcommittee normally received far less attention than it had since the “Kony 2012” video was released.

“I was both amused, pleased and proud that all three of my kids asked me what I was doing to stop Joseph Kony,” Coons said. Attempts by regional forces and foreign troops to corner the fugitive warlord have so far failed. But on Friday, the African Union said it would launch a 5,000-strong force in South Sudan to hunt him.— Reuters

Tuareg rebels head North as world condemns coup BAMAKO: Mali’s Tuareg rebels pressed on with an offensive in the north as mutinous soldiers faced a global backlash for staging a coup over the government’s handling of the insurrection. The African Union temporarily suspended Mali, Europe froze aid and the United States threatened to follow suit amid a chorus of condemnation over the coup in a country key to fighting drug traffick ing and extremism. But AU officials will travel to Mali for talks with the coup leaders in a joint delegation with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) next week.

The coup opened the way for Tuareg rebels to deepen their hold on the north, with their National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) saying it had seized the town of Anefis between the key cities Gao and Kidal. The MNLA said on its website it would continue to press its offensive as part of its military campaign for a homeland in the north of the west African nation. It was the Tuareg rebellion that sparked the coup by soldiers, who say they have been ill-equipped to fight off the desert nomads. The Tuareg force has been strengthened by the return of heavily armed fighters who previously fought for Libya’s slain dic-

tator Muammar Gaddafi.

On Wednesday, army troops attacked the presidential palace and seized state institutions, before appearing on television to announce they had toppled the “incompetent” regime of President Amadou Toumani Toure. On Friday,

himself reassured journalists that Toure was “doing very well”, and that members of the government arrested by soldiers were safe. “We will not touch a hair on their heads. I will hand them over to the courts so that the Malian people k now the truth,” insisted the

BAMAKO: A soldier poses atop a military vehicle, as it stands guard outside the presidential palace following a military coup in Bamako. — AP Mali’s coup leaders again took to television to deny reports of the death of their leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo. Earlier, Sanogo

green-beret officer, who says he has spent time at training programmes in US. In separate comments to the BBC, he insisted he

would stand down once he had ensured the army was properly equipped to tackle the Tuareg rebellion. The problem at the moment was “a lack of equipment, a lack of training and our comrades are dying all the time,” he said. “So once this has been fixed, I’ll be able to say ‘Ok, go for election’ in a short period of time. I promise.” Rights group Amnesty International said that at least three people had been shot dead and 28 wounded in Thursday ’s coup, while the local Red Cross said it had treated 40 people, mostly for bullet wounds.

Few people ventured out of their homes in the tense capital Bamako Friday, where some soldiers had turned to looting. The international community has acted swiftly against the junta. The AU Peace and Security Council announced it was suspending Mali until the government had been restored, said Paul Zolo, Nigeria’s envoy to Ethiopia and the AU. AU Commission chief Jean Ping said the AU and ECOWAS would send a joint team to Mali to seek a return of constitutional order. And the heads of ECOWAS were due to hold a special meeting in Ivory Coast’s main city Abidjan on Tuesday, a source in the Ivorian ministry for African integration said.—AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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

Recipient testifies in Kosovo organs case PRISTINA: A Canadian witness told a trial over alleged illegal organ trafficking in Kosovo how he received a kidney at the Medicus clinic-and may even have flown in with his young Russian donor. Raul Fain, 66, testifying by video link from Ontario, Canada, told the court Friday he had had transplant surgery in mid-2008 at the Medicus clinic, which has since been shut down. Fain said that with help from relatives in Israel, he had made contact with Moshe Harel, whom the indictment describes as the mastermind of a network for recruiting donors and finding recipients. Fain testified that he agreed with Harel to pay 80,000 euros ($106,000) for a kidney transplant and flew with him to Pristina.

The witness recalled “two young Russian ladies” flying with them to donate the organs, including one he believed was transplanted to him. Fain said he met another of the defendants in Pristina, Turkish doctor Yusuf Sonmez, who is accused of having performed the illegal transplants. He said he also met a German patient who received a kidney the same day he did. An EU dominated panel is now trying seven people in the so-called Medicus case, named after the Pristina clinic where the crimes allegedly took place.

According to the indictment, the clinic carried out at least 30 illegal kidney removals and transplants, using donors from poor Eastern European and Central Asian countries, who were promised about 15,000 euros each. An EU prosecutor at the trial has proposed calling as a witness the author of a damning report on the subject, a move opposed by defense lawyers who object that it

would politicize the trial. The proposed witness, Dick Marty, was the Council of Europe’s rapporteur on alleged organ trafficking during the 1998-99 Kosovo war. His report alleged that senior commanders of the rebel Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army, including incumbent Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, were involved in organized crime and organ trafficking during and after the war.

The report set out claims that organs were taken from prisoners, many of them Serbs, held by the KLA in Albania in the late 1990s. Both Kosovo and Albania denied the accusations and rejected the report. “I have every reason to believe that he retains in his possession the evidence relevant for this case,” Special EU prosecutor Jonathan Ratel told the court Friday. Ratel read from Marty’s report, adopted by Council in Europe in 2011, in which the author said he had found “credible, convergent indications” that the wartime organ trafficking “is closely related to the contemporary case”.

But defense lawyers for the seven suspects-including former Kosovo health secretary Ilir Rrecaj and Lutfi Dervishi, a prominent Pristina urologist objected to the request. “This is a criminal court, and it will be transformed in a political court if he comes here as a witness,” said one lawyer, Ismet Shufta. Presiding judge Arkadiusz Sedek from Poland said the court would decide on the motion in coming days. The Medicus trial is the first to be taken on by EULEX, the European rule of law mission in Kosovo, set up to help the local judiciary handle sensitive cases after the territory declared independence from Serbia in 2008. — AFP

7 Pakistani troops, 22 militants killed PESHAWAR: At least seven soldiers and 22 militants died in clashes between Pakistani troops and militants in the restive northwestern tribal belt over the past 24 hours, officials said yesterday. Security forces carried out a search operation in South Waziristan region and killed 12 militants, a military official said. He said the operation was launched yesterday in Shin Warsak area near the region’s main town of Wana following a tip off from intelligence sources that some militants were hiding in the area.

“During an exchange of fire 12 militants were killed and four soldiers embraced martyrdom,” he said. Another official in Peshawar, the main city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province confirmed the clash, saying “the sting operation is now over.”

The Pakistani military in 2009 carried out a sweeping offensive into parts of South Waziristan in order to disable the headquarters of the country’s main Taleban faction. Many of the Taleban commanders and their footsoldiers are believed to have fled into the neighboring district of North Waziristan, where Pakistan has so far resisted American pressure for a similar offensive. The search operation in South Waziristan follows an increase in militant bomb attacks in the northwest. Earlier three soldiers and more than 10 militants were killed after dozens of Taleban militants stormed a check post in a tribal region near the Afghan border overnight. The attack took place at a check post in Khadizai area on the outskirts of Kalaya, the main town in the lawless Orakzai district, a senior military officer said. Independent confirmation of the death toll was not immediately possible as the lawless tribal region is barred for journalists. Khadizai is located in Upper Orakzai most of which is in Taleban hands and is the scene of frequent clashes between security forces and Islamist militants while government troops are in control of its lower reaches. —AFP

Junkyard beckons for Myanmar rust buckets YANGON: Fume-belching classic European cars and ageing Japanese sedans have rattled along Myanmar’s streets for decades, but as the country opens up many of the rust buckets are finally facing the scrapheap. The cars rumble loudly as engines rebuilt with parts salvaged from dead autos gasp for life and fan belts squeal. Their headlights sometimes die at night and many have rotten floors that offer a view of the asphalt beneath.

Most of the rusting automobiles on the streets of the main city Yangon hail from Japan, but there are also classic Western models dating back to a bygone era before the reclusive generals seized power half a century ago. The main reason for the ageing fleet is not international sanctions-which do not prevent foreign cars reaching Myanmar’s shores-but rather the sky-high import cost under the former junta. Now, however, the country’s new nominally civilian government is easing car import regulations to allow more vehicles to be brought in from overseas-for those who can afford it.

“The government is offering owners a chance to own imported used cars if they swap their old cars, which is a good idea,” said classic car owner Than Htay, 52, as he checked the engine of his 1950s-era Mercedes Benz that in other parts of the world would arouse the interests of serious collectors. “But many ordinary Burmese are poor and will still not be able to afford newer models,” he added. Under military rule, imported cars were a luxury reserved for people close to the junta, whose cronies are more likely to be seen behind the wheel of a Mercedes or a Ferrari than a battered old Toyota.

Even a two-decades-old Japanese saloon could fetch $20,000 or more, while a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser could boast a price tag of upwards of $250,000.

In September of last year the government announced that owners of cars at least 40 years old could trade them in for hard-to-get permits to purchase imported used vehicles, sending prices of the rust buckets soaring. It said the scheme-under which the old cars will be scrapped-would be gradually expanded to include vehicles at least 20 years old.

But even under the offer, taxes and import duties mean a used car costs more than $10,000 - a huge sum in a country where a third of the nearly 60 million people still live in poverty. Nowadays local newspapers publish special sections advertising used cars, while several dealerships offering imported second-hand autos from Japan have sprung up around Yangon in recent months. —AFP

French gunman’s brother whisked to Paris intel HQ Shootings affect tone of presidential election PARIS: The brother of an Al-Qaeda-inspired gunman who killed seven people was taken to Paris yesterday for further questioning about the massacre that has raised questions about national security four weeks from a French presidential election. Abdelkader Merah, elder brother of Mohamed Merah, who died in a hail of gunfire on Thursday as he jumped from his apartment window in Toulouse, was taken by car from police barracks in the southwestern city for transfer to the capital, along with his girlfriend, a judicial source said. Both people were arrested on Tuesday as negotiators sought their help trying to persuade Merah to turn himself in.

Merah’s mother, who was also arrested on the same day, was likely to be released later on Saturday, according to the same source.

Merah, 23, was shot dead by a sniper after a gun battle with police that ended a more than 30-hour siege at his apartment during which he admitted killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three soldiers in three separate attacks. Abdelkader and his girlfriend, whose name was not given, were being transferred to a detention centre at the headquarters of the DCRI domestic intelligence agency in Paris and would be brought before a judge to decide whether there are grounds for opening legal proceedings over possible links with Merah’s attacks, another source said on Friday.

Police have found explosives in a car Abdelkader owned, according to the public prosecutor leading the case. He was already known to security services for having helped smuggle jihadist militants into Iraq in 2007.

LEVALLOIS-PERRET: An unidentified man with his head covered, believed to be Abdelkader Merah or his companion, sits between masked police officers as they head to the French police’s anti-terrorist headquarters in Levallois-Perret yesterday. — AP

DCRI head Bernard Squarcini told the daily Le Monde on Friday that there was no evidence Merah belonged to any radical Islamist network and he appeared to have turned fanatic alone. Yet investigators are still trying to establish whether the young Frenchman of Algerian extraction had any logistical or ideological support or was a true “lone wolf”.

Merah’s brother, and a sister, were known to have studied the Koran in Egypt in 2010 and French police had in the past found links between them and a radical Islamist group based in southern France led by a Syrian-born

Frenchman dubbed “ The White Emir” by French media because of his fair hair and beard. The shootings shifted the focus of political debate away from France’s economic woes and played to the strengths of President Nicolas Sarkozy as he fights an uphill battle for re-election in a two-round vote in April and May. Polls show that about two-thirds of voters approved of his handling of a crisis that reduced his challengers, chief among them Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande, to the role of bystander. — Reuters

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Mikulski: pint-sized trailblazer for women in Congress WASHINGTON: She stands 4’11” (1.5 meters) and had trouble being seen over the microphones when elected.

Thirty-five years later, Barbara Mikulski is a towering figure in the Senate, the longest-serving female lawmaker in the US Congress. Maryland’s feisty, sharptongued fighter for women’s healthcare, blue-collar workers, high-quality education and improved care for America’s veterans has reached several milestones to earn her role as dean of the women of the Senate. But she has always been less concerned with her historical achievements than the substance of her legislative accomplishments and the forward-looking challenges of a national lawmaker.

“For me it’s not how long you serve but how well you serve,” the 75-year-old told AFP on her 12,862nd day in Congress-four days after reaching her latest milestone by surpassing congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts, who served from 1925 to 1960. “But I was here for the (1978) Camp David accords, and now we’re trying to make sure Iran doesn’t get the bomb,” she said. “Quite a wide swathe.”

A true barrier buster, Mikulski was the first Democratic woman to serve in the Senate in her own right, not succeeding her husband or father. She became the first woman to serve in both chambers of Congress. Tough-talking and tena-

cious about a wide range of issues, she is never more passionate than when she advocates for vulnerable Americans.

And she could let her Republican counterparts really have it when she felt they were failing to “find the sensible center to solve the nation’s problems.”

Her booming voice rings out when she seeks to right injustices, or decries the excessive partisanship that has come to mark debate in Congress. “They’re clinging not to a philosophy of principle, but to rigid ideology that could bring our country to the brink of disaster,” she said last year as lawmakers tussled over a looming government shutdown. “If they want to act like a banana republic, they could slip on their own peel.”

Her firecracker verbal assaults, if occasionally indelicate, earned a tongue-in-cheek description from her colleague Dianne Feinstein, a threeterm senator from California: “The Mikulski brand of candor.” Mikulski “stands as one of the tallest United States senators and packs a punch way beyond her four-foot-eleven,” said fellow longtime Democratic Senator John Kerry, part of a moving, three-hour tribute to her Wednesday in which more than 30 lawmakers spoke. “We’re proud to have her as a colleague and are in awe of her ability to galvanize action, which is what this institution should be

all about.”

Raised in the Highlandtown area of east Baltimore by parents of Polish descent, Barbara Mikulski was taught by Catholic nuns, and eventually became a social worker for Catholic charities.

When she heard that a 16-lane highway was going to be built through Baltimore’s historic Fells Point neighborhood, she turned to activism. Her work helped stop the highway project, and she was quickly elected to the city council. When she arrived in the Senate in early 1987, after a decade in the House of Representatives, she was one of just two women senators. “Women were so rare... I was greeted with a lot of skepticism,” she said.

As the numbers ticked up, she began holding power workshops for women lawmakers, and never abandoned her mission to help bring more women into the intense and often bruising world of national politics. “Some women stare out the window waiting for Prince Charming,” she once said. “I stare out the window waiting for more women senators.” And more have come. Today there are 17 women senators; many of them see her as a powerful influence. “She’s a great strategist, a great mentor-a very very effective legislator,” Senator Maria Cantwell said recently. “She’s called the dean for a reason.”

But she’s not ready to be considered

WASHINGTON: Sen Barbara Mikulski, D-Md, (center) is seen before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.

One by one, Republicans and Democrats recognized a singular achievement by a singular woman Mikulski, now the longest-serving female member of Congress. — AP a relic just yet. Mikulski still hustles around Capitol Hill, and sits on key committees including the Select Committee on Intelligence. And she can still intimidate the opposition. “Barbara is nothing if not both tough and resilient,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said at the tribute.

Mikulski has announced no plans to

leave politics. She is not up for re-election until 2016, and said she’ll continue focusing on the issues that brought her to Congress, including women’s rights.

“One day soon, a woman will sit in the Oval Office of this great country,” Feinstein told her fellow senators. “And when she does, she will owe a great deal to Barbara Mikulski.” — AFP

Utah urges Washington to return lands to state Federal government controls 65% of Utah land mass SALT LAKE CITY: The state of Utah, long resentful that almost two thirds of its territory belongs to the US government, says the time has come to reclaim land it gave up more than a century ago in order to become a US state. Governor Gary Herbert, a Republican, signed into law on Friday a bill demanding that the federal government relinquish ownership of roughly 30 million acres of public land in Utah by 2015 or face a state lawsuit challenging its continued control of that property.

Shrugging off warnings from state attorneys that the legislation, backed primarily by Republicans, is likely unconstitutional and could lead to a protracted but futile legal battle, Herbert called such a dispute “a fight worth having.” The measure, opposed by conservation groups, caps years of rising indignation in Utah’s conservative political establishment over the fact that about 65 percent of the Western state’s land mass is owned by various federal agencies, the bulk of it by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Critics have complained that federal control

SHREVEPORT: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney addresses an audience during a campaign event near a natural gas drilling rig in Shreveport, La. — AP

over vast tracts of Utah’s territory has put too much land off-limits to commercial activities, such as energy development, limiting the state’s tax base for schools and other public services. “The director of BLM has more control over our state than the governor,” Herbert, a first-term Republican, said at a news conference following a bill-signing ceremony at the state capitol in Salt Lake City. “The federal government retaining control of two-thirds of our land mass was never in the bargain when we became a state, and it is indefensible 116 years later,” Herbert added in a statement issued by his office.

Herbert and other supporters have focused especially on the potential for greater funding for education in Utah, which ranks near the bottom in per capita expenditures for public school students among the 50 US states. The new law calls on the federal government to transfer title to properties held by the BLM, US Forest Service and other agencies to a Utah public lands commission by Jan 1, 2015. The state’s five national parks, its military installations and some federal wilderness areas are exempt.

But the measure would likely affect such sites as the Grand Staircase -Escalante National Monument, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and other national recreation sites and wildlife refuges, said Steve Bloch, conservation director for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Debate over Utah’s federal holdings has flared several times since statehood was granted in 1896, but supporters of the newly enacted measure point to recent federal court decisions that they say bolster their case for reclaiming public lands.

Their claims are based in part on an interpretation of Utah’s century-old enabling act under which they say Congress promised to return federal lands after statehood. Proponents argue that Congress reneged on that promise in a 1970s statute that retained federal land ownership in Utah but pledged greater state control and access as an alternative. Foes of the measure say its supporters are misreading Utah’s founding documents and that there is no legal basis for the state to unilaterally claim ownership of federal lands. — Reuters

Obama gets personal over killing of a black teenager

Romney, Republicans rip ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws under scrutiny ‘Obamacare’ on ’versary WASHINGTON: Republican criticism rained down Friday on the second anniversary of President Barack Obama’s health care reform, with Mitt Romney blasting the law as an “unfolding disaster for the American economy.”

As conservatives bashed “Obamacare” as an assault on economic liberties that would saddle Americans with unprecedented financial burden, the administration marked the anniversary of the president’s signature legislative achievement in muted fashion, with no ceremony at the White House.

Romney’s rival in the Republican presidential race, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, savaged the two-year-old law as “the most dangerous legislation in generations,” while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell slammed it is “a metaphor for all of the excesses of this administration.” In a piece for USA Today, Romney, frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the battle to see who will challenge Obama in November, said it was “past time to abolish the program, root and branch.” And while he noted that the US Supreme Court was set to hear arguments about the landmark law next week, he wrote that, regardless of how the justices rule, “the case against Obamacare extends far beyond questions about its constitutionality.

“President Obama’s program is an unfolding disaster for the American economy, a budgetbusting entitlement, and a dramatic new federal intrusion into our lives,” Romney wrote. The Affordable Care Act, passed after a bitter struggle against blanket Republican opposition in 2010, granted 30 million Americans health insurance for the first time, bringing universal coverage closer than ever before. Romney instituted a similar program for Massachusetts while he was governor of the left-leaning state, and in 2009 he wrote an op-ed in the same newspaper encouraging Obama to use the Massachusetts model as a basis for his national health program.

But on Friday Romney said he is vehemently opposed to a one-size-fits-all health care plan for the entire nation. “What we need is a free market, federalist approach to making quality, affordable health insurance available to every

American,” he wrote in USA Today. “Each state should be allowed to pursue its own solution in this regard, instead of being dictated to by Washington.” He repeated the message at a campaign stop in Louisiana, which held its Republican primary yesterday, saying if elected he would “return to the states” the authority and responsibility to care for the uninsured.

“The critics were right, and the advocates were wrong; Obamacare was massively more expensive than had been originally estimated,” he told supporters in Metairie, outside New Orleans. The Republican National Committee said in a statement that health care reform would cost a staggering $1.76 trillion, quoting the Congressional Budget Office. Romney cited the figures in his campaign address Friday, saying the estimated costs had nearly doubled. The Democratic National Committee accused him of tinkering with the figures, and quoted nonpartisan FactCheck.org as saying net cost of the coverage provisions is “expected to be somewhat lower than projected two years ago.”

At a briefing, McConnell listed several of the law’s apparent failures, from the $500 billion he said the administration snatched from government-administered Medicare health care for the elderly in order to pay for the reform, to the failure to lower premiums or costs. “What we did was take a meat ax to the best health care system in the world when we should have used a scalpel,” McConnell said. “We’d like to undo this huge mistake at the earliest possible moment if the American people give us the support to do it.”

Obama issued a statement Friday, saying “the law has made a difference for millions of Americans,” and citing how it has been able to keep 2.5 million additional young adults on their parents’ health plan and helped five million seniors save an average of $635 on prescription drug costs. The White House also issued a series of statements highlighting the law’s accomplishments. But the lack of major fanfare from the White House led Republicans to charge that the administration has nothing to celebrate. “I was a little surprised that there wasn’t a birthday cake there” to mark the anniversary, McConnell said. — AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama weighed into the controversial killing of a black teenager in Florida in very personal terms on Friday, comparing the boy to a son he doesn’t have and calling for American “soul searching” over how the incident occurred.

Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin, dressed in a “hoodie” hooded sweatshirt, was shot dead a month ago in Sanford, Florida by a 28year-old white Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer who said he was acting in selfdefense.

“If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon,” Obama said in his first comments about the shooting, acknowledging the racial element in the case. “Obviously, this is a tragedy,” Obama told reporters. “I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.” The case has galvanized the nation and prompted rallies protesting the failure of police to arrest the shooter, George Zimmerman, and more broadly, a pattern of racial discrimination that black leaders cite in Sanford and elsewhere in the country.

Obama, the first black US president, made his remarks at a White House event to announce his pick to lead the World Bank, waiting briefly after the announcement to take a reporter’s question about the incident.

Martin’s parents thanked the president for his words. “The president’s personal comments touched us deeply and made us wonder: If his son looked like Trayvon and wore a hoodie, would he be suspicious too?” they said in a statement. Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law allows people to use deadly force in selfdefense. Similar laws are in effect in at least 24 states including Florida, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Calls are mounting to repeal them. Earlier this week, a Florida state senator said he was drafting new legislation to drastically change the law in Florida. A South Carolina state representative said on Friday he had introduced a bill to repeal his state’s law.

RACIAL DIVIDES Bakari Sellers, a black Democrat and gun owner, said he wanted to prevent an incident like the Trayvon Martin shooting happening

FLORIDA: People assemble outside of City Hall in downtown St Louis to rally for justice for Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was slain in the town of Sanford, Fla. — AP in his state. “I’m six-five and a black guy,” he filmmaker, Henry Louis Gates, after an altercasaid. “I just know that it could have been me.” tion at his home. Obama later invited Gates Obama said the “Stand Your Ground” laws and the white police officer, Sergeant James should be studied. “I think all of us have to do Crowley, to the White House, where the men some soul-searching to figure out how does shared a drink in what became known as the something like this happen. And that means “beer summit.” In Sanford, Norton Bonaparte that we examine the laws and the context for Jr., the city’s manager, acknowledged tensions what happened, as well as the specifics of the between the black community and police “go back many, many years.” incident,” he said.

“The trust that existed is gone, so we have “Every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative to start from ground zero,” he said. Sanford’s that we investigate every aspect of this, and police chief and a Florida state prosecutor that everybody pulls together - federal, state overseeing the case stepped aside on Thursday and local - to figure out exactly how this as criticism grew over police handling of the tragedy happened.” Obama, the son of a white investigation. The state’s new special prosecumother from Kansas and black father from tor, Angela Corey, arrived in Sanford after Gov Kenya, does not comment frequently on race, Rick Scott appointed her on Thursday night. a sensitive topic in the United States, which “We appreciate that an investigation was still grapples with a legacy of slavery, segrega- already done. We are going to review what was done. We are going to continue to investigate tion and discrimination.

Early in his White House tenure, Obama and then we’ll proceed from there,” Bernie de la inflamed another racially tinged incident by Rionda, an assistant state attorney with Corey’s declaring police had “acted stupidly” when team, told reporters outside the police departarresting a well-known black documentary ment. — Reuters

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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

Australia uncovers Asia triad syndicate SYDNEY: An Australian investigation into moneylaundering and drug trafficking has uncovered a powerful triad syndicate with top Asian politicians and police involved, a report said yesterday. The four-year intelligence inquiry by the Australian Crime Commission describes a multi-billion-dollar international drug and money-laundering network that poses “a significant threat to the Australian community”.

The Sydney Morning Herald said a briefing outlining the findings of Operation Dayu put senior Asian officials in the frame and exposed a triad-led global criminal entity known as the “grandfather syndicate”. It said intelligence was uncovered that the syndicate

had infiltrated a high level of government “in both law enforcement agencies and political circles” in Asia, including China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Macau.

“There are a number of other countries where this is suspected but not apparent to date,” the briefing, which has been supplied to overseas agencies, reportedly said. One example involved a “high-placed triad associate” of the grandfather syndicate “attending an Interpol conference in New York”. As part of its probe, the commission, an Australian government criminal intelligence and investigation agency, was authorized to send more than Aus$10 million (US$10.4 million) in

North Korea’s rocket test: Why it matters SEOUL: North Korea may have the bomb, but it hasn’t perfected ways to put one onto a missile that could strike faraway enemies like the United States. This is why Pyongyang’s announcement that it will launch a satellite on a long-range rocket next month is drawing so much attention: Washington says North Korea uses these launches as cover for testing missile systems for nuclear weapons that could target Alaska and beyond.

Although North Korea isn’t on the official agenda of next week’s Nuclear Security Summit in the South Korean capital, here’s a look at why the launch will be a major point of discussion when President Barack Obama and other world leaders gather in Seoul: THE HISTORY North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket. Next month’s launch - set to happen around the April 15 centennial of the birth of founder Kim Il Sung - would be the fourth of its kind since 1998, when Pyongyang sent a long-range rocket hurtling over Japan. A 2006 test was considered a failure, but North Korea grabbed attention shortly after with its first nuclear test blast. The UN Security Council later banned North Korea from any further nuclear or ballistic missile testing.

North Korea’s third launch, in 2009, was a partial success, with two of the three stages pushing the rocket over the Pacific. The third stage failed, and, despite North Korea’s claims of success, no satellite was put into orbit, the US North American Aerospace Defense Command said. That test was condemned by the UN Security Council. Pyongyang protested that it was testing satellite technology for peaceful purposes. It subsequently abandoned six-nation nuclear disarmament talks and, weeks later, carried out a second nuclear test.

The next year saw violence blamed on North Korea that killed 50 South Koreans, including an attack on a warship and the North’s shelling of a front-line island.

THE TECHNOLOGY Experts and governments will scrutinize next month’s launch of what the North’s state media call an Unha-3 rocket, presumably the next version of the Unha-2 rocket used in the 2009 test. Unha-2 represented a significant advancement over previous rockets, according to an analysis written by missile experts David Wright and Theodore Postol. It was roughly 100 feet long and may have been designed around Soviet missile components, the writers said.

Next month’s rocket is set to fire from a new site on the North’s west coast, according to GeoEye and Google Earth satellite imagery posted by Tim Brown, an analyst for GlobalSecurity.org. The Tongchang-ri site is about 35 miles from the Chinese border city of Dandong, across the Yalu River from North Korea. Positioned only 45 miles from the North’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex, it has better roads and facilities, and allows a southerly flight path that keeps the rocket from flying over other countries, according to Wright, technical researcher at the Union of Concerned Scientists. The new rocket will probably have better boosters and engines - and might even succeed in putting a satellite into space if it contains one, said Sohn Young-hwan, a South Korean rocket scientist who heads the privately funded Institute of Technology and Management Analysis in Seoul.

North Korea may have loaded the rocket’s third stage with more fuel to increase capability, Wright said by email, part of improvements that “would translate to greater range if that technology was used to build a long-range ballistic missile.” North Korea says the launch is meant to contribute to “international trust and cooperation in the field of space scientific researches.” But because ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches “share the same bodies, engines, launch sites and other development processes, they are intricately linked,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

THE HURDLES So far, Pyongyang can only deliver a nuclear bomb “by boat, by van or by airplane, not by missile,” according to scientist Siegfried Hecker of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. After half a century of persistence, North Korea is thought to have a fairly small nuclear arsenal.

While it has enough plutonium for about four to eight “simple” bombs similar to what the US dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, Hecker estimates, it doesn’t yet appear to have the ability to make bombs small enough to mount on a missile. Miniaturized warheads would require more nuclear tests, and Hecker warns that if North Korea breaks its nuclear test moratorium, “it will almost certainly be a test of a miniaturized design.”

THE DIPLOMACY Governments and experts are worried that a new rocket launch will spur a chain of events that will mirror 2009, resulting in a breakdown of diplomacy, another nuclear test and soaring tensions, threats and bloodshed. The United States has warned the launch would jeopardize a diplomatic deal settled last month that would ship US food aid to the impoverished North in exchange for a moratorium on missile and nuclear tests, as well as a suspension of nuclear work at Yongbyon.

“This (the launch) is an extremely bad idea that would have consequences,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Friday. US officials will be pushing China to pressure its ally Pyongyang, and President Barack Obama is expected to raise the issue during a key meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the nuclear summit’s sidelines. There could also be meetings among the US and its Asian allies Japan and South Korea.

An unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday that his country “remains unchanged in its stand to sincerely implement” the nuclear deal, but warned in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, that “any sinister attempt to deprive” the North of its rights will lead to unspecified “countermeasures.” KCNA said Saturday that North Korea would convene its rubberstamp parliament on April 13, a meeting that could coincide with the rocket launch. North Korea is also planning a special conference of its ruling Workers’ Party in mid-April. Hecker said a rocket launch “makes a mockery” of the US-North Korea nuclear deal. “You use the same technology in long-range rockets that you do in long-range missiles,” he said. “The only difference is what you put on top.”— AP

suspected drug funds offshore in an attempt to identify crime bosses.

Run in partnership with the Australian federal police and Australia’s anti-money-laundering agency Austrac, it seized drugs worth an estimated $780 million. The Australian Crime Commission could not be reached Saturday for comment but the Herald said the briefing showed the syndicate was responsible for at least Aus$1.2 billion worth of drug imports to Australia annually. “The pooling of resources of the main triad groups has allowed them to merge their contacts, assets and holdings, creating a well-established network of contacts across many governments

as well as legitimate business and company structures,” the briefing said.

The syndicate reportedly has “three main heads based in Southeast Asia and at least 22 other primary seats (bosses)” around the globe. It pours billions of dollars into “high-profile Internet gambling facilities, Asian hotel chains and resorts, commercial construction companies, property companies in Hong Kong and Vietnam (and) casinos”. To move money, the syndicate uses “highly-placed government officials, banking staff ... (to) undercut any other overt or covert money transfer facility”, the Herald cited the briefing as saying. — AFP

2 killed as 2 planes crash ‘A possible midair collision’ LONGMONT: At least two people were killed after crashes of two singleengine planes that may have collided Friday while in the air north of Denver, authorities said Friday. One person survived. The wrecked planes were found six miles apart near the city of Longmont, police Cmdr Tim Lewis said.

The crashes were being investigated as a possible midair collision, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said. A Cessna 180 went down near a small airport in the city, while a Cessna 172 crashed about a half-mile from a Walmart southeast of Longmont, close to two homes, police said. “We were very fortunate neither home appeared to be in danger,” police Cmdr Jeff Satur said.

Two people died in the plane that crashed near the Walmart, said Gracie Marquez, deputy coroner for Weld County. Satur said the occupants appeared to be male and were believed to be an instructor pilot and a student who had taken off from Rocky Mountain Regional Airport near Broomfield, 16 miles away. Dustin Nelson, who was working nearby for an oilfield services company, said he and others rushed to the scene.

“By the time we got there, there was just nothing we could do,” said Nelson, 25, of Longmont. “Everything was crumpled into each other. It just looked like a smashed beer can ... The tail end is literally in the nose of the plane.” Kim R Johnson, who was in a parking lot off County Road 1, said the Cessna 172 appeared to have damage to one wing. He said it crashed with a thud. “I was expecting an explosion, and it was just a big thud,” he said. He said the other plane banked, circled the crash site then headed west.

Lewis said the pilot of the other plane crashed about 1,000 yards from the Vance Brand Airport runway after clipping four overhead power lines, causing about 132 customers to temporarily lose power. “It actually probably saved her because those lines reduced the impact into the ground,” Lewis said. “The pilot did an excellent job of clearing the roadway and avoiding people who were picnicking and watching airport operations.” Passersby pulled the pilot from the plane, which was leaking fuel. The pilot complained of back injuries but was able to tell a fire lieutenant at the scene how

to turn off the fuel pump, Lewis said.

The plane was registered to a Beverly Cameron, of Erie. A patient with that name was listed in good condition at Longmont United Hospital Friday afternoon, hospital spokeswoman Karen Logan said.

The survivor has been released from a hospital, police said. Satur said her plane had taken off from the airport

ditch to get to the wreckage and help the pilot. Carissa Muilenburg of Mile High Skydiving Center at the airport said one of their planes was landing around the time of the crash after ferrying skydivers to a drop. She said the skydiving pilot reported that there was a mayday call because of the incoming plane and he had to quickly get off the runway after landing.

LONGMONT: The wreckage of a small plane is pictured on a county road near Longmont, Colo, after two planes apparently collided and crashed on Friday, March 23, 2012. — AP near the site where it crashed.

Firefighters sprayed the wreckage with foam and built a berm around it to contain leaking fuel. The engine separated from the plane on impact. One wing was crumpled and the tail was bent. Don Poncelow had just landed at the Longmont airport after a training flight with an instructor pilot when he saw a plane coming in low. “I looked up and I could tell she was having trouble.

She wasn’t out of control, but she wasn’t in control, either,” Poncelow said.

“Something was just not right. She was having trouble keeping her wings level.”

He said that after the plane clipped the power lines, it skidded across a road and crashed into a fence.

Poncelow said his instructor waded across a drainage

Near the Walmart, Tom Ruddick was on a ladder painting oilfield equipment when he saw two planes that appeared to be about 300 yards apart and heading toward each other.

Nelson, who was working with Ruddick, was in his truck and heard what sounded like two backfires in the sky. “It was a pop and about two seconds later, it was another pop,” he said.

Then he heard the engine rev up. “I seen that plane just nosedive straight to the ground just behind that house,” Nelson said. Ruddick had looked away from the planes but said he heard and felt what he believes was the shock wave from one plane crashing into the ground. “It almost knocked me off my ladder,” Ruddick said.— AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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

Havana gets gussied up for pope HAVANA: A flurry of house-painting and road-paving has spun into full tilt as the only Communist capital in the Americas puts on its Sunday best to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba this week. “Welcome to Cuba, Worshiper of Charity,” read hundreds of signs around the capital, which is almost 500 years old and

fabled for its crumbling Spanish colonial-era architecture as well as frozen-in-time 1950s cars and homes.

Signs have been put up on buildings, roadsides, churches and even trees, to greet the pontiff, including an official one in which the smiling pope, 84, appears as if he is giving a blessing, alongside an

HAVANA: Faithful pray during a procession inside a church in Havana, Cuba yesterday. — AP

image of Our Lady of Charity, Cuba’s patroness. “They are fixing (potholed) streets, painting some building facades, there is a lot of cleaning going on, a lot of organization,” said Consuelo San Martin, a 74-year-old retired nurse who now works as a doorwoman at Sacred Heart church.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the patroness, a big occasion for the local Roman Catholics that Benedict is coming to celebrate. “We have really high hopes. This visit is a gift from God,” said an emotional Hilda Rodriguez, a deeply religious Catholic who was praying at Our Lady of Charity church in the municipality of Centro Habana. Cuba’s Roman Catholics account for about 10 percent of the population of 11 million, after 40 years of official athiesm ended in the 1990s. Evangelical Protestants are making inroads here as elsewhere, but most Cubans identify most with AfroCuban belief systems, such as Santeria and Palo Monte.

Jose Salas, 70, is a Santeria believer, a former merchant marine who wears a typical necklace with red and white painted seeds, a reference to the diety Chango. And he thinks it is a great thing the pope is coming in tough economic times. “The Holy Father is bringing us peace, love and unity,” he said. Workers racing against the clock have pieced together the huge altar where Pope Benedict is to say mass in sprawling Revolution Square. It has been the venue

for countless mass rallies over almost five decades by the Communist government led until 2006 by Fidel Castro.

The altar was placed at the foot of the towering Jose Marti monument, which honors Cuba’s most important independence-era hero. And the pope, after meeting here with President Raul Castro, will look straight out at towering images of revolutionary icons Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos plastered on government ministries. The late Pope John Paul II said mass in the same Revolution Square in 1998 on the first papal visit to Cuba, ushering in smoother ties after decades of tensions between the Catholic church and Cuban state.

Now the Roman Catholic church, despite its nonmajority status locally, has evolved into the most influential non-state actor in Cuba, where the government controls the media and economy. It has mediated in events as sensitive as prisoner releases. Among the popular preparations-workers paved the heavily used Rancho Boyeros Avenue that leads to Jose Marti International Airport, and other streets on which the bullet-proof, pearly white Popemobile will roll by.

Even the Vatican nunciature was being gussied up as late as this week. But unlike at the time of John Paul II’s visit, Havana has not been supplied with much in the way of commemorative trinkets like T-shirts, pens or busts of the pontiff. — AFP

Pontiff attacks ‘evil of drugs, idolatry of money’ in Mexico Rising evangelical challenge in Catholic stronghold LEON: Pope Benedict arrived in Mexico on Friday promising to “unmask the evil” of drug trafficking in a country ravaged by gang violence that has killed 50,000 people in the past five years. The pope began his three-day visit to the world’s second-most populous Catholic state in the central city of Leon, where he received one of the most exuberant welcomes of any of his foreign trips.

Tens of thousands of people, 20 deep in some places, lined the streets on his 22-mile drive through the city.

He touched down in Mexico after making strong statements aboard his papal plane about the country’s spiraling drug war. “We must do whatever is possible to combat this destructive evil against humanity and our youth,” he told reporters, referring to the violent conflict

love.” “I will pray especially for those in need, particularly those who suffer because of old and new rivalries, resentments and all forms of violence,” said Benedict, adding that he hoped his message would also reach Mexicans outside of their homeland.

The bloodshed across Mexico was in the mind of many waiting to see Benedict in the city, a Roman Catholic stronghold that has avoided the worst of the brutal turf wars. Throngs of Catholics dressed in white t-shirts and caps threw yellow and white confetti, having waited since early morning to see the pope pass. Many of them were young people let out of school for the day.

Several stood in front of a large banner that read “Pope, pray that the violence ends, pray that peace returns.” “Violence is the country’s biggest

GUANAJUATO: Pope Benedict XVI (center) waves beside Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Mexican first lady Margarita Zavala upon his arrival at Silao’s international airport in Guanajuato, on March 23, 2012. — AFP

between rival drug cartels and the state that has killed 50,000 people since 2007. “It is the responsibility of the Church to educate consciences, to teach moral responsibility and to unmask the evil, to unmask this idolatry of money which enslaves man, to unmask the false promises, the lies, the fraud that is behind drugs,” the pope added.

Raising his arms aloft as he exited the plane, Benedict descended the stairs slowly, holding the handrail. He was greeted by President Felipe Calderon and a group of children while crowds cheered and waved Vatican flags. Addressing the masses gathered at the airport in a steady, measured tone, the pope, speaking in Spanish, said he had come as a “pilgrim of faith, of hope, and of

priority. There are some places where you can’t even set foot outside it’s so dangerous,” said 16year-old Martin Zamora who hung the sign with his Catholic youth group.

“Many young people have decided to join up with organized crime instead of fighting it. That’s what the pope is coming here for, to help save young people.” Benedict, who turns 85 next month, will rest for 24 hours to recover from jet lag. His main message will be delivered on Sunday at a massive outdoor service that hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend. The pope’s strong words on the drug menace should offer comfort to Calderon, who has staked his reputation on beating down the

Karzai urges more education of girls KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai called yesterday on tribal and religious leaders to encourage the education of girls, a right which was denied to them under Taleban rule. Afghanistan’s leader, speaking at a ceremony marking the start of the country’s school year, also urged insurgent groups not to attack teachers and school children, saying that the country could only develop through the spread of education. “Most importantly, I call on the religious scholars and tribal elders who are present today in the ceremony to encourage the education of girls, Karzai said. “To encourage children towards education particularly the education of girls is vital and important.”

Under Taleban rule between 1996 and 2001 women were banned from education and work, and even from leaving their homes unaccompanied. Karzai said: “I call on the insurgent groups particularly the Taleban as I called on them over the past 10 years, not to stop children from education. “The prevention of

children from education is enmity with the people of Afghanistan. “I will call on the insurgents not to attack teachers, religious scholars, schoolgoing children.”

“We are still among the least developed countries and undoubtedly we can develop only through education.”

He said the prevention of education would keep Afghanistan in a “miserable condition”.

In 2002 only one million Afghan children were enrolled in school while in 2010 30 percent of teachers in Afghanistan were women. Ghulam Farooq Warak, the minister for education, said: “We have 8.4 million schoolgoing children in Afghanistan and 39% of them are girls.” He added that 9.5 million children were still being deprived of education in the country. Afghanistan has had only rare moments of peace over the past 30 years, its education system being undermined by the Soviet invasion of 1979, a civil war in the 1990s and five years of Taleban rule. — AFP

cartels. The government’s inability to stem the violence has eroded support for his conservative National Action Party (PAN), which has strong Catholic roots and faces an uphill struggle to retain the presidency in elections in July.

Calderon hailed Benedict’s arrival, saying it was of great significance at a time of “many hardships” for Mexico.

“Mexico has suffered, as your Holiness knows well, the ruthless and cruel violence of organized crime,” Calderon said in his welcome speech, which was followed by a performance of traditional folk dancers and mariachi musicians. A survey by polling firm GCE published in the Milenio newspaper on Friday showed 72 percent of respondents wanted the pope to speak out on the security situation in Mexico.

ABUSE SCANDALS Benedict, who also travels to Cuba next week, hopes to rally the faithful in Mexico, where more and more people are being lured to evangelical Protestant churches. The German pope faces a challenge generating the same kind of fervor as his charismatic Polish predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who was beloved in Latin America and drew pulsating crowds when he criss-crossed the region during his 27-year papacy. Highlighting the growing religious divisions in Mexico, a large Protestant church in Leon held a service with hundreds of worshippers on Thursday, prominently displaying a sign that read “We are not Roman Catholics.” The Vatican has been stung by accusations of child abuse by priests in parishes around the world - including revelations about Mexican religious leader Marcial Maciel, who founded a prominent Catholic order, the Legionaries of Christ.

Maciel, who died in 2008 at the age of 87, was disgraced by allegations of sexual abuse and drug addiction. During the pope’s visit, religious scholar Bernardo Barranco will present a new book by ex-Legionaries with scores of leaked Vatican documents the authors say prove the Holy See knew about Maciel’s molestation of young boys and morphine use for decades. “The enthusiasm (about the pope’s visit) felt in Leon, is not the same in the rest of the country. The abuses by Father Maciel have cast a shadow,” Barranco said in an interview.

Benedict has apologized for priest abuse in the past but has no plans to meet Mexican victims. “There is so much suffering in Mexico that to narrowly focus on just one issue would be extreme,” said Father Jorge Martinez, an official from Mexico’s Episcopal Conference, when asked if the pope would address questions about Maciel’s legacy. The pope heads to Cuba tomorrow in a visit meant to bolster the position of the Church there and help the communist island move towards democracy.. Communism, he said on Friday, no longer works in Cuba. — Reuters

KABUL: Afghan security forces stand guard outside a home where witnesses say Afghans were killed by a US soldier in Panjwai, Kandahar province south of Kabul, Afghanistan. — AP

Afghan shooting suspect was ‘obnoxious drunk’ Reports show 3 alcohol-related incidents SAN FRANCISCO: A woman living near the US base of a soldier accused of killing 17 Afghan civilians remembered him on Friday as an “obnoxious drunk” who pressed her hand into his crotch and picked a fight with her boyfriend. Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, 38, was charged on Friday with murdering 17 civilians and trying to kill six more on the night of March 11 near his army base in Afghanistan. His lawyer has admitted that Bales had had something to drink on that night but played it down as a factor.

Washington state police reports show that Bales had three brushes with the law over the last decade, all of which mention alcohol. The first was in 2002 and the last two were in 2008, in between his second and third tours in Iraq. He went to war a fourth time in December, to Afghanistan. “He was an obnoxious drunk,” Myra Jo Irish said by telephone on Friday, describing the night of April 5, 2008, at the Paradise Village Bowl bowling alley in Tacoma, near Bales’ US base, LewisMcChord, in Washington state.

She made a report to police that night but never pressed charges. She said Bales followed her outside when she went for a smoke. “He said ‘you are beautiful’ and grabbed my hand and put it on his crotch,” she said. Her boyfriend asked for an apology, she remembered. “Next thing I knew, he had my boyfriend on the ground and started wailing on him,” she said. “His friends told me, ‘please don’t report this, cause he’s married, he’s drunk, and he’s in the service, and that would just devastate his life.’”

Bales received several military commendations during three tours in Iraq, where he was wounded at least twice. Since his name was

released a week ago, evidence of financial trouble at home, a $1.5 million fraud judgment against him and a brokerage where he worked, and the police reports have created a complex picture of the man. His lawyer, John Henry Browne, did not respond to a request for comment. Mark Lindquist, the prosecutor for Washington’s Pierce County, said his office did not press charges over the bowling alley brawl, because there was alcohol involved on all sides, it was a ‘mutual scuffle’ and there were no injuries.

Irish said on Friday that she and her boyfriend were not drunk, contradicting the police description in the 2008 report.

According to the police record, later in 2008, Bales flipped over his Ford Mustang after driving off the road and hitting a tree. One witness told police the driver smelled of alcohol.

Bales ran into the woods when deputies approached him. He later told an officer he had fallen asleep at the wheel and been “out of it” after the trauma of the accident. The Tacoma News Tribune newspaper said he received a deferred 12-month sentence.

The first police incident was in 2002, the year before his first combat tour. He was charged with assault after becoming intoxicated at a local casino, according to a police report. Bales threatened another patron and then security guards escorted him outside and put him into a cab, the report describes the guards as saying. But Bales got back out, picked up a trash can lid and came at the guards, punching one in the chest before they tackled him. Bales agreed to take anger-management classes, the Tacoma News has said, and the charges were dismissed.— Reuters

Police crack down on Rio’s illegal gambling RIO DE JANEIRO: Organized crime gangs in Rio suffered a major blow recently when police arrested the bosses of a popular illegal lottery which has allegedly become a smokescreen for money-laundering. Known as Jogo do bicho-or the animal game-the gambling game was invented in 1892 by Joao Batista Viana Drummond, the founder and owner of the Rio zoo, as a way of raising funds when the zoo ran into financial trouble. Very popular across the country particularly in Rio, the game is now a lottery-type drawing and since the 1990s has been run on a regional basis by mobsters. Each of 25 different animals is assigned a sequence of four consecutive numbers, on which you can bet any amount of money, even a cent.

And although it’s not official, it has been tolerated, with the organizers of the games building up fortunes and becoming the main sponsors of the samba schools which drive the annual carnival. Today however the illegal lottery serves as a smokescreen for other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, arms, militias, according to police. And earlier this month a judge sentenced the three oldest leaders of Jogo do bicho and 21 other associates to stiff jail terms for membership of an armed gang, money laundering, contraband and corruption.

Those sentenced included Aniz Abrao David,

the 75-year-old boss of the famous Beija-Flor samba school, Ailton Guimaraes Jorge, the 70year-old former chief of the League of samba schools (Liesa) and Antonio Petrus Kalil known as Turcao, the 83-year ex-leader of the Estacio de Sa samba school. Each of them were given a 48-year jail term and fined nearly five million euros. But experts say defeating the syndicates will take more-including amending the penal code and cutting the game’s financial arm.

The sentences came 19 years after another judge, Denise Frossard, sentenced 14 Jogo do bicho chiefs to jail for the first time. The accused were nailed on tax evasion charges, as other charges could not be proven. “Some 19 years ago when I sentenced them, I had warned that we needed to hit without delay the heart of the organization which thrives on corruption, their financial arm, their money,” the 61-year-old Frossard said. “Today, we have laws on money laundering which did not exist at the time. It’s the only way of hitting the organization because even in prison, they continue to give orders,” she added. “We must end what we began 19 years ago. This will make it possible to clean up within the police and the judiciary.”

And while Rio public security secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame hailed the recent sentences as “exemplary” he also called for changes in the

penal code. “This helps our fight against all types of criminal organizations, drug trafficking, militias, (Jogo do) bicho,” he said, but warned the lottery should no longer be seen as a minor offense so “the accused can be kept in jail.” The new sentences were the result of operation “Hurricane” launched by police in 2007 against gambling bosses.

The gang bosses have been fighting a vicious turf war which climaxed in April 2010 with a grenade attack against one of them on one of the city’s main avenues in a Rio Residential district.

“Jogo do bicho finances other crimes such as arms and drug trafficking, slot machines and it’s a key factor for corruption as crime bosses buy off police and lawyers,” said lawmaker Marcelo Freixo, president of a parliamentary panel which investigated the militias in 2008. “In Brazil, whoever has money does not stay in jail. There are always legal recourses if you have a good lawyer,” he added, deploring “the lack of political will in parliament to change the law.” “A bill imposing sanctions on the militias (who include corrupt police and firemen) has been languishing in parliament since 2009 and for Jogo do bicho, there’s still nothing,” Freixo said. But he said a nascent debate on legalizing the gambling game could be an alternative. —AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

NEWS A robin pulls a worm from the ground on a rainy Friday afternoon in a grassy area just north of Zoo Beach in Racine, Wisconsin. — AP

US still fixated by nuke terror Continued from Page 1 Studies. “It is pretty shocking how much material is out there. 1440 tonnes of highly enriched uranium, 500 tonnes of separated plutonium (which is) weapons ready.” Between 15 to 50 kg of uranium enriched to 90 percent could make a simple nuclear bomb, while 6 kg of plutonium would be needed, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Obama’s globetrotting has been pared back to a minimum in election year, but his willingness to fly half way around the world to Seoul points to the severity of the nuclear threat.

“You have dozens of nations coming together behind the shared goal of securing nuclear materials around the world, so that they can never fall into the hands of terrorists,” said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security advisor.

Failure, he said, would result in “frankly, ... the gravest national security threat that the American people could face.”

Efforts to secure radiological material, in militaries, laboratories or medical establishments are at the center of the broad US agen-

da with states as diverse as Russia, China, Chile, South Africa, the Ukraine and even ally Canada. The issue shapes foreign policy - luring Obama into dialogue with leaders like Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, despite his poor State Department report card over abuses of political, judicial and press freedoms. Nazarbayev has earned a meeting with Obama after his cooperation to help secure highly enriched uranium and plutonium with the help of millions of dollars in US taxpayer money.

Analysts say the Obama-led effort to secure nuclear stocks has made progress since the Washington summit - though there is still some way to go. “I think America is absolutely safer now than it was three years ago,” said Kingston Reif of the Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation. “Seven countries have removed all their highly enriched uranium. That is material that is no longer capable of being used by terrorists in some kind of nuclear explosive device.”

While America works to secure radioactive stockpiles in the former Soviet Union and

elsewhere, senior US officials also worry that a state like Iran or North Korea could pass nuclear materials to a radical group. Obama deploys one argument against Iran that is strikingly similar to one used by his predecessor George W Bush to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq, on the basis of Saddam Hussein’s never found weapons of mass destruction. “There are risks that an Iranian nuclear weapon could fall into the hands of a terrorist organization,” he told the US-Israel lobby AIPAC recently.

The showdowns with Iran and North Korea challenge the case that Obama’s nuclear agenda, rolled out in a soaring speech in Prague in 2009 is a success. But experts say, Obama has made some real progress, with 80 percent of commitments made at the Washington summit fulfilled. He honored a vow to forge a new START treaty with Russia to reduce Cold War nuclear arsenals but is still trying to persuade the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Slow headway is being made meanwhile towards an updated Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). — AFP

Tear gas kills two Bahrainis Syria rebel hubs hit as...

Continued from Page 1 The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday criticised Bahraini forces for their “disproportionate use of force” as they sought to quell protests, saying their use of tear gas may have led to over 30 deaths.

“We have been receiving worrying reports of the disproportionate use of force by Bahraini security forces, including the excessive use of tear gas, the use of birdshot pellets and rubber bullets,” said spokesman Rupert Colville. According to an independent probe, 35 people were killed in the unrest between mid-February and mid-March 2011. — AFP

Bishops slam fatwa against...

Continued from Page 1 interfaith dialogue, demanded an official explanation from Riyadh.

“How could the grand mufti issue a fatwa of such importance behind the back of his king?” they asked. “We see a contradiction between the dialogue being practiced, the efforts of the king and those of his top mufti.”

In Moscow, Archbishop Mark told the Interfax news agency he hoped that Saudi Arabia’s neighbours “will be surprised by the calls made by this sheikh and ignore them”. The Catholic Church has urged Muslim states in recent years to give Christian minorities in their countries the same freedom of religion that Muslims enjoy in Western countries. There are few Orthodox Christians in the Gulf region, but the Moscow Patriarchate which was mostly silent during the decades of Soviet communism that ended in 1991 - has become increasingly vocal in defending the rights of Christians around the world. Bishop Paul Hinder, who oversees Catholic churches in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen, told Catholic news agency KNA that the fatwa had not been widely publicised in Saudi Arabia. “What is worrying is that such statements have influence in part of the population,” he said. — Reuters

‘Utter regret’ following...

Continued from Page 1 Mohammad, a student at Kuwait University, said that the incident was taken far too seriously, “It was clearly a mistake. Had they done it on purpose with the intention of being disrespectful, it would be a different issue, but it clearly wasn’t and they apologized for the mistake.

It was more funny than anything else.”

Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Ilyas Omarov told the ITAR-Tass news agency the incident “is, of course, a scandal and demands a thorough investigation, which we intend to conduct”. ITAR-Tass quoted shooting team member Oksana Stavitskaya as saying that Asian Shooting Federation President Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah had apologized to the team. “Sheikh Salman personally apologized to us. He recognized that the use of the music from the scandalous film in place of the anthem of Kazakhstan was completely a mistake of the organizers.

He explained that the awards ceremony was conducted by a firm under contract,” Stavitskaya said. The Kazakh news agency Tengri quoted team Coach Anvar Yunusmetov as saying tournament organizers had downloaded various countries’ national anthems from the Internet, and had also got the Serbian national anthem wrong.

Continued from Page 1 “Damascus, here we come”. YouTube videos showed a huge nighttime demonstration in the Kfar Sousa district and others in several parts of Syria’s second city Aleppo in the north. The deadly uprising that has gripped Syria for more than a year has largely spared Damascus, but in recent weeks violence has also rocked the capital.

The clashes in Damascus province were “very violent” with explosions heard across the region and in the city itself, opposition activist Mohammed Al-Shami told AFP. He reported explosions and small arms fire across a large part of Damascus province and in districts of the city itself, as anti-regime protests were staged in Douma and Artuz close to the capital.

Security forces also shot dead a civilian in southern Daraa province, where the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime first erupted in March 2011, said the Observatory. Monitors estimate that at least 9,100 people have been killed in Syria over the past year in violence the regime blames on “armed terrorist groups”.

Syria’s fragmented opposition, meanwhile, announced a two-day meeting from tomorrow in Istanbul to define their objectives ahead of an April 1 conference of the “Friends of Syria” group there. The talks aim to produce a “National Pact for a New Syria,” said main opposition umbrella group the Syrian National Council, adding that the key objectives are to rid the country of the “regime’s dictatorship.”

Despite regime pledges of democratic reform, two activists appeared in court yesterday accused of forming a secret organisation. “The security forces brought Bahraa Abdel Nabi Hijazi and Anas Abdel Salam before the judges for forming a secret organisation and participating in protests hostile to the regime,” human rights lawyer Michel Shammas told AFP. Amnesty International says thousands of regime opponents have been arrested over the past year, and that many were believed to have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

UN-Arab League envoy Annan arrived in Moscow to shore up vital backing from President Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov amid signs of waning Moscow support for its Arab ally.

Annan will meet Russian officials today before visiting China on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both countries have twice vetoed UN Security Council resolutions aimed at condemning Assad. Annan is carrying with him Assad’s answer to a peace plan under which Syria could begin a “political transition” to a representative government, with no specifically defined role for the Syrian leader.

His visit comes days after Moscow backed a non-binding Security Council statement in support of the initiative after making sure it contained no implicit threat of further action should Assad fail to comply. There are growing signs that Moscow is beginning to lose patience with Assad, despite his commitment to massive new Russian arms purchases and the granting of key naval access to the Mediterranean. A top Kremlin-linked lawmaker said Assad should treat the UN statement as “an insistent recommendation” whose implementation would determine the future course of relations between the two countries. “Assad has to take the first step: he must pull the Syrian army out of large cities,” the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs chief Mikhail Margelov said on Thursday.

Russia sells billions of dollars in arms to Syria and analysts warn that Russian interests in Syria are too important for it to allow Western and regional powers to independently dictate the battlescarred nation’s fate. The European Union on Friday slapped an assets freeze and travel ban on women in the Assad clan, notably his Britain-born wife Asma. “We are gratified that the EU has taken yet another step in tightening the noose on the Assad regime,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. — AFP

14

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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Issues

America’s Wild West gun laws

By Bernd Debusmann he killing of a black teenager by a self-appointed vigilante in Florida has trained a spotlight on gun laws reminiscent of the Wild West in 24 US states. Despite widespread outrage over the Florida case, gun-friendly senators in Washington want to make it easier to extend those laws to most of the country. That would set the United States, where there are more firearms in private hands than in any other country, even farther apart from the rest of the industrialized world as far as guns are concerned. And it would mark yet another success for the National Rifle Association (NRA) in its long campaign against gun controls.

Before getting into the details of the planned legislation, a brief recapitulation of what happened in the Orlando suburb of Sanford on Feb 26: Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old high school student, walked to a family member’s home at night when George Zimmerman, a self-appointed “neighborhood watch captain” spotted him, deemed the teenager suspicious, pursued him and shot him dead with a 9 mm pistol after what he told police was an altercation that made him fear for his life.

Police questioned Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, accepted his account of the incident, and let him go, following the letter or a 2005 Florida state law that allows citizens to use deadly force if they “reasonably believe” they face harm.

Unlike previous such cases, the teenager’s killing caught national attention, largely because social media served as a vehicle to carry charges of racism and unequal justice to a huge audience.

On March 8, Martin’s parents posted a “petition to prosecute the killer of our son” on the website change.org. By March 23, after thousands of demonstrators in New York, Miami and Sanford demanded Zimmerman’s arrest, the parents’ petition had gathered close to 1.5 million signatures.

Sanford’s police chief, Bill Lee, stepped down “temporarily” to let tempers cool, as he put it. In Washington, the Congressional Black Caucus, an informal group of AfricanAmerican legislators, termed the teenager’s death a “hate crime”. One might be tempted to think that the wave of indignation, steadily gathering momentum since Feb 26, might have tempered the enthusiasm of gun-loving Washington legislators for expanding controversial laws. But one would be wrong. And one would underestimate the clout of the NRA, considered one of the three most influential lobbies in the United States. On March 13, less than two weeks after Trayvon Martin’s death, a Democratic senator from gun-friendly Alaska, Mark Begich, introduced the “National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012”. Just another week later, Senator John Thune from South Dakota introduced a bill “to allow reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms”. The differences between the two are minor and due to an arcane dispute between the NRA and the smaller and more radical Gun Owners of America. The NRA has asked its members to contact their senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Begich bill.

Both bills would force all states that issue permits to carry concealed weapons to recognize permits obtained elsewhere. States such as California and New York that have stringent regulations on who can carry a gun would be obliged to allow people with permits obtained from states with lax gun laws, such as Florida. Gun control advocates say that it is laws allowing citizens to carry loaded handguns in public that form the basis of additional legislation, Such as the Florida Stand Your Ground law that barred police from arresting Zimmerman. As Alcee Hastings, a Democratic congressman from Florida put it: “This misguided law does not make our streets safer, rather it turns our streets into a showdown at the OK Corral. But this is not the Wild West. We are supposed to be a civilized society. Let Trayvon’s death not be for naught. Let us honor his life by righting this wrong.” Hastings, who is African American, called for a repeal of the law. That is not likely to happen, and less so in an election year. President Barack Obama has stayed out of the debate on gun laws, which flares every time there is a headline-making shooting, and with few exceptions, lawmakers seek the gun lobby’s favor and the resulting votes. This is the chief reason why advocates of tighter gun regulations have had little success over the past two decades.

Another reason, according to Kristen Rand of the Washington-based Violence Policy Center, is that most Americans are unaware of the number of people killed in incidents similar to the shooting of Trayvor Martin. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) does not compile statistics on such cases and most of them are never known outside the place where they happened. “The average person has no idea of the scale of the problem,” said Rand. “If they had, things might be different.”— Reuters

T

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.

Trayvon, my son, and the Black Male Code

By Jesse Washington thought my son would be much older before I had to tell him about the Black Male Code. He’s only 12, still sleeping with stuffed animals, still afraid of the dark.

But after the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I needed to explain to my child that soon people might be afraid of him. We were in the car on the way to school when a story about Martin came on the radio. “The guy who killed him should get arrested. The dead guy was unarmed!” my son said after hearing that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman had claimed selfdefense in the shooting in Sanford, Fla. We listened to the rest of the story, describing how Zimmerman had spotted Martin, who was 17, walking home from the store on a rainy night, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. When it was over, I turned off the radio and told my son about the rules he needs to follow to avoid becoming another Trayvon Martin - a black male who Zimmerman assumed was “suspicious” and “up to no good.”

As I explained it, the Code goes like this: Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes. Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up. Please don’t assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat.

America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are.

I was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week,

I

parents were talking to their children, especially their black sons, about the Code. It’s a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life. After Trayvon Martin was killed, Al Dotson Jr, a lawyer in Miami and chairman of the 100 Black Men of America organization, told his 14-yearold son that he should always be aware of his surroundings, and of the fact that people might view him differently “because he’s blessed to be an African-American”. “It requires a sixth sense that not everyone needs to have,” Dotson said.

Dotson, 51, remembers receiving his own instructions as a youth, and hearing those instructions evolve over time. His grandparents told Dotson that when dealing with authority figures, make it clear you are no threat at all - an attitude verging on submissive. Later, Dotson’s parents told him to respond with respect and not be combative. Today, Dotson tells his children that they should always be respectful, but should not tolerate being disrespected which would have been recklessly bold in his grandparents’ era. Yet Dotson still has fears about the safety of his children, “about them understanding who they are and where they are, and how to respond to the environment they are in”.

Bill Stephney, a media executive who lives in a New Jersey suburb that is mostly white and Asian, has two sons, ages 18 and 13. The Martin killing was an opportunity for him to repeat a longtime lesson: Black men can get singled out, “so please conduct yourself accordingly”. Like Dotson, Stephney mentioned an ultra-awareness “a racial Spidey sense, a tingling” - that his sons should heed when stereotyping might place them in danger. One night in the early 1980s, while a student at Adelphi University on Long Island, Stephney and about a dozen other hip-hop aficionados

went to White Castle after their late-night DJ gig. They were gathered in the parking lot, eating and talking, when a squadron of police cars swooped in and a helicopter rumbled overhead. “We got a report that a riot was going on,” police told them.

Stephney and his crew used to talk late into the night about how black men in New York were besieged by violence - graffiti artist Michael Stewart’s death after a rough arrest in 1983; Bernhard Goetz shooting four young black men who allegedly tried to mug him on the subway in 1984; Michael Griffith killed by a car while being chased by a white mob in 1986; the crack epidemic that rained black-on-black violence on the city. They felt under attack, as if society considered them the enemy. This is how the legendary rap group Public Enemy was born. Their logo: A young black man in the crosshairs of a gun sight. “Fast forward 25 years later,” Stephney said.

“We’ve come a long way to get nowhere.”

But what about that long road traveled, which took a black man all the way to the White House? I can hear some of my white friends now: What evidence is there that Trayvon Mar tin caught George Zimmerman’s attention - and his bullet because of his race? Lynching is a relic of the past, so why are you teaching your son to be so paranoid? There is a difference between paranoia and protection.

Much evidence shows that black males face unique risks: Psychological studies indicate they are often perceived as threatening; here in Philadelphia, police stopand-frisk tactics overwhelmingly target African-Americans, according to a lawsuit settled by the city; research suggests that people are more likely to believe a poorly seen object is a gun if it’s held by a black person.

Yes, it was way back in 1955 when 14year-old Emmitt Till was murdered in Mississippi for flirting with a white woman.

But it was last Wednesday when a white

Mississippi teenager pleaded guilty to murder for seeking out a black victim, coming across a man named James Craig Anderson, and running him over with his pickup truck.

Faced with this information, I’m doing what any responsible parent would do: Teaching my son how to protect himself.

Still, it requires a delicate balance. Steve Bumbaugh, a foundation director in Los Angeles, encourages his 8- and 5-year-old sons to talk to police officers, “and to otherwise develop a good relationship with the people and institutions that have the potential to give them trouble. I think this is the best defense”. “I don’t want them to actually think that they are viewed suspiciously or treated differently,” Bumbaugh said. “I think that realization breeds resentment and anger. And that can contribute to dangerous situations.” His sons are large for their age, however. “I’m probably naive to think that they won’t realize they’re viewed differently when they’re 6-4 and 200 pounds,” Bumbaugh said, “but I’m going to try anyway.”

I am 6-4 and more than 200 pounds, son. You probably will be too. Depending on how we dress, act and speak, people might make negative assumptions about us. That doesn’t mean they must be racist; it means they must be human. Let me tell you a story, son, about a time when I forgot about the Black Male Code. One morning I left our car at the shop for repairs. I was walking home through our quiet suburban neighborhood, in a cold drizzle, wearing an all-black sweatsuit with the hood pulled over my head. From two blocks away, I saw your mother pull out of our driveway and roll towards me. When she stopped next to me and rolled down the window, her brown face was full of laughter. “When I saw you from up the street,” your mother told me, “I said to myself, what is that guy doing in our neighborhood?”— AP

Mali coup shakes cocktail of instability in Sahel

By David Lewis pillover from the overthrow of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi last year has been stirring a toxic cocktail of rebels, weapons, refugees, drought, smugglers and violent Islamic militants in Africa’s turbulent Sahel region. Now this backwash of instability from one field of the Arab Spring has now claimed its first government south of the Sahara - with this week’s coup in Mali, where renegade low-ranking officers in the West African state toppled President Amadou Toumani Toure. They overthrew him early on Thursday because they said his government had not adequately supported the Malian army’s fight against an advancing Tuareg-led rebellion in the north that was swelled by arms and former pro-Gaddafi fighters from Libya.

“It was a cascade effect,” said Yvan Guichaoua, a lecturer in African politics at the University of East Anglia, speaking to Reuters from the Malian capital Bamako where the mutinous soldiers have been stealing vehicles and looting petrol stations and businesses. But despite frequent bouts of gunfire, there appears to have been relatively little bloodshed so far. Mali, Africa’s third largest gold miner and a major local cotton grower, was viewed on the continent and in the wider world as a relatively stable democratic state in a permanently restless region dogged for decades by coups and mutinies.

It was an ally of regional and Western governments in their effor ts to stop attacks and kidnappings by Al-Qaedaassociated militants from spreading southwards down through the Sahara. Such vio-

S

lence is already causing bloodshed in Africa’s top oil producer Nigeria, in the form of the Boko Haram sect. “It’s clearly unfortunate for Mali ... This is plunging one of the most stable countries in West Africa into instability,” Gilles Yabi, the Dakarbased West Africa project director for the International Crisis Group think tank, told Reuters. “Disputes should not be resolved by arms. It’s a bad sign for other countries which are in the process of consolidating their democracies,” said Nadia Nata, political governance officer at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

The United States had been providing counter-terrorism training to Mali’s army.

One of the coup leaders, Captain Amadou Sanogo, president of the newly formed National Committee for the Return of Democracy and the Restoration of the State (CNRDR), said he received training from US Marines and intelligence. But the overnight coup, carried out apparently by mid-level and junior officers, will put an end to such support for the moment. The World Bank, the African Development Bank and European Commission have all suspended aid funding to Mali.

The coup leaders of the CNRDR have promised to hand power back to a democratically-elected president “as soon as the country is reunified”. But the Tuareg rebels in the north, whose recent battlefield humiliations of the Malian army triggered the putsch in Bamako, are already pushing south, taking advantage of the confusion.

The coup chiefs’ seeming inability to control the soldiers under their command, to judge by the pillaging and wild shooting in the streets, bodes ill for the immediate

future. “There is no clear agenda ... what will happen next is very unclear,’ said Guichaoua. ICG’s Yabi said: “This is giving an impression of chaos”.

The uncertainty was compounded on Friday when the African Union said it was told President Toure was still in Mali, safe and protected by loyalists, not far from Bamako. Amnesty International said coup leaders had arrested several members of Toure’s government. It demanded their release. Despite Toure’s public image as a steadfast “Soldier of Democracy”, analysts said Western backers like France and the United States had been less than happy recently with his government’s efforts in countering the threat of Al-Qaeda and its allies in Mali’s vast and remote desert north. “There was the view that he was using the counter-terrorism argument as a prop for himself in office,” Guichaoua said, and he cited concerns too about corruption in the Malian government.

Toure, who had initially won his democratic credentials by quickly handing over power to civilian rule after seizing it in a 1991 coup, was planning to leave office following elections in April, after serving two consecutive elected terms. But analysts said that with swathes of the north effectively outside government control, and with thousands displaced by the spreading insurgency there, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to hold credible elections next month. Suspicions existed that some members of Toure’s administration secretly tolerated rebel and Al-Qaeda networks in the north to be able to benefit from lucrative drug smuggling and other illegal businesses that thrive in

the desert area.

The Tuareg-led rebels now thrusting south have said they want to set up an independent area across the northern region. Bourema Dicko, a member of parliament in charge of the defence and security commission in Mali’s parliament, told Reuters before the coup the rebels had no real clear political agenda. “They just want to be able to smuggle weapons and drugs through the north. They don’t really want security,” he said. However, one diplomat gave a more nuanced view of the latest Tuareg insurgency, saying that while the desert rebels sought a homeland, pragmatism meant that they had to work with Islamists and smuggling cartels in the lawless north. “This is a hybrid operation - liberation and sharia law. Deals will be done.

Palms will be greased,” the diplomat, who asked not to be named, said.

Guichaoua said there was still hope that the coup leaders might prove capable of forging some kind consensus with the country’s political forces, perhaps even agreeing a peace with the northern rebels, to be able to hold credible elections. But as Bamako residents watched soldiers, some seemingly drunk, roaming the streets and looting, many wondered just what kind of new rule they were in for. “They said the reason for the coup was the problem in the north. So let them tell us what solutions they have for the problem in the north. Let them tell us the way they want to run the country,” said Bamako resident Fouseyni Diarra. OSIWA’s Nata said the coup could exacerbate already worsening security and criminality in the wider Sahel. “This opens (a) Pandora’s box,” she said. — Reuters

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

sp orts Ban on Amir is too harsh KARACHI: Mohammad Amir’s five-year ban from cricket for spot fixing is too harsh, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has said. “Amir could have become the best bowler in the world. He has served his prison sentence and that matter is now closed, but the issue of the ICC (International Cricket Council) ban is obviously still ongoing,” Ashraf said.

Ashraf met Amir recently, after he served three months in a young offenders’ institution in Britain, and said the fast bowler was apologetic about his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. Amir, 19, was convicted, along with former captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, of helping to arrange the delivery of deliberate no-balls during the 2012 Lord’s test against England.

In a television interview last week, Amir accused Butt and agent Mazhar Majeed of tricking him into bowling the noballs. “I think the five-year ban is too harsh and it is down to Amir if he wishes to appeal against that lengthy ban imposed upon him,” the PCB chief told the Pakpassin.net web site on Friday.

“I would suggest that he does appeal against the ban and I think the relevant body should take a lenient view given his age and the talent he possesses.” — Reuters

Toronto 4, New Jersey 3 (SO); Buffalo 4, NY Rangers 1; Winnipeg 4, Washington 3 (OT); Columbus 5, Carolina 1; Montreal 5, Ottawa 1; Edmonton 2, Florida 1 (SO).

(SO denotes shootout win, OT is overtime victory)

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

St. Louis Detroit Nashville Chicago Columbus Vancouver Colorado Calgary Minnesota Edmonton Los Angeles Phoenix Dallas San Jose Anaheim

GF 202 244 234 204 174

GA 165 185 207 195 218

PTS 99 98 94 90 71

237 222 194 214 196

180 219 208 235 207

87 84 82 74 71

184 202 200 198 205

203 214 214 223 249

86 82 78 75 73

Western Conference Central Division 46 20 9 192 44 25 5 225 42 24 8 210 42 25 8 229 24 43 7 172 Northwest Division 44 21 9 226 40 31 5 198 34 26 15 185 31 32 10 158 30 36 9 200 Pacific Division 37 25 12 173 37 26 12 197 40 29 5 194 37 27 10 201 32 32 11 189

AGADIR: Damien McGrane of Ireland took a one-stroke lead after completing the delayed second round of the weather-affected Hassan II Trophy in Morocco yesterday. The Irishman managed to save par from a fairway bunker on the last in a round of 4-under 68 to move to 11 under on the Golf du Palais Royal course. McGrane, whose only previous European Tour success was a nine-shot victory in the 2008 China Open, started his second round late Friday after a lengthy delay to the start of play due to high winds.

Overnight leader Phillip Price of Wales had completed his second round Friday with a 66 for a 10-under total. Also, Friday Spain’s Jose Manuel

147 181 197 214 237

101 93 92 92 55

185 199 204 201 220

97 85 83 72 69

160 194 197 192 209

86 86 85 84 75

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

MIAMI: Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova is tough enough for the top players in women’s tennis, but now the Russian beauty is about to be joined by another Sharapova, her 16-year-old cousin.

Dasha Sharapova, who has been fine tuning her tennis talents at Florida’s IMG Bollettieri Academy, has been announced in the field of the Sarasota Open, a 16player event to be played April 14-22 on the US developmental circuit. “(Dasha) began playing at the age of five and moved to America from Russia when she was nine,” Sarasota Open spokeswoman Sandra Rios said. “Not withstanding the cultural changes of such a move, Dasha found the most significant change was the increased amount of tennis she plays.”

The younger Sharapova says her role model is her cousin Maria, currently ranked World No. 2 and coming off a runnerup showing at Indian Wells as she plays in the WTA and ATP hardcourt event in Miami that runs through next week.

Meanwhile, Australian tennis coach and player Nathan Healey was recovering on Thursday after undergoing emergency heart surgery, according to accounts on Twitter from around the tennis community.—AFP

NEW YORK: Travis Turnbull scored his first NHL goal, with some help from the Rangers, as the Buffalo Sabres earned another big win in their playoff quest by beating New York 4-1 on Friday. Drew Stafford had goals in the second and third periods, Tyler Ennis added one in the third, and Ryan Miller made 26 saves for Buffalo. The Sabres pulled even in points with eighth-place Washington with 82 in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The Rangers missed a chance to tie St. Louis atop the overall NHL standings, and now are in a precarious position in the East. They still lead Pittsburgh by one point, but the Rangers have only eight games remaining, compared to nine for the surging Penguins. Brian Boyle scored in the second for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves.

Canadiens 5, Senators 1 At Montreal, Erik Cole scored three goals in the first 5:41 of Montreal’s victory over Ottawa. Cole has 30 goals this season. Patteri Nokelainen also scored in the first period, and Lars Eller added one in the third for Montreal.

Jason Spezza, playing his 600th NHL game, scored for Ottawa to reach 30 goals for the fourth time in his career and the first time since 2008-09. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, returning after missing 12 games because of a finger cut, was pulled at the 4:56 mark of the first in favor of Ben Bishop, but was back in to start the second period.

Jets 4, Capitals 3 At Washington, Tim Stapleton scored 2:37 into overtime as Winnipeg rallied from three goals down to beat Washington and pull within four points of the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. Spencer Machacek scored his first NHL goal with 3:45 remaining in regulation to tie it, and the Jets went on to break a two-game losing streak. Ben Maxwell and Bryan Little also scored for Winnipeg. Alex Ovechkin scored twice, and Jason Chimera added a goal for the Capitals.

Blue Jackets 5, Hurricanes 1 At Columbus, Ohio, RJ Umberger had three goals for the third time in his career and Steve Mason stopped 39 shots to help Columbus hand Carolina a critical blow to its diminishing playoff hopes. The Hurricanes, who had won their last four games, dropped seven points behind Washington and Buffalo in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Vinny Prospal added a goal and an assist, Derick Brassard assisted on each of Umberger’s goals, and Nikita Nikitin and Jack Johnson each had two assists. Drayson Bowman scored for the Hurricanes.

Maple Leafs 4, Devils 3 At Newark, New Jersey, James Reimer made 43 saves and all three Toronto players scored in the shootout to beat New Jersey after the Maple Leafs blew a two-goal lead in the third period. Tyler Bozak Tim Connolly and Nazam Kadri scored against Martin Brodeur in the shootout to give Toronto its fifth victory in 22 games. Ilya

Tiger poised to end title drought ORLANDO: Tiger Woods set himself up for a real shot at his first PGA Tour win in over two years by grabbing a share of the lead after the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday.

Woods, who shot a bogey-free round of 65, and South Korean Charlie Wi reached the halfway point level at ten-under par, a stroke ahead of Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and in-form American Jason Dufner.

Former world number one Woods has not won on the Tour since his victor y in the BMW Championship in September, 2009, but has already racked up six titles on the Bay Hill course.

Lara recorded a 65 to reach 9 under, one ahead of Sweden’s Joakim Sjolholm who signed for a 66 for 8 under. “It was a pretty tidy and steady 13 holes this morning and I managed to sneak four birdies in there and to finish with strong par as the last gives me good feelings going into this afternoon,” said McGrane. “So keeping bogeys off the card around this course is a good achievement and I am content now, I must admit.

“I’m looking forward now to the last two rounds so I’m hoping to still be in front later tomorrow afternoon.”

Officials were planning to start the third round directly after the second is finished. — AP

A new Sharapova is coming

Sabres top Rangers

NHL results/standings

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL 46 21 7 46 21 6 43 23 8 42 27 6 30 32 11 Northeast Division 42 28 3 37 28 10 36 29 10 33 34 8 29 33 13 Southeast Division 36 24 14 37 30 8 35 31 8 30 30 15 33 33 7

McGrane leads Hassan II Trophy

“Fortunately I’ve had a few places where I’ve felt comfortable and played well and this is one of them,” said Woods.

“It was a solid round of golf. I actually felt like I hit it better yesterday than today but I’ve made more putts today for sure. I felt great over the putter.

“My speed was good, I left a couple of putts dead short right in the centre of the hole and it really could have been a really low round today. A lot of positives.”

Wi, who shared the overnight lead with Dufner, birdied four of the last six holes to remain tied at the top of the leaderboard.

World number 17 McDowell

ORLANDO: Ernie Els, of South Africa, hits out of a greenside bunker on the 17th hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. — AP

produced a sparkling nine-under 63 to put himself in contention for what promises to be a fascinating weekend.

McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, was also bogey-free and notched seven birdies, and an eagle at the par-five 16th. His 63, one shy of the course record, was in marked contrast to last year when he slumped to an ugly 80 in the opening round.

“My record has not been very good here the last few years but still I had the belief I could come and compete here if I got it all together,” he said.

“It is going to be a quality leaderboard and it’s nice to be in the mix heading into the weekend,” added the Northern Irishman. Dufner, the joint overnight leader with Wi, returned a 69 to join McDowell on nine under.

England’s Justin Rose carded a second 69 and is four shots behind the leaders after bogeys on the eighth and ninth restricted his progress.

“I had it going really nicely on the front nine got it to sevenunder par and then threw two bogeys which killed the momentum. From that point on it was a struggle for the rest of the day,” he said.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia also showed promising pre -US Masters form when a 67 put him on 139 along with American Bubba Watson (70). — Reuters

NEW YORK: Rangers’ Michael Del Zotto (4) and goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) react as the Buffalo Sabres celebrate a goal

by Tyler Ennis (63) during the third period of an NHL hockey game. — AP

Kovalchuk and Zach Parise scored against Reimer on the Devils’ first two shootout shots, but Reimer made a pad save on Patrik Elias, and Kadri got the winner with a spectacular side to side move against Brodeur. Bozak, Kadri and former Devil David Steckel scored for Toronto in regulation. Jacob Josefson, Parise and Adam Henrique countered for New Jersey.

Oilers 2, Panthers 1 At Sunrise, Florida, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the deciding goal in the fourth round of a shootout to left Edmonton past Florida. Nugent-Hopkins’ goal was the only score in the shootout. Ryan Jones scored in regulation for the Oilers, and Devan Dubnyk made 26 saves. Jason Garrison scored for the Panthers, and Jose Theodore stopped 20 shots. — AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

sp orts

West Indies beat Australia

WELLINGTON: South Africa’s JP Duminy (left) cuts in front of New Zealand wicket keeper Kruger van Wyk and Ross Taylor on the second day of the third international cricket Test at the Basin Reserve. —AP

SA in command of third Test WELLINGTON: Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy batted South Africa into a commanding position with an unbroken 140run partnership at the close of play on the weather-affected second day of the third and final test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve.

Petersen was on 96 and Duminy 76 as the visitors steadily accumulated runs after the start of play was delayed by constant drizzle for almost four and half hours, pushing South Africa to 246 for two when bad light stopped play.

The 31-year-old Petersen had been dropped by Martin Guptill on 68 after nicking a Doug Bracewell delivery, but was in sight of his third test century when umpires offered the option of leaving the ground at 1725 local (0425 GMT) with 12 overs remaining in the day’s play.

Play had been halted on the first day at the same time due to fading light.

Umpires called a halt to play 10 minutes later. Resuming on 136 for two, Petersen and Duminy were rarely troubled as New Zealand’s attack battled a howling, chilly northerly wind throughout the 37 overs they managed to bowl.

Petersen had survived a loud lbw shout on the first ball of the day from Chris Martin and was then dropped by Guptill, who dived full length to where third slip would have been standing, only to have the ball strike his forearm.

Duminy brought up his fourth test half century when he top-edged the next delivery over the slips for his sixth boundary.

They went to the tea break on 222 for two and added 24 further runs after the break, with Petersen punching Mark Gillespie behind square to move to 96 before the players left the field.

There was some bad news for South Africa, however, when top-order batsman Hashim Amla was ruled out of the rest of the match after he had emergency surgery in Wellington. Amla, who scored 63 on Friday, deflected a Martin delivery into his groin area on Friday and had surgery for “blunt force trauma”, the team said.

South Africa only need to draw the game to seal the three-match series after they won the second test at Seddon Park in Hamilton by nine wickets. —Reuters

SCOREBOARD WELLINGTON: Scoreboard at the close of play on the second day of the third and final test between New Zealand and South Africa at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday: New Zealand won the toss and chose to Lange Bowling: Martin 15-3-49-0; Bracewell 17field South Africa first innings (overnight 136-2) 3-46-1 (w-1); Gillespie 20-4-68-1 (w-1, nb1); Vettori 20-6-49-0; Brownlie 2-0-20-0; G.Smith c van Wyk b Bracewell 5 Williamson 5-0-12-0.

A.Petersen not out 96 New Zealand: Ross Taylor (captain), H.Amla c van Wyk b Gillespie 63 Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Brendon JP Duminy not out 76 McCullum, Kane Williamson, Dean Extras (w-2, nb-2, b-2) 6 Brownlie, Daniel Vettori, Kruger van Wyk, Total (for two wickets, 79 overs) 246 Doug Bracewell, Mark Gillespie, Chris Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-106 Still to bat: AB de Villiers, Jacques Martin.

Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Vernon Philander, South Africa lead the three match series Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Marchant de 1-0.

Wataniya Telecom sponsors beach volleyball tournament KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom announced its recent sponsorship to the Beach Volleyball Tournament hosted by the Kuwait Volleyball Association that took place at Soug Sharq’s beach side. Wataniya’s sponsorship of the tournament is based on its continuous involvement in different athletic activities and events that take place within the Kuwaiti community. The tournament lasted three days from March 12th to March 14th where it was open to anyone in Kuwait.

Commenting on the company ’s sponsorship, Abdulaziz Al-Balool Director of Public Relations at Wataniya Telecom confirmed the company’s leading role in athletic and

sports sponsorships in Kuwait and its mission to become part of all sectors and fields that add value to the community and are beneficial to the health and lifestyle of the people involved.

Al-Balool said: “The three day event was an interesting and active one. We highly appreciate the efforts of Kuwait Volleyball Association for taking the initiative to organize such an event that involves the society as a whole and brings together people from all over Kuwait who are passionate and are interested in the same thing under one roof. We look forward to taking part in similar activities in the near future.”

ST LUCIA: Kieron Pollard blasted 102 from just 70 deliveries to lead West Indies to an emphatic win over Australia in their fourth one-day international in St Lucia on Friday.

Victory meant the hosts went 2-1 up in the series with one match left to play. Pollard destroyed Australia’s bowling attack to rescue his team from an early batting slump and post a formidable total of 294 for seven.

The Australians, who won the toss but surprisingly elected to give the home side first use of a perfect batting pitch, made 252 in reply to lose by 42 runs as West Indies polished them off in the 47th over. “To play a match-winning k nock feels great,” said Pollard, whose spectacular innings featured five boundaries and eight sixes.

“Some of the sixes I didn’t middle but once they get over the line they’re all six.”

Andre Russell (34) and captain Darren Sammy (31 not out) also chipped in at the end to help push the West Indies total towards 300.

With Pollard they piled on 117 runs in the last 10 overs, including 23 off the last over from Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who finished with two for 72.

“It was the kind of total we could defend.

The pitch was fantastic,” Sammy said. “We’re looking forward to the final game. It would be good if we could get a series win.”

After losing the first game by 64 runs, West Indies won the second by five wickets and tied the third. Sunday’s final fixture is also in St Lucia.

Lee made amends for his expensive bowling by top scoring for Australia with 59 off 48 balls while David Hussey (57) also contributed.

However, the visitors were always struggling to reach their daunting target after four of their first five batsmen were dismissed in the 20s after making starts.

“Unfortunately, at the top of the order, me and David Warner haven’t been able to bat on deep into the innings, I think that would have made chasing a bit easier,” Australia skipper Shane Watson said. “It was a beautiful wicket, like those at home. The St Lucia crowd saw a good game from West Indies, but unfortunately not from us.” —Reuters

ST LUCIA: West Indies’ wicket keeper Carlton Baugh (center) celebrates along teammates Andre Russell (right) and captain Darren Sammy after he caught behind Australia’s batsman George Bailey for 25 runs during their fourth one-day international cricket match. —AP

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard from yesterday’s fourth one-day international between West Indies and Australia at Gros Islet, St Lucia.

West Indies innings J. Charles c Lee b Doherty 37 A. Barath c Wade b McKay 41 M. Samuels c Wade b Lee 11 Darren Bravo c D. Hussey b Watson 25 Dwayne Bravo lbw b Doherty 0 K. Pollard c M. Hussey b Lee 102 A. Russell c Bailey b Watson 34 D. Sammy not out 31 C. Baugh not out 0 Extras (lb-3 w-10) 13 Total (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 294 Did not bat: S. Narine, K. Roach Fall of wickets: 1-56 2-83 3-106 4-106 5-146 6-240 7-728 Bowling: Lee 10-0-72-2 (w-2), Hilfenhaus 10-1-430 (w-5), McKay 10-1-57-1 (w-2), Watson 10-0-55-2 (w-1), Doherty 10-1-64-2.

Australia innings S. Watson c Roach b Sammy

28

D. Warner c Narine b Dwayne Bravo 1 P. Forrest c Charles b Sammy 24 G. Bailey c Baugh b Russell 25 M. Hussey c Baugh b Russell 26 D. Hussey b Roach 57 M. Wade c Russell b Pollard 15 B. Lee c sub (Mathurin) b Roach 59 C. McKay c Pollard b Dwayne Bravo 2 X. Doherty c Sammy b Narine 1 B. Hilfenhaus not out 0 Extras (lb-1 w-11 nb-2) 14 Total (all out, 46.3 overs) 252 Fall of wickets: 1-3 2-56 3-62 4-111 5-112 6-179 7196 8-235 9-250 10-252 Bowling: Roach 9.3-0-74-2 (nb-1 w-3), Dwayne Bravo 6-0-47-2 (w-5), Narine 10-0-21-1 (w-1), Sammy 9-0-42-2 (nb-1), Russell 7-0-34-2 (w-1), Samuels 3-0-17-0 (w-1), Pollard 2-0-16-1.

Result: West Indies won by 42 runs to lead series 2-1.

Man of the match: Kieron Pollard (West Indies)

Retirement not on my mind, says Tendulkar NEW DELHI: India’s batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar has said he isn’t ready to hang up his boots yet, amid growing speculation about his future following his long-awaited 100th international century.

“I still get goose bumps as I stand with my team-mates when the national anthem is on. I still feel the same passion when I pick up my bat and go out,” Tendulkar said in an interview with India’s ‘Open’ magazine.

Tendulkar, who set a new record in his glittering two-decade career by completing an unprecedented century of centuries during the recent Asia Cup, said he would quit only when he felt “a little less passion” for the game. “Critics haven’t taught me my cricket and they don’t know what my body and mind are up to. I can tell you that the day I feel a little less passion when I walk out to bat for India, I’ll give up the game.

“Critics don’t need to tell me to do so. I will come to them and say ‘my time is up’. Till then,

I’d not bother about these opinions.”

India’s cricket greats, including former captain Kapil Dev, talked about Tendulkar’s retirement last month, at least from one-dayers, to prolong his Test career.

Dev said that it was time to ponder hard choices for Tendulkar. “Maybe his time has come,” Kapil said. “Every player has his time.

Age is not on his side as it was earlier.”

But Tendulkar, the world’s leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, told Open magazine: “Retirement isn’t something I am thinking about.”

When asked whether he thought of quitting one-day cricket after India’s World Cup triumph last year, the master batsman said “such a thought had never occurred” to him.

“A number of my friends have also asked me why I didn’t retire from one-day cricket after winning the World Cup, they may well be right. It would indeed have been a grand exit,” said Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month.

“But... my retirement was a non-issue, really. The World Cup was about India and I had no right to make it an event of my own. “Had I announced my retirement soon after winning the trophy, the focus would have shifted from the Cup triumph to my retirement.”

Tendulkar conceded that his 100th international hundred, against Bangladesh in Dhaka on March 16, was the most difficult.

“The hundredth 100 was the most difficult to get. I really don’t know why, but it was,” said Tendulkar, who now has 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.

“Maybe because it had turned into a national obsession. Maybe because I wasn’t able to escape talk of the hundredth 100 and it was affecting me at a subconscious level.

Maybe God was trying me harder.”

Tendulkar took more than a year to achieve the milestone. His 99th international ton came against South Africa in the World Cup at Nagpur on March 12 last year. — AFP

Ex-champs in bid to regain crowns TOKYO: Japanese figure skating stars Mao Asada and Daisuke Takahashi are aiming to regain the women’s and men’s crowns at the world championships starting in Nice, France tomorrow to boost their bids for Olympic medals of better colours.

Vancouver Olympic silver medallist Asada, the 2008 and 2010 world champion, is getting back the grip on her trademark triple axel, a technically demanding 3.5-revolution jump with which she has struggled for a few seasons.

Takahashi-who grabbed the men’s bronze in Vancouver and lifted the world title in the absence of Olympic gold and silver medallists Evan Lysacek and Yevgeny Plushenko in 2010 — is improving his quadruple jump to catch up with reigning world champion Patrick Chan of Canada.

“For me, the greatest thing was that I could attempt the triple axel,” the 21-year-old Asada said after finishing runner-up to US national champion Ashley Wagner at the Four Continents championships last month.

Although judges ruled Asada under-rotated the triple axel in both the short programme and free skating, she was content that she could try it in competition for the first time in the 20112012 season.

“I feel like I am climbing up the staircase, step by step, toward the world championships,” said Asada, who made history by nailing three triple axels overall at the 2010 Olympics.

“I will definitely try to be steady with my jumps.” The only female skater who regularly attempts the triple axel in competition at present, Asada finished sixth at last year’s world championships where she botched the jump in the short and long programmes.

She had avoided the jump this season until the Four Continents at Colorado Springs while she finished second in the NHK Trophy and won the Cup of Russia in the Grand Prix series.

Asada had to withdraw from the Grand Prix final in December to fly home as her mother was in critical condition. Despite her mother’s death, she won her fifth national title, her first in two years.

“She (Asada) has overall skating skills. So, if she lands the (triple) axel clean, she can’t be easily beaten,” Nobuhiko Yoshioka, technical director

of figure skating at the Japan Skating Federation, told AFP. In the absence of Olympic gold medallist Kim Yu-Na of South Korea and Japan’s 2007 and 2011 world champion Miki Ando, Wagner and European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy may be Asada’s main rivals in Nice.

Another Japanese Akiko Suzuki, who beat

Asada to win the NHK Trophy and finished runner-up to Kostner at the Grand Prix final, also has a medal chance, Yoshioka said.

At last year’s worlds, Takahashi finished fifth in the men’s contest as he singled an opening quadruple in free skating when a blade was unscrewed from his shoe. He made a series of mistakes after the problem was fixed. —AFP

Kuwait dominates Bahrain Drag Race KUWAIT: Kuwaiti contestants dominated seven out of ten classes held as part of the fifth and final round of the 2012 Bahrain Drag Race Tournament which took place on Friday.

Members of the Kuwait Quarter Mile Club finished in the top three places including the Street Bike class, while Kuwait’s Badr Al-Eidan took second place’s prize for the Super Street Bike class. In automobiles classes, Kuwaiti rac-

er Mohammad Al-Sulaiman came in second spot of the 8V Cylinder class, while the Super Street 8V class was dominated by Kuwaiti contestants who finished in the top three spots.

The 2012 Bahrain Drag Race Tournament is one of the toughest regional speed races which take place in five rounds under regulations of the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association).

17

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

SPORTS

General Mahmoud Al-Dousary with the winners

Sheikh Salman with the winners

Serbia excel at HH Amir Shooting GP

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: HH The Amir Shooting Grand Prix witnessed Serbia giving an outstanding performance, while Qatar proved a serious competitor for Kuwait during the 10th Arab Shooting Championship.

Europe’s champion in 2010 and 2012 Serbia’s Bobana Velickovic snatched the gold medal in the 10m Pistol following fierce competition. with well known world champions.

Bobana beat her compatriot Zorana Arunovic, as the shooting legend Jasna Sekaric who previously won five Olympic medals proved the big looser by ending in fifth place. The third place went to Korea’s Jo Soo Young.

Serbia’s Anderea made up for her loss in the 10m air rifle by winning the gold medal in the 50m rifle three positions event for women, beating the seasoned Kazakh Olga Dovgun who previously won the world championship twice and the world cup four times and Europe championship

once. The Bronze medal went to Slovenia’s Ziva Dvorsak.

Kazakh’s Angelina Michshuk won the women skeet event, ahead of Morocco’s Ibtissam Marirhi and Bahrain’s Samah Hejres.

In the Arab Championship, Qatar came in strongly in the competition with Kuwait taking one gold, two silver and two bronze, while Tunis, Iraq and Algeria joined the medal winners list.

Kuwait still leads with nine gold medals, eight silver and five bronze followed by Qatar with five gold, eight silver and five bronze, Saudi Arabia three gold and two silver, Morocco two gold, three silver, two bronze, Bahrain two gold, two silver, four bronze, Oman two gold and three bronze, Tunis two gold, one bronze, Lebanon one gold, one bronze, UAE one silver and four bronze, Iraq one silver and one bronze, Algeria one silver and Syria one bronze.

Kuwait’s women skeet team won the gold medal, beating Qatar and

Bahrain, while Samah Hajras from Bahrain won the individuals event beating Ibtissam Marirhi from Morocco and Amal Al-Rafee from Qatar.

Qatar’s Reem Al-Sharshani won the women Junior Skeet event beating the compatriot Amina Al-Bader and Kuwait’s Futooh Mohammad.

Tunis’ Elfah Sharani won the 10m women Air Pistol event, as silver went to Algeria’s Lalouet Yamins and the Bronze to Tunisian Noura Abdulrahman.

Tunis won the team’s event leaving Qatar second and UAE third. In the 10m air pistol women Juniors AlDana Al-Mubarak from Qatar won gold, as Kuwait’s Ghizlan Hassan won silver and Iraq’s Nour Amer won bronze.

Kuwait’s Mariam Erzouqi was satisfied with the silver medal as gold went to Bahrain’s Azza Al-Qasimi and the bronze went to Qatar’s Bahiya AlHamod.

Bobana Velickovic who won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol

lauded HH The Amir Grand Prix, as it is being held in ideal atmosphere which is highly professional by Kuwait Shooting Sports Club offi-

She said what distinguishes the Grand Prix is the tremendous preparation to host the competition, and the outstanding ranges, adding that

Shooter Khalid Al-Subaiee cials, in addition to the technical side, bearing in mind the large number of shooters from 36 countries.

she will do her best to participate next year. She said the Grand Prix remains one of the most important

stops in her preparation for the Olympics, as she faced great competition and outstanding levels from world champions. She added that this GP will remain the biggest in the world and will be on the shooters’ agenda.

Meanwhile, Slovenia’s Ziva Dvorsak said she was satisfied with her participation, adding that she held a training camp one week before the start of the grand prix.

She said her results in the tournament are good as she starts her preparations for the upcoming Olympics.

She said HH The Amir’s Grand Prix is very important due to the presence of world champions and hoped it continues every year with increased numbers of shooters.

Tunisian Elfa Al-Shareeni who won the 10m air pistol gold medal in the Arab Championship said she is happy to win as she suffered from injuries recently as she competed with highly skilled shooters from around the world.

Thunder silence T’Wolves

SEPANG: McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session for the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix. —AP

Hamilton on pole in Malaysia SEPANG: Lewis Hamilton put his McLaren on pole for the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday, as the team locked up the front row of the starting grid for the second race in a row.

The Briton clocked one minute 36.219 seconds in the third round of qualifying to follow up his pole position in Australia last week and will line up alongside Melbourne winner Jenson Button, who finished 0.149 seconds behind.

“It’s been a good weekend so far. It’s been a tough day for all of us with the temperature and weather changes,” Hamilton told reporters at a humid Sepang Circuit.

“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and it’s very intense and probably the most exciting part of the weekend. But speaking for myself, I really enjoy it.” Michael Schumacher was third fastest in his Mercedes with Red Bull’s Mark Webber completing the second row of the grid in fourth.

World champion Sebastian Vettel finished sixth but gets promoted one place above Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus, who finished ahead of the German but loses five places on the grid for changing his gearbox this weekend.

Displaying the lightning pace his car had shown through Friday practice, Hamilton blazed out his fastest lap early in the final round of qualifying and one by one his challengers tried but failed to beat the 2008 world champion’s time. “I think the first lap was quite good,” he said. “On the first corner, I had a small oversteer moment but it didn’t cost me any time. The rest of the lap seemed to come together quite well. I pushed a little bit too much in the last corner, but was able to minimise the amount that I lost.”

The Briton last enjoyed two poles in a row in 2009 - in Italy and Singapore - and it will be the first time since 2007 that McLaren have taken the top two spots in qualifying in consecutive races.

“Qualifying has been pretty good to me in the last two races and I can’t complain too much. It’s good for us as a team to be on the front row again,” Button said.

“Lewis did a great lap at the start of Q3 and we edged closer but we couldn’t quite get

there.” Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said both cars went out with a similar set-up and was full of praise for his drivers.

“Lewis did a great first lap, although he locked up into that first corner so he probably could have found about another tenth but he wasn’t going to go out and take any risks,” he said.

“The time he set there was probably, he thought, going to be good enough to be pole so he just took it easy and they both did a great job.”

With Raikkonen’s demotion to 10th, team mate Romain Grosjean backed up his thirdplace qualification in Australia with sixth, but Ferrari’s woes continued for the second race in succession.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso did well to make the final round of qualifying to start in eighth behind Nico Rosberg in the other Mercedes, but Felipe Massa failed to make it out of Q2 and will start in 12th.

Schumacher was delighted with his performance and the seven-times world champion felt he had got the most out of his car.

“We are third here and if you look who is behind us and how close everything is going, we can be more than happy with what we achieved and look forward to tomorrow,” the German said.

Vettel is down in fifth place but he is the only driver near the front of the field who will start the race on hard tyres, offering the chance of a longer run before the first round of pit stops. “There’s not much strategy behind it to be honest, I was struggling on the soft tyres and thought I had a better car on the hard tyres,” the German admitted.

“That’s why I made the call and I think maybe we could have gone a tenth or tenthand-a-half (of a second) quicker also on the soft tyre but then we went significantly faster on the hard tyre.

“Whether that is an advantage tomorrow...we’ll see.” Ferrari have spent the first two races of the season in damage-limitation mode and Alonso, who finished fifth in Melbourne, was happy with his overall performance in a sluggish car. —Reuters

OKLAHOMA CITY: Russell Westbrook scored 45 points, and Kevin Durant added 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a career-high 51 points from Minnesota All-Star Kevin Love to beat the Timberwolves 149-140 in double overtime Friday. Westbrook set the tone in the second overtime, stealing the ball on Minnesota’s opening possession and racing to the other end for a layup that resulted in a three-point play. Love, who beat Durant in the 3-Point Contest on AllStar weekend, made a career-high seven 3s and also pulled down 14 rebounds while becoming the third player to eclipse 50 points this season.

chipped in with 13 points and Brandon Jennings added 12 for Milwaukee. Kemba Walker and Derrick Brown each had 13 points for the Bobcats. Corey Maggette, who fought off a back injury and an illness this week to play against this former team, was held to 10 points for Charlotte.

Raptors 96, Knicks 79 At Toronto, DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points before leaving with an injury and

76ers 99, Celtics 86 At Philadelphia, Elton Brand scored 20 points, and Spencer Hawes had 12 points and 10 rebounds to help Philadelphia remain in first place in the Atlantic Division. The Celtics would have grabbed first with a win, knocking out a Sixers team that has held that spot for all but a few days this season. The Sixers outscored Boston by 20 points in the third quarter to take control.

Lakers 103, T Blazers 96 At Los Angeles, Andrew Bynum had 28 points and nine rebounds, and point guard Ramon Sessions had 20 points and 11 assists in his first start for the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 points for Los Angeles, which finished with a seasonhigh 33 assists and increased its Pacific Division lead to 3 1/2 games over the idle Clippers. Pau Gasol had 16 rebounds and 10 points. Sessions played his fifth game since the Lakers obtained him from Cleveland along with Christian Eyenga on March 15 for Luke Walton and Jason Kapono.

Magic 93, Cavaliers 80 At Orlando, Florida, Ryan Anderson scored 17 points, and Dwight Howard added 16 points and 13 rebounds as Orlando held off Cleveland. All five Magic players scored in double figures as they sizzled shooting the ball early before having to fight off a Cleveland charge in third quarter. They improved to 18-3 when all their starters reach double digits Antawn Jamison scored 16 points and had nine rebounds to lead Cleveland. Tristan Thompson added 15 points and 11 boards, and Kyrie Irving had 13 points.

Heat 88, Pistons 73 At Auburn Hills, Michigan, LeBron James had 17 points and 10 assists to lead Miami to its fourth straight victory.

Dwyane Wade added 24 points for the Heat, who posed for a photo earlier in the day wearing team-logo hoodies. Players were speaking out following the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager wearing a hooded sweatshirt who was shot by a neighborhood crimewatch volunteer last month in a suburb of Orlando, Florida. Brandon Knight scored 18 points for the Pistons, who have lost five of six.

Bucks 112, Bobcats 92 At Charlotte, North Carolina, Luc Mbah a Moute scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half as Milwaukee had 72 points inside the paint. Ersan Ilyasova had 15 points and Drew Goodson added 14 points and 12 rebounds as six Bucks players scored in double digits. Monta Ellis

LOS ANGELES: Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (left) tries to drive around Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum (right) during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP Andrea Bargnani had 21 as Toronto snapped New York’s five-game winning streak. The Raptors, who had lost seven of 10 coming in, never trailed and led by as many as 22. Gary Forbes scored 19 points, one shy of his career-high, and Jose Calderon had 10 assists as Toronto snapped a three-game skid and handed New York its first defeat under coach Mike Woodson. Amare Stoudemire scored 17 points, Steve Novak had 15 and Carmelo Anthony 12 for the Knicks.

Suns 113, Pacers 111 At Indianapolis, Marcin Gortat had 23 points and eight rebounds, Steve Nash added 12 points and tied his season high with 17 assists, and Grant Hill scored 22 for Phoenix. Danny Granger had 28 points and Roy Hibbert finished with 19 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who played their second game in a series of three games in three days.

Hawks 93, Nets 84 At Atlanta, Josh Smith had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help Atlanta get its fourth win in five games. Jeff Teague had 17 points and six assists, Joe Johnson scored 16 and Kirk Hinrich added 14 for the Hawks. Deron Williams scored 20 points and Kris Humphries added 17 for New Jersey, which has lost five straight and seven of eight.

There was a serious scare when Celtics guard Mickael Pietrus left on a stretcher

and was hospitalized after an awkward collision late in the first half. He was listed as having a questionable closed head injury. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each scored 20 points for Boston. Rajon Rondo had 17 assists.

Spurs 104, Mavericks 87 At San Antonio, Manu Ginobili had 11 points and seven assists while starting in place of an injured Tony Parker, leading San Antonio over Dallas. Danny Green added 18 points, Tim Duncan 15 and Matt Bonner 12 for the Spurs, who have the second-best record in the Western Conference at 31-14. Parker, who missed his third game of the season, sat out with a strained right quadriceps. Jason Terry led the Mavericks with 18 points, Dirk Nowitzki had 16, Jason Kidd scored 14 and Shawn Marion had 13.

Jazz 121, Nuggets 102 At Salt Lake City, Al Jefferson had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Gordon Hayward chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Utah won its sixth straight. All five starters reached double figures for the Jazz as Paul Millsap had 14 points, C.J. Miles scored 12 and Devin Harris added 13 points and nine assists. Alec Burks led a strong bench contribution with 15 points.

Derrick Favors chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds. Al Harrington scored 20 points off the bench for Denver, while Arron Afflalo added 14 points before a third-quarter ejection. Kenneth Faried added 16 points, Andre Miller chipped in 14 and Wilson Chandler had 13 for the Nuggets. —AP

NBA results/standings Orlando 93, Cleveland 80; Phoenix 113, Indiana 111; Toronto 96, NY Knicks 79; Milwaukee 112, Charlotte 92; Atlanta 93, New Jersey 84; Miami 88, Detroit 73; Oklahoma City 149, Minnesota 140 (OT); Philadelphia 99, Boston 86; San Antonio 104, Dallas 87; LA Lakers 103, Portland 96; Utah 121, Denver 102.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Philadelphia 27 21 .563 Boston 25 22 .532 NY Knicks 23 25 .479 Toronto 16 32 .333 New Jersey 15 34 .306

GB 1.5 4 11 12.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 36 12 .750 Utah 26 22 .542 Denver 26 22 .542 Minnesota 23 26 .469 Portland 22 26 .458

10 10 13.5 14

3.5 6 9.5 12.5

6 6 6.5 20

Central Division Chicago 39 10 .796 Indiana 27 19 .587 Milwaukee 22 25 .468 Cleveland 17 28 .378 Detroit 16 31 .340

10.5 16 20 22

Pacific Division LA Lakers 30 18 .625 LA Clippers 26 21 .553 Phoenix 24 24 .500 Golden State 19 26 .422 Sacramento 17 30 .362

Southeast Division Miami 35 11 .761 Orlando 31 18 .633 Atlanta 28 20 .583 Washington 11 35 .239 Charlotte 7 38 .156

5.5 8 24 27.5

Southwest Division San Antonio 31 14 .689 Memphis 25 20 .556 Dallas 27 22 .551 Houston 26 22 .542 New Orleans 12 35 .255

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

S P ORT S

Real thump Sociedad

GERMANY: Bayern’s Ivica Olic of Croatia (left) and Hanover’s Emanuel Pogatetz of Austria challenge for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match. —AP

Bayern trim Dortmund’s lead BERLIN: Bayern Munich trimmed Borussia Dortmund’s lead at the top of the German league to two points yesterday as the Bavarians enjoyed a 2-1 home win over Hanover. After midfielder Toni Kroos put the hosts ahead at Munich’s Allianz Arena with a well-taken first-half chip, Germany striker Mario Gomez extended his tally as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with his 23rd goal in 26 matches.

He rolled his shot under Hanover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler on 68 minutes to claim Bayern’s second before Ivory Coast striker Didier Ya Konan pulled a goal back with a spectacular bicycle kick on 74 minutes.

Hanover, who face Atletico Madrid in the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, could have rescued a point as ex-Manchester United striker Mame Diouf headed over the bar with time almost up.

“You can see why Hanover 96 are in the last eight of the Europa League and the top third of the league table,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, whose team beat Moenchengladbach on penalties on Wednesday in the German Cup semi-final.

“They were well organised and not easy to play against. Overall, we deserved the win and I am very satisfied. We now have to just win our games and worry about ourselves.

The team did well just two-and-a-half days after our cup win.”

With Dortmund at Cologne today in the Rhineland derby, Bayern took the opportunity to cut the defending champions lead, leaving them on 57 points to Dortmund’s 59 with seven matches left.

Third-placed Borussia Moechengladbach slipped further back in the title race when they threw away the lead to lose 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim, which leaves them six points

behind Bayern, eight behind Dortmund.

Gladbach were cruising to victory after a first-half goal from Dortmund-bound midfielder Marco Reus seven minutes before halftime but Hoffenheim took the three points with two goals in as many second-half minutes. Brazil midfielder Roberto Firmino earned a yellow card for his shirtless celebrations on 77 minutes before a sharp header from Boris Vukcevic on 79 minutes scuppered Gladbach’s hopes.

Schalke 04, who host Leverkusen on Saturday night, can now claim third place if they beat Robin Dutt’s team in Gelsenkirchen.

Kaiserslautern coach Krassimir Balakov, who took over after Marco Kurz was sacked in midweek, had an unhappy start to his tenure as his team were beaten 2-0 at Freiburg to remain bottom of the league.

It was Kaiserslautern’s 17th league game without a win and means they are now six points adrift at the bottom.

Slovakia’s Karim Guede put his side ahead after only eight minutes before Freiburg captain and Congo international Cedrick Makiadi added the second with a header on 14 minutes. The win lifts Freiburg to 14th and drops Hamburg into the relegation places after they lost 2-1 to Wolfsburg on Friday night.

Hertha Berlin remain second from bottom despite their 3-1 win at Mainz but things are tight at the bottom as only two points separate 17th and 13th in the league.

Hamburg’s chairman has backed coach Thorsten Fink to keep them away from relegation despite the German league club’s fourth consecutive defeat saw them slip into the bottom three.

“I’m still convinced that we have the right coaching staff,” said Carl-Edgar Jarchow on Saturday after a meeting with Fink.—AFP

MADRID: La Liga leaders Real Madrid ended a run of two straight draws and restored their six-point advantage over arch rivals Barcelona when they crushed Real Sociedad 5-1 yesterday.

Jose Mourinho’s side let their football do the talking after a controversial week when the Portuguese coach was sent off during Wednesday’s 1-1 stalemate at Villarreal for criticising the referee.

Mourinho was banned from the bench for the game at the Bernabeu but two goals each from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema and one from Gonzalo Higuain lifted Real to 75 points with nine matches remaining.

Barca have 69 points in second after Lionel Messi’s free kick set them on their way to a 2-0 victory at Real Mallorca, the Argentine World Player of the Year’s 18th goal in his last nine games for his club.

Barca, who visit AC Milan in a Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, had to play most of the second half with 10 men after midfielder Thiago Alcantara was harshly shown a second yellow card for handling the ball on 57 minutes.

Real went for all-out attack against 14thplaced Sociedad, with strike partners Benzema and Higuain getting a rare start together and supported by Ronaldo and Kaka.

Benzema set up Higuain for the opening goal in the sixth minute, Ronaldo added a second just after the half hour and Benzema made it 3-0 five minutes before halftime.

Sociedad pulled a goal back a minute later when Xabi Prieto’s long-range effort flew into the top corner after taking a deflection off the head of Sergio Ramos before Benzema and Ronaldo made it 5-1 with goals early in the second period.

“The match the other day (at Villarreal) was a strange one and finished in a very tense atmosphere,” Real director Emilio Butragueno said in a television interview.

“Today I think we turned in a very complete performance, especially in the first half,

and that was good news. “We still have a sixpoint lead and if the team performs to its potential I have to say I am pretty optimistic.”

No Real player gave the customary interview to Spanish television after the match and the club decided that Mourinho’s assistant Aitor Karanka would not hold a post-match news conference.

At the Iberostar Estadio in Mallorca, Messi fired Barca ahead in the 25th minute when the Mallorca defenders failed to deal with his inswinging free kick from the right and it flew past goalkeeper Dudu Aouate into the corner of the net.

It was his 35th league goal of the campaign and Ronaldo’s brace later in the day means the pair are tied at the top of the scoring chart and closing in on Ronaldo’s record of

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema from France (right) celebrates his goal with Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal (left) during the Spanish La Liga soccer match against Real Sociedad.—AP

Kilmarnock victory opens door for title-bound Celtic GLASGOW: Kilmarnock defeated third-placed Motherwell 2-0 yesterday to hand Celtic the chance to clinch the Scottish Premier League title in today’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox.

In an emotionally charged match at Rugby Park both sides took part in a minute’s silence in tribute to Jack Kelly, the father of Killie player Liam, who died after suffering a heart attack as he watched his son lift the League Cup following a 1-0 win over Celtic at Hampden last weekend.

After the first half ended goalless

Paul Heffernan opened the scoring in the 50th minute when he knocked the ball past Darren Randolph at the second attempt.

Gary Harkins twice came close to adding to Killie’s lead before they were awarded a 62nd minute penalty after Motherwell’s Tom Hately handled in the box, which Heffernan converted. The win means Celtic, who are 21 points clear with eight games remaining, could clinch their first SPL title in four years at the home of their greatest rivals if they can defeat Rangers in today’s match. If they do it

Deadly protest after Egypt football ban

ITALY: AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden (center) heads the ball to score past AS Roma Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekeleburg (right) and AS Roma Danish defender Simon Kjaer of Denmark during a Serie A soccer match.—AP

Ibra sends Milan seven points clear ROME: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice to earn AC Milan a 2-1 win over Roma yesterday and send the rossoneri seven points clear at the top of Serie A. The title pressure is now firmly back on Juventus who must beat Inter Milan in Turin today to keep pace with the champions.

Pablo Osvaldo had given Roma a first half lead against the run of play but Milan dominated throughout, twice hitting the woodwork, and finally their greater quality told.

Ibrahimovic now has 22 goals in 23 league games this season. It was also a welcome boost ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.

The first half was a classic case of smash and grab from the visitors who were second best throughout but nicked a goal just before the break.

Milan suffered a blow on 10 minutes when centre-back Thiago Silva asked to be taken off with a recurrence of a leg injury, putting him in doubt for the Barca clash.

Despite the loss, Milan were in complete control with Urby Emanuelson testing Maarten Stekelenburg before the goalkeeper also tipped over an Ibrahimovic free-kick.

Milan put together a slick move which resulted in the lively Stephan El Shaarawy shooting wide. Most of the rossoneri’s opportunities were just half-chances but Roma offered nothing in attack.

Milan came within a whisker of the lead they deserved when El Shaarawy worked space on the edge of the box and beat

Stekelenburg with a fizzing shot that rapped the bottom of the post, with neither Antonio Nocerino nor Ibrahimovic able to turn in the loose ball. And then a minute from the break captain Massimo Ambrosini fluffed a clearance which fell to Daniele De Rossi 20 yards out with Osvaldo alert enough to turn home the midfielder’s shot, which appeared to be going wide, from the edge of the six-yard box with Milan’s defenders failing to react.

Roma captain Francesco Totti should have done much better when presented with a glorious chance by a poor clearance from goalkeeper Christian Abbiati just after the restart but he strangely tried a chipped finish from outside the box that sailed over the bar, although Abbiati had it well covered anyway.

And they paid straight away for the profligacy as De Rossi blocked Ambrosini’s shot with his arm inside the box allowing Ibrahimovic to stroke home a 53rd minute penalty. From this point there only appeared one side likely to win it. Stekelenburg fortunately kept out an Ibrahimovic near-post shot with his foot as he dived the wrong way and he got a finger-tip to a rasping Sulley Muntari volley to touch the ball onto the bar.

But it was no surprise eight minutes from time when Ibrahimovic snatched the points, latching onto Kevin-Prince Boateng’s long ball forward, chipping Stekelenburg and then holding off Simon Kjaer-who had been guilty of ball-watching to allow Ibra in behind him-before nodding home the dropping ball.—AFP

40 in a season set last term.

Barca were on cruise control until Thiago’s sending off and the champions endured a nervy 20 minutes before a Messi shot cannoned back off Aouate’s left-hand post and centre back Gerard Pique was on hand to slot the rebound into the empty net.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola said the victory would lift his players for their trip to the San Siro. “It was a closely-fought match, although in the second half we created a lot,” the former Barca and Spain midfielder told a news conference.

“I am satisfied. In the end, willingness, effort and not making excuses helped us get through the match.” Valencia, who are 22 points behind Barca in third, play at Getafe in Saturday’s late kickoff.—Reuters

CAIRO: Fresh clashes erupted in the northern city of Port Said yesterday, after a boy was shot dead in overnight fighting between Egyptian security forces and football fans protesting against a ban on their club.

Protesters pelted rocks at the Suez Canal Authority, as security forces guarding the vital building fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd, security officials said.

Overnight, football fans protesting a ban on their club over a stadium riot that killed dozens last month clashed with troops, leaving one 13 year-old boy dead and 68 injured, according to the health ministry.

The official Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the boy was shot in the back. By yesterday, the protesters had blocked routes into Port Said, witnesses said, creating traffic jams for several kilometres (miles) outside the Mediterranean city.

The protest erupted after the Egyptian Football Association banned Al-Masry from playing for two years and cancelled matches at Port Said stadium for three years, the newspaper reported.

Three club officials are among 75 people facing trial over the stadium riot that killed more than 70 fans at the end of a match between Al-Masry and Cairo rivals Al-Ahly on February 2, in one of the sport’s deadliest incidents.

The independent AL-Shorouk newspaper reported that thousands joined protests after the main weekly Muslim prayers at noon on Friday, passing out leaflets calling for the expulsion of foreign workers in Port Said province.

Port Said had become increasingly isolated after the stadium riot, leading to demonstrations by its inhabitants to decry what they said was a smear campaign against them. The riot broke out when Al-Masry fans invaded the pitch after their team beat the visitors 3-1, throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at Al-Ahly supporters, causing chaos and panic as players and fans fled in all directions.

Most of the casualties died from suffocation as they were caught in a stampede.

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association said Al-Ahly had also been suspended for four official games because its fans aimed fireworks at the pitch and held up insulting banners before the deadly riot.

The stadium deaths sparked days of violent protests in Cairo led by Al-Ahly fans in which another 16 people were killed. Many believe the riot was orchestrated either by the police or supporters of Hosni Mubarak, a reflection of distrust towards the ruling military which took power after the veteran president was ousted in a popular uprising last year. Al-Ahly’s most ardent supporters, the Ultras, were active in the revolt that overthrew Mubarak.

They played a prominent role in defending antiregime protesters when, one day during the uprising, Mubarak supporters on horse and camelback plunged into the crowds in Cairo’s Tahrir Square before being pulled from their mounts or fleeing.

The defendants who will face trial over the deaths include nine members of the police and three officials from the Al-Masry football club. Two minors will be sent to a children’s court.—AFP

will be the first time since 1967 that Celtic fans have celebrated a title win at Ibrox.

Elsewhere, Dundee United continued their climb up the SPL with a 2-0 win away to Hibernian thanks to second half goals from Johnny Russell and Gary Mackay-Stevens.

At Pittodrie, a first-half strike from Gregory Tade was enough for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who had Josh Meekings sent off in the 58th minute, to claim a 1-0 win over Aberdeen.

Hearts missed the chance to close

the gap on fifth-placed St Johnstone as they lost 2-1 at McDiarmid Park.

Jason Holt had given the Jambos a first-half lead but Murray Davidson levelled matters ten minutes before the break.

Francisco Sandaza scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 77th minute after he was fouled in the box

by Marius Zaliukas.

Jim Jefferies’ first match in charge of Dunfermline saw them claim a 1-1 draw with St Mirren which takes them closer to second bottom Hibs in the relegation battle.—AFP

Venus, Nadal and Azarenka advance MIAMI: Venus Williams, in only her second WTA match after a long illness layoff, upset world number three Petra Kvitova on Friday to reach the third round of the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt tournament.

World number two Rafael Nadal cruised in his opener and women’s top seed Victoria Azarenka stretched her win streak to 24 matches at the $9.6 million event, but seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams stole the show.

“It’s definitely a big step forward,” Williams said after her 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win. “To win these matches definitely a lot of it is mental, to get out there and believe you’re going to win and execute. “How I’m going to do, I never really know, so it’s great to have a win like this. It’s definitely satisfying.”

Williams withdrew from last year’s US Open with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren’s syndrome, an illness that saps energy and causes joint pain. Her first tournament match since then was a first-round triumph on Wednesday.

That put Williams up against Czech third seed Kvitova, who fought to reach a third set only to be overpowered by Williams after two hours and 18 minutes.

“I was just trying to win the match. I didn’t even think about that it was six-love until like long after the match was over,” Williams said.

Kvitova was impressed with how well Williams played after seven months away in booking a third-round match-up with Canadian wildcard Aleksandra Wozniak, who defeated Romania’s Monica Niculescu 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. “She played very well after a long time. She looks very ready, very fit,” Kvitova said. “The third set was really cruel for me. I knew what I had to do, but if I don’t return very well it’s tough to play against her.”

Williams said she was playing with new enthusiasm. “I’m pretty pumped out there. Like literally I have nothing to lose,” she said. “Every shot is a victory and a blessing so I’m just going for it. Hopefully I have a new lease on life. I just want to feel good enough to play.”

Spanish second seed Nadal began his quest for a first-ever Miami title by ousting Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-0 in 69 minutes, saying it was not as easy a victory as he made it seem.

“I played a very solid match with no mistakes,” Nadal said. “No match is easy, even if the score was very easy because 6-2, 6-0 is a big difference in the score but not in the tennis. You have to fight every point. You have to find solutions every moment.”

Nadal next has a third-round date with Czech Radek Stepanek, who ousted Germany’s Tommy Haas 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. Women’s world number one Azarenka eliminated Dutch player

Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 7-5. Azarenka broke as Krajicek served for the second set, then held and broke again to close out the match after one hour and 42 minutes.

Azarenka, from Belarus, stretched her season-long win streak to 24 matches. She has the best start to a WTA season since Martina Hingis won 37 in a row in 1997.

“I’m not really thinking about numbers or the streaks,” Azarenka said. “My job is to play tennis. I just try to stay focused every day and try to be the best player I can.”

Top seed Azarenka, who already has four titles this year, will next face British wildcard

KEY BISCAYNE: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns to Santiago Giraldo of Colombia during the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament.—AP Heather Watson, who defeated Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-1. Azarenka has won both their prior meetings.

World number four Andy Murray eased into the third round by dispatching Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 6-2, 6-3, avoiding a repeat of an embarrassing early ouster in Indian Wells.

Murray, 24, will next face big-serving Canadian 26th seed Milos Raonic, who advanced over France’s Arnaud Clement 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.

Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, winner of the past three Grand Slam men’s singles tournaments, will start the defence of his title on Saturday against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova, a former top20 player who has missed the past 10 months battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was beaten in her second-round match by compatriot Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. “I can’t say I’m disappointed,” Kleybanova said. “This has been a good achievement for me.”—AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

S P ORT S

Soccer results/standings Arsenal 3 (Gibbs 16, Walcott 25, Arteta 90+3) Aston Villa 0; Bolton 2 ( Wheater 28, 35) Blackburn 1 (Nzonzi 56); Chelsea 0, Tottenham 0; Liverpool 1 (Suarez 47) Wigan 2 (Maloney 30-pen, Caldwell 63); Norwich 2 (Holt 26, 45pen) Wolves 1 (Jar vis 25); Sunderland 3 (Bendtner 41, McClean 70, Sessegnon 76) QPR 1 (Taiwo 79); Swansea 0, Everton 2 (Baines 59, Jelavic 76); Stoke 1 (Crouch 59) Man City 1 (Y.Toure 76).

English Football League results Championship Barnsley 1, Peterborough 0; Burnley 2, West Ham 2; Coventry 2, Portsmouth 0; Derby 3, Cr ystal Palace 2; Leicester 2, Hull 1; Middlesbrough 1, Bristol City 1; Millwall 0, Leeds 1; Nottingham Forest 1, Brighton 1; Reading 3, Blackpool 1; Southampton 2, Doncaster 0; Watford 2, Ipswich 1.

Division One Brentford 2, Rochdale 0; Colchester 1, Carlisle 1; Huddersfield 1, Charlton 0; Leyton Orient 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1; Oldham 1, Bournemouth 0; Preston 1, Bury 1; Scunthorpe 0, Notts County 0; Tranmere 2, Exeter 0; Walsall 1, Stevenage 1; Wycombe 1, Milton Keynes Dons 1; Yeovil 0, Hartlepool 1.

Division Two AFC Wimbledon 4, Burton 0; Bradford 2, Gillingham 2; Bristol Rovers 1, Southend 0; Cheltenham 0, Oxford 0; Crawley 3, Rotherham 0; Dagenham and Redbridge 2, Accrington 1; Hereford 0, Crewe 1; Morecambe 0, Shrewsbury 1; Northampton 0, Plymouth 0; Torquay 2, Port Vale 1.

Scottish Premier League results Aberdeen 0, Inverness C T 1 ( Tade 10); Dunfermline 1 (Cardle 46) St Mirren 1 (Thompson 38); Hibernian 0, Dundee Utd 2 (Russell 66, Mackay-Steven 73); Kilmarnock 2 (Heffernan 50, 62-pen) Mother well 0; St Johnstone 2 (Davidson 35, Sandaza 77-pen) Hearts 1 (Holt 29).

Scottish Football League results First Division Ayr 0, Morton 0; Dundee 1, Raith 1; Falkirk 2, Livingston 5; Hamilton 3, Queen Of The South 0; Partick 0, Ross County 1.

Second Division Airdrie 2, Arbroath 0; Brechin 1, East Fife 3; Cowdenbeath 4, Dumbarton 1; For far 4, Stirling 3; Stenhousemuir 1, Albion 2.

Third Division Alloa 4, Queen’s Park 0; Annan Athletic 1, Montrose 2; Clyde 0, Elgin City 2; Peterhead 1, Berwick 2; Stranraer 4, East Stirling 1.

German league results Bayern Munich 2 (Kroos 36, Gomez 68) Hanover 96 1 (Ya Konan 74); Freiburg 2 (Guede 8, Makiadi 14) Kaiserslautern 0; Borussia M’gladbach 1 (Reus 38) Hoffenheim 2 (Roberto Firmino 77, Vukcevic 79); Werder Bremen 1 (Fuellkrug 61) Augsburg 1 (Verhaegh 90+2); Mainz 05 1 (Choupo-Moting 58) Hertha Berlin 3 (Ben-Hatira 41, Ramos 52, 69); Schalke 04 2 (Huntelaar 18, 86) Bayer Leverkusen 0.

Played Friday: VfL Wolfsburg 2 (Mandzukic 46, M Schafer 75) Hamburg 1 (Berg 47)

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man City 30 22 4 4 72 22 70 Dagenham 39 11 5 23 40 67 38 Man Utd 29 22 4 3 73 27 70 Plymouth 39 8 13 18 40 57 37 Arsenal 30 18 4 8 61 39 58 Macclesfield 39 8 12 19 36 51 36 Tottenham 30 16 7 7 53 35 55 Hereford 39 8 11 20 41 63 35 Chelsea 30 14 8 8 49 34 50 Note: Port Vale deducted 10 points for entering Newcastle 29 13 8 8 41 41 47 administration Liverpool 30 11 9 10 36 31 42 Sunderland 30 11 7 12 39 34 40 Scottish Premier League table Everton 30 11 7 12 30 32 40 Celtic 30 24 3 3 62 17 75 Swansea 30 10 9 11 34 36 39 Rangers 30 20 4 6 57 21 54 Norwich 30 10 9 11 41 47 39 Motherwell 31 16 6 9 41 35 54 Stoke 30 10 8 12 29 41 38 Dundee Utd 31 12 10 9 51 40 46 Fulham 29 9 9 11 37 40 36 St Johnstone 30 13 7 10 41 34 46 West Brom 29 10 6 13 35 38 36 Hearts 31 12 6 13 36 31 42 Aston Villa 29 7 12 10 31 38 33 Kilmarnock 31 8 13 10 34 44 37 Blackburn 30 7 7 16 43 62 28 Aberdeen 31 7 12 12 29 34 33 Bolton 29 8 2 19 33 58 26 St Mirren 31 6 14 11 27 41 32 QPR 30 6 7 17 33 53 25 Inverness CT 30 8 7 15 34 50 31 Wigan 30 5 10 15 27 55 25 Hibernian 31 5 8 18 30 59 23 Wolves 30 5 7 18 31 65 22 Dunfermline 31 4 8 19 31 67 20 Note: Rangers deducted 10 points for going English Football League tables into administration Championship Southampton 39 23 9 7 72 35 78 Scottish Football League tables Reading 39 22 7 10 56 34 73 First Division West Ham 38 19 12 7 59 38 69 Ross County 29 17 11 1 51 24 62 Brighton 39 17 11 11 48 40 62 Dundee 29 12 9 8 42 31 45 Middlesbrough 38 16 13 9 45 42 61 Falkirk 30 11 11 8 43 39 44 Blackpool 39 16 12 11 66 56 60 Hamilton 30 12 6 12 44 39 42 Birmingham 37 16 11 10 59 40 59 Partick 29 10 8 11 38 30 38 Cardiff 38 15 14 9 56 49 59 Livingston 29 10 8 11 45 47 38 Hull 38 16 10 12 38 32 58 Morton 30 9 9 12 32 45 36 Leeds 39 16 9 14 59 57 57 Ayr 28 7 11 10 32 47 32 Leicester 38 15 10 13 56 48 55 Raith 29 7 9 13 33 39 30 Derby 39 16 7 16 44 52 55 Queen South 29 6 8 15 29 48 26 Watford 39 14 12 13 46 55 54 Crystal Palace 38 13 14 11 39 35 53 Second Division Ipswich 38 15 6 17 61 67 51 Cowdenbeath 30 18 9 3 60 23 63 Burnley 38 14 8 16 50 47 50 Arbroath 30 15 11 4 67 41 56 Barnsley 39 13 7 19 47 62 46 Dumbarton 30 13 6 11 51 54 45 Peterborough 38 12 8 18 59 62 44 Stenhousemuir 30 12 5 13 46 42 41 Millwall 39 10 10 19 44 54 40 East Fife 30 12 5 13 47 48 41 Nottingham 38 11 6 21 41 59 39 Airdrie Utd 30 10 9 11 56 57 39 Bristol City 39 9 9 21 33 62 36 Brechin 30 9 10 11 37 46 37 Coventry 39 8 11 20 35 52 35 Forfar 30 8 9 13 51 64 33 Doncaster 38 7 10 21 33 63 31 Albion 30 8 5 17 37 57 29 Portsmouth 38 10 10 18 38 43 30 Stirling 30 7 7 16 41 61 28 Note: Portsmouth deducted 10 points for entering administration Third Division Alloa 30 20 6 4 55 30 66 Division One Stranraer 30 16 7 7 71 44 55 Charlton 39 24 10 5 70 31 82 Queens Park 30 16 6 8 58 38 54 Sheffield Wed 39 22 8 9 67 45 74 Elgin 30 14 8 8 57 43 50 Sheffield Utd 38 22 7 9 73 41 73 Annan Athletic 30 11 8 11 45 45 41 Huddersfield 38 18 17 3 71 38 71 Berwick 30 9 10 11 47 52 37 Milton Keynes 38 18 13 7 72 40 67 Peterhead 30 10 5 15 39 51 35 Carlisle 37 15 13 9 54 56 58 Montrose 30 8 5 17 45 67 29 Stevenage 37 14 15 8 51 34 57 Clyde 30 6 9 15 30 39 27 Notts County 39 16 9 14 58 54 57 East Stirling 30 5 6 19 34 72 21 Colchester 38 12 16 10 50 49 52 Brentford 37 13 11 13 48 44 50 German league table Hartlepool 39 13 11 15 43 46 50 Dortmund 26 18 5 3 53 16 59 Tranmere 39 12 12 15 41 42 48 Bayern Munich 27 18 3 6 66 18 57 Bournemouth 38 13 9 16 40 45 48 Schalke 04 27 17 2 8 60 34 53 Oldham 37 13 9 15 45 54 48 M’chengladbach 27 15 6 6 40 18 51 Preston 38 12 11 15 47 57 47 Bayer Leverkusen 27 11 7 9 39 36 40 Yeovil 39 12 10 17 50 64 46 Werder Bremen 27 11 7 9 41 40 40 Scunthorpe 39 8 19 12 48 52 43 Hanover 96 27 9 11 7 35 38 38 Leyton Orient 37 11 10 16 40 56 43 VfL Wolfsburg 27 11 4 12 36 48 37 Bury 39 11 10 18 49 70 43 VfB Stuttgart 26 10 6 10 43 34 36 Wycombe 39 11 7 21 57 72 40 Hoffenheim 27 8 9 10 31 38 33 Walsall 38 7 18 13 38 44 39 Nuremberg 26 9 4 13 25 37 31 Rochdale 39 7 13 19 35 62 34 Mainz 05 27 7 9 11 39 44 30 Exeter 39 8 10 21 33 62 34 Cologne 26 8 4 14 33 50 28 Chesterfield 38 7 12 19 40 62 33 Freiburg 27 7 7 13 35 53 28 Augsburg 27 5 12 10 28 41 27 Division Two Hamburg 27 6 9 12 31 50 27 Swindon 37 24 4 9 63 27 76 Hertha Berlin 27 6 8 13 29 48 26 Torquay 39 21 9 9 56 42 72 Kaiserslautern 27 3 11 13 17 38 20 Shrewsbury 38 21 8 9 54 34 71 Crawley Town 37 19 11 7 65 45 68 Southend 39 20 7 12 64 46 67 Cheltenham 39 19 8 12 55 41 65 Oxford Utd 38 16 14 8 52 36 62 (Local Timings) Crewe 39 18 7 14 56 52 61 Gillingham 38 17 7 14 68 55 58 Rotherham 39 14 11 14 56 54 53 English Premier League Aldershot 37 16 5 16 40 42 53 West Brom v Newcastle 18:00 Morecambe 39 13 12 14 55 45 51 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Accrington 38 12 14 12 47 50 50 Bristol Rovers 38 13 10 15 46 57 49 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 AFC Wimbledon 39 13 8 18 54 66 47 Port Vale 38 16 8 14 61 52 46 Spanish League Burton Albion 38 11 10 17 45 65 43 Getafe v Valencia 0:00 Northampton 38 11 8 19 49 68 41 Aljazeera Sport +4 Bradford 38 9 13 16 46 51 40 Barnet 38 10 9 19 44 67 39

Matches on TV

Liverpool stunned by Wigan Liverpool 1

Wigan 2

LIVERPOOL: Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool’s wretched Premier League season continued yesterday as Gary Caldwell’s second-half winner allowed struggling Wigan Athletic to record their first ever victory at Anfield.

Shaun Maloney claimed his first goal for Wigan from the penalty spot in the first half, only for Luis Suarez to equalise early in the second half.

But Caldwell gave Wigan a 2-1 lead just after the hour as Liverpool surely saw their lingering hopes of a top-four finish disappear. Whatever successes Dalglish enjoys in cup competitions this season, this defeat must rank as the low point of his reign.

Wigan struck a sensational opening goal from the penalty spot just beyond the half hour, after Liverpool’s early dominance of possession had failed to generate a single clear-cut chance.

James McCarthy charged down Jordan Henderson’s attempted clearance and allowed Caldwell to chip the ball for ward into the Liverpool area where, as Victor Moses tried to connect with a shot, a high boot from defender Martin Skrtel caught him in the face.

Referee Lee Mason had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and, after a three-minute delay while Moses received treatment, Maloney calmly strode up to place his spot kick into the bottom lefthand corner. Maloney’s composure

was in stark contrast to that shown

by Liverpool, who were seeking to improve upon a dreadful home league record of just five wins from their 14 games prior to Wigan’s visit. For all their possession, however, it was not until the 24th minute that they created a chance of note, when Stewar t Downing chased a through ball from Suarez and sent a powerful shot flying just wide of the righthand post.

The penalty dramatically increased Liverpool’s urgency and, finally, after 40 minutes the Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was forced into his first save.

Suarez gathered a short pass from Steven Gerrard on the edge of the area, falling over but rising to turn and drill a right-foot shot towards goal with Al Habsi diving smartly to his left to keep it out.

In the four minutes of first-half added time, Dirk Kuyt and Suarez also linked well to put through Gerrard, whose left-foot near-post effort was again well saved by Al Habsi. Dalglish brought on forward Andy Carroll at the interval, a switch that apparently breathed an instant improvement into his team, who drew level within two minutes of the restart.

Kuyt laid off a neat pass to Gerrard, who timed his through ball to perfection, delivering it to the six-yard line, where the onrushing Suarez swept it convincingly past Al Habsi. Suarez, growing in confidence, sent a shot curling over from 20 yards before he appeared to have put Liverpool ahead on 52 minutes.

Skrtel rose powerfully to head a Gerrard free-kick at the far post and Suarez celebrated after forcing the ball over the line, but replays clearly showed that the Uruguay international had han-

LONDON: Liverpool’s Luis Suarez (right) vies for the ball against Wigan Athletic’s Ben Watson during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP dled. To add to Suarez’s woe, he was also cautioned for the infringement. Liverpool’s relief at being level was short-lived as just after the hour they conceded a second goal which, like the first, came very much against the run of play. Carroll headed a free-kick out of the Liverpool area and James McArthur responded with a 20yard shot that struck Carragher on the arm and fell k indly for

QPR crash to Sunderland Sunderland 3

QPR 1

SUNDERLAND: Mark Hughes received a vote of confidence from Queens Park Rangers owner Tony Fernandes, as the Londoners slumped into the relegation zone with a dismal 3-1 loss at Sunderland.

QPR had hoped to build on the momentum generated by their remarkable 3-2 win over Liverpool in midweek as they travelled to the Stadium of Light to face a Sunderland side beaten by struggling Blackburn in their last outing.

But instead it was an all too familiar story for Hughes and QPR as Djibril Cisse was sent off for a wild lunge on Fraizer Campbell to leave the Hoops-trailing 1-0 at the time-with a mountain to climb.

Predictably, Hughes’ team never looked like finding a way back into the match as Sunderland goals from Nicklas Bendtner, James McClean and Stephane Sessesgnon sealed a comfortable win for Martin O’Neill’s men.

Taye Taiwo scored a late consolation for QPR with an eye-catching free-kick but could not stop QPR slipping into the bot-

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers’ Shaun Wright-Phillips (top) vies for the ball with Sunderland’s James McClean during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP tom three with a daunting run-in awaiting them over the final weeks of the season.

Nevertheless Hughes-who controversially replaced Neil Warnock in January was given backing from QPR owner Fernandes following the defeat. “The manager can do nothing if players keep getting sent off and booked,” Fernandes said on Twitter. “Mark Hughes is right guy and he has my support.” But Fernandes was scathing of the disciplinary problems which have dogged Rangers throughout Hughes short reign.

Cisse’s dismissal-the second of his QPR career-was the third red card since Hughes took over and means the former France international will now miss four games through suspension.—AFP

Holt pushes Wolves deeper into trouble Norwich 2

Wolves 1 NORWICH: Norwich pushed struggling Wolves closer to relegation as Grant Holt bagged a brace before being sent off in his side’s 2-1 win at Carrow Road yesterday.

Matt Jarvis gave Wolves a first half lead but Canaries striker Holt equalised moments later and netted the winner with a penalty just before the break.

Holt saw red in the closing stages for a second booking but Wolves still slipped to

their fourth successive defeat. Terr y Connor’s side remain bottom of the table and are now four points from safety after a run of one win in 16 league matches.

Wolves had been routed 5-0 by Manchester United in their last match and interim boss Connor made three changes, bringing in Roger Johnson, Eggert Jonsson and Michael Kightly. The alterations initially seemed to have the desired effect as Wolves started brightly. After Stephen Ward fired wide inside a minute, Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy had to react well to stop Kevin Doyle heading home a Kightly free-kick. Having recovered from their slow start, Norwich pressed for an opener that would have come in the 10th minute had Kightly not been on the goalline to clear away a Zak Whitbread header.—AFP

Everton double up at Swansea Swansea 0

Everton 2

SWANSEA: Everton emerged worthy 2-0 winners at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium yesterday with goals in the second half from Leighton Baines and Nikica Jelavic.

Swansea’s three straight wins going into this encounter had pushed them up to eighth place and in sight of a Europa League place, a stunning situation for a team many had marked down as odds-on to go straight back to the Championship after one season in the top flight. But their winning run was ended by an impressive display from Everton ahead

of Tuesday’s FA Cup quarter-final replay against Sunderland.

The win, Everton’s first on the road in six attempts, lifted the Merseysiders up to ninth, one point ahead of Swansea in 10th.

Everton made three changes from the midweek loss to Arsenal, with Phil Jagielka, Phil Neville and Darron Gibson, fit again after a knee problem, called up in place of Johnny Heitinga, Marouane Fellaini and Roysten Drenthe respectively.

Swansea welcomed back Ashley Williams, the captain who missed last week’s win over Fulham with a virus. Everton manager David Moyes’ strategy of setting out to frustrate the buoyant home side worked a treat in the first half as the teams went into the break all square, chances few and far between. Seven minutes after the restart Everton had a chance to take the lead when Swansea keeper Michel Vorm pulled out the stops to deny Gibson’s 25-metre left-footed shot.—AFP

Caldwell. The defender neatly changed feet, leaving his marker Carroll on the floor, before beating Jose Reina with a clinical right-foot finish from eight yards.

Suarez placed a free-kick from the edge of the area directly into the Wigan wall and despite a promising cameo from highly regarded teenage substitute Raheem Sterling, there was to be no way back for Liverpool.—AFP

Arsenal down Aston Villa LO N D O N : A r s e n a l increased their advanArsenal 3 t a g e i n t h e r a c e fo r C h a m p i o n s Le a g u e fo o t b a l l a f t e r t w o first-half goals helped Aston Villa 0 them to a deserved 30 win over Aston Villa.

A r s e n e We n g e r ’s men made it seven wins in a row after Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott struck early on, before Mikel Arteta completed the scoring in added on time of the second-half.

But more significantly, the Premier League’s form side stretched their lead over nearest rivals Tottenham, who are in fourth place, to three points and eight points over fifth-placed Chelsea.

There was little doubting this result against a struggling Aston Villa side not completely safe from being sucked into a relegation battle themselves.

The only blot on the copybook was the home side’s failure to score more goals. In the end, they settled for Gibbs and Walcott’s early strikes and another win that never looked in question.

Besides an early scare when Marc Albrighton blazed over the crossbar in the seventh minute, Arsenal were in complete control.

Walcott almost drew first blood as the England international collected Robin van Persie’s backheel before bringing out a fine save from Shay Given.

But the Irish goalkeeper would soon be beaten thanks to Gibbs’ first ever Premier League goal with 16 minutes on the clock.

Gervinho’s pass found the left-back in acres of space and his low shot proved too hot to handle for Given. Gibbs, whose only other goal had come in a League Cup tie earlier this season, might have been the unlikely hero. But the fact he was so advanced up the pitch was an indication of Arsenal’s attacking intent.

I n this mood, not many teams can live with Arsenal, let alone a struggling Villa side. So it was n o s u r p r i s e t o s e e t h e l i ve l y Wa l c o t t i n c re a s e Arsenal’s lead in the 25th minute.

Alex Song showed great vision with a pinpoint ball over the visitors’ defence where Walcott’s fine cont rol p re s e nte d hi m w i t h t he rout i ne f i ni s h beyond Given.

Not that Arsenal were ready to rest on their laurels. Villa just couldn’t live with the pace and movement and van Persie wasted a glorious chance after Thomas Vermaelen’s cross somehow reached him.

Another sweeping attack saw Arteta’s 25-yard shot tipped over by the ex-Manchester City stopper.

Next it was the turn of van Persie to cause further problems, when he was denied a certain goal by Stephen Warnock’s headed clearance of the line after quick feet had carved out the opening.

It promised to be a long afternoon in the London sunshine. Aston Villa had little outlet going forward with Darren Bent sidelined long-term and Charles N’Zogbia discarded all together.

Arsenal, as they coasted through, appeared to have complacency as their biggest threat of surrendering their two-goal advantage.

T h e p a c e o f t h e g a m e, a n d t h e a m o u n t o f chances, had certainly dropped off. In fact, it took until the 65th minute though until Given was next tested, when Tomas Rosicky made room for himself before his 25-yar shotd was turned aside by Given.

Arsenal, as they chased further goals to boost their goal difference, were just playing out time.

Arteta added a third with a 30-yard free-kick as the Gunners eased to the most comfortable of victories in the London sunshine.—AFP

Liverpool stunned

by Wigan

Hamilton on pole in Malaysia

19

17

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

Retirement not on my mind, says Tendulkar

Page 16

LONDON: Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli (right) keeps the ball from Stoke City’s Andy Wilkinson during their English Premier League soccer match at Britannia Stadium.—AP

Toure rescues City at Stoke Stoke 1

Man City 1

LONDON: Manchester City’s title chal-

lenge suffered a setback as the leaders came from behind to rescue a 1-1 draw at Stoke after Peter Crouch’s stunning goal threatened to upset the leaders yesterday.

Yaya Toure’s deflected equaliser late in the second half cancelled out a sublime long-range effort from Crouch and took City above arch rivals Manchester United on goal difference. But, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s men hosting Fulham tomorrow, there is every chance City will soon be back in second place and three points off the top.

The Britannia Stadium has been an unforgiving venue for City ever since Stoke’s promotion to the top flight and boss Roberto Mancini might have feared the worst when Sergio Aguero

pulled out through injury, with Edin Dzeko making his first league start since early February.

Tony Pulis’s Stoke relish toughing it out against the bigger clubs and Cameron Jerome was only inches away from connecting with Crouch’s flick-on in the early stages.

And Mancini was furious with the hosts’ abrasive approach when Dean Whitehead appeared to catch David Silva with his elbow as the pair went up for a header.

Dzeko wasted two chances to cement a starting place, heading a

Silva free-kick wide before fluffing an even better chance from an inch perfect Gael Clichy cross at the back post.

But Stoke came closest to taking the lead four minutes before the break when Pablo Zabaleta spared Gareth Barry from heading Matthew Etherington’s corner into his own net.

The visitors started the second period with more rhythm and Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic wac called into action to make saves from Dzeko and Samir Nasri. Stoke were making chances of their own and England goalkeeper Joe Hart had to be alert to

Chelsea 0

Tottenham 0

LONDON: Chelsea missed the chance to close the gap on Tottenham in the race for Champions League qualification yesterday after a 0-0 stalemate with their London rivals at Stamford Bridge.

A free-kick from Juan Mata that bounced back off a post was the closest Chelsea came to finding the net in a game that saw Tottenham create the better chances without ever truly dominating.

Tottenham saw Gareth Bale’s header hit the bar after Gary Cahill, the Chelsea defender, had made a goalsaving block to deny Emmanuel Adebayor.

The stalemate means Tottenham remain five points ahead of Chelsea in the battle for fourth place. Both sides had suffered setbacks in midweek, with Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at home to Stoke City allowing Arsenal to over-take them and Chelsea losing 2-1 at Manchester City.

Both managers made changes to

And they delivered 14 minutes from time when Toure drilled a long-range effort that took a crucial deflection off Shawcross, wrong-footing Begovic just enough to leave the goalkeeper unable to do anything but push it into the net.

Mancini urged his team to push for a winner but Stoke held out and went close themselves when Adam Johnson deflected a shot narrowly wide of his own goal. Shawcross even turned the ball into the net in the final moments but referee Howard Webb disallowed the goal for an infringement. —AFP

Bolton honor Muamba

Chelsea, Spurs in drab draw the starting line-up, with John Terry returning from a knee injury to captain a Chelsea side that also saw Jose Bosingwa, Michael Essien, Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba recalled, and Tottenham picking former Stamford Bridge favorite William Gallas in place of Ledley King as well as Emmanuel Adebayor up front.

No clear chances were created in the first 20 minutes, although Tottenham did require an early intervention from Scott Parker to stop Drogba’s flick setting up Frank Lampard in front of goal.

The 28th minute brought the game’s most controversial moment when Lampard went down in the Tottenham penalty area as Gallas challenged ahead of Younes Kaboul.

Referee Martin Atkinson gave the incident a long look and decided to allow play to continue. Bale fired a long-range shot over from a Tottenham counter-attack and a much better chance went begging for the visitors just two minutes later.

Adebayor went on a solo run down the left that saw him trick his way past two players and into the Chelsea box.

Unselfishly, the striker attempted to set up Kyle Walker, the full-back, but his cross was just too high as the defender arrived unmarked at the back post.

Referee Atkinson again declined to award Chelsea a penalty when Ashley

claw away a header from Ryan Shawcross.

It needed a moment of genius to break the deadlock-and it was the unlikely figure of Crouch who delivered it spectacularly in the 59th minute. There seemed no danger whatsoever when Crouch picked up a Pennant flick 25 yards from the goal on the far right, but the former Tottenham striker arced an incredible volley over Hart into the top corner from around 30 yards out. City needed to respond quickly to avoid losing more ground in the title race.

Bolton 2

Blackburn 1

LONDON: Chelsea’s Didier Drogba (left) competes with Tottenham Hotspur’s William Gallas during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP Cole’s cross from the left hit van der Vaart on an arm as he slid in. A very uninspiring half came to life in stoppage time when goalkeeper Petr Cech and Cole combined to prevent Tottenham from taking the lead.

Luka Modric had been quiet but Chelsea were in trouble when he moved into a dangerous position on the left of the box and his cross was deflected to van der Vaart right in front of goal.

The Netherlands international fired straight at Cech but was on the rebound in a flash, only for Cole to block his follow-up on the line before Adebayor’s follow-up header flew just over.

Chelsea felt they had been denied a penalty for the third time when

Ramires went down as Benoit AssouEkotto ran with him and the former was hurt by the latter’s challenge on the right flank seconds later.

The Frenchman was booked, as was Sandro for another unruly challenge straight afterwards. Mata almost broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a free-kick that cleared the wall but bounced off Brad Friedel’s left-hand post as the veteran goalkeeper stood helplessly.

A free-kick almost saw Tottenham take the lead as Gallas sent a free header wide after Saha and Jake Livermore had replaced van der Vaart and Sandro.

Then Adebayor latched on to Modric’s pass and, as the flag stayed down, rounded Cech only for Cahill to block his goal-bound shot. —AFP

BOLTON: David Wheater scored twice as Bolton secured a 2-1 victory in an emotional relegation derby over Blackburn that became a moving tribute to stricken Wanderers player Fabrice Muamba.

Steve Nzonzi pulled a goal back but Wheater’s first Premier League goals for more than three years halted Blackburn’s mini-revival and gave Owen Coyle’s team fresh hope of avoiding the drop as they climbed out of the bottom three.

Muamba’s name was chanted at various stages of the game, including both sets of fans before kick-off, while his name rang out after a frenzied finish failed to bring Blackburn an equaliser.

The 23-year-old midfielder remains seriously ill after suffering a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup tie against Tottenham at White Hart Lane last weekend. His heart stopped for 78 minutes as doctors battled on the pitch and in hospital to keep him alive.

Bolton and Blackburn players warmed up in shirts with Muamba 6 on the back, while fans in one stand held up cards spelling out the player’s name when the teams ran out on to the pitch.

Manager Coyle called for his team to follow Muamba’s fighting spirit, and winger Martin Petrov set the tone with an early effort from 30 yards that Paul Robinson saved with difficulty.

But the home side were lucky not to fall behind after 23 minutes. Junior Hoillet burst into the Bolton penalty area to be sent tumbling by a combined challenge from Gretar Steinsson and Mark Davies but referee Andre Mariner, who had a decent view, waved away penalty claims.

Rovers sensed that they were in with a chance of recording a third successive victory when Tim Ream had to make a vital interception to prevent Ayegbeni Yakubu sliding in for the opening goal at the far post.

But Ream’s centre-half partner Wheater changed that perception almost immediately when he headed Bolton in front thanks in part to a woeful defensive header from Nzonzi.

The home crowd celebrated by singing Muamba’s name, and that in turn seemed to strengthen Bolton’s resolve to claim a muchneeded victory as Darren Prately headed just over the Rovers bar.

Yakubu, whose 14 goals have steered Blackburn away from the depths of the league table, missed a chance to equalise when he stabbed a shot wide from 10 yards to add to the visitors’ discomfort.

But it was mostly Bolton’s possession, and with 35 minutes gone Bolton increased their lead after Robinson was forced to concede another corner in saving Petrov’s fierce angled shot from the left.

When Ryo Miyaichi’s corner arrived in the crowded area, Wheater escaped his marker Scott Dann and propelled the firmest of headers beyond Robinson’s reach to put the home side in command. Dann attempted to make amends as the first half came to a close, diving low for a far-post header that went into the side-netting but Blackburn clearly had some leeway to make up. —AFP

Finland skeptical of further boosting euro-zone firewall Page 22

Rising Chinese wages a headache for US firms Page 23

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

Monti sells new Italy to Asia seeking investors

Kuwait stocks maintain upward momentum Page 24

Page 25

India eyes consensus over ‘flailing economy’ Mukherjee appeals to allies, opposition to bury hatchet NEW DELHI: India’s finance minister appealed yesterday to fractious government allies and a hostile opposition to cooperate “in the national interest” to restore the health of Asia’s third-largest economy.

Pranab Mukherjee’s call came as global ratings agencies and investment houses warned that India’s weak public finances and political paralysis over reform measures were clouding the nation’s financial prospects.

Getting India’s economy back on track “is a question of broad national interest that is staring us in the face,” Mukherjee told the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in a bluntly worded speech.

The 77-year-old minister said he was “committed to protecting the credibility” of plans in his budget, presented earlier this month, to plug a widening fiscal deficit and trim a ballooning subsidy bill. But Mukherjee said cutting spending “will involve tough decisions that we will have to take collectively”, referring to coalition and opposition members who have been obstructing economic reforms at a time of slowing economic growth.

Doubts have been mounting about India’s ability to deliver on its fiscal pledges amid worsening relations between the embattled ruling Congress and regional parties, whose backing it needs to retain power. The graft-tainted government of Premier Manmohan Singh has had a series of embarrassing policy flip-flops in recent months with coalition members allying with the opposition to stymie reforms.

Earlier in the week, the government scrapped plans to hike rail fares—a move intended to raise funds to repair the antiquated and unsafe network—underscoring its growing difficulties in implementing policy decisions.

The government has set a fiscal deficit target of 5.1 percent of gross domestic product for the next financial year-less than this year’s gaping 5.9 percent-but still the widest among big emerging market nations. The government’s woes have been compounded by decelerating growth with expansion for the next year to March, 31, 2013, targeted at 7.6 percent. That is up from 6.9 percent seen this year, but far below eight-to nine-percent growth for much of the past decade.

Among the hard decisions the government must make is whether to raise subsidized fuel and fertilizer prices. Analysts say such hikes are key to cutting the debilitating subsidy burden but the move would be unpopular among India’s vast poor population and require political courage from lawmakers with elections due at the latest by 2014.

“The implementation risk is high ahead of federal parliamentary elections,” commented Fitch ratings agency. Mukherjee recalled “another crisis” in 1991 in which India’s currency reserves sank so low it was on the brink of defaulting on foreign loans. But that event turned out to be a catalyst for sweeping changes which began the process of the country’s economic liberalization, he noted.

“Despite being a minority government, with the collective will of parliament, it was possible to lift the economy,” he said. “If we could face the challenges in the 1990s, we should be able to face the challenges in 201213.” — AFP

Obama warns of economic hit if transport bill not passed WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama urged lawmakers in the House of Representatives to pass a bill that would extend funding for infrastructure and transportation projects, warning that failure to do so would hurt US economic recovery.

The US Senate recently passed a transportation bill, but a similar measure is stalled in the House.

“In a matter of days, funding will stop for all sorts of transportation projects. Construction sites will go idle.

Workers will have to go home. And our economy will take a hit,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, broadcast yesterday.

“This Congress cannot let that happen. Not at a time when we should be doing everything in our power Democrats and Republicans - to keep this recovery moving forward.” Obama noted that 52 Democrats and 22 Republicans had supported the Senate version. “Now it’s up to the House to follow suit; to put aside partisan posturing, end the gridlock and do what’s right for the American people,” he said. House Republicans say they want measures included in the bill to address rising energy costs.

The previous multi-year US transportation law expired in September 2009. Since then, programs that fund road, bridge and transit projects and gas tax collections have been kept alive by a series of temporary extensions. With long-term transportation legislation stalled for now, House Republican leaders plan another temporary extension of federal highway and transit funding that would keep construction projects and gas tax collections on track.

Gas tax receipts that flow into a trust fund are the main source of revenue for those construction programs.The five-year, $260 billion transportation proposal has gone nowhere in the House because of its cost and controversial transit financing and energy provisions pushed by Republicans.

“The problem with the Senate bill is that it doesn’t address the issue of rising gas prices and energy,” Republican House Speaker John Boehner said earlier this week. “We believe that if we are going to reauthorize the highway bill, American energy production ought to be a critical part of this.” Many lawmakers consider a long-term transportation plan an important election-year priority considering billions of dollars in capital works spending and the millions of job associated with highway and transit construction.— Reuters

ATHENS: Police block public access in Syntagma Square to a student parade marking the Greek Independence Day in Athens yesterday. Fears of anti-austerity protests have prompted an unprecedented security mobilization ahead of national parades over the weekend to mark Greece’s Independence Day. — AFP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

BUSINESS

Finland skeptical of further boosting euro-zone firewall

Bayt.com report

Developing teamwork in the workplace

ECB seeks to stave off worsening crisis SAARISELKAE, Finland: Finland said yesterday it was skeptical about increasing the euro-zone’s rescue fund despite calls from the European Commission and the European Central Bank to prevent a worsening of the debt crisis. “We have not decided yet within the Finnish government what our policy lines are but we’re a bit skeptical (about) how big the rescue fund should be,” Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen said on the sidelines of an informal meeting with European officials in the northern Finnish town of Saariselkae.

“We have already decided that the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) should start a bit earlier than expected and should be capitalized faster than scheduled,” he said, questioning whether it was necessary to go beyond that and further increase the euro-zone firewall’s resources.

The issue is sensitive in Finland, where providing aid to EU countries experiencing budget woes has proved controversial, and Helsinki is, along with Berlin,

one of the most reticent capitals when it comes to doling out more money. A euro-zone consensus is needed, but with Germany and Finland dragging their feet the European Central Bank (ECB) has urged euro-zone members to step up efforts to reach an agreement.

“The ECB’s position on this is clear. We think that even if the crisis is now a little bit calmer we still think it’s necessary to increase the European firewalls (so) that our international partners at the G20 will also do their (part),” ECB official Joerg Asmussen of Germany said.

“We need all partners on board,” he added. The European Commission has been pushing the same line for months. EU Economics Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said there was “no room for complacency,” adding: “We are for the moment in a milder recession but it can be short-lived.”

He urged the euro-zone “to conclude the comprehensive crisis response by reinforcing the euro area

financial firewall” and said he was confident a “satisfactory compromise” could be reached at a euro-zone finance ministers meeting in Copenhagen next Friday and Saturday.

The 500 billion euro ($660 billion) European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is a permanent rescue fund that is due to enter service in July. It is expected to run for at least one year in parallel with the temporary rescue fund called the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), set up in May 2010.

As it stands now, the money already pledged by the EFSF-some 192 billion euros-will be deducted from the ESM, which would reduce the euro-zone’s firewall to 308 billion.

Euro-zone finance ministers must therefore decide whether to boost the ESM. One option would be to not deduct the EFSF pledges from the overall sum, thus giving the euro-zone a balance of some 700 billion euros. — AFP

Japan pensions scandal firm sure of recoup TOKYO: The president of a company at the centre of a Japanese pensions fund scandal said he was confident of recouping losses by continuing high-risk, high-return investments, reports said yesterday. Japan’s securities watchdog Friday raided investment company AIJ Investment Advisors, accused of losing 109.2 billion yen ($1.3 billion) of pension funds after exaggerating its performance to attract clients. AIJ president Kazuhiko Asakawa had told the Sankei Shimbun before the raid on the Tokyo head office that he had been “confident” of recouping losses, the newspaper reported.

“We made miscalculations in investment and things went bad as a result. But I was confident of recovering it,” the Sankei quoted him as saying in an interview with the paper. AIJ’s operations were suspended in February when the scandal surfaced, shocking Japan where a rapidly ageing population is increasingly looking to private pension funds as state schemes struggle due to mismanagement. Asakawa, 59, said that he wanted to apologize to people who had trusted his firm but admitted he would still be continuing investing money if there had

been no suspension order, according to the Sankei.

“I think I would have continued as I thought there were chances of winning. I’m not engaging in gambling. I also do some research work. I’m carrying on with the resolve that I lose only when I lose mentally,” he reportedly said.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Asakawa had told investigators from the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission that his firm had continued to invest in high-risk deals and most of them had been done under his instruction. He reportedly regretted he did not have more money. “I was operating in the belief that I will ‘win’ some day.

I would have been able to rally if I had 10 billion yen more,” he reportedly said during investigation by the securities watchdog.

The commission aims to file a criminal complaint against him as it suspects he had lied to clients for years, local media said. The Mainichi Shimbun said the commission had found Asakawa and a director of the firm had earned a combined 4.5 billion yen in the nine years to March 2011 including “rewards” for successful investments. — AFP

HYDERABAD: An Indian farmer arranges a display of grains and seeds at Millet Fest 2012, in Hyderabad yesterday. The three-day event aims to promote use and increase knowledge of the nutritional benefits of millet seeds when used as part of a daily diet. — AFP

General strike to hit Spanish air traffic MADRID: Train, bus and air traffic will be severely limited in Spain on Thursday during a general strike called by unions to protest at high unemployment and changes to labour laws that will make it cheaper for companies to lay off employees. The unions, which represent one in five Spanish workers, and the government agreed to retain minimum transport services for Thursday, including only 20 percent of flights between Spanish and other European airports.

Commuter and subway trains will operate at 35 percent of normal during peak hours, and 30 percent during nonpeak hours, the public works ministry said in a statement yesterday.

Buses will also run at a level much lower than normal. Only 10 percent of flights between destinations on the Spanish mainland will operate, and 50 percent of flights between the mainland and Spanish islands.

The government’s labor market reform is just the latest in a series of measures Spain has taken in the last two years to

Brent jumps $2 over sanctions on Tehran KUWAIT: The price of Brent crude oil rose by $2 for barrel by the end of last week amid reports about cuts in Iranian oil exports due to the recently imposed western oil sanctions in response to Tehran’s nuke program, a specialized economic report noted yesterday.

The report issued by the International Financial Brokerage Group, said that the US crude oil futures rose more than 1 percent on Friday, on news that some buyers have stopped or scaled back imports of Iranian oil due to Western sanctions.

The report pointed out that the US Stock market has closed on a positive

note last week, supported by the gains of the energy companies.

Meanwhile, price of Kuwaiti crude went up $0.43 to settle at $121.84 per barrel on Friday, in comparison to $121.14pb on the day before, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said yesterday. News of the decline of Iranian oil exports -during the month of March- caused the increase of oil prices on the world market. International companies estimated that Iranian oil exports dropped by 300,000 barrel per day equivalent to 14 percent of total Iranian exports, considering it the first significant decline this year in these exports. — KUNA

try to make its economy more competitive. Doubts about Spain’s public finances have pushed up the state’s borrowing costs, forcing the government to drastically cut spending to reduce the public deficit. At the same time, unemployment has soared to 23 percent and the economy is heading into its second recession in three years.

A general strike in 2010 had limited impact - mostly on transport and manufacturing - but this week’s walkout could bring a bigger turnout because the jobless rate has increased significantly.

Also, in 2010 the Socialists were in power, and now the centre-right People’s Party is in office. Traditionally, the unions have had a political alliance with the Socialists so protests have been more muted during periods of Socialist rule.

The unions had proposed even more drastic cuts to public transport on Thursday, but reached a compromise with the government. In a country where people depend heavily on public transport to get to work, the unions depend on cutting transport services to obtain maximum impact from a strike. — Reuters

I

f an organization was to be seen as a well-oiled machine, and each of its employees its vital components then ‘teamwork’ would be the essential oil that keeps the organization going. Effective teamwork can lead an organization towards meeting its objectives. In this article, the Career Experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, explore the building blocks of effective teams.

Creating teamwork is a daunting task at its early stages, but it can definitely be achieved through good leadership skills and a sound commitment and the results are worth the hard work. Foremost, team building requires time and persistence.

The stages of team development: Every leader needs to be on familiar terms with how to walk his team through the different stages of team development in order to avoid stress, chaos and uncertainty. Below are 5 essential phases of Team Development Model followed by leadership tips for each stage by Bayt.com career experts: Stage 1- Forming: This is the initial phase when the team first gets together. The leader’s primary task at this stage is to give them the best possible start and make them feel at ease. At this stage, Bayt.com’s career experts offer the below leadership tips: • Be as clear and open as possible about your goals.

• State specifically what the exact tasks of the team will be before moving on to explain the specific task of each team member.

• Shed light on the rules and the guidelines to be abided by.

• Maintain an open communication channel- this will encourage team members to share their queries and concerns, if any.

Stage 2- Storming: This is a tricky phase that usually results because rules and roles become somewhat unclear to team members despite the fact that they have been briefed during the forming stage. The leader’s skills are put to test here as the team is in need of clear direction and support.

Bayt.com’s career experts have these leadership tips for this stage: • Gather the team together and get things out in the open.

• Make sure to go over the team goals and understand what this means to each member.

Stage 3- Norming: At this stage goals are understood, responsibilities are clarified and relationships have solidified.

The leader’s role now is to

ensure the smooth continuity of the process and the avoidance of any potential challenges. Bayt.com’s career experts have these leadership tips at this stage: • Provide guidance to team members, one on one, to help them see where they stand in relation to the team’s goals and their individual goals.

• Once they feel confident of their capabilities, start allocating additional tasks in anticipation of the “performing” phase.

Stage 4- Performing: This is the ‘concentration’ phase: team members have set their minds to work towards team goals in order to reap the benefits of getting there. The leader’s role at this stage is to give team members the opportunity to become self-directive while he focuses on the next step forward. Bayt.com’s career experts have these leadership tips at this stage: • Give team members space and be more of a coach than a director.

• Encourage greater responsibilities that entail leadership roles.

• Recognize a team job well done and reward both team and individuals.

Stage 5- Adjourning: This represents the final stage of the development process. Tasks have been completed, goals have been reached and this is sometimes considered as a ‘mourning’ stage for both team members and leaders, while it is actually the start of a new beginning.

Bayt.com’s Tips to Build an Effective Work Team: 1. Promote first-class leadership: A good leader not only focuses on the corporate team goals but makes the effort to encourage other team members to share his vision by infusing the team with positive morale and strong motivation levels.

2. Promote open communication channels: This will allow team members to share their views, ideas and concerns amongst each other and with their leaders. Collective wisdom can be a very useful pool to tap into.

3. Provide accurate descriptions for individual roles: It is necessary to clearly communicate to all team members what every individual’s scope of responsibility will be. This will keep the team focused and in sync.

4. Set the best example for your team. Show commitment, persistence, and integrity and your team members will follow.

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 .3660000 .30300000 .2780000 .2890000 .0040000 .0020000 .0753770 .7343730 .3830000 .0720000 .7199210 .0040000 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2769000 GB Pound/KD .4394260 Euro .3667260 Swiss francs .3040850 Canadian dollars .2797680 Danish Kroner .0493170 Swedish Kroner .0411930 Australian dlr .2898590 Hong Kong dlr .0356640 Singapore dlr .2192570 Japanese yen .0032940 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0754190 Bahraini dinars .7347750 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0738600 Omani riyals .7195010 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2820000 .4490000 .3780000 .3170000 .2880000 .3040000 .0070000 .0035000 .0761340 .7417540 .4010000 .0770000 .7271560 .0072000 .0510000 .2805000 .4451390 .3714940 .3080390 .2834050 .0499580 .0417290 .2936270 .0361280 .2221080 .0033570 .0055860 .0021660 .0031040 .0034430 .0763990 .7443280 .3967470 .0748200 .7288550 .0065630z

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 278.800 3.071

Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

5.530 2.155 3.414 6.520 75.995 74.495 741.200 46.185 448.200 3.190 1.550 374.600 287.900 3.510

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 278.450 372.400 444.700 281.400 3.375 5.465 46.145 2.136 3.406 6.468 3.070 741.600 75.850 74.350

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka

SELL DRAFT 293.65 283.54 309.40 370.36 443.49 3.43 3.404

5.790 2.600 4.150 3.200 76.80 742.00 47.60 396.00 727.00 77.55 74.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

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

5.470 2.149 3.460 3.076 75.87 741.73 46.18 396.71 724.71 76.89 74.46

SELL CASH 299.00 286.00 309.00 372.00 446.00 3.70 3.650

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 279.050 282.725 443.005 367.850 304.965 738.960 76.950 76.595 74.375 392.800 46.252 2.226 5.556 3.081 3.412 6.502 684.499 4.340 9.165 5.875 3.555 92.335

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 Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Bahrain Exchange Company

GOLD 10 Tola

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka

SELL CASH 295.800 741.730 3.660

SELL DRAFT 294.300 741.730 3.405

283.100 547.800 45.500 49.400 167.800 47.510 374.100 36.620 5.790 0.032 0.159 0.238 3.470 395.250 0.189 92.960 45.500 4.290 232.000 1.807 49.600 724.450 3.130 6.800 77.150 74.470 222.590 38.740 2.657 446.900 42.400 310.700 3.900 9.430 198.263 76.040 279.300 1.340

Sterling Pound US Dollar

1,735.480 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 444.900 278.900

281.600

222.600 46.219 372.600 36.470 5.465 0.031

395.210 0.188 92.960 3.430 230.500

724.270 3.082 6.480 76.720 74.470 222.590 38.740 2.141 444.900 309.200 3.900 9.270 75.940 278.900

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

BUSINESS

China finds new demand in emerging markets

By Fatema Akashah

T

he financial crisis of 2008 has jarred the global economy. It is clear from the ongoing slowdown in global trade growth that the governments’ fiscal boosts in 2010 had not been enough for the world’s economy to regain its pre-crisis footing, especially when its most significant players, the US and particularly Europe, are still laden with debt problems that dampen their consumption power. China, the world’s exporting powerhouse, relies on demand from the West, mostly Europe, US and Japan (the G3). As shown in the graph, a majority of Chinese exports are directed to the G3 and the Newly Industrialized Economies in Asia (NIE, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore). The NIE countries consume some of what they import from China, but a significant portion is assembled and re-exported by these countries. Japan and the NIE countries have long had well-established ports that have served as gateways to the world for China. But the picture of China’s future export demand is rapidly changing. China’s ports are developing rapidly and their

KCIC WEEKLY ANALYSIS

customer base is diversifying, easing its reliance on the West and developed Asian economies.

The graph presents China’s exports by destination across time. China’s exports are growing across all regions, but the share of exports is changing.

In other words, China is increasing its direct trade with the rest of the global market. In 1995, the G3 and NIE coun-

Italy labor reform fails to enthuse experts MILAN: Mario Monti’s labor reform, approved by I taly ’s cabinet after we e k s o f b i t te r t a l k s, h a s b e e n hailed as a key measure in galvanizi n g I t a l y, b u t s o m e e co n o m i c observers remain unconvinced. The government had to fight tooth and nail with Italy’s biggest CGIL trade union over the bill.

But while Monti insisted it was crucial to boosting stagnant growth, some commentators have played down its significance. “Rather than being revolutionar y, this reform s e e m s a b ove a l l to b e a p u b l i c image operation aimed at foreign investors,” M aurizio Del Conte, a l a b o u r r i g h t s e x p e r t a t M i l a n’s Bocconi university, told AFP. “ Th e p e n s i o n re fo r m , w h i c h passed almost unnoticed, was much more incisive,” he said. “ Th e l a b o r o n e, o n t h e o t h e r hand, does not address the issue of imbalances between workers’ rights and the need for companies to be flexible.” Economist Tito Boeri also expressed reservations. “The reform doesn’t resolve the problem of the dual nature of the labor market, where workers either have solid, protected permanent contracts or have one of the many precarious co n t r a c t s,” h e s a i d. L a b o r r i g h t s exper t Senator Pietro Ichino was more sympathetic, in comments to the Corriere della Sera daily.

“It’s not a perfect reform, but it goes in the right direction,” he said.

“It aligns our system of rights in the workplace with those of our main European partners.” The heated dispute between the government and unions has focused mainly on article 18 of the labor code. Monti wants to change it to make it easier for companies to cut jobs for economic reasons, despite objections it will raise u n e m p l oy m e n t . Th e CG I L u n i o n called a strike in protest, but economic watchers weary of the unfolding drama argue that the country’s growth plans are hardly affected by article 18, which is evoked in just 0.5 p e rce n t o f d i s m i s s a l c a s e s. “ Th e country ’s economic growth is not

linked to this article,” said Del Conte.

“The government wanted to tackle exploitation and precarious jobs, but it will be difficult to apply the measures to our system.

“There are a myriad of small and m e d i u m e n te r p r i s e s w h i c h a re impossible to control and black market labour is widespread,” he added.

Nicola Salerno from CERM research group said the ar ticle 18 reform “may help change the mindset of a rigid and unmeritocratic system.”

But, he added, “it is not the key factor which will change the labor market dynamic or its productivity.”

“Article 18 has taken on a symbolic value, and it would have been wiser not to bring political and ideological issues into the crisis,” she said.

Af te r t h e e co n o m i c t ro u b l e s sweeping the euro-zone hit Italy, Italians were forced to accept three austerity packages in quick succession. The country slid into a recession and experts have forecast little to no growth this year. With their new rules making it easier for companies to cut jobs for economic reasons, the government risks ending u p w i t h “n u m e ro u s u n e m p l oye d people, and few of the resources necessar y to pay their remuneration,” Salerno said.

As part of the reform, it will cost more for businesses to give shortterm contracts to workers, which many believe will discourage them from hiring. While the CGIL tried to get Monti to water down the reform, the employers association urged him to toughen it up or risk scaring off investors only just regaining confidence in debt-ridden I taly. The government refused to contemplate a step backwards on the package and it will go to parliament after m i n i s te r s h ave f i n e - t u n e d t h e details.

Some say the decision to side step the country’s largest union has shaken up the system. “The fact that t h e g ove r n m e n t d e c i d e d to g o ahead, without giving the unions the opportunity to veto, is an important signal,” said Boeri. —AFP

tries made up 80% of the exports pie, but in 2011 their share had shrunk to two-thirds. The decline is attributed to the shrinking NIE and Japan shares of China’s total exports. Why are the NIE and Japan shares shrinking while Europe and the US have improved since 1995, especially in the case of Europe, whose share went from 15.4% in 1995 to 21.8% in 2011? The answer

can be explained in three parts: 1) developing trade routes; 2) technological development; 3) diversification of export destinations. In the past, China would heavily use the international ports of Hong Kong and Singapore to reach the consumers across the globe, or send components of a product to Korea and Taiwan to be assembled.

Now China is establishing direct linkages with its customers through its own ports. Europe may not be consuming that much more “Made in China” products than it had before, but its trading relationship with China has become more direct. China’s industries are also quickly developing and are gradually becoming more complex, giving it a new advantage with products; it wouldn’t have to rely on its more advanced neighbors as it once had. The graph also presents a new dynamic: the emerging markets’ rapidly growing share of the demand for Chinese exports.

With major international trading ports of its own, strengthening and establishing direct relationships with its customers, China’s position as an exporter has strengthened even more.

The real driver of export demand, however, is robust economic growth.

Rising Chinese wages a headache for US firms Anger over ‘unfair pricing of goods’ WASHINGTON: After decades of US caterwauling about the crippling impact of China’s low labor costs on domestic manufacturing, firms state-side now fret about the impact of rising Chinese wages.

First came anger, then depression and then acceptance. In the three decades since Deng Xiaoping began opening China’s economy, US manufacturers have gone through something resembling Elisabeth KueblerRoss’s five stages of grief.

Industry cried foul, then groped around for solutions, before accepting the rules of the game had changed-deciding to make a buck by offshoring some of their own production to China.

To be sure, there are still frequent spasms of anger over China’s ability to produce goods at “unfair” prices, notably in election years. But the bitter pain of jobs lost and factories closed has been sweetened just slightly over the years.

Using cheap Chinese laborers has resulted in $499 iPads, bumper corporate profits andin turn-fatter pensions for those who have stock-based plans. But there are already signs that this low-cost, high-reward Chinese paradigm is coming to an end.

Late Thursday, US footwear giant Nike reported it had made even more profit than it did the quarter before, yet its stock sank.

Investors hacked about $1 billion off the company’s value on Friday because of a reference to “declining gross margin” stashed in the bowels of the firm’s quarterly report.

The details are complicated, but Nike’s jar-

gon in part referred to rising wages in places like China taking a chunk out of profits.

Indeed, the details show rising wages-along with some other factors like higher material costs-caused Nike’s margins to fall two percent in just one year.

That spells extra costs worth tens-if not hundreds-of millions of dollars. But it is far from enough to make Nike’s business unviable, so why the worry? According to Sara Hasan, an analyst who follows Nike for investment firm McAdams Wright Ragen, the concern is that wages in China are only going to increase from here on in.

“It’s a very big deal, and it’s a longer-term issue definitely,” she said. In the last year, wages in China’s southern industrial belt have risen 10 percent, according to a report by Standard Chartered. They rose 11 percent the year before that.

The Shanghai authorities recently announced the minimum wage will rise 13 percent, doubtless prompted by labor shortages and worker unrest. “As (China’s) economy grows and as the middle class grows, I think the pressure is going to continue,” said Hasan.

Nike itself admits the costs are unlikely to fall any time soon: “While some raw material costs are starting to ease, we have not seen them retreat to their previous levels; for other input costs such as labor, upward pressure continues,” CEO Parker told investors.

That leaves US manufacturers with only a handful of options: accept lower profits, pass the cost on to consumers or lower labor costs

Mariscal Sucre’s development has been delayed in part because of the sinking of a $200 million exploration rig there in May 2010. Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA has insisted that any potential investor assume part of what it says was a total loss of more than $600 million from that disaster.

Total investment needs for the project are estimated at more than $14 billion.

Separately, Italy’s ENI and Spain’s Repsol have signed a deal with PDVSA to develop the Perla field, where the Europeans have certified more than 15 tcf.

Venezuela’s natural gas projects have languished for years, stalled by pricing issues and industry fears of expropriations that made it hard for PDVSA to attract experienced partners.

The government says it will eventually certify as much as 400 tcf in r e s e r v e s , u p f r o m 1 9 5 t c f n o w, which would propel Venezuela to fourth in the world behind Russia, I ran and Qatar, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. — Reuters

some other way. Par t of the answer for Lacrosse, a small Wisconsin-based footwear firm, was to shift some production from China to Vietnam, where wages are still relatively low.

“As costs in China have grown... we make a growing amount of our product in Vietnam,” said Michael Newman, who deals with investor relations for the company. Western China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are also cited as possible alternate production locations.

That has the added benefit of diversifying the supply base, but moves production away from China’s lucrative domestic market. For bigger firms, the answer may be to trim supply chains or tap consumers. According to Hasan, Nike is in a good position to leverage its brand strength and pass prices on to US and other consumers.

In the longer term, Nike also hopes to cut production costs the old-fashioned way, through increased automation. The company has invested its hopes in FlyKnit technology, which knits a shoe upper in one go, reducing the need for workers to assemble dozens of pieces. Consulting firm Accenture believes that through a mix of these responses, manufacturers with a large footprint in China can handle wage increases of as much as 30 percent without too much trouble.

“However,” its report published earlier this year noted, “China’s low-labor cost advantage will not last forever.” That will undoubtedly change the rules of the game for US manufacturers once again. — AFP

MF Global exec says Corzine ordered $200m transfer

Venezuela gas project output to begin in Dec LA GUIRA, Venezuela: Venezuela’s Mariscal Sucre offshore gas project will begin production in December after years of delays and difficulties in attracting foreign partners, the South American country’s energy minister said.

President Hugo Chavez’s government wants to develop natural gas production to meet growing domestic demand that has forced Venezuela, despite sitting on some of the world’s biggest gas reserves, to import supplies from neighboring Colombia.

Electricity shortages caused widespread rationing and curbed economic growth in 2010, and are a still a burning political issue for the socialist Chavez during an election year.

Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said initial output from Mariscal Sucre would be 300 million cubic feet a day, eventually rising to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day. The projec t ’s total reserves are estimated at 14.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf ). “We can’t be waiting for partners. There is demand for gas that we have to meet,” Ramirez told reporters on Friday during a trip to the project in the Caribbean sea.

Europe - despite a now more direct demand of Chinese products - faces a bleak economic outlook. The graph shows the rising demand of high growth economies of the BRICS, ASEAN, Latin America, Africa and MENA. These economies have solid domestic demand that is supported by favorable demographics and improving standards of living. The shift in focus from West to East will involve adjustment, but China’s product range is wide, spanning commercial and industrial uses; the adaptation to emerging markets demand will be quick. This diversification of China’s export market is key as it will help it rely less on the West and focus more on South-South trade. Shifting the focus to the other side will expose it to higher rates of growth, which means increased demand. Strong demand will make the yuan stronger. The added support of strengthening export demand and appreciating currency will allow China to absorb economic shocks because its exports will increasingly be differentiated across global markets, and will enable China to make a smooth transition to a strong domestic economy as it becomes more wealthy.

HYDERABAD: An Indian woman arranges a display of grains and seeds at Millet Fest 2012 in Hyderabad yesterday. The three-day event aims to promote use and increase knowledge of the nutritional benefits of millet seeds when used as part of a daily diet. — AFP

Slovenian government set to slash wages, benefits LJUBLJANA: Slovenia’s government wants to slash civil service pay, parental leave and unemployment benefits to consolidate its public finances, according to a proposal to unions published yesterday.

The centre-right government proposes to cut this year’s spending by 818 million euros ($1.1 billion) to around 9.3 billion euros and bring its deficit to 3.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from around 6.0 percent in 2011. Almost half the savings will come from a 15 percent salary cut for civil servants, suspension of this year’s holiday allowances and reduction of health care benefits.

The plan would also reduce unemployment benefits and parental leave benefits while holding maternity leave at 12 months. In education, it calls for extending working time for teachers and

increasing the number of students per class.

The government also wants to eliminate two of the country’s 14 public holidays. “We want to show we are trustworthy when the European Commission delegation comes in April to check our plans for balancing public finances,” Finance Minister Janez Sustersic said when announcing the broad outlines of the austerity measures on Thursday.

He said the measures would be included in a revised 2012 budget proposal to be sent to parliament in early April even if the government fails to reach agreement with the unions.

Along with the budget revision, the government will submit a proposal to introduce a so-called “golden rule” into Slovenia’s constitution that would require a balanced budget. —AFP

WASHINGTON: A former MF Global executive appears to contradict testimony from Jon Corzine, saying the former senator and New Jersey governor ordered the transfer of $200 million last fall out of a customer account days before the brokerage firm collapsed, according to an email obtained by congressional investigators.

Edith O’Brien, MF Global’s former assistant treasurer, says Corzine ordered the money shifted to one of the firm’s bank accounts overseas on Oct. 28 to cover an overdraft, according to a memo that cited the email. The email noted that the transfer was made “per JC’s direct instructions.”

MF Global filed for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 31. The firm failed because of a disastrous bet on European debt.

About $1.6 billion of customers’ money hasn’t been recovered. A House Financial Services subcommittee released the memo Friday in advance of a hearing Wednesday. O’Brien has been subpoenaed to testify. The Associated Press was unable to reach her for comment.

In December, Corzine told the panel at a hearing: “I did not instruct anyone to lend customer funds to MF Global or any of its affiliates.” Corzine also told the subcommittee he didn’t know about “the use of customer funds on any loan or transfer.” And Corzine told a Senate panel two days earlier: “I never gave any instruction to anyone at MF Global to misuse customer funds.”

Steven Goldberg, a spokesman for Corzine, reiterated in a statement Friday that Corzine testified that there wasn’t anything he had said that “could reasonably have been interpreted as an instruction to misuse customer funds. He stands by that testimony.” “He never directed Ms. O’Brien or anyone else regarding which account should be used to cure the overdrafts, and he never directed that customer funds should be used for that purpose,” Goldberg said. “Nor was he informed that customer funds had been used for that purpose. To the contrary, as Corzine testified, he recalls having received written material indicating that the funds used to cure the overdrafts were appropriate for that purpose.” Client money is required by law to be held separately from a brokerage firm’s cash in order to protect investors in case a firm fails. If MF Global misused client money, it would violate a fundamental investor protection for people who trade options and futures. Many lawmakers have heard from farmers, ranchers and small business owners in their states who are missing money that was deposited with the firm.

Agricultural businesses use brokerage firms like MF Global to help reduce their risks in an industry vulnerable to swings in oil, corn and other commodity prices.—AP

24

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

BUSINESS

Kuwait stocks maintain upward momentum BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.70%, while the weighted index raised by 0.80% compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 10.27%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 45.58 million, whereas trading volume average was 475.36 million shares, recording decrease 0.83%.

KSE managed to keep its momentum, to record gains for both of its indices. Last week witnessed a continued speculations presence, which is dominating the market recently, in addition to a notable movement on some investment groups, and collecting deals on some low price stocks.

Moreover, more companies announced its financial results during last week, the number of declared com-

panies reached 52% so far. The total number of declared companies reached 107 out of 205 listed companies, realizing approximately KD 1.65 billion, with a decline of 18.27% compared to same companies’ results for 2010.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,243.5 points, up by 0.70% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.80% weekly gain after closing at 423.22 points.

2011 Results By mid of last trading day of the week, 107 companies announced their results for the year 2011 with a total net profits amounting to KD 1.65 billion, 18.27% lower than the same companies’ results for the year 2010, which amounted to KD 2.01 billion.

The Services sector came first in terms of total net profits for the year,

with a total of KD 744.05 million, followed by the Banks sector with a total of KD 565.49 million, then the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector in the third place with KD 91.23 million.

And as per 2011 announced results, the Services sector came in first in terms of average earnings per share (EPS) for its listed companies, which amounted to 176.55fils. The Food sector was second with an average EPS of 108.48 fils, followed by the Industry sector in the third place with 58.63 fils, whereas the market’s overall average EPS is 73.14 fils. On the other hand, and according to the announced results and last Thursday’s closing prices, KSE average P/E ratio is currently at 15.71.

Sectors’ Indices Six of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other two recorded declines. Last week’s highest

gainer was the Banks sector, achieving 1.82% growth rate as its index closed at 11,646.4 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector’s index closed at 6,182.5 points recording 1.15% increase. The Investment companies sector came in third as its index achieved 1.07% growth, ending the week at 4,089.7 points. The Real estate sector was the least growing as its index closed at 2,262.0 points with a 0.25% increase.

On the other hand, the Industry sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 0.70% to end the week’s activity at 4,284.7 points. The Insurance sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.03%, closing at 2,707.5 points.

Sectors’ Activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week

with 841.65 million shares changing hands, representing 35.41% of the total market trading volume. The Real Estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 24.64% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 585.66 million shares. On the other hand, the Investment sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 65.99 million or 28.96% of last week’s total market trading value. The Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 63.48 million represented 27.86% of the total market trading value.

Market Capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by 0.75% during last week to reach KD 29.37 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization except for

one sector. The Food sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 719.75 million, increasing by 3.32%. The Services sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.13% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 7.23 billion. The third place was for the Insurance sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 315.47 million by the end of the week, recording an increase of 1.11%. The Real Estate sector was the least growing with 0.004% recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 1.93 billion. On the other hand, the Industry sector was last week’s only decliner as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.03% to reach, by the end of the week, KD 2.23 billion. — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

BUSINESS

Last-minute shopping could lift US stocks WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: Portfolio managers will be doing some last-minute shopping for winners from the big US stock market rally as they take part next week in the quarter-end ritual of window dressing. The activity could help stocks resume their upward course in the week ahead and keep a long-expected pullback at bay. The benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 index is up 11.1 percent so far for the first quarter and the year. That would follow a gain of 11.2 percent for the fourth quarter.

If the trend holds, the S&P 500 will book its best back-to-back quarters since the second and third quarters of 2009. The S&P 500 lost some ground in the past week, ending down 0.5 percent after five straight weeks of gains, but that’s only its second negative week for the year.

Much of the quarter’s gains have been driven by signs of improvement in the US economy, particularly a pickup in jobs, which has been lagging other areas in the recovery.

Window dressing typically involves investors grabbing some of the quarter’s best performers to dress up their portfolio listings. Some of the lastminute buying is likely to come from the hedge fund community, said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist and senior portfolio manager for Federal Global Investment Management Corp in New York.

Hedge funds “by and large have not been believers about the improvement in the domestic economy ... so they’ve been very much out of the market.

Yet here we are with the first quarter looking like the best first quarter since 1998,” he said. “They’ve got a huge gain to catch up.”

But retail investors, he said, have probably also noticed that they’ve missed a lot by having kept their money in Treasuries and other fixed-income assets over the quarter.

“They have woken up to the realization that the surge in yields has resulted in a significant loss of capital for them,” Orlando said. If the S&P 500 manages to end the first quarter with an 11.1 percent gain, that would be its best quarterly performance since the second quarter of 2009.

By comparison, the 10-year US Treasury note’s yield has risen nearly 36 basis points. If this holds, the 10-year note’s yield will record a quarterly rise for the first time in a year.

In the final week of the first quarter, Wall Street will get a more complete look at the economy through a whole suite of indicators. Among them will be March consumer confidence on Tuesday, February durable goods orders on Wednesday, the final look at fourth-quarter Gross Domestic Product on Thursday, plus February personal income and spending data on Friday as well as the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, and the final reading on March consumer sentiment from the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan surveys.

“The bottom line is: The economy is improving and while inflation is trending higher, there is no

threat of corporate profits disintegrating,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. “I am looking for a rally,” he said.

Gains this quarter have been broad-based, with most of the 10 S&P sectors on track to end the quarter in positive territory. But the S&P 500 financial sector index and the S&P technology sector index stand out, with gains so far of 21 percent for the financials and 19.9 percent for techs. The more defensive S&P 500 utility and consumer staples sectors have underperformed, with the utility index down 3.9 percent and the consumer staples index up 3.7 percent so far. Still, the S&P energy sector, a cyclical sector that tends to gain with the economy like financials and technology, is up just 4 percent for the quarter so far.

Because of the S&P 500’s big move this quarter, some strategists expect to see some funds shift out of equities. “Given the fact that stocks have had a big move and bonds have sold off, portfolio managers in asset-allocation mode may trim a little bit of equity holdings and move them into fixed-income holdings to rebalance target weights,” said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist of D.A. Davidson & Co in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

According to Thomson Reuters’ Lipper service, investors in US-domiciled equity funds have splurged so far in the first quarter of the year, pumping a net $32.7 billion in fresh capital into the sector.

This follows net outflows for the previous ninemonth period, which saw a high of $66 billion in net

redemptions occur in the second quarter of 2011.

For all of last year, equity funds experienced net outflows of $50.4 billion, only the second full year of redemptions since Lipper started tracking fund flow data in 1992.

The S&P 500 ended 2011 virtually unchanged, but is up 23 percent since the end of September.

Even as money has moved back into equities, taxable bond funds are also enjoying a banner start to the year. Lipper data shows $85 billion in net inflows so far in 2012, on pace to be the best since the $98 billion of net inflows recorded in the first quarter of 2010.

Taxable bond funds have not had a negative quarter since the fourth quarter of 2008. The record inflow year for this category was 2009 when investors bought an additional $384 billion of taxable bond funds. The last full year of net outflows was the $54 billion in 2000. Stocks have benefitted not just from the upbeat economic data, but from speculation that the Federal Reserve could add further stimulus to the economy.

“What may have driven some of this sustained support for the market is continued indications from the Fed that QE3 is not out of the question. That would certainly be extremely negative for anybody who has a short position on US equities,” said Natalie Trunow, chief investment officer of equities at Calvert Investment Management in Bethesda, Maryland. — Reuters

Monti sells new Italy to Asia seeking investors Italian PM off to S Korea, Japan and China tour

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama walks with Jim Yong Kim, his nominee to be the next World Bank President, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday. Kim is currently the president of Dartmouth College. —AP

Seoul hails US-Korean candidate for WB SEOUL: South Korea yesterday welcomed President Barack Obama’s nomination of a Korean-born Ivy League college head to lead the World Bank, hailing him as the “right person” for the top job. Obama on Friday named Jim Yong Kim, a US-raised physician who is currently the president of Dartmouth College, to succeed Robert Zoellick, who is scheduled to leave the World Bank in June.

“We highly appreciate President Obama’s decision to nominate Kim and will cooperate more closely with the World Bank,” the presidential Blue House said in a statement.

“We believe that Kim is the right person to carry out the duties to reform the World Bank and eradicate poverty, relying on his experience in international health and development projects.”

The United States’ selection of Kim to lead the 187-nation development lender makes him an instant favourite to get the bank’s top job. He is challenged by two other candidates including Colombian Jose Antonio Ocampo, a professor at Columbia University, and Nigerian finance minister Ngozi OkonjoIweala. — AFP

ROME: Italy’s Mario Monti sets off to South Korea, Japan and China this weekend with crucial labor reforms in the bag, to set out his vision of a new Italy and boost ties with Asia’s dynamic economies.

The prime minister, who in November replaced Silvio Berlusconi as premier as Italy toppled on the edge of financial meltdown, is wasting no time strengthening relations with Asia’s key financial players.

“Monti has made this one of his first international trips and rightly so,” Giuliano Noci of Milan Polytechnic told AFP. “It has huge implications for Italy: trade deals made now will help put the country back on the map.”

The former European commissioner’s aim is to get recession-struck Italy growing again after years of lagging behind its euro-zone peers. He wants to see Italy eventually cut reduce its massive debt, which currently runs at 120 percent of gross domestic product: double the EU ceiling.

He has followed his tough “Save Italy” austerity plan-which calmed skittish markets and defused the emergency atmosphere-with a “Grow Italy” plan, which has included the deregulation of key sectors to spur competition.

His biggest challenge has been persuading trade unions to fall in with his reform to modernize the labor market. He insisted on settling this

issue with his cabinet before the start of his Asia trip. They approved it on Friday and it will go before parliament in the coming weeks.

Monti sets off today, and will travel first to South Korea to meet President Lee Myung-Bak and join leaders and top officials from 52 other countries at a Seoul nuclear security summit, before heading on to Japan. There he will meet Finance Minister Jun Azumi on Wednesday before holding talks with heads of the country’s main banks and financial institutions, after which he will head to China to meet top government officials and businessmen.

He will end his trip on Monday April 2 by addressing the Boao Asia Forum. “Italy is the euro-zone’s third

largest economy and doesn’t want to miss out on deals being snapped up by others,” said Sergio Romano, a columnist with Corriere della Sera.

“Monti has realised these countries need to be appreciated, understood and courted.”

Noci said Monti plans to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with Japan and the dynamic South Korea and ensure a series of lucrative deals made between Berlusconi and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in 2010. He also said Rome would be looking to lure Asian investment into information technology, infrastructure, green energy and tourism-and boost exports of luxury fashion goods to a region with a passion for Prada shoes and Gucci bags.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti

US to appeal WTO ruling against meat labels

ATLANTA: New homes are seen under construction in Atlanta. Sales of US new homes fell in February for the second straight month, a reminder that the depressed housing market remains weak despite some improvement. — AP

Colombian academic seeks top WB job NEW YORK: Jose Antonio Ocampo, the man Colombia has put forward as its candidate for World Bank president, is an economist with a solid academic background and stints in national politics and at the United Nations.

Born in Cali, western Colombia, in 1952, Ocampo currently teaches at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in New York. Ocampo, 59, “is a leading thinker on the reform of the international financial architecture and on macroeconomic policies to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries to international financial volatility,” Tufts University in Massachusetts said when it awarded him the 2008 Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought.

Ocampo has a sterling academic background: he studied economics and sociology at the prestigious University of Notre Dame, then obtained a doctorate in economics at Yale University in 1976, when he was just 23. He then returned to his native Colombia, teaching at the University of the Andes and the National University of Colombia. In 1989, he entered national politics, aligned himself with Colombia’s center-left Liberal Party, and advocated a gradual economic opening at a time when most of Latin America was putting few limits on free-market capitalism.

Ocampo occupied several top posts, including as agriculture minister in 1993 under president

Cesar Gaviria, and finance minister in 1996 under president Ernesto Samper. From national politics, Ocampo entered the world of international organizations. Between 1998 and 2003, he was secretary-general of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, better known by its Spanish acronym CEPAL. He later moved to New York, where in 2003 he became Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations under Kofi Annan. He last held the job until 2007, when he returned to academia.

Ocampo by then had a stellar reputation, and in 2009 was called to become a member of the Commission of Experts of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System.

His most recent publication is “Time for a Visible Hand: Lessons from the 2008 World Financial Crisis,” published in 2010. The book’s co-authors are 2001 Nobel Economics Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and economist Stephany Griffith-Jones. “Ocampo has published extensively on macroeconomic theory and policy, international financial issues, economic and social development, international trade, and Colombian and Latin American economic history,” according to his Columbia University biography.—AFP

WASHINGTON/WINNIPEG: The United States said it would appeal a World Trade Organization ruling against a law requiring country-of-origin labels on all meat sold in grocery stores, a move that disappointed Canada and Mexico, both of which want the law changed.

The meat labels became mandatory in March 2009 after years of debate. US consumer and mainline farm groups supported the requirement, saying consumers should have information to distinguish between US and foreign products.

Big meat processors opposed the provision, which they said would unnecessarily boost costs and disrupt trade. A WTO panel ruled in November that the country-of-origin labeling, or COOL, provision violated WTO rules on technical barriers to trade. The case was brought by Canada and Mexico, which have sizeable cattle and hog trade with the United States.

Andrea Mead, a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative’s office, said the November ruling confirmed the United States has the right to adopt mandatory COOL requirements to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

But “we were disappointed that the panel disagreed with the way that the United States designed its COOL requirements with regard to beef and pork. Accordingly, we are challenging the panel’s report before the WTO Appellate Body,” she said.

In their complaint, Canada and Mexico said cattle and hog shipments to the United States declined sharply after the law took effect. They said the US rules were too stringent and put their livestock at a disadvantage. “The WTO panel decision recognized the integrated nature of the North American supply chain and marked a clear win for our industry,” Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a statement expressing disappointment with the US appeal.

“We are confident that the decision will

be upheld so trade can move more freely, benefiting producers and processors on both sides of the border,” Ritz said.

Mexico’s economy ministry said in a statement late Friday that it would defend its interest in the appeal process. US consumer group Food & Water Watch welcomed the appeal.

“We are heartened that the Obama administration has finally stood up against the meat industry’s attack on commonsense rules that let people get vital information about what they are eating,” the group’s executive director, Wenonah Hauter, said in a statement.

The move allows President Barack Obama’s administration to delay the politically difficult task of trying to change the law during a US election year in the hope of obtaining a more favorable outcome in the second round of litigation. The US labeling law requires grocers to put labels on cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken and ground meat or post signs that list the origin of the meat.

Labeling also is required for seafood, fruits, vegetables and ginseng as well as peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts, but the WTO ruling only covered meat trade.

To be listed as US origin, meat must come from animals born, raised and slaughtered in the United States. Meat from livestock raised in Mexico or Canada for slaughter in the United States must be labeled as a product of mixed origin. Changing the law would most affect packing plants that were once big buyers of Canadian animals including those owned by JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill Inc., Hormel Foods, and Smithfield Foods, Canadian farm industry officials have said.

Many US meat-packing plants, especially those near the US-Canada border, either stopped accepting Canadian livestock or bought less due to the increased costs of segregating animals by domestic and foreign origin. —Reuters

Trade between Italy and China is expected to reach $80 billion (60.3 billion euros) by 2015.

Official figures this week showed that Italy’s shipments to China declined by 4.8 percent in February and Monti will be keen to quickly reverse the trend.

Italian media have referred to the upcoming visit as a “road trip to show off the new Italy,” and Monti’s plan is for Rome to compete with euro-zone countries such as Germany and France.

“We are now seen as real protagonists of the euro-zone’s recovery and can offer all the advantages of a country which in just a few months has cleaned up its act,” Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi told Il Sole 24 Ore financial daily. Italy “is an attractive option for foreign investors who can benefit from liberalizations, less bureaucracy, tax breaks and the labor reform,” he said.

But Noci warned that the work reform-which will be modified by ministers before the draft bill it goes to parliament-is not a done deal. Monti should be wary of using it has his trump card in Asia, he said. “The reform is not wrapped up yet, it’s still piping hot, but Monti couldn’t pass up his trip to Asia,” he said. “He will have to hope that his reputation as an astute economic thinker who has turned Italy around precedes him.”— AFP

US regulators close two small banks WASHINGTON: Federal regulators have closed small banks in Georgia and Illinois, bringing to 15 the number of banks that have failed so far this year. The pace of bank closures has slowed sharply after ballooning following the financial crisis in 2008. By this time last year, 25 banks had failed.

On Friday the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. shuttered Covenant Bank & Trust in Rock Spring, Ga., and Premier Bank, based in Wilmette, Ill. Each bank operated two branches.

Covenant Bank & Trust had about $95.7 million in assets and $90.6 million in deposits as of Dec. 31.

Stearns Bank, National Association of St. Cloud, Minn., agreed to assume Covenant Bank’s deposits and assets.

Premier Bank had about $268.7 million in assets and $199 million in deposits. International Bank of Chicago agreed to assume Premier’s deposits and assets. The FDIC estimates the bank failures will cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $95.6 million.

So far this year, four banks have failed in Georgia, and three in Illinois. In all of 2010, regulators seized 157 banks, the most in any year since the savings and loan crisis two decades ago. Those failures cost the fund around $23 billion. The FDIC has said 2010 likely was the high-water mark for bank failures from the Great Recession. Last year 92 banks failed, costing the fund about $7.9 billion.

In 2009 there were 140 bank failures that cost the insurance fund about $36 billion. It was a larger sum than in 2010 because the banks involved were bigger on average. Twenty-five banks failed in 2008, the year the financial crisis struck. Only three closed in 2007.

From 2008 through 2010, bank failures cost the fund an estimated $79 billion. The FDIC expects failures from 2011 through 2015 to cost $19 billion. The deposit insurance fund fell into the red in 2009. With failures slowing, the FDIC’s fund balance turned positive in the second quarter of last year. At Dec. 31 it stood at $9.2 billion, nearly 18 percent higher than three months earlier, according to the FDIC. — AP

26

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

business

Lexus tops 2012 J.D. Power Dependability Study .D. Power and Associates announced the results from their 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS). The results are in for this year and it appears that Lexus has come out on top in the final standings.

J

Rounding out the highest-ranking brands: “We are pleased that TMS has once again led the way with the most segment awards in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. We’re especially proud of our consistency in the annual study. Since 1994 Lexus has continued to place among the top three nameplates in every year of eligibility, while Toyota has been in the top five among non-luxury manufacturers since 1990. Toyota has once again topped this year’s study as the topranking full-line manufacturer”.

“This is great news and timely for both our customers and our dealers, as it provides reassurance our vehicles continue to be an industr y benchmark for quality.”

The annual study looks at problems experienced by original owners (a total of 31,000 were surveyed) of three -year-old (2009 model year)

vehicles and includes 198 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

In 2012, overall vehicle dependability averaged 132 PP100—an improvement of 13 percent from the 2011 average of 151—which is the

lowest problem rate since the inception of the study in 1990. Fully 25 of the 32 brands in the study have improved in dependability from last year, while only six have declined and one has remained stable.

Luxury brands, both foreign and domestic, have done especially well, with six out of the top 10 highest ranked brands being luxury or near-

premium brands. Toyota has also done exceptionally well considering its past troubles, with its three brands—Toyota, Scion and Lexus—all ranking in the top five spots. The most dependable vehicle was the Lexus LS. On that note Mubarak Al Sayer the CEO -MNSS said: ”on the occasion of such positive outstanding results of J.D. Powers, we praise ourselves for being the sole distributor of Lexus cars, the world’s most practical & luxury automotive brand; TMC has managed to produce “Reliable Dependable Cars” that does not stand still, tremendous advances in innovative technology and driving capabilities, as well as in environmentally friendly solutions, as it managed to capture customers’ loyalty & trust, for that Lexus shall remain the best in terms of dependability & innovation.

On our turn here in Kuwait, we are committed to insure our customers’ complete satisfaction with their cars, Al Sayer will always continue to be committed to offer the best products and service available in Kuwait, and to always meet the best of customer care”.

The list of the top 10 brand rankings for 2012: 1) Lexus - 86 2) Porsche - 98 3) Cadillac - 104 4) Toyota - 104 5) Scion - 111 6) Mercedes-Benz - 112 7) Lincoln - 116 8) Ford - 124 9) Buick - 125 10) Hyundai - 125

GIC profits grow 20% to $182 million in 2011 Results show firm’s resilience, strength: Hejres

Gulf Bank winners of Al-Danah draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its eleventh AlDanah weekly draw on March 18, 2012, announcing a total number of ten Al Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The 11th Al Danah weekly winners are: Husain Abdulla Al-Ajmi, Abdulmoati Hamad Al-Daqes, Aziza Al-Homaiwi, Rashed Zaid Odah, Huda Ibrahim Al-Obeid, Berki Dhailis Al-Hajri, Iman Yousef Al-Saraf, Mohammed Ashraf Bakleh, Fouad Hashem Al-Abeed, Ahmed Neamatallah Abdulrahman Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an Al Danah account and/or increase their deposits to maximize their chances of becoming a winner in the upcoming weekly (KD1,000 each for 10 winners). Gulf Bank’s Al Danah

allows customers to win cash prizes and encourages them to save money.

Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account.

Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer online, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information regarding Al-Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

Over 200 gaming enthusiasts visit Best United Electronics Kuwait’s first 3D gaming competition KUWAIT: Best United Electronics in collaboration with LG organized Kuwait’s first ever 3D gaming competition at Best Electronics, Al-Rai which is considered the biggest electronics showroom in Kuwait.

“The competition is open to everybody in Kuwait above 14 years of age.

All you have to do is join our Facebook page and register by filling out a simple registration form. 16 teams of 4 each will enter the competition to bat-

tle it out in the Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare game on LG’s newly launched CINEMA 3D SMART TV. The competition will run for a period of 5 weeks and participants and followers can stay updated through our Facebook and Twitter pages,” stated Abdulaziz Adel Al-Yousifi, President - Best Electronics.

The competition began on Thursday, March 22, 2012 and the first winning team of four took home an LG LCD TV each after battling out 15 other teams in a very tough but thrilling competition. There are four more thrilling weeks remaining of the competition and the grand finale will be held April 19 where winners of the first four weeks will compete once again for the grand prize of the 47 inch LG CINEMA 3D SMART TV. The event was attended by several gaming enthusiasts, prominent personalities, media representatives and customers who cheered the participants during the competition and also participated in competitions conducted for them and took home some valuable prizes.

1-Waled Bader Al-Enezy 2-Ali Al-Shemerry 3-Ali Al-Bloushy 4-Aujeel Al-Shemerry

KUWAIT: The Gulf Investment Corporation announced yesterday that its General Assembly reviewed and approved the audited financial statements for the year 2011. Net income for the year grew to $182 million from $151 million in 2010, representing a year-on-year increase of 20%.

The Chairman of the Board Dr Zakaria Ahmed Hejres commended the solid performance saying: “GIC’s good performance in a challenging business environment is a reflection of its resilience and strength. I am pleased to note that the steady progress that GIC made in financial strength and risk profile, continues to be in tandem with its business expansion and revenue growth. The corporation continued to play a major role in the development of GCC-based projects via its principal investments as well as in the capital markets through its investment activities and product innovations. The Board will continue to contribute in its strategic role towards achieving GIC’s corporate goals under the full support of our shareholders.”

Earnings from GIC core businesses contributed to the growth in net operating revenues, which reached $292 million, an increase of 31% compared to the preceding year. As of 31st December 2011, total shareholders’ equity reached $2,405 million, representing a year-on-year value addition of $273 million. This increase, which includes both realized and unrealized gains, reflects an economic return of 12.8% on the previous year’s equity.

GIC’s total balance sheet, as of 31st December 2011, reached $5,881 million. With a leverage of just under 2.4 times, the balance sheet structure remains healthy and resilient. The high capital levels, conservative leverage and good asset quality are reflected in robust capital adequacy ratios. Tier 1 capital ratio, as per Basel II guidelines, stood at 30.6% as of the 2011 year end. In that year, GIC had ample liquidity, with cash and equivalents of $596 million, on top of other liquid

GIC Chairman Dr Zakaria Ahmed Hejres

GIC CEO Hisham Al-Razzuqi

assets of nearly $3,000 million.

Commenting on the Corporation’s notable performance, Hisham A Al-Razzuqi, Chief Executive Officer, stated that “2011 has been another good year for GIC. The consistent year on year enhancement of all key financial performance indicators is especially gratifying. The growth in profitability was achieved alongside improvements in capital strength, liquidity and liability structure, leverage levels and risk profile. This multi-dimensional strength resulted in positive rating actions from international rating agencies, including Moody’s, Fitch and Rating Agency Malaysia. The strong foundation we have built, combined with the goodwill we have established, will enable us to expand our business and regional franchise. We will continue,

as a team, to strive towards achieving our corporate goals of contributing to the development of private enterprise in the region and creating value for our shareholders.”

Established in 1983, GIC is a regional financial institution owned entirely and equally by the six GCC states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. GIC provides a comprehensive set of financial services that support the development of the private enterprise and foster economic growth in the Gulf region. GIC has emerged as a regional leader in its chosen fields, and has successfully promoted and developed projects in the GCC across a range of sectors, including financial services, petrochemical, metal, power, utilities, and, communications.

Premium ownership experience with Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive 5 years warranty, 4 years free servicing, free registration KUWAIT: To continue providing BMW customers with the best offers and services in the market, Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive importer of BMW Group vehicles in Kuwait, has launched a special promotional offer on all BMW models.

Customers who purchase a new BMW will receive free warranty for up to five years or 150,000 km (whichever comes first) and a four-year free servicing package, valid up to 84,000km. In addition, all registration costs will be organized and covered by Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, giving customers a convenient and hassle-free start to their BMW ownership. The BMW Group importer has also combined this offer with a monthly premium financing program, designed to suit the individual needs of its customer’s budgets, starting from KD 124 for a BMW 3 Series Coupe, KD 124 for a BMW 5 Series, KD 191 for a BMW X6 and KD 203 for a BMW 7 Series.

This promotion signals Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive’s commitment to providing additional value to its customers by helping to reduce the ownership costs and considering all the small details such as vehicle registration and service packages. It also puts customers’ minds at ease so they can enjoy ‘no worry’ ownership for their BMW vehicles. From the moment they decide to purchase the car, covering the major servicing for the first four years.

Yousef Al-Qatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive said: “In addition to customer satisfaction being our number one priority at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, we recognize that customer loyalty contributes to our continuous success and always to try to find new ways to ensure they have the best possible owner-

ship experience.”

“We also understand that luxury vehicles are an important lifestyle choice in Kuwait.

With this campaign, we are trying to make it easy for people in Kuwait to own a BMW, and therefore we are offering a wide choice of models with a variety of flexible finance options. This promotional campaign supports our long term strategy to ensure that the customers receive top quality and care at every stage of the ownership experience.”

The campaign covers all BMW vehicles, including BMW’s flagship model, the BMW 7 Series, BMW 5 Series and the BMW X5 and X6, as well as the newly launched 6th generation BMW 3 Series.

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive recently launched the all-new BMW 3 Series, the world’s best-selling premium car, this vehicle is now available at the importers showroom, in all its different lines, Luxury, Modern, and Sport.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Indispensable and free: The best everyday apps BERLIN: Billions of smartphone apps are downloaded every year with the value of many of them being debateable. But there are apps which are extraordinarily helpful and users can hardly imagine their everyday life without them. And on top of that, many of these programmes are free. Here’s a selection: Adobe Reader: Even on the go you may need to be able to view PDFs. The original viewer application for the format offers a good service to display and search documents. It is available for Android as well as the other major operating systems, Apple’s iOS and Windows Phone.

Alice: While iPhone users have Siri, Android supporters can talk to Alice. The app is based on a voice recognition system and is capable of learning. You can enter texts or operate applications by speaking.

But Alice also answers questions or learns sayings.

Those who would like to experiment with voice control can try it with Vlingo.

Android Lost: The Android Lost app allows for a lost smartphone to be located, disabled and if necessary have its content deleted from any internet computer. Similar functions are available for iPhones under www.icloud.com and for Windows devices at www.windowsphone.com. Barcoo: This app provides product information at every turn. Point the mobile device camera at a barcode or QR-code in a store and Barcoo supplies a variety of information about the product.

Dropbox: There are also smartphone apps offering many of the functions of the well-known online saving and syncing service.

Evernote: You are always trying to remember something, and if you don’t write it down you may

forget it. Enter Evernote. The notes, recordings, photos or files saved with the service are available through synchronizing on every device with the Evernote app, which is available for all three major mobile operating systems.

Facebook, Twitter & Co.: Of course, original apps from Facebook, Google+ and Twitter are best for mobile posting to social networks. For Twitter, there are other alternatives including TweetCaster for Android or Twitterrific for iOS. Locus Free: Those who want to have maps of entire stretches of land or countries available to Android mobile devices offline can use Locus Free.

This app allows for map information, predominantly Openstreetmap (OSM), to be stored in the smartphone’s memory. An alternative is MapDroyd.

MX Video Player: This video player doesn’t shy

away from any format and can be controlled intuitively. It is only available for Android phones however.

Shazam: It’s mainly fun and games, but those who just cannot remember a song are thankful for this app, which after hearing only seconds of a song provides its name and artist, often with lyrics and videos.

TuneIn Radio: Internet radio is unbelievably diverse and the TuneIn app makes the selection easier with thousands of catalogued stations and programs.

WhatsApp: Why pay for text messages when you are online with your smartphone the whole time anyhow? The makers of WhatsApp asked themselves this question and came up with a comprehensive messenger solution. You can quickly send messages, photos and videos to friends for free as long as they have installed the app as well. — dpa

Facebook takes steps to address privacy concerns Privacy issues have dogged Facebook for years

Snow acrobatics, street football and monsters NEW CONSOLE GAMES BERLIN: One advantage of computer gaming: You’re not tied to the seasons. Thus, this season, gamers can look forward both to snowboarding and football thrills with new editions of SSX and Fifa Street, pulling one season up a little bit and stretching the other out a bit longer.

Another bonus: if you wait long enough, your favourites will eventually appear together. That means fans can also finally expect to see the fighters from Street Fighter and Tekken face off against one another.

And those aren’t the only options, with Mario Party 9 expected for family gaming fun and the eighth version of Silent Hill for fans of horror games.

After a long pause, Electronic Arts is bringing out a new version of its snowboarding game, SSX. For the first time, players are no longer required to keep their break-neck adventures on set paths. The game’s various mountain landscapes were crafted with the help of satellite images and the US space agency NASA. There are many new challenges, like the Survive It mode, in which snowboarders are pitted against Mother Nature, who pelts them with avalanches, snowstorms and other natural threats.

The SSX series has traditionally had little basis in reality. Laws of physics are routinely set aside here. But the system for performing tricks has been reworked to make it easier for beginners to pull off flips and spins. SSX is available for the Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

Fifa Street displays a little more realism as a sports simulator. But this game isn’t just about the results, but also showmanship. Daring kicks and dribbling are part of the game. Players can choose between 35 playing fields, including dusty courtyards and proper arenas, where they can opt to play futsal, a variant of football.

A career mode allows solo players to enjoy the game for longer, but multiple player games are also available, either in person or via the internet. Thanks to original player licensing, wellknown players from various professional and national teams can be called up. Fifa Street will released on March 15 for the Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

Street Fighter X Tekken allows

fans of two popular fighting games to finally have a go at each other as it brings together two fairly different fighting systems.

Technically, the game is based on the engine of Street Fighter IV. As has been the case in past versions, fighting is conducted by two-man teams, meaning switching back and forth between the characters is part of a successful strategy.

There will be multiple game modes for both online and offline playing. It also comes with a Gem system, which will allow players to create their own characters.

Street Fighter X Tekken is set for a March 9 release for the Playstation 3 and XBox 360.

Mario Party 9 represents the next collection of mini games for the Wii. Up to four players can compete. The winner will be the one who collects the most stars.

That means Mario, Dasiy, Yoshi, Bowser and other Nintendo favourites will have to travel by car through another colourful world. A different character takes the wheel for each level, which determines which challenges lie ahead.

The whole thing is set up like a board game. There are minigames that let players compete against one another. Others require an individual to take on a team of three. Yet other versions rely on cooperation between all players. Packed with seven board game scenarios and more than 80 mini-games, Mario Party 9.

Silent Hill Downpour from Konami goes in a completely different direction. Released simultaneously with the Silent Hill HD Collection, which brings together parts two and three of the series, the new game hit shelves on March 15. The eighth part of the series is full of violence and shocking scenes, meaning young players or those of a delicate disposition had best avoid it.

Murphy Pendleton, the hero, starts out as a prisoner who escapes from a doomed prison transport and finds himself stranded in the city of Silent Hill.

As he walks the city’s misty ways, he is repeatedly forced on horror trips as he is confronted by his past. He encounters various horrible creatures and has to figure out several difficult puzzles.

Silent Hill Downspour will be released for the Playstation 3 and XBox 360. — dpa

NEW YORK: Facebook has taken steps in recent days to address more worries about privacy, warning employers not to ask prospective employees for their passwords and trying to clarify its user “rights and responsibilities” policies.

But the latter effort backfired when tens of thousands of users, mostly in Germany, misunderstood the clarifications and blasted the company, even though nothing substantive had changed. Their discontent showed that, no matter what Facebook does, privacy concerns are still the biggest threat to users’ trust and to its growth.

“There is such an incredible level of scrutiny now about anything any company does about privacy,” said Jules Polonetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum, an industry-backed think tank in Washington. “We are treating every single thing that touches privacy as a fivealarm fire. The risk of all these five-alarm level outbursts is that people will become inured about privacy and miss real privacy issues because of crying wolf when nothing is actually going on.”

Users’ willingness to share information is a key part of Facebook’s business. The site makes the bulk of its money from ads that target users based on their personal information. Last year, the company earned a profit of $668 million and booked $3.7 billion of revenue, and it’s preparing for an initial public offering later this spring that could be valued at as much as $100 billion.

Privacy issues have dogged Facebook for years. It settled with the Federal Trade Commission in November over allegations that it misled users about the handling of their personal information. Google Inc., a big rival, agreed to a similar settlement eight months earlier.

The latest ruckus happened when more than 30,000 German users posted that they were rejecting the company’s proposed changes to its governing documents.

But the changes amounted to nuanced revisions and clarifications of long-standing policies - not a major overhaul. The company, for instance, replaced the word “profile” with “timeline,” since Facebook users now have a different type of profile. Facebook also changed “hateful” to “hate speech” in its description of prohibited content.

Still, users who read the documents for the first time noticed some things that alarmed them. For example, the document replaced the words “privacy policy” with “data-use policy,” seemingly taking privacy out of the picture.

Facebook has been calling it a data-use policy since September, preferring to be more straightforward about its actual purpose. But the company makes so many subtle changes that it’s easy to lose track.

“It’s clear that some people fundamentally misunderstand our proposed changes. Our data-use policy governs how we use and collect data. That document is not changing at this time,” Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said. “That’s why we have this unique and trans-

parent process, though - so have an opportunity to clarify confusion and respond to user concerns. We look forward to doing so in the coming weeks.”

Another worrisome discovery might have been the fact that applications used by your Facebook friends can gain access to your data on Facebook, even if you do not use the apps yourself. That’s true, but it’s been true since at least 2007 and well-documented elsewhere on the site. The attention focused on Facebook’s largely cosmetic changes reflect just how closely people watch the company.

“If they reposted the same privacy policy they had, everyone would be jumping up and down,” said Polonetsky, a former chief privacy officer at AOL. Sarah Downey, senior privacy strategist at an online privacy software provider called Abine, was among those criticizing Facebook this week. She said the company is being more straightforward about its business model and what it does by clarifying its documents. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s heading in the right direction. “What we once thought of as a social network has really become an advertising network,” she said.

On Friday, it was Facebook itself that raised alarms about privacy, warning employers not to ask job appli-

CALIFORNIA: A Jan. 3, 2011 file photo shows the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. Facebook has taken steps in recent days to address more worries about privacy, warning employers not to ask prospective employees for their passwords and trying to clarify its user “rights and responsibilities” policies, Friday. — AP

New iPads too hot to handle SAN FRANCISCO: Apple’s new iPad is hot. The company has sold more than 3 million units on the device’s debut weekend alone. But some customers are complaining that the next generation tablet computer is also too hot to handle, while others are moaning about faults in the device?s wi-fi connection.

US magazine Consumer Reports tested allegations that the device was significantly hotter than its predecessor and found that it reached a temperature of 46 degrees when playing video games, compared to 39.5 degrees for the iPad 2.

Since most people use the device

cants for their passwords to the site so they can poke around on their profiles. The company threatened legal action against applications that violate its long-standing policy against sharing passwords.

The company action came after The Associated Press documented cases of job applicants who were asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their online profiles. A Facebook executive cautioned that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may be vulnerable to claims of discrimination if it doesn’t hire that person.

“As a user, you shouldn’t be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job,” Erin Egan, Facebook’s chief privacy officer of policy, wrote in a post. “And as the friend of a user, you shouldn’t have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don’t know and didn’t intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job.” The post sparked comments from Facebook users, many of them thankful. But the number totaled only 108 - a sign that when it comes to online privacy, it’s far easier to stir anger than gratitude. — AP

while holding it in their hands or lap, the extra heat has made many uncomfortable, even though Apple says the device is operating well within its temperature limits. The extra heat is likely the result of the device?s quad-core process having to work hard to operate the high resolution screen, which according to Apple has more than 4 million more pixels than its predecessor. ‘This is not an unsafe device because of these temperatures, ‘Consumer Reports’ electronics editor Paul Reynolds told ABC News Wednesday. ? At most, you may have some discomfort. —DPA

NEW YORK: This Jan. 13, 2011 photo provided by IBM shows the computer system known as Watson at IBM’s research center in Yorktown Heights, NY. The medical training of IBM’s speedy Watson computer will continue with a residency at Memorial Sloan-Kettering to help doctors diagnose and treat cancer. — AP

Facebook buys IBM patents SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook confirmed Friday that it has added a trove of IBM patents to its arsenal on an increasingly lawsuit-strewn technology battlefield. Reports that Facebook bought 750 software and networking patents from IBM surfaced less than two weeks after struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! accused the thriving young firm of infringing on 10 of its patents.

“I can confirm that there was a purchase but I don’t have any other details to share,” Facebook spokesman Larry Yu said in response to an AFP inquiry. IBM would not comment. Acquisition of the patents came as California-based Facebook prepared for an initial public offering and as Internet titans increasingly battle in courts as well as in marketplaces. Yahoo!, in a lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California on March 12, accused Facebook of infringing on patents in several areas including advertising, privacy and messaging.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company asked the court to order Facebook to halt its alleged patent-infringing activities and to assess unspecified damages. Facebook, which was founded in 2004, a decade after Yahoo!, expressed disappointment with the move.

“We’re disappointed that Yahoo!, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefited from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation,” a Facebook spokeswoman said. In the suit, Yahoo! said that Facebook’s growth to more than 850 million users “has been based in large part on Facebook’s use of Yahoo!’s patented technology.”

“For much of the technology upon which Facebook is based, Yahoo! got there first and was therefore granted patents by the United States Patent Office to protect those innovations,” Yahoo! said.

“Yahoo!’s patents relate to cutting edge innovations in online products, including in messaging, news feed generation, social commenting, advertising display, preventing click

fraud and privacy controls.”

Once seen as the Internet’s leading light, Yahoo! has struggled in recent years to build a strongly profitable, growing business out of its huge Web presence and global audience.

Meanwhhile, Facebook is warning employers not to demand the passwords of job applicants, saying that it’s an invasion of privacy that opens companies to legal liabilities.

The social networking company is also threatening legal action against those who violate its long-standing policy against sharing passwords. An Associated Press story this week documented cases of job applicants who are being asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their backgrounds.

In a post on Friday, Facebook’s chief privacy of policy officer cautioned that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may open itself up to claims of discrimination if it doesn’t hire that person.

“As a user, you shouldn’t be forced to share your private information and communications just to get a job,” wrote Erin Egan. “And as the friend of a user, you shouldn’t have to worry that your private information or communications will be revealed to someone you don’t know and didn’t intend to share with just because that user is looking for a job.”

Not sharing passwords is a basic tenet of online conduct. Aside from the privacy concerns, Facebook considers the practice a security risk. Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said that the company doesn’t think employers should be asking applicants for their passwords because “we don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”

“While we do not have any immediate plans to take legal action against any specific employers, we look forward to engaging with policymakers and other stakeholders, to help better safeguard the privacy of our users,” he said. — Agencies

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Dementia’s youngest victims defy stereotypes Project examining ageing of baby boomers

CARLETONVILLE: A medical worker is pictured at a mobile testing facilities for Tuberculosis (TB) at Driefontein Gold Mine in Carletonville yesterday.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe launches a national TB control plan amongst gold miners, beginning with a programme to test workers. — AFP

Drug-resistant TB blamed on Indian treatment flaws NEW DELHI: India’s inadequate government-run tuberculosis treatment programs and a lack of regulation of the sale of drugs that fight the disease are responsible for the spiraling number of drug-resistant cases that are difficult to treat, health activists said Friday. India adds an estimated 99,000 cases of drug-resistant TB every year, but only a tiny fraction of those infected receive the proper drugs to treat the stubborn disease through the government-funded program.

Yesterday marks World Tuberculosis Day. The original form of the disease can be easily cured by taking antibiotics for six to nine months. But if that treatment is interrupted or the dose is cut, the bacteria battle back by mutating into a tougher strain that can no longer be killed by standard drugs, making it harder and more expensive to treat.

The easy availability of TB drugs in the private market and the casual over-thecounter sale of antibiotics is fueling the development of drug resistance, Piero Gandini, head of Doctors Without Borders in India, said in a statement.

“There is an urgent need for regulatory control of sale and administration of TB drugs in the private sector,” he said. The organization and other health groups also said India’s TB control program provides treatment to patients only on alternate days.

They argue it increases the risk that patients,

most of whom are poor daily wage laborers, will miss doses, another factor responsible for drug-resistant strains of TB. Patients also increasingly turn to private doctors who often do not understand how to properly treat TB or the risks of increasing drug resistance by prescribing the wrong drugs. The Indian government had no response Friday to requests for comment on the activists’ allegations.

In January, Indian doctors reported the country’s first cases that appeared to be “totally drug resistant,” a long-feared and virtually untreatable form of the killer lung disease. The Indian hospital that saw the initial cases tested a dozen medicines and none of them worked. However, the Indian government later questioned the findings, saying the World Health Organization has not defined the term “totally drug-resistant” tuberculosis.

If a tuberculosis case is found to be resistant to the two most powerful drugs, the patient is classified as having multi-drugresistant TB. An even worse classification of TB - one the WHO accepts - is extensively drug-resistant TB, a form of the disease that was first reported in 2006 and is virtually resistant to all drugs. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s multi-drug-resistant cases are found in India, which is home to a quarter of all types of tuberculosis cases worldwide. —AP

LEESBURG: Doreen Watson-Beard cared for more people with dementia than she could count. The nurse was so moved by her patients that she led Alzheimer’s support groups. She knew the warning signs and understood there was no cure.

But the 49-year-old never thought the disease would affect someone her age. The first clues surfaced around five years ago, when she was 44.

She’d forget to pick up her grandchildren at school or plans she made with her husband. She wrote down the wrong medication dosage for a patient. “I have no idea what’s going on,” she remembered telling her doctor.

About 200,000 Americans under 65 are among the 5.4 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Experts’ estimates suggest there’s a similar number of younger people with other types of dementia, meaning about a half-million Americans, some as young as their 30s, suffer from early-onset or younger-onset dementia.

The number of people suffering from all types of dementia is rapidly increasing because of the ageing of the baby boom generation - the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 though there’s no sign the percentage of younger people with dementia is going up. Pat Summit, the 59-year-old Hall of Fame college women’s basketball coach, is among the most famous to suffer publicly with it.

Watson-Beard is one of a tiny minority, a fascinating, sorrowful subset to a disease trademarked by its slow, cruel overtaking of the mind. WatsonBeard says she was diagnosed two or three years ago; she has trouble remembering the exact time.

Forgetfulness was one of her first symptoms; her husband would ask if she was ready to leave and she’d have no recollection they made plans. She became less socially conscious, hanging up abruptly with her boss in the middle of a conversation she thought was finished.

She kept going to work at an assisted living facility near her central Florida home, while caring for her husband, who had liver cancer. She dismissed the symptoms as stress. When her husband died about three years ago, the symptoms continued. She thought it was grief. But it wasn’t getting better.

“I thought if I ignored it long enough, it would go away,” she said. Problems at work began cropping up, too. Once, Watson-Beard couldn’t figure out how to do a complicated wound dressing something she’d done many times before. Another time, she wrote down the wrong dosage of a medication on a patient’s discharge plan - luckily, that mistake was caught by a pharmacist.

Worried someone might be harmed, she went to the doctor. She was informed she had dementia, though her doctor has not yet classified it more

specifically as Alzheimer’s, dementia’s most common form. She was told to prepare for the future.

“You might need to get some things in order,” Watson-Beard remembers being told. Dr. Marc Agronin, a geriatric psychiatrist at Miami Jewish Health Systems and author of “How We Age,” says symptoms of dementia in a younger patient can be glaring. But diagnosis is often complicated by the fact that it’s so uncommon in younger patients and that so many other conditions could cause the symptoms.

LEESBURG: In this photo taken Thursday, March 15, 2012, Doreen Watson-Beard relaxes in her kitchen at her home in Leesburg, Fla. Watson-Beard, 49, is one of the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. — AP Agronin sees no evidence of an increasing rate of early-onset dementia, but there is increased interest. At the memory clinic he runs at Miami Jewish, he has seen an uptick in younger patients concerned their memory lapses mean they have Alzheimer’s. They’re almost always wrong.

When they’re not, the diagnosis can be devastating. “It’s very distressing because they come in and they have young spouses and some of them have kids in grade school,” Agronin said. “It’s frightening to see someone so young becoming so impaired.” Beth Kallmyer, a social worker at the Alzheimer’s Association, said younger people with dementia often get incredulous reactions from others when they share their diagnosis. Many don’t

realize the disease can affect those who aren’t very old.

Kallmyer notes it also frequently forces people to quit their job during their top earning years. “It can be financially devastating,” she said. That has been true for Watson-Beard. She left her assistedliving job last year and worked briefly as a home health care aide before quitting. She tried shifting to other jobs that didn’t involve direct patient care, but her symptoms persisted.

Her house is in foreclosure and she has no medical insurance. She pays out of pocket for doctor’s visits and gets her supply of Namenda, which treats dementia symptoms, free from the drug company. Watson-Beard lives in a brick ranch with pale yellow shutters on a quiet street in this small central city. A few light wrinkles around her eyes are the only main signs of age. She occasionally glances to the left in silence, unable to find an answer in her memory, but she speaks with lucidity most of the time in an interview. But not all days are so good.

Once recently, she came out of her grandchildren’s school and went into another unlocked car.

It wasn’t until the key didn’t fit that she realized it wasn’t hers. She has had car accidents, once forgot a grandson at a snack bar, and regularly bumps into people who know her but whom she can’t remember anything about.

“It’s frustrating because you’re at this level of functioning and then it’s gone and you don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring,” she said. She remembers one man in particular now from her years of nursing; he came each day to visit his elderly wife, who was fading away into advanced dementia. She had lost the ability to speak, but her husband wondered aloud if maybe she had entered some higher realm, a new level of spirituality where she no longer needed words.

She used to lead two support groups for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, but gave one up when she kept getting their locations confused.

She still leads one at an assisted living facility in Leesburg. Those who gather don’t know of their leader’s diagnosis. She simply sits and listens to their struggles.

For an hour, the group remains in a circle, the clock slowly ticking as the stories flow out.

Watson-Beard looks forward to it ending; she prefers to be home. Watson-Beard wonders if the spiritual life envisioned by her patient’s husband is what’s in store for her instead of what she imagined aging would be like: staying close to home, enjoying family, going to neighborhood barbecues.

All she knows is that life won’t go the way she planned.”It’s not what I envisioned at all,” she says, as tears begin again to flow. “It just wasn’t in the equation.” — AP

US Supreme Court weighs making health coverage a fact of life

Adidas and Fitness First Middle East announce new partnership KUWAIT: Adidas and Fitness First Middle East yesterday announced a five-year partnership, making adidas the official outfitter for the world-class fitness chain until 2016. The comprehensive agreement between the global leading sports brand adidas and Fitness First Middle East, a franchise of the world’s number one health and fitness club chain and member of the Landmark Group, commences with immediate effect and extends to over 28 clubs in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

As the official outfitter to Fitness First Middle East, Adidas will supply innovative performance sportswear to personal trainers, GX Instructors and club staff.

“We are proud to announce a continuation of our partnership with Fitness First Middle East, an organisation that shares our commitment to help people across the Middle East push themselves to new limits and achieve their fitness objectives.

Fitness First is a leading brand recognised globally for its world-class facilities, services and innovative concepts that make it an ideal partner,” said Jad Chouman, Head of Marketing, Emerging Markets, adidas.

Speaking on the new agreement, Mark Botha, Sales and Marketing Director, Fitness First Middle East said: “We welcome the long-term support of adidas, a global leader in sport products and a company with a proud heritage in helping athletes reach their full potential with performance technologies. This agreement symbolises the mutual respect and future ambition of adidas and Fitness First Middle East. Our collaboration will offer the very best training experience for fitness enthusiasts across the Middle East.”

The announcement coincides with Adidas’ launch of training-specific products that have been developed and tested in collaboration with world-class athletes to provide comfort, functionality and style in performance. adidas is set to launch

women’s and men’s training spring/summer 2012 collection across the Middle East. The women’s collection focuses on dance-inspired ClimaCool training, featuring the leading body temperature control technology ClimaCool (R) to provide outstanding breathability and moisture management.

This season, both the women’s and men’s training collections focus on boxinginspired training apparel and footwear.

The collections are also supported by the adizero range of lightweight footwear, which includes breathable sprint-web technology that moves as part of the athlete’s body in motion.

Jad Chouman added: “Our association with the largest fitness chain in the region at a time of rapid growth will allow us to further strengthen and extend our market leadership in training. adidas is continuing to set new standards in innovative and ground-breaking performance products. It is, therefore, fitting that the professionals from Fitness First will be able to train while wearing the latest range of performanceenhancing adidas products.”

The Fitness First agreement builds further upon the commitment of adidas to the Middle East through a range of local partnerships as official suppliers to regional athletes, clubs and sporting events that include Al Jazira FC UAE, the Dubai Standard Marathon and RAK Half Marathon - Esport/Clark Francis Academy, UAE and MeFit Pro UAE, to name but a few.

As part of an expansion plan, Fitness First Middle East aims to increase its network of branches to 34 clubs across the region by July 2012. The chain offers world class facilities including state-of-the-art equipment, a dedicated free weights area, personal training by world-class fitness professionals, intensive weight loss programmes, free group exercise classes and multiple membership privileges across all its all locations.

WASHINGTON: Death, taxes and now health insurance? Having a medical plan or else paying a fine is about to become another certainty of American life, unless the Supreme Court says no.

People are split over the wisdom of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, but they are nearly united against its requirement that everybody have insurance. The mandate is intensely unpopular even though more than 8 in 10 people in the United States already are covered by workplace plans or government programs such as Medicare. When the insurance obligation kicks in, not even two years from now, most people won’t need to worry or buy anything new.

Nonetheless, Americans don’t like being told how to spend their money, not even if it would help solve the problem of the nation’s more than 50 million uninsured. Can the government really tell us what to buy?

Federal judges have come down on both sides of the question, leaving it to the Supreme Court to sort out. The justices are allotting an unusually long period, six hours over three days, beginning March 26, to hear arguments challenging the law’s constitutionality.

Their ruling, expected in June, is shaping up as a historic moment in the century-long quest by reformers to provide affordable health care for all. Many critics and supporters alike see the insurance requirement as the linchpin of Obama’s health care law: Take away the mandate and the wheels fall off.

Politically it was a wobbly construction from the start. It seems half of Washington has flip-flopped over mandating insurance. One critic dismissed the idea this way: “If things were that easy, I could mandate everybody to buy a house and that would solve the problem of homelessness.” That was Obama as a presidential candidate, who was against health insurance mandates before he was for them.

Once elected, Obama decided a mandate could work as part of a plan that helps keep premiums down and assists those who can’t afford them.

To hear Republicans rail against this attack on personal freedom, you’d never know the idea came from them.

Its model was a Massachusetts law signed in 2006 by Mitt Romney, now the front-runner of the Republican presidential race, when he was governor. Another GOP hope-

ful, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, supported a mandate on individuals as an alternative to President Bill Clinton’s health care proposal, which put the burden on employers.

All four GOP presidential candidates now promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which they call “Obamacare.” Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum calls it “the death knell for freedom.”

So much for compromise. Obama and congressional Democrats pushed the mandate through in 2010, without Republican support, in hopes of creating a fair system that ensures everyone, rich or poor, young or old, can get the health care they need. Other economically advanced countries have done it.

Doing nothing is more expensive than most people realize. Congress found that when the uninsured go to clinics and emergency rooms, the care they can’t pay for costs nearly $75 billion a year. Much of that cost is passed along and ends up adding $1,000 a year to the average family’s insurance premium.

The overhaul is neither the liberal dream of a single government program supported by taxes and covering everyone nor the conservative vision of stripping away federal rules

and putting free enterprise in charge.

The Obama plan relies on private companies plus lots of regulation to make sure they provide basic benefits, keep premiums reasonable, and cover the sick as well as the healthy.

That’s where the mandate comes in.

If insurers must cover everyone, even those with existing medical conditions, healthy people have little incentive to sign up before they get sick.

Insurance companies argue that if only the sick sign up, insurers will go broke. So the law says everybody must have insurance for themselves and their children, or pay a penalty.

Also, because everyone needs health care sometime, if everyone purchases insurance, the price per person can be lower, with the cost of care spread out over many people.

After all, the government requires workers to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, whether they want the benefits or not.

One argument for the insurance mandate is that the fines are just federal taxes by another name. Another is that it falls under the government’s constitutional power to regulate commerce that crosses state borders.

State governments, of course, tell people to buy lots of things, including auto insurance or motorcycle hel-

Space junk misses station astronauts WASHINGTON:A discarded chunk of a Russian rocket missed the International Space Station early yesterday.

However, it came close enough to force six astronauts to seek shelter in escape capsules.

NASA says the space junk was barely close enough to be a threat. Had it hit, however, the station could have been dangerous. So the astronauts two Americans, three Russians and a Dutchman - woke early and went into two Soyuz vehicles ready to rocket back to Earth just in case.The debris came closest at 2:38 a.m. EDT (638 GMT ). It wasn’t noticed until Friday, too late to move the International Space Station out of the way. This is the third time in 12 years that astronauts have had to seek shelter from space junk.— AP

This Feb. 16, 2001 photo provided by NASA, shows the International Space Station as it orbits the Earth. A discarded chunk of a Russian rocket is forcing six space station astronauts to seek shelter in escape capsules early yesterday.—AP

mets. “You can always move to another state,” said Tom O’Connor, a consultant in Fairfax, Va., who thinks the health care law overreaches. “It’s a little more difficult to move to another country.”

Many agree. In an Associated Press-GfK poll, 85 percent said the US government should not have the power to require people to buy health insurance. When the question is worded without the specific reference to federal power, acceptance of the mandate grows a bit, but 6 in 10 are still against it.

Even among those who generally support the health care overhaul, one-third said they are against the insurance mandate. There’s also a significant minority who sees mandates as a cop-out and prefer a government program that covers everyone, Medicare for all. It’s clear that many people do not understand what the law would do or how it would affect them.

Jan Gonzales, an out-of-work bookkeeper in Pablo, Mont., calls fining people for going without insurance “the most ridiculous, asinine thing you ever heard of.” “If I can’t put food on the table for my children, how can I pay for health care coverage?” asks Gonzales, who’s been without insurance for seven years. “What moron came up with that idea?”

Of course, she might qualify for the law’s exemptions for those too poor to pay and for assistance for low-income people, as well as many in the middle class. There also are some religious exemptions. .

Estimates vary widely of how many uninsured people will get insurance once it’s required in January 2014. About 4 million people would pay a penalty to the Internal Revenue Service for being uninsured in 2016, the Congressional Budget Office estimates. By 2016, the fine reaches $695 per uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of family income, up to $12,500 per year. The IRS is in charge of the penalties but can’t prosecute violators or place liens against them.

Its only enforcement option may be withholding money from refunds.

That leaves insurance companies, who stand to gain lots of new customers, worried that people instead will shrug off the weak mandate.

Meanwhile, the state -federal Medicaid program will expand to cover more low-income people, and that ’s another issue before the Supreme Cour t, because many states say they cannot afford the extra cost. — AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

H E A LT H

A flower for every mother from New Mowasat KUWAIT: As an annual tradition, New Mowasat Hospital celebrated Mother ’s day which falls in early spring of each year on March 21 by presenting a flower for each mother as a gift of appreciation and as a belief in the role of mothers as the main pillars of the society.

On this occasion, Mrs May Roumani, the marketing manager in New Mowasat, stated that this special gesture of receiving every mother who visits the hospital on Mother’s Day with a flower; is a token of appreciation and recognition for the essential role that mothers play in our lives. She added that this initiative comes from a deep understanding and appreciation of the great place in our hearts occupied by great mothers who build a community by raising the future through “Caring for Generations”.

Roumani explained that the hospital celebrates this occasion annually to emphasize the fundamental role of the mother as the provider of love and care to her children, a life partner to her husband and as a backbone of her family.

In conclusion, Roumani stressed that the tradition of celebrating this occasion in New Mowasat Hospital is considered as a mobilization of the Public opinion towards the need to observe and look back on mothers’ roles in constructing a better community which is incarnated in presenting her gifts that bear an emotional meaning rather than a materialistic value.

Court orders FDA action on antibiotic use on farms Weakens treatment’s effectiveness in humans WASHINGTON: A federal court judge has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to take action on its own 35-year-old rule that would stop farmers from mixing popular antibiotics into animal feed, a practice which is widely believed to have led to a surge in dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.

In 1977, the FDA concluded that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock, poultry and other animals weakened the treatment’s effectiveness in humans.

The agency issued an order that would have banned non-medical use of penicillin and tetracycline in farm animals, unless drugmakers could show the drugs were safe. But the rule was never enforced, following vigorous pushback from members of Congress and lobbyists for farmers and drugmakers. Farming groups have long argued the drugs are needed to keep animals healthy, though many natural food producers dispute such claims.

In a ruling handed down Thursday, Judge Theodore Katz said the FDA must begin steps to withdraw approval of the two antibiotics for routine use in animals, siding with four consumer safety groups that brought a lawsuit against the agency.

“Today we take a long overdue step toward ensuring that we preserve these lifesaving medicines for those who need them most - people,” said Avinash Kar, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The FDA has 60 days to appeal the ruling. The court ruling will not immediately halt the use of antibiotics

on farms. The FDA must first give drug companies a chance to respond and schedule a public hearing. “If, at the hearing, the drug sponsors fail to show that use of the drugs is safe, the ‘FDA’ commissioner must issue a withdrawal order,” concludes Katz, a judge in the US District Court of Southern New York.

Antibiotics were one the most key medical discoveries of the last century, used to heal everything from infected wounds to strep throat. Since their commercial introduction in the 1930s, antibiotics have become a ubiquitous part of medical practice. Most medical experts agree overprescribing of the drugs has played a role in bacteria’s growing resistance to them. The FDA approved antibiotic use in animals in 1951, before concerns about drug resistance were recognized. Public health advocates have been pushing the federal government to put more restrictions on antibiotics for decades. Nearly 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the US are given to farm animals used in food production, according to a recent estimate by the FDA. Farmers mostly use the drugs in healthy animals to spur growth or to keep them from getting sick in crowded, unsanitary feedlot areas.

However, after constant use some animals develop germs that are immune to antibiotics. These germs, often called superbugs, can then pass to farmworkers and their families. In other cases germs blow into neighboring communities in dust clouds, run off into lakes and rivers during heavy rains, or sometimes con-

taminate steaks and chops that end up on kitchen tables.

The Natural Resources Defense Council sued the FDA in May 2011 to compel the agency to act on its 35-year-old order. The FDA countered that the 1977 ruling was outdated and that the agency had already issued more recent proposals to curb antibiotics, such as a 2010 recommendation that veterinarians be consulted before antibiotics are given to animals. The FDA is expected to finalize those recommendations, which would not be binding, next week.

But Katz said the more recent actions don’t overrule the agency’s previous judgment that “the drug products are not shown to be safe,” for non-medical use in animals. “The FDA has not issued a single statement since the issuance of the 1977 ‘decision’ that undermines the original findings that the drugs have not been shown to be safe,” states the opinion.

FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said Friday the agency is “studying the opinion and considering appropriate next steps.” Throughout President Obama’s first term in office, FDA officials repeatedly said antibiotics in agriculture pose a serious public health threat and said they would act on the issue. In January, the agency took its first step on the issue, ordering farmers to limit the use of cephalosporins, which are given to some cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys. The drugs are not as widely used as penicillin and other common antibiotics. — AP

US breast cancer fundraising lags after abortion dispute WASHINGTON: US breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure is feeling a pinch on donations following a controversy over its funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birthcontrol and abortion services.

A few of the group’s flagship “Race for the Cure” fundraising events have failed to meet targets, a Komen spokeswoman said on Friday. Separately, at least five of the group’s leaders have stepped down in recent weeks.

Komen, the world’s biggest breast

cancer charity, provoked uproar over its decision to cut - and later restore - funding for Planned Parenthood, a leading provider of birth control, abortion and other women’s health services. Komen supports Planned Parenthood’s efforts to provide access to breast-cancer screening.

The initial move to cut Planned Parenthood’s funding became public in late January, and was viewed by some Komen supporters as a capitulation to political pressure from anti-abortion

groups. Within a few days, the charity reversed course. Komen said it had had problems meeting targets in about half of the five fundraising events it has staged since the blowup.

Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the lower numbers appeared to stem from the controversy over Planned Parenthood. “We’re seeing challenges for races in some of our markets,” Aun said.

“People are concerned and they ’ve decided not to help Komen. That’s unfortunate because it affects women whose

lives we’re trying to help save.” Komen has said that in 2011 it screened 700,000 uninsured women for breast cancer, and it spends 83 cents of every donation dollar on research or community services.

Five Komen executives or directors have recently announced they are leaving the organization, although a group insider cited personal reasons for most of the resignations.

The recent exodus follows the resignation of Karen Handel, a senior executive charged with spearheading the decision

to cut funding for Planned Parenthood.

Some of Komen’s members have also called for the resignation of founder Nancy Brinker, who created the organization in honor of her sister, who died from breast cancer.

Komen’s board said it had “complete confidence” in the group’s leadership.

“This isn’t about Komen. This is about women,” Aun said about the charity’s work. “If people understand what’s at stake, they’ll come back and be supportive.”— Reuters

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SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Announcements Writers forum launched Malayalam Kuwait, the platform for readers and writers among the Keralites in Kuwait was launched during a meeting held at United Indian School, Abbassiya. Sharing of reading and writing, debates and discussions, literary symposia and reinforcement of budding writing talents are the goals of the group. Bergman Thomas, John Mathew, Kaippattoor Thankachan, Sam Painummood, John Mathews, sathar Kunnil, Lissy Kuryakkose, Swapna Jacob, Bessy Kadavil, Unnimaya Nampoothiri, Shibu Philip, Dharmaraj Madappally, Uthaman Valathukadu, Rafeeq Thayath, Tiju Thankachan, Sunil K Cherian and Harikrishnan participated in the first ever meeting of Malayalam Kuwait. The group will hold its monthly discussion every last Friday at various locations, informed the group’s convener Bergman Thomas. Malayalam members will gather on Friday, March 30 at Successline, Abbassiya to discuss Bergman’s award winning novel, Puramkatal, recently serialized in Kalakaumudi Weekly. Anyone interested to join the group, please contact: 66556867 Earth Hour In Kuwait March 31, 2012 @ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Where: Kuwait Sahara Resort (6th Ring Road) Contact: KT4GW.org

NBK hosts Gulf English School students

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he National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently hosted a group of students from the Gulf English School, who toured the bank’s head office to learn firsthand about the banking industry and the day-to-day operations of various departments.

NBK Public Relations welcomed the visiting group of students and guided them on a tour of the bank. . NBK officials also presented a brief lecture on various banking propositions including Al-Azraq and Al-Shabab accounts, which are exclusively designed for high school and

university students.

The GES students thanked NBK for the insightful visit and appreciated the opportunity to gain a better understanding of Kuwait’s banking industry as a service and as a career option.

NBK regularly hosts visits from both

public and private high schools and universities and encourages teachers and students to learn more about banking in Kuwait, as part of the bank’s corporate social responsibility initiatives. NBK also offers a summer internship program for Al-Azraq account holders.

TES 2012 Spring Carnival March 30, 2012 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Where: TESThe English School (Salmiya, Block 12, Mousaed AlAzmi Street) The much awaited Spring Carnival at The English School (TES) is coming up soon! Bring your family and friends and enjoy an afternoon of shopping and fun activities. Over 80 amazing stalls selling beautiful handicrafts and knick knacks!

Bouncy castles, face painting, magic show and a large array of carnival games and activities for the kids. A fun day for all! See you there!

‘The Golden Age of Arab Sciences’ exhibition Kuwait’s Amricani Cultural Centre will be the destination for a unique cultural event held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah AlMubarak Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and President of the National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters. Taking place from March 15 to June 16 at the Amricani Cultural Centre in Kuwait City, ‘The Golden Age of the Arab Sciences’ exhibition will present rare artefacts and texts, as well as informative audio-visual presentations, exploring the Arab world’s pioneering contribution to ancient science and philosophy. Hosted by Dar Al-Athar AlIslamiyyah (DAI), the exhibition is being brought to Kuwait by the Institut du Monde Arabe of Paris (IMA), with the support of Total and the French Embassy. The three-month exhibition will feature priceless items from The Al-Sabah Collection of art from the Islamic world, the private art collection of Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah and his wife, DAI director general and co-founder Sheikha Hussah Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. The visiting hours: Monday - Thursday: 9 am to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays closed.

ESF SightSavers Members of the English School Fahaheel’s Active Citizenship Club have organized a whole charity event to be held on Tuesday, March 27 in aid of the international Charity ‘SightSavers’ which works in over 30 countries around the world to prevent and cure blindness. Staff and students will be wearing shades for the day. All money raised on the day will be donated to SightSavers.

KNES Early Years Department Sports Day!

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he Early Years Department of Kuwait National English School had a day of activity and sports, March 13th, 2012. This annual event is meant to

help our youngest children learn about teamwork and showcase their physical abilities. The children participated fully and had a fun time doing it; they were all very proud

of their medals at the end of the day. We hope activities like this will bring out the best in our children, to strive for excellence but also work together as a team.

IOC arts competition Indian Overseas Congress, Kuwait is conducting Arts Competitions-2012 on 11th and 12 May 2012 at United Indian School. The winners of this prestigious competition will be awarded with trophies and medals. The awards will be distributed during the Gandhidarshan Program in October, this year.

The competitions include Elocution, Solo, Poetry Recitation, Dance, Indian Patriotic Song, Mono act, Drawing/Painting and Poster Poetry. Although the competitions are mainly meant for children from various disciplines, Elocution and Indian Patriotic Song Competitions will be held for elders also. For entry forms, please contact the following collection points. Abbassiya - Hidine Super Market, Sakina Book Stall; Salmiya - Uduppi Restaurant, Sakina Book Stall; Riggae - Al Dallah Super Market; Fahaheel - Royal Mobile Services and Sales. For details, contact 24316426, 24884175, 24343173, 66110570, 66853100. Filled forms can be sent to fax : 24331461 or Email : iockuwait@yahoo.com Or deliver by hand to Sakina Book Stall, Abbassiya.

Kuwait Improv Fun lovers of Kuwait unite. A get together by people who love to surprise, be surprised and just be about at anything are welcome to Kuwait Improv, a gathering, reminiscent of the famous American TV program Whose Line is it Anyway, informally organized by American School of Kuwait teacher Brad Manker. No histrionic talent required, but a willingness to share. Please contact: mankerb@ask.edu Mega musical program in April Pravasaandhra Telugu Desam, Kuwait released publicity material and poster for prominent Telugu film hero Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Kuwait visit and upcoming mega musical program on April 6.

Pravasaandhra Telugu Desam, NBK Seva Samithi organizing mega musical program with famous Telugu singers Simha and Kosalya troupe in Abbasiya open park next month. Balakrishna will be participating as the chief guest at this event.

Nandamuri Balakrishna is popularly known as “Balayya” and “NBK” by his fans and admirers. He is the son of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Telugu film legend Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.

Pre-primary graduation at ICSK Khaitan

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he Indian Community School Kuwait, Khaitan celebrated their Pre-primary school graduation on March 15th 2012. It was a momentous occasion for 157 students of UKG. The graduation marked the end of an exciting and illuminating year for the young ones. These students will be stepping out into a new phase of their life where they will apply what they have learnt in the pre-primary and carry it to further their education.

The event started with recitation from the Holy Quran and then illumination of the ceremonial lamp which signified lighting of the path ahead of them.

The event was honored by the presence of the Chief Guest Murtuza Mohd. Sheik, Hon Secretary to the Board of Trustees Rajan Daniel, Hon Jt Secretary Vijay Karayil, Regi Mathew, parent member on the board and the members of the Parent Advisory Council, Khaitan.

In his address, Principal S. Ilango congratulated the graduates, their parents and thanked the teachers.

The event also showcased and felicitated those students who had won the “Super Kid” and “Khaitan Idol” titles.

Murtaza Mohd Sheikh, the chief guest who is an alumni of the school

, addressed the gathering, recalling the days as a student. He was proud of what the school has become and where it is heading.

The Graduation certificates were handed over to the class teachers which was followed by the photo session. The tiny tots expressed their love and gratitude towards their teachers and parents for guiding them towards this achievement. The event ended on a high note where all felt proud about what the children had achieved in their Pre-primary stage of schooling.The first step has been taken and they are ready for many more.

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information

ESF talents at concert

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he English School Fahaheel has always taken a strong interest in Performing Arts. The school offers an IGCSE in Music and Drama.

Impressive facilities include a new Drama studio, Music Rooms and a Music Lab.

Last week ESF’s music talent was on show in an impressive Upper School Music Concert which included: lAn Upper school Choral Ensemble, lDuets by Craig Miranda and Tareq Al Baddah lTrumpet solo by Anna Neitzer Vocal Solos and duets by Sara Shuhaiber, Sara Noun,

Karinna Bornilla,Tina Raad, Salwa Ajmi,Nadeen Halima,Charmaine Detruz,Mariam Syed and Lailah Dennis Piano solos by Marya Dalibalta, Rogina Farag and Selina Saber. A big thank you for Upper School Music Department and Ms Van Zitters and of course all the students for an exceptional display of talent.

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. nnnnnnn

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 A.M until 12:00 P.M on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad.

This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

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. nnnnnnn

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). nnnnnnn

IEAS-senior kindergarten A, B & C graduation day

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he 7th of March 2012, was a highly anticipated day and a day of remembrance for the Senior Kindergarten section as they felt proud by the very thought of graduating to the Primary Section. From the six divisions, SR. A, B and C were scheduled for the 7th of March 201.

The chief guest for the evening was our Rector, Fr Blany Pinto, sdb.

After the dignitaries walked in, the parents waited eagerly to get a glimpse of our graduates who marched upfront solemnly, adorned in their beautiful light blue gradu-

ation gowns. The atmosphere echoed with the rhythmic clapping of our enthusiastic parents to the tunes of the military march.

After the felicitation of the chief guest, our kids welcomed the parents by the melodious tunes of the welcome song.

The highlight of the day was the graduation pledge led by our own Principal, Fr Lionel Braganza, followed by handing over the graduation certificates to our aspiring students. The sentimental tones of the Farewell song touched many a

hearts as the kids belted out the meaningful words with a touch of enthusiasm. The knowledgeable message from the chief guests enlightened us and our Director and Principal were more than eager to express their words of appreciation.

Joan Correa, our coordinator, thanked the Almighty for all the blessings as they celebrate the 10th year of its existence.

She had words of gratitude to the Management, Fr Francis Kharjia sdb, Fr Lionel Braganza sdb and Fr Franco Pereira sdb, for their support and thanked all

those who had contributed in one way or the other, not only towards the event but throughout the year. A special word of appreciation goes to our compere Ms. Ursula who is always willing and obliging to host the event with her methodical and oratorical flavour. The entire event was covered by Mirage videographers, as every moment was splashed over an extended screen. Our tiny tots had a smile of appreciation across their faces as the day wound up by singing the School Anthem.

Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points go dark for earth hour 2012

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y spending an hour in the dark next week, Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait will join millions around the world to send a powerful message about a brighter future for the planet.

Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait will turn off their lights in observance of Earth Hour, the global environmental awareness event created by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Last year, Earth Hour 2011 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 135 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People

across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and

came together in celebration and contemplation of the one

thing we all have in common our planet.

To underscore parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s dedication to environmental sustainability, Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points

by Sheraton Kuwait will also share other energy-saving measures during Earth Hour, March 31 at 8:30 p.m. local time. Among them: turning off the exterior signage lighting, dimming or turning off non essential interior lighting. As for the guests, the management will be sending letters to their rooms inviting them to take part in this initiative. In addition, a display board will be placed in the lobby to create awareness about the hotel’s participation in the Earth Hour 2012.

Furthermore, the associates of Sheraton Kuwait and Four points

by Sheraton Kuwait will enjoy a scrumptious candle light dinner at the stars cafeteria.

“Earth Hour gives Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait the opportunity to take part in the biggest ever global event in the fight against climate change and to demonstrate to our associates and guests just how important simple actions can be towards saving energy and reducing our greenhouse gas emission” said Fahed Abushaar, Area Director/ General Manager. “Earth Hour symbolizes that working together each of us at Starwood can make impactful difference on the health of our planet”.

Blessen memorial volleyball fiesta

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o recapture the golden era of a star, Kuwait’s Blessen George Foundation is holding a volleyball tournament in Abbassiya, titled, Blessen George Memorial Volleyball Tournament from 12th April to 14th April 2012 at Indian Central School Court in Abbassiya in memory of late Blessen George, who was the best all-rounder of his time in India in the volleyball game and who played for Kerala University, Indian University, Kerala State and Indian National Teams and captained the University and State Teams.

All the matches will be held in the evening from 5 pm to 10 pm under floodlights. Top Indian

clubs in Kuwait with players based in Kuwait and the Gulf will be competing in this tournament. Former Kerala State, University and Indian players are also invited to attend the tournament. At the tournament venue, there will be photo show of the great volleyball players of Kerala and old volleyabll tournaments in which Blessen George, Jimmy George and other top players of Kerala and India played as well as video airing of ASIAD in which the great Jimmy George played a pivotal role in gaining a Bronze medal for India.

Volleyball was once the most played and watched game in Kerala apart from football. The

objectives of Blessen George Foundation is to bring back the game of volleyball to it’s preeminence among the most watched and played games in India, particualrly in Kerala, to promote sports and games, encourage talented sportsmen and sportswomen by giving awards to outstanding volleyball players and sports persons in Kerala in other branches of sports and games and awards to the best sports person among the school children in Indian Schools in Kuwait, and giving financial support (scholarships, etc.,) to budding sports talents in the country who need financial support to progress further

in their respective fields as well as to involve in sports and games related activities in

Kerala and Kuwait. For further details call Oommen George, 99722437

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: Saturdays 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 nnnnnnn

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 nnnnnnn

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 nnnnnnn

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. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VENEZUELA Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, request Venezuelan citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy, This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Venezuelan citizens in cases os emergencies. Registration Information 25324367 or by email: embavenez@gmail.com. Our time is from Sunday to Thursday from 8.30am till 2 pm. nnnnnnn

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.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia 01:45 Untamed & Uncut 02:40 Face To Face With The Polar Bear 03:35 Karina: Wild On Safari 04:00 Deep Into The Wild With Nick Baker 04:25 Wild France 05:20 Escape To Chimp Eden 05:45 In Too Deep 06:10 Animal Cops Philadelphia 07:00 Monkey Life 07:25 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 08:15 Crocodile Hunter 09:10 Pandamonium 10:05 The Really Wild Show 11:00 Safari Sisters 11:25 Cats Of Claw Hill 11:55 The Jeff Corwin Experience 12:50 Wild France 14:40 Wildlife SOS 15:35 Animal Planet’s Most Outrageous 16:30 Wild Animal Orphans 17:25 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 18:20 Big Five Challenge 19:15 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 20:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 21:05 Austin Stevens Adventures 22:00 Planet Earth 22:55 Venom In Vegas

00:05 Born and Bred 01:00 Him & Her 01:30 Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive 02:00 Beautiful People 02:30 Doctor Who 03:15 The Weakest Link 04:00 Fimbles 04:20 Charlie and Lola 04:30 Jackanory Junior 04:45 Boogie Beebies 05:00 Buzz & Tell 05:05 Tikkabilla 05:35 The Large Family 05:45 The Adventures of Spot 05:50 Fimbles 06:10 Charlie and Lola 06:20 Jackanory Junior 06:35 Boogie Beebies 06:50 Buzz & Tell 06:55 Tikkabilla 07:20 The Large Family 07:35 Allo ‘Allo!

08:05 The Weakest Link 08:50 Doctor Who 09:35 Keeping Up Appearances 10:10 Casualty 11:00 Orang-Utan Diary 11:30 Allo ‘Allo!

12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 Lark Rise to Candleford 13:35 Doctors 16:05 Doctor Who 16:50 Doctor Who Confidential 17:05 Monarch Of The Glen 18:00 This Is Sport Relief 18:30 Sport Relief Special 20:00 Sport Relief Does Dragons’ Den 21:00 Waking The Dead 21:50 Last Woman Standing 22:40 Red Cap 23:30 The Weakest Link

00:10 01:45 03:25 04:00 04:50 05:35 07:00 13:10 14:00 15:40 16:35 17:25

10 Years Younger Gok’s Fashion Fix Diy SOS What Not To Wear Coleen’s Real Women Cash In The Attic USA MasterChef Australia 10 Years Younger Gok’s Fashion Fix Diy SOS Holmes On Homes What Not To Wear

18:15 19:00 20:40 22:25 23:15

Coleen’s Real Women Gok’s Fashion Fix The Restaurant UK Gok’s Fashion Fix Holmes On Homesv

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:15 04:18 04:25 04:50 05:25 05:50 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:30 17:40 18:05 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:05 20:30 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:35 Doo

Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley New Yogi Bear Show Duck Dodgers The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Jetsons Puppy In My Pocket Popeye Tom & Jerry Droopy: Master Detective Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Popeye Classics Wacky Races Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm The Garfield Show The Looney Tunes Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry The Looney Tunes Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Scooby Doo Show Pink Panther & Pals The Jetsons Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The Garfield Show Duck Dodgers The Flintstones Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Popeye Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:15 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:15 08:30 09:00 09:15 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00

Aiming For Gold World Sport World Report Talk Asia World Report World Report This Week CNN Marketplace Europe CNN Marketplace Africa The Brief CNN Presents CNN Newsroom I Report For CNN Inside Africa World Sport The Gateway Future Cities World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East Talk Asia World Report CNN Marketplace Europe The CNN Freedom Project World Sport Open Court African Voices The Brief World Report News Special CNN Presents World Report

14:30 Road To Durban: A Green City Journey 15:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 16:00 State Of The Union 17:00 International Desk 17:30 Inside Africa 18:00 Global Exchange 18:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 18:30 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Aiming For Gold 20:00 International Desk 20:30 African Voices 21:00 International Desk

00:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am 06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 Spiderman 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 08:30 Kick Buttowski 09:00 Rated A For Awesome 09:30 Pair Of Kings 10:00 Kickin It 10:30 Scaredy Squirrel 10:55 Zeke & Luther 11:20 I’m In The Band 11:45 Phineas And Ferb 12:10 Pokemon: Black And White 12:35 Pair Of Kings 13:00 Luck Of The Irish 14:35 Kickin It 15:00 Pair Of Kings 15:25 Phineas And Ferb 16:15 Rekkit Rabbit 16:40 Zeke & Luther 17:05 Pair Of Kings 17:30 I’m In The Band 17:55 Rated A For Awesome 18:20 Kickin It 18:45 Phineas And Ferb 19:10 Scaredy Squirrel 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Rated A For Awesome 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 I’m In The Band 21:15 Pair Of Kings 21:40 Phineas And Ferb 22:05 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes

00:15 Replacements 01:05 Fairly Odd Parents 01:55 A Kind Of Magic 02:45 Stitch 03:35 Replacements 04:25 Fairly Odd Parents 05:15 A Kind Of Magic 06:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 06:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 06:40 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 07:05 So Random 07:30 Fish Hooks 07:55 Timon And Pumbaa 08:20 Good Luck Charlie 08:45 Wizards Of Waverly Place 09:10 Jessie 09:35 Shake It Up 10:00 A.N.T. Farm 10:25 Dadnapped 11:45 Have A Laugh 12:05 Phineas And Ferb 12:25 Have A Laugh 12:30 Phineas And Ferb 12:55 Shake It Up 13:45 Fish Hooks 14:10 Hannah Montana 14:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 15:00 So Random 15:25 Phineas And Ferb 15:50 Shake It Up 16:12 So Random 17:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place The Movie 19:00 Have A Laugh 19:10 So Random 19:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 20:00 Jessie 20:25 Shake It Up 21:15 Dadnapped 22:37 Have A Laugh 22:55 Fish Hooks 23:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 23:45 Sonny With A Chance

MAXIMUM RISK ON OSN ACTION HD

00:40 I Escaped: Real Prison Breaks 01:35 Mobster Confessions 02:05 Destroyed In Seconds 02:30 How It’s Made 03:00 How Do They Do It? 03:25 How It’s Made 03:55 How Do They Do It? 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Do They Do It? 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Do They Do It? 06:05 How It’s Made 06:35 How Do They Do It? 07:25 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:15 Fifth Gear 09:10 Street Customs 10:05 Auction Kings 12:20 Border Security 14:35 Cash Cab Us 16:55 Cake Boss 19:10 Nextworld 20:05 The Future Of...

21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Lou Ferrante’s Mob Rules

00:40 01:35 02:25 02:50 06:10 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 14:45 14:48 15:15 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Meteorite Men Mega World The Tech Show What’s That About?

Future Weapons Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Smash Lab Catch It Keep It What’s That About?

Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections The Tech Show Future Weapons Sci-Trek Bang Goes The Theory Meteorite Men Killer Outbreaks Mega World Tech Toys 360 Meteorite Men Killer Outbreaks Weird Or What?

00:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 00:40 Meat & Potatoes 01:05 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 01:30 Good Eats 01:55 Meat & Potatoes 02:20 Meat & Potatoes 02:45 Food Network Challenge 03:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:05 Unique Sweets 04:30 Good Eats 04:55 Aarti Party 05:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:45 Food Network Challenge 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 The Next Iron Chef 07:50 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Good Eats 09:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 10:20 Lidia’s Italy 10:45 30 Minute Meals 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Good Eats 12:25 Guy’s Big Bite 12:50 Aarti Party 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 14:30 Unwrapped 14:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:20 Meat & Potatoes 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Cooking For Real 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Aarti Party 18:15 Good Eats 18:40 Chef vs Britain 19:05 Meat & Potatoes 19:30 The Next Iron Chef 20:20 Restaurant: Impossible 21:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 21:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:00 Barefoot Contessa 22:25 Barefoot Contessa 22:50 Chopped 23:40 Meat & Potatoes

00:20 Special Agent Oso 00:50 Lazytown 01:15 Little Einsteins 01:40 Jungle Junction 02:10 Little Einsteins 02:30 Special Agent Oso 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Little Einsteins 03:50 Jungle Junction 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Lazytown 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 07:40 Jungle Junction 07:55 Little Einsteins 08:20 The Hive 08:30 Handy Manny Great Garage Rescue 09:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:45 Cars Toons 09:50 Jungle Junction 10:05 The Hive 10:15 Mouk 10:30 Mouk 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:30 The Hive 11:40 Lazytown 12:05 The Hive 12:15 Mouk 12:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 13:15 The Hive 13:25 Timmy Time 13:35 Special Agent Oso 13:50 Handy Manny

14:05 The Hive 14:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:05 Mouk 15:20 Handy Manny Great Garage Rescue 16:05 Handy Manny 16:20 Lazytown 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Cars Toons 17:15 Handy Manny Great Garage Rescue 18:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:15 Handy Manny 18:45 Jungle Junction 19:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:25 101 Dalmatians 19:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:35 A Poem Is...

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 THS 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 E! News 13:05 Style Star 13:35 Style Star 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Kendra 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Kendra 20:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 21:25 Khloe And Lamar 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:00 00:50 02:30 03:20 03:45 04:10 04:55 06:35 2008 08:00 2011 09:40 10:30 11:20 13:00 13:50 14:40 17:10 18:00 18:50 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:50

X Games Heroes Aiya TV M1 Selection 2010 Dragrace High Sports Jobs Carpocalypse Summer Dew Tour 2011 Ride Guide Mountainbike

00:40 02:15 03:05 03:50 04:35 Jones 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:25 10:10 10:35 10:55 Jones 11:40 12:25 13:15 14:00 14:25 14:50 Jones 15:35 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:55 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

A Haunting The Haunted Ghost Lab A Haunting True Crime With Aphrodite

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

Departures The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Madventures Departures Nomads Don’t Tell My Mother Don’t Tell My Mother Departures The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia Madventures Departures Nomads Don’t Tell My Mother Don’t Tell My Mother Departures Meet The Natives: USA Young Global Hotshots One Man & His Campervan Bondi Rescue Endurance Traveller Long Way Down The Best Job In The World Calcutta Or Bust Racing Around The Clock Meet The Natives: USA Young Global Hotshots One Man & His Campervan Bondi Rescue Endurance Traveller Long Way Down The Best Job In The World

FIM World Motocross MX3 X Games 16 2010 Summer Dew Tour 2010 Summer Dew Tour 2011 Mantracker Formula Drift 2011 Man’s Work Best Of The Streets Formula Drift 2011 Summer Dew Tour 2011 Mantracker Ed’s Up Ed’s Up Formula Drift 2011 Best Of The Streets Aiya TV

Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared FBI Case Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Mall Cops – Mall Of America True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Behind Mansion Walls Kidnap And Rescue Scorned: Crimes Of Passion

JACK GOES BOATING ON OSN CINEMA 18:00 Miami Rhapsody-PG15 20:00 Bulletproof-18 22:00 How To Be A Player-18 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Maximum Risk-18 Mirrors 2-18 Taxi-PG15 Madso’s War-18 Rocky IV-PG15 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 Four Brothers-18 Rocky IV-PG15 Smoke Screen-PG15 Four Brothers-18 Game Of Death-PG15 The Running Man-18

01:00 02:45 05:15 07:00 09:00 PG15 11:00 13:00 14:45 16:45 18:45 21:00 23:00

Jack Goes Boating-PG15 2012-PG15 Unanswered Prayers-PG15 Make It Happen-PG15 Justice For Natalee HollowayWaiting For Superman-PG15 Bound By A Secret-PG15 Cars 2-FAM Waiting For Superman-PG15 Tron: Legacy-PG15 The American-18 The Ward-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Parks And Recreation 03:30 2 Broke Girls 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The Simpsons 06:30 Yes Dear 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 Parks And Recreation 09:00 The Simpsons 09:30 The Office 10:00 Man Up! 10:30 Yes Dear 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 10 Items Or Less 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 Yes Dear 14:00 2 Broke Girls 14:30 Man Up! 15:00 The Office 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends With Benefits 19:00 Raising Hope 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 Whitney 20:30 Allen Gregory 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 The Cleveland Show

01:00 Legion-18 03:00 Taxi-PG15 05:00 Storm Warning-18 07:00 The Next Karate Kid-PG 09:00 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 11:00 X2-PG 13:15 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 15:15 Superman/ Batman: Apocalypse-PG15 17:00 Windtalkers-PG15 19:15 Malibu Shark Attack-18 21:00 The Running Man-18

00:00 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?-PG15 02:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 04:00 Revenge Of The Bridesmaids 06:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 08:00 Frank McKlusky, C.I.-PG15 10:00 Tooth Fairy-PG 12:00 Coming & Going-PG15 14:00 Nine Months-PG15 16:00 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?-PG15

01:00 Up In The Air-PG15 03:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 04:45 The Tempest-PG15 06:45 Invictus-PG15 09:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 10:45 The Day After Tomorrow 13:00 Grown Ups-PG15 15:00 Made In Dagenham-PG15 17:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 19:00 Red-PG15

00:00 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 02:00 Pocahontas & The Spider Woman-PG 04:00 The Swan Princess-FAM 06:00 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 08:00 Mars Needs Moms-PG 10:00 Open Season 3-FAM 12:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 14:00 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 16:00 Shipwrecked-PG 18:00 Open Season 3-FAM 20:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 22:00 Moomins And The Com et Chase-FAM

01:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 14:30 17:00 19:00 21:00 21:30 23:30

Super Rugby Super Rugby UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live NRL Premiership Super Rugby Super Rugby NRL Premiership Futbol Mundial Live Scottish Premier League Super Rugby Super Rugby Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Scottish Premier League UFC The Ultimate Fighter

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 18:00 19:00 21:00

Super League PRO 12 Celtic League Live NRL Premiership NRL Premiership Super League Top 14 Rugby Sevens Trans World Sport Scottish Premier League European PGA Tour

00:45 05:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

AFL Premiership Scottish Premier League Trans World Sports Live Asian Tour Golf Scottish Premier League Pro 12 Celtic League Live European PGA Tour Trans World Sport Super Rugby Rugby sevens

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00

WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed Live Rugby Sevens V8 Supercars Extra WWE Experience This Week in WWE WWE SmackDown WWE Experience WWE Bottom Line UFC UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 144

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00

Nato’s Secret Armies Pub Dig Lost Worlds The Drama Of Dresden Nato’s Secret Armies Pub Dig Lost Worlds

08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

America: The Story Of The Us The Drama Of Dresden Treasure From The Dark Ages Pub Dig Lost Worlds America: The Story Of The Us The Drama Of Dresden Treasure From The Dark Ages Pub Dig Mud Men Pawn Stars Ancient Aliens The Universe UFO Hunters

00:05 01:00 02:00 02:25 02:55 03:50 04:20 05:15 06:10 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:45 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 20:20 21:15 22:10 23:05

Clean House: New York Wicked Fit Fashion Classics Open House Videofashion Daily Videofashion News Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Clean House Big Boutique Videofashion Daily Homes With Style Open House Videofashion News Elements Of Style Videofashion Daily Designer Marathon The Amandas The Amandas Wicked Fit Giuliana & Bill How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Tia And Tamera Giuliana & Bill Glam Fairy

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Planet Sports 02:00 Luxury Train Journeys In India 03:00 Safari Stopovers 04:00 Indian Times 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Glutton For Punishment 07:00 Planet Food 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Indian Times 10:00 Tall Ship Explorers 11:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Luxury Train Journeys In India 15:00 Australia’s Great Wildlife Islands 16:00 Spring 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Planet Sports 19:00 Luxury Train Journeys In India 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Essential Specials 22:00 Food Tripper 23:00 Safari Stopovers

01:00 Cold Heaven 02:40 Stay Hungry 04:20 Contamination .7 05:55 California Casanova-PG 07:29 Man Of LA Mancha-PG 09:40 Kings Of The Sun-PG 11:30 How To Beat The High Cost Of Living-PG 13:15 Vera Cruz-PG 14:50 Inherit The Wind-PG

01:00 Memphis Belle-PG 02:45 Meet Me In St. Louis-FAM 04:35 The Last Time I Saw Paris-PG 06:30 TCM Presents Under...-U 07:00 A Day At The Races-FAM 08:50 Meet Me In Las Vegas-FAM 10:45 A Star Is Born 13:05 The Year Of Living Dangerously-PG 15:00 The Wizard Of Oz-PG 16:40 Gaby-PG 18:15 The Swan-FAM 20:00 The Yellow Rolls-Royce-PG 22:00 The Night Of The Iguana

Classifieds SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation two bedroom flat in Abbassiya, two bachelors accommodation from April 1st. Rent KD 40. Contact: 99162583.

(C 3917)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines KNE JZR QTR JZR JZR ETH KNE RJA THY GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR THY KAC CLX DHX FCX BAW RBG KAC KAC IRA KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR FDB IRA ETD GFA QTR IRC FCX MEA JZR MSR ABY RKM JZR JZR KAC MSR GFA KAC FDB KAC KAC QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR QTR JZR JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR RBG JZR ABY ALK KAC KAC KAC FDB MSR JZR KAC KAC JAI KAC KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA GFA KAC KLM UAE JZR KAC ABY QTR DHX KAC AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH THY PIA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 25/3/2012 Flt Route 789 JEDDAH 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 843 JEDDAH 642 AMMAN 768 ISTANBUL 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 544 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 157 LONDON 3553 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 382 DELHI 615 SHAHRE KORD 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 676 DUBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 6130 DOHA 6801 AHWAZ 203 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 125 SHARJAH 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 561 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 742 DAMMAM 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 538 SOHAG 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 213 DEIREZZOR 535 CAIRO 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 3965 LUXOR 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 227 COLOMBO 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 624 SOHAG 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 102 NEW YORK 166 PARIS 562 AMMAN 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 221 BAHRAIN 514 TEHRAN 417 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 172 FRANKFURT 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 678 MUSCAT 981 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 772 ISTANBUL 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:15 0:20 0:45 0:50 1:45 1:50 2:10 2:15 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:35 4:40 4:55 5:00 5:30 6:40 6:45 6:45 7:20 7:35 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:05 8:15 8:25 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:30 10:55 11:05 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:25 12:30 13:25 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 13:45 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:15 15:30 16:00 16:35 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:45 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:35 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:55

Airlines AXB AIC KNE BBC DLH KNE ETH THY GRF FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY RBG KAC CLX BAW FDB IRA KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC UAE JZR KAC QTR FDB ETD IRA KAC KAC GFA IRC KAC QTR FCX MEA KAC JZR MSR KAC RKM KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC KAC KAC KAC SVA RJA JZR QTR KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA RBG JZR ABY SVA UAL ALK FDB MSR JZR JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA JZR DHX KAC KLM ABY UAE KAC FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX AXB KAC KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Sunday 25/3/2012 Flt Route 394 KOCHI 976 GOA 790 JEDDAH 44 CHITTAGONG 637 FRANKFURT 844 JEDDAH 621 ADDIS ABABA 767 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 94 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 3966 LUXOR 537 SOHAG 792 GIALAM 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 614 SHAHRE-KORD 171 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 212 DEIREZZOR 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 741 DAMMAM 773 RIYADH 214 BAHRAIN 6802 AHWAZ 541 CAIRO 6131 DOHA 204 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 103 LONDON 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 677 MUSCAT 617 DOHA 503 MADINAH 641 AMMAN 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 982 BAHRAIN 228 DUBAI 64 DUBAI 621 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 361 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 120 SHARJAH 860 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 102 BAHRAIN 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 390 MANGALORE 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:50 0:55 1:00 1:20 2:40 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:25 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:25 8:35 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:25 10:45 11:15 11:30 11:35 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:10 13:20 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:05 15:25 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:25 19:55 20:05 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:40 23:50 23:50

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

Accommodation in Farwaniya near Gulf Mart, big room for bachelor or couple, Filipino only, available April 21. Contact: 94418396.

20-3-2012

FOR SALE Toyota Prado 2006, Golden color, 6 cylinder, excellent condition, price KD 5,200/-.

Contact: 50699345.

(C 3921) 25-3-2012 Household goods for sale, includes furniture, electronics, kitchen equipments, books, curtains, and other miscellaneous items. All at throw-away prices. Call 99510519 or 66210509.

(C 3919) 21-3-2012

SITUATION WANTED Female 26 years post graduate 4 years experience in HR executive, seeking suitable jobs. Mob: 60473639.

Email: soumyakt.4u@gmail.com (C 3918) 20-3-2012 25 years experienced Indian seeking part time or full time assignment in finance management/ development analysis, or internal auditing or any other senior position any big company. Contact: 65802853. (C 3910) 18-3-2012

SITUATION VACANT Housemaid wanted for a small family in Farwaniya.

Mob: 97514390 21-3-2012 Manager (Asian) in Maidan Hawally looking for a maid.

Part time. Good salary. Call 97263962 for details.

(C 3915) 17-3-2012

experience for 10th, 11th and 12th stages.

Intermediate science and applied institutions. Highly competent. Tel: 99542922.

Mathematics and statistics female teacher for female students in the secondary, intermediate, university and applied institutions female students. Tel: 99410370.

Female Syrian Arabic language teacher for elementary and intermediate, and starting the weak using Halaby method in her house located in Abdallah Al-Mubarak area. Tel: 50513699.

Senior biology and science teacher for 12th, 11th and 10th grades, and science for all intermediate classes, religious institutes, nursing, educational experience, simple explanation for fast understanding.

Tel: 66543474.

Senior Arabic language and Islamic studies teacher to help weak and slow learning students in a short time. 20 years experience, teaching all elementary subjects excep E. Arabic and Islamic studies for elementary and intermediate.

Tel: 66896088.

Senior mathematics and statistics teacher. Long experience in Kuwait curricula to teach secondary students both science and arts branches, and university admission exams. Tel: 97975096.

Senior chemistry teacher for secondary students and science for intermediate. All reviews and exams, and university qualification chemistry. Tel: 99560268.

Female senior mathematics teacher, 35 years experience in Kuwait for secondary, intermediate and elementary stages, applied, initial university, communications and navigation and special courses. Tel: 97926737.

Elementary stage teacher, 12 years experience, ready to give remedial lessons for all topics in the elementary stage in a simple method.

Tel: 66594901.

English teacher specialized in elementary and intermediate, experienced in grammar, book questions and synonyms. Highly experienced in Kuwait curricula.

Tel: 97373301.

CHANGE OF NAME I, Murugesan Uma Maheshwari, holder of Indian passport No. E2156446 have changed religion (embraced Islam).

Hence I will be known as Riyazudeen Safia Begum.

(C 3922) 25-3-2012

French language teacher, specialized in 11th and 12th grades, languages schools, Pakistani and Indian schools. Long experience in Kuwait curricula.

Senior philosophy and logic teacher for the 12th stage, psychology for 11th grade, with notes and exams solutions. Tel: 99835421.

TUITION Math teacher for secondar y stage, language schools, bi-lingual schools and intermediate stage: Algebra, Gmath, Geometry, Statistics for arts and science branches. Tel: 66974020.

English language teacher specialized in starting elementary and intermediate, 10th and 11th experienced in starting functions, grammar, set book, vocabulary, notes and model exams available. Tel: 65791555.

Arabic language teacher, masters in methods of teaching for secondary and intermediate students. Tel: 50644685.

Senior Arabic language teacher, elementary and intermediate, long experience in Kuwait curricula, explaining grammar rules and starting those weak in reading and writing. Tel: 99262948.

Senior chemistr y and physics teacher. Long

Senior mathematics and statistics teacher for the secondary and intermediate stages and fifth grade, clear and simple explanation for slow learners and exams method.

Tel: 99410112.

No: 15398

Arabic language teacher, long experience in general secondary with simplifying grammar for institutions and universities. Tel: 66900427/ Secondary physics teacher 10th grade, 15 years experience. Tel: 677020697.

Syrian mathematics teacher for secondary and intermediate classes.

Graduate from Damascus University. Tel: 99460277.

Syrian Arabic language teacher. Masters to initiate weak students using the Halaby method (the alphabet then the word), follow up of intermediate, secondary, university and religious institute. Tel: 50513599.

Female Syrian Arabic language teacher to initiate weak students using the Halaby method, and follow up of intermediate and elementary in her Abdallah AlMubarak area home. Tel: 50513699.

Mathematics teacher for universities, applied, secondary and intermediate, experienced in Kuwait.

Simple explanation. Tel: 97725411.

FOR RENT Flat in South Surra, 3 bedrooms, 2 of which are master + living room + kitchen + maid room, new, super deluxe. Tel: 97864628.

For rent, commercial flat in Hawally, can be used as workshop, large area. No middle men. Parking. Tel: 66043961.

Flat in Bneid Al-Gar, 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + Gym + swimming pool overlooking the sea, central satellite + internet. For families, no middle men.

Tel: 66043961.

Flat in Salmiya 3 bedroom + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + central satellite + internet. 4x4 rooms, 4x8 living room for expatriates only. Rent KD 330. No middle men. Tel: 66043961.

Flat in Salmiya 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms + living room + kitchen + central satellite + internet. Families only, no middle men. Tel: 66043961.

A commercial floor in Salmiya. Close to Blajat. Car parking. No middle men.

Tel: 66043961.

First floor in Shuhada, 4 rooms + living room + 5 bathrooms + maid room + balcony. Must be small family. Tel: 60308586.

Flat in Zahra, 2 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms + laundry room + maid room. Tel: 60308586.

A floor in Zahra, 4 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms, second floor, elevator. Must be small

family. Tel: 99719887.

Flat in west Jleeb, 3 rooms + living room + kitchen + 2 bathrooms first floor. No elevator. Must be newlyweds or one child only.

Tel:99719887.

Flat in Salam, 3 rooms + living room + kitchen + 3 bathrooms + maid room.

Must be newlyweds or two children only. 60308586.

First floor in Rumaithiya. 4 rooms + living room + kitchen + maid room + 6 bathrooms. Super deluxe.

Must be foreigners and expats only. Tel: 60308586, 99719887.

Large first floor with the roof in Firdous. No middle men. Tel: 99490502.

Fully furnished flat in Mahboula 2 rooms + 2 baths + living room + Gym + DSL, Satellite + full sea view. Rent starts from KD 450. Tel: 66060822.

Furished flat in a Salmiya resort 3 rooms + maid room + garden + swimming pool + children play room + DSL. Sea view + hotel service + car parking. Rent KD 800.

Tel: 66060299.

For rent or investment, medical clinics in Salmiya.

Good location licensed and unlicensed. No brokers. Tel: 66060299.

Flat in Salmiya, 3 bedrooms (2 master) + maid room + 3 bathrooms + 2 balconies + sea view + Gym. No brokers. Rent KD 550. Tel: 66060299.

Commercial floor in Salmiya, main street, sea view, good location. Can be used for saloon, clinics, lawyer office. Rent KD 1650.

Tel: 66297171.

Complete building in Salmiya, 55 flats. 2 rooms + 2 bathrooms + kitchen + living room. Good location + central satellite. Good for company residence. Tel: 55939470.

Ground floor in Jabriya.

Private entrance, 4 rooms (2 master) + living rooms (10x10) + saloon 11x10 + 5 bathrooms + very large kitchen + guest wash area + 2 maid rooms. Rent KD 950. Tel: 94463321.

Flat in Zahra, 3 rooms + 3 bathrooms + maid room + spacious living room + shaded parking + electricity and water + DSL, foreigners and expats, rent starts from KD 600. Tel: 66297171.

Villa in Zahra. 4 rooms + 5 bathrooms + maid room + driver room + 2 large balconies. Super deluxe + satellite + DSL. Rent KD 1000. Tel: 66297171.

New first floor in south Surra, 4 rooms + 4 bathrooms + living room + maid room. Not used. For small family. Rent KD 750. Tel: 66694740, 94024242.

34

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 627

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a day for you! Concentrate on your own goals—firm up ongoing projects or begin new ones. Work alone, if possible, because the encouragement or advice of others is not really necessary. Now is your chance to be yourself for yourself! Do not forget to include some physical activity.

Educational projects require much study and may also involve travel. Fresh insight comes to you through broadcasting, publishing or advertising, giving you a whole new viewpoint. Whatever the major project is for today, keep your spending down to a minimum—you will be glad you did. This evening, your desires are strong and you will want to have fun. Romance is possible. There is a basic drive to appreciate and taste life.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A great deal of patience is called for this day. Whatever feelings underscore your life will be felt more strongly now. If you are going through a particularly trying time, this period could produce low energy levels. If this is the case, take it easy for the next few weeks. Otherwise, this time should bring new insights or ideas for creative projects. Once you begin to paint a wall in your apartment or home, you may find yourself continuing the process to steam clean a sofa or experiment with new products for the home. Also, you will find yourself plotting to improve or update your home. Brothers and sisters are on your mind now and you may be looking forward to a get-together with them soon. Create an opportunity to talk about new goals.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. (of champagne) Moderately dry.

4. Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico).

10. Contemptuous name for a Black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to Whites.

13. In favor of (an action or proposal etc.).

14. Free and relaxed in manner.

15. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

16. Affected manners intended to impress others.

18. A light touch or stroke.

19. Used by northerners of Confederate soldiers.

20. Large shrimp sauteed in oil or butter and garlic.

22. A user interface based on graphics (icons and pictures and menus) instead of text.

24. Take in solid food.

25. Stem of the rattan palm used for making canes and umbrella handles.

27. A Japanese woman trained to entertain men with conversation and singing and dancing.

29. A thrusting blow with a knife.

30. Not only so, but.

38. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

41. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

42. A Bantu language spoken by the Kamba people in Kenya.

44. A physician who is not a specialist but treats all illnesses.

45. A long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur.

46. Imperial moths.

48. The bill in a restaurant.

51. Before noon.

53. The cry made by sheep.

56. An informal term for a father.

57. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

59. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

62. Taken or to be taken at random.

64. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

66. The part of an organism that connects the head to the rest of the body.

67. An informal term for a father.

68. An emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.).

69. The content of cognition.

DOWN 1. A painful and involuntary muscular contraction.

2. Any plant of the genus Erica.

3. Of a strong pink to yellowish-pink color n 1.

4. A public promotion of some product or service.

5. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

6. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

7. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

8. A heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element.

9. Suggestive of the supernatural.

10. Wasting of the body during a chronic disease.

11. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

12. A republic on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean.

17. A vigorous blow.

21. A proportion multiplied by 100.

23. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

26. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

28. Small tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit.

31. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

32. The highest level or degree attainable.

33. A member of a Finnish people of Russia.

34. A unit of acoustic absorption equivalent to the absorption by a square foot of a surface that absorbs all incident sound.

35. Any of various small biting flies.

36. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

37. A doctor's degree in religion.

39. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

40. One of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

43. A small cake leavened with yeast.

47. (folklore) A corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living.

49. With rapid movements.

50. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

52. God of death.

53. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

54. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

55. God of fire.

56. A radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons.

58. A slight amount or degree of difference.

60. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

61. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

63. Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies.

65. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampereturns.

66. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today you may prefer to be alone and this is something we all want from time to time. You may really only feel like being somber. If you must confer with others, you might prefer it be over something important. Save the small talk for another time. You have decided to become more organized and may look to tape-recorded lectures or books to help you create better organized surroundings. Taking responsibility for past errors and the ways you contribute to your own undoing are important issues now. Dodging them may only put off a day of reckoning. Try approaching the big changes in little determined steps—one at a time. Selfdiscipline and a sense of self-worth become important issues. This is an excellent time to take care of any mental work.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Your financial sector is highlighted in a positive way—however, better budgeting is in the forecast. This is a good time to think about how many different ways the budget needs to be split, shared, consulted, etc. Give yourself space to dream and envision your financial goals. Set a plan that will help you reach your long-term goals and enjoy achieving some short-term goals in the interim.

Ask an elderly family member, friend or neighbor if he or she needs a ride to church or would like to be included in a special event around your neighborhood. This could make all the difference to him or her and inconvenience you very little. Your personal life flows easily at this time. Matters of love will be full speed ahead! Couples will enjoy a romantic evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This morning you may be concentrating on an upcoming employee review. Consider taking on more responsibility in your professional environment. A raise or promotion could be due soon and you could push it along a little faster with a well thought through letter regarding your request for a raise. Just remember the added responsibility will be included. Later today there is time to gather together those you live with and have a vote on some fun, group activity. This is a good time to enjoy the company of those you love. Perhaps some form of sports, or if the weather is bad you might want to play some sort of board games. These are good times. You could find yourself advising or in some way helping young people this afternoon.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your physical energy is really high today. You would be wise to stop whatever work you may be doing and try a bit of jogging, or perhaps, a game of handball. Work off that extra energy before you become irritable.

This is also a time when you could feel that Lady Luck is smiling on you. Professional choices are abundant and if you are looking for a job next week, you will more than likely be successful. Take the time today to update your resume and plot your path to success. You may enjoy using the social sphere to improve your position in the world of business. You will certainly have the opportunity to network today. Tonight is a wonderful time to celebrate life with your family and friends. Harmony and relationships have a strong impact now.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

An in-depth conversation this morning may find a rise in your blood pressure. Just as well, you needed to learn more about your own point of view. Respect the opinion of other people and if necessary, agree to disagree. New ideas may be the best choice for now—interesting and exciting results can happen. This is a good time to promote harmony. You are interested in the occult, metaphysics and spiritual disciplines and may decide to shop around to find some meditation music or a book to learn a technique of divination. Your imagination and creativity are at their best this evening. Perhaps it is time to gather socially or to plan a party. Think of having finger food instead of a sit-down meal. Invite a psychic to your party—the fun is just beginning.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Any task you take on now should be completed successfully.

You are a self-starter. Public speaking may be what it takes to make the difference you want to make just now. Give your speech some real attention, with perhaps a little revision so it can easily be understood. This could mean some sort of volunteer work is in progress. If you are the one that has begun a project to gain relief for some cause, see it through—all the way. There will probably be some worthy donations once you complete the presentation.

You could feel great support from those around you now. Others could seek you out for your psychological insight and understanding. Do not take on any other responsibilities until this one has been completed.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This morning you may have discovered that you have a massive yen for nice warm hugs—preferably from your significant other. You enjoy strong emotional contact, even if the relationship may not be as perfect as you would like. As this day progresses, you may find that communication with friends and relatives happily moves your day forward. Health awareness may come to your attention and you and a friend may join together for a little bicycling, running or some other exercise—weather permitting. You will have an opportunity to sign up for a class or group that has your similar goals. They will help you and you will help them. This evening you will enjoy a classic movie on television or a movie. It is 12 o’clock and all is well.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Hold your point, issue or thoughts . . . you will find others caving in to your way of thinking soon. Becoming more conscientious takes on a special importance now. Taking care of the necessary details of life—health, work, etc., becomes a greater preoccupation. Sorting things out and getting them organized to utmost efficiency keeps you busy. Important financial decisions require more information than you realize at this time. You have gathered all the facts and now you just need to plot your path to financial stability. The key word is steadfastness. Social relationships are a special focus this evening. You may find that this is the time you add to your friendships. Changes with some old friends deepen into more positive directions.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Sometimes you put yourself in a position to be taken advantage of and while you enjoy the attention, you may come to resent the stress that it can put on you. Although it is nice to be needed, you may also enjoy some quiet time today. Seek inspiration for whatever direction you may need to take next. Music is your love and you could write or learn to write the music that runs around in your head. You have a good idea of a few songs and would be wise to take a class in writing music. You could be shopping this afternoon—new gadgets to make your work easier catch your attention. This is a time of enthusiasm and new ideas or new beginnings. You may agree to help someone with his or her hobby or work on your own hobby this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You will take more time to express your desires to your loved ones today. Keeping secrets from a friend or loved one could prove disastrous just now. Communication with friends is enhanced at this time. You should think about getting in touch with a faraway relative or a friend. You have a deep desire for personal freedom and you may seek out friends who are unconventional in their social behavior. Respect, status and achievement are central goals for you as a new phase begins in your life. Creating a structure to empower and maintain your ideals and principles becomes a high priority just now. Take a less active role in social affairs this evening—your family will enjoy your presence. You will enjoy listening to music this evening.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE ST TAT TE OF K KUW WAIT A

112

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Saturday

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

24/03/2012

Ministry of Interior

Ext.: 2627 26 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

19:00

Issue Time

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

BY Y NIGHT:

Cool with light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h

BY Y DA AY:

Sunny with light to moderate northerly to north easterly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h

WARNING A

No Current Warnings arnin a

ST TATION T

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

MAX. REC.

MIN. N. EXP P.

Al-Mangaf

23711183

KUW WAIT A CITY

28 °C

17 °C

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

27 °C

12 °C

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUW WAISEEB A

26 °C

14 °C

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

WAFRA A

27 °C

13 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

27 °C

12 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDAL LY

31 °C

10 °C

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

JAL ALIY YAH A

28 °C

13 °C

Adan Hospital

23940620

FAILAKA A

26 °C

14 °C

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

AHMADI POR RT

24 °C

18 °C

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

UMM AL-MARADEM

20 °C

15 °C

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

WARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

24 °C

14 °C

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

Clinics

SFC. CHART

24/03/2012 1200UTC

POLICE STATION

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST

Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Sunday

25/03

Khaldiya

24848075

Monday

26/03

Keifan

24849807

Tuesday

27/03

Shamiya

24848913

Wednesday e

28/03

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Fajr

04:27

MAX. Temp.

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Sunrise

05:47

MIN. Temp.

11 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

11:54

MAX. RH

39 %

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

Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

sunny

28 °C

12 °C

N-NE

10 - 32 km/h

partly cloudy

28 °C

13 °C

VRB-SE

15 - 40 km/h

unstable

29 °C

13 °C

SE

25 - 50 km/h

partly cloudy

30 °C

14 °C

SE-NW

12 - 35 km/h

PRA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT 26 °C

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry

Asr

15:23

MIN. RH

09 %

Sunset

18:02

MAX. Wind

SE 32 km/h

Isha

19:19

TOT TA AL L RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

about the Civil ID card is 1889988

00 mm

24/03/12 14:47 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

36

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Julia Roberts

loved working

with Lily Collins for her father

he Oscar winning beauty admits Phil Collins’ Genesis is the sound of her youth so she was thrilled to get the chance to work with his daughter on the movie. Asked if she is a fan of Phil, Julia said: “Are you kidding, Genesis? I’m in my forties. Genesis is like my youth.” Julia, 44, also admitted she is happy not to be a young actress like Lily because it is so much more difficult to deal with fame than it was in her day. She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “It seemed so much easier, it made more sense. It was more kind of a gradual progression of things I think for the way the business was when I started out. But she seems to be holding her own, she’s got no problem.

This culture of meanness is new. “I like my job, I’m happy at work, it’s fun and pretty extraordinary.”

T

Robbie Williams he 38-year-old ‘Angles’ singer who gave up drinking after getting hooked on drugs and alcohol following his 1995 departure from Take That - has reportedly now waved goodbye to his 40-a-day cigarette habit. A source told The Sun newspaper: “So far he hasn’t smoked in ten days. He wants to start a family with Ayda soon, so it’s a good move. “He’s also in training for the Unicef Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford in May, so he’ll need to be fit.” Robbie entered

T

quits smoking

rehab on his 33rd birthday after getting addicted to prescription medication, and believes he would have had a heart attack if his management team hadn’t stepped in to save him.

He told GQ magazine: “I had a big blow up on a Monday night and then on Tuesday I was on a sofa coming in and out of consciousness. “Then I heard their voices and I thought, ‘It’s Tuesday. They are supposed to be here on Wednesday. I bet you I’m going to rehab today. “They sat down

opposite me and said, “Rob, you look f***ing awful”. I said, ‘I’ll go to rehab, you don’t have to say f***ing nasty things to me’. “They had a plane waiting for me. They packed my bags and I got on it thankfully. I might have been a couple of days or 24 hours from dying. I was on this plane kicking the seats, I was so angry with myself that I had let myself get into that place again.”

Kate Moss

Jennifer Lawrence

with a bedroom for her hairdresser

feels

like an ‘idiot’ in first class

he 21-year-old ‘Hunger Games’ actress - who has been jetting across the globe to promote the movie says she feels too young to be enjoying the privilege. During an appearance on US show ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’, she explained: “I always feel like an idiot every time I fly first class because I’m a kid - and I just sit there and everybody’s got their newspapers and they’re on the computer and I’m like, ‘Can I get a colouring book please? Can I get some crayons?’” “I had ordered a glass of wine and I was in this really intense conversation with the guys, and then she dropped off the wine, and I was like, ‘Yes, because the ministry had taken over Hogwarts at the time ... thank you’.” Meanwhile the downto-earth star admits she can’t quite get to grips with her rising fame. Talking about a billboard near her home which features her face, she told USA Today: “I was sitting at the red light just staring at the poster. I kept trying to get it to hit home. ‘That’s you. Feel it.

Feel it’. I tried, but to no avail.”

he 38-year-old supermodel has reportedly devoted one of the seven bedrooms at her £8million mansion in north London to stylist James Brown. A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “Kate has done up a bedroom especially for her faithful hairdresser and best friend James Brown.

“She told him to make it his second home. He now has his own exotic boudoir which is a blank canvas so he can put his own stamp on it.”

Kate bought the house in north London’s Highgate after tying the knot with Kills guitarist Jamie Hince last July, and apparently wasted no time in celebrating following the move on Wednesday.

An onlooker told The Sun newspa-

T

T

Labrinth is planning duet with

Rihanna

he ‘Last Time’ singer is hopeful that a collaboration with the “hot” ‘We Found Love’ hitmaker will happen soon. He said: “I think I’m going to work with Rihanna soon - that might just happen. She’s really cool, and she’s hot.”

Rihanna would be joining Emeli Sande and Pixie Lott in working with Labrinth, and the 22-year-old rapper admits he had a great time working with both singers on his new album ‘Electronic Earth’. He told more! magazine: “I’ve got a nice song I wrote and recorded as a duet with Emeli Sande. Emeli’s amazing, really lovely. I worked with her about two years ago and we were writing stuff for other people’s albums. It’s good to see such a great artist has taken off. “It was very cool working with Pixie. She’s great. It was really good working together. She was a bit quiet at first, but after a couple of bottles of wine, she definitely livened up.”

T

equips new house

Noel Gallagher

per: “Kate, her husband Jamie Hince and [his band mate] Alison Mosshart kicked off celebrations at a nearby pub. “Friends soon arrived with bottles of champagne and bouquets of flowers and they took the party home.” Kate is said to have been so desperate to move into the four-storey house - which features a party room, ballet studio and wine cellar - that she even pitched in with the renovations. An insider previously revealed: “Kate doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty and has been putting in some graft. “The workmen really enjoy her visits and find it funny she’s helping out. “Especially when she pops into the kitchen and returns with a tray of teas.”

will speak to

Liam - when he isn’t so ‘busy’ he High Flying Birds star quit Oasis in 2009 following a back-stage fight in Paris, and hasn’t spoken to his brother since. Libel lawsuits ensued on both sides and while those have since been dropped, Noel insists he has no plans to make friends just yet - much to mum Peggy’s disappointment. He said: “There is no contact of any significance, to my mother’s disgust. But we are big boys now. She can’t tell us what to do forever. “It’s not the last time I’m ever going to speak to him. Of course I’m going to speak to him again but I’m busy.” In an interview with BBC4, the 44-year-old ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ hitmaker - who has daughter Anais, 12, from his first marriage to Meg Mathews and sons Donovan, four, and 17-month-old Sonny with wife Sara MacDonald - admits he didn’t know how to be a good father until recently. He explained: “I had never seen a good example of any parenting until I met Sara, who is an incredible mother to the children. “I have learnt so much from her as she has great parents. Her mum and dad have been married for 150 years or something and they are still together. And she takes that and brings that to our children. “I come from a dysfunctional family. I’m good with the kids now but at first, with my older daughter, I didn’t have the tools instinctively.” Talking about his own estranged father Thomas, who separated from his mum when Noel was 15, he added: “I don’t think of my father at all. It’s his loss, not mine.”

T

Aston Merrygold he JLS singer has been single for some time but insists he is no longer interested in having a girlfriend because he is so busy with his pop career. He said:” I’ve decided to give up on the girlfriend hunt, I’m not really too fussed. “I’ve got lots of things to look forward to in the year, so I’m just going to take those opportunities and date.” While Aston’s bandmates Marvin Humes and J.B. Gill are both in relationships, Oritse Williams is also single but is enjoying finding the time to meet people and says he goes on “lots” of dates.

Oritse said: “Everyone’s been speculating about me having a girlfriend. I go on lots of dates but I don’t actually have a

T

gives up looking for love

girlfriend.” Oritse recently gave himself a makeover and dyed his hair, which he says he did in order to “evolve as an artist”. He told TOTP magazine: “It’s still bronze. The decision behind it was just me wanting to evolve as an artist a little bit more. Like, will it assist in the evolution of Oritse Williams. I wanted to try it and worked. It definitely got me more female attention anyway.” —Bang showbiz

37

LIFESTYLE

Popular

Heritage Festival comes to a spectacular end

he hugely successful Popular Heritage Festival came to an end on Friday in Al-Roudhatain, with a closing ceremony held for award winners of all camel beauty contests.

“The festival was an outstanding success and we look forward to organizing more successful events in the future,” said Sheikh Dhari AlFahad, Head of the Supreme Committee. Sheikh Sabah Fahad AlNasser Al-Sabah, Head of the judging committee acknowledged the efforts made by Kuwaiti contestants who achieved spectacular results.

Both Sheikh Dhari and Sheikh Sabah acknowledged the support lent by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for the festival. Sheikh Dhari was also present during a ceremony held at the Fishermen’s Dewaniya in Al-Fintas Thursday to announce winners of

T

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

fishing competitions held as part of the festival. Sheikh Salem Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, head of the Sea Heritage subcommittee attended the ceremony as well. Thursday’s events also saw the conclusion of camel race competitions in which several races were held for different categories.

The Popular Heritage Festival is an annual event featuring traditional sports and activities that are of Bedouin origin. Beauty contests for camel, sheep and falcons are typically part of the event. Equestrian races are held at the Hunting and Equestrian Club, in addition to fishing competitions organized by the Fishermen’s Diwaniyas in Al-Fintas, Al-Salmiya and Al-Wuttiya.

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

lifestyle

French ‘Snow White’ ballet aims to cast spell in US F

rench choreographer Angelin Preljocaj is hoping to cast a spell on US audiences with his ballet “Snow White”, an adaptation of what he calls the “thriller” fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. The edgy dance master created the 2008 work-which opens in California this week before moving to the East Coast-as a tribute to the great 19th-century romantic ballets like Swan Lake, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty.

The production’s visual impact is enhanced by costumes from French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. “When we created the the ballet, there was a lot of enthusiasm for it to be staged in America, but everything was frozen due to the (economic) crisis,” he told AFP. “Now we’ve finally got it off the ground; we’re very happy to bring ‘Blanche Neige’ (‘Snow White’) to the United States,” he said, after the ballet opened in the northern California city of Davis last weekend.

The show will be in Los Angeles this weekend, before heading East. “California has audiences who know about the art of ballet in all its forms, from the purest classical to the most avant-garde,” said Preljocaj.

By coincidence it comes as two film versions of Snow White are set to be released: “Mirror, Mirror” starring Julia Roberts on March 30, and “Snow White and the Huntsman” with Charlize Theron on June 1.

Preljocaj said the fairy tale remains relevant today, in the age of plastic surgery and other ways that women

French choregrapher Angelin Preljocaj poses in this January 11, 2010 file photo in Paris. Preljocaj is hoping to cast a spell on US audiences with his ballet “Snow White”, an adaptation of what he calls the “thriller” fairytale by the Brothers Grimm. —AFP

LEGEND District No.

1 7 3

The mockingjay pin, a gift from a friend in District 12, is Katniss’ special token for the Hunger Games.

★ 2

4

9

11

10

SCHOLASTIC

5

13 12 6 8

PA I / S A N J O S E M E R C U RY N E W S / M C T

An interpretation of where Panem’s districts lay in relation to each other.

PANEM

CHARACTERS Katniss Everdeen:

The main character of the “Hunger Games,” Katniss lives in District 12 with her mother and sister, Primrose. Her father died in a mining accident when Katniss she was 11. Katniss Everdeen provides for her (Jennifer family by illegally Lawrence) hunting outside the district fence and by trading at the Hob, a black market. When her sister is picked for the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place.

Peeta Mellark:

Katniss’ fellow District 12 tribute in the 74th Games, Peeta grew up in the district’s merchant area. His parents are bakers, and he once purposely burned Peeta bread so he could Mellark give it to Katniss (Josh and her family, who Hutcherson) were on the verge of starvation. Although she is unaware, Peeta has long had a crush on her.

Gale Hawthorne:

Katniss’ best friend in District 12, Gale lost his father in the same mining accident that killed Katniss’ father. He illegally hunts with Katniss and proGale vides for his mother Hawthorne and younger sib(Liam lings. He vows to Hemsworth) protect and care for Katniss’ family when she goes to the Games.

Primrose Everdeen: Katniss’ little sis-

ter, Primrose has a gentle disposition and a talent for healing.

Effie Trinket: A woman from the Capitol, Effie is the official escort for the District 12 tributes.

Haymitch Abernathy:

District 12’s only living Hunger Games victor, Haymitch must act as the tributes’ mentor, despite a penchant for heavy drinking.

President Snow: The leader of

Panem, Snow is a cruel man who keeps tight control over his country.

Cinna: The assigned stylist

for District 12, Cinna becomes a trusted friend and ally to Katniss.

SOURCES: “THE HUNGER GAMES” T R I L O G Y; S C H O L A S T I C ; W W W. THEHUNGERGAMES M OV I E . C O M .

Immerse yourself in the world of ‘The Hunger Games’ Society as we know it has fallen and has been replaced by the authoritarian nation of Panem.

Residents live in tightly controlled districts and do what they can to avoid dying before their time. Yet death still may find them, simply by the luck of the draw. Because in this new society, the children must compete yearly in a fight to the death — The Hunger Games.

This is the future — and the setting of the dark, dystopian and extremely popular trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

The first book, “The Hunger Games,” was released to critical acclaim in 2008 and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for than 180 consecutive weeks.

Now, the series’ first movie is due out March 23.

In case you haven’t gulped down the fast-paced books, here’s a primer on “The Hunger Games” to get you up to speed on everything from the main characters to the Games and districts.

— Merrie Leininger, Kim Ossi and Wendy Zang, McClatchy-Tribune

THE REAPING Once a year, every district child ages 12 to 18 has his or her name placed in a lottery. One boy and one girl are chosen from each district in a televised ceremony. Those selected are known as tributes.

Some children, known as careers, train their whole lives for the Hunger Games.

But poorer children are most likely to be chosen because adding your name more than once to the drawing nets you a tessera — a stingy supply of grain and oil. A teen may do this for each of their family members as well, and the entries are cumulative.

Panem is what is left of North America, years after droughts, storms and rising sea levels devastated the food supply. Battles for what remained resulted in an authoritarian government based in the Capitol, in an area presumed to be near the Rocky Mountains, with 13 districts spread out from there.

About 75 years before the first novel begins, a rebellion known as the Dark Days took place. The districts rose up against the Capitol, but they were unsuccessful, and District 13 was reportedly wiped out completely. All the districts are surrounded by fences, and residents are not permitted to travel between them.

Following the Dark Days, the Hunger Games were established as both a punishment and a warning to never again rebel.

THE CAPITOL

DISTRICT 1

The residents of the Capitol are frivolous, wasteful people who live in luxury without want or hunger, but they are still closely watched at all times. They are obsessed with entertainment and fashion, and many have altered their appearance to accord with the latest trends.

Known for: Luxury Purpose: Provide the Capitol with the most decadent and exceptional goods, including diamonds and gems.

Notable: Wealthiest district outside the Capitol.

Considered a “career” district, where children are specially trained for the Games.

DISTRICT 2

DISTRICT 3

Known for: Masonry Purpose: Supply the bricks, stones and mortar on which Panem is built.

Notable: This is also the district where Panem’s Peacekeepers (police) are trained and where weapons are manufactured. Also a career district.

Known for: Electronics Purpose: Bring innovation to Panem by studying the art, skill and craft of technology.

Notable: Most citizens in this district work in factories making things like televisions, automobiles and explosives.

DISTRICT 4

DISTRICT 5

Known for: Fishing Purpose: Bring the bounty of the sea to the whole nation of Panem.

Notable: One of the wealthier districts.

Also a career district.

Known for: Power Purpose: Generate the power to keep all of Panem’s lights shining brightly.

Notable: Not much is known about District 5, but it is reported to have a low number of tesserae-claiming children.

DISTRICT 6

DISTRICT 7

Known for: Transportation Purpose: Wherever your destination may be, you couldn’t get there without us.

Notable: Among the products made here: hover cars.

Known for: Lumber Purpose: Bring Panem the finest lumber nature can provide, from the forest to the mills.

Notable: Heavily wooded.

Tributes from here are usually good with axes.

DISTRICT 8

DISTRICT 9

Known for: Textiles Purpose: Make all of Panem look good, from the runways of the Capitol to the cobblestone streets of the lowliest Districts.

Notable: Factories make all clothes, including Peacekeeper uniforms. Urban, industrial area with rundown tenements.

Known for: Grain Purpose: No nutritious diet could be complete without the grains we grow.

Notable: The breadbowl of Panem.

DISTRICT 10

DISTRICT 11

Known for: Livestock Purpose: Provide Panem with the freshest, tastiest, most tender meats — from pasture to plate.

Notable: In the 74th Hunger Games, this district sends a boy with a crippled foot.

Known for: Agriculture Purpose: Keep Panem nourished and strong with the fruits and vegetables we cultivate.

Notable: Almost everything grown goes to the Capitol. Tracker jackers — genetically altered killer wasps — are a danger here.

DISTRICT 12

DISTRICT 13

Known for: Mining Purpose: Venture deep within the earth to extract the coal which keeps Panem going.

Notable: One of the poorest, most ridiculed districts. Food is scarce, and some residents turn to the black market to feed their families.

Known for: Nuclear tech-

P H OTO S B Y M U R R AY C L O S E / L I O N S G AT E

Katniss Everdeen awaits the tribute lottery with other District 12 residents in “The Hunger Games.”

THE HUNGER GAMES Once a child is chosen, they are given just a few minutes to say goodbye to family and friends. They are then swept off to the Capitol via train, where they are given a makeover and introduced to the country by television. Those who gain favor from wealthy viewers can receive sponsorships of food, supplies or medicine during the survival game.

The Hunger Games are played in an outdoor arena, of sorts, but the landscape varies each year. It’s part of the challenge presented by the head gamemaker. Cameras capture tributes’ every move so the whole nation can watch as the children fight for their lives.

Katniss Everdeen prepares to fight for survival in “The Hunger Games.”

nology, graphite mining

Notable: One of the original districts, 13 was reportedly obliterated by the Capitol during the uprisings and is uninhabitable.

can remain young-looking. “It’s a very modern story, in the sense that today with scientific and medical progress, women can stay young and beautiful for a long time,” said the choreographer. “That creates a potential conflict between generations. Daughters, faced with mothers who want to remain lovers, desirable and active socially, can develop a kind of Snow White complex.”

“Generations are coming together. You often see 50or 60-year-old women in the street with their daughter, dressed the same, swapping clothes and handbags.

They can even be love rivals.” As with the upcoming big screen versions, Preljocaj’s production does not follow the Disney version of the fairytale, rather putting more focus on the cruel stepmother. “It’s the same as with ‘Swan Lake’, with the black swan and the white swan: Snow White is the positive character, beautiful and pure, while the stepmother is the opposite, also beautiful, but dark and hate-filled,” he said. “Snow White’ is “really a thriller,” he said. “The story of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ can be told in two lines. ‘Snow White’ is full of twists... leading to lots of ways of interpreting it choreographically.” “Snow White” will be staged in Los Angeles from March 23-25, before heading to the East Coast at the end of March, through to April 21. The US cities where the work is to be performed include Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. — AFP

Alaska, river cruising top 2012 cruise trends

A

laska is a hot destination again and river voyages are enjoying a boost in popularity this year as the cruise industry works on luring back potential first-time passengers put off by the Costa Concordia tragedy. The Concordia accident, in which 32 people died when the ship ran aground off the Italian coast in January, has been an overarching story in the cruise world so far this year. The Costa line is owned by Carnival Corp., the largest cruise operator in the world, which was forced to cut its 2012 profit forecasts nearly in half after the accident. It’s also churned up an industry-wide wave of despair.

“What’s new is the impact of the Costa Concordia tragedy on absolutely every corner of cruising I can think of for the time being,” said CruiseCritic.com editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer Brown. “That’s not something we certainly want to write about or cover or hear about - but the trend as a result of that is the emphasis on safety and security.”

Cruise industry officials and travel agents say people who have cruised before and understand how safe it is won’t be affected as much by Concordia as potential first-time passengers scared away by pictures of the hulking vessel lying on its side in the water. Still, that’s likely to slow growth in a year in which the industry was expected to further recover from the recession amid the debut of innovative ships designed to snag first-timers and families. “ There’s no magic bullet,” said Christine Duffy, president of the Cruise Lines International Association, an industry group that represents 26 major lines. “We have to make sure people have the right information, have access to data on our safety record ... and all the questions that have been raised as a result of the Concordia. That allows for the travel agents and our brands to do the marketing that they do and bring people on board their ships.” Here are some details on what’s new in bookings, launchings and other cruise trends for the coming year: BOOKING TRENDS Even with the loss of potential firsttime cruisers, around 17.2 million passengers are expected to take a cruise this year - up 5 percent from 2011, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. International business is up: Two years ago about a third of the passengers came from North America, now it’s about 68 percent. There is definite room for growth, as the trade industry’s surveys show that about only about 3 percent of people in the United States have ever been on a cruise. That’s why getting firsttimers on board is so important. The Caribbean is again expected to be the leading destination.

NEW SHIPS Fourteen new ships are hitting the market in 2012 (13 new, one re-introduced), ranging in capacity from 32 to 3,690 passengers. The family-oriented Disney Fantasy takes its inaugural cruise to the Caribbean this month and will be based at Port Canaveral, Fla. It’s the twin to the Disney Dream, which debuted last year. Disney ships will also sail from three new ports this year: New York, Seattle and Galveston, Texas. Carnival’s newest ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze will sail in June, starting with a summer schedule of 12-day Mediterranean voyages before being moved to Miami in November for yearround Caribbean cruises.

The 3,030-passenger Celebrity Reflection will debut in October as the fifth ship in Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice class, offering eastern Caribbean itiner-

aries from Miami with new twists such as spa suites and a bar with craft beers. “I think we’ve also seen, as the business has matured, that there is becoming more differentiation between the brands,” Duffy said. “There is a cruise for everyone.”

NEW PORTS AND ITINERARIES The Carnival Miracle launches its first year-round cruise program from New York in April, and in June the Carnival Glory starts operating a new schedule of Canada cruises from Boston. Celebrity sends a ship to Australia and New Zealand for winter 2012-13. Holland America adds a 14-day China and Korea voyage from Hong Kong and a several new European voyages. Princess Cruises has the largest European deployment yet, with seven ships sailing 57 itineraries. The continuing globalization of the industry was one of the major topics at this year’s Cruise Shipping Miami industry convention.

RIVER CRUISING River cruises in Europe and the United States are expected to gain passengers in 2012. Avalon Waterways is adding three new ships (carrying 166, 128 and 32 passengers) for European river cruises, and closer to home two ships will traverse the mighty Mississippi. The 436-passenger American Queen, the largest steamboat in the world, was bought by the Great American Steamboat Co. and got a $6 million retrofitting. It will be relaunched next month, featuring a new interior and two top-deck dining venues. In August comes the launching of the brand new 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi by American Cruise Lines.

Spencer Brown said it’s the first new build for Big Muddy cruises in 15 years.

“It’s been moving this way, but all of sudden, river cruising is hotter than hot,” she said. “And people like it because they feel like ‘we’re still on a ship but we’re within sight of land and it’s easy to get on and off.’ And they’re smaller.

Europe and the Midwest are really hot right now.”

ALASKA The 49th state is expected to be bigger than ever as cruise destination this year. The state “head tax” for cruise passengers led some lines to reduce their Alaska itineraries in recent years, but since it was rolled back in 2010 the ships have returned. Plus, higher airfares to Europe this year have more people looking at an Alaska cruise as an alternative vacation. The Disney Wonder sailing to Alaska from Seattle this year helps put it on the radar for more families. “We’re seeing Alaska trend again in terms of a destination - a lot,” said Vicky Garcia, executive vice president of Cruise Planners/American Express, a network of more than 800 travel agents. “Airfares are attractive enough to do Vancouver or Seattle, even Anchorage. However, Europe is just pricing itself out of the market. Air is just too expensive.”

MEXICO More bad news from Mexico’s west coast this year, after a spate of highly publicized crimes that caused some ships to pull out of Mazatlan. In February, 22 passengers on a shore excursion from a Carnival ship were robbed at gunpoint in Puerto Vallarta. In response, the cruise line eliminated that particular shore excursion from its offerings at the port. Those connected with the industry are quick to note that there has been no trouble at popular destinations in eastern Mexico. “In our county, they don’t teach geography very well,” Garcia said. “The perception is, definitely, all of Mexico is bad.” — AP

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

lifestyle

NEW YORK: Sarina leads a class of 5,000 people in New York’s central park.

Masala Bhangra spices up Kuwait’s workout scene Namaste fitness: Women dancing their way to health

By Lisa Conrad

“W

e love with our hearts, so shouldn’t they be strong?” asked Sarina Jain, commonly known as ‘The Jane Fonda of India’ and creator of the immensely popular Masala Bhangra dance workout.

“After my father died from cardiac arrest at just 47 years old, I decided I wanted to bring together my pride for my Indian heritage and my passion for fitness, and create something that would get people moving,” she says, determinedly. “Everyone should exercise to keep their hearts strong and healthy. Weightloss is a great side effect and it will come, but there must be more awareness of heart health.”

Sarina is currently in Kuwait to lead a Masala Bhangra master class and teach a two day workshop. Given Kuwait and India’s long history together, as well as the immense popularity of Bollywood films here, it’s not surprising that the workout is growing in popularity.

“When I came to Kuwait last year, it was such a wonderful experience when over 150 women all danced and exercised together. It was something completely new for them and, luckily, they all loved it,” recalled Sarina. As obesity and type two diabetes continue to soar in Kuwait, it’s not surprising that women are jumping at the chance to both learn and teach a new workout. “My instructors are my ambassadors, and I now have 10 ambassadors in Kuwait on my ‘MBA’ program: the Masala Banghra Ambassador program. Women have even come from other countries in the region to learn and become ambassadors so that they can return to their cities and teach,” added Sarina. Classes are currently being taught at Rana’s Fitness Studio in Khaldiya, where several of Sarina’s ambassadors teach.

Kuwait and India have more in common than a shared love of Bollywood, however, as Sarina added that fitness is not a priority in either. “In cultures where family is such a strong, central factor, fitness can often take a back seat as there is so much importance placed on family time. These obligations can sometimes overtake one’s own fitness, as

the last master class was almost completely made up of Kuwaiti women, who seemed to really enjoy it and have a good time. The turnout was great, but I was shocked that so few Indian women came.” In her endeavor to get Indian women working out, change the trend and get them dancing, Sarina is issuing them a formal challenge: “Many Indian women say they can already dance. If so, great. I challenge the Indian populations of both the States and Kuwait to get more involved and show us what they’ve got.”

there is little time left for anything else.”

Contrastingly, she added, fitness is granted more time and dedication in the US, “In the States, there is a higher concentration on fitness and fitting in a workout is a key part of many people’s lives. Many successfully manage to balance enough time between their responsibilities.” Sarina feels that by pursuing

NEW YORK: Sarina leads a class.

KUWAIT: Sarina Jain, creator of Masala Bhangra. fun, group workouts, the predicament of balancing fitness and family time can be better overcome. “Workouts like Masala Bhangra can bring women together because it is a fun way to spend time together, and also happens to be great cardio.”

The pursuit of fitness, however, requires dedication: “Fitness is a personal goal: however you do it, whatever you decide to do, do it.

Your body is your temple. Looking good makes you feel good and increases confidence. Everyone knows this: but they don’t go and do it.” Enjoying workouts, Sarina added, encourages more dedication and is important when it comes to achieving health goals, “It is

important that people enjoy their workouts.

When someone becomes passionate about something, they want to improve and advance, which drives them even further.”

Twelve years later, she insists that she still enjoys each workout as if it were the first. “I love what I do, I love what I have created, and I still love it even now.”

While Sarina is passionate about fitness and keeping workouts fun, she wanted to create something that represented her heritage, “My father always told us to be proud of our culture and to be proud to be Indian, and we really are. I’m doing this for my Dad to show him how very proud we are of our background.” Growing up in the States and being of Indian heritage taught Sarina the importance of paying respect to, and being proud of, both sides: “Children born and raised in other cultures should always embrace both, because having two cultures to embrace is such a beautiful thing.” Developing something new, however, takes time “I wanted to find a way to get the average American person to

get up and work out Indian style, and I worked in my garage in California for a year straight trying to work out how to create an Indian dance workout based on steps that we do at Indian weddings.”

Sarina certainly succeeded: there are now eight Masala Bhangra workout DVDs and the class was named one of AOL’s top 5 workouts, not to mention the growing number of ambassadors across the world teaching the dance-inspired workout. “The biggest workout we have had was when 5,000 people came together at Central Park in New York to do a Masala Bhangra workout together,” she says beaming. However, despite the nod to her Indian background, Sarina says that the workout is more popular with those not of Indian heritage, “In the States, it is mostly Americans who come to the workouts. There are not many attendees that are of Indian heritage, although the number is slowly increasing as they become curious about what the workout has to offer.” Kuwait was the same, she added.

“Despite the large population of Indians here,

KUWAIT: Sarina with Rana Al-Omani of Kuwait’s Rana Fit Studio.

Instead of spas, women opt for hunting and fishing E

A pigeon stands on an installation of clocks by French artist Arman yesterday in Paris.

Europe moves to summer time at 0100 GMT tomorrow when clocks go forward an hour. —AFP

rika Faulk and her cousin, Gale Robinson, could have met up for a weekend spa retreat or planned a shopping excursion, but the two middle-aged, suburban moms opted for weekend learning to shoot guns, build campfires and track deer deep in the Ocala National Forest. Faulk, Robinson and about 100 other women were taking part in a three-day workshop called “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.” The program began two decades ago in Wisconsin and has spread to 40 states and Canada as a way to teach women the skills needed to enjoy outdoor activities. In Florida, three workshops are held in different parts of the state throughout the year. Organizers say the sessions are so popular they usually fill up just days after they are announced.

Faulk’s 18-year-old-son laughed at her when she told him she was planning a weekend of camping in the woods. “He said, ‘You are paying money to do this, go outside? You don’t want to go to a Ritz Carlton?’” Faulk said.

Faulk, who is from the Tampa area, took classes in archer y, boating and firearms.

Robinson’s schedule included a class in outdoor cooking. Robinson, who lives in the Atlanta area, had not been camping since she was child. But the two cousins, both in their 50s and in the pharmaceutical sales business, said they had a blast sleeping in bunk beds in a cabin shared with other women, hiking in

the woods and experiencing the great outdoors.

The program began in 1991 in Wisconsin after researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point studied why women were less likely than men to participate in some outdoor activities, said Lynne Hawk, an education specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and director of the Florida program.

“The women didn’t feel like they had the skills to be confident and comfortable to be outdoors doing these activities,” Hawk said.

The Wisconsin program was an enormous success and spread from there, she said.

States tailor their workshops to outdoor activities common in their areas and teach whatever survival skills are needed in the region.

Florida joined the program in 1995. The state Fish and Wildlife Conser vation Commission usually holds workshops every year near Tallahassee, Ocala and West Palm Beach. The Florida program includes courses in boating, kayaking, whitetail deer, fishing, knot tying and outdoor photography.

Instructors even teach students how to back a boat trailer into the water and how to tie a boat up to a dock.

“We think part of the whole boating safety program is learning to control the boat, control the trailer and to know the knots neces-

sary to secure the boat to the dock,” said Dot Goodwin, a boating safety instructor. “The husband might want to be in the boat and then the wife would have to put the boat in the water with the trailer and then bring the trailer away so she needs to know how to operate it also.” Debbie Hanson had a tough time maneuvering a trailer hitched to the back of a truck through a series of traffic cones and into the lake. “What can I say other than it took me five hours,” the Estero woman said to roars of laughter from her companions when finally she completed the task in about 20 minutes with Goodwin’s careful coaching.

Julia Beasley, from Altha, met her sister Dottie Love, who lives in North Carolina, for the weekend. The sisters joked that they are wilderness opposites - Julie has spent little time in the great outdoors and Dottie loves to camp, fish and hunt. “She’s 100 percent and I’m like five,” Beasley said, comparing their enthusiasm for the outdoors. Love has gone to Becoming an Outdoors-Woman events in North Carolina for more than 10 years. The Ocala program was Beasley’s first.

The sisters’ class choices reflected their differences. Beasley learned about bird watching, cooking outdoors, and making ornaments from plant leaves. Love got tips on deer hunting. Despite their different tastes, the sisters shared a cabin in the national park and ate together at communal meals. —AP

Masala Bhangra spices up Kuwait’s workout scene

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

39

Huge turnout at the annual NBK Walkathon 2012 held along Gulf Road yesterday. —Photos

by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Nawara Fattahova

M

ore than 9,000 people participated yesterday in the annual National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) walkathon. This year’s walkathon carried the slogan ‘Health with Every Step’. The participants were luckier this year, as the weather was not so hot and it was easier to walk.

This year NBK is celebrating its 60th anniversary and prepared special prizes for the participants. For the first year, the draw for Jawhara Account winners includes a new prize of KD 250 000, which is the newly added quarterly prize, in addition to the monthly and weekly Jawhara prizes.

“This is the first year to give two cars away to two winners by a raffle draw of the coupons filled in by participants and placed in boxes at the beginning of the race. The winner must be present here at Green Island, and if he or she did not come on stage within five minutes we will draw another coupon,” Abdulmohsen Al-Rsheid, NBK PR Manager told the Kuwait Times yesterday.

The walkathon included three categories for children, women and men of all nationalities. Each of these categories included four subcategories.

The walkathon started in the morning with children walking at Green Island. The participating children were divided into four categories according to their ages, between 4 to 14 years old. They wore jerseys in four colors: yellow, red, green and blue. They only walked inside Green Island.

The walking distance was different for each of the three categories. The children in Zeina Friends Club started at 10am and walked one kilometer. The last category of older children, aged between 12 and 14, walked 2 kilometers.

Women started at Marina Crescent at 14:15 pm and walked six kilometers, while men started at 15:00 from The Scientific Center at Ras Salmiya and walked eight kilometers. All categories ended at Green Island.

Participating women walked in four categories.

At 2:15 the women in light blue color, ages 15 to 20,

left Marina Crescent. They were followed at 2:30 by women in the yellow group, aged from 21 to 35.

These were followed at 2:45 by the third and fourth categories of red, aged 36 to 49, and pink aged 50 and above.

The men strode off from the Scientific Center at 3:00 pm, starting with the eldest category. They

were divided into four categories: dark blue were youths aged from 15 to 20, white were young men aged from 21 to 35, green were middle aged men from 36 to 49, and burgundy were older men aged 50 and above.

“For the first year, this final celebration is broadcast live on social media such as Twitter, Facebook

and others. Different television channels and radio stations are broadcasting it. We are glad that the attendance is more than 16,000 people,” Abdulmuhsin Al-Rsheid said.

At the finish line on Green Island, different activities were held.

Then 10 winners from each category were awarded with cash prizes. A draw was held for the two cars: a Mazda MX-5 and a Peugeot 207 cc.

In addition, different entertainment activities and prizes were given away to the attendees. The Nujoom musical band was performing at the theatre, presenting different folk and modern songs.

The celebration concluded with fireworks. The participants praised the organizers of the walkathon.

Majda Dawood Basha, over 49 years old, was one of the first ten winners. “I’m the sixth to reach the end point, and this is my tenth year to participate. Now I have about eight medals as I’m participating every year. This year I didn’t practice before the race, yet I’m the sixth, as this is my first year to be participating in the pink category,” she pointed out. Some regular participants won the race for the first time. “I’m participating every year in this walkathon, but this is the first time for me to win.

I’m happy that I made it this time,” said a 42 year old participant.

The race didn’t witness any serious injuries to the participants. “There were four ambulances participating in the walkathon. Two were on the street along the track and two were located at the finishing point. We didn’t face any serious injuries. We dealt with 15 hypotension cases, four muscle spasms and eight asthma cases. The majority of these cases were women,” stressed Ibraheem Dashti from the medical emergency team.